Best of · To-Do Lists
The best to-do list apps in 2026
Eight task managers worth your time, from a free app with no paid tier to a one-time purchase for Apple devices. Each pick says who it suits, what it costs and where it stops.
Updated Oct 4, 2026 · 8 tools · How we pick
Most to-do list apps do the same basic job: capture a task, give it a date, tick it off. What separates them is everything around that, and it comes down to three questions. Which devices do you use? Do you want to pay every year, once, or not at all? And is the list just for you, or will other people be in it?
Those questions sort the field quickly. Three of the eight apps here have desktop apps for Windows, Mac and Linux; two are built for Apple devices. Two can be bought once and kept. One is free outright. Where free plans exist they are capped in very different ways: by the number of projects, by tasks per list, or by which features are switched on.
The order below runs from the app that fits the most people to the ones that fit a narrower group very well. Prices are the vendors' own, read on the date shown on each tool's page.
The shortlist
- 1TodoistBest all-rounderFree plan · from $5/mo
- 2TickTickBest for tasks, habits and focus togetherFree plan · from $49.99/yr
- 3Things 3Best one-time purchase for Apple usersFree trial · from $9.99 one-time
- 4Microsoft To DoBest free appFree
- 5Any.doBest for familiesFree plan · from $4.99/mo
- 6OmniFocusBest for heavy project loads on AppleFree trial · from $74.99 one-time
- 7Amazing MarvinBest for building your own systemFree trial · from $8/mo
- 8SuperlistBest for notes and tasks in one placeFree plan · from $5/mo
The picks in detail
- 01
Todoist
Best all-rounderCross-platform to-do list with natural-language task entryTodoist runs on every platform in this list, Linux and a browser extension included, and it is built around fast capture: type a task with its date on one line and it files itself. The free Beginner plan covers 5 personal projects with reminders, and Pro is $5 per user a month billed yearly. It also grows past one person: shared projects are on every plan, and Business adds a team workspace.
Worth knowing: The free plan stops at 5 personal projects and keeps one week of activity history, and the calendar layout needs Pro.
- Price
- Free plan; paid plans from $5 per user / month, billed yearly
- Runs on
- Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, Browser extension
- 02
TickTick
Best for tasks, habits and focus togetherTo-do list with a calendar, habit tracker and Pomodoro timer built inTickTick folds three apps into one: a to-do list, a habit tracker and a Pomodoro timer, with a calendar view alongside. It covers the same wide set of platforms as Todoist, Linux included. Premium is $49.99 a year, the lowest annual price among the subscriptions here, and students, faculty and staff can apply for 25% off.
Worth knowing: The free plan is capped at 9 lists, 99 tasks per list and 5 habits, and the pricing page shows Premium only as an annual plan.
- Price
- Free plan; paid plans from $49.99 per year (about $4.17 per month)
- Runs on
- Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, Browser extension
- 03
Things 3
Best one-time purchase for Apple usersPersonal task manager for Apple devices, sold as a one-time purchaseThings 3 is the pick if you work only on Apple devices and would rather buy an app than rent it. There is no subscription: the iPhone app is $9.99, iPad $19.99 and Mac $49.99, each bought once. It is designed for one person planning their own tasks and projects, and the Mac app has a 15-day trial so you can check it suits you before paying.
Worth knowing: Each device's app is a separate purchase, there is no web, Windows or Android version, and lists cannot be shared with other people.
- Price
- $9.99 one-time for iPhone; iPad $19.99 and Mac $49.99 are sold separately
- Runs on
- macOS, iOS
- 04
Microsoft To Do
Best free appFree to-do list from Microsoft that syncs with Outlook tasksMicrosoft To Do is the only app here with no paid tier at all. Lists, due dates, reminders, steps, notes and shared lists are all included, and tasks sync with Outlook, which makes it the obvious choice if you already use Microsoft 365. It runs on Windows, Mac, iOS, Android and the web.
Worth knowing: You need a Microsoft account, and lists can be shared only between personal accounts or within the same workplace or school.
- Price
- Free
- Runs on
- Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android
- 05
Any.do
Best for familiesTo-do list and calendar app with separate family and team plansAny.do is the one app here with a plan made for a household: the Family plan covers 4 members for $8.33 a month billed annually, with shared projects and a shared grocery list. The free Personal plan handles tasks, reminders and a calendar across phone, desktop and web, and Premium adds recurring tasks and reminders delivered in WhatsApp.
Worth knowing: Recurring tasks and location reminders are Premium features, and the Family plan is fixed at 4 members.
