Apple Reminders vs Orderly
We give Apple Reminders a 3.8 GPA and Orderly a 2.2, out of 4.0. Apple Reminders grades higher on the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms. 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.
Apple Reminders
Apple's free to-do app for iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch
Free
Orderly
Visual to-do lists for iPhone and iPad with location reminders
From $1.99 one-time
How we grade them
| 3.8GPAApple RemindersExcellent | 2.2GPAOrderlyFair | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | A$1.99 once for the app, which is next to nothing. Even with the $0.99 add-on and the yearly sync plan at $6.99, you're well under what a typical to-do subscription costs. Avoid the $2.99 monthly sync plan, though. |
| 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. | FNothing is free. It's a $1.99 download before you've seen it, and the listing mentions no free trial. |
| 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. | BLists shown as notes in three levels, folders with their own icons, reminders by date, time or place, and lists that repeat from daily to yearly. Today Items and Due Items cut across every folder. But sync, the passcode and low light mode are all paid extras. |
| 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. | BWe have no App Store rating on record, so a B is as high as we go. It's a visual app. You see your lists at a glance and drag one to change its priority. |
| 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. The Mac option on the App Store is the iPad app, not verified for macOS, and there's no Android or web version. Nothing on record connects it to other apps. |
| Best for | free to-do lists if everything you own is Apple | visual lists with location reminders on iPhone |
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 Orderly. How we grade
Where they differ
- Apple Reminders is free. Orderly starts at $1.99 one-time purchase.
- Apple Reminders has a free plan. Orderly does not.
- Only Apple Reminders lists a web app.
- Only Apple Reminders lists a macOS app.
- Orderly can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Apple Reminders also covers templates, natural-language input and kanban boards.
In commoniOSTasks
At a glance
| Apple Reminders | Orderly | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Paid |
| Starts at | Free | $1.99 one-time 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. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| iOS | ||
| Made by | Apple | Tekton Technologies (P) Ltd. |
| 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
Orderly
- iPhone and iPad users who like lists laid out visually
- Errands that should alert at a place, not only at a time
- Sorting many lists into folders by category
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.
Orderly
- iPhone and iPad only: the App Store marks the Mac option as the iPad app, not verified for macOS, and there is no Android or web version.
- Syncing between devices needs the Fast Cloud Sync subscription at $2.99 per month or $6.99 per year, on top of the $1.99 app.
- Low light mode and passcode protection are a separate $0.99 in-app purchase.
- There is no free version: the app is a $1.99 download before any add-on, and the listing states no free trial.
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.
Orderly
- Visual layout in three levels
- To-do lists are shown as notes in three levels at a glance, and a list is dragged to another priority. Note colors, fonts and font sizes can be set per list.
- Folders
- Any number of folders group lists by category, each with a custom icon and its own notifications for high-priority and overdue to-dos.
- Date, time and recurring reminders
- A date and time can be set for a whole list or for single items in it, and a list can repeat daily, weekly, fortnightly, monthly, bi-monthly or yearly.
- Location-based reminders
- A to-do can be attached to a place, and the app sends a notification when the device comes near that location.
- Today Items and Due Items
- Two built-in views cut across every folder: Today Items shows what is due today, and Due Items shows items that are past due.
- Cloud sync, backup and archive
- A paid subscription syncs lists across devices and backs data up automatically. Email backup is part of the app, and completed lists move to a searchable archive.
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.
Orderly
Orderly$1.99
one-time purchase
The app for iPhone and iPad: folders, date, time and location reminders, recurring to-dos, search, archive and email backup.
Orderly Premium$0.99
one-time in-app purchase
Add-on that turns on low light mode and passcode protection.
Automatic Backup Monthly$2.99
per month
Subscription for Fast Cloud Sync between devices plus automatic backup of all data to the cloud.
Automatic Backup Service$6.99
per year
The same Fast Cloud Sync and automatic backup subscription, billed annually.
Ways to pay less
Apple Reminders
No public discounts listed.
Orderly
- Annual discount
Annual sync subscription at $6.99 against $35.88
The App Store listing prices Fast Cloud Sync plus Automatic Backup at $2.99 per month or $6.99 per year, so the annual subscription costs about 80% less than twelve monthly payments.
