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The Best To-Do & Task Apps

Five personal task managers compared on organisation, quick capture, cross-platform support, and price, with an honest note on who each one suits.

Last updated Jul 3, 2026

A good to-do app should get tasks out of your head fast and remind you at the right moment, without becoming a project management system. We compared five popular options, from free and simple to elegant and paid-once, so you can pick the one that fits your devices and habits.

  1. 1

    Todoist

    Our pick

    A fast, cross-platform task manager with the best natural-language input.

    8.6
    / 10

    Pros

    • + Excellent natural-language quick capture ('every Monday at 9am') across every platform
    • + Projects, labels, and saved filters give flexible organisation without clutter
    • + Reliable sync and offline access on desktop, web, and mobile

    Cons

    • − Reminders and calendar layout sit behind the paid Pro tier
    • − No built-in note or doc space; it stays strictly a task app
    • − Free plan limits active projects and hides key power features
    From $4.00 /month
    Visit Todoist
  2. 2

    TickTick

    Best value

    A do-it-all task app that bundles calendar, habits, and a Pomodoro timer.

    8.6
    / 10

    Pros

    • + Bundles calendar, habit tracking, and a Pomodoro timer at a low price
    • + Flexible views including list, Kanban, and a built-in calendar
    • + Broad platform coverage with solid sync and reliable reminders

    Cons

    • − The many built-in modules can make the interface feel busy
    • − Free tier caps lists, tasks, and reminders per task
    • − Collaboration features are basic compared with dedicated project tools
    From $2.99 /month
    Visit TickTick
  3. 3

    Microsoft To Do

    Best free

    A genuinely free, clean task app that plugs into the Microsoft world.

    7.9
    / 10

    Pros

    • + Completely free with no locked-away core features
    • + Integrates with Outlook flagged emails and the Microsoft 365 ecosystem
    • + The 'My Day' planner encourages a focused daily list

    Cons

    • − Organisation is fairly basic, with no nested subprojects or advanced filters
    • − No native habit tracking, calendar view, or Pomodoro extras
    • − Best value comes when you're already inside the Microsoft ecosystem
    Visit Microsoft To Do
  4. 4

    Things 3

    The most elegant Apple-only task app, bought once instead of rented.

    7.1
    / 10

    Pros

    • + Beautiful, distraction-free design with a thoughtful Areas/Projects/Today model
    • + One-time purchase means no recurring subscription
    • + Fast, reliable, fully offline native apps on Apple devices

    Cons

    • − Apple-only; there is no Windows, Android, or full web version
    • − Separate paid purchases for Mac, iPhone, and iPad add up
    • − No built-in collaboration or sharing of task lists
    From $49.99
    Visit Things 3
  5. 5

    Any.do

    A tidy tasks-plus-calendar app whose best features sit behind the paywall.

    6.6
    / 10

    Pros

    • + Clean interface that unifies tasks and a calendar in one daily view
    • + Cross-platform apps with widgets and a familiar planner layout
    • + Location- and time-based reminders help you stay on track

    Cons

    • − The free plan is quite restrictive, gating recurring tasks and more
    • − Some useful features are locked behind a comparatively pricey subscription
    • − Feature depth trails Todoist and TickTick for power users
    From $4.99 /month
    Visit Any.do

Side-by-side

The Best To-Do & Task Apps — score by criterion for each product.
Product Task Organisation & Features Cross-Platform & Offline Quick Capture & Reminders Value & Pricing Overall
Todoist 8.5 9.0 9.0 8.0 8.6
TickTick 8.5 8.5 8.5 9.0 8.6
Microsoft To Do 7.0 8.0 8.0 9.5 7.9
Things 3 8.0 6.0 7.5 6.5 7.1
Any.do 6.5 7.0 7.0 5.5 6.6
How we scored this

We scored each app on four weighted criteria: Task Organisation & Features (weight 3), Quick Capture & Reminders (weight 2), Cross-Platform & Offline support (weight 2), and Value & Pricing (weight 1.5). Scores reflect our editorial assessment of each tool's public pricing and feature set; rankings are independent of any affiliate payout, and sponsored placements are always labelled separately.