How to Switch from Todoist to Open Sunsama (Complete Migration Guide)
Step-by-step guide to migrate from Todoist to Open Sunsama. Export your tasks and start time blocking for free.
Open Sunsama Team · · 10 min read
Todoist has been a reliable companion for millions of task managers worldwide. Its quick capture, natural language processing, and cross-platform availability make it one of the most popular to-do apps ever created. But if you've been using Todoist for a while, you've probably noticed something: it's great at collecting tasks, but terrible at helping you actually complete them.
The problem isn't Todoist itself—it's the fundamental limitation of traditional task management. Todoist tells you what to do, but not when to do it. You end up with long lists of tasks that roll over day after day, creating anxiety rather than clarity. Sound familiar?
That's exactly why more productivity enthusiasts are searching for a Todoist alternative with time blocking that bridges the gap between task management and calendar blocking. If you're ready to switch from Todoist to a system that respects your time as much as your tasks, this guide will walk you through migrating to Open Sunsama—completely free.
Why Users Switch from Todoist
Before diving into the migration process, let's understand why the shift from task lists to time blocking makes such a difference.
The Task List Trap
Todoist encourages you to capture everything. And capture you do—every idea, every commitment, every "I should probably do this someday" item gets added to your inbox. Before you know it, you have hundreds of tasks across dozens of projects. The cognitive load of deciding what to work on becomes a task itself.
This is what productivity experts call the "task list trap." Your to-do list grows faster than you can complete items, creating a perpetual sense of being behind. Todoist's karma points and streaks gamify completion, but they don't address the core issue: there are only so many hours in a day.
What Todoist Gets Right
To be fair, Todoist excels at several things:
- Quick capture: Adding tasks via natural language is effortless
- Cross-platform sync: Your tasks are everywhere you are
- Project organization: Nested projects and labels provide structure
- Collaboration: Shared projects work well for teams
- Integrations: Connects with hundreds of other apps
If your workflow is primarily about capturing and organizing tasks, Todoist remains excellent. But if you want to execute on those tasks with intention, you need something more.
What Todoist Lacks
The critical gaps that drive users to seek a Todoist alternative include:
- No native time blocking: You can't drag tasks onto your calendar within Todoist
- Limited calendar integration: The calendar view is basic and doesn't support true two-way sync
- No focus mode: Nothing to help you concentrate on one task at a time
- No daily planning ritual: Opening Todoist dumps you into an overwhelming list
- Weak time awareness: No understanding of task duration or scheduling conflicts
Todoist vs Open Sunsama: Feature Comparison
Let's compare these two approaches to productivity side by side:
| Feature |
Todoist |
Open Sunsama |
| Price |
Free tier / $48-72/year |
Free forever |
| Philosophy |
Task capture and organization |
Time blocking and daily planning |
| Calendar Integration |
Basic view only |
Full two-way sync (Google, Outlook, iCloud) |
| Time Blocking |
❌ Not available |
✅ Native drag-and-drop |
| Focus Mode |
❌ Not available |
✅ Built-in with timer |
| Daily Planning View |
❌ List-based only |
✅ Kanban + timeline |
| Task Duration |
❌ Not supported |
✅ Estimated and actual time |
| Natural Language Input |
✅ Excellent |
✅ Supported |
| Mobile Apps |
✅ iOS + Android |
✅ iOS + Android (Expo) |
| Desktop App |
✅ Electron-based |
✅ Tauri-based (lighter) |
| Open Source |
❌ No |
✅ Yes |
| Self-Hostable |
❌ No |
✅ Yes |
| Offline Support |
✅ Full |
✅ Desktop app |
| Subtasks |
✅ Unlimited |
✅ Unlimited |
| Recurring Tasks |
✅ Powerful |
✅ Supported |
| Labels/Tags |
✅ Yes |
✅ Coming soon |
| Priorities |
✅ P1-P4 |
✅ P0-P3 |
The fundamental difference is philosophical. Todoist assumes you'll figure out when to do things; Open Sunsama makes scheduling an integral part of task management.
What You'll Gain by Switching
1. True Time Blocking
Time blocking is the practice of assigning specific time slots to tasks on your calendar. Instead of hoping you'll find time for important work, you make time by blocking it. Learn more about what time blocking is and why it transforms productivity.
In Open Sunsama, time blocking is a first-class feature. Drag any task from your daily list onto the timeline, and it becomes a scheduled block. Your calendar events appear alongside these blocks, showing exactly how your day is allocated. No more wondering "do I have time for this?"—you can see at a glance.
2. Focus Mode for Deep Work
When it's time to work on a task, Open Sunsama's focus mode eliminates distractions. The task expands to fill your screen, a timer starts counting, and everything else fades away. This single-tasking approach aligns with research showing that multitasking reduces productivity by up to 40%. Learn more about deep work and Cal Newport's principles for maximizing productivity.
