Top 10 Simple To-Do Apps to Get Things Done
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Introduction
Staying productive isn’t always about working harder. It’s about remembering what matters. Most people start the day with energy and good intentions, but distractions, notifications, and everyday responsibilities quickly take over. That’s why strong time tracking, better organization, and smart task planning are now essential parts of modern life.
A reliable to-do system helps you reduce stress, stay focused, and avoid that constant feeling of forgetting something urgent. Whether you need a simple to do list app, a structured planner, or a tool with full calendar integration, today’s best solutions make it easier to manage priorities, build routines, and follow through on goals.
To help you choose, we reviewed the best apps available today, from minimalist task managers to advanced productivity platforms. All of the tools in this guide work across Android and iPhone devices and support different planning styles, from quick daily checklists to long-term workflows.
Let’s explore the top options and find the right to-do app for your lifestyle.
| Ultimate Planner | Any.do | ToDoist | Microsoft To-Do | Google Keep | Remember the Milk | Things 3 | Habitica | TickTick | Amplenote | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Core Task Features: | ||||||||||
| Task lists | ||||||||||
| Recurring tasks | ||||||||||
| Subtasks | ||||||||||
| Priorities | ||||||||||
| Reminders/Notifications | ||||||||||
| Calendar view | ||||||||||
| Pomodoro timer | ||||||||||
| Platforms & Sync: | ||||||||||
| iOS | ||||||||||
| Android | ||||||||||
| Web App | ||||||||||
| macOS | ||||||||||
| Windows | ||||||||||
| Google Calendar sync | ||||||||||
| Outlook sync | ||||||||||
| Organization & Workflow: | ||||||||||
| Projects/Folders | ||||||||||
| Tags & Filters | ||||||||||
| Notes inside tasks | ||||||||||
| Search | ||||||||||
| Templates | ||||||||||
| Collaboration & Integrations: | ||||||||||
| Shared lists | ||||||||||
| Team collaboration | ||||||||||
| Slack/Zapier integrations | ||||||||||
| Google Workspace support |
Ultimate Planner
Ultimate Planner is a modern digital planning app designed for people who want more than a basic to-do list. It combines task organization with structured templates, making it easier to plan your day, week, or long-term goals in one clear system. The app is especially useful for personal productivity, helping users stay consistent with routines, priorities, and everyday responsibilities.
Unlike many traditional task managers, Ultimate Planner focuses on visual planning and simplicity, which makes it a great choice for beginners and anyone who prefers an organized, motivating interface. With multi-platform access across iOS, Android, and web, it works well for users who want seamless planning on any device.
- Beautiful planner-style interface with ready-to-use templates
- Great for personal planning and structured daily routines
- Works across multiple platforms
- Strong option for users who want more than a simple checklist
- Limited advanced task features like subtasks or recurring automation
- Not focused on team collaboration or complex project workflows
Product details
| Type of app | Best for | Platforms | Pricing Model |
|---|---|---|---|
| Digital Planner + To-Do Tracker | Structured everyday planning with templates | Multi (Web/iOS/Android) | Freemium ($39.99/2 years) |
Any.do
Feeling frazzled? Don't worry. Any.do got you! Any.do is one of the best simple to-do apps that's available on Android and iOS. It's designed to help you see exactly what needs to be done and of course, motivate you to craft the perfect plan for a productive day. Perhaps one of the biggest draws of Any.do is its eye-catching design. It's the perfect pick for the aesthete looking to get things done. Of course, this to-do app comes with all the right features and even more. For the most part, you'll find features like drag-and-drop and swipe-to-complete, but its key differentiator is the "Moment" feature; a gentle yet firm push notification you get each morning telling you to review your day's task and plan ahead. Its voice entry feature is also a big plus!
it's good to point out that Any.do comes with both a free and paid Pro version; of course, the free version comes with a few handy features but you won't be wrong to go Pro if you want more! All in all, Any.do is a very reliable and elegant to-do app that's great for personal use. Don't hesitate to hit the download button if you're ready to take full charge of your to-dos and daily tasks lists.
- Well-designed
- Easy to use and intuitive
- Excellent daily review feature
- Location-based reminders
-
Some of the coolest features are restricted to the paid Pro version.