- Price
- Free plan; paid plans from $4.99 per month, billed annually ($7.99 billed monthly)
- Runs on
- Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, Browser extension
- 06
OmniFocus
Best for heavy project loads on AppleProject-based task manager for Apple devices, with a web companionOmniFocus suits people juggling a large number of projects on Mac, iPhone and iPad. Its workflow is built around defer dates, tags and regular project reviews, and it lets you choose how to pay: a one-time v4 Standard license at $74.99, or a subscription at $99.99 a year that includes the web companion.
Worth knowing: Custom perspectives, Focus mode and automation need the $149.99 Pro license, and there is no free plan once the 14-day trial ends.
- Price
- $74.99 one-time for a v4 Standard license, or $99.99 per year by subscription
- Runs on
- macOS, iOS, Web
- 07
Amazing Marvin
Best for building your own systemCustomizable task manager with 100+ features you switch on as neededAmazing Marvin is less a fixed app than a kit: it has more than 100 features that you switch on as you need them, including time blocking, time estimates, a Pomodoro timer and habit tracking. That makes it a good fit if other task managers feel either too rigid or too overwhelming. It has desktop apps for Windows, Mac and Linux, and students get 50% off.
Worth knowing: There is no free plan: after the 14-day trial it is $12 a month, or $8 a month when you pay for a year.
- Price
- $8 per month, billed annually ($96); $12 billed monthly
- Runs on
- Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, Browser extension
- 08
Superlist
Best for notes and tasks in one placeTo-do lists that hold tasks and notes together, with AI meeting notesSuperlist treats a list more like a document: tasks and free-form notes sit together, and a small team can share lists and assign tasks to each other. It can also turn meeting recordings into follow-up tasks. The free plan allows unlimited tasks and notes across up to 5 lists, and Basic is $5 per person a month billed yearly.
Worth knowing: There is no Windows or Linux app, and unlimited AI meeting notes need the Super plan at $21 per person a month billed yearly.
- Price
- Free plan; paid plans from $5 per person / month, billed yearly ($59); $6 billed monthly
- Runs on
- Web, macOS, iOS, Android
How to choose
Start with your devices
Things 3 and OmniFocus are for Apple devices, and Superlist has no Windows app. If Windows is anywhere in your day, look at Todoist, TickTick, Any.do, Microsoft To Do or Amazing Marvin. Linux narrows it further, to Todoist, TickTick and Amazing Marvin. Every app here except Things 3 and OmniFocus has an Android app.
Decide how you want to pay
Microsoft To Do is free with no paid tier. Todoist, TickTick, Any.do and Superlist have free plans, with paid upgrades at roughly $50 to $60 a year. Things 3 and OmniFocus can be bought once and kept. Things 3, OmniFocus and Amazing Marvin have no free plan; each has a trial of about two weeks, though for Things only on the Mac.
Look at how the free plan is capped
Free plans limit different things. Todoist caps personal projects at 5. TickTick caps lists at 9 and tasks at 99 per list. Superlist allows 5 lists but unlimited tasks. Any.do's free plan leaves out recurring tasks, color tags and location reminders. Pick the cap you are least likely to run into.
Just you, or other people too?
Things 3 does not support sharing lists at all. Todoist allows up to 5 people in a personal project on every plan and adds a team workspace on Business. Any.do sells separate Family and Teams plans, and Superlist's free plan allows 5 people in a shared list.
Common questions
Which to-do list apps are completely free?
Microsoft To Do is free with no paid tier. Todoist, TickTick, Any.do and Superlist each have a free plan with limits, such as 5 personal projects on Todoist or 9 lists on TickTick.
Which to-do list apps can I buy once instead of subscribing?
Things 3 is sold only as a one-time purchase, priced separately for iPhone ($9.99), iPad ($19.99) and Mac ($49.99). OmniFocus offers a one-time v4 Standard license at $74.99 alongside its subscription.
What is the best to-do list app for Windows and Android?
Todoist and TickTick both have apps for Windows and Android as well as Mac, iOS, Linux and the web. Microsoft To Do, Any.do and Amazing Marvin also cover Windows and Android.
Which to-do list app is best for a family?
Any.do has a Family plan for 4 members at $8.33 a month billed annually, with shared projects and a shared grocery list. Todoist is an alternative: its free plan allows shared projects with up to 5 people.
Do any of these apps work on Linux?
Yes. Todoist, TickTick and Amazing Marvin all list Linux desktop apps.
Keep reading
- +4Alternatives
The best Todoist alternatives in 2026
Eight Todoist alternatives for people who have outgrown its 5-project free plan, want a calendar without paying for Pro, share with more than 5 people or would rather buy an app once. Each pick says who it suits and what it costs.
8 tools · Updated October 2026