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Milestones vs Todoist

A native Apple project planner vs the most-used cross-platform to-do app. They overlap on tasks but diverge on structure, privacy, and where they live.

Download on the App Store Free · Works on iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

Todoist is the everywhere-app of to-do lists. Web, iOS, Android, Windows, Mac, browser extensions, Apple Watch, Wear OS, Outlook plugins — if it has a screen, Todoist runs there. Tasks live in projects with due dates, priorities, labels, and natural-language input that's been refined for over fifteen years.

Milestones is the opposite trade-off: only iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, but truly native on each. The headline structure isn't a flat list of tasks — it's Project → Milestone → Task, with deadlines on milestones and an active-milestone view that tells you what's next.

If you live across multiple operating systems, Todoist is hard to beat. If your devices all have an Apple logo and your projects deserve more structure than a flat list, Milestones is closer to the shape of the work.

Feature comparison

Milestones vs Todoist

  • Built for

    Milestones

    Project planning with phases and deadlines

    Todoist

    Cross-platform personal task management

  • Platforms

    Milestones

    iOS, iPadOS, macOS — native SwiftUI

    Todoist

    Web, iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, watchOS, Wear OS, browser, Outlook…

  • Planning model

    Milestones

    Project → Milestone → Task

    Todoist

    Project → (optional sections) → Task

  • Deadlines on a 'phase'

    Milestones

    Yes — every milestone has a target date

    Todoist

    Sections have no dates

  • Natural language input

    Milestones

    Basic, improvements planned

    Todoist

    Industry-leading ('every Mon at 9am')

  • Today / Upcoming / Inbox

    Milestones

    Yes

    Todoist

    Yes

  • Account required

    Milestones

    No account, no signup

    Todoist

    Todoist account required

  • Sync

    Milestones

    Private iCloud sync

    Todoist

    Doist servers

  • Offline

    Milestones

    Local-first; full offline editing

    Todoist

    Works offline; syncs when online

  • Karma / gamification

    Milestones

    None

    Todoist

    Karma points, streaks, productivity stats

  • Integrations

    Milestones

    Apple-native (Shortcuts, Calendar, Reminders import)

    Todoist

    70+ integrations (Google Calendar, Slack, IFTTT…)

  • Pricing

    Milestones

    Free; optional Pro upgrade

    Todoist

    Free + Pro / Business subscription per user

Pick Milestones if

  • All your devices are made by Apple. Native quality matters to you.
  • You think in projects with phases, not flat to-do lists.
  • Recurring tasks aren't enough — you need an active milestone with a real deadline.
  • You don't want your task data routed through Doist's servers.
  • Karma points and productivity streaks feel like noise, not motivation.

Pick Todoist if

  • Your work day touches Windows, Linux, Android, or a browser as a first-class device.
  • Natural-language task entry ('every Tue at 2pm starting next week') is core to your workflow.
  • You depend on integrations: Google Calendar, Slack, Outlook, Zapier, IFTTT.
  • You want your tasks on a smartwatch — Apple Watch *and* Wear OS.
  • Streaks, Karma, and productivity dashboards genuinely help you stay on track.

Bottom line

Todoist is the best cross-platform to-do app, period. It earns that crown. Milestones isn't trying to compete cross-platform — it trades reach for native depth and structural clarity on Apple devices. If reach matters more than structure, pick Todoist. If you live in the Apple ecosystem and your projects deserve milestones, Milestones is the better fit.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Can Milestones import my Todoist projects?

Not directly today. The structures don't map cleanly: Todoist sections are flat groupings, Milestones milestones have their own deadlines and statuses. Most switchers re-plan from the milestone level instead — usually faster than a 1:1 import would be.

Does Milestones do natural-language parsing like Todoist?

Basic date entry, yes. Todoist's parser is genuinely best-in-class — fifteen years of refinement, multilingual, handles 'every other Tuesday' kinds of phrases. Milestones' input is intentionally simpler.

What about Karma and productivity stats?

Milestones doesn't ship those. The reasoning is opinionated: completion streaks tend to push you toward easy tasks, not the right ones. The active-milestone concept replaces it as a focus signal.

Will my data sync to Android or Windows?

No. Milestones is Apple-only. If even one of your devices isn't an Apple device, Todoist (or TickTick, Microsoft To Do) is the better choice.

Is Milestones really cheaper than Todoist Pro?

Milestones is free to use, with an optional Pro upgrade. Todoist Pro is per-user. For solo use Milestones is the cheaper option, especially if you'd otherwise pay Todoist for one seat.

A planner with milestones, not just a list with deadlines.

Free, native, private. No account, no streak to break.

Download on the App Store

Free · No account required · Private iCloud sync