To do lists don't need to be complicated–some people use pen and paper for the job, after all. And yet there are seemingly infinite to do list apps out there. Why? Because keeping track of and organizing your tasks is an intensely personal thing, and everyone wants to do it a little differently. This makes designing a to do list incredibly difficult: it's impossible to offer one design that makes everyone happy.
![Todoist For Mac Todoist For Mac](https://www.phonetransfer.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Todoist-Mac.jpg)
And it's particularly hard to make Mac users happy. They, perhaps more than users of any other platform, are picky and expect things to look and work a certain way. Applications that don't feel like they were designed for macOS are distracting because things like keyboard shortcuts, notifications, and menus don't work the way they do in other applications. That disrupts your workflow, which defeats the entire point of productivity software.
We thought about all of these things while we tested every macOS to do list application we could get our hands on. There's an incredible range of options out there, all looking to serve different kinds of users. Which one you prefer may well boil down to personal taste. In our opinion, the very best Mac to do lists apps need to do five key things:
The Todoist for Nonprofits discount requires a Todoist Business account, which can be used by both individuals and teams. For more information on the differences between Todoist Business and Todoist Premium visit our compare plans page. If you already have a Todoist Business account, skip right to step 2. Optimize Todoist to fit your productivity system, down to the smallest detail. Add your own labels. Like @email, @waiting, or @delegated, and find the right group of tasks in seconds. Create custom task views. With filters based on due date, project, label, assignee, or any combination you like.
- Offer multiple ways to organize tasks, such as tags, lists, due dates, or projects.
- Make it fast to add new tasks without opening the app, ideally using a keyboard shortcut.
- Remind you about self-imposed deadlines.
- Offer a clean interface, with native macOS features like notifications, widgets, and integration with the menu bar.
- Sync tasks to your phone.
With these criteria in mind, here are the best to do list apps you can find for macOS. All offer free trials of some sort, so try out anything that looks useful to you.
In this article:
- Things: Best blend of powerful features with elegant design
- Todoist: Best to do list app for Mac users who need to sync with other platforms
- OmniFocus: Best option for power users and GTD fans
- Reminders: Best simple option for Apple-only users
- GoodTask: Best way to make Reminders more powerful
- 2Do: Best fully customizable to do list with multiple syncing options
- TaskPaper: Best text-based list for managing tasks with only your keyboard
- TickTick: Best cross-platform option that feels native to the Mac
Things (macOS, iPhone, iPad)
https://pianoclever971.weebly.com/google-talk-for-mac.html. Best blend of powerful features with elegant design
To do list apps tend to fall into two categories: the complex and the minimalist. Things is somehow both.
Open Things for Mac and it looks simple: You've got an Inbox for your tasks and the option to add more lists. Dig a little, though, and there are all kinds of advanced tools here. There are nesting ways to organize your tasks: Areas can contain tasks or projects; projects can contain tasks or headers that can also contain tasks; even tasks can contain sub-tasks if you want. It sounds confusing but it isn't, which really speaks to how well Things is designed. There's no right way to use this system: Use as many or as few of the organizational options given to you, however you like, to make sense of your chaotic list of tasks, choose which things you want to do today, and then do those things.
Other applications offer features like this, sure, but Things manages to do so without feeling cluttered. And as a native application with no Windows or web equivalent, Things feels very much at home on the macOS desktop. Combine this blend of functionality and beauty with features like a system-wide tool for quickly adding tasks, integration with your calendar so you can see your appointments while planning your day, intuitive keyboard shortcuts, reminders with native notifications, integration with over 1,000 apps via Zapier and syncing to an iPhone and iPad app. It's a powerful way to organize your tasks–and then accomplish them.
Things price: The macOS version costs $49.99 but offers a 15-day free trial. The iPad version costs $19.99 and the iPhone version costs $9.99.
Todoist (macOS, iPhone, iPad, Watch, Android, Windows, Web)
Best for Mac users who need to sync with other platforms
Most Mac users stay within the Apple ecosystem…but not all of them. If you need to sync your tasks from macOS to Windows, Android, or basically any other non-Apple option, Todoist is one of the first applications you should check out. Like Things, it's deceptively simple but has all kinds of advanced task management features hidden just below the surface, though Todoist does feel a little less at home on the Mac desktop.
