Productivity is everything for the busy entrepreneur. Especially if you’re flying solo or running things with a small-but-mighty team.
But when you’re working for yourself, your to do list never ends. That thing goes on forever.
I’m one of those old-school people who likes to write down my to do list with pen and paper. I do everything else online, but digitizing my to do list never jived with me – until I started working for myself.
That’s when the list went on and on, and no sheet of paper was long enough to keep track of everything. If you’re like me, your head is spinning with everything you need to remember to take care of. What if there were an app for that? (Quick answer: There’s an app for everything.)
Post Contents
- The Very Best To Do List Apps
- 1. 2Do
- 2. ActiveInbox
- 3. Antnotes
- 4. Any.do
- 5. Apple Reminders
- 6. Asana
- 7. CARROT
- 8. Checklist
- 9. Eisenhower
- 10. Evernote
- 11. Fantastical
- 12. Google Keep
- 13. Google Tasks
- 14. Habitica
- 15. I Done This
- 16. Ike
- 17. Ikiru
- 18. Keep&Share
- 19. Microsoft To-Do
- 20. Notion
- 21. Nozbe
- 22. nTask
- 23. OmniFocus
- 24. Remember The Milk
- 25. SomTodo
- 26. Swipes
- 27. TeuxDeux
- 28. Things
- 29. TickTick
- 30. Todoist
- 31. Toodledo
- 32. Trello
- 33. WeDo
- Summary
- Want to Learn More?
The Very Best To Do List Apps
These to do list apps could save your sanity. Check ’em out:
- 2Do
- Active Inbox
- Antnotes
- Any.do
- Apple Reminders
- Asana
- Carrot
- Checklist
- Eisenhower
- Evernote
- Fantastical
- Google Keep
- Google Tasks
- Habitica
- I Done This
- Ike
- Ikiru
- Keep&Share
- Microsoft To-Do
- Notion
- Nozbe
- nTask
- OmniFocus
- Remember The Milk
- SomTodo
- Swipes
- TeuxDeux
- Things
- TickTick
- Todoist
- Toodledo
- Trello
- WeDo
1. 2Do
Pricing: One-time $49.99 charge or $149.99 if you have multiple users (Mac), free for Android, and $14.99 for iOS apps (you can use this on up to five devices)
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Best for: quickly adding tasks from your phone and revisiting them on your computer
2Do is one of the best to do list apps for the busy entrepreneur who’s always on the go – “designed to meet your need for speed,” the app claims. There are two versions: mobile and desktop (Mac only).
Mobile users have the simplest user interface (UI). Essentially, all you do is enter tasks. You can quickly add multiple tasks in a few seconds.
Then you hop over to the Mac version. This is where you have a full-featured editor and offline access. Color code your tasks, use tags and filters, sort tasks, add location, and group related tasks together (you can also make batch edits). Create multiple lists to keep your tasks separate. You can also set alerts to remind you when tasks are due and assign tasks to different members.
2. ActiveInbox
Pricing: $4.16/month for one user; $5.83/month for one to five users; $12.48/month for three to 999 users (also gets you customer support and team admin views)
Best for: Turning emails into actionable tasks
ActiveInbox is geared toward Gmail users (especially those of us who think “inbox zero” is just a myth). In addition to its mobile apps, there’s also an add-on for both Chrome and Firefox. Installing ActiveInbox allows the app to turn your emails into to-dos. It’s hands-down the best checklist app for Android and iOS if you frequently read emails while you’re not working.
In addition, you can schedule outgoing emails or let the app optimize send time based on the greatest likelihood they’ll be read. It’ll also help you follow up on unanswered emails to help you get the responses you need.
3. Antnotes
Pricing: Free; $2.99 paid version
Best for: An upgraded version of Apple’s sticky notes
Antnotes is a to do app made for Apple users looking for digital sticky notes. Customize your notes in color, size, and opacity, and with rich text editing. Save your customizations as default styles, or upgrade to the paid version for more editing options.
If your home screen is looking cluttered, shrink the notes so just the title shows – then click to expand when you need to see your list later. Your notes are shareable with teams up to six, and you can also set reminders to hold everyone (and yourself!) accountable.
