OmniFocus 4 Review: The Power User’s Productivity Weapon

I’m tired of toy apps.

You know the ones. They’re beautiful. Minimal. “Intuitive.” And they completely fall apart the moment you try to manage anything more complex than a grocery list.

I have dependencies. Start dates that aren’t the same as due dates. Multi-layered projects with 40 sub-tasks that need to happen in sequence. Trying to manage my life in a standard to-do list feels like trying to fly a 747 with a bicycle handlebar.

I don’t need a notepad. I need a cockpit.

That’s the promise of OmniFocus: a professional-grade productivity tool built for people who’ve outgrown simple lists. It’s the app GTD practitioners whisper about in reverent tones. It’s also the app that costs $100+ and requires you to read a manual just to understand how to add a task.

So I spent 14 days living strictly inside the “Omni-verse.” I migrated a complex website launch—40 distinct sub-tasks, 3 critical dependencies, and a hard deadline—into OmniFocus 4 to test if the new “Universal” UI actually solves the mobile friction problem that plagued version 3.

Here’s the $150 question: Is this app “Productivity Nirvana” for the elite, or just “Procrastination by Configuration” for the obsessive?

The 30-Second Verdict

🏆 Quick Rating:

If you’re still reading after seeing that Ecosystem score, let’s continue.

The “Apple Wall”: Read This Before You Buy

Let me save you time right now.

If you use a Windows PC, stop reading. If you have an Android phone, stop reading. If your work laptop is anything other than a Mac, stop reading.

OmniFocus is Apple-only. Not “works better on Apple.” Not “has limited Windows support.” Completely, utterly, exclusively Apple.

There is a web viewer called OmniFocus Web, but it’s a companion tool, not a standalone solution. You still need an Apple device to set up and manage your database.

Why the restriction? OmniFocus is built on native Apple code libraries (Swift, CloudKit) for speed and security. The Omni Group isn’t being exclusive—they’re making a technical choice to optimize for one platform rather than dilute the experience across many.

This makes OmniFocus blazingly fast on Apple devices. It also makes it useless everywhere else.

If the digital restrictions of the Apple ecosystem feel too limiting, you might actually prefer the total freedom of pen and paper. Read our Analog vs. Digital GTD debate to explore that option.

Still here? Good. You’re in the target audience.

The Killer Feature: The “Review” Perspective

Most productivity apps are designed to help you add tasks. They’re digital hoarders, encouraging you to capture everything and figure it out later.

OmniFocus does something radical: it forces you to review your tasks.

This is the feature that justifies the entire price tag.

Here’s how it works: Every project in OmniFocus has a “Review” interval. You tell the app “I want to review this project every week” or “every month” or “every quarter.”

Then OmniFocus tracks when you last reviewed each project and surfaces the ones that are overdue for attention. It’s like having a personal assistant who taps you on the shoulder and says, “Hey, remember that side business idea you captured six months ago? Time to decide if you’re actually doing it or archiving it.”

This automated rotation is the only way to effectively manage the higher levels of your life. See how to map these goals in our guide to GTD Horizons of Focus.

Most apps let tasks rot in “Someday/Maybe” purgatory forever. OmniFocus makes rot impossible.

I’ve used Todoist, Things, and a dozen other apps. None of them have this feature. They all assume you’ll remember to check your old projects.

You won’t. Your brain doesn’t work that way.

OmniFocus doesn’t trust your memory. It’s the only app that actively prevents you from ignoring your commitments.

Features That Separate Pros from Amateurs

Let’s talk about the deep features that make OmniFocus feel like a professional tool instead of a toy.

Defer Dates vs. Due Dates (The Anxiety Killer)

Most apps only have “due dates.” This creates a problem: you see tasks weeks before you can actually do them.

Example: You have a task “Submit Q4 taxes” due April 15th. It’s currently January. Every time you open your task list in January, you see “Submit Q4 taxes” sitting there, creating low-level anxiety about something you literally cannot do yet.

OmniFocus has both defer dates and due dates.

• Defer date: When the task becomes available to work on
• Due date: When the task must be completed

Set “Submit Q4 taxes” with a defer date of March 1st and a due date of April 15th. The task is invisible until March, then it appears with a clear 6-week window to complete it.

This single feature eliminates the “future worry clutter” that makes most task lists feel overwhelming.

You only see tasks you can actually act on right now.

Custom “Perspectives” (The Cockpit View)

Perspectives are OmniFocus’s superpower.

Think of them as saved SQL queries for your task database. You create custom views that slice your data in any way you need.

Example perspectives I use daily:

“Deep Work” Perspective:

• Show: Tasks tagged with @HighFocus
• Available: Today
• Status: Available (not blocked by dependencies)
• Sorted by: Priority, then Due Date

“Quick Wins” Perspective:

• Show: Tasks tagged with @15min
• Exclude: Someday/Maybe projects
• Status: Available
• Sorted by: Context (so I can batch similar tasks)

“Waiting For” Perspective:

• Show: All tasks on hold
• Grouped by: Person I’m waiting for
• Status: Any

This is SQL querying for your to-do list. You’re building custom reports that show exactly what you need, when you need it.