That's because the macOS application of Todoist is basically the web version in a dedicated window. There are a few native Mac features: notifications, a menu bar icon, and a Today widget. And there's also a universal keyboard shortcut for quickly adding tasks, and that alone makes the Mac app worth installing for Todoist users.
Having said that, Todoist is a solid application. You can arrange your tasks in all sorts of meaningful ways, sync them everywhere, and never worry about not having access.
Todoist price: Free; some features, including labels and attachments, require a subscription that starts at $3 a month.
OmniFocus (macOS, iPhone, iPad)
Best option for power users and GTD fans
If you're particular about how your tasks are arranged, and I mean really particular, OmniFocus is right for you. This application is a power user's dream, allowing you to organize your task in seemingly never-ending variations. There are three different kinds of projects you can set up, for example. There are six main views by default, ranging from the Inbox for unsorted tasks, Forecast for seeing scheduled tasks in context with any of your macOS Calendar appointments, and Review for going over completed tasks at the end of the day or week. You can also create your own views if this isn't enough for you. You can even integrate Omnifocus with 1000+ applications via Zapier, if you want.
This isn't an application that's quick to learn, and things can feel cluttered at times. Once you figure everything out, however, you'll have an elaborate, GTD-style task list that works exactly the way you want. Combine this with a system-wide keyboard shortcut for quick task entry and you've got no excuse when it comes to keeping things organized.
OmniFocus for Mac syncs with iPhone and iPad, and there's even a web version, currently in testing, so you can access your tasks while using Windows devices (sadly this is occasionally necessary.)
OmniFocus for Mac syncs with iPhone and iPad, and there's even a web version, currently in testing, so you can access your tasks while using Windows devices (sadly this is occasionally necessary.)
OmniFocus price: OmniFocus for Mac starts at $39.99 after a 14-day trial. The Pro version, which allows you to customize the sidebar with your own views among other features, costs $79.00. The iPhone and iPad version starts at $39.99, and also offers a 14-day free trial.
![Todoist for mac os Todoist for mac os](/uploads/1/3/3/9/133939692/751054266.png)
Reminders (Mac, iPhone, iPad, Web)
Best simple option for Mac, iPhone, and iPad users
The best to do list is the one you have with you, right? If you own a Mac you already have Reminders, which comes free with every Apple device.
Apple's default application for managing tasks is a simple one, allowing you to create lists of tasks and schedule when you'll do them. You can then view those tasks or view any day's worth of tasks across all lists, and that's about it. But this simplicity might be a big plus: You get in, add tasks, and then get to work.
There's no universal keyboard shortcut for adding tasks, but there is integration with Siri for Mac, which is something no other app on this list can claim. And iCloud integration means you can sync tasks with your iPhone and iPad very easily. You've already got this application so why not give it a shot?
Reminders price: Included with all Macs, iPhones, and iPads.
GoodTask (macOS, iPhone, iPad, Watch)
Best way to make Reminders more powerful
Reminders is great but not exactly feature rich. GoodTask is unique in that it uses Reminders as a backend–add anything to GoodTask and it will show up in Reminders and vice versa. So what's the point? GoodTask offers features that Apple doesn't in Reminders.
Apple news for mac. First there's Calendar integration, meaning you can see your calendar appointments and your tasks in one place. You can also create smart lists, allowing you to filter your tasks using things like tags, due dates, and locations. You'll have to spend some time setting this up before it's any better than Reminders, but if you've got a specific overview of tasks in mind you can probably design it here. GoodTask also offers a fully customizable Today widget, which isn't something offered by any other application we tested. Integration with Reminders means all your tasks sync to the iPhone and iPad without the need for any other software, though there are versions of GoodTask available for those devices if you want the same power on those devices.
There are a few downsides. There's no universal keyboard shortcut for creating tasks, though thanks to Reminders integration you can use Siri for Mac instead. https://yellowvertical384.weebly.com/office-365-product-key-generator-2016.html. Overall, GoodTask is a nice little upgrade over Reminders.
