Plainlist
Love fast capture.
Tired of paying for it every year.
Todoist's natural-language quick-add is genuinely great — and it's locked behind Pro, which now runs about $60/year. Your tasks also live in Todoist's own cloud database, so you're renting access to your own list. Plainlist includes natural-language capture with no subscription, and keeps everything in one plain-text file you own.
Free trial · no account · pay once · macOS 12+
Mac-only today, with Windows, iOS, and Android coming soon. Todoist still wins on Linux and the web until then.
Today: - draft SOW Fri - call the accountant @due(Jul 17) Upcoming: - renew the domain - quarterly review prep # Natural-language capture, included — not a Pro feature
If you want natural-language capture without a subscription and your tasks in a file you own, Plainlist replaces Todoist's paid tier for a fraction of the yearly cost. Todoist is excellent at cross-platform capture — its natural-language input ("meet John tomorrow 2pm") is the best in the business, and it works on every device you own. That is also its catch: the features that make it powerful — reminders, labels, filters, calendar — live behind a ~$60/year Pro subscription, and your data lives in Todoist's cloud. Plainlist gives you natural-language capture as a core feature, not an upsell, for $19.99 once. The trade-offs are real: Plainlist is macOS-only today, and it does not have Todoist's team collaboration or its 15+ platform apps. If you live in one ecosystem and want your tasks as a file you can open in any editor, Plainlist wins; if you need sync across Android, iOS, Windows, and web with a team, stay with Todoist.
Who this is for
The reason people leave Todoist is rarely the capture speed.
People leave Todoist for the subscription and the cloud lock-in, not because capture is slow. Todoist's quick-add ("call Sam tomorrow 3pm") is the best in the business — that's not the complaint. The complaint is the renewal notice: the features that make Todoist powerful (reminders, labels, filters, calendar, collaboration) sit behind Pro at roughly $60/year, and your data lives in Todoist's cloud, accessible through Todoist's apps. Plainlist's position is simple: natural-language capture is included, the price is $19.99 once, and the tasks are a text file you own — openable in any editor, syncable through any folder, portable forever. You keep the speed; you stop renting the list.
What you stop paying for
Three things a one-time file gives you that a subscription can't.
A plain-text file gives you permanent ownership, your own sync, and scriptability — none of which a subscription to a cloud database provides.
Your list outlives the subscription
When you stop paying Todoist, access stops. A .todo file keeps working after any payment, any app, any company decision — it opens in Vim, VS Code, or TextEdit.
You choose the sync
Todoist's cloud is the only path between your devices. Plainlist uses whatever folder you already sync — iCloud Drive, Dropbox, or Git — so you control transport and history.
You can script it
Grep, diff, commit, and automate a text file with any tool that reads UTF-8. A task list in plain text is something you can build around; a cloud API is something you pay to reach.
Moving over
Migration is manual — and we won't pretend otherwise.
Todoist exports to CSV, so migration is a real export-import job — doable in one sitting, and worth it if the file is the point. Todoist does offer data export, so your tasks aren't trapped — but the export is CSV, and converting your projects, priorities, and recurring tasks into a .todo file takes some manual shaping. Expect a one-time 30–60 minute job depending on how many tasks and projects you have. The trade is straightforward: one manual migration now, versus a subscription and a closed database forever.
Practical path
- Export or copy one active Todoist project.
- Paste into a new
.todofile. - Add
-bullets and any @tags you want.
Then plan
- Give today's tasks a
@start. - Switch to Focus for the next action.
- Let Done become your log.
# Reshaped from a Todoist CSV export Acme: - draft SOW @start(2026-07-18) @est(2h) - send onboarding email @est(15m) - schedule kickoff call @due(Jul 22) Personal: - renew passport @every(10 years)
Supporting detail
Plainlist vs Todoist, feature by feature.
Feature-for-feature, Plainlist matches Todoist on capture and planning where it matters for a personal planner, while Todoist wins on cross-platform and collaboration. Checked July 2026 (Todoist Pro is roughly $60/yr; a free tier exists with lower limits). Re-check current pricing on Doist's site before deciding.
@every / @quota with streak and history.@span.Which one is you
Plainlist is the right call if…
Switch to Plainlist if you're a personal user paying Pro mainly for natural-language capture, and you want your tasks as a file you own, paid once.
Pick Plainlist if
- You use Todoist solo and resent the yearly renewal.
- You want tasks in Git or a text editor.
- You plan your day visually (Plan + Focus).
- You want habits and goals in the same file.
- You trust your own sync over a vendor cloud.
The honest trade-off
Todoist is more platforms, more integrations, and built for teams. Plainlist is more file — your day as a plain-text document you own, with a fast planner on top, on macOS for now. If those describe you, the $60/year you stop paying pays for Plainlist three times over in year one. The full “stay with Todoist” list is right below.
Honest cons
You should NOT switch if…
Stay with Todoist if you live on multiple platforms, work with a team, or rely on Todoist's collaboration features. If any of these matter to you, staying is the right call — and that's fine.
Stay with Todoist if…
Does Plainlist run on iPhone or Android like Todoist?
Not yet, but Windows, iOS, and Android are all coming soon. Todoist runs on nearly everything today — iOS, Android, Windows, Linux, and the web; Plainlist is Mac-only for now.
Can I share projects or assign tasks to teammates in Plainlist?
No. Todoist's shared projects, assignments, and comments are built for teams. Plainlist is single-user and single-file, with no collaboration features.
Does Plainlist integrate with Gmail, Slack, or Zapier like Todoist?
No. Todoist has a large integration ecosystem. Plainlist is a local file plus a planner — there are no third-party app integrations.
Is there a free version of Plainlist like Todoist's free tier?
There's a 14-day free trial, then a one-time purchase — no ongoing free tier. Todoist's free plan is more limited than Pro but costs nothing indefinitely.
Can I import my Todoist tasks automatically?
Not automatically. Todoist can export a CSV/JSON backup per project, but there's no one-click import into Plainlist's plain-text format — you reshape it by hand, same as any migration.