Beam vs Todoist
Beam and Todoist are both personal productivity tools. Beam is aimed at developers and creators, while Todoist is aimed at freelancers and small businesses. Todoist costs less, from $7/mo versus $12/mo for Beam. Both have a free plan.
Open individual windows from one Mac as native windows on another
Cross-platform task manager
| Pricing | Freemium · $12 | Freemium · $7 |
| Starting price | $12/mo | $7/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Built for | Developers, Creators, Freelancers, Small businesses | Freelancers, Small businesses |
| Platforms | macos | web, macos, windows, linux, ios, android |
| Country | — | US · 2007 |
| 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 Todoist if
Individuals and small teams who want a fast, dependable to-do app.
- Fast capture and excellent cross-platform apps
- Affordable Pro plan
- Reliable, long-lived company
Look elsewhere if: Teams needing timelines, dependencies or workload (Asana, ClickUp).
Beam vs Todoist 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
Todoist
- Beginner$05 personal projects, 3 filter views, 1 week history
- Pro$7/mo$5 billed yearly ($60/yr); 300 projects, 150 filters
- Business$10/user/mo$8 billed yearly; up to 500 team projects
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
Todoist · Key features
- Natural language task entry with recurring dates
- Projects, sections, sub-tasks, labels, priorities
- Filters and custom views; calendar layout
- Reminders and durations (Pro); two-way Google Calendar sync
- Team workspace with shared projects (Business)
- Apps for web, desktop, mobile, watch, browser extensions
Cons
- Free plan limited to 5 projects
- Not built for team project management
- No time blocking without a partner app
Beam vs Todoist: FAQ
Which is cheaper, Beam or Todoist?
Todoist starts at $7/mo and Beam at $12/mo. Both prices are checked on the vendors' own pricing pages.
Do Beam and Todoist have a free plan?
Yes, both Beam and Todoist have a free plan; paid plans add more usage and features.