Softwr

Software · head to head

Outlook Calendar vs Todoist

Outlook Calendar logo

Outlook Calendar

Software

Professional calendar management for Microsoft 365

From
Free
Rated
-
Todoist logo

Todoist

Software

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

From
Free
Rated
-

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Outlook Calendar offline support limited to only past 30 days of events, older events unavailable; Todoist no built-in time tracking for tasks; requires third-party integration like Toggl
  • They diverge on capability: Outlook Calendar covers Meeting scheduling, Todoist covers Natural language input.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Outlook Calendar and Todoist actually diverge.

Attributes where Outlook Calendar and Todoist differ
AttributeOutlook CalendarTodoist
PlatformsWeb, Windows, macOS, iOS, AndroidWeb, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows
Founded19752007

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (Unknown), free tier (Yes), 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 Outlook Calendar

  • Meeting scheduling
  • Shared calendars
  • Room booking
  • Availability sharing
  • Recurring events
  • Microsoft Teams
  • OneDrive
  • SharePoint

Only in Todoist

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

Both cover

  • Slack

What people use each for

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

Outlook Calendar

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

Todoist

  • Personal task managementnot Outlook Calendar
  • Team project coordinationnot Outlook Calendar
  • Goal trackingnot Outlook Calendar
  • Habit buildingnot Outlook Calendar
  • Daily planningnot Outlook Calendar

Where each one falls short

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

Outlook Calendar

  • Offline support limited to only past 30 days of events, older events unavailable
  • Shared calendars and group calendars not available offline
  • Cached Exchange Mode issues can limit available offline data
  • Occasional sync conflicts when coming back online

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

Outlook Calendar

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Outlook.com email and calendar
    • 50MB attachment limit
    • 1GB cloud storage
  • Microsoft 365 Basic$19.99/year
    • Outlook with limited features
    • Cloud storage
  • Microsoft 365 Personal$99.99/year
    • Premium Outlook
    • Ad-free email
    • 100GB mailbox storage
  • Microsoft 365 Business Basic$6/month
    • Business-class email
    • 1TB cloud storage
    • Microsoft Teams

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 Outlook Calendar if

  • You need meeting scheduling.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android.
  • You also want shared calendars.

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.

Questions people ask

Is Outlook Calendar or Todoist better?
Neither clearly leads. Outlook Calendar starts at Free and Todoist at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Outlook Calendar or Todoist?
Outlook Calendar starts at Free and Todoist at Free.
Does Outlook Calendar or Todoist run on more platforms?
Outlook Calendar runs on Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android. Todoist runs on Web, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows.
Can I use Outlook Calendar for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Outlook Calendar best used for?
Outlook Calendar is most often used for scheduling, appointment booking, time tracking, resource management. Of those, scheduling and appointment booking are not what Todoist is typically brought in for.
What can Outlook Calendar do that Todoist cannot?
Outlook Calendar covers Meeting scheduling, Shared calendars, Room booking, Availability sharing. Todoist covers Natural language input, Recurring tasks, Projects and sub-tasks, Labels and filters. Both handle Slack.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Outlook Calendar: Is Outlook Calendar free?

Outlook.com with calendar is free via a Microsoft account. Outlook Calendar also comes with Microsoft 365 Personal ($99.99/year), Family ($129.99/year), or Business plans starting at $6/user/month.

Source
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
Outlook Calendar: Does Outlook Calendar work offline?

Outlook Calendar has limited offline support. New Outlook caches only the past 30 days of calendar items. Shared calendars and group calendars are not supported offline. Changes sync when you reconnect.

Source
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
Outlook Calendar: What platforms does Outlook Calendar support?

Outlook Calendar is available on Windows (desktop and web), macOS (desktop and web), iOS, and Android. Real-time synchronization works across all devices.

Source
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
Outlook Calendar: Does Outlook Calendar integrate with Slack?

Yes. Outlook Calendar integrates with Slack to sync your status and receive meeting notifications. You can RSVP to invites directly in Slack and join Microsoft Teams meetings from Slack reminders.

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
Outlook Calendar: Can you share calendars and set delegate permissions?

Yes. Outlook Calendar supports calendar sharing with delegate permissions, color categories for organization, and the Scheduling Assistant to view attendee availability for meeting times.

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

Related pages

Other head to heads