TickTick vs WaterDo
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
TickTick
To-do list with a calendar, habit tracker and Pomodoro timer built in
WaterDo
Gamified to-do list where tasks become water balls to pop
Where they differ
- TickTick starts at $49.99 per year (about $4.17 per month). WaterDo starts at $0.99 per month, $9.99 per year or $14.99 lifetime (US App Store).
- Only TickTick lists a web app.
- Only TickTick lists macOS, Windows and Linux apps.
- Only TickTick lists a browser extension.
- WaterDo can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- TickTick also covers natural-language input, kanban boards, Pomodoro timer and habit tracking.
- WaterDo also covers notes.
At a glance
| TickTick | WaterDo | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $49.99 per year (about $4.17 per month) | $0.99 per month, $9.99 per year or $14.99 lifetime (US App Store) |
| Free plan | 9 lists, 99 tasks per list, 5 habits, 2 reminders per task and 1 attachment per day, with list and kanban views, a basic calendar view and sync across devices. | Free to download. The store listings say the app offers free features alongside a premium version, but do not state which features need a membership. |
| Free trial | None listed | Free trial of the premium version; the store listings do not state its length |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Appest Inc. | Seekrtech Co., Ltd. |
| Price read from | ticktick.com | apps.apple.com |
| Checked | Oct 4, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 |
Who each one suits
TickTick
- People who want tasks, habits and a focus timer in a single app
- Keeping the same lists on Windows, Mac, Linux, phones and the web
- Students and school staff, who can apply for a discount on Premium
WaterDo
- People who are motivated by game-style rewards for finishing tasks
- Users of Forest who want a to-do list from the same team
- Phone-first planning with a calendar and reminders
- Buyers who prefer a one-time lifetime purchase to a subscription
Worth knowing
TickTick
- The free plan is capped at 9 lists, 99 tasks per list, 5 habits and 1 attachment per day.
- Multiple calendar views, task duration and email reminders are listed as Premium features.
- The pricing page shows Premium only as a $49.99 annual plan; a $4.99 monthly option appears on the App Store listing.
- Location-based reminders are listed as iOS only.
WaterDo
- Neither the store listings nor the vendor's site say which features need a membership. Prices here are from the US App Store.
- Phones only: the App Store marks it as only for iPhone, and the site links to the App Store, Google Play and Coolapk with no web or desktop app.
- Both store listings show the most recent update in November 2025, version 3.9.5.
- The free trial of the premium version is mentioned without a stated length.
Key features
TickTick
- Typed and spoken task capture
- Dates and times are recognized as a task is typed. Voice Capture turns speech into one or more tasks and uses AI to pull out dates and priorities.
- Calendar views
- Yearly, monthly, weekly, multi-day, multi-week and agenda views show tasks alongside subscribed calendars. The free plan has a basic calendar view; Premium lists multiple views.
- Kanban, timeline and matrix
- A list can be shown as a kanban board, as a timeline for tasks that have a duration, or as an Eisenhower matrix that sorts tasks by urgency and importance.
- Pomodoro timer
- Work on a task in 25-minute focus intervals. Statistics report focus time next to completed tasks and habit logs.
- Habit tracker
- Habits are logged and charted in the same app as tasks. The free plan allows 5 habits and Premium allows 299.
- Shared lists
- Share a list with other people and assign tasks to them. The member count is 2 on the free plan and 29 on Premium.
WaterDo
- Tasks as water balls
- Every to-do is drawn as a water ball on the main screen, so the whole list is visible at once, and a ball is popped when its task is completed.
- Quick add and calendar scheduling
- Tasks are added quickly and then dragged onto dates in a calendar to schedule them.
- Water ball of the day
- One task can be marked as the water ball of the day to single out the most important thing to finish.
- Daily Review
- A review of about five minutes a day walks through the list so that the status of every task is brought up to date.
- Reminders, snooze and notes
- Tasks can carry reminders that can be snoozed, and notes can be added at any time. On iOS 16 and later a widget can sit on the lock screen.
- Treasure chests and islands
- Completing tasks unlocks treasure chests, and there are themed islands to explore and develop. A picture of an island can be shared with friends.
Plans
TickTick
Free$0
9 lists with 99 tasks each, list and kanban views, date recognition as you type, task reminders and cross-platform sync.
Premium$49.99
per year
299 lists with 999 tasks each, multiple calendar views, task duration, email reminders, themes and 299 habits.
WaterDo
Free$0
The free features of the iPhone and Android apps. The listings do not itemize what is held back for members.
WaterDo Monthly Membership$0.99
per month, US App Store in-app purchase
The premium version billed monthly. Neither store listing nor the vendor's site lists what the membership adds.
WaterDo Annual Membership$9.99
per year, US App Store in-app purchase
The same membership billed once a year.
WaterDo Lifetime Membership$14.99
one-time purchase, US App Store
A single payment for the membership with no renewal. Google Play's US listing shows in-app items from $0.99 to $14.99.
Ways to pay less
TickTick
- Education
25% off Premium for students, faculty and staff
Eligible students, faculty and staff can apply with proof of status for 25% off one year of Premium. TickTick lists the price after the discount as $37.99.
- Annual discount
Annual billing costs about 17% less than monthly
The App Store listing shows Premium at $4.99 monthly or $49.99 annually, so a year paid up front costs about 17% less than 12 monthly payments ($59.88).
WaterDo
- Lifetime license
Lifetime Membership for $14.99
The US App Store lists a WaterDo Lifetime Membership at $14.99, a one-time purchase that costs about as much as 18 months of the annual plan.
- Annual discount
Annual membership is about 16% cheaper
The US App Store lists the membership at $0.99 monthly and $9.99 annually. Twelve monthly payments come to $11.88, so the annual plan costs about 16% less.
