A simple to do list app is not the most intuitive app that you could brainstorm for, but that’s it’s appeal. You can define simple to do list app any way that you want it. There are no boundaries for creating a to do list, except your imagination.
We’re using our free and simple to do list app to help you stay on track with your tasks. Whether it’s remembering all those wacky holiday gifts or sending out those Christmas cards – we can help with a to do app that suits your life.
Todoist (Windows, macOS, Android, iPhone, iPad, Web)
Todoist isn’t the most powerful to-do list out there. It’s also not the simplest. That’s kind of the point: this app balances power with simplicity, and it does so while running on basically every platform that exists. That’s a strong selling point—which is probably why Todoist is one of the most popular to-do lists right now, with over 10 million users.
Adding tasks was quick on every platform in our tests, thanks in part to natural language processing (type “buy milk Monday” and the task “buy milk” will be added with the next Monday set as your due date). You can put new tasks in your Inbox and then move them to relevant projects; you can also set due dates. Paid users can create custom filters and labels, and there are also some basic collaboration features.
Todoist is flexible enough to adapt to most workflows but not so complicated as to overwhelm. Overall, this is a great first to-do list app to try out, especially if you don’t know where to start.
Todoist integrates with Zapier, which means you can automatically create tasks in Todoist whenever something happens in one of your favorite apps. Here are some examples.Add new saved Slack messages to Todoist as tasksUse this ZapAdd new Google Calendar events to Todoist as tasksUse this ZapAdd new starred emails to Todoist as tasks [Business Gmail Accounts Only]Use this ZapSee more Todoist integrations powered by
Todoist price: Free version available; paid version from $3/month
Microsoft To Do (Android, Windows, Web, iPhone and iPad)
In 2015, Microsoft bought Wunderlist and put that team to work on a new to-do list app. Microsoft To Do is the result of that, and you can find Wunderlist’s DNA throughout the project. The main interface is clean and friendly, adding tasks is quick, but there’s a lot of flexibility below the surface.
But the real standout feature here is the deep integration with Microsoft’s ecosystem. Outlook users can sync their tasks from that application over to Microsoft To Do, meaning there is finally a way to sync Outlook tasks to mobile. Windows users can add tasks using Cortana or by typing in the Start menu. For example, you can type “add rice to my shopping list,” and rice will be added to a list called “shopping.”
This is also the prettiest to-do list app on the market, in my opinion. You can set custom background images for every one of your lists, allowing you to tell at a glance which list you’re looking at. You’re going to be looking at your task list all day—it might as well look good.
Microsoft To Do integrates with Zapier, which means you can do things like create a task in To Do whenever important tasks pop up in your other apps. Here are some examples to get started.Create Microsoft To-Do tasks from new starred emails in GmailUse this ZapCreate tasks on Microsoft To-Do from new Google Calendar eventsUse this ZapCreate tasks in Microsoft To-Do from new tasks in Google TasksUse this ZapSee more Microsoft To Do integrations powered by
Microsoft To Do price: Free
OmniFocus (macOS, iPhone, iPad)
OmniFocus is nothing if not flexible. This Apple-exclusive application is built around the Getting Things Done (GTD) philosophy trademarked by David Allen, but an array of features means it can be used for just about any organizational system you can imagine. There are three different kinds of projects you can set up, for example, depending on whether you need to do tasks in a specific order or not. There are six main views by default, allowing you to organize your tasks by things like due date, projects, and tags. You can even add more views, assuming you have the Pro version.
You get the idea. OmniFocus is a power user’s dream, with more features than anyone can hope to incorporate into a workflow, which is kind of the point: if there’s a feature you want, OmniFocus has it, so you can organize your tasks basically any way you can imagine.
Syncing is offered only between Apple devices. There is a web version, currently in testing, but it’s intended for occasional usage away from your Apple machines more than anything else. Non-Apple users should look elsewhere.
