What are the best GTD apps?

Question

Project ManagementOpen SourceProductivityTodo

What are the best GTD apps?

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Jan 26, 2024

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Updated

37 Options Considered

Best GTD apps	Price	Platforms	Reminders
67 Todoist	Free / paid	Android / iOS / OSX / Windows / Web / Gmail / Outlook / Thunderbird / Kindle / Chrome / Firefox	yes
62 Facilethings	$84	-	-
55 Nirvanahq	$39	Android / iOS / Web	-
53 Things	49.99	Mac, iPad, iPhone, Apple Watch	-
-- Zenkit	Free / paid	Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iPhone	Yes

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score 165 · Answer 1

Todoist

Top Con

Using "next" actions requires a messy workaround

Todoist was not designed for "next" actions. You can use a workaround by manually setting certain items as priority and then filtering them, but that process requires a lot more management than other tools. See More

Top Pro

Multi-platform compatibility

Todoist works on Windows, iOS, Android, Mac, and the Web. See More

PassionateUkanomitama's Experience

I would like to use Things 3, but alas, no windows or WEB integration. If things simply included a web integration it could challenge Todoist. Todoist is good for ease of adding new tasks, and the ability to create filters is the strong point for me. See More

Specs

Platforms:Android / iOS / OSX / Windows / Web / Gmail / Outlook / Thunderbird / Kindle / Chrome / Firefox

Reminders:yes

Location-based reminders:yes

Multifactor:No

See All Specs

Top Con

Free version has limited functionality

Without a subscription you won’t have access to reminders, comments, or labels and filters. These are features that many users find essential, but aren't included without a subscription. See More

Top Pro

No ads in the free version

The unpaid version contains no ads or popups encouraging you to upgrade. The only time you will be asked to upgrade is if you attempt to use a premium feature. See More

Erin Daivs's Experience

Todoist is great for scheduling and deadlines and is an excellent collaboration tool. See More

Top Con

Doesn't fully embrace GTD workflow

“Next” actions are at the crux of the GTD system because they allow you to move things along when seeing all projects. This list makes efficient use of attributes added to carefully thought out to-dos like context and time and date. See More

Top Pro

Minimalist UI that's designed for efficient use

Todoist's web and desktop interfaces have a 2-column layout. The right column has all tasks organized in nested lists with color codes and information such as what people are assigned to each task and which project the task is part of. The left column offers ways of accessing various groups of tasks – tasks that have to be completed within a certain timeframe, tasks that are a part of a certain project or have certain labels attached to them, etc. The left column also contains filters that allow even more advanced ways of finding a group of tasks. The mobile interface follows a similar design philosophy, but gives each column a separate view. See More

Top Con

Labels (@contexts, etc.) only available with premium subscription

Top Pro

Multiple ways to organize tasks

Tasks can be structured in nested lists. They can be moved around by dragging and dropping them or via keyboard shortcuts. Tasks can be assigned labels, color codes, priorities, and can also be grouped into projects. See More

Top Con

No start dates, only due dates available

Top Pro

Allows creating location-based reminders

Location-specific tasks can utilize the GPS in your mobile device to offer reminders when you are in the appropriate vicinity. For example, grocery lists that are linked to the location of your regular grocery store. See More

Top Con

Does not listen to user suggestions

Todoist has been shown to be fairly unresponsive to requests from their user community. An example can be seen here. See More

Top Pro

Extensive integration with a wide range of external apps

Todoist offers integration with a wide range of external apps, including Google Drive, Dropbox, Google Maps, Apple Maps, Zapier, Toggl Button, TaskClone, CloudMagic, IFTTT, Sunrise, Calendar Sync, Google Now, Dispatch, Mailplane, Airmail, Drafts, Workflow, PomoDone, 1Password, Powr of You, Mailbird, Yoke, Taco, Ginger Keyboard, Time Doctor, and Rindle. See More

Top Con

No support for dependencies

Cannot hide tasks until prerequisite tasks are completed. See More

Top Pro

Supports natural language input

Todoist supports phrases like "tomorrow," "next month," "in 3 weeks," or for recurring tasks, "every week" or "every 3 days." See More