One of my favorite features is that all closed-out notes are archived, so you can easily restore or duplicate them later. All notes – archived or not – are searchable.
4. Any.do
Pricing: Free; Premium is $2.99/month
Best for: Basic task management for solopreneurs and small teams
Any.do is pretty and functional – with mobile apps, browser plug-ins, and voice control integrations, it’s one of the most basic cross-platform options out there. In addition to checklists, Any.do has a daily notification that starts your day with extra motivation and reminders of what’s on your plate.
Other features:
- Progress tracking
- Deadlines
- Location-based reminders
- Tags and categories
- Color-coding
- Subtasks
- Attachments
If have a team, you can also share lists, assign tasks, and live chat.
5. Apple Reminders
Pricing: Free
Best for: Apple users in need of something simple for themselves
Apple Reminders is a basic iOS task manager that comes preloaded on Apple devices. The free app lists tasks in a basic checklist or a calendar view. To create lists, add them manually, use Siri, add directly from other apps, and turned missed calls into tasks. Organize tasks with categories, and share lists with colleagues (as long as they use iCloud).
One of the coolest features is that you can manually schedule reminders or use Apple’s automated options based on task deadline or device location.
6. Asana
Pricing: Free for basic; paid plans range from $9.99/user/month to $19.99/user/month
Best for: Full-on task and project management for teams
Asana is more than just a to-do list tracker – it’s a full-fledged project management tool. Its list of features is long, so if you’re looking for a basic task manager, this probably isn’t it. But if you have a team (or expect to), plus multiple complex tasks more resemblant of projects, Asana could be for you.
With mobile apps for both platforms plus more than 100 integrations and browser plug-ins, Asana also has both list and calendar views, the option to create multiple projects, subtask functionality, and team features to assign tasks and deadlines. See your overall progress toward project completion, add files and notes, and sync it with time-tracking apps.
Paid features include project templates, custom fields, and reporting options.
7. CARROT
Pricing: $2.99; optional in-app purchases for upgrades and additional features
Best for: People who have both a sense of humor and a desire to get stuff done
Speaking as an Android user, CARROT is both my favorite and least-favorite on this list. It’s absolutely hilarious, but only available to iOS users. Let’s start with the basics: It offers a simple, easy-to-use UI with lists.
But everything else about CARROT is unique: from her cheeky personality to in-app upgrades you can earn through playing games. When you don’t get your tasks done, your “digital pet” will berate you, but when you are productive, the AI-powered assistant will also sing your praises.
8. Checklist
Pricing: Free; Standard is $3.50/user/month; Pro is $5.95/user/month; Enterprise is $11/user/month
Best for: If you’re looking for a basic task manager app
Checklist is just that: a digital checklist to which you can add tasks, subtasks, deadlines, and reminders. Some of its more advanced features include attachments, templates, and the ability to share lists with your team.
We love that you can create an unlimited number of checklists, regardless of which plan you’re on. Paid upgrades include new features like extra storage and integrations.
9. Eisenhower
Pricing: Free on web; $2.99 for mobile app
Best for: Optimizing productivity and prioritizing tasks according to the Eisenhower Matrix
Eisenhower uses the Eisenhower Matrix approach to time management, which prioritizes tasks based on urgency and importance. It essentially categorizes each task into one of four categories:
- Do first
- Delegate
- Schedule
- Don’t do (because some things aren’t worth doing)
When it’s time to get down to business, set Eisenhower’s focus-mode timer to whatever amount of time you need to dedicate to a specific task. For delegation, use the app to trigger an automated email to an assignee with all task details.
10. Evernote
Pricing: Free; Premium is $7.99 monthly, $69.99 annually
Best for: Organization fanatics who need to save lots of information associated with each task
Evernote is the best task management app if you’re less concerned with deadlines and more concerned with detail. It’s a digital library where you can create notebooks and notes with detailed information, including a rich text editor and the option to add attachments and images. You can tag each note for better organization and findability.
As far as to do list–specific features, you can add reminders and create basic lists – not the best option if you need a true checklist-type experience.
