Visibility in this ranking can be paid for. Payment gives a vendor more visibility, higher up on the review pages; it never adds a vendor, and it never changes a word of the review. The largest vendors in to-do list apps
cannot hold places 1 to 3. 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. How it works: placement disclosure ·
editorial process.
The 11 tools, reviewed
#1 Superlist
Tasks, notes and shared lists in one app · Germany · superlist.com
Tasks and notes Shared lists Free plan
Superlist keeps the task and the note about the task together, which suits work where a brief or a call summary lives next to the next step. Its own site says it comes from the creators of Wunderlist and runs on Mac, iOS, Android and the web. The free plan allows 5 lists, 5 people per shared list and unlimited tasks, so an individual can run on it for months.
- Pricing: Per user / month. Free plan; Basic is $59 a year and Super is $249 a year, shown as $5 and $21 per person a month on the yearly toggle. Free plan: free plan.
- Best for: Individuals and small groups sharing lists
- Strengths: Tasks and sub-lists; Notes alongside tasks; Shared lists with assignment.
Where it falls short
The AI features sit on the $249 a year Super plan, which is a big jump from Basic's $59. No Windows desktop app is listed, only Mac, iOS, Android and web. The free plan limits you to 5 lists, which a busy person reaches quickly.
Wrong for
A Windows desktop user who wants a native app, or a team that needs timelines, dependencies and reporting.
Visit Superlist →
#2 Vikunja
Open-source task management, self-hosted or EU-hosted · Germany · vikunja.io
Open source Self-hostable EU hosting
Vikunja is the one product here that answers the question of who owns the data directly: the code is AGPL-3.0, you can run it on your own server, and the vendor's own page says the managed Vikunja Cloud is made and hosted in the EU. It offers four ways to view tasks, so the same list works as a plain checklist, a Kanban board or a Gantt chart.
- Pricing: Open source + paid tiers. No free cloud plan; Personal is €4 a month or €40 yearly, Family €10 a month, Organization €5 per user a month; self-hosting is free. Free plan: open source.
- Best for: Teams wanting self-hosting or EU hosting
- Strengths: List, Kanban, Gantt and table views; Self-hosting under AGPL-3.0; Import from Todoist, Trello and Microsoft To-Do.
Where it falls short
There is no free hosted plan, so trying it without a server means a 14-day trial. Self-hosting means you own updates, backups and security.
Wrong for
A non-technical person who wants an app that works from the first minute with a free tier.
Visit Vikunja →
#3 Amazing Marvin
Customizable task app for people who think differently · Switzerland · amazingmarvin.com
Procrastination aid One plan Configurable
Amazing Marvin treats the to-do list as a behavior problem. Its own pages describe features for day planning, an analysis-paralysis funnel, focus tools, time estimates and gamification, and it says there are more than 100 features on a single plan with no feature gates. That single price is simple to reason about, and the operating company, Amazing GmbH, is Swiss according to its EULA.
- Pricing: Per user / month. One plan at $8 a month ($96 billed yearly), 14-day trial, no free plan; students get 50% off. Free plan: free trial.
- Best for: Procrastinators and ADHD planners
- Strengths: Day planning; The Funnel; Time tracking and estimates.
Where it falls short
Configurability is also its cost: the app has a lot of options and takes time to set up. After the 14-day trial you cannot add or complete tasks without subscribing, and there is no free plan.
Wrong for
A person who wants a quiet minimal list or a team tool with permissions.
Visit Amazing Marvin →
#4 Todoist
Task manager with free, Pro and Business plans · United States · todoist.com
Free plan Natural-language entry Team plans
Todoist is the product most buyers have heard of, and its pricing page shows why it stays popular: a free Beginner plan with 5 personal projects and 3 filter views, a Pro plan with 300 projects, a calendar layout, task duration and reminders, and a Business plan with shared workspaces, roles and central billing.
- Pricing: Per user / month. Beginner is free; Pro is $5 a month billed yearly ($7 monthly); Business is $8 per user a month billed yearly ($10 monthly). Free plan: free plan.
- Best for: Individuals and teams wanting a known product
- Strengths: Smart Quick Add; Projects, filters and labels; List, board and calendar layouts.
Where it falls short
The free plan is tight at 5 projects and 3 filters, and the Pro features that matter for reminders and filters are paid. Business pricing is per user and carries local tax.
Wrong for
A buyer who wants open-source control or a one-time purchase.
