The Best Apps for Making To-do Lists and Staying Organized
Sticky notes are great. Mobile apps are better.
Keeping a to-do list is an old-school but effective way to stay on top of your daily priorities. You can write it in a doc on your computer, in a planner, or on a sticky note and, as long as you stick to it, the whole exercise can be really effective. There are, however, some great apps out there that can help you with your to-do lists and they each have some unique features that are useful for specific needs.
The best to-do list app for timeboxing: Sunsama
Sunsama gets major praise on productivity forums for its variety of features. Like a lot of to-do apps, it can integrate with other platforms you already use, like Google Calendar and Slack, but what stands out here is its ability to help you timebox, or allocate every single minute of your day to something so your schedule is totally comprehensive. After a 14-day free trial, you can subscribe for $20 per month or $192 per year.
The best to-do list app for focusing: TickTick
TickTick is a nice app for organizing tasks and adding subtasks, which can help you chunk your work up into smaller blocks that eventually get it all done. What’s really nice about this one is its built-in Pomodoro timer, which enables you to stay focused on tasks for periods of time, then earn a break, all without leaving the app. The basic app is free, but for upgraded features like custom features and detailed calendar integration, you’ll pay $35.99 per year.
The go-to to-do list app: Todoist
Todoist is used by a ton of people and companies, so much so that other to-do apps actually integrate with Todoist itself. It’s simple to use, works across web browsers, Windows, Mac, Android, and Apple devices, and uses methods you might already be familiar with, like Kanban, to outline your tasks and due dates. A free account gets you five personal projects and flexible board layouts, but $4 per month gets you 300 projects, task reminders, and an AI assistant. $6 per month offers shared team workspaces, up to 500 projects, and team roles and permissions built in.
The easiest to-do list app to use: Things
This one only works on Apple devices, but Things is extremely easy to use, offering checklists and view filters for “today,” “upcoming,” “anytime,” and “someday,” so all your goals stay time-bound. You can create folders that help you distinguish between different kinds of to-dos, like personal ones related to family or home or work-related ones. The interface is clean and simple and it will cost you $49.99 for your Mac, $19.99 for your iPad, or $9.99 for your iPhone after a 15-day free trial.
The best to-do list for the actually disorganized: Any.do
Some people use to-do lists because they’re naturally list-makers. Others do it out of necessity because they’re just really disorganized. If you’re in that second category, try Any.do, which helps you plan your day with easy inputs for due dates, but also uses AI to analyze your tasks and suggest what kinds of subtasks they should be broken into. It integrates with most calendar apps to keep your appointments organized, too, and is free if you want tasks, lists, reminders, and a daily planner, plus cross-device sync. For $5 per month, you can get recurring tasks, WhatsApp reminders, and those AI features. $8 per month gets you shared family space for up to four members, shared lists, and shared projects.
The best to-do list app for teams: Asana
Asana is essential for a lot of teams because while individuals can use it to manage tasks and lists, it’s really for multiple users. As PC Mag puts it, it’s flexible and fast and comes with a timeline feature that makes it super simple to track group work. Personal use is free, but for $10.99 per person per month, you can add up to 500 people and access that all-important timeline view. For $24.99 per person per month, you can add in goals, approvals, and more AI tools.