A task management app is a place to keep what you need to do, with dates, priorities and reminders, synced between your phone and your computer. The six most popular for personal use are Todoist, TickTick, Microsoft To Do, Google Tasks, Things 3 and Notion. The right pick depends less on features and more on which ecosystem you live in (Apple, Google, Microsoft) and how much system you want to build.
This is the detailed comparison. If you are not yet sure whether your problem is tasks, focus or remembering, start with the guide to the best productivity apps, which is organised by problem.
What a task app solves, and what it doesn't
It solves "where do I write this down". It pulls your list out of your head, three notebooks and a string of emails to yourself, and puts it all in one place you can search, sort and see on your phone.
On its own, it does not solve "when do I do it". The app stores the task and, at most, sends a notification on the date. If you do not open it, the list sits there, growing, waiting.
Comparison: the 6 apps side by side
Plans, limits and prices checked in October 2026 on the official pages, in US dollars as listed there.
| App | Where it runs | What the free plan includes | Strength | Where it breaks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Todoist | Web, Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone, Android, Apple Watch, Wear OS | Up to 5 personal projects, 3 filters, an automatic reminder for tasks with a date and time | Plain-language dates and voice capture | Custom, location and recurring reminders are Pro only |
| TickTick | Web, Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone, Android, browser extension | 9 lists, 99 tasks per list, 2 reminders per task, 5 habits | Tasks and habits in one app | Full calendar views are Premium |
| Microsoft To Do | Web, Windows, Mac, iPhone, Android | It is free | A "My Day" list that resets every night | Building "My Day" is a daily job for you |
| Google Tasks | Web, Android, iPhone, side panel in Gmail and Google Calendar | The official help mentions no paid plan of its own; uses your Google account | Lives inside Gmail and Calendar | A task with subtasks cannot repeat |
| Things 3 | Apple only: Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Vision Pro | No free plan; the Mac has a 15-day trial | One-time purchase, no subscription | Paid per platform, and not available for Android or Windows |
| Notion | Web, desktop and mobile apps | Unlimited blocks for individuals, files up to 5 MB, 7 days of page history | Build the system your way, with pages and databases | You build everything from a blank page |
Todoist
The strongest at capture. The add field understands dates written in plain language, recurring ones included, and Ramble turns one spoken ramble into several tasks. Pro costs US$7 a month or US$60 a year. Who it suits: anyone who wants a serious list on every device, Linux and smartwatch included. Where it breaks: on the free plan the 5-project limit gets tight quickly, and you only get the automatic reminder for tasks with a date and time; other reminders, the calendar layout and task durations are paid.
TickTick
Combines tasks, kanban-style lists and a habit tracker. Premium costs US$49.99 a year. Who it suits: anyone who wants one app for tasks and habits. Where it breaks: on the free plan, 2 reminders per task and 9 lists; one list per area of life hits the ceiling fast.
Microsoft To Do
Free, on every major platform, with tasks stored in your Microsoft account (they also show up in Outlook tasks). Its standout feature is "My Day": a daily list that resets every night; whatever you did not finish goes back to the main list and can reappear as a suggestion. Who it suits: Outlook users, or anyone after the most complete free option. Where it breaks: "My Day" only works if you build it every morning.
Google Tasks
The simplest on the list: lists, subtasks, date and time, repeats. It lives inside Gmail and Google Calendar, which is the big draw if that is where you spend your day. A task with no time set notifies you at 9 AM; a task with a deadline notifies you at 9 AM on the deadline day. Who it suits: people who live in Google and want very little. Where it breaks: a task with subtasks cannot be recurring, and anyone who needs more structure than lists and subtasks will miss it.
Things 3
Made by Cultured Code for Apple devices only. It is a one-time purchase with no subscription, but each platform is sold separately: on iPhone, US$9.99 on the US App Store. The Mac has a 15-day trial; iPhone, iPad and Vision Pro have none. Who it suits: all-Apple people who hate subscriptions. Where it breaks: if you ever switch to an Android phone or work on Windows, your list stays behind.
Notion
Not a task app so much as a kit you can build one from. Reminders arrive as notifications on desktop and mobile and, if Notion is closed, by email. The free plan is unlimited for one person; a workspace with two or more members stops at 1,000 blocks. Plus costs US$10 per member per month. Who it suits: people who enjoy designing their own system. Where it breaks: building it is fun and maintaining it is all on you; stop tending it and the system stops with you.
Which task app should you choose for your profile?
Choose by ecosystem and by how much you want to configure, not by the feature list.
By profile
All Apple, no subscriptions
Things 3. If you want something free in the same world, Microsoft To Do runs on Mac and iPhone.
You live in Gmail and Google Calendar
Google Tasks. It is one click from where you already work.
You use Outlook at work
Microsoft To Do. Free, and your tasks also appear in Outlook.
You want a serious list on every device
Todoist or TickTick. Try both on the free plan and see which limit pinches first.
You like building your own system
Notion. Knowing that building and maintaining are two different jobs.
If you are torn between a list and a board, kanban or to-do list helps you decide before you pick the app.
What they all have in common
They all wait for you. The task is there, safely stored, with a date, and remembering it depends on a notification competing with everything else on your phone, or on you opening the app at the right time.
One way to shrink that problem works with any of the six: write the task with the moment and place of action. In 2006, Peter Gollwitzer and Paschal Sheeran pooled 94 tests of what they call implementation intentions, plans in the form "when X happens, I will do Y". The effect on reaching the goal was medium to large (d = 0.65). In practice, "call the dentist" becomes "when I sit down for lunch, I call the dentist". The task gains a trigger that exists outside the app.
How to test a task app in one week
- Install just one. Choose by the profiles above. Two at once becomes a comparison, not a habit.
- Dump everything on day one. No organising: whatever is in your head goes into the inbox.
- Write three tasks as "when X, I do Y". And give them a date and time.
- Capture at least one thing away from home. On the train, in a queue. Count the seconds.
- On day seven, compare what got done with what only got written down. If the list only grew, the app is not the problem; being reminded at the right moment is.
Where ASB fits, and where it doesn't
I built ASB, so read what I say about it with that discount applied. It is not a seventh task manager for the table: it is an assistant, Sofia, who lives on WhatsApp and Discord. You send a text or a voice note, she sorts it into tasks, appointments and reminders, checks with you before saving and messages you when the time comes, persisting at the level you choose. There is a web app with an inbox, kanban boards and a calendar for when you want to see everything.
Where it does not fit: it will not replace Notion for people who love building systems, it is not a team project tool, it does not sync with Google Calendar and it depends on WhatsApp or Discord. If your list is well stored and what fails is being reminded, that is where it makes sense. To start without installing anything, the site's online to-do list is free and needs no sign-up.