Is HEY or TickTick better?

Neither clearly leads. HEY starts at $99/year and TickTick at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.

Which is cheaper, HEY or TickTick?

TickTick has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $99/year for HEY and Free for TickTick.

Does HEY or TickTick run on more platforms?

HEY runs on Mac, Windows, Web, iOS, Android. TickTick runs on Web, Mac, iOS, iPad, Android, Apple Watch, Windows.

Can I use TickTick for free?

Yes. TickTick has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. HEY starts at $99/year.

What is HEY best used for?

HEY is most often used for someone who wants to replace gmail or icloud mail entirely with an email service built around approving senders before they reach the inbox, a user overwhelmed by newsletters and receipts who wants them automatically separated from person to person conversation, a family that wants shared but individually addressed email under one annual plan, a small company wanting hey for work on its own domain with the screener model for the whole team. Of those, someone who wants to replace gmail or icloud mail entirely with an email service built around approving senders before they reach the inbox and a user overwhelmed by newsletters and receipts who wants them automatically separated from person to person conversation are not what TickTick is typically brought in for.

What can HEY do that TickTick cannot?

HEY covers The Screener, Imbox, Feed and Paper Trail, Reply Later stack, Focus and Reply mode. TickTick covers Task management, Calendar integration, Pomodoro timer, Habit tracking.

Productivity · head to head

HEY vs TickTick

HEY

Productivity

Flat annual subscription email service from 37signals, with its own hey.com domain and a distinctive Screener

From: $99/year
Rated: -

Full review Website

TickTick

Productivity

Stay organized, stay creative

From: Free
Rated: -

Full review Website

The short version

Only TickTick has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
Each has a real cost: HEY there is no free tier and no monthly billing option, so trying it beyond the trial means committing to a full year upfront.; TickTick recurring task options are limited compared to dedicated project management tools
They diverge on capability: HEY covers The Screener, TickTick covers Task management.
Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which HEY and TickTick actually diverge.

Attributes where HEY and TickTick differ
Attribute	HEY	TickTick
Starting price	$99/year	Free
Pricing model	Per user per month	Unknown
Free tier	No	Yes
Platforms	Mac, Windows, Web, iOS, Android	Web, Mac, iOS, iPad, Android, Apple Watch, Windows
Founded	Unknown	2013

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Productivity).

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 HEY

The Screener
Imbox, Feed and Paper Trail
Reply Later stack
Focus and Reply mode
Screen sharing style clips
No tracking pixels

Only in TickTick

Task management
Calendar integration
Pomodoro timer
Habit tracking
Natural language input
Collaboration
Voice input
Location reminders

What people use each for

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

HEY

Someone who wants to replace Gmail or iCloud Mail entirely with an email service built around approving senders before they reach the inboxnot TickTick
A user overwhelmed by newsletters and receipts who wants them automatically separated from person to person conversationnot TickTick
A family that wants shared but individually addressed email under one annual plannot TickTick
A small company wanting HEY for Work on its own domain with the Screener model for the whole teamnot TickTick

TickTick

Personal task managementnot HEY
Team collaborationnot HEY
Project planningnot HEY
Habit trackingnot HEY
Time managementnot HEY

Where each one falls short

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

HEY

There is no free tier and no monthly billing option, so trying it beyond the trial means committing to a full year upfront.
Adopting HEY means changing your actual email address, not just installing a new client, which is a bigger migration than switching apps on an existing address.
The Screener and categorisation model is a real departure from a standard inbox, and some users take time to adjust or find it gets in the way for high volume mail.
Short vanity addresses carry steep additional annual fees, up to 999 US dollars a year for a two character address.
It does not connect to or manage existing Gmail, Outlook or iCloud accounts, so it cannot be used as a general client the way Mimestream or Apple Mail can.

