In this guide
For a free everyday to-do list, start with Microsoft To Do. Choose Todoist for organizing several projects, Google Tasks for Gmail and Calendar, or Habitica if game-style rewards help you keep a routine. The best choice depends on whether your main problem is remembering tasks, planning time or coordinating work with other people.
Amnah Asghar has personally used all ten apps in this guide. The recommendations below explain who each app suits, what its free plan covers and the trade-offs to consider before committing.
Compare the best to-do list apps
| App | Best for | Cost structure |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft To Do | free everyday planning | Free with a Microsoft account |
| Todoist | organizing several projects | Free Beginner plan; paid Pro and Business plans |
| Any.do | planning tasks alongside appointments | Free Personal plan; paid Premium, Family and Teams plans |
| Habitica | making routines more motivating | Free core app with optional purchases |
| nTask | small-team project coordination | Free Basic plan; paid Premium and Business plans |
| TeuxDeux | a quiet daily list | Subscription after a seven-day free trial |
| Google Keep | quick notes and shopping lists | Free with a Google account |
| Remember The Milk | filtered lists and detailed organization | Free Basic plan; Pro costs $49.99 per year in USD |
| Google Tasks | Gmail and Google Calendar users | Free with a Google account |
| Eisenhower | deciding what deserves attention | Free classic matrix; paid General and President plans |
Start with the free plan or trial and add real tasks before moving your entire system. Subscription prices can vary by billing period and store. If scheduling is your main concern, also compare our calendar app picks.
1. Microsoft To Do: best for free everyday planning
Best for: Personal planning and households, especially if you already use Microsoft services.
Keep in mind: Choose nTask instead if you need project dependencies or formal team reporting.
Microsoft To Do is the best starting point if you want reminders and shared lists without a subscription. My Day lets you choose a manageable set of tasks from your longer lists rather than treating every unfinished job as today’s priority.
Use separate lists for work, home and shopping, then break a larger task into steps. Due dates and reminders help with time-sensitive jobs. My Day resets daily, but unfinished tasks remain in their original lists, so you do not lose work when a new day begins.
Pros
Free reminders; shared lists; useful daily focus; apps for phones, computers and the web.
Cons
Limited project reporting and workflow customization. Outlook connections depend on the account and supported task features.
Free or paid? Free with a Microsoft account. Explore Microsoft To Do for its available features and plans.
2. Todoist: best for organizing several projects
Best for: People juggling several responsibilities who want more structure than a basic checklist.
Keep in mind: Keep your labels and filters simple at first; an elaborate setup can become another job.
Todoist is our most flexible pick for keeping work, errands and personal projects in one place. Quick Add understands dates in task names, while priorities and filters let you decide what deserves attention next.
The free Beginner plan includes five personal projects and task reminders. Pro adds a calendar layout, task duration and more projects. Start free, then upgrade only if you need those planning tools or regularly hit the project limit.
Pros
Quick task capture; recurring due dates; list and board views; filters for different responsibilities.
Cons
The free project limit can feel restrictive. Advanced scheduling tools require a subscription.
Free or paid? Free Beginner plan; paid Pro and Business plans. Explore Todoist for its available features and plans.
3. Any.do: best for planning tasks alongside appointments
Best for: People who plan around a busy calendar and families considering a shared organizer.
Keep in mind: Compare the free plan with Microsoft To Do before paying just for routine reminders.
Any.do suits people who want their daily plan and calendar close together. Seeing appointments alongside tasks helps you avoid scheduling a full day of work into an afternoon already occupied by meetings.
The free Personal plan includes lists, reminders, a calendar and daily planning. Premium adds features such as recurring tasks and WhatsApp reminders. Family and Teams offer shared spaces, so choose the plan around who needs access rather than paying for individual features you will not use.
Pros
Calendar and task planning together; cross-device access; household and team options.
Cons
Recurring tasks and several advanced reminders are paid features. Shared-space needs can change which subscription makes sense.
Free or paid? Free Personal plan; paid Premium, Family and Teams plans. Explore Any.do for its available features and plans.
