Best To-Do Apps 2026: I Tested and Compared 6

Best To-Do Apps 2026: I Tested and Compared 6

I've downloaded, tested, and mostly abandoned more to-do apps than I care to admit. Every year a prettier icon promises this is the year I'll finally get organized. Most of them lasted three weeks. So this time I did it properly: I ran six of the best to-do apps of 2026 side by side for real daily use. Here are the honest results, with current prices and free-plan limits.

The short answer: which to-do app should you get?

  • Todoist — best overall for most people. Clean, fast, works everywhere.
  • TickTick — best value. Calendar, habit tracker, and Pomodoro timer included.
  • Microsoft To Do — best completely free option. No paid tier at all.
  • Things 3 — best for Apple-only users who hate subscriptions. One-time purchase.
  • Google Tasks — best if your whole life runs on Gmail and Google Calendar.
  • Apple Reminders — best for casual users who just need simple lists.

How I compared them

I scored each app on what decides whether you'll still open it in March:

  • Capture speed — can you add a task in under five seconds?
  • Today view — are today's tasks clear at a glance?
  • Free plan honesty — is the free tier genuinely usable, or just a demo?
  • Price vs. features — what the subscription really costs in dollars.
  • Platforms — does it run on your devices?

The 6 best to-do apps of 2026

1. Todoist — Best overall

Price: Free (5 active projects) · Pro $60/year ($5/month billed annually, or $7/month) · Business $96/user/year

Todoist is the app I keep returning to, and the one I'd recommend to most people first. Adding a task is remarkably fast — type "send invoice tomorrow 3pm" and it sets the task, date, and time, no fiddling with pickers. It runs on everything: web, Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, Apple Watch, and browser extensions.

The 2026 version added Todoist Assist, an AI suite that breaks bigger goals into smaller steps — useful for planning, less so for quick capture, where raw speed wins. With 150+ integrations (Slack, Gmail, Google Calendar), it fits almost any workflow.

The catch: Pro rose from $48 to $60 a year in December 2025 — a 25% jump — and the free tier is tighter than TickTick's. If the price stings, the next app is a serious rival for less.

2. TickTick — Best value, best all-in-one

Price: Free (9 lists) · Premium $35.99/year ($3.99/month)

TickTick is what you get when a to-do app swallows three others: tasks, a full calendar view, a habit tracker with streaks, and a built-in Pomodoro timer. If you're paying for a separate habit app and focus timer, TickTick Premium can replace both for $35.99 a year — roughly 40% less than Todoist Pro.

The free tier is generous: 9 lists, habit tracking, calendar view, and the Pomodoro timer are all included. That built-in timer removes real friction — I shared my honest review of the Pomodoro technique after testing it, and having the timer in your task list helps.

Trade-offs: the interface is denser than Todoist's, its natural-language input isn't as smart, and it has far fewer integrations (around 30 vs. 150+). For pure personal productivity, though, nothing gives you more features per dollar.

3. Microsoft To Do — Best completely free option

Price: Free. That's it — no paid tier, no upsells.

Microsoft To Do is the sleeper pick that surprises people. It's free forever, syncs across Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, and web, and the My Day view gives you a clean space to choose today's work. If your work already lives in Outlook or Microsoft 365, it's a no-brainer: flagged emails become tasks, and Planner and Teams assignments sync in automatically.

It's not a power-user tool — no advanced filters, no AI — but for a clean daily list with reminders, shared lists, and due dates, it's enough. For beginners who just want to stop forgetting things, this is where I'd start: zero cost, zero setup headache.

4. Things 3 — Best for Apple-only users who hate subscriptions

Price: One-time purchase — Mac $49.99, iPhone $9.99, iPad $19.99 (about $80 total). No subscription.

Things 3 is widely considered the most beautifully designed task manager ever made, and after a week with it, I understand why. The Today and Upcoming views are calm and readable in a way no other app matches, and Areas and Projects give your lists a natural hierarchy.

