The Twist Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Twist in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Twist
The Insider’s Guide
Async team messaging organized into threads
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among team communication apps, read from Twist’s own pages.
Made by Doist Inc. · checked Oct 6, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Twist’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Twist’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 6, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.8
GPA, above 21 of the 33 other team communication apps we grade
Twist is a team messaging app from Doist, the company behind Todoist, built for asynchronous communication. Conversations are posted as titled threads inside channels and collected in each member's inbox, while one-on-one and group messages cover quick exchanges. It deliberately shows no online-status indicators, and video meetings are started through a Jitsi Meet integration.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Twist, taken from its own pages and our grades.
A thread has a title, it lands in your inbox, and you mark it done, the same steps as email.
- 1
Best for async teams who'd rather write than ping
Twist is team messaging built on titled threads you answer when you're ready, with no online-status dots at all.
- 2
Paid plans start at $6 a month for each person
As its pricing page puts it: $6 per user / month, billed yearly.
- 3
There is a free plan
Access to the last month of comments and messages, up to 5 integrations, 5 GB of file storage, and up to 500 members and 500 guests.
- 4
It runs on 6 platforms
Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android.
- 5
Threads
Each conversation in a channel is a titled thread with its own comments. Threads can be closed, pinned, muted or moved to another channel.
- 6
Public and private channels
Channels group threads by team, project, topic or client, and can be public to the whole team or private to invited members.
- 7
Inbox
The inbox lists every thread a member has been notified about across channels, with Active, Done and Saved views for working through them.
- 8
A 2.8 GPA, above 21 of 33
That is against the other team communication apps we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace Twist you would be making chat that a whole team counts on staying up. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Twist at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $6 per user / month, billed yearly
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android
- Made by
- Doist Inc.
- Category
- Team Communication
- Our grade
- 2.8 GPA, good
- Store rating
- 4.7 on the App Store, 1,080 ratings
The report card
Best for async teams who'd rather write than ping
Twist is team messaging built on titled threads you answer when you're ready, with no online-status dots at all. But Twist's own What's New page says development is on hiatus, with no new features or small-bug fixes and a last entry from May 2023. The free plan hides anything older than a month, video goes out to Jitsi Meet, and Unlimited bills every member at $6 a user.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | Unlimited is $6 a user a month billed yearly, $8 monthly, about the going rate for team chat, and Doist's help centre says no other discounts are offered. Paying the going rate for a product whose own What's New page says development is on hiatus is the part to think about. |
| Free plan and trial | C | Free takes up to 500 members and 500 guests, but you only see and search the last month of comments and messages. Older threads are kept and hidden until you upgrade. Add 5 integrations and 5 GB of storage, and there's no trial of Unlimited. |
| Features | C | It has titled threads in channels, an inbox with Active, Done and Saved views, search filtered by author, channel and date, and no online-status dots anywhere. Two gaps: video meetings go out to Jitsi Meet, and development is on hiatus, with the last What's New entry from May 2023. |
| Ease of use | A | 4.7 on the App Store from about 1,080 ratings. A thread has a title, it lands in your inbox, and you mark it done, the same steps as email. |
| Platforms and integrations | A | Web, Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone and Android. The directory covers Todoist, GitHub, GitLab, Google Calendar, Google Drive, Jira Software and Trello, with Zapier, Make and n8n for the rest, and there's a developer API for your own automations. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Twist is for
- Fits if your team is spread across time zones and replies when it can
- Works for teams that want written discussions they can find again by topic
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you want a product that's still getting new features or bug fixes, as development is on hiatus
- Tight if you're staying free: anything older than a month is hidden, with 5 integrations, 5 GB and no trial of Unlimited
- Not for you if you want calls built in, as video meetings go through Jitsi Meet
- Watch out: on Unlimited every member and multi-channel guest is billed, so you can't mix free and paid members
Good to know
Good for
- Distributed teams that reply across time zones rather than in real time
- Teams that want written discussions kept findable by topic
- Working with clients or contractors: single-channel guests are free
- Teams already using Todoist, which has several Twist integrations
Worth knowing
- Twist's own What's New page says development is on hiatus: no new features and no fixes for small bugs for the time being. Its last entry is from May 2023.
- The Free plan shows and searches only the last month of comments and messages; older content is kept but hidden until the team upgrades.
- Free teams are limited to 5 integrations and 5 GB of file storage.
