To Do List Apps: We Tested the Best 10 Apps in 2026

The 10 Best To Do List Apps in 2026

The best to-do list app in 2026 is no longer just a place to store tasks. It’s a smart system that captures ideas instantly, organizes them automatically, and reduces decision fatigue throughout your day.

In 2026, the top apps combine AI assistance + simplicity. Instead of manually sorting tasks into folders and priorities, modern tools help you plan, reschedule, and surface what matters most, without adding complexity.

If you’re searching for the best to-do list app, you likely want three things: clarity, automation, and less overwhelm. In this guide, we compare the leading apps, including AI-first tools and classic task managers so you can choose the one that fits your workflow, not someone else’s productivity system.​

In this post, you'll get:

• The top-rated to-do apps in 2026
• Pros, cons, and best use cases for each
• AI-powered tools that help you plan smarter, not harder
• Clear recommendations based on your unique needs

1. What is a To-do list app?

A to-do list app is a digital tool that helps you capture, organize, prioritize, and complete tasks. At its core, it replaces paper lists with a structured system that syncs across devices and keeps your responsibilities visible.

In 2026, a modern to-do list app does more than store tasks. The best tools now function as:

• A daily planner app that structures your day
• A task management app that handles projects and deadlines
• An AI task manager that suggests priorities and schedules automatically
• A lightweight productivity app for professionals managing multiple roles

2. Why are people looking for a To-do list app?

In 2026, work is faster, more fragmented, and heavily digital, which makes mental overload common. People aren’t just managing tasks; they’re juggling messages, meetings, side projects, and constant notifications.

A modern to-do list app helps centralize everything in one clear system. More importantly, AI-powered tools now reduce planning effort, so users spend less time organizing and more time executing.

3. What to look for in the best To-do list app?

You can consider these factors:

• Task prioritization: Not all tasks are created equal. Your app should help you sort "must-do-now" from "maybe-tomorrow," like a smart assistant that truly gets your workflow.
• Task Reminders:  Because we’re all human, and forgetting happens. Your app should nudge you with friendly (but firm) reminders.
• Automation: Why manually recreate recurring tasks every week? Let your app handle the repetition so you can focus on what matters.
• Connect with your notes: Your tasks live in 10 different notes. A great tool connects your notes, tasks, and thoughts into a smooth system 
• Great integrations: We have tasks across apps, and the right tool brings them together in one place, fast.
• Fast customer support:  Nobody wants contacting customer support as another task on their list.

🏆 Best To-Do List Apps in 2026 – Comparison Table

1. Saner.AI

Saner.AI is an AI to-do list and knowledge assistant designed with ADHD users in mind. It helps you manage your notes, tasks, and emails in one place, so you can stay organized without having to hop between tools. Instead of just checking boxes, Saner understands your work, breaks it down into next steps, and gently nudges you through the day.

Key features

• AI Daily Planner: Automatically reads your inbox, notes, and calendar, and gives you an optimal plan for the day

• Unified Inbox: Pulls in tasks from notes, docs, emails, and calendar

• Smart Task Parsing: Breaks your braindump into smaller tasks using natural language understanding

• Focus Mode & Clean UI: Designed to reduce distractions and overwhelm
• Personal AI Assistant: Lets you chat with your own AI to summarize notes, find documents, and generate next steps

What I liked

• I love that Saner feels like an assistant. You can ask it questions like “what did I promise Jack last week?” and it pulls up the answer from notes or emails.
• It’s super helpful how the app auto-suggests reminders and due dates based on your notes or tasks.
• The interface is incredibly clean - perfect if you get distracted by cluttered dashboards.
• The AI search is a standout - it surfaces info even if your notes are a mess.

Cons

• Not ideal for large teams or project timelines.

Pricing

• Free
• Starter: Monthly at $8/month, Annually at $6/month (with early user discount)
• Standard: Monthly at $16/month, Annually at $12/month (with early user discount)

Who is it suitable for?

