Apple Reminders vs Things To Do

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

Things To Do

• Plain to-do, grocery and packing lists on Apple devices
• People who want a free app with no ads and no account
• Reusing the same shopping or packing list each time

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.

Things To Do

• There is no separate Mac version: Apple silicon Macs run the iPhone and iPad app, and there is no Android, Windows or web version.
• The App Store listing requires iOS 26.5, iPadOS 26.5 or macOS 26.5 or later.
• Lists leave the app only as exported text or a printout; the guide describes no lists that several people edit together.
• The vendor's guide covers no due dates or reminders; the only dates are trip dates on Travel lists.

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.

Things To Do

Three list types

A list is a To-Do, Shopping or Travel list, each with its own behavior, and its type can be switched later. The app asks first when a switch would change headers, locks or trip dates.

Headers, stars and reordering

Shopping and Travel lists group items under section headers, starred items rise to the top, and items are dragged into any order.

Reusable lists with locked items

Uncheck All resets a Shopping or Travel list for the next use. An item marked Keep Completed stays checked through the reset.

Trip dates on Travel lists

A Travel list takes a start and end date and shows how many nights the trip lasts, with packing items grouped by section.

iCloud sync without an account

Changes appear on every device signed in to the same iCloud account. There is no separate app account, and the data stays in the user's own iCloud.

Import, export and print

A list can be created from pasted text with one item per line, and any list or single task can be exported as text, copied or printed from the share sheet.

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.

Things To Do

• Free$0

  Every feature: multiple lists, the three list types, iCloud sync, and text import, export and printing. No in-app purchases are listed.