All 5 recommendations
Est. prices as of Mar 7, 2026
#1 · Todoist Inc. · Most Overhyped
Todoist
$4/month
Gamified task management that makes you feel productive for exactly 10 days
- ✓ Sleek interface you'll show friends
- ✓ Karma points feel weirdly motivating initially
- ✓ Works across every device imaginable
- ✗ The motivational system wears off faster than new phone excitement
- ✗ Free version is barebones enough to frustrate you into upgrading
#2 · Cultured Code · Premium Pick
Things 3
$50
So beautifully designed you'll feel guilty for abandoning it
- ✓ Genuinely gorgeous design
- ✓ Offline-first and fast
- ✓ One-time purchase (no subscription trap)
- ✗ macOS/iOS only—Windows users excluded
- ✗ $50 is a lot to spend on something you'll use for 2 weeks
- ✗ Overkill for simple to-do lists
#3 · Microsoft · Budget King
Microsoft To Do
Free
It's free, it syncs with Outlook, and it's completely forgettable
- ✓ Genuinely free with no paywalls
- ✓ Integrates seamlessly with Outlook and Teams
- ✓ Clean, minimal interface
- ✗ Feels like a feature, not a full app
- ✗ Zero personality or motivation mechanics
- ✗ Will be absorbed into some other Microsoft product in 3 years
#4 · Any.do Inc.
Any.do
$6.99/month
The middle-ground app that's good at everything and remarkable at nothing
- ✓ Handles tasks, shopping lists, and calendar in one place
- ✓ Clean mobile experience
- ✓ Reasonable pricing
- ✗ Jack of all trades, master of none feeling
- ✗ Gets lost in the sea of better alternatives
- ✗ You'll forget it exists after switching phones
#5 · Notion Labs · Hidden Gem
Notion
$10/month
So powerful and flexible you'll spend 6 hours customizing it instead of doing actual tasks
- ✓ Infinitely customizable—build exactly what you need
- ✓ Doubles as notes, wiki, database, and calendar
- ✓ Community templates for every use case
- ✗ Steep learning curve kills initial momentum
- ✗ You'll spend more time organizing than doing
- ✗ Overkill if you just need a simple task list