Softwr

Software · head to head

Asana vs OmniFocus

Asana logo

Asana

Software

Manage your team's work, projects, & tasks online

From
Free
Rated
-
OmniFocus logo

OmniFocus

Software

Professional-grade task management for power users

From
$99.99/year
Rated
-

The short version

  • Only Asana has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Asana the free Personal tier is capped at 2 users, so it does not cover a small team; OmniFocus exclusive to Apple ecosystem with no Windows or Android support
  • They diverge on capability: Asana covers Multiple project views, OmniFocus covers Custom perspectives.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Asana and OmniFocus actually diverge.

Attributes where Asana and OmniFocus differ
AttributeAsanaOmniFocus
Starting priceFree$99.99/year
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidmacOS, iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, visionOS, Web
Founded20081989

Identical on both: pricing model (Unknown), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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 Asana

  • Multiple project views
  • Task dependencies
  • Milestones
  • Portfolios
  • Goals & OKRs
  • Workflow automation
  • Resource management
  • Reporting dashboards

Only in OmniFocus

  • Custom perspectives
  • Review mode
  • Forecast view
  • Tags
  • Automation
  • Apple Calendar
  • Siri
  • Shortcuts

What people use each for

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

Asana

  • Project planning & trackingnot OmniFocus
  • Campaign managementnot OmniFocus
  • Product launchesnot OmniFocus
  • Event planningnot OmniFocus
  • Agile & Scrum managementnot OmniFocus

OmniFocus

  • Schedulingnot Asana
  • Appointment bookingnot Asana
  • Time trackingnot Asana
  • Resource managementnot Asana
  • Team coordinationnot Asana

Where each one falls short

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

Asana

  • The free Personal tier is capped at 2 users, so it does not cover a small team
  • Timeline and Gantt views, reporting dashboards and time tracking all require Starter at $10.99 per user per month
  • Portfolios, goals, workload management and approvals need Advanced at $24.99 per user per month
  • Salesforce, Tableau and Power BI integrations are Advanced or above
  • Monthly billing costs more, at $13.49 and $30.49 against the annual rates

OmniFocus

  • Exclusive to Apple ecosystem with no Windows or Android support
  • No collaboration features make it unsuitable for team task management or delegation
  • Setting up repeating tasks is cumbersome with multiple configuration options
  • Lacks AI-powered features for advanced project management, load balancing, or contextual awareness

Pricing, plan by plan

Asana

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Asana review.

OmniFocus

$99.99/year
  • Subscription$99.99/year
    • All Pro features
    • Web access
    • Cloud sync
  • Standard (Perpetual)$74.99/one-time
    • Basic task management
    • Projects and contexts
    • Perspectives
  • Pro (Perpetual)$149.99/one-time
    • Custom perspectives
    • Advanced automation
    • Plugins support

Which should you pick?

Choose Asana if

  • You need multiple project views.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want task dependencies.

Choose OmniFocus if

  • You need custom perspectives.
  • You work on macOS, iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, visionOS, Web.
  • You also want review mode.

Questions people ask

Is Asana or OmniFocus better?
Neither clearly leads. Asana starts at Free and OmniFocus at $99.99/year, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Asana or OmniFocus?
Asana has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Asana and $99.99/year for OmniFocus.
Does Asana or OmniFocus run on more platforms?
Asana runs on Web, iOS, Android. OmniFocus runs on macOS, iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, visionOS, Web.
Can I use Asana for free?
Yes. Asana has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. OmniFocus starts at $99.99/year.
What is Asana best used for?
Asana is most often used for project planning & tracking, campaign management, product launches, event planning. Of those, project planning & tracking and campaign management are not what OmniFocus is typically brought in for.
What can Asana do that OmniFocus cannot?
Asana covers Multiple project views, Task dependencies, Milestones, Portfolios. OmniFocus covers Custom perspectives, Review mode, Forecast view, Tags.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Asana: Does Asana have a free tier?

Yes. Asana offers a free Personal plan for up to 2 users, plus free trial access to paid plans.

Source
OmniFocus: Does OmniFocus offer a free tier?

No, OmniFocus does not offer a free tier. It requires purchase or subscription: $99.99/year subscription or one-time perpetual licenses at $74.99 (Standard) or $149.99 (Pro).

Source
Asana: What is the starting price for Asana paid plans?

Asana Starter plan begins at $10.99 per user per month when billed annually, or $13.49 per user when billed monthly.

Source
OmniFocus: What is the free trial period for OmniFocus?

OmniFocus offers a 14-day free trial allowing full access to all features before requiring payment.

Source
Asana: Does Asana integrate with other work tools?

Yes. Asana offers 200+ integrations including Slack, Google Workspace, Microsoft Teams, Salesforce, Jira, and Zoom.

Source
OmniFocus: What platforms does OmniFocus support?

OmniFocus is exclusive to Apple ecosystem: Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple Vision Pro, and web access. Not available on Windows or Android.

Source
OmniFocus: Can teams collaborate in OmniFocus?

No, OmniFocus lacks collaboration features and is designed as a solo task management tool. Users cannot delegate tasks, share projects, or assign work to team members.

Source
OmniFocus: Does OmniFocus support Getting Things Done (GTD) methodology?

Yes, OmniFocus is built specifically to support GTD with projects, contexts (tags), folders, perspectives, and a focus view for prioritization. It includes weekly review support and automation features.

Source

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