- On Unlimited every member and multi-channel guest is billed, so a team cannot mix free and paid members.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$6
A month to start, for each person. There is a free plan too
Twist has a free plan. Paid plans start at $6 per user / month, billed yearly.
Paying the going rate for a product whose own What's New page says development is on hiatus is the part to think about.
Free
$0
Up to 1 month of comment and message history, 5 integrations, 5 GB of file storage, 500 member accounts and 500 guest accounts.
Unlimited
$6
per user / month, billed yearly ($8 billed monthly)
Full history, unlimited integrations and file storage, unlimited members and guests, priority support, custom groups and Google sign-in.
The free plan
Access to the last month of comments and messages, up to 5 integrations, 5 GB of file storage, and up to 500 members and 500 guests.
Read from twist.com on Oct 6, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Annual discount
25% less with yearly billing
Twist Unlimited costs $6 per user / month billed annually against $8 billed monthly. Doist's help center says no other discounts are currently offered.
Stated on twist.com
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
6
Places it runs: Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android
Async team messaging organized into threads. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: public API, team chat, file sharing.
Web, Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone and Android.
- Threads
- Each conversation in a channel is a titled thread with its own comments. Threads can be closed, pinned, muted or moved to another channel.
- Public and private channels
- Channels group threads by team, project, topic or client, and can be public to the whole team or private to invited members.
- Inbox
- The inbox lists every thread a member has been notified about across channels, with Active, Done and Saved views for working through them.
- Direct and group messages
- Messages sit alongside threads for one-on-one or small-group exchanges, with file attachments, GIFs and emoji reactions.
- Search with filters
- Search covers threads and messages and can be narrowed by author, channel, thread title and date range.
- Integrations and API
- The directory covers tools such as GitHub, Google Calendar, Jira Software and Todoist, plus Zapier, Make and n8n, and a developer API for custom automations.
Where it runs
- Web
- macOS
- Windows
- Linux
- iOS
- Android
What it works with
- Todoist
- GitHub
- GitLab
- Google Calendar
- Google Drive
- Jira Software
- Trello
- Zapier
Who makes Twist
Twist is made by Todoist Inc., the remote company behind the Todoist task manager, which its founder started in 2007. Twist's own site still signs itself Doist Inc.; the terms of service that cover it name Todoist Inc. The company sells subscriptions to both products, and Twist's changelog says its development is on hiatus.
- Based
- Remote by design, with team members in 94 cities and 38 countriestodoist.com
- Ownership
- Privately held. Privately held, with no parent company: its founder describes it on the company's site as bootstrapped, independent and profitable from day one.todoist.com
- Funding
- Bootstrapped: its Channel Partners page says Todoist has grown since day one without any VC funds or investors, and its founder calls it a completely bootstrapped company in an article on its site.todoist.comtodoist.com
- Team
- 108 team members of 43 nationalities, in 94 cities and 38 countriestodoist.com
- Founders and leaders
- Amir Salihefendic, Founder & CEOtodoist.com
- Hiring
- 2 open roles, both full-time and remote: General Counsel, under finance, and Apple Engineer, under Apple engineeringtodoist.com
- Affiliate program
- Todoist Channel Partner program, run through PartnerStack: ambassadors, affiliates and resellers earn up to 25% commission on each Todoist sale. The page covers Todoist and does not mention Twist.todoist.com
- Lately
- Decide what’s urgent, and let the rest wait. · September 2026
- A clearer picture of your team’s work · Apr 23, 2026
- Scan notes, photos, and files for tasks – Task Capture (Beta) · Apr 21, 2026
Read on Oct 6, 2026 from the company’s own pages and from news reports. What is not stated there is left out.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
21/33
Other team communication apps it is graded above
Twist's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 21 of the 33 other team communication apps we grade, and level with 7.
It stands best on ease of use (A, above 28 of 33) and worst on free plan and trial (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $6 a month for each person, against a middle price of $7 for the category: 9 of the 28 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 3.3 out of 4. 1 tool scores higher and costs less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 34 team communication apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. Twist’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 2 of 33
- CFree plan and trialAbove 0 of 33
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 33
- AEase of useAbove 28 of 33
- APlatforms and integrationsAbove 15 of 33
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 31 team communication apps. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Twist is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace Twist you would be making chat that a whole team counts on staying up. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It costs $72 a year.