GoodTask for Mac price: $19.99 with a 14-day free trial. GoodTask is also available on Setapp, which is a $10 a month subscription service with access to dozens of Mac applications. There's also an iPhone and iPad version available for free, with an in-app purchase of $9.99 to unlock all features.
2Do (Mac, iPhone, iPad, Android)
Best fully customizable to do list with multiple syncing options
2Do fits right in on the Mac desktop. It looks a little cluttered at first glance, but it's also really powerful. You can create lists, then put projects or checklists inside those lists. You can add tags and due dates. You can create smart lists, allowing you to view your tasks however you like. And there are a way more options than that if you're willing to put the time in. This is a power user's to do list, which you can bend to just about any workflow. It's going to take you while, but it's going to be worth it.
There's no calendar integration, which is unfortunate, but there are plenty of other integrations with the rest of your system. A universal keyboard shortcut makes it quick to add new tasks, notifications let you know about upcoming deadlines, and there's even a handy Today widget for quickly checking off tasks.
Syncing is unique here because there are multiple options. You can sync to the iPhone or Android version of 2Do using iCloud, Dropbox, Yahoo Calendar, Fruux, Toodledo, or any CalDAV server. You can also access synced tasks on any of those services, albeit without the 2Do specific features. It's a wide range of syncing options, beyond what any other app here offers, so give it a spin and see how it all works for you.
2Do for Mac price: $49.99, and there's a 21-day free trial. 2Do is also available on Setapp, which is a $10 a month subscription service with access to dozens of Mac applications.
TaskPaper (macOS)
Best text-based list for managing with only your keyboard
Wondering why to do lists have to be so complicated? TaskPaper isn't. This text-based option means you can just start typing to create your to do list. Projects end with colons; tasks begin with a hyphen; tags start with the @ symbol. It sounds simple but it's surprisingly powerful once you get used to it, especially with the filtering and search options.
There isn't an iPhone version, but the third party application Taskmator ($4.99) is compatible and syncs using Dropbox. Alternatively, you can set up TaskPaper to sync over items from Reminders.
Taskpaper price: $24.99 with a free trial. Taskpaper is also available on Setapp, which is a $10 a month subscription service with access to dozens of Mac applications.
TickTick (Mac, iPhone, iPad, Watch, Android, Windows)
Best cross-platform option that feels native to the Mac
TickTick is a straightforward to do application you can run on basically every platform on earth. Unlike other cross-platform applications, however, TickTick actually feels like a native Mac application. Some of this is good design choices, but there are also features that make TickTick stand out: menu bar icon with a miniature version of your list, integration with appointments from Calendar, and native notifications. There's also a keyboard shortcut for adding tasks from anywhere.
Organizing your tasks isn't complicated: you have lists, tags, due dates, and that's about it. But there are a few features here that other applications don't offer, including a built-in pomodoro timer. Try out TickTick out if you're looking for something straightforward, particularly if you need to sync over to non-Apple devices.
TickTick price Computer games for mac. : Free, but premium features like a monthly calendar view and custom smart lists require a $2.99 per month subscription.
A Few More Options
We tried a bunch of different applications for this article but couldn't quite include everything. Here are a few more options for you to consider:
- Trello isn't a to do list per se but you can use it to organize your life and there's a Mac app with native notifications and system-wide keyboard shortcuts.
- Evernote, OneNote, or any other note taking application can work very well as a to do list, and most offer a Mac app.
- TaskHeat allows you to organize your to do list as a flowchart, which is neat, but it can't sync with any other platform.
- Wunderlist used to be a no-brainer for lists like this and is still quite nice. The problem: Microsoft bought Wunderlist and is shutting it down at an undetermined point in the future. The replacement, Microsoft To-Do, is missing key features and does not offer a Mac application.
- Todo.txt is an open-source standard for storing your to do list in a plain text document. The command line app runs in the macOS Terminal, allowing you to add and manage tasks with commands. If that's not your style, TodoTxtMac is a nice GUI for the same standard.
For many of us, lists are necessary when it comes to getting things done. We end up with so many tasks during the day, it's hard to remember every single thing that needs to be done unless it's laid out in an organized list or project in front of us. This is especially true for those of us who are in front of our Macs all day long, so here are the best to-do apps for Mac to help you stay on task.