Visit Todoist →
#5 Things
Task manager for Mac, iPhone, iPad, Watch and Vision Pro · Germany · culturedcode.com
Apple only Today view Calendar events
Things is a to-do list built as a calm, personal tool rather than a team product. Its own site describes a Today list with calendar events grouped above your to-dos, a This Evening split, an Upcoming list that shows scheduled tasks, repeats, deadlines and events, and headings that break a large project into parts.
- Pricing: Per platform. Priced per platform and shown in your local currency at purchase; the price is not on the static page. Free trial offered. Free plan: free trial.
- Best for: Apple-device users who want a calm list
- Strengths: Today and This Evening lists; Upcoming list; Projects with headings.
Where it falls short
It runs only on Apple devices, so Windows and Android users are excluded, and there is no team sharing in the way Todoist offers. The price is paid per platform instead of one subscription for all.
Wrong for
A mixed-platform household or a team that needs shared projects with assignment.
Visit Things →
#6 Google Tasks
Simple task list inside Google Workspace · United States · support.google.com
Google account Gmail integration Basic lists
Google Tasks is the lowest-friction option for anyone whose day already runs through Gmail and Google Calendar. Google's help pages say you can create tasks from Gmail and Calendar, add details and subtasks, set due dates and notifications, and open Tasks from a side panel in Gmail, Calendar, Chat, Drive and files in Docs, Sheets and Slides.
- Pricing: Included with account. No separate price was found on Google's help pages; it is presented as part of Google's own apps. Free plan: free plan.
- Best for: People already working in Gmail and Calendar
- Strengths: Tasks and subtasks; Due dates and notifications; Create tasks from Gmail.
Where it falls short
It is a basic list. Nothing on the help pages we read describes natural-language entry, labels, filters or a daily planning view, so heavy list users hit limits early.
Wrong for
Anyone who needs priorities, filters, notes or a shared team backlog.
Visit Google Tasks →
#7 Microsoft To Do
Microsoft task app with an API for task lists · United States · to-do.office.com
Microsoft account Graph API Task lists
Microsoft To Do is most relevant for organizations already on Microsoft accounts. The documentation on Microsoft Learn describes a To Do API in Microsoft Graph with task lists and tasks, a linkedResource entity that stores a link back to your app, and support for both delegated and application permissions. That makes it possible to push tasks from your own systems into the app people already open.
- Pricing: Included with account. No price was visible on the Microsoft pages we could read; check Microsoft for current terms. Free plan: free plan.
- Best for: Microsoft 365 users and developers
- Strengths: Task lists and tasks; Linked resources back to source apps; Microsoft Graph To Do API.
Where it falls short
The consumer pages we reached were blocked or rendered client-side, so we could not verify the feature set, free terms or platform list ourselves. As a Microsoft side product, it moves with Microsoft's priorities, and team-level planning is more a job for other Microsoft tools.
Wrong for
Someone who wants a rich standalone planner with calendar scheduling or open data ownership.
Visit Microsoft To Do →
#8 Akiflow
Task planner with calendar time blocking · United States · akiflow.com
Time blocking Calendar sync AI assistant
Akiflow is for people who decide what to do by looking at their calendar. Its pricing page lists tasks and subtasks, time blocking, two-way Google and Outlook calendar sync, a daily planning ritual, availability sharing, keyboard shortcuts, Zapier and IFTTT automations and an AI assistant with an MCP connector. The privacy policy names Akiflow Inc. at a Claymont, Delaware mail address.
- Pricing: Per user / month. Pro is $19 a month billed yearly or $34 a month billed monthly; 7-day free trial; no free plan. Free plan: free trial.
- Best for: Professionals who plan by calendar blocks
- Strengths: Tasks and subtasks; Time blocking; Google Calendar and Outlook sync.
Where it falls short
It is the dearest tool in the list for one person at $19 a month on the yearly plan, and the monthly price is $34. There is only one paid tier and no free plan, only a 7-day trial.
Wrong for
A person who only needs a plain list and a few reminders.
Visit Akiflow →
#9 Super Productivity
Open-source task manager with time tracking and focus tools · Germany · super-productivity.com
MIT license Local-first Time tracking
Super Productivity is the free option with real depth. Its own site says data stays on your device, no account is needed, and sync through Super Sync, WebDAV or Dropbox is optional. It combines a task list with a timer, a schedule planner and links to GitHub, GitLab and Jira issues, which is why developers and freelancers who bill time use it.
- Pricing: Open source. Free and open source; no paid plan was found on its site. Free plan: open source.
- Best for: Developers and freelancers who track time
- Strengths: Task lists, Kanban and Eisenhower Matrix; Time tracking; Pomodoro timer.
