AnyList vs Microsoft To Do (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, we pick Microsoft To Do: it is third in our ranking of to-do list apps, and it grades higher too, 3.6 against 3.2.
Checked Oct 4, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Microsoft To Do grades higher on the free plan and ease of use. They get the same grade on value for money, features and platforms.
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
Microsoft To Do
Free to-do list from Microsoft that syncs with Outlook tasks
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 Microsoft To Do if
- Fits if you already work in Outlook or Microsoft 365 and want tasks to show up in both
- Works for a to-do list on phone and computer with no paid tier
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you'd rather not have a Microsoft account, as you can't sign in without one
- Too light for project work, since there are no projects or boards here
- Tight if you share lists between a work account and a personal one, which isn't allowed
- Skip it if you're on Linux, as no Linux app is listed
How we grade them
| 3.2GPAAnyListVery good | 3.6GPAMicrosoft To DoExcellent | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | AFree, with no paid tier to be nudged towards and nothing held back: lists, My Day, reminders, steps, notes, shared lists and attachments. Rivals in this category want $2.42 to $5.00 a month for the same ground. |
| 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. | AThe whole app, on every platform it supports, with a personal Microsoft account or a work or school one. Attachments go up to 25MB a task, and there's no list or task count to bump into. Most people would never find a wall. |
| 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. | CIt does the basics and stops: lists, due dates, reminders, notes, steps inside a task and My Day. Hashtags work as simple tags, but there are no projects or boards, and the listing boxes sharing in too, since a list only travels between personal Microsoft accounts or accounts in one workplace. |
| Ease of use | BNo store rating on record, but you install it and start a list with nothing to set up. | A4.72 from 268,102 App Store ratings. Sign in with the account you already have and the lists follow you; unfinished tasks come back as tomorrow's suggestions. |
| Platforms and integrations | AWeb, Mac, iPhone and Android, with Siri, Alexa, Instacart, Walmart and Kroger. The Apple Watch app is Apple only. | AWeb, Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android, plus the tasks living in Outlook, Planner tasks showing up here, Power Automate, and a public Outlook Tasks API. Linux is the one system missing. |
| Best for | shared grocery lists with recipes and meal planning | a free to-do list that shows up in Outlook |
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 Microsoft To Do. 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. Microsoft To Do has no paid plan and scores 3.3.
Microsoft To Do 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 Microsoft To Do 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
At a glance
| AnyList | Microsoft To Do | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 whole app is free: lists, My Day, due dates, reminders, steps, notes, shared lists and up to 25MB of file attachments on a task. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Purple Cover, Inc. | Microsoft Corporation |
| Price read from | anylist.com | apps.apple.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Oct 4, 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.
Microsoft To Do
- Signing in requires a personal Microsoft account or a work or school account.
- Lists can be shared only between personal Microsoft accounts or between accounts in the same workplace or school.
- No Linux app is listed; the vendor names Windows, Mac, iOS, Android and the web.
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.
Microsoft To Do
- My Day
- A daily list that resets every night. Tasks left unfinished go back to the Tasks list and appear among the next day's suggestions.
- Lists, steps and notes
- Tasks sit in lists and can have due dates, reminders, notes, a breakdown into steps and up to 25MB of attached files.
- Shared lists
- A list is shared by sending an invitation link, and it stays in sync as members make changes. Access can later be limited to current members or switched off.
- Outlook and Planner
- Tasks are stored in Exchange Online, so they show up in both To Do and Outlook Tasks. Flagged email can be handled as tasks, and Planner tasks can be seen in To Do.
- Sync across devices
- Signing in with the same account on each device keeps lists in step; the vendor says the app updates every 5 seconds.
- Tasks API
- Microsoft points developers to the public Outlook Tasks REST API for reading and updating the tasks that To Do stores.
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.
Microsoft To Do
Free$0
Every feature of the app, signed in with a personal Microsoft account or a work or school account.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, AnyList or Microsoft To Do?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Microsoft To Do 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 Microsoft To Do is free.
Which has a free plan, AnyList or Microsoft To Do?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both AnyList and Microsoft To Do have a free plan.
Which platforms do AnyList and Microsoft To Do run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Microsoft To Do lists a Windows app. Both list a web app and macOS, iOS and Android 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.