Apple Reminders vs Recurrence
We give Apple Reminders a 3.8 GPA and Recurrence a 3.2, out of 4.0. Apple Reminders grades higher on the free plan, features and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money 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
Recurrence
Repeating-task tracker for iPhone, iPad and Mac with history
Free plan · from $7.99/yr
How we grade them
| 3.8GPAApple RemindersExcellent | 3.2GPARecurrenceVery 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. | APremium is $7.99 a year, a fraction of the $3.99 a month a typical to-do app charges. Or pay $19.99 once for the Lifetime Unlock and you're done. Either way it's cheap. |
| 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. | BIt's a free download with no ads, but it stops at five tasks. Bins, rent, filter, car tax, haircut. That's your five. Anything more needs Premium or the lifetime unlock. |
| 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. | BIt does one job, repeating tasks, and does it fully. Tasks repeat on a schedule or from when you last did them, each keeps a history with notes, and you can share them over iCloud. But it's a tracker for things that come round again, not a home for projects. |
| 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. | A4.7 from about 330 App Store ratings. It's a list of things that come round again, with widgets for your Home and Lock Screen. Not much to learn. |
| 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. | CiPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Vision, with Siri Shortcuts. No Android, Windows or web version. Sync and sharing both run through iCloud, so everyone you share with needs an Apple device too. |
| Best for | free to-do lists if everything you own is Apple | chores and bills that keep coming round |
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 Recurrence. How we grade
Where they differ
- Apple Reminders is free. Recurrence starts at $7.99 per year.
- Only Apple Reminders lists a web app.
- Recurrence can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Apple Reminders also covers templates, natural-language input and kanban boards.
- Recurrence also covers habit tracking.
In commonFree planiOSmacOSTasks
At a glance
| Apple Reminders | Recurrence | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $7.99 per year |
| 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. | Free download limited to five tasks. Premium removes the limit. |
| Free trial | None listed | Free for 1 week before the $7.99 yearly subscription starts |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| iOS | ||
| Made by | Apple | Shayes Apps LLC |
| 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
Recurrence
- Chores, bills and renewals that come around on a schedule
- Keeping a record of when something was last done
- Couples or families sharing recurring tasks on Apple devices
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.
Recurrence
- The free version stops at five tasks; more needs Premium or the $19.99 Lifetime Unlock.
- Apple devices only: the App Store listing covers iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Vision, with no Android, Windows or web version.
- Sync and sharing run through iCloud; the support page says devices must use the same Apple ID and have free iCloud storage.
- The App Store listing gives English as the app's only language.
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.
Recurrence
- Custom repeat schedules
- Tasks repeat on a schedule or from their last completion, and a lock can stop a task from being checked off before it is due. One-time tasks and pausing a task are also supported.
- Completion history and notes
- Every item lists its past completions, and notes can be attached to the item or to a single completion for later reference.
- Sharing through iCloud
- Items can be shared with a spouse, friend or family member so that either person can complete them.
- Widgets and notifications
- Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets show upcoming items, and notifications can be set to arrive before and after a due date.
- Categories, filters and search
- Items are sorted into custom categories with their own colors, an item can belong to several categories, and the list can be filtered and searched.
- Siri Shortcuts
- Shortcuts mark a task as completed by voice, and a shortcut added in version 10 returns the list of due and overdue items.
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.
Recurrence
Free$0
The app with a limit of five tasks. Version 9.0 removed ads for free users.
Recurrence Premium (monthly)$0.99
per month, inferred; the App Store shows the amount unlabelled
Unlimited tasks. The App Store lists this amount without a period next to the $7.99 yearly subscription.
Recurrence Premium (yearly)$7.99
per year
Unlimited tasks, billed yearly after a 1-week free trial. It renews automatically until canceled.
Lifetime Unlock$19.99
one-time purchase
Unlimited tasks with a single payment and no subscription.
Ways to pay less
Apple Reminders
No public discounts listed.
Recurrence
- Lifetime license
Lifetime Unlock for $19.99
The App Store listing offers a one-time Lifetime Unlock at $19.99 as an alternative to the monthly or yearly Premium subscription.
