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The Todoist alternative that's GTD-native and local-first
Done Bear is a Todoist alternative for people who want GTD built in instead of assembled from filters and labels. It's local-first, so every view loads instantly online or offline, with real-time team workspaces and a CLI, GraphQL API, and MCP server for AI assistants. Free to start.
Done Bear vs Todoist at a glance
Done Bear
Todoist
Done Bear
Todoist
GTD workflow
Offline architecture
Platforms
Collaboration
CLI / API / MCP
Pricing
Why people switch from Todoist
GTD should be the default, not a configuration
In Todoist, a GTD setup is a project you maintain: filters, labels, and conventions that drift over time. Done Bear ships the five GTD views as the product, so the system holds itself together.
Local-first means the app is never 'loading'
Done Bear renders from a local store first, so opening Today is instant on a plane, on the subway, or on hotel Wi-Fi. Sync happens in the background, not between you and your list.
Agent-ready out of the box
Done Bear's hosted MCP server lets Claude, ChatGPT, and other AI assistants act on your tasks with your permission (triage the inbox, plan the day, file follow-ups) through a supported, first-class interface.
Who should stay on Todoist
If you rely on Todoist's natural-language quick add across every platform it supports, its years of integrations, or its karma-style habits, it remains an excellent general-purpose to-do app. Done Bear is for people who specifically want GTD structure, local-first speed, and agent integrations.
Moving from Todoist
There's no one-click importer yet. Export your Todoist data as CSV to keep an archive, then recreate your structure in Done Bear: projects map to projects, labels to labels, and the GTD views organize the rest.
Frequently asked questions
What's the main difference between Done Bear and Todoist?
Todoist is a flexible cross-platform to-do app you shape with filters, labels, and custom views. Done Bear is opinionated: the GTD workflow (Inbox, Today, Upcoming, Anytime, Someday) is built in, backed by local-first sync so every view loads instantly, even offline.
How does Done Bear pricing compare to Todoist?
Done Bear is free for up to 250 tasks with unlimited workspace members. Paid plans start at $7/month per member billed yearly. Todoist also has a free tier, with paid plans priced per user per month. The pricing is comparable. The difference is the architecture and workflow.
Is Done Bear better than Todoist for offline use?
Done Bear is local-first: your tasks live on your device, every view opens instantly with no connection, and changes sync automatically when you're back online. Todoist supports offline use, but it's a cloud-first app. Done Bear treats offline as the default rather than the fallback.
Does Done Bear work with AI assistants and automation?
Yes. Done Bear exposes 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. Todoist offers an official MCP server and CLI too; the difference is the GTD views and local-first sync underneath them.
Can I move my Todoist tasks to Done Bear?
Yes, though there's no one-click Todoist importer yet. Export your Todoist projects to CSV to keep an archive, then recreate your structure in Done Bear: most Todoist projects map cleanly onto projects and labels.