11. Fantastical
Pricing: $49.99 after 21-day free trial
Best for: Apple users who want integrated calendars with to do lists
Fantastical is a basic option for Apple users with a heavy emphasis on calendar views and integrations. Add tasks to your calendars, view five different calendars at once, and add locations or attachments.
Fantastical will help you arrive on time, using locations to tell give you travel time updates and notifications when it’s time to leave. Change the view to a light or dark theme and use the Mini Window for quick edits and check-ins.
Overall, this is a simple calendar-based option good for keeping Apple users on track and on time.
12. Google Keep
Pricing: Free
Best for: Simple to-do lists with built-in collaboration features (especially great if you live in Google Drive)
Google Keep is the best task manager to for basic to do lists. Organize and search for tasks via notes, lists, color customizations, photos, and even audio files. Simple is the key with Google Keep: Add basic information about each task and add it to a list. Pin the most important ones, and toggle between a grid and list view.
Time- and location-based reminders are standard for Google Keep. And because it’s Google, it can also transcribe text from uploaded images and add it to the note.
I can see this coming in handy for a website launch led by a small but scrappy team – create a list of what needs to be done, share it, and get all hands on deck. Each person has the option to check off the tasks they’ve completed, so you can move on to the next.
13. Google Tasks
Pricing: Free
Best for: Solopreneurs who want to quickly create tasks from Gmail and Google Calendar
Their alternative offering, Google Tasks, focuses on integrations with Gmail and Google Calendar. You can turn emails and calendar appointments into tasks that trace back to the source for future reference. Break larger initiatives down into smaller subtasks, and add deadlines for each. Unlike Google Keep, there is no option to add users or collaborators.
As far as similarities with Google Keep, Tasks also has reminders, deadlines, and the option to edit task details.
14. Habitica
Pricing: Free; $4.99/month; $14.99/quarter; $29.99 bi-annually; $47.99/year; optional in-app purchases
Best for: Solopreneurs who need basic task management but are bored by other options out there
Habitica is another unique task list app, except, instead of attitude, it’s got game — the fun kind. If you need something not-so-serious, Habitica will turn your to-dos into a role-playing game (RPG). The more productive you are, the more game features you can access. Go on quests, fight battles, raise pets, develop magic skills, and more.
As far as task management goes, you can create lists and set goals within the app. Habitica is really fun but not great if you need more robust feature offerings. It’s a simple to do list app mixed with gamification.
15. I Done This
Platforms: Web only
Pricing: Basic is $5/user/month; Standard is $12.50/user/month; Plus is $25/user/month; Enterprise is $40/user/month
Best for: Collaborative teams trying to boost accountability and productivity
I Done This is a web-based things to do app that facilitates collaboration in the work environment. Many teams have daily scrums, quick meetings (typically 15 minutes) to go over daily status updates for each project in the works. I Done This takes what happens in those daily meetings and centralizes it in a single database.
Complete with a collaborative dashboard, I Done This also gives high-level progress views, well-designed data reports, and integration options.
16. Ike
Pricing: Free; Pro is $2
Best for: Simple but smart task management with reminders
Ike also uses Eisenhower’s Matrix to help users prioritize and even eliminate tasks in its minimalistic UI. Add one-time or repeating deadlines, location-based reminders, and notes and descriptions. You can also get a map view and driving directions.
17. Ikiru
Pricing: $4.99
Best for: Basic to do list management with a beautiful design
Ikiru is an iOS to do list app with a simple interface and most of the basic features: checklists, notes, reminders, photos, and due dates. You can sort your tasks not only by due date, but also alphabetically, by last-modified date, completion date, and more. Copy and move items on different lists, and email lists to other Ikiru users (note that you can’t share synced versions of your list).
It’s also beautiful, with more than 2,000 icons to choose from to give visual cues.
Pricing: Free for basic; $9/month for one user; team plans range from $19/month to $149/month based on number of users
Best for: Managing to-dos in a calendar-based view and syncing with other calendars
Keep&Share is a calendar-based option, giving you a visual breakdown of tasks and deadlines. Color code events, add reminders, share calendars, tag tasks, and create repeating events. Need help with daily task management? Break your schedule down into time slots (anywhere between ten minutes and two hours) to keep your focus on the task at hand.
