To-do list apps differ less in features than in how they charge and where they run. Some sell a yearly plan, some a one-time licence per Apple device, and some tuck the list into an account you already hold.
This guide ranks thirteen on first-week setup, real cost, how tasks leave, independence from a platform, and fit.
Vendors can pay for more visibility on this website, for example a higher place in a ranking or more room on a page. Commercial relationships can also affect which products we feature and how prominently. Every vendor link is marked the same, whatever the arrangement behind it. How that works.
In short
What to-do list apps software does
A to-do list app stores tasks with due dates, reminders and repeats, syncs them between phone, computer and browser, and often adds shared lists, calendar views or email links.
Five tests decide the order: setup effort, real cost, how your data leaves, whether you can walk away, and who the to-do list apps tool was built for. One rule sits on top of those tests: places 1 to 3 go to challengers, vendors outside the best-known brands in a category, wherever the category has them; the established names follow from place 4 in their ranked order. The reasoning behind the five tests, and behind having no score out of ten, is set out on the how we work page.
Task and calendar app with one yearly plan and strict free limits
Ranked #1 of 18 in Best To-Do List Apps in 2026.
Free tierPublished pricingElsewhere
The first week is cheap because the free tier already syncs across platforms, but its limits are small enough that a working task system outgrows it within weeks.
Premium is one annual price rather than a ladder of plans, which keeps the real price predictable. Premium also raises sharing from 2 to 29 members per list. All data sits on AWS servers in the United States, and a manual backup can be created on the web.
What stands out
Calendar views
Habit tracking
One paid tier
Where it costs you
The free tier stops at 9 lists and 99 tasks per list
Appest Inc. does not state a country of establishment in its terms
Right for
Individuals who want tasks, calendar and habits in one app on every device
Wrong for
Buyers who must record the vendor's country before signing
Not stated by the vendorFree tier with list limits; Premium billed yearly, price published
Cross-platform task manager with a free Beginner plan and per-member Business tier
Ranked #2 of 18 in Best To-Do List Apps in 2026.
Free tierPublished pricingNorth America
Todoist is quick to start: the Beginner plan covers real daily use, and CSV import brings tasks over from other apps. The Pro plan raises projects to 300 and filters to 150 and adds calendar layout and task duration.
Team features such as roles, shared templates and central billing arrive only on Business. Backups run on paid plans only, up to 21 ZIP files of CSV, and completed tasks and archived projects are not in them.
What stands out
Projects and sub-tasks
CSV export
Team workspace
Where it costs you
Beginner allows only 5 personal projects and 3 filter views
Automatic backups need a paid plan and exclude completed tasks
Right for
Individuals and small teams who want one familiar task list across all platforms
Wrong for
Anyone who needs a one-time purchase instead of a subscription
United StatesFree plan called Beginner; Pro and Business billed per month or year
Mac and iOS task manager sold once per device type
Ranked #3 of 18 in Best To-Do List Apps in 2026.
Pricing on requestEurope
The cost model is the opposite of most apps here: you buy each platform once, with no renewals, and moving to a new Mac or iPhone needs no second purchase.
The 15-day Mac trial gives full features, and after expiry you can still view tasks but changes are not saved. The price is set in the App Store, not on the vendor site. The trade is a hard platform wall: a colleague on Windows cannot read your list.
What stands out
Apple only
One-time purchase
Things Cloud sync
Where it costs you
It runs only on Apple devices, with no Windows, Android or web version
iPhone and iPad have no trial and are bought separately from the Mac app
Right for
Individuals who live entirely on Apple devices and dislike subscriptions
Wrong for
Teams, or anyone who also uses Windows or Android
GermanyOne-time purchase per platform; sync included; Mac trial of 15 days
Tasks and planner with Personal, Premium, Family and Teams plans
Ranked #4 of 18 in Best To-Do List Apps in 2026.
Free tierPublished pricingElsewhere
Any.do prices the same Premium feature set three ways: per user yearly, per user monthly, or as a Family plan covering 4 members. Teams adds a shared workspace, unlimited project boards and admin tools per member.
Export is the weak side: lists leave as PDF from web and desktop, and archived personal tasks come as a zipped CSV by email after you request it. Check which plan your recurring tasks need before choosing the free one.
