The best Goblin Tools alternatives depend on which Goblin tool you use. For breaking a task into steps, try Tiimo, Todoist or a general AI chat assistant. For focusing on one thing at a time, try Amazing Marvin. For a visual day plan, try Structured. Goblin Tools is a set of small, free helpers, not a task manager, so the closest replacement is often a pair of tools rather than a single app.
What Goblin Tools actually is
A lot of “alternatives” lists treat Goblin Tools as a project management platform. It is not. It is a collection of single-purpose AI helpers originally built to support neurodivergent people with everyday tasks that feel heavy. The site currently lists these tools:
- Magic ToDo: breaks a task into smaller steps.
- Formalizer: changes the tone of a piece of text.
- Judge: reads a message and tells you what emotion it carries.
- Taskmaster: helps you focus on one task at a time.
- Professor: explains a topic.
- Consultant: helps you decide.
- Estimator: guesses how long an activity will take.
- Compiler: turns a brain dump into actions.
- Chef: builds a recipe from the ingredients you have.
The site is kept free by sponsors and offers accounts and a Pro tier, and there are Android and iOS apps. Most people come for Magic ToDo, and that is where most alternatives compete.
Why people look for something else
- No place to keep the plan. Goblin Tools gives you a list of steps. You still have to move them somewhere you will see them.
- No schedule. Estimating a task is not the same as fitting it into a day.
- No reminders or sync. A task list you do not open does nothing.
- Different tastes. Some people want a calendar-style planner, others want a plain checklist, others a game that rewards small habits.
So the useful question is not “what is the same as Goblin Tools” but “what do I need after the steps exist.”
The 8 best alternatives
1. Tiimo
Tiimo is a visual planner built with neurodivergent users in mind. You type or speak what is on your mind, and its AI turns it into steps with time estimates and places them on a timeline. It also has a focus timer, widgets, a web planner and mood tracking, and runs on iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Android and the web.
- Replaces: Magic ToDo, Estimator and Compiler in one app.
- Best for: people who need to see the day as a shape, not a list.
- Limits: it is a full planner, so it asks you to adopt a routine rather than just solve one overwhelming task.
2. Todoist
Todoist is a to-do list and task manager with natural-language entry, Today and Upcoming views, filters, recurring tasks and apps for most devices. It has a free personal plan and AI features such as Todoist Assist, which turns scattered tasks into action plans. It also connects to AI assistants.
- Replaces: the place where Magic ToDo’s output ends up.
- Best for: anyone who wants a dependable list that works everywhere.
- Limits: some AI features need a paid plan, and the interface is a list, not a timeline.
3. Amazing Marvin
Amazing Marvin describes itself as built for ADHD minds. Its tools target the moments when you stall: Super Focus Mode shows one task at a time, the Task Jar picks your next task at random, and the Procrastination Wizard walks you through a task you keep avoiding. It runs on Mac, Windows, web, iOS and Android.
- Replaces: Taskmaster and part of Consultant.
- Best for: people who know what to do and cannot start.
- Limits: it has hundreds of settings. Turn features on slowly or it feels like a lot.
4. Structured
Structured combines tasks and calendar events into one visual timeline. It starts on iPhone, offers a web app for planning on a computer, and has an Apple Watch view. The site also lists a plan-with-AI feature.
- Replaces: the scheduling step Goblin Tools does not cover.
- Best for: Apple users who think in blocks of time.
- Limits: the main experience centres on Apple devices.
5. Notion
Notion is a workspace for notes, databases and projects, and Notion AI adds drafting, summarizing and agents that can create and edit pages. It is not a dedicated to-do app, but it can hold your tasks, notes and plans together.
- Replaces: Professor and Compiler when your notes already live there.
- Best for: people who want one workspace for everything.
- Limits: flexibility cuts both ways. Setting it up well takes effort.
6. Microsoft To Do
Microsoft To Do is a simple list app with a My Day view for choosing today’s tasks and steps inside each task. It syncs with a Microsoft account, so it suits people already in Outlook and Windows. It has no task-breakdown AI of its own, so it pairs well with a Magic ToDo-style helper.
- Best for: a quiet, no-fuss list.
- Limits: few planning features.
7. Finch
Finch is a self-care app. You look after a virtual pet, and its wellbeing depends on your own habits. It will not break down a project, but if the real barrier to starting is motivation, it is a gentle option on iOS and Android.
- Best for: building small daily routines.
- Limits: not a task manager.
8. A general AI assistant
Chat assistants such as ChatGPT and Claude can do much of what Goblin Tools does, and more. You can ask one to break a task into steps, rewrite a message in a different tone, estimate time or turn a messy paragraph into a checklist. You write the instructions yourself, so you control the style of the answer.
