Apple Reminders vs Smart Tasks
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
Smart Tasks
Color-coded to-do list and weekly planner for Apple devices
Where they differ
- Apple Reminders is free. Smart Tasks starts at $2.99 per month, or $17.99 per year (US App Store).
- Only Apple Reminders lists a web app.
- Apple Reminders also covers templates, natural-language input and kanban boards.
- Smart Tasks also covers calendar.
At a glance
| Apple Reminders | Smart Tasks | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $2.99 per month, or $17.99 per year (US App Store) |
| 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 with no account: tasks, color-coded categories, the Next 7 Days view, widgets, calendar events, Siri and Shortcuts. Reminders, routines, notes, iCloud sync and unlimited categories need Smart Tasks+. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| iOS | ||
| Made by | Apple | Francesco Prospato |
| 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
Smart Tasks
- Apple users who plan a week at a time and want it color-coded
- Students who give each class its own color
- People who want a to-do list with no account or sign-up
- Seeing calendar events and tasks on one screen
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.
Smart Tasks
- Apple only: the FAQ says Smart Tasks is unavailable on Windows and Android, and there is no web version.
- Reminders, routines, notes, iCloud sync and unlimited categories all require the Smart Tasks+ subscription.
- Smart Tasks+ does not support Family Sharing, and tasks cannot be synced between different Apple IDs.
- The vendor's site gives no prices and points to the in-app subscription screen; the figures here are from the US App Store listing.
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.
Smart Tasks
- Color-coded categories
- Each category takes one of 42 built-in colors or a custom one picked from the spectrum or a photo. Unlimited categories are part of Smart Tasks+.
- Next 7 Days view
- The opening screen lists today's tasks first with the rest of the week beneath, and an undated task can sit in a Whenever list until it gets a day.
- Apple Calendar events beside tasks
- Events from Apple Calendar appear above each day's tasks, including Google Calendar and Outlook calendars connected to it, and can be added, edited or deleted in the app.
- Widgets and Apple Watch
- Three widget types show today's list or a single category on the Home Screen, where a task can be checked off without opening the app. Lock Screen widgets and an Apple Watch app are included.
- Reminders and routines
- With Smart Tasks+, a task can carry one or several reminders, and routines repeat daily, weekly, monthly or a set number of days after the last completion.
- iCloud sync with no account
- Tasks are stored on the device. Smart Tasks+ syncs them through the user's own iCloud across iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch, with no sign-up.
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.
Smart Tasks
Free$0
Tasks, color-coded categories, Next 7 Days, widgets, Apple Calendar events, Siri and Shortcuts, with no account.
Smart Tasks + (Monthly)$2.99
per month, US App Store in-app purchase
Unlimited categories, task reminders, recurring routines, notes, iCloud sync and custom swipe actions on every device signed in to one Apple ID.
Smart Tasks + (Annual)$17.99
per year, US App Store in-app purchase
The same Smart Tasks+ features as the monthly subscription, paid once a year.
Smart Tasks +$1.99 to $11.99
billing basis not shown on the App Store listing
Three further items named only Smart Tasks + are listed at $1.99, $9.99 and $11.99, with no billing period given.
Ways to pay less
Apple Reminders
No public discounts listed.
Smart Tasks
- Annual discount
About half the monthly cost on the annual plan
The US App Store lists Smart Tasks + at $2.99 monthly and $17.99 annually. Twelve monthly payments come to $35.88, so the annual subscription costs about 50% less.