• Professionals, ADHD users, and solopreneurs who want an AI workspace to capture tasks, plan their day, and reduce cognitive overload

Saner.AI review

The biggest benefit for me in using Saner is the Proactive AI. Staying on top of the constant flow of email and multiple calendars is challenging, and so far, Saner is the only AI-based tool that truly feels like a personal assistant. - Jerry

How to start using it?

• Go to Saner.AI, create an account, and start capturing your thoughts or to-dos.
• You can talk to your AI assistant, sync email or Drive, and let it help you break down your day.

The AI To Do List that works with you

Try Saner.AI for free

2. Todoist

Todoist gives you a clean, flexible space to capture everything from daily tasks to long-term goals. You can organize projects, set due dates, and automate recurring routines without it feeling overwhelming.

Key features

• Sections, Labels, and Priorities: Organize your tasks by project, urgency, or context
• Recurring Tasks: Automate repeating to-dos like bills, workouts, or team check-ins
• Karma System: Gamifies productivity with streaks and progress tracking
• Integrations: Works with Gmail, Slack, Outlook, Google Calendar, Zapier, and more

What I liked

• It’s fast to capture tasks with natural language
• The interface is clean and distraction-free, so I stay focused
• Works smoothly across web, mobile, desktop, and even Apple Watch

What I disliked

• It can feel too lightweight if you need timelines or task dependencies
• Some key features, like reminders, are locked behind the paid plan
• The board view is helpful, but lacks advanced visual planning tools
• Don't have a space to manage your notes

Pricing

• Free plan with up to 5 projects
• Pro plan at $5/month for advanced features like reminders and labels
• Business plan at $8/user/month with team tools and admin controls

Suitable for

• Anyone who wants a simple, fast, and reliable to-do list app. Especially great for solo users, freelancers, and small teams who value clarity over complexity.

How to start

• Head to todoist.com, sign up for a free account, and upgrade to Pro if you want more control and customizations.

Todoist Reviews (source)

"Covers the bases for a reasonable price. Reliable, cross-platofrm, with reasonable team pricing." - Tom H

"It seems impossible to cancel a subscription after you sign up for a free trial. There is no way to cancel a subscription on the website, you have to send an email to an address that does not respond to emails." - Fisayo

3. Mircosoft Todo

Microsoft To Do is a simple, reliable task manager built to help you stay organized across your work and personal life. With a clean interface and tight integration with Microsoft 365, it’s a great choice for anyone who wants a to-do list app that just works - without needing a learning curve.

Key features

• My Day: A daily planning view that resets every morning so you can focus on what matters today
• Cross-device sync: Works on desktop, mobile, and web with real-time syncing
• Task breakdowns: Add subtasks, notes, and recurring due dates
• List sharing: Collaborate on grocery lists, team tasks, or vacation plans
• Outlook integration: Automatically pulls flagged emails into your task list

What I liked

• My Day is a refreshing take on daily planning
• It’s completely free, with no ads or upsells, which makes it a solid default option for simple task management

What I disliked

• Not designed for complex team projects
• Doesn’t offer smart AI features like prioritization or auto-scheduling
• Mobile app feels a bit basic compared to more modern task apps - it does the job, but not with much flair

Pricing

• Free with a Microsoft account

Suitable for

• Students, freelancers, and professionals in the Microsoft ecosystem who want a straightforward task list app to manage their day-to-day to-dos

How to start

• Log in with your Microsoft account, and you’re ready to go. Just create a new list, add tasks, and start checking things off.

Microsoft To Do Reviews (source)

"An easy to use, close to hand and simply designed To Do list with a more limited task and project management capacity. Great for getting started as a basic to-do list, but not quite suitable for power users." - Will B

"Once I graduated to larger project management across multiple software ecosystems, the limits of MTD became abundantly clear. If one needs it for small project management, I think it is a better piece of software than its immediate competitor (Google Tasks)." Shaun D

4. Apple Reminders

Apple Reminders is Apple’s built-in to-do app, designed to work seamlessly across iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and now Vision Pro. It’s ideal for Apple users who want a simple, free task manager that feels native, syncs effortlessly, and just works.

