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Productivity · head to head

Microsoft 365 vs TickTick

Microsoft 365 logo

Microsoft 365

Productivity

Subscription bundle of the Office applications with mail, storage, meetings and organisational identity

From
$7/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
TickTick logo

TickTick

Productivity

Stay organized, stay creative

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only TickTick has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Microsoft 365 business plans are capped at 300 seats, so an organisation that grows past that must move to Enterprise plans, which changes both the price per user and the feature mix at the moment it can least afford a migration project.; TickTick recurring task options are limited compared to dedicated project management tools
  • They diverge on capability: Microsoft 365 covers Office applications, TickTick covers Task management.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Microsoft 365 and TickTick actually diverge.

Attributes where Microsoft 365 and TickTick differ
AttributeMicrosoft 365TickTick
Starting price$7/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebWeb, Mac, iOS, iPad, Android, Apple Watch, Windows
FoundedUnknown2013

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 Microsoft 365

  • Office applications
  • Hosted services
  • Teams
  • Microsoft Entra ID
  • OneDrive storage
  • Device management and endpoint protection
  • Purview compliance
  • Copilot

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.

Microsoft 365

  • Any organisation that wants mail, documents, meetings and identity from one supplier on one bill.not TickTick
  • A company standardising on single sign-on, where Entra ID becomes the account other services authenticate against.not TickTick
  • Regulated work that needs retention, legal hold and eDiscovery across mail and documents, provided the tier that includes them is actually bought.not TickTick
  • A household that needs installed Office applications on several machines rather than browser-only editing.not TickTick

TickTick

  • Personal task managementnot Microsoft 365
  • Team collaborationnot Microsoft 365
  • Project planningnot Microsoft 365
  • Habit trackingnot Microsoft 365
  • Time managementnot Microsoft 365

Where each one falls short

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

Microsoft 365

  • Business plans are capped at 300 seats, so an organisation that grows past that must move to Enterprise plans, which changes both the price per user and the feature mix at the moment it can least afford a migration project.
  • The compliance capabilities most organisations eventually need, including retention, data loss prevention, advanced eDiscovery and insider risk, sit at the top tier or in add-ons, so the real cost surfaces after an audit or a customer questionnaire rather than at purchase.
  • Annual term subscriptions commit you for the year and month-to-month terms cost measurably more per seat, so the flexibility to reduce seats during a quiet period is bought at a permanently higher rate.
  • Entra ID becomes the identity for everything else the organisation uses, which is the hardest kind of lock-in to put a number on, because leaving means re-federating every connected application rather than simply replacing a word processor.
  • The licensing model is complicated enough that most organisations are either over-licensed or quietly non-compliant, and reconciling it usually requires a partner or a specialist, which is a recurring cost that never appears in the advertised per-user figure.

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

Microsoft 365

$7/month
  • Microsoft 365 Business Basic$7/month
    • Email and calendar with 50 GB mailbox
    • Web and mobile versions of Office apps
    • Microsoft Teams included
  • Microsoft 365 Business Standard$14/month
    • Desktop versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook
    • Email and Teams
    • 1 TB cloud storage per user
  • Microsoft 365 E5$60/month
    • Comprehensive security and compliance
    • All productivity apps
    • Advanced analytics

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 Microsoft 365 if

  • You need office applications.
  • You also want hosted services.
Microsoft 365 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 Microsoft 365 or TickTick better?
Neither clearly leads. Microsoft 365 starts at $7/month and TickTick at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Microsoft 365 or TickTick?
TickTick has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $7/month for Microsoft 365 and Free for TickTick.
Does Microsoft 365 or TickTick run on more platforms?
Microsoft 365 runs on Web. 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. Microsoft 365 starts at $7/month.
What is Microsoft 365 best used for?
Microsoft 365 is most often used for any organisation that wants mail, documents, meetings and identity from one supplier on one bill., a company standardising on single sign-on, where entra id becomes the account other services authenticate against., regulated work that needs retention, legal hold and ediscovery across mail and documents, provided the tier that includes them is actually bought., a household that needs installed office applications on several machines rather than browser-only editing.. Of those, any organisation that wants mail, documents, meetings and identity from one supplier on one bill. and a company standardising on single sign-on, where entra id becomes the account other services authenticate against. are not what TickTick is typically brought in for.
What can Microsoft 365 do that TickTick cannot?
Microsoft 365 covers Office applications, Hosted services, Teams, Microsoft Entra ID. TickTick covers Task management, Calendar integration, Pomodoro timer, Habit tracking.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Microsoft 365: What is the difference between Microsoft 365 and Office?

Office was a one-off licence for a specific version. Microsoft 365 is a subscription covering the applications and the hosted services together, and when payment stops the applications drop to a reduced state rather than continuing as they were.

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
Microsoft 365: Is Teams included?

Not automatically for newer customers. Microsoft unbundled Teams and now sells it alongside the suite, so check what a given quotation actually covers.

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
Microsoft 365: What happens to our files if we stop paying?

The documents remain yours and can be downloaded, but access to hosted mailboxes and sites ends after a retention window, so leaving requires a planned export rather than a cancellation.

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
Microsoft 365: Is Copilot part of the subscription?

No. It is a per-user add-on on top of the base licence, generally with its own term commitment, and it is priced per seat regardless of how much any individual uses it.

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
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Related pages

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