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All industries · head to head

Any.do vs Oyster

Any.do logo

Any.do

All industries

To do list & planner

From
Free
Rated
-
Oyster logo

Oyster

Payroll & Benefits

Hire globally, compliantly

From
Free
Rated
-

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Any.do bare-bones free plan: lacks recurring tasks and third-party integrations available only in paid plans; Oyster employer of Record is $699 per employee per month, with the discount tied to annual billing
  • They diverge on capability: Any.do covers Task lists, Oyster covers Global Employment.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Any.do and Oyster actually diverge.

Attributes where Any.do and Oyster differ
AttributeAny.doOyster
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
PlatformsWeb, macOS, Windows, iOS, AndroidWeb, Ios, Android
CategoryAll industriesPayroll & Benefits
Founded20112020

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Any.do

  • Task lists
  • Calendar integration
  • Reminders
  • Daily planner
  • Voice input
  • Drag and drop
  • Smart suggestions
  • Focus mode

Only in Oyster

  • Global Employment
  • Payroll
  • Benefits
  • Compliance
  • Contractor Management
  • Time Off
  • Expenses
  • BambooHR

Both cover

  • Slack
  • Ios support
  • Android support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Any.do

  • Personal task managementnot Oyster
  • Daily planningnot Oyster
  • Shopping listsnot Oyster
  • Project managementnot Oyster
  • Team collaborationnot Oyster

Oyster

  • Hiring employees abroad without setting up a local legal entitynot Any.do
  • Onboarding and paying international contractorsnot Any.do
  • Getting country specific employment compliance advice for distributed teamsnot Any.do

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Any.do

  • Bare-bones free plan: lacks recurring tasks and third-party integrations available only in paid plans
  • Short planning window: only allows planning up to seven days ahead, limiting long-term project planning
  • Limited desktop performance: web and desktop versions struggle with functionality and responsiveness
  • Slow customer support: email support takes approximately 48 hours to respond
  • Missing drag-and-drop: inability to drag tasks between lists creates workflow friction

Oyster

  • Employer of Record is $699 per employee per month, with the discount tied to annual billing
  • A refundable deposit is required before an EOR engagement starts
  • Contractor management is free for 30 days then $29 per contractor per month
  • HR advisory through People Partner Services is billed at $300 per hour on top of the subscription
  • A currency conversion fee applies when you pay Oyster in a currency other than the contract currency
  • Payments are accepted only by direct debit or wire in USD, EUR, GBP or CAD

Pricing, plan by plan

Any.do

Free
  • Premium$7.99/month
    • Recurring tasks
    • Location reminders
    • WhatsApp reminders
  • Family$9.99/month
    • All Premium features
    • Family sharing space
    • Up to 4 members

Oyster

Free
  • Contractor$29/month
    • Contractor Payments
    • Compliant Contracts
    • Invoicing
  • Employee$599/month
    • Global Employment
    • Payroll
    • Benefits

Which should you pick?

Choose Any.do if

  • You need task lists.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android.
  • You also want calendar integration.

Choose Oyster if

  • You need global employment.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want payroll.

Questions people ask

Is Any.do or Oyster better?
Neither clearly leads. Any.do starts at Free and Oyster at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Any.do or Oyster?
Any.do starts at Free and Oyster at Free.
Does Any.do or Oyster run on more platforms?
Any.do runs on Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android. Oyster runs on Web, Ios, Android.
Can I use Any.do for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Any.do best used for?
Any.do is most often used for personal task management, daily planning, shopping lists, project management. Of those, personal task management and daily planning are not what Oyster is typically brought in for.
What can Any.do do that Oyster cannot?
Any.do covers Task lists, Calendar integration, Reminders, Daily planner. Oyster covers Global Employment, Payroll, Benefits, Compliance. Both handle Slack, Ios support, Android support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Any.do: Does Any.do have a free version?

Yes, Any.do offers a free plan with no time limit or credit card required. The free plan includes basic tasks, lists, calendar sync, and daily planner features. Premium features like recurring tasks, location reminders, and AI features require a paid subscription starting at $4.99/month.

Source
Any.do: Can you share tasks with other users?

Task sharing is limited on Any.do. With a single-user license, you cannot share personal tasks. Team collaboration requires purchasing additional licenses at $5 per user per month on top of your base plan.

Source
Any.do: Does Any.do integrate with Google Calendar?

Yes, Any.do syncs with Google Calendar, Outlook, and iCloud. However, users report some difficulties with the depth of Google Calendar integration compared to competing products.

Source
Any.do: Does Any.do work offline?

Any.do is primarily a cloud-based application and does not have robust offline functionality. The web and desktop versions sometimes struggle with performance when offline.

Source
Any.do: What platforms does Any.do support?

Any.do is available across desktop (Mac and Windows), web browsers, iOS, and Android, providing cross-platform access to your tasks and calendar.

Source

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