Skip to content
For the complete documentation index, see llms.txt.

Last updated

The Todoist alternative with GTD views built in

Done Bear is a Todoist alternative for people who want GTD built in instead of assembled from filters and labels. It's local-first, so every view loads instantly online or offline. Inbox, Today, Upcoming, Anytime, and Someday are the product, and there's a hosted MCP server for ChatGPT and Claude. Free to start.

Done Bear vs Todoist

Done Bear

Built-in 5-view GTD system
Local-first, instant loads
Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS
Real-time team workspaces
CLI, GraphQL API, MCP server
Free to start, from $7/mo billed yearly

Todoist

Build it with filters + labels
Cloud-first with offline mode
Nearly everywhere
Shared projects
REST API, CLI, MCP server
Free tier, paid per user

Why people switch from Todoist

GTD should be the default

In Todoist, a GTD setup is a project you maintain: filters, labels, and conventions that drift. Done Bear ships the five views as the product.

Today opens instantly, offline included

Done Bear renders from a local store first, so opening Today is instant on a plane or on hotel Wi-Fi. Sync happens in the background.

Agent-ready out of the box

Done Bear's hosted MCP server lets Claude, ChatGPT, and other AI assistants act on your tasks with your permission: triage the inbox, plan the day, file follow-ups.

Who should stay on Todoist

If you rely on Todoist's natural-language quick add, its years of integrations, or its karma-style habits, it remains an excellent general-purpose to-do app. Done Bear is for people who want GTD structure, local-first speed, and agent integrations.

Moving from Todoist

Export your Todoist project as CSV, then open Settings, Import, and Todoist in Done Bear. Upload the file and check the preview. Sections are recorded on tasks rather than recreated as headings.

How to export Todoist data

Explore Todoist alternatives

Frequently asked questions

What is the best Todoist alternative?

Done Bear, if you want Inbox, Today, Upcoming, Anytime, and Someday without building them as filters, plus a hosted MCP server for ChatGPT or Claude. Stay on Todoist if you need its integration catalog more than a built-in GTD system.

What's the main difference between Done Bear and Todoist?

Todoist is a flexible cross-platform to-do app you shape with filters, labels, and custom views. Done Bear is opinionated: the GTD workflow (Inbox, Today, Upcoming, Anytime, Someday) is built in, backed by local-first sync so every view loads instantly, even offline.

How does Done Bear pricing compare to Todoist?

Todoist has a free tier and paid plans priced per user per month, which lands close to Done Bear: free for 250 tasks with unlimited workspace members, then $7/month per member billed yearly. Price is not the reason to move between them. The built-in GTD views and local-first sync are.

Is Done Bear better than Todoist for offline use?

Todoist supports offline use, but it is cloud-first: the server holds the truth and the client catches up. Done Bear inverts that. Your tasks live on the device, every view opens instantly with no connection, and changes replicate once you reconnect, so offline is the normal state rather than a degraded one.

Does Done Bear work with AI assistants and automation?

Todoist already offers an official MCP server and a CLI, so tooling alone will not decide this. What an assistant reaches differs: in Done Bear, Inbox, Today, Upcoming, Anytime, and Someday are real views rather than saved filters, served over a GraphQL API and a local-first store that answers immediately.

Can I move my Todoist tasks to Done Bear?

Yes. In Done Bear, open Settings, Import, then Todoist and upload a project CSV or a supported JSON export. Review the preview before confirming. Sections are recorded on tasks rather than recreated as headings. Extract files from ZIP archives before uploading.