Key features

• Quick-add controls: Add a New Reminder right from Control Center, Lock Screen, or the Action Button for faster capture on the go.
• Flexible views: Organize lists using collapsible sections or switch to a Kanban-style column view to drag and drop tasks visually.
• Set reminders for specific times, repeating schedules, or trigger them when you arrive somewhere

What I liked

• It’s completely free and already installed on every Apple device
• Apple Intelligence quietly helps you stay on top of things by surfacing and sorting tasks
• The new Columns view makes visual task management simple and satisfying

What I disliked

• No support for Android or Windows
• Lacks advanced project management features like dependencies, timelines, or progress tracking
• No built-in weekly or monthly review workflow

Pricing

• Free with iCloud. No subscriptions, no upsells.

Suitable for

• Anyone using Apple devices who wants a powerful, intuitive, no-fuss to-do list app. Great for personal productivity, shared family lists, or light team collaboration.

How to start

• Open the Reminders app on your Apple device, enable iCloud sync, and start organizing.

Apple Reminders Review (source)

"I have been using this app for years now to remind me of so many different things such as appointments, special dates, when to take prescriptions, when to make a special phone call, and so many more different reminders." - Aamii.geo

One thing that would be invaluable and not require an additional app would be a way to tie a reminder to a contact. I.e. a reminder to call John Smith at 2:00 on Friday and the contact is linked to the reminder. This could obviously be done without the link but why not with it?" - maustin89

5. Google Tasks

Google Tasks is a simple to-do list app that lives right inside Gmail and Google Calendar.
It’s built into the Google ecosystem, so you can add and manage tasks without ever leaving your inbox or calendar. No extra setup. No extra tabs.

Key features

• Gmail Integration: Turn emails into tasks directly from your inbox
• Calendar Sync: See your tasks alongside events in Google Calendar
• Subtasks and Deadlines: Break big tasks into steps and set reminders
• Mobile Access: Available on Android and iOS
• Drag-and-Drop: Reorder tasks easily to stay on top of priorities

What I liked

• It’s already inside Gmail and Calendar
• Tasks appear directly in my Google Calendar, so I see them in context
• The mobile app is clean, fast, and easy to use

What I disliked

• It’s too minimal - no recurring tasks, labels, or smart prioritization
• No collaboration
• No project views, tags, or integrations with other tools
• Doesn’t include any AI assistant or smart features (yet)

Pricing

• Free with any Google account (personal or Workspace)

Suitable for
People who already use Gmail and Google Calendar and just want a lightweight to-do list that stays in sync. Great for students, solo workers, and anyone who prefers simplicity.

How to start
Just open Gmail or Google Calendar and click the “Tasks” icon, or download the mobile app to get started.

Google Task Review (source)

6. TickTick

It combines powerful task management with calendar views, habit tracking, Pomodoro timers, and even Kanban boards. Whether you’re planning your day or managing shared tasks with others, TickTick scales smoothly from solo use to small team collaboration.

Key features

• Calendar sync with Google, Outlook, and Apple Calendar
• Multiple task views: List, Kanban board, calendar, and Eisenhower Matrix
• Built-in Pomodoro timer, habit tracker, and white noise for focus
• Natural language input and smart recurring reminders
• Task sharing and basic team collaboration

What I liked:

• Affordable premium plan that unlocks powerful features for under $3/month
• Combines task management, calendar, Pomodoro, and habits all in one app
• Syncs seamlessly across all devices

What I disliked:

• Team collaboration tools are basic
• No live chat or phone support, and response times via email can be slow
• The interface can feel a bit cluttered at first, especially if you enable too many features
• No AI Assistant

Pricing:

• Free plan available
• Premium plan costs around $3.99/month
• Education discounts available

Suitable for:

• Individuals, students, and small teams who want a flexible, all-in-one to-do list app with focus features like Pomodoro and habit tracking.
• Great for users who love structure and want visual ways to organize tasks.