What stands out
Family plan
WhatsApp reminders
Team boards
Where it costs you
Recurring tasks and location reminders need Premium
The privacy policy names Any.do Inc. without a country of establishment
Right for
Households and small teams that want task reminders sent through WhatsApp
Wrong for
Buyers who need full task export in a spreadsheet format
Not stated by the vendorFree Personal plan; Premium, Family and Teams plans published per month or year
Microsoft's task list that follows your Microsoft account and Outlook
Ranked #5 of 18 in Best To-Do List Apps in 2026.
Pricing on requestNorth America
The appeal is that there is little to set up: tasks flagged in Outlook appear next to your lists, and My Day offers a daily list. The cost shows up in the sharing rules, because a list can be shared between personal Microsoft accounts or between accounts at the same workplace, and the invitation is a link.
For team scheduling Microsoft points to Planner, a second product. We could not retrieve Microsoft's export instructions, so check them first.
What stands out
Outlook tasks
Shared lists
Planner link
Where it costs you
Sharing works only between personal accounts or inside one organisation
Team work is sent to Planner, a separate product
Right for
People already on Outlook and a Microsoft account who want a simple list
Wrong for
Buyers who want a task tool without a platform vendor behind it
United StatesNo separate plan appears on the pages checked; tied to a Microsoft account
Task manager for Apple devices with perpetual licences and a subscription
Ranked #6 of 18 in Best To-Do List Apps in 2026.
Published pricingNorth America
OmniFocus offers three routes: a one-off Standard or Pro licence that includes all 4.x updates, a yearly subscription with the Pro version, or the web add-on on top of a licence.
A 14-day trial runs under an Omni Account and a 30-day money-back guarantee applies. Syncing through the Omni Sync Server costs nothing extra. Its weekly review is a routine you must keep up, and the web app is described as a companion to the native apps.
What stands out
Perpetual licence
Perspectives
Weekly review
Where it costs you
The web version costs extra unless you subscribe
It requires macOS 15.2 or iOS 18.2 and newer
Right for
Apple users who run a structured system with projects, tags and weekly reviews
Wrong for
Windows teams or buyers who want a flat monthly fee
United StatesPerpetual Standard or Pro licence, or yearly subscription; prices published; 14-day trial
Long-running task app with a Basic plan and a yearly Pro upgrade
Ranked #7 of 18 in Best To-Do List Apps in 2026.
Free tierPublished pricingNorth America
The Basic plan covers reminders by email, text, instant message and mobile apps and integration with Gmail and Google Calendar, so a first week costs nothing.
The gap appears when you need sub-tasks, sharing beyond two people or attachments, all Pro features at one annual price. Pro also adds MilkScript automation, IFTTT and Zapier, and a beta AI connection. Export is a JSON download that imports into another account.
What stands out
Pro yearly plan
JSON export
Email and text reminders
Where it costs you
Sub-tasks and unlimited sharing need Pro
Basic keeps completed tasks for only 7 days
Right for
Individuals who want email, text and instant-message reminders on a mature app
Wrong for
Teams that need boards, roles or workload planning
United StatesFree Basic plan; Pro billed yearly, price published
Daily planner that pulls tasks and calendar into a timeboxed day
Ranked #8 of 18 in Best To-Do List Apps in 2026.
Published pricingNorth America
Sunsama is a planning ritual more than a list: you pull tasks from integrations, timebox them against your calendar and review the day. A single Pro plan and a manifesto that rejects free tiers keep the price simple, but a card-free 14-day trial is the only way to test it.
SOC 2 Type II reports are available on request, and Enterprise adds SSO and audit logs. Export generates CSV or JSON of task data from your primary workspace only.
What stands out
Daily planning
Timeboxing
SOC 2 Type II
Where it costs you
Its website terms are for persons located in the United States
Data export covers only the primary workspace
Right for
Knowledge workers who plan each day against a calendar and integrations
Wrong for
Buyers outside the United States and anyone wanting a free tier
United StatesOne paid plan, price published; 14-day trial without a card
AI project and calendar suite that auto-schedules tasks per seat
Ranked #9 of 18 in Best To-Do List Apps in 2026.