Product details
| Type of app | Best for | Platforms | Pricing Model |
|---|---|---|---|
| To-Do List + Daily Planner | Simple daily productivity | iOS/Android/Web | Freemium |
ToDoist
Next up is ToDoist — a powerful choice for those looking to get organized and get stuff done. The good thing about this to-do app is that it's been around for a while and works seamlessly on a wide variety of devices. It's also good to know that ToDoist is well-designed and user-friendly. You can download yours now and of course, start keeping track of your tasks all day every day. As expected, ToDoist comes with quite a number of features: it allows you to create projects, sub-projects, sub-tasks, and dependencies. What's more, you can choose to attach due dates to these important tasks and even prioritize them with the app's color coding system. There's also an option to categorize your task list and more!
Finally, you can choose to either use ToDoist for free or opt for the paid version; of course, the premium comes with extra features that are sure to work great for you. And lest we forget, this exceptional to-do app integrates with services like Sunrise Calendar and Google Drive. Overall, a great mobile to-do app that's guaranteed to keep you happy and productive.
- Simple user interface
- Works on a wide range of platforms
- Excellent collaboration features
- Easy to use
-
No significant cons
Product details
| Type of app | Best for | Platforms | Pricing Model |
|---|---|---|---|
| Task Manager + Productivity System | Power users and cross-platform planning | Multi | Freemium |
Microsoft To-Do
Microsoft To Do is a simple and reliable task management app built for users who want an easy way to organize daily responsibilities, reminders, and personal checklists. It works especially well for people already using the Microsoft ecosystem, offering smooth syncing with Outlook and other Microsoft 365 services.
The app focuses on clean, distraction-free planning with features like recurring tasks, due dates, and smart daily suggestions. While it doesn’t include advanced project management tools, Microsoft To Do is an excellent free option for everyday productivity and straightforward task tracking across devices.
- Completely free with no major feature paywalls
- Great integration with Outlook and Microsoft 365
- Clean interface ideal for simple daily planning
- Cross-platform support (Windows, iOS, Android, Web)
- Limited advanced features like Kanban boards or analytics
- Not designed for complex team collaboration or project workflows
Product details
| Type of app | Best for | Platforms | Pricing Model |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple Task Manager | Microsoft 365 users | Multi | Free |
Google Keep
Still looking for one of the best mobile to-do list apps to create checklists, set time and place reminders? Just check out Google Keep. For starters, this task management app is not as fancy as other options on the list, but the good thing is that it comes with all the right features. The app is for people looking to create both lists and notes, which they can then access across multiple devices. It's simple yet effective enough to help you get things done.
Essentially, Google Keep connects to Google Drive and allows you to store everything from checklists, notes, voice notes, and photos. Essentially, this is simple and intuitive task organizer. It's also good to know that Google Keep allows you to add a collaborator to your lists/notes and of course, work in tandem to achieve your goals. As mentioned earlier, Google Keep doesn't come with a lot of features (or bells and whistles), but we think it's worth checking out. Don't hesitate to hit the download button now!
- Intuitive design
- Easy to use
- Impressive color coordination
- No option to customize fonts
Product details
| Type of app | Best for | Platforms | Pricing Model |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notes + Lightweight To-Do | Quick reminders and simple lists | Multi | Free |
Remember the Milk
Remember the Milk an excellent task management app that's perfect for the entire household. This option right here is considered to be one of the best to-do list apps and it actually lives up to its reputation. Essentially, Remember the Milk takes over the job of reminding you of just about every task of the day: you could get it via email, mobile notification, text, and IM. It's also good to point out that this highly functional app helps you organize priorities, lists, tags, due dates and the likes. We also love that the app integrates with Google Calendar, Gmail, Twitter, Evernote and more! It's a truly functional productivity app that's totally worth checking out. Of course, Remember the Milk is free to use but you can still become a pro if you got the bill.