Todoist has no equivalent. You're left staring at your full task list, constantly tempted to switch to something else.
3. Calendar-First Planning
Open Sunsama treats your calendar as the source of truth for how you spend your time. When you start your day, you see your meetings and commitments first, then plan tasks around them. This prevents the common mistake of overcommitting on meeting-heavy days.
The daily planning workflow encourages you to be realistic about what's achievable. Instead of moving 15 tasks to "Today" and completing 3, you learn to schedule 5 tasks and complete 5.
4. Completely Free
Perhaps the most practical benefit: Open Sunsama costs nothing. While Todoist's premium features require a $48-72/year subscription, Open Sunsama provides all features—including calendar sync, focus mode, and time blocking—at no cost.
Being open source, there's no risk of features being locked behind paywalls in the future. The project is community-driven rather than venture-funded, meaning there's no pressure to monetize aggressively.
Step-by-Step Migration Guide
Ready to make the switch from Todoist? Here's exactly how to migrate your workflow to Open Sunsama.
Step 1: Export Your Todoist Data
While Open Sunsama doesn't have a direct Todoist import feature (yet), you'll want to have your task data accessible during the transition.
- Log into Todoist on the web at todoist.com
- Click your profile icon in the top-right corner
- Select Settings from the dropdown
- Navigate to the Integrations tab
- Scroll down to find Export as template or use Settings > Backups > Export
- Download your data as a CSV or JSON file
This export serves as a reference while you recreate your essential tasks in Open Sunsama. Don't worry—you won't need to migrate everything.
Step 2: Create Your Open Sunsama Account
Getting started with Open Sunsama takes less than a minute:
- Visit opensunsama.com/register
- Create an account with your email
- Complete the brief onboarding flow
- You'll land on your daily planning view
The interface will feel different from Todoist—intentionally so. Instead of a list-dominated view, you'll see a kanban-style board alongside a timeline representing your day.
Step 3: Connect Your Calendars
This step is crucial for time blocking to work. Open Sunsama integrates with:
- Google Calendar: Full two-way sync
- Microsoft Outlook: Full two-way sync
- Apple iCloud: Full two-way sync
To connect your calendar:
- Click Settings in the sidebar
- Navigate to Calendar Accounts
- Click Add Calendar and select your provider
- Authorize Open Sunsama to access your calendar
- Select which calendars to sync (you can choose specific ones)
Once connected, your existing meetings and events appear on the timeline. New time blocks you create in Open Sunsama will sync back to your calendar.
Step 4: Recreate Your Project Structure
Here's an important mindset shift: don't migrate all your Todoist projects.
The Todoist migration mistake many make is trying to replicate their entire project hierarchy. But Open Sunsama works differently—it's focused on daily execution, not archival organization.
Instead of recreating dozens of projects, consider this approach:
- Identify active projects: What are you actually working on this week?
- Create tasks, not projects: In Open Sunsama, tasks can have subtasks and notes—use these instead of nested projects
- Use the scheduled date: Tasks without a scheduled date stay in your backlog; tasks with dates appear on your daily view
For example, if you have a Todoist project called "Website Redesign" with 30 tasks, create one task in Open Sunsama called "Website Redesign" and add the specific next actions as subtasks. This keeps your daily view focused.
Step 5: Set Up Your Daily Planning Workflow
The real power of switching from Todoist comes from adopting the daily planning ritual. Here's the recommended workflow:
Morning Planning (5-10 minutes):
- Open Open Sunsama and review your calendar for the day
- Look at tasks scheduled for today in the left panel
- For each task, drag it onto the timeline to block time for it
- Adjust time blocks around your meetings
- If the day looks overscheduled, move some tasks to tomorrow
During the Day:
- When it's time for a task, click it and enter Focus Mode
- Work until the task is complete or the time block ends
- Mark tasks complete with the checkbox
- If a task takes longer than expected, adjust and reschedule
Evening Review (2-3 minutes):
- Review what you completed today
- Move incomplete tasks to tomorrow or a future date
- Add any new tasks that emerged during the day
- Close the app with a clear view of tomorrow
This ritual replaces the anxiety of staring at an endless Todoist inbox with the calm confidence of a planned day.
Feature Mapping: Todoist to Open Sunsama
Wondering how your favorite Todoist features translate? Here's the mapping:
| Todoist Feature |
Open Sunsama Equivalent |
| Inbox |
Tasks without a scheduled date (backlog) |
| Projects |
Tasks with subtasks |
| Labels |
Tags (coming soon) |
| Filters |
Kanban columns (Today, Tomorrow, Backlog) |
| Priority (P1-P4) |
Priority (P0-P3) |
| Due dates |
Scheduled date |
| Subtasks |
Subtasks (with checkboxes) |
| Comments |
Task notes (rich text) |
| Recurring tasks |
Recurring tasks |
| Quick Add |
Command palette (Cmd/Ctrl + K) |
| Karma points |
Focus mode timer tracking |
The biggest adjustment is conceptual: Todoist organizes by project, while Open Sunsama organizes by day. Tasks belong to a date first, category second.