Top Con

Annual subscription required for notifications and attachments

A yearly subscription costs $29. See More

Top Pro

Powerful search and filtering functionality

Todoist allows you to perform advanced queries to find tasks that are overdue, have a certain priority level or label, are within a certain project, are assigned to a certain person, or have a deadline set within a certain date range. It also allows combining different queries, removing certain results from the queries, and creating either/or statements. These queries can be saved as filters for easy access. Filters can be color-coded. See More

Top Con

No manual sort capabilities

The fact that you cannot set sorting manually is especially frustrating in the "today" view, which only sorts by due date and priority and cannot be reorganized. The company has stated that this functionality is in the works. See More

Top Pro

Super quick syncing

You can shift between devices without having to worry about if tasks have been synced or not. Todoist sync will always be quicker than you. See More

Top Con

Does not have a reminder snooze

Top Pro

Monitors productivity and rewards it with karma

Todoist monitors how many tasks are completed and gives karma points as rewards for accomplishing them. It can also display charts showing productivity trends, which are great for finding areas that need improvement and increasing your overall productivity. This feature is a great motivator and an effective way of tracking productivity. See More

Top Con

Recurring tasks are hard to set because the app only supports "natural language"

Top Pro

Quickly browse your list through smartwatch devices

The Todoist app supports Apple Watch and Android Wear for instant action and task viewing through smartwatches. See More

Top Con

Not much independence of customising the layout

This has been a consistent "con" with Todoist. You cannot decide what should be the size of the fonts. You cannot switch between one-column layout and 2-column layout. You cannot view completed tasks. It is a brilliant application of course, but the development team is stuck on its basic idea of the app and after that they just haven't been developing further. See More

Top Pro

Visual scheduling

By clicking on a task and then selecting “schedule,” a dialog box will pop up with shortcuts like "today," "tomorrow," or "postpone until tomorrow." A date can still be entered manually. See More

Top Con

Makes it too hard to see all tasks assigned to you across the app

There is no default or easy-to-access view to simply see all your tasks from all your different projects. You have to use the filter (to:me) which seems like too much effort for something that should really be a default view. See More

Top Pro

Great home screen and lock screen widgets

The native widget is fully functional and editable without needing to open the app. A premium feature allows you to add and edit the task list on your mobile device’s lock screen. See More

Top Con

Recurring tasks are hard to set because the app only supports "natural language"

Top Pro

Supports text formatting

You can make tasks stand out by setting them in bold and spice up your project names with emojis. Todoist also allows editing of hyperlinked text in the task comments. Hypertext, bold text, italic text, and emojis are supported in task names, project names, and task comments. Emojis are also supported in label names. See More

Top Con

No way to add additional info to a task

Top Pro

Browser extension for "add website as task"

Bookmark any webpage as a to-do item. See More

Top Con

Very basic compared to alternatives

Compared to some other options, this is not a feature-rich app. The free version is not much better than keeping a text file of your to-dos. See More

Top Pro

Business strategy doesn't hinge on being acquired

Doist publicly declared their opposition to exit strategies like acquisition that regularly leave users high and dry (https://blog.doist.com/why-we-don-t-have-an-exit-strategy-d3256107d958). See More

Top Con

Very basic compared to alternatives

Compared to some other options, this is not a feature-rich app. The free version is not much better than keeping a text file of your to-dos. See More

Top Pro

Allows sharing and collaborating on tasks

Anyone can be invited to collaborate on tasks and projects. Users can work alongside five people for free and 25 via the paid version. Collaboration includes the ability to assign tasks, comment on tasks, and receive instant updates. See More

Top Con

Mac Mail not supported

Even in the Pro version, Mac Mail is not supported for sending tasks as email attachments. There are some workarounds to send mail, but those attachments will still be impossible to forward. See More

Top Pro

Smart Schedule (Let AI schedule your tasks)

Todoist Smart Schedule adapts to your habits over time, analyzing your workload and determining how urgent a task is. By using both your past todos and future todos (as well as the data from millions of other users), it can sort your tasks in most important/ most urgent order, if you want. See More

Top Con

Awkward data entry

Several aspects of data entry are far more awkward than they should be: Adding notes, moving subtasks within the outline, and scheduling repeating tasks are all handled better by other apps. Adding notes cannot be done while creating the task, but must be done after. Moving items within the outline hierarchy is very clumsy and the use of keyboard shortcuts (such as holding down 2 or 3) requires knowledge of your current level in the hierarchy (which is not always clear). Finally, there is a natural language syntax for repeating tasks but it is very finicky and there is no good feedback mechanism to tell you whether or not it’s working. See More