How to start:

• Just head to ticktick.com or download the app, create a free account, and explore its core features.

TickTick review (source)

"My favorite to-do app. I've been using this for many years now, paid for it too. Simple, but versatile. Wouldn't change it for anything else." - Gábor Fehér

"Earlier this app was working perfectly when I installed it and used it for a few weeks. Reminders were coming on time and everything was smooth. But after some time, I completely stopped receiving reminder notifications. Because of this, I missed important work. The app fails at its core purpose — reminding the user." - Yuvraj Singh

7. Superlist

Superlist is a modern to-do list app that blends sleek design. It helps individuals and small teams plan, manage tasks, and collaborate - without the clutter of complex project management tools.

Key features

• Elegant, responsive design across mobile, desktop, and web
• Unlimited task nesting, notes, markdown, and attachments
• Real-time team collaboration with live cursors and in-task chat
• Calendar sync and Today view for time-aware planning
• Team task overview and public read-only sharing

What I liked

• The UI is gorgeous and fast
• Real-time team collaboration feels intuitive and smooth, even for non-technical users

What I disliked

• Some desktop and mobile features still feel early
• Team tools are great for small groups, but not built for complex projects
• Limited customer support and help docs compared to more established apps
• Cannot store documents or notes

Pricing

• Free plan available
• Basic: $6/month
• Pro: $25/user/month

Suitable for

• Individuals and small teams looking for an elegant, flexible to-do list app

How to start

• Go to superlist.com, create a free account

Superlist reviews (source)

"On its way to becoming the best to do app! I love its neat elegant design. And the ability to have unlimited lists and subtasks in the free version. The integrations are great. But most importantly I love that I can add headings & sections separated by the hand drawn lines or jot notes inside a list!" - Lily

"I've just come back to Superlist, which used to allow unlimited lists on the free plan, but now it's limited to a mere 5! Very disappointing. The app doesn't support marking a task complete from a notification, or the predictive back feature launched in Android 15." - Mathew

8. Things 3

Things 3 is a beautifully designed to-do list app that helps you organize your life with clarity and flow. It’s built around a clean interface and a powerful task management system that keeps everything. It’s ideal for Apple users.

Key features

• Daily Focus: The “Today” view shows just what needs attention now
• Projects & Areas: Organize tasks into flexible projects or broader life areas
• Magic Plus Button: Add tasks precisely where they belong - today, tomorrow, or inside a project
• Calendar Integration: See your tasks alongside events for better daily planning
• Universal App: Seamlessly syncs across iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch

What I liked:

• The interface is stunning
• “Today” and “Upcoming” views help you focus without drowning in every task
• Projects are flexible: you can break them into headings, reorder easily, and keep long-term goals organized
• Works offline

What I disliked:

• No support for Windows, Android, or web
• No built-in collaboration features; it’s designed for personal use only
• Can’t access it online if you’re away from your Apple devices
• Not support note-taking

Pricing:

• Mac app: $49.99 (one-time)
• Free trial available

Suitable for:

• Solo professionals, students, and creatives who use Apple devices and want a focused, elegant to-do list app that helps them plan with clarity and ease.

How to start:

• Download Things 3 from the Mac or iOS App Store, start your free trial, and begin planning with the “Today” view.

Things 3 review (source)

"I've tried so many productivity apps, but Things 3 is the only one that stuck. The design is just chef's kiss – clean, minimal, nothing screaming for attention. It's weirdly calming to use :) I enjoy opening it in the morning to plan my day. I feel genuinely excited to organize my thoughts each morning." - Marina Sokolov

"Ccreating repeating tasks is not easy. Biggest disappointment is that after all these years we cannot check off task’s & there checklists that repeat ahead of time." - Richard

9. Any.do

Any.do is a productivity app that brings together to-do lists, calendars, reminders, and planning tools into a single workspace. It works across mobile, desktop