- Clean user interface
- Feature-rich
- Easy to use
- Excellent collaboration option
- It doesn't have the most cutting-edge design
Product details
| Type of app | Best for | Platforms | Pricing Model |
|---|---|---|---|
| Classic Task Manager | Users who want robust recurring tasks | Multi | Freemium |
Things 3
Things 3 combines useful personalized digital task manager and calendar tools. Thanks to this application, you can organize all your thoughts, correctly prioritize and set goals. Aimed at an audience of iPhone, iPad, and Mac users. Allows you to quickly create tasks, efficiently monitor progress and automatically exchange data with the Apple and Google calendar.
You can plan anything from shopping or grocery lists to complex business plans. In addition, you can add notes, tags to tasks, split them into micro lists, and assign them a specific execution time. Automatic repetition of tasks according to a given schedule is available.
- Add tasks using Siri;
- Customizable interface;
- Drag and drop support;
- A quick search of data by filters;
- Quality workflow, a lot of workspace;
- Implemented convenient notification system;
- View detailed information about cases offline.
- Unable to collapse section;
- Doesn't integrate with Microsoft Outlook.
Product details
| Type of app | Best for | Platforms | Pricing Model |
|---|---|---|---|
| Premium Apple Task Manager | Clean GTD workflow on Apple devices | Apple only | Paid |
Habitica
Awesome Habitica will simplify your daily affairs with a fun, gamified approach. Stay well-motivated and organized, have fun with what you do, and earn rewards for successfully completing assignments.
Initially, the user will be prompted to enter their habits, assign daily goals, and create a to-do list with deadlines. It is possible to create an avatar. Level up your character after completing each task. Unlock new features, including equipment, skills, quests, and pets. It is worth noting the possibility of online team collaboration, which involves battles with friends against various monsters and bosses.
- Automated updates;
- Separate notepad for notes;
- Instant messaging to friends via chat;
- Integration with popular social networks;
- Beautifully visualize your achievements.
- It is not always possible to cancel the created habit.
Product details
| Type of app | Best for | Platforms | Pricing Model |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gamified Habit + To-Do | Motivation through RPG mechanics | Multi | Freemium |
TickTick
TickTick can completely change the idea of standard task management software. Since, in addition to its main purpose, it contains a timer, a habit tracker, and a calendar. Created a convenient hint system for beginners, so there will be no problems with mastering the interface. You can easily make a plan of action for the day or week ahead. Interaction with the calendar by date and time events is available, and also, here you can set recurring tasks.
When you check the lists of tasks, you can switch the normal display mode to the kanban boards and cards, as in Trello. There is a mood explorer, a success bar, a daily goal graph, and a habit completion tab. For each task, you can set the priority from low to high. There is an Inbox folder for storing tasks (status of which has not yet been determined by the user).
- Flexible functionality;
- Smart reminder system;
- Mini calendar and timer widgets;
- Creating subtasks and checklists;
- Using the focus timer (Pomodoro technique);
- Quick data sync between multiple devices and OS;
- Available as an extension for Chrome and Firefox browsers.
- The statistics section is available only in the web version.
Product details
| Type of app | Best for | Platforms | Pricing Model |
|---|---|---|---|
| To-Do + Calendar + Pomodoro | Productivity all-in-one | Multi | Freemium |
How We Tested and Selected Apps?
Choosing the right productivity tool isn’t just about popularity: it’s about real usability. For this list, we focused on apps that support everyday planning as well as more advanced needs like team coordination and project execution.
We tested each platform using real scenarios: managing daily todo, building a weekly routine, handling deadlines, and organizing personal tasks without creating extra mental clutter. Special attention was given to apps that feel supportive for users who experience focus challenges, including adhd friendly apps designed to reduce overwhelm and support better habits.
Our evaluation included key factors such as cross-platform reliability, app performance, ease of setup, reminder systems, and whether the interface stays clear even with complex lists. We also looked at smart features like ai suggestions, time-saving automation, and visual planning tools such as list calendar layouts or timeline views.
For professional users, we considered apps used in software development, including tools that offer advanced project views like gantt charts and integrations with business ecosystems such as microsoft 365.
Finally, we prioritized apps that feel engaging, seamless, and practical: whether you need a quick click-and-go checklist or a full productivity system that helps your brain stay organized.