Published pricingNorth America
Motion answers a different question from a list app: it places tasks and meetings on your calendar for you. Pro AI gives 7,500 credits per seat each month, and Business AI gives 15,000 and adds capacity planning, Gantt charts, time tracking and permissions.
The first 90 days go on setting up projects and priorities, since the scheduler works from deadlines and durations. A pure list user would carry unused features.
What stands out
AI scheduling
Per-seat plans
Project management
Where it costs you
Plans carry monthly AI credit allowances per seat
It bundles projects, docs and meeting notes, well beyond a task list
Right for
Teams that want an AI planner to schedule tasks and projects for them
Wrong for
Individuals who need only a simple to-do list
United StatesPer-seat Pro and Business plans, price published; free trial
Notes and tasks combined, with a free tier and per-person plans
Ranked #10 of 18 in Best To-Do List Apps in 2026.
Free tierPublished pricingEurope
Superlist keeps tasks and notes together, with unlimited tasks and notes even on the free tier. That tier suits one person with five lists, and the jump to Basic unlocks unlimited lists, sublists and all integrations per person.
Super adds AI meeting notes, AI chat and email and Slack summaries at a higher per-person price. Yearly billing takes 20% off. The pricing page names no Windows app, so plan for browser access there.
What stands out
Notes and tasks
Berlin company
Voice AI
Where it costs you
The free tier stops at 5 lists and 25 MB uploads
The pricing page names no Windows app, only macOS, iOS, Android and web
Right for
Small teams that keep notes and tasks together and want a Berlin vendor
Wrong for
Windows users who want a native desktop app
GermanyFree tier for individuals; Basic and Super billed per person, price published
Light task list inside Gmail, Calendar and Google Workspace
Ranked #11 of 18 in Best To-Do List Apps in 2026.
Pricing on requestNorth America
Setup is close to zero: open Tasks in Calendar or the Gmail side panel and a list exists. Tasks can be created from an email, a Chat message or a Docs file, and assigned from Docs on eligible Workspace accounts.
Google LLC is the provider outside Europe, and Google Ireland Limited is the contracting party in the EEA. The limit is depth, and the page we read describes no export option, so check that before building a system on it.
What stands out
Gmail side panel
Google Calendar
Mobile app
Where it costs you
Work or school accounts depend on an administrator to switch it on
The help page we read mentions no export option or team workload view
Right for
People already in Gmail and Calendar who need a basic list
Wrong for
Teams that need shared workloads, roles or project views
United StatesNo separate Tasks plan on its help pages; reached through Google accounts
Apple's built-in reminders app with shared lists and grocery lists
Ranked #12 of 18 in Best To-Do List Apps in 2026.
Pricing on requestNorth America
The guide shows how much sits in the app already: sub-tasks, tags, templates, assigned shared reminders and printable lists. The first 90 days cost almost nothing in setup time, but the price is hidden in the platform choice.
Features depend on updated iCloud reminders, and an iCloud account is allocated 5 GB of storage. The guide documents the Mac app, so check your other devices.
What stands out
Shared lists
Grocery lists
Apple Intelligence
Where it costs you
Some features need updated iCloud reminders, not other providers' accounts
The guide covers shared lists, not team workspaces or roles
Right for
Households on Apple devices who share lists, groceries and reminders
Wrong for
Mixed Windows and Android teams that need shared task views
United StatesNo separate plan in the user guide; uses an iCloud account
To-do list where Claude, ChatGPT or any MCP agent work on tasks and you approve the result
Ranked #13 of 18 in Best To-Do List Apps in 2026.
Free tierPublished pricingNorth America
Done is an early-access to-do app operated by Pickleland LLC of Texas, built so that an AI assistant can work from the list over MCP. Agents claim tasks, post comments and complete them, and nothing is marked done without the user's approval.
The free plan has unlimited tasks, recurring and dependent tasks, a calendar view with Google Calendar sync and 100 agent calls a month. Pro at $5 a month removes the cap and adds scheduled agent routines, and Teams at $20 a month adds shared workspaces. Anyone who never hands work to an assistant pays for a feature set built around that habit.