Key features

• Unified workspace: Combines tasks, calendar events, reminders, and boards
• Any.do Moment: Helps you plan each day with a visual, drag-and-drop interface
• Powerful reminders: Supports recurring, location-based, and even WhatsApp-based reminders
• Subtasks & Boards: Use lists, kanban boards, or table views with color-coded tags

What I liked:

• WhatsApp reminders are useful for quick nudges
• Layout flexibility
• Fast, intuitive onboarding with very little setup needed

What I disliked:

• The free plan is pretty limited
• No open API
• Boards and templates are powerful but can feel a bit hidden or overwhelming at first
• Not ideal for users looking for advanced project management (like dependencies or workload charts)

Pricing:

• Free plan with basic tasks, lists, and calendar
• Premium plan around $7.99/month
• Family plan (~$9.99/month) for shared boards and household organization
• Team plans starting from ~$7.99/user/month with admin tools and unlimited templates

Suitable for:

• Busy individuals, families, and small teams who want a to-do list app that can double as a daily planner and collaboration tool

How to start:

• Head to any.do, create a free account, and explore the basic features. You can upgrade later to unlock reminders, integrations, and AI-powered planning.

Any.do reviews (source)

"I really admire the overall UI and mobile syncing capability. Unlike many other tools it syncs really well with the desktop browser and mobile and of great help to me. Kudos to whole dev team that worked on it! u guys really nailed it." - Kumail Naqvi

"This app is good. i use it everyday. but someone changed the setting where you have to press the home button to go back. you cant just press back anymore. and i keep exiting the whole app. and it annoyying." - rheanna B

10. Notion

Notion is a powerful all-in-one workspace where to-do lists are just the beginning. It lets you build custom task dashboards, organize subtasks, and view everything in Kanban, calendar, or table formats.

Key features

• Custom To‑Do Lists: Create checkbox lists or database-powered task trackers with drag-and-drop sorting
• Multiple Views: Easily switch between Today, Week, Calendar, Kanban, and Timeline
• Project & Task Linking: Connect tasks to project pages using relational databases
• Templates Library: Choose from dozens of to-do list templates for different use cases

What I liked

• You can design your own dashboard exactly how you want
• Everything’s in one place

What I disliked

• It’s not built for task management out of the box - you need to set things up yourself or use a template
• No built-in reminders or recurring task logic
• Tasks can get lost if your workspace isn’t well organized, especially in large databases
• Setup takes time - Notion gives you the flexibility, but it won’t guide you step by step like a traditional to-do app

Pricing

• Free plan available with basic task and note features
• Plus plan: $10–12/user/month, depending on billing
• Team and Enterprise plans are available with more features and admin tools

Suitable for:

• Power users, creators, and knowledge workers who want to blend to-dos with notes, projects, and custom workflows all in one place

How to start:

• Go to Notion, sign up for a free account, and choose a to-do list template or create your own from scratch.

Notion Reviews (source)

"I use Notion to run my entire business, and it covers everything from project management and knowledge management to inventory tracking and even a sales CRM. I love how it creates a singular source of truth for many things, allowing the team to collaborate in real time." - Lexi O

"Notion is like a swiss army knife - in theory, one of the most powerful productivity tools available on the market. The platform can be very useful but takes forever to customize and set up properly." - Vanila L

Conclusion: So, what’s the Best To-Do List App in 2026?

Choosing the best to-do list app depends on how your brain works—and what you need to get done.

• If you’re easily distracted, Saner.AI is a powerful AI assistant that helps plan and organize automatically.
• If you want a clean, versatile task manager with cross-platform support, go with Todoist
• Need something dead simple and reliable for free? Microsoft To Do wins there.

Try out a few and see what clicks - your future self will thank you.