- Replaces: Magic ToDo, Formalizer, Judge, Compiler and Professor.
- Best for: people who like to ask follow-up questions and adjust the result.
- Limits: you have to write the prompt, and the output lives in a chat, not a task list. Check anything important before you rely on it.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Main job | Closest Goblin tool | Free option |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tiimo | Visual day planner with AI planning | Magic ToDo, Estimator | Check the site |
| Todoist | Task list with AI assist | Compiler | Yes |
| Amazing Marvin | Focus and anti-procrastination | Taskmaster | Check the site |
| Structured | Timeline planner | Estimator | Check the site |
| Notion | Workspace with AI | Professor | Check the site |
| Microsoft To Do | Simple lists | None | Yes, with a Microsoft account |
| Finch | Self-care habits | None | Check the site |
| AI assistant | Ask for anything | Most of them | Usually a free tier |
Matching each Goblin tool to a replacement
If you only use one or two Goblin tools, you can swap them without changing your whole setup. For text help like Formalizer and Judge, a chat assistant is the easiest swap, since you can paste a message and ask for a gentler tone or a read on how it sounds. For Estimator, the time estimates inside Tiimo give you a number you can drop straight on a schedule. For Chef, any recipe app or assistant that accepts a list of ingredients works. For Consultant, a chat assistant is again the natural pick, because you can describe a choice in your own words and ask for pros and cons.
How to pick
Start with the problem you have today
If the problem is “this task is too big,” use an AI step breakdown, from Tiimo, Todoist or a chat assistant. If it is “I cannot start,” look at Amazing Marvin. If it is “I never know what fits in a day,” look at Tiimo or Structured.
Keep the stack small
One breakdown tool and one place to keep the plan is enough. Goblin Tools plus Todoist is a common pairing, and it is perfectly fine to stay with it. You do not need to leave Goblin Tools just because a list says so.
Give it a week
Planning apps fail when they ask for a big setup. Pick one task you do every day and use the tool only for that. If you still open it after a week, add more.
A simple workflow that uses both
You do not have to pick between Goblin Tools and the apps above. A routine that works for many people looks like this:
- Dump. Write everything on your mind into one box, with no order and no editing.
- Break down. Run the big items through Magic ToDo or a chat assistant until each step feels small enough to start.
- Place. Move the steps into Todoist, Tiimo or Structured so they sit next to the rest of your day.
- Focus. Open one step only. Taskmaster or Amazing Marvin’s focus mode can hide the rest.
- Review. At the end of the day, move what did not happen. Do not scold yourself, just move it.
The apps differ most at steps three and four, which is why those are the steps to test before you switch.
Things to check before you commit
Where your text goes
Many of these tools send what you type to an AI service. Do not paste anything private, such as health details, passwords or client data, unless you have read the provider’s privacy page and are comfortable with it.
Platforms you actually use
A beautiful iPhone planner is no help if your work happens on a Windows laptop. Check for a web version and a desktop version before you build habits around an app.
How it handles a missed day
Some apps pile up overdue tasks in red. That can feel like a punishment. Look at how each one treats a day you skipped, because that is when most people quit a tool.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best alternative to Goblin Tools?
For task breakdown with a schedule, Tiimo is the closest single app. For a flexible, free-to-start list, Todoist is the safest choice. For anti-procrastination features, Amazing Marvin stands out.
Is Goblin Tools free?
The site says it is kept free by sponsors, and it also offers accounts and a Pro tier. Check goblin.tools for what the Pro tier includes today.
Is Goblin Tools a project management tool?
No. It is a set of small AI helpers such as Magic ToDo, Estimator and Compiler. It does not store projects, assign work or track deadlines.
Can ChatGPT or Claude replace Goblin Tools?
For most tasks, yes. You can ask for steps, tone changes and time estimates. The trade-off is that you write the prompt each time and the result stays in the chat.
Which alternative is best for ADHD?
Tiimo and Amazing Marvin are both built with ADHD in mind, according to their own sites. Tiimo leans visual and calm, and Marvin leans toward playful focus tools. Try one at a time.
What should I use for a team?
Todoist and Notion both support shared work. Tiimo, Structured and Finch are aimed at one person’s day, not team projects.
Do these apps work on my phone?
All the apps above have mobile apps or a mobile-friendly web version. Structured focuses on Apple devices, so check the platform before you commit.
More reading
If you are building a toolkit, our guides to AI tools for copywriting, AI tools for social media content and AI tools for business cover related ground. If you run an online group for people who share these habits, see what a Reign community site looks like and read the guide to building an online community.