AnyList vs Apple Reminders (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Apple Reminders grades higher than AnyList: 3.6 against 3.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 5, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
AnyList grades higher on platforms. Apple Reminders grades higher on the free plan, features and ease of use. They get the same grade on value for money.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
AnyList
Shared grocery lists with recipes and meal planning
Apple Reminders
Apple's free to-do app for iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch
Which one is for you
Pick AnyList if
- Fits if you share a grocery list with a partner or family
- Works for people who keep recipes and plan meals in the same app
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want a general to-do list, since there are no due dates or projects
- Tight if you stay free: 5 recipes, and no web or Mac app
- Watch out: meal planning, item photos and folders need AnyList Complete
- Watch out: the Apple Watch app and badge count that excludes lists are Apple only
Pick Apple Reminders if
- Fits if you only use Apple devices and don't want to pay for a to-do app
- Works for couples and households sharing a grocery list over iCloud
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you use Android or Windows, as there's no app and the iCloud.com version edits only the basics
- Not for you if the people you share lists with aren't on iCloud, because sharing depends on it
- Too light for anyone who wants tasks wired into other services, as there's no API and it hooks only into Apple's apps
- Watch out: Apple says some features work only in select languages and regions
How we grade them
| 3.2GPAAnyListVery good | 3.6GPAApple RemindersExcellent | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AAnyList Complete is $9.99 a year for one person or $14.99 a year for a household, well under the category's $2.08-a-month cheaper quarter. | AThere's nothing to buy. The App Store lists it as free with no paid tier, and that covers Smart Lists, tags, subtasks, shared lists, location reminders and iCloud sync. Most of this category charges about $4 a month. |
| Free plan and trial | BThe free download covers list creation, sharing, voice entry and up to 5 saved recipes. One person could shop on that, though not with the web or Mac app. | AEvery feature is free on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Apple Vision Pro, plus a browser version at iCloud.com. No cap, no upgrade being sold to you. |
| Features | CShared lists, recipes, a meal planning calendar, store filters and prices. For a to-do category it's narrow: the listing says it has no due dates or projects. | ASmart Lists filling themselves by tag, date, place or flag, subtasks, sections, a column view for kanban, templates and grocery lists that sort themselves. It also has an alert that fires the next time you message a person, which no rival here offers. |
| Ease of use | BNo store rating on record, but you install it and start a list with nothing to set up. | A4.83 from about 1,027,000 App Store ratings. It's already on the phone, nothing to install, and you can add things by telling Siri. |
| Platforms and integrations | AWeb, Mac, iPhone and Android, with Siri, Alexa, Instacart, Walmart and Kroger. The Apple Watch app is Apple only. | CApple only: iPhone, iPad, Mac, Watch and Vision Pro. Off them you get iCloud.com, where a reminder's title, notes, day or location alert and flag are all you can edit. No API, and it hooks only into Apple's own apps. |
| Best for | shared grocery lists with recipes and meal planning | free to-do lists if everything you own is Apple |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: AnyList and Apple Reminders. How we grade
Price against what you get
AnyList starts at $0.83 a month when paid by the year for each person and scores 3.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Apple Reminders has no paid plan and scores 3.3.
Apple Reminders scores higher and starts $0.83 a month lower. Of the other to-do list apps on the chart, 3 score higher than AnyList for less, and none scores higher than Apple Reminders for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Apple Reminders also covers templates, natural-language input and kanban boards.
At a glance
| AnyList | Apple Reminders | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free |
| Starts at | $9.99 per year for one person | Free |
| Free plan | Free download for iOS and Android with list creation and sharing, autocomplete and categories, and up to 5 saved recipes. | The app is listed as free on the App Store, with no paid tier: lists, Smart Lists, tags, subtasks, shared lists, location-based reminders and iCloud sync. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Purple Cover, Inc. | Apple |
| Price read from | anylist.com | apps.apple.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
Worth knowing
AnyList
- It is built around shopping and cooking, with no due dates or projects for general to-do lists.
- The web app, Mac app, Apple Watch app and meal planning need the paid AnyList Complete.
- The free plan holds 5 recipes and lacks item photos, folders and location reminders.
- The badge count that excludes lists, and the Apple Watch app, are Apple-only.
Apple Reminders
- Apps are listed only for Apple devices; on anything else, reminders are reached in a web browser at iCloud.com.
- On iCloud.com a reminder's title, notes, day or location alert and flag can be edited; Apple directs you to the app for other details.
- Sync and shared lists depend on iCloud, and collaborators need to use iCloud as well.
- Apple notes that certain features are available only in select languages and regions.
Key features
AnyList
- Shared lists
- Share a list with family or friends and changes appear for everyone sharing it. Items are suggested as you type and grouped by category.
- Recipe collection
- Save recipes, import them from websites, and add their ingredients to a shopping list. Free accounts keep 5 recipes; Complete is unlimited.
- Meal planning calendar
- Plan upcoming meals on a calendar in list or calendar view and send the ingredients to a list. Part of AnyList Complete.
- Store filters and prices
- Assign items to the stores where you buy them, filter the list per store, and enter prices to see a running total. Complete only.
- Voice entry
- Add items with Siri or Alexa. Complete adds an Apple Watch app and location reminders for when you are near a store.
Apple Reminders
- Smart Lists
- Built-in lists such as Today, Scheduled, Flagged and Assigned to Me fill themselves. Custom Smart Lists gather reminders by tag, date, time, location, flag and priority.
- Tags, subtasks and sections
- Reminders can carry tags and subtasks. A list can be divided into sections and shown in a column view, which Apple suggests for simple kanban boards.
- Time, location and Messages alerts
- A reminder can repeat daily, weekly or at a custom interval, fire on arriving at a place or getting in the car, or appear the next time you message a tagged person.
- Shared lists and assignments
- Everyone on a shared list can add and complete reminders, changes show up for all collaborators in real time, and reminders can be assigned to people on the list.
- Grocery lists and templates
- Grocery lists group items into sections such as dairy and produce on their own. Any list can be saved as a template and shared with others through a link.
- Natural language and Apple Intelligence
- A typed phrase such as "Jog every other morning" sets the schedule. Apple Intelligence can sort a list into categories and suggest tasks from shared text or web pages.
Plans
AnyList
Free$0
Create and share lists, voice entry through Siri or Alexa, basic themes, and up to 5 saved recipes.
AnyList Complete (Individual)$9.99
per year for one person
Adds web and Mac apps, unlimited recipes, meal planning, item photos, prices, folders and priority support.
AnyList Complete (Household)$14.99
per year for a household
The same Complete features for a household.
Apple Reminders
Free$0
Every feature of the app on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Apple Vision Pro, plus browser access at iCloud.com.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, AnyList or Apple Reminders?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Apple Reminders is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $0.83 a month when paid by the year for each person for AnyList. AnyList starts at $9.99 per year for one person, and Apple Reminders is free.
Which has a free plan, AnyList or Apple Reminders?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both AnyList and Apple Reminders have a free plan.
Which platforms do AnyList and Apple Reminders run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only AnyList lists an Android app. Both list a web app and macOS and iOS apps. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.