You can also add photos and edit documents to keep all of the relevant information within a single platform.
19. Microsoft To-Do
Pricing: Free
Best for: Professionals who use Microsoft 365 and need basic task planning and accountability
Microsoft To-Do is another typical task manager.You can use it to create lists, add notes and attachments, color code tasks, set up one-time and recurring reminders, and create subtasks to make bigger to-dos more manageable. It also has a nice color-coding feature if you’re more visual. A daily planner will suggest tasks to help you accomplish the most each day.
Collaboration is also possible, with the ability to share tasks and lists with others. Plus, being a Microsoft product and all, its Office 365 integrations are pretty unbeatable.
20. Notion
Pricing: Free; Personal is $4/month; Team is $8/month; Enterprise is $20/month
Best for: Combining task management with file management in a centralized location
Notion is a hybrid option, blending tasks, notes, and wikis in a single offering. You’ll be able to prioritize, add images and code snippets (helpful for developers or website managers), create daily to-dos, drag and drop, and manage files.
Perhaps the coolest feature is that it’ll download pages you visit online so that you can access them later on without a connection.
21. Nozbe
Pricing: Free; paid plans range from $8/month to $78/month
Best for: Collaboration without requiring account creation
Nozbe is a to-do list app for Android designed specifically for business use. Its simple UI allows you to create and share projects, delegate tasks, attach comments and files, and integrate with file management apps like Dropbox and Evernote. You also get the standard prioritization, categorization, and tagging capabilities.
We love that with Nozbe, you can invite a collaborator even if they don’t have an account. Plus, productivity reports can help you determine how best to maximize your team’s time moving forward.
22. nTask
Pricing: Free; Pro is $2.99
Best for: Collaborative task management with great search functionality and calendar views
nTask has the standard offerings: subtasks, single or recurring events, checklists, and prioritization. But you can also organize tasks into projects, assign them to different team members, and add comments.
Search functionality will also help you find the tasks you need to reference – especially helpful if you havea lot going on. And when you need to gauge how your team is doing, check in with progress reports to make sure you’re on track to hit your deadlines.
23. OmniFocus
Pricing: One-time standalone $49.99 for Standard, $99.99 for Pro; subscription for multi-platform is $9.99/month or $99.99/year
Best for: Apple users who feel overwhelmed at how many tasks they have on their plate
OmniFocus is one of the best iOS and Mac task managers – color coding, customizable tags, projects, and cross-device syncing helps you keep a long list of tasks organized and manageable. Add actions to each task and set reminders to ensure things actually get done.
This app has so many features it might seem confusing at first, but an at-a-glance view of the tasks that need attention can keep you on track. And its “Perspectives” feature helps you plan each day – especially helpful when you’re dealing with a never-ending list.
24. Remember The Milk
Pricing: Free; Pro is $39.99/year
Best for: Simple task and list management
Remember The Milk is one of the simplest options on this list. The app consists mainly of a to do checklist in a clean UI. You can add deadlines, subtasks, and priorities.
The most advanced feature Remember The Milk has is the ability to share lists and assign tasks to specific people. It’s an unassuming, easy-to-use way to organize your to-dos.
25. SomTodo
Pricing: Free; Premium is $3.60/month
Best for: A step above basic task management for solopreneurs
SomTodo is a pretty to do app for Android that organizes tasks by folder. Like many of the others in this roundup, SomTodo has the ability to add deadlines, reminders, categories, and notes. It also gives you a daily view and will sync across devices, so you can always see exactly what’s left on your plate.
Navigate through folders of tasks or search your personal database for tasks by keyword. For extra privacy, you can also add password protection to specific tasks or groups of tasks.
26. Swipes
Pricing: Free for personal; $6/user/month if paid annually or $7.50/user/month if paid monthly
Best for: People who use multiple programs and need to automatically centralize tasks from everywhere
Swipes hangs its hat on the ability to take tasks from multiple platforms and tools and centralize them all in an easy-to-use database. Unlike many others, it can automatically add tasks from integrated programs and help you prioritize them against one another – then direct your focus on one task at a time so you make real progress.
