OmniFocus vs TaskPaper
We give OmniFocus a 2.8 GPA and TaskPaper a 2.6, out of 4.0. OmniFocus grades higher on features and platforms. TaskPaper grades higher on value for money and ease of use. They get the same grade on the free plan.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
OmniFocus
Project-based task manager for Apple devices, with a web companion
TaskPaper
Plain-text to-do lists with an outliner, for Mac
How we grade them
| 2.8GPAOmniFocusGood | 2.6GPATaskPaperGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BA v4 Standard licence is $74.99 once, which is under two years of a typical to-do subscription. Fair if you keep it. But custom perspectives and automation need Pro at $149.99, and the subscription is $99.99 a year. | A$24.99 once, from the Mac App Store or straight from taskpaper.com. That's about half a year of a typical to-do subscription, and then it's yours. A direct-download license covers three activations. |
| Free plan and trial | CNo free plan. You get a 14-day trial with no automatic charge when you start it from an Omni Account. After that the app turns into a viewer: you can look at your tasks but that's about it. | CNo free plan. The direct download from taskpaper.com has a 1-week trial, which is short but enough to see if plain text suits you. The listing mentions no trial for the Mac App Store version, so start with the direct one. |
| Features | AProjects, folders, tags, flags, due dates and defer dates, with repeats. Forecast puts tasks next to your calendar and Review steps through projects on a schedule. Pro adds saved custom views, Focus mode and scripting. | BType a line and it becomes a project, task or note. Tags like @due and @done add structure, and you can fold lists, zoom into one project and save searches such as not @done. Scripts and stylesheets go deeper. But its own guide calls phone capture and notifications weak areas. |
| Ease of use | C4.0 from about 340 App Store ratings, which is low for this category. There's a lot here: perspectives, defer dates, review cycles. It pays you back, but not on day one. | BIf you can type, you can start: the formatting happens as you write. The power stuff, like the search syntax, stylesheets and scripts, takes some reading. There's no rating on record to go by, so it stops at a B. |
| Platforms and integrations | BMac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Vision Pro, plus a web version. The web one needs an Apple setup first and costs $4.99 a month on top of a licence. No Windows or Android apps, and Apple Calendar is the one listed integration. | DMac only, on macOS 11 or later. There's no iOS, Windows or web version from Hog Bay. The files are plain text, so other developers' apps can open them elsewhere, and it trades tasks with Apple Reminders. Still, the app itself lives on one system. |
| Best for | running lots of projects on Apple devices | plain-text to-do lists on a Mac, bought once |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: OmniFocus and TaskPaper. How we grade
Where they differ
- OmniFocus starts at $74.99 one-time for a v4 Standard license, or $99.99 per year by subscription. TaskPaper starts at $24.99 one-time purchase.
- Only OmniFocus lists a web app.
- Only OmniFocus lists an iOS app.
- OmniFocus is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- OmniFocus also covers calendar.
At a glance
| OmniFocus | TaskPaper | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $74.99 one-time for a v4 Standard license, or $99.99 per year by subscription | $24.99 one-time purchase |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial with no automatic charge when started from an Omni Account; afterwards the app is a free viewer. | 1-week trial of the direct download from taskpaper.com |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| iOS | ||
| Made by | The Omni Group | Hog Bay Software |
| Price read from | omnigroup.com | apps.apple.com |
| Checked | Oct 4, 2026 | Oct 6, 2026 |
Who each one suits
OmniFocus
- People managing many projects on Apple devices
- Workflows built around defer dates, tags and regular project reviews
- Buyers who want to choose between a one-time license and a subscription
TaskPaper
- People who want their to-do list in a plain text file they control
- Keyboard-centered outlining of projects and tasks on a Mac
- Buyers who prefer a one-time purchase to a subscription
- Users who like to customize an app with scripts and stylesheets
Worth knowing
OmniFocus
- Native apps are for Apple devices only. Web access comes with the subscription or costs $4.99 a month on top of a license.
- Custom perspectives, Focus mode and automation are Pro features and are not in the $74.99 Standard license.
- There is no free plan; after the 14-day trial the app falls back to a viewer mode.
- Education discounts do not apply to subscriptions or to purchases made through the App Store.
