Apple Reminders vs Lists To do
We give Apple Reminders a 3.8 GPA and Lists To do a 3.2, out of 4.0. Apple Reminders grades higher on features and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Apple Reminders
Apple's free to-do app for iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch
Free
Lists To do
Free checklist and to-do list app for iPhone and iPad
Free plan · from $1.99
How we grade them
| 3.8GPAApple RemindersExcellent | 3.2GPALists To doVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AThere's nothing to buy. The app is listed as free on the App Store with no paid tier, and that covers Smart Lists, tags, subtasks, shared lists, location reminders and iCloud sync. | AThe app is free, and the one thing it sells is a $1.99 pack of extra theme colours and stickers. Nothing that does a job sits behind a paywall. |
| Free plan and trial | AEvery feature is free on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Apple Vision Pro, plus a browser version at iCloud.com. No limits to hit and no upgrade to be sold. | ALists, reminders, iCloud sync, sharing, statistics and search are all free. The $1.99 in-app purchase is decoration only, so you could stay free for good. |
| Features | ASmart Lists that fill themselves by tag, date, place or flag. Subtasks, sections and a column view for simple kanban. Alerts on arriving somewhere or messaging a person. Shared lists with assignments, grocery lists that sort themselves, and templates. Type "Jog every other morning" and it sets the repeat. | BChecklists with more than 150 category icons, one-time or recurring reminders, one feed of what's coming up, pinning, sorting and a percentage complete for each list. Solid for lists. But sharing sends a list or an image of it, and the listing describes no lists that several people edit together. |
| Ease of use | A4.8 from about 1 million App Store ratings. It's already on the phone, so there's nothing to install, and commenters say they add things just by telling Siri. | A4.8 from about 106,000 App Store ratings. iCloud sync needs no setup, and it's lists of things you tick off. Not much to learn there. |
| Platforms and integrations | BiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Apple Vision Pro, plus iCloud.com in a browser for everything else. But no Android or Windows app, and on the web you can only edit a reminder's title, notes, day or location alert and flag. | DiPhone and iPad only, which is one operating system. No Android, web or desktop version is listed, sync runs through iCloud between iOS devices, and English is the app's only language. |
| Best for | free to-do lists if everything you own is Apple | free checklists on an iPhone or iPad |
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: Apple Reminders and Lists To do. How we grade
Where they differ
- Apple Reminders is free. Lists To do starts at $1.99 for the Theme Colors and Stickers Pack (US App Store in-app purchase).
- Only Apple Reminders lists a web app.
- Only Apple Reminders lists a macOS app.
- Apple Reminders also covers templates, natural-language input and kanban boards.
In commonFree planiOSTasks
At a glance
| Apple Reminders | Lists To do | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $1.99 for the Theme Colors and Stickers Pack (US App Store in-app purchase) |
| Free plan | 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. | The app itself is free: lists, checkable items, reminders, iCloud sync, sharing, statistics and search. The one in-app purchase adds theme colors and stickers. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| iOS | ||
| Made by | Apple | Thomas Tsopanakis |
| Price read from | apps.apple.com | apps.apple.com |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Apple Reminders
- People who use only Apple devices
- Shared grocery and household lists among iCloud users
- Location-based reminders and adding tasks by voice with Siri
Lists To do
- Shopping lists, packing lists and simple checklists on an iPhone
- People who want a free list app that syncs through their own iCloud
- Users who like to see a completion percentage for each list
Worth knowing
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.
Lists To do
- iPhone and iPad only: sync runs between iOS devices on the same iCloud account, and no Android, web or desktop version is listed.
- Sharing sends a list or an image of it; the listing does not describe lists that several people edit together.
- The App Store lists English as the app's only language.
- Extra theme colors and stickers are a $1.99 in-app purchase.
Key features
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.
Lists To do
- Lists and checklists
- Lists hold checkable items and take one of more than 150 category icons. Checked items can be kept at the bottom, and a whole list can be checked or unchecked at once.
- Sorting, pinning and moving
- Lists sort alphabetically, by creation date or by hand. A list can be duplicated, items moved between lists, and important lists or items pinned to the top.
- Reminders and upcoming feed
- Reminders are one-time or recurring: daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly or annually. One feed shows the upcoming items from every list.
- iCloud sync
- Lists sync automatically between iOS devices signed in to the same iCloud account, with no setup.
- Statistics and badge count
- Each list shows its percentage complete and its unchecked count, and the app icon's badge can show the unchecked items for one list or for all lists.
- Share and print
- A list can be shared from inside the app, captured whole as an image to share or to set as a lock screen, or printed with AirPrint.
Plans
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.
Lists To do
Free$0
Lists and checklists with reminders, iCloud sync, sorting, pinning, statistics, search, sharing and printing.
Theme Colors and Stickers Pack$1.99
in-app purchase; billing basis not shown on the App Store
Extra theme colors and stickers. It is the only in-app purchase on the US App Store listing.