What stands out
AI agents
MCP
Approval step
United StatesFree plan with unlimited tasks and 100 agent (MCP) calls a month; Pro $5 a month; Teams $20 a month
Open-source task manager with list, Kanban, Gantt and table views
Ranked #14 of 18 in Best To-Do List Apps in 2026.
Open sourceSelf-hostablePublished pricingEurope
Vikunja offers list, Kanban, Gantt and table views, sharing of projects and assigning tasks to a team. It imports from Todoist, Trello and Microsoft To-Do.
Cloud plans are Personal at EUR 4 a month, Family for up to five users at EUR 10 and Organization at EUR 5 per user, hosted in the EU. Self-hosters run it free under AGPLv3 via Docker or binaries.
What stands out
Open source
Self-hostable
Kanban and Gantt
Where it costs you
The hosted Vikunja Cloud has no free tier, so every managed plan is paid after the 14-day trial.
The self-hosted Pro add-on with admin panel and audit logs is in private beta and has no published price.
Right for
People wanting a self-hostable task manager with Kanban and Gantt views
Wrong for
Anyone needing a free hosted plan or a mature admin console
GermanyHosted plans from EUR 4 a month with a 14-day trial; self-hosting free under AGPLv3
Customisable task manager with focus tools, on one plan
Ranked #15 of 18 in Best To-Do List Apps in 2026.
Published pricingElsewhere
Workflows covered include list, day planning, spontaneous and GTD styles, and tasks and projects are unlimited. Import is offered from several services including Todoist, TickTick, Things 3, Microsoft To Do, OmniFocus, Asana, ClickUp, Google Calendar, Google Tasks, Sunsama and CSV.
Students can ask by email for 50% off, and pay-what-you-can pricing is available on request, with no fixed amount published for either.
What stands out
Single plan
Focus tools
Many importers
Where it costs you
Over 300 settings make setup slower than a plain task list.
Hosting, licence and country of establishment are not stated on the pages read.
Right for
People who struggle to focus and want to tune a task manager
Wrong for
Users wanting a plain list or a permanently unpaid plan
Not stated by the vendorOne paid plan, per month or per year, published; 14-day trial
Volunteer-maintained task app with time tracking and no paid tier
Ranked #16 of 18 in Best To-Do List Apps in 2026.
Free tierPublished pricingEurope
Apps are available for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS, plus a web app, and the desktop and mobile versions work offline. A schedule planner sits alongside the Pomodoro timer and time tracking.
Sync is optional and goes through Super Sync, WebDAV or Dropbox. The pricing page lists one plan with no trials, no premium tiers and no hidden costs, and says the MIT licence allows commercial use.
What stands out
MIT licence
Time tracking
Local-first
Where it costs you
The pricing page describes volunteer maintenance supported by optional donations, so there is no commercial support contract to buy.
The imprint names one individual, which leaves continuity depending on that person and the volunteers.
Right for
Developers and freelancers who want task planning with time tracking and no subscription
Wrong for
Organisations that require a vendor contract and support
GermanyFree for everything, no paid tiers; MIT licence, data kept on device
Ad-free open-source task app syncing over CalDAV and EteSync
Ranked #17 of 18 in Best To-Do List Apps in 2026.
Free tierPublished pricingElsewhere
Tasks are organised with filters, tags, lists, manual sorting and subtasks of unlimited depth. Offline use and self-hosting are offered, with end-to-end encryption through EteSync.
Sync options named are Tasks.org, Google Tasks, DAVx5, CalDAV, EteSync and DecSync CC, and open protocols link it with Outlook, Thunderbird and Apple Reminders. The site also lists a Pebble app, available through the Repebble and Rebble stores, next to the Android builds.
What stands out
GPLv3
CalDAV sync
Name your price
Where it costs you
The desktop app is labelled alpha, so computer use is not yet a settled part of the product.
Tasks.org, LLC gives no country, address or governing law on the pages read.
Right for
Android users who want an ad-free task list syncing through open protocols they choose
Wrong for
Buyers needing a vendor with a stated legal home
Not stated by the vendorFree at $0 with unlimited tasks; optional Cloud sync at $2.49 monthly or $29.99 yearly; name-your-price from $0.99 yearly
Command-line task manager released under the MIT licence by volunteers
Ranked #18 of 18 in Best To-Do List Apps in 2026.