You can connect OmniFocus to your other favorite apps with OmniFocus’s Zapier integration. Whenever something happens in another app that you want to keep track of in OmniFocus, Zapier will automatically send it there.Create OmniFocus tasks from new saved Slack messagesUse this ZapCreate OmniFocus tasks for new starred emails on GmailUse this ZapCreate OmniFocus tasks from new or moved Trello cardsUse this ZapSee more OmniFocus integrations powered by
OmniFocus price: From $99.99 per year for recurring plan. Also available as a one-time purchase from $39.99 (14-day free trial).
Google Tasks (Web, Android, iPhone and iPad)
Gmail and Google Calendar have long offered an integrated tasks list, but for a long time, there was no way to access those tasks on mobile. Google Tasks changed that, offering an Android and iOS version to complement the web version.
The app itself is spartan. Adding tasks is quick, particularly if you spend a lot of time in Gmail anyway, but there’s not a lot of organizational offerings. There are due dates, lists, subtasks, and not much else.
So this isn’t the most robust task list, but the best to-do app is one that’s always handy. If you’re the kind of person who always has Gmail open on your computer, it’s hard for any application to be handier than Google Tasks. The mobile versions make those tasks accessible on the go.
You can automatically move information between Google Tasks and your other apps with Google Tasks’ integration on Zapier. Here are a few examples of workflows you can automate, so you can stop manually moving your tasks.Create Trello cards from new Google Tasks tasksUse this ZapCreate Google Tasks items from new saved Slack messagesUse this ZapAdd new Google tasks to Any.doUse this ZapSee more Google Tasks integrations powered by
Google Tasks price: Free
Any.do (Android, iPhone and iPad, Web)
Any.do offers a really slick mobile app that makes it quick to add tasks, organize them into lists, and add due dates. But where it really shines is with its daily “Plan my Day” feature, which forces you to schedule when you’ll accomplish your various tasks so that you remember to actually do things. Any.do also integrates nicely with Google and Outlook calendars, allowing you to see your appointments and your tasks in one place. This is exactly what you need if you’re the kind of person who adds things to a list and forgets about them.
The desktop version isn’t quite as slick as the mobile version—it can feel cluttered, and doesn’t offer much in the way of keyboard shortcuts. Still, Any.do’s mobile version alone makes a compelling reason to give it a shot, especially if that’s where you do most of your task management.
Any.do integrates with Zapier, so you can automatically add tasks to Any.do whenever there’s a new calendar event, note, or task in your other apps.Create tasks in Any.do for new ended meetings in Google CalendarUse this ZapAdd new Google tasks to Any.doUse this ZapAdd Evernote reminders to Any.do as tasksUse this ZapSee more Any.do integrations powered by
Any.do price Free version available; paid version from $2.99/month
TickTick
Overview
TickTick is quite similar to Todoist, with a nearly identical interface. It does offer some features that Todoist lacks, such as a built-in Pomodoro timer and calendar view.
Compatibility
Pricing
- Free tier (limited features)
- Premium tier at $28 per year or $2.79 per month
Pros
- Cheaper than Todoist (for almost-equal functionality). TickTick positions itself as a direct competitor to Todoist. At $28 a year it delivers most of Todoist’s features at almost half the price, plus some things Todoist doesn’t have like custom views (a.k.a. smart lists) and a built-in calendar view.
- Lots of delightful productivity extras. TickTick has a built-in Pomodoro timer that ties to specific tasks. It lets you choose to add a new task to the beginning or the end of a list, and it lets you set start times and due dates. It even has a habit tracker and a white noise generator on mobile.
- “Plan My Day” feature. Pulls up tasks with due dates on them to help you decide what to work on for the day.
Cons
- No native calendar sync. You’ll have to get the premium plan and fiddle with links to sync your current calendar with TickTick.
- Super limited free plan. The free plan limits you to 9 lists, 99 tasks per list, and 19 subtasks per task. No calendar syncing or anything fun like that.
Conclusion
Having a great to-do list app can help you get organized and get more done, whether you want to manage personal tasks or those of a family or small team.
A to-do app is only as useful as the information you put into it, so in addition to picking the right app, you might also want to peruse these tips for creating better to-do lists. If you’re looking to share to-dos, you might also want to look at our story on how to make a family to-do list and calendar.