Obedience is the most popular D/s task app out there. It’s well-designed, has a solid community, and was one of the first apps to take the daily tasks concept seriously. But a lot of people end up searching for an obedience app alternative within weeks of downloading it, and the reason is almost always the same.
The free tier gives you 5 habits. Five. That’s barely enough to scratch the surface of a real D/s dynamic. Want more? That’ll be $7/month. And the part that really stings: your partner needs their own Premium subscription too. So now you’re looking at $14/month just to manage tasks together without restrictions.
For a lot of couples, that’s a dealbreaker. Especially when you’re just starting to explore power exchange and you’re not sure how deep you want to go. You shouldn’t have to commit to a monthly bill before you’ve committed to the dynamic itself.
And $14/month sounds small until you think about what you’re getting. It’s a task list. A nice task list, sure, but at $168/year you’d expect something transformative. Most couples try the free version, hit the 5-habit wall within a few days, and start Googling.
So what are your options? We looked at every free alternative to Obedience that actually works in 2026. (For a broader look at all the apps, not just the free ones, see our full comparison of the best BDSM apps for couples.)
Quick comparison
| App | Price | Platforms | Built for D/s? |
|---|---|---|---|
| SubTasks | Free (no limits) | iOS, Android, Web | ✅ Yes |
| mySub | Free + IAP | Android only | ✅ Yes |
| Habitica | Free + subscription | iOS, Android, Web | ❌ No |
| Todoist | Free + subscription | iOS, Android, Web | ❌ No |
| Obedience | $7/mo per person | iOS, Android | ✅ Yes |
1. SubTasks: the best free obedience app alternative
Platforms: iOS, Android, Web | Price: 100% free. No paywalls. No premium tier. No catch. | Website: subtasksapp.com
If you searched “obedience app alternative” or “free BDSM task app” hoping something like this existed, good news: it does.
SubTasks is a gamified task management app built specifically for D/s dynamics. It does everything Obedience does at the free tier and then some, without ever asking you to pay.
What makes SubTasks stand out:
- Unlimited tasks, for free. Where Obedience caps you at 5 habits unless you subscribe, SubTasks gives you unlimited task creation from day one. Daily tasks, weekly tasks, one-off assignments, whatever your dynamic needs.
- Gamification that actually works. Full points and rewards system. Subs earn points for completing tasks. Doms set up custom rewards subs can redeem. There’s also a streak system for tracking consistency, and achievements that unlock as you hit milestones. The whole thing feels like a game, not a chore list.
- Photo proof. Taskees can submit photo proof when completing a task. The Tasker reviews and approves it. Built in, free.
- Demerits and redemption quests. Miss a task? That’s a demerit. Too many demerits triggers a redemption quest, a consequence system with a path back. See how it all fits together.
- In-app chat. Real-time messaging between partners, right inside the app. Talk about tasks, send encouragement, discuss completions. You don’t have to bounce between a task app and a messaging app.
- Works on everything. Web app runs on any device. Dedicated apps on iOS and Android. All three sync in real time, so you can assign a task from your laptop and your partner gets a push notification on their phone.
- Actually private. Your tasks and notes are encrypted with AES-256-GCM before they touch the database. Full self-service account deletion. We wrote about why kink app privacy matters and what most apps get wrong.
Pros:
- Completely free with no limits on tasks, rewards, or features
- Deep gamification (points, streaks, achievements, demerits, rewards)
- Cross-platform on iOS, Android, and web
- Photo proof and in-app chat built in
- Field-level encryption on all user content
- Active development with weekly updates
Cons:
- Newer app, so the community is still growing
- No solo sub mode yet (it’s on the roadmap)
Bottom line: SubTasks is what Obedience would be if it didn’t have a paywall. It’s a full-featured app that happens to be free.
Try it at subtasksapp.com or download on iOS or Google Play.
2. mySub: decent for solo subs
Platforms: Android only | Price: Free with in-app purchases
mySub takes a different angle by supporting solo submissives who don’t have a partner. If you’re unpartnered but want to build discipline and structure on your own, it’s worth a look.