TaskPaper
- Mac only, requiring macOS 11 or later. There is no iOS, Windows or web version, though other developers' apps can edit TaskPaper files.
- The developer calls it finished software and does not expect to add big new features.
- The user guide describes phone capture and notifications as weak areas and suggests pairing it with Apple Reminders.
- The direct-download version allows three activations and does not support iCloud directly, unlike the Mac App Store version.
Key features
OmniFocus
- Projects, folders and tags
- Actions are grouped into projects and folders and labeled with tags, flags, due dates and defer dates. Repeat schedules handle recurring work.
- Forecast
- Shows upcoming actions together with calendar events. Calendar integration is available in the native apps but not in the web version.
- Review
- A review mode steps through projects at a regular interval, such as once a week, so that projects and goals stay current.
- Custom perspectives and Focus (Pro)
- Pro adds custom perspectives, which are saved views built from filtering and grouping rules in a perspective editor, along with Focus mode.
- Automation (Pro)
- Pro runs Omni Automation plug-ins and, on Mac, AppleScripts.
- Encrypted sync
- Syncing through the free Omni Sync Server or a server of your own is described by the vendor as end-to-end encrypted. The web version requires Omni Sync Server.
TaskPaper
- Plain text files
- Lists are saved as plain text .taskpaper files that can be opened in any text editor or in compatible apps that other developers have written for iOS, Windows and Linux.
- Auto-formatted projects, tasks and notes
- Each line becomes a project, task or note as you type, and @tags add structure. Tagging a task @done crosses it out, and a command archives finished items.
- Fold, focus and filter
- Collapse sub-lists, zoom into a single project, or filter by tag, type or content with logical searches such as "not @done". Searches can be saved for reuse.
- Dates in plain text
- A date palette inserts ISO 8601 dates for tags such as @due and @start, chosen with the arrow keys or typed in TaskPaper's date and time syntax.
- Import and export with Apple Reminders
- Reminders captured on a phone, for example with Siri, can be imported with their due dates and priorities, and selected items can be exported to the Reminders app.
- Stylesheets and scripting
- Appearance is set by LESS/CSS stylesheets, and scripts written in JavaScript or AppleScript can automate the app and be run from its command palette.
Plans
OmniFocus
OmniFocus for the Web Subscription$4.99
per month, or $49.99 per year
Browser access as an add-on. Requires an existing OmniFocus setup on Mac, iPad, iPhone or Apple Vision Pro.
v4 Standard License$74.99
one-time purchase
Version 4 with all 4.x updates on Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Apple Vision Pro, with the standard feature set.
OmniFocus Subscription$99.99
per year
The latest Pro version on Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Apple Vision Pro plus web access, with no charge for major version upgrades.
v4 Pro License$149.99
one-time purchase
Version 4 with all 4.x updates, plus the Pro features: custom perspectives, Focus mode and automation.
TaskPaper
Mac App Store License$24.99
one-time purchase
Bought through the Mac App Store and tied to an Apple account. This version is sandboxed and supports iCloud directly.
Direct Download License$24.99
one-time purchase
License key bought through Paddle from taskpaper.com after a 1-week trial. One license allows three activations.
Ways to pay less
OmniFocus
- Lifetime license
One-time v4 license instead of a subscription
A v4 Standard ($74.99) or Pro ($149.99) license is bought once and kept, with all 4.x updates included, as an alternative to the $99.99 yearly subscription.
- Education
Education pricing on licenses
Staff, faculty and students of accredited educational organizations can buy discounted licenses from Omni's Educational Store. Subscriptions and App Store purchases are excluded.
- Other savings
Quantity discount on perpetual licenses
Each license beyond the first in the same transaction takes a further 5% off the whole order, up to 30%. The discount is not available on subscriptions.
- Other savings
Family sharing through an Omni Account
A personal license or subscription can unlock the apps for immediate family members living in the same household. OmniFocus for the Web access cannot be shared.
- Other savings
Upgrade pricing for owners of versions 1 to 3
The purchase page says upgrade discounts are available. The App Store listing shows upgrades from v1-v3 at $37.49 for v4 Standard and $74.99 for v4 Pro, half the full license prices.
TaskPaper
No public discounts listed.
