Flask vs Microsoft To Do

Flask

• A quick shared list with no accounts or setup
• Shopping, packing and wish lists passed around as a link
• People who want a to-do list with very few features

Microsoft To Do

• People who already use Outlook or Microsoft 365
• Anyone who wants a to-do list with no paid tier
• Sharing simple lists with family or coworkers

Flask

• Sharing has no permission settings: a list is shared by its URL, with no invites.
• It is browser only. The About page asks developers who want to help build a mobile app to get in touch, and no native apps are offered.
• The terms of use mention a paid PRO account, but the /pro page they point to returns a not-found page and the site lists no paid plan.
• API access is given on request by email; the site has no public API documentation.

Microsoft To Do

• Signing in requires a personal Microsoft account or a work or school account.
• Lists can be shared only between personal Microsoft accounts or between accounts in the same workplace or school.
• No Linux app is listed; the vendor names Windows, Mac, iOS, Android and the web.

Flask

No sign-up to start

A new list opens straight from the homepage and tasks can be added at once. An account is only needed to save and manage more than one list.

Sharing by URL

Each list has its own address, and copying that address is the whole sharing step. There are no permissions and no formal invites.

Task basics

Tasks can be added, edited, reordered, checked off and deleted, starred, and tagged with colors.

Email and embed

The changelog on the About page lists emailing a list and embedding a list among the features added in 2013.

Any device with a browser

The app is browser based with a responsive design for phones, so there is nothing to install and lists are the same on every device.

API on request

The About page offers developers access to an API by email, for uses such as adding to-do lists to another product.

Microsoft To Do

My Day

A daily list that resets every night. Tasks left unfinished go back to the Tasks list and appear among the next day's suggestions.

Lists, steps and notes

Tasks sit in lists and can have due dates, reminders, notes, a breakdown into steps and up to 25MB of attached files.

Shared lists

A list is shared by sending an invitation link, and it stays in sync as members make changes. Access can later be limited to current members or switched off.

Outlook and Planner

Tasks are stored in Exchange Online, so they show up in both To Do and Outlook Tasks. Flagged email can be handled as tasks, and Planner tasks can be seen in To Do.

Sync across devices

Signing in with the same account on each device keeps lists in step; the vendor says the app updates every 5 seconds.

Tasks API

Microsoft points developers to the public Outlook Tasks REST API for reading and updating the tasks that To Do stores.

Flask

• Free$0

  Every feature of the web app. The site lists no paid plan and has a Buy Me a Coffee link for donations.

Microsoft To Do

• Free$0

  Every feature of the app, signed in with a personal Microsoft account or a work or school account.