Top Pro

Integration with any app supporting web-calendar link

Top Con

Heavy premium advertisement

There is a screaming red "Upgrade and get more done" badge fixed in the bottom of the view, and additional features free users cannot access. See More

Top Pro

Allows creating task templates

Tasks can be saved as templates by going to "Task actions" button and clicking "Export as a template". The template will be saved locally. Saved templates can then be imported by going to "Task actions" button and clicking "Import from template" and used as a starting point for creating new tasks. It allows quickly setting up multiple similar tasks. See More

Top Con

Latest iPhone app only available for iOS 8 and above

The latest iPhone app is only available for iOS 8 and above, which excludes users with iPhone 4 or older models. Older versions of the app that can be used with previous iOS versions can be found here. See More

Top Pro

Allows creating task templates

Tasks can be saved as templates by going to "task actions" and selecting "export as a template." The template will be saved locally. Saved templates can then be imported by going to "task actions" button and clicking "import from template." This allows you to use past task items as a starting point for creating new tasks. See More

Top Con

Import feature is bad at handling non-English characters

Top Pro

Can be set to send a daily digest email

You can easily program a digest email that will send you an up-do-date summary of your tasks and deadlines. See More

Top Pro

Infinite list depth

All subtasks are full featured tasks. This means that at a glance you can see subtasks, unlike other applications that require you to open the task. See More

Top Pro

Quickly assign a task to a project as you type with #

Typing # while entering a new task brings up the list of projects (and sub-projects) to assign the task to. Type in any letters of the project name to filter the list to a subset of projects that have those letters in them. See More

Top Pro

No ads in free version

The unpaid version contains no ads or popups encouraging you to upgrade. The only time you will be asked to upgrade is if you attempt to use a premium feature. See More

Top Pro

On mobile apps, swipe left/right performs fast reschedule/done

Swipe right to mark a task as done, swipe left brings up several rescheduling options (tomorrow, next week, specific date, etc.). See More

Top Pro

Integration with Sunrise Calendar

See All

score 79 · Answer 2

Facilethings

Top Con

Android app

The Android app is not always reliable and doesn't have all of the features of the desktop app. See More

Top Pro

Helps the weekly review process

Heinz Gäggeler's Experience

You can implement the GTD and additionally you have all together in the Project-/Subproject-View with Tabs (Next, Calendar, Someday, Reference). It would be the ultimate tool, when the iOS App would have absolutely the same functionality too. In German we say the point of the letter i. See More

Specs

Review/Reflect mode:yes

Top Con

Rather slow

The web app has some performance issues. It feels too unresponsive at times. See More

Top Pro

Allows adding items via email

Simply send an email to info@facilethings.com to add a new item to the Inbox. See More

LovelyEgeria's Experience

Much much better that todoist. More GTD focused. Improvements are GREAT. See More

Top Con

A lot of clicking

Little inline editing or keyboard shortcuts. See More

Top Pro

Support of a "start" date and a "expected" date

This is a very outstanding feature for a gtd App. See More

DebonairEshmun's Experience

Clunky mobile app. See More

Top Con

Relatively costly

Top Pro

Horizons of Focus

FacileThings integrates GTD's Horizons of Focus. See More

JoyfulTaranis's Experience

It has low ratings in Google Play, why is it even listed here? See More

Top Con

No native Windows App

Top Pro

Allows attachments in emails

You can collect stuff in the FacileThings Inbox by sending an email with attachments to the inbox@facilethings.com address. See More

Top Con

Mobile web version is rubbish

Top Pro

Full Integration and Syncing with Evernote

All notes are automatically synced. Capture things in Evernote and the notes will appear in the FacileThings inbox. Reference Material in Evernote will appear in Facile Things. See More

Top Pro

Integrates with a bunch of third-party tools

Facilethings can integrate with Evernote, Twitter, Dropbox and Google calendar. See More