Conclusion
Best for Personal Planning
If your main goal is to stay organized in everyday life, personal planning apps should feel simple, flexible, and motivating, not like corporate project tools. The best personal planners help you manage your daily schedule, prioritize tasks, and build a realistic routine without turning productivity into a stressful chore.
Ultimate Planner is our #1 pick for personal planning because it combines a beautiful digital planner experience with structured templates that make planning fast and clear. It’s ideal for users who want more than a basic checklist. You can organize your day visually, plan your week in advance, and keep your priorities in one place without feeling overwhelmed. It’s also a great fit if you prefer planning on mobile and switching between devices throughout the day.
If you want something more classic and task-focused, Things 3 is a premium choice for Apple users who love clean design and a smooth GTD-style workflow. Any.do is great for quick daily planning with reminders and a simple interface, while Todoist offers more power and flexibility if you want projects, priorities, and long-term organization.
For users who prefer lightweight tools, Google Keep is perfect for quick notes and simple lists, and Microsoft To Do works especially well if your personal life is already connected to Microsoft services. If you like combining planning with focus tools, TickTick adds calendar and productivity features that go beyond basic to-do lists.
Best Free To-Do Apps
Not everyone needs a premium productivity system. If you’re looking for a free solution that covers the essentials, several apps offer excellent value without upfront cost.
Todoist remains one of the strongest free options thanks to its smooth interface, smart prioritization, and reliable syncing. It’s a great starting point for users who want the best task management experience without paying immediately. Microsoft To Do is also completely free and works especially well if you already use microsoft outlook ticktick integration alternatives for scheduling.
For users who want to track daily habits or stay motivated, Habitica adds light gamification, turning tasks into rewards and progress into something more fun. This can be especially effective for individuals with ADHD who benefit from extra stimulation and structure.
Free apps often lack advanced features like detailed analytics or time tracking, but they’re perfect for building momentum. Just avoid overloading your lists; too many tasks creates noise, not productivity.
Some apps even include basic support for managing small expenses or personal planning categories, making them surprisingly flexible for everyday life.
Best for Teams and Work Projects
When tasks go beyond personal planning, teams need collaboration, shared workflows, and systems that scale. Apps like TickTick and Amplenote work well for individuals, but professional environments often require deeper coordination.
For team productivity, TickTick stands out with its powerful scheduling tools, reminders, and the ability to track time alongside tasks. Its seamless workflow makes it a strong option for busy professionals who want structure without bloated complexity. Some teams also rely on Todoist for shared task boards and integrations.
In project-heavy environments, tools with advanced planning views such as timelines and gantt support are especially useful. While Ultimate Planner focuses more on personal productivity, it still offers a strong foundation for freelancers or solo creators who want planning templates without the overhead of enterprise tools.
Team-based apps should offer quick collaboration, reliable syncing, and a workflow that doesn’t break focus. The goal is to reduce noise, support execution, and keep work moving forward with one click.
The best systems feel seamless, not distracting, productivity should support your brain, not fight it.
Despite the great variety of the to-do lists, planners, task organizers, and calendar apps, they all share the same mission. They all are designed to help you get done what you set out to do. Meanwhile, it’s your job to find the one that fits you best and helps you organize tasks, manage tasks, and finally get those tasks completed in the most convenient and easy way.
F.A.Q.
The best to-do list app depends on your needs. For personal planning and structured daily routines, Ultimate Planner is a great choice thanks to its templates and visual organization. For advanced task management, apps like Todoist or TickTick offer more automation and productivity tools.
If you want a strong free option, Microsoft To Do is one of the best completely free task apps, especially for Windows and Outlook users. Google Keep is also a simple free solution for quick lists and reminders.
A high-quality to-do app should support task lists, reminders, recurring tasks, priorities, and calendar integration. Many users also look for cross-platform syncing, notes inside tasks, and clean organization through tags or projects.
Yes. To-do apps help reduce mental overload by keeping tasks organized in one place. They improve focus, support better routines, and make it easier to track progress instead of relying on memory.
A to-do app is designed for personal task tracking and everyday planning, while project management software is built for teams, collaboration, and complex workflows. Apps like Ultimate Planner or Things 3 are ideal for individual planning, while tools like Asana or Trello are better for managing team projects.


