The best free productivity apps in 2026 are Notion, Todoist, Trello, Obsidian, ClickUp, Asana, Microsoft To Do, Google Keep, Joplin and Zoho Notebook. Each has a free plan that covers everyday notes, tasks or projects, though limits differ, so pick the one whose free tier matches how you work.
We checked each app’s official pricing or product page in October 2026 to confirm what the free plan includes. Companies change plans often, so check again before you commit your work to one tool. App availability varies by country. For more guides like this, see our technology section.
How we chose these apps
Every app on this list has a free plan that is not a time-limited trial. We looked for apps that work on both phones and computers and that publish clear limits for free users. Apps are grouped roughly by use: all-in-one workspaces, task managers, project boards and note-taking apps.
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1. Notion
Notion combines notes, documents and simple databases. Its pricing page says the Free plan gives individuals unlimited blocks, file uploads of up to 5 MB, 7 days of page history and up to 10 external guests. Notion AI is included only as a limited trial on this plan.
Block limits apply once two or more members share a workspace, so the free plan suits solo use best.
Best for: people who want notes, plans and trackers in one place.
2. Todoist
Todoist is a to-do list app built around quick task entry. The free Beginner plan includes 5 personal projects, up to 5 collaborators per project, 5 MB file uploads, 3 custom filters, task reminders and one week of activity history, according to its pricing page.
Best for: personal task lists and simple daily planning.
3. Trello
Trello organises work as cards on boards. Its Free plan allows up to 10 collaborators and 10 boards per Workspace, unlimited cards, unlimited storage with a 10 MB limit per file, unlimited Power-Ups per board and 250 Workspace command runs a month for automation.
Best for: small teams, students and anyone who likes a visual board.
4. Obsidian
Obsidian is a note-taking app built around linked notes. Its pricing page describes the app as free without limits, with no sign-up needed, and says commercial use does not require a paid licence. Sync and Publish are optional paid add-ons.
Best for: writers, researchers and students who want full control over their notes.
5. ClickUp
ClickUp is a project management app with tasks, docs and whiteboards. The Free Forever plan includes unlimited tasks and free plan members, 60 MB of file storage, 5 Spaces, 3 whiteboards, 5 active automation rules with 100 executions a month, and 30 days of chat message history.
Features such as dashboards, Gantt charts and time tracking are offered only as trials on this plan.
Best for: people who want one tool for many kinds of work and can live with storage limits.
6. Asana
Asana’s free Personal plan lets 2 users collaborate. Its pricing page lists unlimited tasks and projects, list, board and calendar views, unlimited storage with a 100 MB limit per file, and more than 100 free integrations, including Microsoft 365, Google Workspace and Slack.
Timeline and Gantt views sit on paid plans.
Best for: individuals or pairs who manage projects with deadlines.
7. Microsoft To Do
Microsoft says To Do is free to use and syncs lists across the web, iOS, Android and Windows. Its My Day feature suggests tasks for your daily plan, lists can be shared with friends, family or colleagues, and it works with Outlook tasks.
Best for: people already using Outlook or other Microsoft apps.
8. Google Keep
Google Keep is listed as free on Apple’s App Store. It handles notes, lists, photos and audio, with labels and colours for sorting. The listing says voice memos are transcribed automatically and reminders can be set by time or location. Notes sync across phone, tablet, computer and the web.
Best for: quick notes, shopping lists and reminders.
9. Joplin
Joplin’s GitHub page calls it a free, open source note-taking and to-do app, with notes kept in Markdown. It runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS, plus a terminal app. You can sync through Nextcloud, Dropbox, OneDrive or the paid Joplin Cloud, and notes can be protected with end-to-end encryption.
Best for: privacy-minded users who want open source software.
10. Zoho Notebook
Zoho says Notebook’s free plan includes all essential note-taking features, with no ads. It works on iOS, Android, Mac, Windows and the web, and offers note cards for text, checklists, audio, photos, sketches and files. A web clipper is available for Chrome, Firefox, Safari and Edge.
A Pro plan adds advanced features.
Best for: people who want a tidy, ad-free notes app.
Quick facts: free plans compared
| App | Type | Key free plan limit |
|---|---|---|
| Notion | Workspace | 5 MB uploads, 7-day page history |
| Todoist | Tasks | 5 personal projects |
| Trello | Boards | 10 boards and 10 collaborators per Workspace |
| Obsidian | Notes | Free without limits; Sync is paid |
| ClickUp | Projects | 60 MB storage |
| Asana | Projects | 2 users |
| Microsoft To Do | Tasks | Free |
| Google Keep | Notes | Free |
| Joplin | Notes | Free, open source; cloud sync is paid |
| Zoho Notebook | Notes | Free plan with no ads |
What free plans usually leave out
Across these apps, the most common limits on free plans are storage, file size, version history and the number of people who can join. Notion keeps 7 days of page history, Todoist keeps one week of activity history, and ClickUp keeps 30 days of chat history. Advanced views, such as Asana’s timeline or ClickUp’s Gantt charts, are generally kept for paying users.
If you hit a limit, you can often work around it by archiving old projects or splitting work across two free tools.
How to choose the right free app
- For a personal to-do list, start with Todoist, Microsoft To Do or Google Keep.
- For a notes app with no sign-up, try Obsidian; for open source with Markdown notes, try Joplin.
- For group projects, compare Trello, Asana and ClickUp, and check their member and storage limits.
- For one flexible workspace, start with Notion.
- Use one or two apps well instead of five apps badly.
Students may find more study tools in our education section.
Frequently asked questions
Which free productivity app is best overall?
Notion is a strong all-round choice for individuals. For plain task lists, Todoist and Microsoft To Do are simpler to start with.
Are these apps completely free?
Each has a free plan, but most also sell paid plans with more storage, members or features. Obsidian and Joplin are free apps with paid sync services.
Which free app is best for teams?
Trello allows 10 collaborators per Workspace and ClickUp allows unlimited free members, while Asana’s free plan is limited to 2 users.
Can I use these apps offline?
Google says Keep notes can be edited offline and sync when you reconnect, and Zoho says the same for Notebook. Offline support in other apps varies.
Sources: Notion pricing, Todoist pricing, Trello pricing, Obsidian pricing.
