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The TickTick alternative for people who want less, done better
Done Bear is a TickTick alternative for people who want a calmer, faster task manager instead of an all-in-one suite. It ships a built-in GTD workflow, local-first sync that loads instantly offline, real-time team workspaces, and a CLI plus MCP server for automation and AI assistants. Free to start.
Done Bear vs TickTick at a glance
Done Bear
TickTick
Done Bear
TickTick
Focus
GTD views
Offline architecture
Team workspaces
CLI / API / MCP
Pricing
Why people switch from TickTick
Feature piles create their own busywork
TickTick's calendar, habits, Pomodoro, and matrix views are impressive, and a lot of surface area when all you want is to capture and finish tasks. Done Bear's five GTD views do the deciding for you: what's now, what's next, what's someday.
Local-first beats cloud-first for speed and trust
Done Bear is local-first: your lists render from your device instantly and sync in the background, so the app never feels like a loading spinner between you and your day.
Your task manager should talk to your tools
With a real CLI, GraphQL API, and hosted MCP server, Done Bear plugs into scripts and AI assistants alike. TickTick hosts an MCP server too, but no CLI, and its public API reaches tasks and lists only.
Who should stay on TickTick
If you actively use TickTick's habit tracker, built-in calendar, and Pomodoro timer as one bundle, and you'd rather have one app than the best tool for each job, TickTick remains strong value. Done Bear is for people who want their task manager fast, focused, and scriptable.
Moving from TickTick
There's no one-click importer yet. Export your lists from TickTick as CSV to keep an archive, then recreate them in Done Bear: lists become projects, tags become labels.
Frequently asked questions
What's the main difference between Done Bear and TickTick?
TickTick bundles a calendar, habit tracker, and Pomodoro timer around its task list. Done Bear focuses on one thing: a fast, local-first GTD task manager with Inbox, Today, Upcoming, Anytime, and Someday views, plus real-time team workspaces, a CLI, and an MCP server for AI assistants.
How does Done Bear pricing compare to TickTick Premium?
Done Bear is free for up to 250 tasks with unlimited workspace members; paid plans start at $7/month per member billed yearly. TickTick Premium is billed as a single annual subscription. The bigger difference is what you're paying for: Done Bear invests in sync speed and collaboration rather than bundled extras.
Does Done Bear work offline?
Yes, and this is a core difference. Done Bear is local-first: every view loads instantly from your device and syncs in the background. TickTick works offline too, but it's a cloud-first app with offline caching rather than a local-first architecture.
Can I automate Done Bear or use it with AI assistants?
Done Bear has a first-class CLI, a GraphQL API, and a hosted MCP server, so AI assistants like Claude and ChatGPT can read and manage your tasks with your permission. TickTick hosts an official MCP server too, at no extra cost. The differences are elsewhere: TickTick's public API covers tasks and lists only, and there's no official CLI.
Can I move my TickTick tasks to Done Bear?
Yes, though there's no one-click TickTick importer yet. Export your lists to CSV to keep an archive, then recreate them in Done Bear: lists become projects, tags become labels. Most setups move in one sitting.