Is HEY or Todoist better?

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

Which is cheaper, HEY or Todoist?

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

Does HEY or Todoist run on more platforms?

HEY runs on Mac, Windows, Web, iOS, Android. Todoist runs on Web, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows.

Can I use Todoist for free?

Yes. Todoist 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 Todoist is typically brought in for.

What can HEY do that Todoist cannot?

HEY covers The Screener, Imbox, Feed and Paper Trail, Reply Later stack, Focus and Reply mode. Todoist covers Natural language input, Recurring tasks, Projects and sub-tasks, Labels and filters.

Productivity · head to head

HEY vs Todoist

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

Todoist

Productivity

The world's #1 task manager and to-do list app

From: Free
Rated: -

Full review Website

The short version

Only Todoist 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.; Todoist no built-in time tracking for tasks; requires third-party integration like Toggl
They diverge on capability: HEY covers The Screener, Todoist covers Natural language input.
Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which HEY and Todoist actually diverge.

Attributes where HEY and Todoist differ
Attribute	HEY	Todoist
Starting price	$99/year	Free
Pricing model	Per user per month	Unknown
Free tier	No	Yes
Platforms	Mac, Windows, Web, iOS, Android	Web, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows
Founded	Unknown	2007

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 Todoist

Natural language input
Recurring tasks
Projects and sub-tasks
Labels and filters
Priority levels
Productivity tracking
Templates
Notifications

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 Todoist
A user overwhelmed by newsletters and receipts who wants them automatically separated from person to person conversationnot Todoist
A family that wants shared but individually addressed email under one annual plannot Todoist
A small company wanting HEY for Work on its own domain with the Screener model for the whole teamnot Todoist

Todoist

Personal task managementnot HEY
Team project coordinationnot HEY
Goal trackingnot HEY
Habit buildingnot HEY
Daily planningnot 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.

Todoist

No built-in time tracking for tasks; requires third-party integration like Toggl
Free plan limited to 5 personal projects only
No Gantt charts, resource allocation, or advanced project management features for large enterprises
Phone support not available; email and help center only
Calendar view and advanced filtering only available on paid plans

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

Todoist

Free

BeginnerFree
- 5 personal projects
- Smart Quick Add
- Task reminders
Pro$5/month
- 300 personal projects
- Calendar layout
- Custom task reminders
Business$8/month
- Everything in Pro
- Shared team workspace
- Up to 500 team projects

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 Todoist if

You need natural language input.
You want to start without paying.
You work on Web, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows.
You also want recurring tasks.

Todoist review

Questions people ask

Is HEY or Todoist better?: Neither clearly leads. HEY starts at $99/year and Todoist at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, HEY or Todoist?: Todoist has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $99/year for HEY and Free for Todoist.
Does HEY or Todoist run on more platforms?: HEY runs on Mac, Windows, Web, iOS, Android. Todoist runs on Web, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows.
Can I use Todoist for free?: Yes. Todoist 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 Todoist is typically brought in for.
What can HEY do that Todoist cannot?: HEY covers The Screener, Imbox, Feed and Paper Trail, Reply Later stack, Focus and Reply mode. Todoist covers Natural language input, Recurring tasks, Projects and sub-tasks, Labels and filters.

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.

Todoist: Does Todoist work offline?

Basic editing and task management work offline, but advanced features like syncing reminders and shared updates require internet connectivity.

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.

Todoist: Does Todoist have a free plan and what does it include?

Yes, Todoist offers a free Beginner plan with 5 personal projects, Smart Quick Add, task reminders, flexible layouts, 3 filter views, and 1 week activity history. More advanced features require the Pro or Business plans.

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.

Todoist: Can I use Todoist on mobile devices?

Yes, Todoist offers native apps for both iOS and Android with over 30 million downloads. Mobile apps provide full task management functionality across devices.

Source

Todoist: What integrations does Todoist support?

Todoist integrates with over 100 apps including Slack, Google Calendar, Outlook, Microsoft Teams, Gmail, and Toggl Track. Additional integrations are available through Zapier, Make, and IFTTT automation platforms.

Source

Todoist: How much does Todoist cost?

Free plan is $0. Pro plan costs $5/month (billed annually) or $7/month (monthly billing). Business plan costs $8/month per user (annual) or $10/month per user (monthly), as of December 2025.

Source

HEY vs Todoist

HEY

Todoist

The short version

Where they differ

What each one covers

Only in HEY

Only in Todoist

What people use each for

HEY

Todoist

Where each one falls short

HEY

Todoist

Pricing, plan by plan

HEY

Todoist

Which should you pick?

Choose HEY if

Choose Todoist if

Questions people ask

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Related pages

More on HEY

More on Todoist

Keep looking

Other head to heads