4. Habitica: best for making routines more motivating
Best for: People who lose interest in ordinary checklists and enjoy game-style rewards.
Keep in mind: Avoid turning the reward system into pressure; set achievable Dailies rather than an idealized schedule.
Habitica makes completing your list part of a role-playing game. It separates habits, scheduled Dailies and one-off To-Dos, which is useful when a single checklist mixes recurring routines with errands.
Completing tasks earns in-game rewards, and parties add a social element. Use it when the game gives you a reason to return to your list. It is less suitable when you want the shortest possible path from opening the app to checking a deadline.
Pros
Distinct habit and task categories; rewards for progress; optional social accountability.
Cons
The game adds setup and visual complexity. Penalties and streaks will not motivate everyone.
Free or paid? Free core app with optional purchases. Explore Habitica for its available features and plans.
5. nTask: best for small-team project coordination
Best for: Small teams tracking shared deliverables and work time.
Keep in mind: For groceries and private errands, Microsoft To Do or Google Tasks is simpler.
nTask is the most project-oriented option here. Choose it when a task needs an owner, a status and follow-up, rather than simply a checkbox on your phone.
The Basic plan supports up to five people with tasks, workspaces, meetings and timesheets. Paid plans add project tools such as Gantt charts; risk-management and other advanced features depend on the tier. Map the features your team actually needs before choosing a plan.
Pros
Task assignment and team coordination; time tracking; room to grow into project planning.
Cons
More setup than a personal list. Advanced project features require paid plans, with costs tied to users.
Free or paid? Free Basic plan; paid Premium and Business plans. Explore nTask for its available features and plans.
6. TeuxDeux: best for a quiet daily list
Best for: Individuals who want a digital alternative to a paper planner.
Keep in mind: Try the seven-day trial before subscribing; the main benefit is the workflow, not a long feature list.
TeuxDeux is a good fit if you like writing tasks under days of the week. Move work between days, keep longer-term ideas in Someday lists and let unfinished items roll forward.
That rollover reduces repeated copying, but it also makes a weekly review worthwhile: remove tasks you no longer intend to do rather than carrying them indefinitely. The web app syncs with iOS and Android, and recurring tasks support routines.
Pros
Clear day-based planning; automatic rollover; Someday lists; restrained interface.
Cons
A subscription for a deliberately small feature set. Not the right choice for complex team workflows.
Free or paid? Subscription after a seven-day free trial. Explore TeuxDeux for its available features and plans.
7. Google Keep: best for quick notes and shopping lists
Best for: People who mix notes, ideas and everyday checklists.
Keep in mind: Choose Google Tasks instead if dated actions are more important to you than notes and images.
Google Keep is best when the task belongs with a note, photo or short checklist. Its cards work well for groceries, packing lists and ideas you want to capture before organizing them.
Use labels, colors and pinned notes to keep the important lists visible. Shared notes are useful for a household checklist. For a schedule built around deadlines and recurring tasks, Google Tasks is a better starting point than treating every Keep note as a project.
Pros
Fast note and checklist capture; images alongside notes; simple shared lists.
Cons
Limited project structure and task-level workflow controls. A growing collection of cards needs occasional tidying.
Free or paid? Free with a Google account. Explore Google Keep for its available features and plans.
8. Remember The Milk: best for filtered lists and detailed organization
Best for: People who prefer filters and structured lists over visual planning boards.
Keep in mind: Compare its paid features with Todoist before committing to a subscription.
Remember The Milk suits people who want to find tasks by context, priority or due date. Smart Lists help you keep a focused view of a larger collection instead of reorganizing everything manually.
The paid Pro plan adds subtasks, mobile reminders, advanced sorting and offline work in the web app. Those are practical differences: if phone alerts are essential, include the subscription in your decision instead of assuming the free plan covers the whole workflow.
Pros
Flexible organization; useful saved task views; web, desktop and mobile access.
Cons
Several everyday conveniences require Pro. The detailed organization takes more learning than a basic list.