Top Pro

Very simple

Top Pro

Excellent support

See All

score 86 · Answer 3

Nirvanahq

Top Pro

Solid project management

Top Con

No way to add sub-projects

PracticalBonaDea's Experience

I used Nirvana years ago and loved it. However, when I got a new, highly mobile, job the lack of mobile app at the time pulled me away from Nirvana. Now that there are highly polished mobile apps, I am excited to be back. This has always been my prefered GTD system. See More

Specs

Platforms:Android / iOS / Web

Top Pro

Allows setting how much effort a task will take

You can set how long a task will take and how much effort will it ask of you on a scale of 1 to 3. See More

Top Con

Does not integrate with other apps or services

LikableGefjun's Experience

It is very intuitive, the FOCUS area really helps out. See More

Top Pro

Allows adding items via email

Top Con

No recur upon completion option

If you have a daily recurring task, it will recur every day regardless if it's been completed the prior day. See More

JollySigyn's Experience

Multi plattform support. (iOS, Android, Web) See More

Top Pro

Use start dates

A vital functionality in a GTD app. See More

Top Con

No attachments

Can't add any attachments to the tasks - no photos, no pdfs. See More

LovelyEgeria's Experience

It is not GTD. Yoy have to build all lists See More

Top Pro

Beautiful interface

Clean, intuitive user interaction. The design is very thoughtful. Somehow it makes Things feel clunky, despite obvious similarities of all GTD platforms. See More

Top Con

Limited features in the free version

Free version limited to 5 projects, 3 reference lists and 2 areas. See More

lukasneukom's Experience

I use Nirvana at work daily. It does its job well and is one of the few apps without a subscription model. See More

Top Pro

Can email focus list

The app can send you the most important items for the day in an email. See More

Top Con

No desktop widget

Top Pro

Allows to add postponed tasks

You can postpone a task. It helps not to clutter task lists up until you really need them. See More

Top Con

No way to work with teams

This is a one-person solution, there is absolutely no ability to share projects with others. See More

Top Pro

Beautiful interface

Clean, intuitive interface — both desktop and mobile. Lots of intelligent design thinking behind this. Somehow makes other GTD apps like Things feel clunky, despite similarities. See More

Top Con

No way to color-code projects

Top Pro

Native support for Areas of Responsibility

Top Con

No bulk (copy/paste) feature

See All

score 44 · Answer 4

Things

Top Con

No Android or Windows apps

Won't work for you if you haven't gone 100% Apple. See More

Top Pro

Very polished

They got all the details right. See More

InsightfulColopUUichkin's Experience

Sync is transparent and reliable. See More

Specs

Platforms:Mac, iPad, iPhone, Apple Watch

iPhone price:$9.99

Mac price:$49.99

iPad price:$19.99

Top Con

Not collaborative

Would be nice to share tasks with wife. See More

Top Pro

An app for every Apple device

Apps for macOS, iPhone, and iPad. See More

Top Con

Syncing is not live

Must "close" an item before it will sync. Can be difficult to convince the macOS to pull latest updates. See More

Top Pro

Fully embraces the GTD workflow

Inbox, defer until later, lists, contexts (as tags), projects, and more. See More

Top Pro

Cloud sync across all your devices

Know all your devices are up-to-date. See More

Top Pro

Has a simple layout that's easy to understand and use

Top Pro

Great for people who needs their hands free because it can work well with Siri

You can set it up so that Siri can voice dictate your tasks, which is pretty handy when you're really busy or you need to drive a lot. See More

See All

score 15 · Answer 5

Zenkit

Top Pro

Kanban view

Top Con

No sub-tasks yet

Yanis's Experience

When it comes to GTD, I'd stick with Zenkit, for many reasons ! See More

Specs

Platforms:Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iPhone

Top Pro

MindMap view

Top Con

No Widget yet

Top Pro

Native apps

Native apps for iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, and Linux. See More

Top Pro

Many important data views

Data views include Mind-Map, Kanban-Board, Spreadsheet, List, and Calendar. Views can be switched easily. See More