Pay once, use forever: over two years it costs less than one year of Todoist Pro; over five years, it's not even close. The limits are real, though — Apple-only (no Android, Windows, or web) and no real collaboration. If your work machine isn't a Mac, it becomes a personal-only tool. For an Apple-embedded solo user, it's a satisfying long-term buy.

5. Google Tasks — Best for Gmail users

Price: Free with any Google account.

Google Tasks wins on proximity: it's built into Gmail, Google Calendar, and Drive. Any email becomes a task in one click, and dated tasks land on your calendar automatically. Recurring tasks, subtasks, and separate lists cover the basics.

Its weakness is anything shared — no shared lists, no delegation — and power features are thin. But if your day runs inside Gmail, the least-friction option is the one already in your inbox sidebar.

6. Apple Reminders — Best for casual lists

Price: Free on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch.

Apple Reminders is easy to underestimate. Under the plain interface are subtasks, tags, Smart Lists, attachments, location-based alerts, and grocery lists that auto-sort items into categories. For an Apple-only household that needs shopping lists, chores, and simple reminders, it's genuinely enough.

Side-by-side comparison: best to-do apps 2026

App Paid price Free plan Platforms Best for
Todoist $60/year 5 active projects All Most people, power users
TickTick $35.99/year 9 lists, habits, Pomodoro All Best value, habit builders
Microsoft To Do Free forever Fully free All Beginners, Microsoft 365 users
Things 3 ~$80 one-time No free tier Apple only Apple users, no subscriptions
Google Tasks Free All Gmail and Calendar users
Apple Reminders Free All Apple only Simple casual lists

How to pick the one you'll actually use

Here's what I keep relearning: the app is almost never the problem. Most people who keep switching to-do apps have a habit problem, not a tool problem. A simple app used for 90 days beats a perfect one abandoned in week three. So pick one from this list, commit to it for 90 days, and don't browse alternatives during that time.

Three things decide whether you'll stick with it:

  1. Capture in under five seconds. Try adding a task on day one. If it takes more than a few taps, the app will lose to sticky notes.
  2. A Today view you don't dread. Open it at 8 a.m. If the list makes your stomach drop, the system needs trimming — or an app with a calmer design.
  3. A weekly review habit. Once a week, delete or defer anything not happening soon and pick three to five things per day. The app won't do this for you. Then give every task a real slot on your calendar — I broke down that whole system in my time-blocking guide.

One bonus rule: one app per job. Running two task managers at once just creates confusion about where things live. Delete the runner-up after your 90-day commitment.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which to-do app is best for beginners?

Microsoft To Do is the best starting point for most beginners — completely free, easy to learn, and the My Day view teaches the habit of choosing today's tasks without overwhelming you. If you live in Gmail, Google Tasks is equally simple. Start free; only pay once you've outgrown the free tier.

Is Todoist worth the price in 2026?

For people who rely on fast task capture, complex recurring schedules, and integrations with Slack or Gmail, yes — Todoist's natural-language input and AI features are genuinely ahead. But Pro rose to $60/year in December 2025. If you mostly need a solid personal list, TickTick Premium at $35.99/year gives you more features for less.

Todoist vs TickTick: which should I choose?

Choose Todoist if you value a clean interface, the best natural-language task entry, and deep integrations — and don't mind the higher subscription. Choose TickTick if you want a calendar, habit tracker, and Pomodoro timer built into one app at a lower price. Try each for a week before deciding.

Is there a really good free to-do list app?

Yes. Microsoft To Do, Google Tasks, and Apple Reminders are completely free with no paid tier at all. Todoist's free plan (5 active projects) and TickTick's free plan (9 lists plus habits) are also genuinely usable for daily life.

About the Author

Sidra Salman is the founder of Productivity Pro, where she writes practical, research-backed guides on productivity systems and time management. Every guide is tested and written in plain English for a US audience.




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