TickTick

Recurring task options are limited compared to dedicated project management tools
Reporting and analytics are minimal, providing little productivity trend visibility
Calendar sync can be slow and unreliable, sometimes causing sync issues across devices
API capabilities are basic, limiting direct integrations beyond Zapier and IFTTT
Habit tracking becomes less useful once routines are well-established

Pricing, plan by plan

HEY

$99/year

HEY for You$99/year
- One hey.com email address
- Screener, Imbox, Feed and Paper Trail
- Billed annually only, no monthly option
HEY for Families$179/year
- Covers up to five family members
- Same features as HEY for You per member
HEY for Work$12/month
- Per user, for organisations on a company domain
- Admin controls for a team

TickTick

Free

FreeFree
- Up to 9 lists
- Up to 99 tasks per list
- Basic reminders
Premium$35.99/year
- Up to 299 lists
- Up to 999 tasks per list
- Advanced collaboration for up to 30 members

Which should you pick?

Choose HEY if

You need the screener.
You work on Mac, Windows, Web, iOS, Android.
You also want imbox, feed and paper trail.

HEY review

Choose TickTick if

You need task management.
You want to start without paying.
You work on Web, Mac, iOS, iPad, Android, Apple Watch, Windows.
You also want calendar integration.

TickTick review

Questions people ask

Is HEY or TickTick better?: Neither clearly leads. HEY starts at $99/year and TickTick at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, HEY or TickTick?: TickTick has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $99/year for HEY and Free for TickTick.
Does HEY or TickTick run on more platforms?: HEY runs on Mac, Windows, Web, iOS, Android. TickTick runs on Web, Mac, iOS, iPad, Android, Apple Watch, Windows.
Can I use TickTick for free?: Yes. TickTick has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. HEY starts at $99/year.
What is HEY best used for?: HEY is most often used for someone who wants to replace gmail or icloud mail entirely with an email service built around approving senders before they reach the inbox, a user overwhelmed by newsletters and receipts who wants them automatically separated from person to person conversation, a family that wants shared but individually addressed email under one annual plan, a small company wanting hey for work on its own domain with the screener model for the whole team. Of those, someone who wants to replace gmail or icloud mail entirely with an email service built around approving senders before they reach the inbox and a user overwhelmed by newsletters and receipts who wants them automatically separated from person to person conversation are not what TickTick is typically brought in for.
What can HEY do that TickTick cannot?: HEY covers The Screener, Imbox, Feed and Paper Trail, Reply Later stack, Focus and Reply mode. TickTick covers Task management, Calendar integration, Pomodoro timer, Habit tracking.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

HEY: Can I use HEY with my existing Gmail address?

No. HEY provides its own hey.com email address; it is not a client layered over an existing Gmail or other account.

TickTick: What is TickTick?

TickTick is a cross-platform task management and productivity app that combines to-do lists, calendar views, habit tracking, reminders, and a Pomodoro timer. It helps users organize personal and work tasks across 10+ platforms including Mac, iPhone, iPad, Android, and web.

Source

HEY: Is there a free plan?

No. HEY offers a trial but bills annually only, with no free tier and no month to month option for individuals.

TickTick: What are TickTick's pricing options?

TickTick offers a permanent free plan and a premium plan at $35.99/year (listed price $49.99, currently discounted). The free plan includes up to 9 lists and basic features, while premium unlocks up to 299 lists, advanced collaboration for up to 30 members, and calendar subscriptions.

Source

HEY: What is the Screener?

A feature that holds mail from any new sender until the user explicitly approves them, before it appears in the inbox at all.

TickTick: Does TickTick have team features?

TickTick does not offer a dedicated team or family plan. Each user needs their own premium subscription. Premium users can share lists with up to 30 members for collaboration.

Source

TickTick: What integrations does TickTick support?

TickTick supports integrations with 2,000+ apps through third-party platforms like Zapier, Make, n8n, and Integrately. It also supports calendar subscriptions with Google Calendar and Outlook, and has a basic OAuth API for developers.

Source

TickTick: Is TickTick available offline?

TickTick requires an internet connection for syncing across devices. Offline functionality depends on the platform, with some mobile apps offering limited offline access but requiring connectivity for full features.

Source

HEY vs TickTick

HEY

TickTick

The short version

Where they differ

What each one covers

Only in HEY

Only in TickTick

What people use each for

HEY

TickTick

Where each one falls short

HEY

TickTick

Pricing, plan by plan

HEY

TickTick

Which should you pick?

Choose HEY if

Choose TickTick if

Questions people ask

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Related pages

More on HEY

More on TickTick

Keep looking

Other head to heads