See All

score 20 · Answer 6

Toodledo

Top Pro

Priority organizing

Top Con

The interface is outdated

Specs

Platforms:Android / iOS / Web / WatchOS

Collaborative:yes

API:yes

Top Pro

Can tag items

Top Con

Development seems to stand stil

Top Pro

Decent filtering and sorting

Top Con

Hard to add new project when doing a mind sweep

Top Pro

Great GTD implementation

The GTD principles are very perfectly supported by Toodledo. See More

Top Con

You have to spend time to learn it and customize it for your self

For someone with ADHD, though it is known to have fantastic features, it seems very stressful to concentrate and learn it, especially that this learning requires sustained attention which often lacks for an ADD person. See More

Top Pro

Functionality-rich

Integrated sharing, note taking, habit tracking, and outlining make this a more powerful tool than a simple list of to-dos. See More

Top Con

It's only as good as you make it

If you don't spend the time to build and customize Toodledo, you will get what you put in. It works for a day to day "buy milk" and "take the kid to the doctor for shots", but that's like using an HP Z book to only play minesweeper. See More

Top Pro

Space to add lengthy text

Notes area that can then be hidden. See More

Top Pro

The application of tags, queries, and ability to export and import to CSV allows integration with anything

Top Pro

Sends a daily email reminder

Toodledo reminds you via email of the tasks on your plate for the day. See More

Top Pro

Can create to-do items via email

It's possible to create a to-do item by sending or forwarding an email. See More

Top Pro

Apple Watch support

Integrated support for Apple Watch lets you check on your to-dos on the run. See More

See All

score 30 · Answer 7

DGT GTD

Top Pro

Free

Still free. It also has a GTD SODA in advanced Alpha which is quite good too. See More

Top Con

Dated UI

Unattractive UI with a cluttered feel. See More

InfluentialKullervo's Experience

I've used this app for years and years - still using it. It's very powerful and solid. It's excellent widget displaying hotlist items has had a prominent place on my phone home screen forever. See More

Specs

Top Pro

Hotlist

You see only the activated tasks for today, and, if you want, overdue and tomorrow. You also see the Starred tasks See More

Top Con

Other interface

No web or program interface with PC. See More

InventiveMefitis's Experience

Very complete yet simple , See More

Top Pro

Easily accessed UI

DGT GTD is simple to get started with, and new types of tasks are easily figured out. See More

BraveLoviatar's Experience

Excellent app. Highly customable. See More

Top Pro

Huge number of features

Tasks can become very complex when needed. But the features can be turned off making it lean and mean. See More

ReverentHyperion's Experience

Dgt Soda is powerful See More

Top Pro

Fast search by few letters

Top Pro

Folders and Contexts can appear with the colour you want, so you can distinguish a kind of tasks

In Dgt SODA even the tasks can be color coded as per status See More

Top Pro

Great fit with GTD methods. Used it and predecessor daily for years.

Top Pro

Syncs with Toodledo

Dgt soda does not. See More

Top Pro

Automatic sets Today as due date, when you create a new task within hotlist

Top Pro

If you want, you can set a task as floating (auto-today for ever)

See All

score 25 · Answer 8

SquidHub

Top Pro

It's super simple and intuitive

Specs

Platforms:Web / iOS / Android

Top Pro

Unique user interface

Top Pro

Fast

See All

score 45 · Answer 9

TickTick

Top Pro

Integration with calendars by URL

Shows your events on other calendars (like Outlook) in your task list. See More

Top Con

Free version is limited

TickTick's free version is limited to 19 task lists, 1 attachment per day, and 1 collaborator. See More

Mat Rhein's Experience

Buggy integration with the calendar - all past entries are gone, no review possible! Habits, Pomodoros are buggy as well but work ok. I missed a lot of shortcuts on the Mac - the UI is very clicky. If that's your thing, go for it! See More

Specs

Platforms:Windows, Linux, Mac, Android, iOS, Web

Collaborative:Yes

API:Google Assistant/Alexa/Slack/Zapier/IFTTT/Spark

Subtasks:Yes

See All Specs

Top Pro

Clean UI

TickTick takes a minimalistic approach in order to keep things simple. See More

Top Con

Interface is not clear

It has too much information, causing some confusion sometimes. See More

SociableMithras's Experience

TickTick is an all-in-one app, covering all my daily needs. Its design is also very simple and clear. See More

Top Pro

Optimal GTD Environment

If you use Labels and custom smartlist, You can set up optimal custom GTD environment. See More

Top Con

Lack of Hardware keyboard support

If you use hardware keyboard, It's uncomfortable to input task a little bit. See More

TactfulBanebdjedet's Experience

Generally a very clean, functional and well-designed app. See More

Top Pro

Cross-platform

It’s accessible on the web, via a Chrome extension, on Android (phone/tablet, with widgets), and on iOS. See More

Top Con

Calendar entries are only displayed into the future.

