Beam vs TickTick
Beam and TickTick are both personal productivity tools. Beam is aimed at developers and creators, while TickTick is aimed at freelancers. TickTick costs less, from $4.17/mo versus $12/mo for Beam. Both have a free plan.
Open individual windows from one Mac as native windows on another
Tasks, habits, calendar and Pomodoro in one
| Pricing | Freemium · $12 | Freemium · $4 |
| Starting price | $12/mo | $4.17/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Built for | Developers, Creators, Freelancers, Small businesses | Freelancers |
| Platforms | macos | web, macos, windows, ios, android |
| Country | — | CN · 2013 |
| Rating | — | — |
Choose Beam if
Developers and creators with two Apple silicon Macs who want a remote app to behave like a local window instead of a full screen share.
- Uses one remote app without taking over the whole desktop
- Window traffic goes directly between your Macs, not through Beam's servers
- Free plan has no card requirement and no limit on host Macs
Look elsewhere if: People who need to reach Windows or Intel machines or control a whole remote desktop across platforms (Jump Desktop, Parsec).
Choose TickTick if
Individuals wanting tasks, habits and focus in one app.
- Feature-rich for the price
- Built-in habits and focus timer
- All platforms
Look elsewhere if: Team project management.
Beam vs TickTick pricing
Beam
- Free$0Host unlimited Macs, join share links, 20 minutes a day of use
- Monthly$12/moUnlimited use on every Mac you own, send share links
- Yearly$84/yrSame as Monthly; works out to $7/mo billed annually
- Lifetime$199One-time payment, all future updates, direct connections
- Team$12/seat/moOr $84/seat/yr; 20% off from 10 seats, one invoice
TickTick
- Free$09 lists, 99 tasks per list
- Premium$4.17/moBilled annually at $49.99; 299 lists, calendar views
Beam · Key features
- Single windows from another Mac open as native windows with Dock and Command-Tab entries
- Beam several windows at once or share an entire display
- Direct typing, shortcuts, two-way resizing, app audio and clipboard sync
- Works with headless Mac minis and Mac Studios that have no display
- Encrypted Mac-to-Mac connection on local Wi-Fi or over Tailscale
- Guest share links open one window in any browser, view-only by default
Cons
- macOS only, with Apple silicon and Sonoma or later required on both Macs
- Free use is capped at 20 minutes a day
- Devices without the Mac app, such as phones, only get browser links
TickTick · Key features
- Tasks with natural language input
- Calendar views
- Habit tracker
- Pomodoro focus timer
- Eisenhower matrix
- Cross-platform sync
Cons
- UI can feel crowded
- Team features limited
- Fewer integrations than Todoist
Beam vs TickTick: FAQ
Which is cheaper, Beam or TickTick?
TickTick starts at $4.17/mo and Beam at $12/mo. Both prices are checked on the vendors' own pricing pages.
Do Beam and TickTick have a free plan?
Yes, both Beam and TickTick have a free plan; paid plans add more usage and features.
Which is better for small businesses, Beam or TickTick?
Beam lists small businesses as a core audience, while TickTick is aimed more at freelancers.