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We’re focusing on apps we’ve personally tested over the past five years. All the apps in this list are completely free task management tools designed to help you track your personal to-dos. Unlike our recent coverage of handwriting apps, we’re not ranking these. Instead, we’re suggesting the best scenarios for using each app.
First up is Google Tasks. While its user interface isn’t particularly impressive, it’s very simple to use. The biggest advantage of Google Tasks is its seamless integration with Google Calendar, one of the best cross-platform calendars available. If you’re already using Google Calendar, Google Tasks can be a great addition to your workflow.
Google Calendar itself can function as a task manager, allowing you to create tasks without leaving the calendar. This way, you can keep your to-dos and events in one place. Tasks are differentiated from events by the Google Tasks logo, and you can further distinguish them by using different colors—green for events and red for tasks. In the web version, you can view tasks on the calendar or quickly toggle the right sidebar to see all your to-dos in Google Tasks.
However, Google Tasks has some limitations. You can’t add subtasks to repeating tasks, it lacks smart lists for better task organization, and you can’t attach files to your tasks—features that are crucial for a robust digital workflow.
Google Tasks also doesn’t work well as a standalone app. For collaboration, you need to use it in conjunction with Google Chat, which can make switching between Google Tasks, Google Calendar, and Google Chat confusing. If you’re looking for a better standalone option, Microsoft To Do is a stronger choice.
Microsoft To Do is available on all major operating systems, just like Google Tasks. It syncs your changes across all your devices, allowing you to work seamlessly. The app has a minimalist, functional design with a beautiful user interface. We especially like the customizable background colors and images for different lists.
In Microsoft To Do, you can attach files to your tasks as long as they’re under 25 MB. There’s no limit to the number of attachments per task—we were able to add more than ten. While Microsoft To Do doesn’t have start dates, the app’s reminders serve as a good workaround, letting you set start and due dates for your tasks. The notes feature is also impressive, allowing for titles, body text, subheadings, and even numbered or unnumbered lists.
One standout feature is that when you flag emails in Outlook, they automatically appear in Microsoft To Do as tasks, making it easier to track and turn emails into actionable items. While you can create subtasks in Microsoft To Do, they’re quite basic and don’t allow for additional details.
Apple Reminders, on the other hand, is more tied to the Apple ecosystem and has the least impressive web app among the options listed. However, its user interface on Apple devices is modern and minimalist, and it offers a range of unique features for managing your personal to-dos that you won’t find in Google Tasks or Microsoft To Do.
With Apple Reminders, you can add multiple accounts, not just from iCloud but also from Outlook, allowing you to manage tasks from Microsoft To Do within Apple Reminders. You can add new tasks, mark them as complete, or delete them, and all changes are updated in Microsoft To Do. We hope to see support for Google accounts in the future.
Apple Reminders is the best choice for anyone deeply embedded in the Apple ecosystem, especially if you use a Mac, iPad, or iPhone. If you need to collaborate with someone outside the Apple ecosystem, you can simply add a Microsoft To Do account to your setup.
Which app do you think deserves a spot on this list? Let us know—we’re curious to hear your thoughts.