Stay on top of your work and life

Try Saner.AI for free

FAQ: Best To-Do List Apps (2026 Edition)

1. What is the best to-do list app right now?

There’s no one-size-fits-all, but here’s a breakdown:

• Best for all-in-one planning: Saner.AI – combines notes, calendar, tasks, and AI planning
• Best for simplicity: Google Tasks or Apple Reminders
• Best for advanced task management: Todoist, TickTick
• Best for design lovers: Things 3
• Best for AI features: Saner.AI, Superlist
• Best for teams: Notion with task templates or Microsoft To Do
• Best for daily reminders: Any.do

Choose based on how you think: structured checklist person? creative chaos? scattered and forgetful? There’s a tool that fits.

2. What makes a great to-do list app in 2026?

The best to-do list apps do more than hold tasks - they help you follow through. Key features to look for:

• Natural language input: Add tasks by typing “follow up with Sarah next Tue”

• Smart reminders: Based on time and context
• Calendar integration: Syncs with your day
• Cross-device sync: So you don’t forget on the go
• AI assistance: For planning, task suggestions, summarizing notes, or voice-to-task

Tools like Saner.AI now even turn scattered thoughts or emails into structured plans automatically.

3. What is the best free to-do list app?

Here are the top options with generous free tiers:

• Google Tasks – Clean, minimal, built into Gmail
• Microsoft To Do – Syncs with Outlook, great for teams
• Saner.AI – AI planning, reminders, calendar sync, and task-from-text, all in the free plan

If you want something more powerful than a simple checklist but don’t want to pay, Saner.AI offers the best value.

4. Which to-do list apps work best for ADHD?

People with ADHD often need:

• Low-friction input (brain dumps → tasks)
• Smart, timely nudges
• Visual clarity without clutter
• Help reducing overwhelm

Saner.AI is a top ADHD planner/todo list pick. It understands natural language, suggests daily priorities, and helps you remember what matters - without rigid structure.

Other ADHD-friendly options:

• TickTick – Has calendar + focus timer
• Things 3 – Visually calming layout
• Any.do – Clean and easy to use

5. What’s the best to-do list app with reminders?

If reminders are your lifeline, try:

• Any.do – For time-based reminders
• Saner.AI – Context-aware reminders (e.g., “follow up after team sync”)
• Apple Reminders – Great for location-based alerts
• Todoist – Powerful recurring reminders

Reminder fatigue is real, so choose a tool that reminds you only when it matters. Saner.AI stands out by prioritizing tasks based on context.

6. Is there a to-do app with built-in AI?

Yes! AI is changing task management.

• Saner.AI – Turns notes, emails, and chats into tasks; builds a daily plan for you
• Superlist – Auto-generates subtasks and suggestions
• Notion AI – Helps generate task lists inside docs

Saner.AI goes further by linking your calendar, tasks, and ideas—so the AI can actually help you act, not just write.

7. What’s the best to-do app for iPhone or Android?

Cross-platform champs:

• Todoist – Beautiful on both platforms
• TickTick – Android and iOS with widgets
• Saner.AI – Web + iOS + Android, syncs with Google Calendar
• Apple Reminders – Best if you're fully in Apple’s ecosystem
• Google Tasks – Best if you use Gmail or Android

If you're juggling work, personal life, and maybe 5 unfinished side projects - Saner.AI is a great mobile assistant.

8. Are there to-do list apps that sync with your calendar?

Yes, and this feature makes a huge difference in getting things done.

Top picks:

• Saner.AI – Syncs with Google Calendar, blocks time for tasks, even suggests a smart daily plan
• TickTick – Has a built-in calendar view
• Todoist + Google Calendar – Two-way sync
• Microsoft To Do – Syncs with Outlook

If you’re always forgetting tasks until it’s too late, calendar sync is non-negotiable.

9. What’s the best all-in-one productivity app with a to-do list?

If you want tasks + notes + calendar + reminders + AI - not just lists:

• Saner.AI – Everything in one place, AI-powered daily planning
• Notion – Tasks inside docs and wikis
• TickTick – Tasks + calendar + Pomodoro timer

Saner.AI feels more like an AI assistant than an app. You just talk, and it organizes your brain for you.

Stay on top of your work and life with an AI To Do List app

Try Saner.AI for free