Things
Things is my personal favorite of the bunch. While it appears simple, it actually has a lot of powerful features but is still super intuitive and easy to use, even for non-power-users.
For one, you can easily capture new tasks into Things from anywhere, no matter what app you're in, thanks to the Quick Entry feature. I also love the fact that you can create 'Goals' and add projects into them, and you can see your progress from there. And when creating tasks, it's easy to add notes, make it recurring, assign a due date or deadline, add tags for organization and searching, create nested checklists, and flag priority items.
I've been using Things for a few years now, and it's my go-to app when it comes to staying on top of everything. This is especially true when you integrate your calendars into Things as well, so you get everything in your schedule at once.
Todoist Mac Calendar
OmniFocus 3
If you want even more powerful features than Things, then you should look at the opposite side of the coin: OmniFocus 3.
OmniFocus 3 follows in the more traditional GTD (Get Things Done) format, which can take some time to learn and understand fully. But once you get the hang of it, OmniFocus 3 becomes incredibly powerful. There are a ton of ways for you to organize your tasks, such as location, project, context, priorities, people, and much more. There are now enhanced repeating tasks, so you can set things up like 'on the first weekday of each month.' OmniFocus 3 also supports attachments (graphics, video, audio), making it even more invaluable to those who need these things for their tasks.
OmniFocus 3 is free to download and try for 2-weeks. If you want to get the Standard version, it will be $50. There's also a Pro version that costs $100, though you can get it for $50 if you upgrade from Standard.
Todoist
Todoist is another great service to check out, and it's especially useful for those who like automation and insights.
Canterbury font download for mac. With Todoist, you'll get your basic task management features, including a way to quickly add a task with a natural language parser. But the real magic with Todoist lies behind all of the app integrations, including IFTTT, Slack, Zapier, Amazon Alexa, and more. There are more than 60 of them to go through, so there are a ton of possibilities with what you can do with Todoist.
While Todoist is free to use forever, you can also upgrade to Premium for things like long-term goals and planning. But if you don't need the extras, then the free version should be fine.
Microsoft To-Do
Since Microsoft bought Wunderlist a while back, they've been using that to help develop their own task management software called Microsoft To-Do. And it just recently became available on the Mac. Pdf pro for mac.
With Microsoft To-Do, managing your tasks has never been easier. You can create as many lists as needed, and assign them all a color for easy recognition. All of your lists will become available on any device, as long as you sign in to your account. Your tasks can be broken down into more manageable steps if needed, and there is support for files and notes.
A unique feature is the 'suggested tasks,' which may help you remember things you'll otherwise forget. It's personalized just for you and is designed to help you stay focused. Microsoft To-Do also syncs with Outlook, giving you a seamless experience. And if you need to share your lists with friends, family, or coworkers, it's no problem!
2Do
If you like the idea of GTD, but don't want to be over-intimidated by software like OmniFocus, then you should give 2Do a try. It's like OmniFocus, but much easier to pick up and use.
One of the best features of 2Do is the ability to create simple tasks, checklists, or even projects with sub-tasks. Every task item in these can have notes, attachments, and even multiple alarms (sometimes we need that extra push). 2Do also not just does lists, but there are smart lists, which utilize filters and custom views. There is tag support to make organization a breeze, as well as a ton more features.
I used 2Do (along with everything else here) a while ago and must say that it's definitely one of the more underrated to-do apps out there.
Any.do
If sharing is a big priority for you when it comes to task management, then Any.do should be on the top of your list.
Any.do features a clean and smart design that is easy for anyone to pick up the app and start using it without fuss or hassles. You can share lists or even tasks themselves with others, such as your spouse, a family member, friend, or coworker. Any changes are pushed immediately, so you work together in real-time. The cloud syncing is fast and seamless, and there's also support for subtasks, attachments, notes, and more. Any.do can capture and do it all!
Any.do is free to download and use, but there are more features in the Premium subscription. This includes unlimited access to moments, themes, files, and collaboration for $3 a month or $27 a year.
Your favorite?
These are some of the best to-do apps we found on the Mac App Store. Ccleaner for mac review. What are your favorites? Let us know in the comments!
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