Where it falls short
It is maintained by one named individual in the imprint, so continuity depends on that person. There is no paid support or service agreement.
Wrong for
A team that needs shared lists, assignments and a support contract.
Visit Super Productivity →
#10 Remember The Milk
Long-running task manager with reminders and Pro tier · United States · rememberthemilk.com
Reminders Since 2005 Pro $49.99/yr
Remember The Milk launched in October 2005 and its about page says more than 6 million people use its apps. Its upgrade page prices Pro at $49.99 per year and lists subtasks, unlimited sharing, colored tags, advanced sorting, file attachments from Dropbox or Google Drive, mobile reminders, over 100 themes, IFTTT and Zapier connections, MilkScript, Outlook sync and a beta for connecting an AI assistant to your tasks.
- Pricing: Per user / year. Free sign-up; Pro is $49.99 per year. Free plan: free plan.
- Best for: Users who value reminders and tags
- Strengths: Subtasks (Pro); Unlimited sharing (Pro); Colored tags.
Where it falls short
The interface feels older than Things or Superlist, and subtasks and sharing sit behind Pro. The about page describes a small distributed team, so development pace is modest. There is no notes-based workflow or calendar planner, so planning-heavy users will find it thin.
Wrong for
Someone who wants modern design, notes next to tasks or calendar time blocking.
Visit Remember The Milk →
#11 Motion
AI planner that schedules tasks and projects · United States · usemotion.com
AI scheduler Credits Project management
Motion is a different kind of product from the list apps above. Its pricing page shows two team plans: Pro AI at $19 per seat per month with 7,500 credits per seat, and Business AI at $29 with 15,000 credits plus capacity planning, dashboards, Gantt charts and time tracking. The terms name Nexusbird, Inc. in Wilmington, Delaware as the DMCA agent address.
- Pricing: Per seat / month. Pro AI is shown at $19 per seat a month and Business AI at $29, with monthly credits per seat; a billing toggle shows annual savings of 33%. Free plan: free trial.
- Best for: Teams wanting automatic scheduling
- Strengths: AI task planner; AI calendar and meetings; Projects and tasks.
Where it falls short
It is priced and designed for teams and project work, so it is poor value for a personal checklist. The AI features are metered through credits, which makes cost depend on usage.
Wrong for
An individual who wants a simple list or a free plan.
Visit Motion →
Questions and answers
What is the best to-do list app in 2026?
Superlist ranks first of 11, best for individuals and small groups sharing lists. Vikunja is second (teams wanting self-hosting or EU hosting) and Amazing Marvin third (procrastinators and ADHD planners). Places 1 to 3 go to challengers, vendors outside the best-known brands, wherever the category has them.
Are there good free to-do list apps?
Yes. Todoist's Beginner plan is free with 5 personal projects, Superlist's free plan allows 5 lists and unlimited tasks, and Remember The Milk has a free sign-up. Super Productivity is free and open source with no account.
Which to-do list app is best for Mac and iPhone only?
Things, from Cultured Code in Stuttgart, runs on Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Vision Pro and is built around a Today and Upcoming layout with calendar events shown in Today.
Is Todoist still worth paying for?
For most individuals, yes, if the free plan runs out. Pro is $5 a month billed yearly and lifts the limit from 5 personal projects to 300, adds a calendar layout and reminders.
What is the difference between a to-do app and a time-blocking planner?
A to-do app holds a list and lets you pick. A time-blocking planner, such as Akiflow or Motion, puts each task onto your calendar so the day has a shape.
Can I self-host a to-do list app?
Yes. Vikunja is open source under AGPL-3.0 and its pricing page says you can host it yourself free of charge, with a managed cloud from €4 a month if you prefer.
Which to-do app is best for ADHD or procrastination?
Amazing Marvin is built for it: its own pages describe a customizable app for people who think differently, with features such as day planning, a task funnel and gamification.
Do these apps work for a small team or a family?
Superlist, Todoist, Vikunja and Google Tasks let you share lists or projects. Superlist's free plan shares with up to 5 people per list, and Vikunja's family plan covers up to 5 users for €10 a month.
How do I move my tasks from one app to another?
Check import before you export. Vikunja says it can import from Todoist, Trello and Microsoft To-Do. Remember The Milk offers an export function for all of your data.
Is an AI planner worth the extra money?
Only if you are overloaded with meetings and have too many tasks to place by hand.
What should I use if I already have Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace?
Try Microsoft To Do or Google Tasks first, because they are already inside your account and appear next to your mail and calendar.