The free version of OmniFocus doesn’t include custom Perspectives—you’re stuck with the defaults. The Pro upgrade ($50 extra) unlocks unlimited custom Perspectives.

This upgrade is mandatory. Without custom Perspectives, OmniFocus loses 80% of its value. Don’t buy the standard license. Just pay for Pro from the start.

The OmniFocus 4 UI Overhaul: Finally Modern?

Let’s address the elephant in the room: OmniFocus 3 was ugly and clunky, especially on mobile.

The interface felt like using enterprise software from 2010. Tons of nested menus. Tiny tap targets. A general sense that the app was designed by engineers who’d never heard of visual hierarchy.

OmniFocus 4 introduces a “Universal” design language that’s supposed to fix this.

The verdict: It’s better, but still not beautiful.

The new fluid layout adapts to screen size more gracefully. The iPad version no longer feels like a stretched iPhone app. The Mac desktop experience has cleaner spacing and better use of whitespace.

But it’s still dense. Information-dense interfaces are a feature for power users, but they’re intimidating for newcomers. The first time you open OmniFocus 4, you’re hit with Projects, Tags, Perspectives, Forecast, Review, and a sidebar full of folders.

Compare this to Things 3, which greets you with… a clean white screen and an “Add Task” button.

OmniFocus makes no apologies for its complexity. The UI is a cockpit, not a notepad. If you want simple and beautiful, this isn’t it.

If you want powerful and customizable, nothing else comes close.

The Pricing Model (Subscription vs. Standard)

Let’s talk about the confusing part: how much this thing actually costs.

OmniFocus offers two purchasing models, each with two tiers. It’s genuinely confusing, so here’s the breakdown:

My recommendation:

• Don’t buy Standard. Without custom Perspectives, you’re paying $50 for a worse version of Todoist.
• Buy Pro License if: You’re confident you’ll use OmniFocus for years and don’t mind paying for major upgrades
• Buy Subscription if: You want to test it risk-free (cancel anytime) or you want guaranteed access to all future features

I went with the annual subscription ($100/year). At $8.33/month, it’s expensive compared to Todoist ($4/month), but it’s still cheaper than my coffee habit.

For what you get—a professional-grade database tool that doesn’t sell your data and has been actively developed for 15+ years—it’s reasonable.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Verdict: The Chainsaw for Felling Forests

OmniFocus is a chainsaw.

If you’re trimming hedges—managing a simple shopping list and a few personal errands—it’s heavy, dangerous, and expensive. You’ll hurt yourself trying to use it.

But if you’re felling a forest—managing massive, complex projects with dependencies, sequential tasks, and multiple areas of responsibility—nothing else cuts as deep.

This is the best tool for the strict GTD practitioner. It’s the only app that truly enforces the methodology David Allen described. The Review feature alone makes it worth the price for anyone serious about keeping commitments.

Who should buy OmniFocus:

• Committed GTD practitioners who’ve read the book and understand the methodology
• Apple-only users (Mac + iPhone/iPad)
• People managing complex projects with dependencies and sequential tasks
• Power users who want complete control over their system

Who should avoid OmniFocus:

• Anyone using Windows or Android (it won’t work)
• GTD beginners (start with Todoist or Things 3)
• People who want simple, beautiful, minimal interfaces
• Anyone on a tight budget who doesn’t need Pro features

Who should try it for one month then decide:

• Current Todoist or Things users who feel limited by those apps
• People managing 5+ active projects simultaneously
• Anyone who’s ever thought “I wish my task manager could do X” (it probably can)

Not sure if you need a chainsaw or just a pair of scissors? Head back to our Ultimate GTD App Comparison to see how OmniFocus stacks up against the lighter alternatives.

OmniFocus isn’t for everyone. But for the people it’s built for, nothing else comes close.

If you’re one of those people, the $100 price tag will feel like the best money you’ve ever spent on software.

If you’re not, it’ll feel like buying a fighter jet to drive to the grocery store.

Choose wisely.

OmniFocus 4

★★★★★ 4.5/5

The ultimate 'chainsaw' for productivity. OmniFocus 4 is the best tool for strict GTD practitioners and Apple power users who manage complex projects. It offers unmatched control through custom perspectives and a dedicated Review mode, though it demands a steep learning curve.

✅ The Good

• Dedicated 'Review' perspective (GTD killer feature)
• Separates 'Defer Dates' from 'Due Dates'
• Unlimited custom Perspectives (Pro)
• Local-first database with encryption

❌ The Bad

• Apple ecosystem only (Mac/iOS)
• Steep learning curve for beginners
• Expensive compared to competitors

Visit Website → Starting at: $10/mo