Productivity · head to head
Reflect vs OmniFocus 3
OmniFocus 3
Productivity
Professional task management for complex workflows
- From
- $39.99/year
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Reflect no free tier or free plan option; OmniFocus 3 apple platforms only apart from the web client: macOS 14, iOS or iPadOS 17, watchOS 10 or visionOS 2 and newer are required, with no Windows or Android app
- They diverge on capability: Reflect covers Bidirectional links, OmniFocus 3 covers GTD-based task organization.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Reflect and OmniFocus 3 actually diverge.
| Attribute | Reflect | OmniFocus 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $10/month | $39.99/year |
| Pricing model | Unknown | subscription |
| Platforms | Web, macOS, Windows, iOS | MacOS, IOS, IPadOS, Web |
| Category | Productivity | Unknown |
| Founded | 2020 | 1993 |
Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated).
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 Reflect
- Bidirectional links
- End-to-end encryption
- AI assistant
- Instant sync
- Daily notes
- Chrome extension
- Calendar sync
- Kindle highlights
Only in OmniFocus 3
- GTD-based task organization
- Projects and subprojects
- Contexts and tags
- Custom perspectives
- Automation
- Quick entry
- Sync across devices
- Deferred and due dates
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Reflect
- Productivitynot OmniFocus 3
- Collaborationnot OmniFocus 3
- Task managementnot OmniFocus 3
- Organizationnot OmniFocus 3
OmniFocus 3
- Getting Things Done style task and project management on Apple devicesnot Reflect
- Capturing tasks with contexts, defer dates and review cyclesnot Reflect
- Syncing a personal task database across Mac, iPhone, iPad and Watchnot Reflect
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Reflect
- No free tier or free plan option
- Losing your password means permanent data loss with no recovery option
- Shared notes are not end-to-end encrypted despite platform marketing encryption
- AI features send your content to OpenAI servers (30-day retention)
- Mobile apps have limited offline functionality compared to desktop
OmniFocus 3
- Apple platforms only apart from the web client: macOS 14, iOS or iPadOS 17, watchOS 10 or visionOS 2 and newer are required, with no Windows or Android app
- Web access is not included with a perpetual licence and costs an extra $4.99 per month or $49.99 per year
- The Pro perpetual licence costs $149.99 against $74.99 for Standard
- Future major upgrades are a paid discount rather than free for perpetual licence holders
- The $99.99 per year subscription is the only option that bundles Pro plus web access
Pricing, plan by plan
Reflect
$10/monthNo published plan breakdown. See the Reflect review.
OmniFocus 3
$39.99/year- Standard$39.99/year
- Mac and iOS apps
- Cloud sync
- Core features
- Pro$99.99/year
- Everything in Standard
- Advanced automation
- Perspective management
Which should you pick?
Choose Reflect if
- You need bidirectional links.
- You work on Web, macOS, Windows, iOS.
- You also want end-to-end encryption.
Choose OmniFocus 3 if
- You need gtd-based task organization.
- You work on MacOS, IOS, IPadOS, Web.
- You also want projects and subprojects.
Questions people ask
- Is Reflect or OmniFocus 3 better?
- Neither clearly leads. Reflect starts at $10/month and OmniFocus 3 at $39.99/year, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Reflect or OmniFocus 3?
- Reflect starts at $10/month and OmniFocus 3 at $39.99/year.
- Does Reflect or OmniFocus 3 run on more platforms?
- Reflect runs on Web, macOS, Windows, iOS. OmniFocus 3 runs on MacOS, IOS, IPadOS, Web.
- What is Reflect best used for?
- Reflect is most often used for productivity, collaboration, task management, organization. Of those, productivity and collaboration are not what OmniFocus 3 is typically brought in for.
- What can Reflect do that OmniFocus 3 cannot?
- Reflect covers Bidirectional links, End-to-end encryption, AI assistant, Instant sync. OmniFocus 3 covers GTD-based task organization, Projects and subprojects, Contexts and tags, Custom perspectives.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Reflect: Is there a free tier?
No. Reflect offers only a 14-day free trial before requiring $10/month (billed annually). There is no free plan.
SourceReflect: Does Reflect work offline?
Yes, editing and note-taking work offline on desktop. Mobile apps have offline limitations compared to the desktop experience.
SourceReflect: How secure is my data?
Reflect uses end-to-end encryption with XChaCha20-Poly1305. An independent audit by Doyensec found no vulnerabilities. However, audio for transcription and text sent to AI features are processed by OpenAI servers (retained 30 days per OpenAI policy).
SourceReflect: Can I export my notes?
Yes. Reflect allows export of your notes, though the primary export method involves using their web and iOS apps with standard export capabilities.
Source