Tips for Adjusting to Time Blocking
Making the Todoist to Sunsama transition involves more than just moving tasks—it requires adopting a new approach to work. Here are tips for success:
Start with Fewer Tasks
If you're used to putting 20 tasks on your Todoist "Today" view, start with 5 in Open Sunsama. When each task has a time block, you'll quickly see that 20 tasks simply don't fit in a day. Be ruthless about what truly matters.
Estimate Task Duration
Open Sunsama lets you estimate how long tasks will take. Use this feature! Over time, you'll develop a more accurate sense of how long things actually take versus how long you wish they took.
Embrace Rescheduling
In Todoist, moving a task to tomorrow feels like failure. In time blocking, it's just planning. Your schedule is a hypothesis that you refine as the day unfolds. Moving a task isn't defeat—it's realistic assessment.
Use Time Blocks for Everything
Don't just time block work tasks. Block time for:
- Lunch and breaks
- Exercise
- Email processing
- Deep work sessions
- Weekly planning
When your calendar shows all commitments—not just meetings—you see your true availability.
Trust the System
The first week may feel less productive as you learn the new workflow. That's normal. Stick with it for at least two weeks before evaluating. Most users report significantly improved focus and completion rates after adjusting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Open Sunsama really a good Todoist alternative?
Open Sunsama serves a different purpose than Todoist. If you need a sophisticated task capture and organization system, Todoist excels. If you need help executing on tasks through time blocking and focus mode, Open Sunsama is superior. Many users find that Open Sunsama's daily planning approach solves the "too many tasks, not enough time" problem that Todoist can't address.
Can I use Todoist and Open Sunsama together?
Yes, though it's not necessary. Some users keep Todoist as a capture tool for random ideas and use Open Sunsama for daily execution. However, most find that using two systems creates friction. Open Sunsama's quick add feature (Cmd/Ctrl + K) is fast enough for most capture needs.
How long does the Todoist migration take?
The initial setup takes about 15-30 minutes: creating an account, connecting calendars, and adding your current active tasks. Learning the time blocking workflow takes a few days of practice. Full adjustment typically happens within two weeks.
Will I lose my Todoist data?
No. You can export your Todoist data as a backup and keep your Todoist account active during the transition. Many users run both systems in parallel for a week before fully committing to Open Sunsama.
Does Open Sunsama have mobile apps?
Yes. Open Sunsama has mobile apps for iOS and Android built with Expo React Native. You can add tasks, view your schedule, and check off completed items on the go. The full time blocking experience is optimized for desktop/tablet use.
Is Open Sunsama really free? What's the catch?
Open Sunsama is genuinely free with no premium tier. It's an open-source project maintained by the community. There's no venture capital funding requiring aggressive monetization. Operating costs are covered by optional sponsorships from users who want to support development. See how it compares to other tools in our best free Sunsama alternatives guide.
Can I self-host Open Sunsama?
Yes. Being open source, you can run Open Sunsama on your own infrastructure using Docker. This appeals to privacy-conscious users and organizations with data sovereignty requirements. Most users simply use the hosted version at opensunsama.com.
What about Todoist integrations I depend on?
Open Sunsama has an API and MCP (Model Context Protocol) server for AI agents. Direct integrations with other tools are growing. Calendar sync covers the most important integration for most users. For other workflows, the API enables custom integrations.
How do I handle projects with many tasks?
Create a single task for the project and use subtasks for individual actions. This keeps your daily view clean while still tracking granular work. The task notes support rich text for additional context, links, and documentation.
Conclusion: Time to Make the Switch
Todoist served you well as a task capture system. But if you've hit the ceiling of what traditional to-do apps can offer—if you're tired of long lists that never get shorter—it's time for a change.
Open Sunsama represents the next evolution in personal productivity: a calendar-first approach that treats your time as the finite resource it is. Instead of asking "what do I need to do?" you'll ask "what am I going to do right now?" With calendar sync, your schedule stays unified across all your devices.
The switch from Todoist requires a brief adjustment period, but users consistently report:
- Less anxiety about their task load
- Higher completion rates on important work
- Better work-life boundaries through explicit time blocking
- A calmer, more intentional relationship with productivity
And unlike other Todoist alternatives that charge premium prices for time blocking features, Open Sunsama is completely free. No credit card, no trial period, no feature limitations. Just a better way to plan your day.
Ready to escape the task list trap? Create your free Open Sunsama account and experience what intentional daily planning feels like. Your future self—the one who actually completes important tasks—will thank you.