Free or paid? Free Basic plan; Pro costs $49.99 per year in USD. Explore Remember The Milk for its available features and plans.
9. Google Tasks: best for Gmail and Google Calendar users
Best for: Google users who want a simple personal task list close to their email.
Keep in mind: Use Keep for notes and images; use Tasks for the actions and deadlines that follow from them.
Google Tasks is the easiest starting point if your work already lives in Gmail and Google Calendar. You can turn an email into a task and manage dated tasks alongside your calendar rather than maintaining a separate planning system.
Lists, details and subtasks cover ordinary personal planning. Add a date when a task belongs on the calendar; an undated item is still a task, not automatically a scheduled appointment. Use separate lists for different areas of life without building a complicated project hierarchy.
Pros
Close Gmail and Calendar integration; straightforward lists; no separate paid task-manager plan.
Cons
Limited workflow customization. Not a substitute for a project tool with team reporting and dependencies.
Free or paid? Free with a Google account. Explore Google Tasks for its available features and plans.
10. Eisenhower: best for deciding what deserves attention
Best for: People with a long list who need to choose what to do next.
Keep in mind: Start in the browser and confirm device support before making it your only task system.
Eisenhower is useful when the problem is prioritizing your list, not capturing more tasks. Its four quadrants distinguish urgent, important work from tasks you can schedule, delegate or drop.
The free classic matrix lets you try that approach before paying. General adds planning features such as due dates and task details; President adds tools including goals and a board. Start with the matrix itself: if it changes how you choose work, then consider whether the extra tools help.
Pros
Clear prioritization framework; free matrix; focus mode for working on one task.
Cons
Requires honest decisions about importance. Some planning tools are paid, and the matrix is less useful as a shared project tracker.
Free or paid? Free classic matrix; paid General and President plans. Explore Eisenhower for its available features and plans.
How to choose a to-do list app you will keep using
Start with your existing account. Microsoft To Do and Google Tasks cover many personal needs without another subscription. Choose a separate service when it solves a specific problem, such as Todoist’s project organization or nTask’s team coordination.
Test your daily essentials. Add a recurring bill, a task with a reminder, a multi-step job and a shared list if you need one. Check that notifications arrive on the device you actually carry. A feature that exists only on a paid plan or another device will not help your routine.
Separate tasks from appointments and notes. Put commitments at fixed times on a calendar, keep supporting information in notes and give actionable jobs a place in your task list. Our virtual assistant guide can help if voice capture is important to you.
Keep the setup small. Begin with a few lists and a short daily review. If you spend more time maintaining labels than completing tasks, remove some structure. For broader workflow ideas, see these apps for organizing your workday.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free to-do list app?
Microsoft To Do is our starting pick for free reminders, steps and shared lists. Google Tasks is a good fit if you already plan in Gmail and Google Calendar. Todoist’s free plan is worth trying if you prefer projects and filters.
Is Google Keep better than Google Tasks?
Keep is better for notes, images and casual checklists. Tasks is better for actions with dates and for working alongside Gmail and Calendar. They serve different needs and can be used together.
Do you need to pay for a to-do list app?
Not for basic personal planning. Pay only when a specific limit gets in your way, such as project capacity, advanced reminders, shared workspaces or scheduling tools.
Which app is best for a small team?
nTask is the strongest fit here for project coordination and time tracking. Todoist and Any.do also offer team plans. Choose based on assignment, reporting and collaboration needs rather than the number of features alone.
Great list! I’ve tried almost everything from it, but now definitely will check out Habitica and Eisenhower. My last find is https://tweek.so, it’s also nice to-do app.
While this is a no-brainer, downloading a to-do list app on your phone allows you to at first, get rid of your notepads and sticky notes from taking over your workplace! If you are avid list keeper, then chances are you might forget checking the sticky note that you placed on the soft board a few days ago.
Thanks for the article! Surprisingly, I haven’t heard of some of these apps before, and definitely need to try some later. Another great app I find very handy is Bordio https://bordio.com/. It’s an excellent tool for tracking activities, categorizing tasks, and setting time limits.