The app has a few things going for it. The solo mode lets you set your own tasks and track your own progress, which is useful if you’re between partners or just exploring submission on your own terms. It also supports couples with partner linking, and has a rules/limits tracking feature that some people like for documenting boundaries alongside tasks. The rules system is actually pretty detailed. You can set up protocols, rituals, and rules that exist outside the task system, and track whether you’re following them.
mySub also includes a journal feature where subs can write reflections. Some people use this for processing scenes, tracking their headspace over time, or just having a private space to write about their dynamic.
Pros:
- Solo sub mode for unpartnered submissives
- Rules and limits tracking for documenting boundaries
- Journal feature for reflections
- Partner linking for couples
- Free to start
Cons:
- Android only. No iOS app, no web app. If your partner has an iPhone, mySub isn’t an option.
- The interface feels dated compared to modern apps. Navigation can be confusing.
- Development has slowed down significantly. Updates are infrequent.
- Some features are locked behind in-app purchases, so “free” comes with caveats.
- No gamification system. No points, no streaks, no achievements. Completing a task just marks it done.
- No photo proof feature.
mySub fills a real niche for solo subs on Android. But if you’re a couple, or you want gamification, or either of you uses an iPhone, it’s probably not what you’re looking for.
3. Generic habit trackers (Habitica, Todoist, etc.)
Some couples repurpose mainstream habit trackers like Habitica, Todoist, or Google Tasks for their D/s dynamic. And honestly? It kind of works, if you’re willing to put in the effort.
Habitica is the closest match since it has RPG-style gamification. You could set up tasks that are really D/s assignments and use the party system for accountability.
Why this falls short:
- No role-based views. There’s no Dom/sub distinction. You’re just two people sharing a task list.
- No privacy designed for sensitive content. Your “wear what I picked out” task is sitting next to your grocery list in an app that wasn’t built for this.
- No rewards system built for dynamics.
- Setup overhead. You’ll spend a lot of time rigging something that a purpose-built app already does.
If you’re in a pinch and need something today, Habitica is passable. But you’ll outgrow it fast once your dynamic gets more structured.
4. Nothing (the spreadsheet approach)
Yes, some couples use Google Sheets. A column for the task, a column for the deadline, a column for completion status. It works until it doesn’t.
The problems are obvious in retrospect: no push notifications, no points, no streaks, no consequences system, no photo proof, no gamification. It’s a spreadsheet. It’ll feel clinical within a week and abandoned within a month.
We’ve heard from a lot of SubTasks users who started with a spreadsheet. Every single one said the same thing: “I wish I’d found a real app sooner.”
Switching from Obedience to SubTasks
If you’ve been using Obedience and you’re ready to try an alternative, the transition is pretty painless. The core concepts map directly.
What carries over:
Your mental model of how a D/s task app works translates one-to-one. You’re used to having a Dom who assigns things and a sub who completes them. That’s exactly how SubTasks works. If you’ve been running recurring daily tasks in Obedience, you can set those up as daily tasks in SubTasks in a few minutes. Weekly tasks, same thing.
What’s different:
The biggest shift is that SubTasks is built around tasks, not habits. In Obedience, everything is a recurring routine. In SubTasks, the task is the core unit. You can make tasks recurring (daily, weekly, specific days of the week), but you can also create one-off assignments. “Write me a reflection about last night” or “research three date ideas for Saturday” are things that don’t fit neatly into a habit tracker. They fit perfectly into SubTasks.
The gamification is also deeper. Obedience has basic tracking, but SubTasks has a full economy. Points, rewards, streaks, achievements, demerits, redemption quests. If you’ve been wanting more structure and more motivation around task completion, this is a big upgrade.
How to migrate your routine:
- Sign up at subtasksapp.com and create your accounts (one Tasker, one Taskee).
- Connect your accounts using the invite code.
- Recreate your recurring tasks. Start with the ones that matter most to your dynamic. Set the schedule (daily, weekly, or specific days) and assign point values.