All calendar entries before today are wiped, only tasks will remain visible. See More

PracticalEtugenEke's Experience

You're out of luck when you have internet access but the server is unreachable. You simply can not view any of your data. See More

Top Pro

Flexible recurring tasks

Recurring tasks are simple to set, and can be created according to custom rules. See More

Top Con

Unable to sync with gtasks, only imports

Top Pro

Supports #hashtags (labels)

Just click a hashtag to filter your labeled tasks. See More

Top Con

Intelligent date and time entries don't work everywhere

In some apps, you can type "call Ben tomorrow at noon" and the date and time fields will be automatically populated with "tomorrow" and "noon". TickTick has recently implemented this feature, but it doesn't work flawlessly via the webapp or via a widget. The functionality does work good within the Android app, however. See More

Top Pro

Has a calendar view

Pro version of the software allows tasks to be laid out in an easy to overview calendar view. See More

Top Con

No redundancy when the server is unreachable

Top Pro

Set list color

You can set a different color for each list. See More

Top Con

Broken Smart lists / Filtering

Smart lists do not have a NOT operator, only AND and OR without brackets. This makes using tags for many applications such as GTD a painful manual task. Users have been asking for this for 2 years on the forums, without a response. See More

Top Pro

Multiple reminders

You can add up to five reminders for different time to a single task. See More

Top Con

Calendar entries are only displayed into the future.

All calendar entries before today are wiped, only tasks will remain visible. See More

Top Pro

Recover from trash

Easy to see and recover tasks from trash if you deleted them by accident. See More

Top Con

No search of non-latin languages in web

The web version has no ability to search non-latin languages (e.g. Russian, Greek). See More

Top Pro

Print tasks

Easy to print any task you want to. See More

Top Con

No native integrations with IFTTT or Zapier

The app doesn't feature native integration with these services, but you can use this functionality by fiddling with the custom email address that is provided by TickTick. See More

Top Pro

Easy to add tasks

Just start typing to add a task. See More

Top Con

Translation to Portuguese is not professional

For Portuguese speakers, the Portuguese translation seems very amateurish. See More

Top Pro

Smart date parsing

You can type "buy milk tomorrow 5pm" it will turn into a task as "buy milk" and reminder set as tomorrow 5pm automatically. See More

Top Con

Pomodoro Integration

Top Pro

Create checklist for a task

On each task you can choose between a text description or a checklist. See More

Top Pro

Smart List

Allows you to set custom filters, making it easier to find tasks. See More

Top Pro

Customizeable Android widget

You can change the opacity, themes, lists, and cosmetic features of the widget. See More

Top Pro

Description and checklist all together

Paid users can add description and checklist into a single task all together. See More

Top Pro

Great support to recurring tasks

Easy to set recurring tasks and a lot of possibilities to do that. See More

Top Pro

Google Calendar integration

You can integrate TickTick with Google Calendar. See More

Top Pro

Lightweight app

TickTick is resource-light, which is great if you run multiple programs or are using an older device. See More

Top Pro

Follows Android design guidelines

The mobile Android app of TickTick follows the Android design guidelines for a familiar interface. See More

Top Pro

Folder with concluded tasks

Easy to see all concluded tasks by date of conclusion. See More

Top Pro

Custom themes for pro users

Paid users can enjoy pro themes. See More

Top Pro

Can set duration of a task

You can set starting and ending date and time for tasks. See More

Top Pro

Advanced sorting options

Tasks can be sorted by dragging and dropping them in the list. See More

Top Pro

Pomodoro Integration

Top Pro

Siri integration

You can add tasks via Siri. See More

Top Pro

Share task lists for collaboration

You can share a list through an email or a shareable link. See More

Top Pro

Keyboard shortcuts

TickTick supports keyboard shortcuts that makes it easier to work with. See More

Top Pro

Location reminder

Remind you of a task when you reach specific location. See More

Top Pro

Support team is great

Support team responds quickly. See More

Top Pro

Sort labels, lists and custom smartlists

You can sort custom smartlist in variety way. See More

Top Pro

Kan-Ban

Now has Kan-Ban functionality, non-intrusively, only if you opt to use it for better work flow of task and project management. See More