Free tierOpen sourcePublished pricingElsewhere
The current stable release shown is Taskwarrior 3.5.0. The site also lists Taskshell 1.2.0 and Timewarrior 1.10.0 as related tools. Copyright is credited to Gothenburg Bit Factory, with GitHub Sponsors for funding and a support address for contact.
The repository describes the project as the work of mostly volunteers. There are no prices, plans or trials because the software is free to use.
What stands out
MIT licence
Command line
Local
Where it costs you
It runs only as a local command-line tool, and the site lists source tarballs but no sync server.
No country is stated, and the work rests on a mostly small group of volunteers.
Right for
Developers comfortable in a terminal who want local, scriptable task lists
Wrong for
Anyone expecting a graphical app or shared team boards
Not stated by the vendorFree open source software, no plans or prices published
A to-do list app stores tasks with due dates, reminders and repeats, syncs them between phone, computer and browser, and often adds shared lists, calendar views or email links. A feature table will not settle this choice. These steps will.
01
Work out how much a sales call is worth to you
Prices are public at 14 products (TickTick, Todoist, Any.do, OmniFocus, Remember The Milk, Sunsama, Motion, Superlist, Done, Vikunja, Amazing Marvin, Super Productivity, Tasks.org, Taskwarrior) and on request at the remaining 4, so budget time for quotes if your favourite is in that second group.
02
Look at where the vendor sits
The 18 companies behind this list are established in 3 countries, by region North America 9, Elsewhere 5, Europe 4. Disclosure obligations attach to the company, so they travel with the vendor even when the servers stay at home.
03
Consider whether you want the source
2 of these are open source: Vikunja, Taskwarrior. Hosting one yourself trades a subscription for maintenance.
How to-do apps charge: per member, per year or once
The sticker comparison hides three different meters. Superlist bills per person, Any.do Teams per member and Motion per seat, so a ten-person team multiplies the price. TickTick sells one yearly Premium plan to an individual. Sunsama has one paid plan after a 14-day trial.
Things and OmniFocus sell perpetual licences, but Things sells each of Mac, iPhone, iPad and Vision separately, while OmniFocus offers a universal purchase and a yearly subscription. Motion adds a credit allowance per seat on top. Count the devices, the people and the years you will use the tool, then divide the total, because the cheapest monthly price is rarely the cheapest over four years of daily use.
Multiply the price by the number of seats and years you expect to use it.
Ask whether each device type is a separate purchase.
Check whether team features sit behind a per-member tier.
What the free tier really limits
Free tiers in this market are caps, not trials. TickTick stops at 9 lists, 99 tasks per list and 2 reminders per task. Todoist's Beginner plan allows 5 personal projects and 3 filter views. Superlist's free tier has 5 lists and 25 MB uploads, and Remember The Milk's Basic plan shares lists with only 2 others and lacks sub-tasks.
These caps are easy to ignore in week one and painful in month three. Write down how many lists, projects and collaborators your current system uses before you pick one, A cap reached in month three forces an upgrade or a migration, so compare the upgrade price, not the headline of zero.
Count your current lists, projects and shared people.
Find which feature sits behind the first paid tier.
Test the cap with real data, not a demo list.
Apple-only or everywhere: Things, OmniFocus and Apple Reminders
Three tools here run only in Apple's ecosystem. Things and OmniFocus are native apps with no Windows or Android version, and OmniFocus needs macOS 15.2 or iOS 18.2, with a web companion that costs extra unless you subscribe. Apple Reminders sits in the same ecosystem, and some features need updated iCloud reminders.
TickTick, Todoist, Any.do and Superlist run across platforms, though Superlist lists no Windows app. A single colleague on Windows breaks the Apple-only route for any shared list, and a family that mixes iPhones with an Android handset hits the same wall. Decide who must read the list before you buy, and test the web version if one is offered, since that is the only door a Windows colleague has.
List every operating system that must open your tasks.
Ask whether a web version is included in the price.
Check the minimum operating system version.
Leaving a to-do app: what an export contains
Task apps look easy to leave until you read the export. Todoist exports a project to CSV on every plan, but its automatic backups need a paid plan and leave out completed tasks. Remember The Milk downloads a JSON file that imports into another account, with an iCalendar feed as a lighter option.
