Microsoft To Do vs Remember The Milk
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Microsoft To Do
Free to-do list from Microsoft that syncs with Outlook tasks
Remember The Milk
Long-running to-do app with one-line task entry and saved searches
Where they differ
- Microsoft To Do is free. Remember The Milk starts at $49.99 per year.
- Only Remember The Milk lists a Linux app.
- Remember The Milk also covers natural-language input.
At a glance
| Microsoft To Do | Remember The Milk | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $49.99 per year |
| Free plan | The whole app is free: lists, My Day, due dates, reminders, steps, notes, shared lists and up to 25MB of file attachments on a task. | Basic account: web, desktop and mobile apps with sync, email and text reminders, tasks given to others and lists shared with up to 2 people. Completed tasks are archived for only 7 days. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Microsoft Corporation | Remember The Milk Inc. |
| Price read from | apps.apple.com | rememberthemilk.com |
| Checked | Oct 4, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
Who each one suits
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
Remember The Milk
- People who like typing a task and all its details on one line
- Users who want saved searches and their own automation scripts
- Keeping one task list on Mac, Windows, Linux, phones and the web
Worth knowing
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.
Remember The Milk
- Subtasks, mobile app reminders, widgets and the Apple Watch app all require Pro.
- Basic accounts keep completed tasks for 7 days and share a list with at most 2 other people.
- Pro is priced only as a $49.99 yearly plan, and the vendor does not offer a trial of Pro.
- IFTTT, Zapier, Outlook sync and the MCP connection for AI assistants are Pro features.
Key features
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.
Remember The Milk
- Smart Add
- A task and its properties are entered on a single line, including due date, priority, repeat rule and tags.
- Smart Lists and search
- A search can be saved as a Smart List. Almost 50 search operators are available, covering criteria such as priority, due date and how often a task was postponed.
- Sharing and giving tasks
- Lists can be shared and tasks given to other people. Basic accounts share a list with up to 2 others; Pro removes the limit and adds advanced sharing permissions.
- Subtasks
- A task can hold any number of subtasks, and subtasks can have subtasks of their own. Subtasks are a Pro feature.
- Reminders
- Reminders go out by email and text on every account. Reminders through the Android and iOS apps, plus badges and widgets, require Pro.
- MilkScript, MCP and API
- Pro members can write MilkScript code to automate tasks and connect AI assistants such as Claude and ChatGPT through an MCP server, which is in beta. An API is open to developers.
Plans
Microsoft To Do
Free$0
Every feature of the app, signed in with a personal Microsoft account or a work or school account.
Remember The Milk
Basic$0
Web, desktop and mobile apps with sync, Gmail and Google Calendar integration, list sharing with up to 2 others and a 7-day archive.
Pro$49.99
per year
Subtasks, unlimited sharing, mobile reminders and widgets, offline web app, file attachments, Apple Watch app, Outlook sync, IFTTT and Zapier.