See All

score 12 · Answer 10

Trello

Top Pro

Attach files to cards

Keep all of your files (images, documents, etc.) organized on their relevant cards. See More

Top Con

Not really a to do list

Trello is much more a workflow and project management program than a typical to-do app, which makes it overwhelmingly robust for those looking to jot down their shopping list. See More

Specs

Platforms:Android / iOS / Windows / Web

Top Pro

Sub-tasks

Each card can have one or even multiple task lists. See More

Top Con

No multi-board aggregation

If you have multiple boards with tasks on them there is no way to get all the tasks on one board in a way that changes on one board will update the other. See More

Top Pro

Good performance

Top Con

Subtasks lack features

Every task can have a list of subtasks which more closely resembles a standard to-do list. These lack the functions that cards offer you. You cannot comment on a sub-list, give the sub-tasks due dates, or provide additional information. You are limited to only checking them off once completed. See More

Top Pro

Lots of API integrations

Top Con

Managing large projects may be difficult

Trello works best with medium to small projects and with very high-level overviews. It is less effective for projects that require very granular management due to the fact that it becomes considerably more difficult to keep track of various cards and priorities as they are pushed off the screen. See More

Top Pro

Functionality can be extended via plug-ins

Voting, view, and calendar plug-ins further increase the functionality. See More

Top Con

You can't add more than 1 Power Up without paying for it

Top Pro

Highly flexible workflow

Trello calls items used in the workflow “cards.” Cards are double-sided and can contain subtasks as well as notes and other details. Card columns can be used to simulate a workflow by moving cards from left to right as they are completed, or as a way of indicating task priority. The workflow is highly flexible as the columns are completely customizable to suit the task flow. For example, tasks can be put through a workflow "idea > approved > in-progress > pending review > released" or simply "ideas > released" depending on the granularity level needed. This makes Trello a great solution to feature management as it's possible to set up boards to handle everything from agile sprints to a more generic to-do list, all with status management. See More

Top Pro

Great real-time team collaboration features

Trello has permissions at the board level as well as the ability to assign multiple people to each card. There are a lot of sharing options available and boards can be made visible for the public. It's also possible to subscribe to a card to be notified of its progress. The simplicity of the UI makes collaboration easy because it’s very simple to see the progress of each card and who is responsible for it. It also updates constantly to reflect real-time changes in progress. The simplicity of the UI makes collaboration easy as it’s very simple to see the progress of each card and who is responsible for it. It also reflect changes on boards in real-time. See More

Top Pro

Simple and easy to use interface

There are two primary columns: the board is shown on the left and all the other controls on the right. The main means of interaction is dragging and dropping to-do cards into the various lists. The board structure is very customizable, and includes a variety of features that help along the way: color-coding, due dates, card images, checklists with a graphics bar that allows following progress easily, and card aging for cards that haven’t been touched in a long time. See More

See All

score 64 · Answer 11

Omnifocus

Top Pro

Powerful and optimised for all aspects of GTD

Top Con

Only available for Mac/iOS

The developers have stated that they are not working on, and have no intention of making a Windows/Android/Linux friendly version of their system. See More

IncredibleBalayang's Experience

Very configurable. Great API support - can easily import tasks from other sources. Lost of applescripts widely available for integrations with Git, JIRA, whatever ... See More

Specs

Platforms:Mac/iOS

Collaborative:Yes

API:Yes

Price:39,99$ - 79,99$

See All Specs

Top Pro

Great apps for ios

Top Con

Very basic integration with other apps

No easy data copy/sync between other OmniApps or 3rd party. See More

ArticulateFulla's Experience

No support old devices, some options cann't configure for user, new task need more that one action to organize (inbox, time, than add project - otherwise it create garbage heap in inbox) See More

Top Pro

Provides flexible review mode of all projects

Top Con

Sluggish and buggy interface

Interface when comparing to apps like TickTick is extremely slow and buggy. See More