Sunsama exports CSV or JSON of the primary workspace only. Any.do exports personal lists as PDF on web and desktop and sends archived tasks as zipped CSV by email. Run one export before you commit, and see what survives: comments, recurrence, sub-tasks and completed items. An export you have never opened is a hope, not an exit.
Run a test export and open it in a spreadsheet.
Check whether comments and recurring dates survive.
Ask whether completed tasks are included.
What goes wrong most often when buying to-do list apps software
Choosing on the free tier without counting the lists, projects and shared people you already use.
Buying an Apple-only app and discovering later that one colleague uses Windows.
Treating an AI scheduler such as Motion as a list app and paying for credits you will not use.
Never testing an export, then finding that comments or completed tasks did not leave with the rest.
07
Frequently asked questions
8 answers
What is the best to-do list apps in 2026?
Our ranking of 18 puts TickTick first. One paid tier sits above a free tier capped at 9 lists, 99 tasks per list and 2 reminders per task, so a heavy user meets the ceiling quickly.
Premium lifts that to 299 lists and 999 tasks and moves calendar views from basic to unlimited. Data stays after Premium lapses. The operator, Appest Inc., names no country in its terms, so the legal home is unknown.
Which to-do list apps tools publish their pricing?
14 out of 18 state a price model on their own site:
TickTick: Free tier with list limits; Premium billed yearly, price published.
Todoist: Free plan called Beginner; Pro and Business billed per month or year.
Any.do: Free Personal plan; Premium, Family and Teams plans published per month or year.
OmniFocus: Perpetual Standard or Pro licence, or yearly subscription; prices published; 14-day trial.
Remember The Milk: Free Basic plan; Pro billed yearly, price published.
Sunsama: One paid plan, price published; 14-day trial without a card.
Motion: Per-seat Pro and Business plans, price published; free trial.
Superlist: Free tier for individuals; Basic and Super billed per person, price published.
Done: Free plan with unlimited tasks and 100 agent (MCP) calls a month; Pro $5 a month; Teams $20 a month.
Vikunja: Hosted plans from EUR 4 a month with a 14-day trial; self-hosting free under AGPLv3.
Amazing Marvin: One paid plan, per month or per year, published; 14-day trial.
Super Productivity: Free for everything, no paid tiers; MIT licence, data kept on device.
Tasks.org: Free at $0 with unlimited tasks; optional Cloud sync at $2.49 monthly or $29.99 yearly; name-your-price from $0.99 yearly.
Taskwarrior: Free open source software, no plans or prices published.
Everything else on the list is priced on request.
Is there a free to-do list apps tool?
TickTick, Todoist, Any.do, Remember The Milk, Superlist, Done, Super Productivity, Tasks.org, Taskwarrior come with a no-cost entry point, a free plan or a self-hosted edition.
Where are these to-do list apps vendors established?
In 3 countries across 3 regions: North America 9, Elsewhere 5, Europe 4.
TickTick: Not stated by the vendor.
Todoist: United States.
Things: Germany.
Any.do: Not stated by the vendor.
Microsoft To Do: United States.
OmniFocus: United States.
Remember The Milk: United States.
Sunsama: United States.
Motion: United States.
Superlist: Germany.
Google Tasks: United States.
Apple Reminders: United States.
Done: United States.
Vikunja: Germany.
Amazing Marvin: Not stated by the vendor.
Super Productivity: Germany.
Tasks.org: Not stated by the vendor.
Taskwarrior: Not stated by the vendor.
Which to-do list apps tools are open source?
Vikunja, Taskwarrior.
Which to-do list apps tools can you host yourself?
Vikunja. 17 products offer no self-hosted option.
What should you use instead of TickTick?
Look at Todoist (made for Individuals and small teams who want one familiar task list across all platforms) and Things (made for Individuals who live entirely on Apple devices and dislike subscriptions), which hold places two and three.
Who should not buy TickTick?
Buyers who must record the vendor's country before signing. The free tier stops at 9 lists and 99 tasks per list.
Missing from this to-do list apps ranking? Contact us with a short description of the product and its users. Adding it is an editorial choice, and software advice explains what a listing does and does not involve.