What you could not
- Chat that a whole team counts on staying up.
- Storing and serving files for other people.
- Apps for macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android that stay in step with each other.
- It is priced for each person, which means accounts and billing for a team.
- It plugs into other products, Todoist, GitHub and GitLab among them, and has an API.
What this rests on. Twist’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Slack, Zulip, Mattermost, Pumble and Microsoft Teams
The 5 tools Twist is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.8GPA
Slack
Free plan · from $7.25/mo
Channel-based team messaging with huddles, workflows and AI.
- Slack also covers workflow automation, documents and video calls.
- 2.8GPA
Zulip
Free plan · from $3.50/mo
Open-source team chat that organizes channels by topic.
- Zulip is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- 2.4GPA
Mattermost
Free plan
Self-hosted team messaging with playbooks, calls and boards.
- Mattermost is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Twist also covers file sharing.
- Mattermost also covers kanban boards, workflow automation and AI agents.
- 3.6GPA
Pumble
Free plan · from $2.49/mo
Team chat with unlimited message history on the free plan.
- Pumble also covers video calls.
- 3.0GPA
Microsoft Teams
Free plan · from $4.00/mo
Chat, video meetings and calling tied into Microsoft 365.
- Only Twist lists a Linux app.
- Microsoft Teams also covers transcription, noise cancellation, whiteboard and video calls.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
13
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Twist free?
Twist has a free plan. Access to the last month of comments and messages, up to 5 integrations, 5 GB of file storage, and up to 500 members and 500 guests.
How much does Twist cost?
Twist lists 2 plans. Free: $0.
What platforms does Twist work on?
Twist is available on Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android.
Does Twist offer any discounts?
Twist publicly lists the following: 25% less with yearly billing.
How is Twist rated?
Twist's iPhone and iPad app averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1,080 ratings on the App Store in the United States, as read on Oct 6, 2026.
Is Twist open source?
Twist is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 6, 2026.
Does Twist have an API?
Yes. Twist offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does Twist integrate with?
Twist's listing names Todoist, GitHub, GitLab, Google Calendar, Google Drive, Jira Software, Trello and Zapier.
Who makes Twist?
Twist is made by Todoist Inc. Privately held, with no parent company: its founder describes it on the company's site as bootstrapped, independent and profitable from day one.
What are the alternatives to Twist?
The closest alternatives to Twist in our directory are Slack, Zulip, Mattermost, Pumble and Microsoft Teams.
How does Twist compare with other team communication apps?
Twist's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 21 of the 33 other team communication apps we grade, and level with 7.
Is Twist good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Twist C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $6 a month for each person, against a middle price of $7 for the category: 9 of the 28 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Twist?
To replace Twist you would be making chat that a whole team counts on staying up.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Twist’s own pages on Oct 6, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Twist's own pages on 6 October 2026, and its App Store rating. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-05-07.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Doist Inc. Prices change, so check twist.com before you buy.
- twist.com/pricing
- twist.com
- twist.com/integrations
- twist.com/help/articles/download-twist-OEgZFaqN
- twist.com/help/articles/how-to-install-twist-on-linux-AoHRc6FyR
- twist.com/help/articles/what-is-twist-unlimited-mehD6bnu
- twist.com/help/articles/do-you-offer-a-discount-nAlJwczVt
- twist.com/help/articles/how-guests-work-in-twist-pPt1PKPY
- twist.com/help/articles/how-to-search-in-twist-aTA4QN07
- twist.com/help/articles/what-is-the-inbox-r2KEWZwI
- twist.com/help/articles/what-is-twist-aTA4QrqG
- twist.com/help/articles/use-jitsi-meet-with-twist-WFWDf4r1
- twist.com/help/articles/whats-new-JPJ4HduH
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Twist, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/twist
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Twist: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 6, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/twist
Know someone choosing between team communication apps?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/twist/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded team communication apps after Twist, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Team Communication Insider's GuideEvery one of the 34 team communication apps we grade, compared
- Discord Insider's GuideFree text, voice and video chat built around servers3.6 GPA
- Pumble Insider's GuideTeam chat with unlimited message history on the free plan3.6 GPA
- Zoho Cliq Insider's GuideTeam chat, calls and meetings from the Zoho suite3.4 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Twist’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Twist is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Doist Inc. Prices and plans change: check twist.com before you buy.