- Set up your rewards. Think about what motivates your sub and price them according to how much effort they should take to earn.
- Configure your demerit threshold and redemption quests if you want a consequences system.
- Try it for a week before canceling your Obedience subscription. Run both side by side so you can compare.
Most couples tell us the setup takes about 15 minutes, and they notice the difference in engagement within the first few days. The gamification makes the sub actually want to open the app, which is the whole point.
The bottom line on obedience app alternatives
If you’re frustrated with Obedience’s paywall and want a real D/s task app that’s actually free, SubTasks is the move. Purpose-built for power exchange, gamification that makes daily tasks engaging, works on iOS, Android, and web. No upgrade prompts. No feature gates.
Obedience is still a good app if you don’t mind paying. Nobody’s disputing that. But “good if you pay” isn’t the same as “good.” And when a free alternative exists that matches or exceeds the feature set, it’s hard to justify $14/month for two people.
The D/s app space has been dominated by one player for a long time, and that’s led to a situation where couples feel like they have to pay up or go without. You don’t. There are real options now, and the best one doesn’t cost anything.
Once you’ve picked your app, check out our beginner BDSM task ideas or learn how to set up a D/s task system that actually sticks.
Give SubTasks a shot: subtasksapp.com
Frequently asked questions
Is SubTasks really completely free? Yes. No subscription, no premium tier, no features locked behind a paywall. Tasks, rewards, points, achievements, demerits, streaks, photo proof. All of it, free. That may change someday, but the core app will always stay free.
Does SubTasks work on iPhone? Yes. SubTasks launched on iOS in February 2026 and is available on the App Store. It also runs on Android and in any modern web browser. All three sync in real time.
What’s the best free alternative to Obedience App? SubTasks. It’s the only purpose-built D/s task app with no paywalls: unlimited tasks, full gamification (points, streaks, rewards, demerits), photo proof, and cross-platform support on iOS, Android, and web.
Can both partners use SubTasks for free? Yes. Both the Tasker (Dominant) and Taskee (Submissive) create free accounts and connect. There’s no per-user subscription and no limit on the number of tasks or features.
Is SubTasks private? Yes. Your tasks, notes, and content are encrypted with AES-256-GCM before they’re stored. SubTasks collects only your email and username. No behavioral tracking, no ads. Full privacy details here.
Is Obedience App worth $7/month? Obedience is a well-made app and the team clearly put thought into the design. If you’ve tried the free tier and you’re happy with the experience, $7/month for one person isn’t outrageous. The issue is that both partners need to subscribe, so you’re really looking at $14/month. For a task management app, that adds up. Whether it’s “worth it” depends on whether you’ve tried the free alternatives first. If you’re comparing Obedience Premium to the free version of SubTasks, the feature sets are similar, and one of them costs $168/year for a couple while the other costs nothing.
Can you use Obedience for free long-term? Technically yes, but you’re limited to 5 habits. For couples just dipping their toes in, that might be fine for the first week or two. But most dynamics outgrow 5 habits quickly. Once you want to add a sixth recurring task, you hit the paywall. There’s no way to expand the free tier, and the limitation applies to both partners independently. So both of you are capped at 5 unless both of you pay.
What features does SubTasks have that Obedience doesn’t? The biggest differences: SubTasks has a full points and rewards economy where subs earn points and redeem them for custom rewards the Dom sets up. It has a demerit and redemption quest system for consequences. It has achievements that unlock over time. It has photo proof for task completion. It has in-app chat. And it has all of this for free, whereas Obedience locks most features behind its Premium subscription. Obedience treats everything as a habit, while SubTasks supports one-off tasks, recurring tasks, and lightning tasks (quick assignments with a short timer).
Do I need to create separate accounts for Dom and sub? Yes. Each partner creates their own account and selects their role (Tasker or Taskee). You then connect using an invite code. This keeps your views, notifications, and permissions separate, which is the whole point of having role-based design in a D/s app.