Now that you know what makes Swipes different, here’s what it has in common with many others:
- Reminders
- Notes
- Recurring tasks
- Tags
- Action items for each task
27. TeuxDeux
Pricing: $3/month; $24/year
Best for: iPhone owners who need basic functionality and voice command support
TeuxDeux is one of the best to do apps for iOS if you’re looking for a simple, no-fuss option. Create one-time or recurring tasks, check them off as you go, and view everything on a calendar or in summary to get a bird’s eye view of what’s going on.
Sore thumbs? Use voice commands to add to your list, and then color code everything so you can find it easily later on. TeuxDeux supports list sharing and color customization.
28. Things
Pricing: Mac is $49.99; iPhone and Apple Watch is $9.99; iPad is $19.99
Best for: To do list trackers who value a strong visual aesthetic
What Things lacks in functionality, it makes up for in design. Things is simple, minimal, and elegant, with easy drag-and-drop functionality. An ever-present button in the app allows you to quickly and easily add a task in a few seconds, and then schedule it later.
Add and complete to-dos with Things, but if you want more organization options, you’ll want to check out the others in this roundup.
29. TickTick
Pricing: Free; Premium is $27.99/year
Best for: A full-featured task management app at a reasonable price
TickTick is one of the best to do list apps for Android and iOS, offering voice commands, automated “smart” reminders based on deadlines or location, and four different priority levels to help you keep sight of what’s most important.
Add tasks within the app or via email, manually set up reminders (in addition to or in place of the automated ones), share lists, and organize with folders and tags. You can sort your task view by parameters like deadline, name, completion date, priority level, and more. We also love that you can batch-edit tasks.
30. Todoist
Pricing: Free; Premium is $3/month/user; Business is $5/month/user
Best for: To do list management for teams that need minimal project management
To-dos meet project management with Todoist. It has the main task management stuff, like lists, reminders (location-based ones, too), goal tracking, and a “Quick Add” option. Use the daily planner to help you get a handle on the day ahead, and assign tasks out to your team as needed.
One thing that sets Todoist apart is its habit-learning functionality. Over time, it gets to know your good habits and motivates you to continue and increase those habits.
31. Toodledo
Pricing: Free
Best for: Increasing productivity while managing to do checklists and notes
Toodledo is more than just a checklist app for Android and iOS – it increases productivity by learning your habits over time. In addition to deadlines, priorities, assignments, and categorization for tasks, Toodledo allows you to store tons of notes and outlines about your business ideas or projects in progress.
Add goals to your tasks, and Toodledo will alert you when you’re off track with pop-up alarms and reminders. Its “Hotlist” will take priorities into account and let you know what needs your attention the most.
32. Trello
Pricing: Free; Business Class is $9.99/user/month; Enterprise is $20.83/user/month
Best for: Visual learners who need more than basic task management
Trello is awesome. I’m biased because I use it almost daily. It’s a visual way of looking at which tasks are in progress (or complete). Instead of being list-based, Trello uses boards (akin to projects), lists, and cards (akin to tasks). Each card is placed in one of a board’s lists, which you can categorize however you want.
The problem with Trello is that it wasn’t designed as a to do list app – all of its features can be cumbersome if you need something simple. But if you need to add attachments, descriptions, assignees, users, deadlines, subtasks, labels, and more, Trello could be your answer.
33. WeDo
Pricing: $4.99/month; one-time payment of $159.99 for lifetime access
Best for: When you set lofty, long-term goals that you need to track progress towards over time
WeDo is one of the best list apps for Android and iOS geared toward instilling good habits. With the app, you’ll set short- and long-term goals, against which WeDo will track your progress and let you know if your daily habits are helping you get to where you want to be. It really focuses on taking the bigger picture and turning it into smaller, more digestible tasks, so you’re constantly moving forward.
As with most, you can create deadlines, subtasks, reminders, notes, attachments, checklists, and folders.
Summary
The best task manager really depends on what you need and how much you’re willing to spend to get it. In some cases, you can combine task management with other business operations, like project management or digital asset management. Other times, a simple checklist for yourself is all you need. Regardless, there’s bound to be an option here to hold you more accountable and keep you on task towards your larger business goals.