Top Pro

Awkward workflows

Top Pro

Nearby and context-sensitive tasks

OmniFocus 2 allows you to set up contexts for tasks in certain areas. This makes sure you never miss a task when you're out running errands and happen to be near something you need to do. See More

Top Con

Different user experience between desktop and phone app

Top Pro

See an overview of all tasks via "Perspective"

The Perspective section allows you to see an overview of the tasks you have set. It also allows you to set contexts or see things you have flagged. See More

Top Pro

Forecast summary

The forecast summary shows a quick digest of the tasks you have for the day. You can select any day to quickly see what tasks you have planned that day. For extra functionality you can connect with the iPhone’s Calender app, which allows you to also see any other events you have planned that day. See More

Top Pro

Defer date

Omnifocus allows users to setup the "defer date" which can be treated as "start date". Tasks will not be marked as available until that date, which should help to focus on the "available" task only. See More

See All

score 21 · Answer 12

Momentum

Top Pro

Specifically designed for GTD

Top Con

Beta interface is confusing for first-timers

The interface is very opinionated (this is a good thing). But it is not obvious how to map user's own GTD variant onto the one the author has in mind. Maybe after it is in production, there will be better on-boarding. See More

Robin Node's Experience

high degree of freedom to structure projects and tasks See More

Specs

Platforms:Windows/macOS/iOS/Linux/Android

Top Pro

Automated Next Steps

Next steps have a separate view. Tasks can be updated sequentially or parallel. See More

Top Con

No native apps

HilariousBaoshengDadi's Experience

Very confusing. UI is terrible and illogical. See More

Top Pro

Projects and Tasks can be endlessly nested

You can nest multiple projects with tasks, there is no limit. See More

Top Con

In Beta (development)

Rounak Baweja's Experience

It is the best life organizer tool I have ever come across. It's designed in such a way that you can always have a clear mind. Although it will take some time to adapt to the flow system, once you get past that phase you are all in for productive life with a well-organized ideas keeper. See More

Top Pro

Has an offline mode

No permanent internet connection needed. See More

Top Pro

Cross-platform

Web-based, progressive-web-app (PWA). See More

Top Pro

Realtime synch

Data instantly updates on all devices. See More

Top Pro

Clean design

Lots of space helps focus on the tasks. See More

See All

score 17 · Answer 13

Microsoft To-Do

Top Pro

Very basic and straightforward

Simple interface and streamlined. See More

Top Con

No start date support

You can add a reminder for an activity, but cannot schedule it for a certain date. There is no distinction between actionable activities and scheduled ones. See More

Specs

Platforms:Windows, Linux, Mac

Multifactor:Yes

Top Pro

Cross-platform

Available on Android, iOS, Windows and web. See More

Top Con

Very basic

Top Pro

Reminders and Due Dates

With important to-dos that you really shouldn't forget you can add reminders and due dates—we'll remember them for you. And if you have to-dos that you need to tick off on a daily, weekly or yearly basis you can set up recurring due dates to remind you each and every time. See More

Top Pro

Office integration

Top Pro

Priorities

Priorities, Graphical ordering... See More

Top Pro

Multidevice sync

To-Do syncs between your phone and computer, so you can access your to-dos from school, the office, or the grocery store or even while you're traveling around the world. See More

See All

score 2 · Answer 14

Notion

Top Pro

Amazing view flexibility

You can create different views for a page's content and easily toggle between kanban, table, etc. (As long as the content is able to allow different views.) See More

Specs

Platforms:Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Web

Collaborative:Yes

Offline access:No

Markdown support:Export

See All Specs

Top Pro

Does a great job with both notes and to-dos

To-dos in Notion aren't just dot point lists. You can drag and drop them into columns just like Trello (Kanban style), you can have sub-tasks, and you can easily mark things off as completed so they are no longer in your way. Notes are also powerful, with proper formatting and ways to manage and search for them, which makes it a great Evernote alternative. See More

Top Pro

Unlike anything else

One of the most complete applications one can use to build a personal dashboard (or professional) and migrate all other services to it. No more calendar, task, notes, financials, lists, writing and wiki apps, just Notion. See More

Top Pro

Full-featured on desktop, mobile and web

Even the right-click menus on the web are the same as the app. See More

See All

score 6 · Answer 15

Things 2

Top Con

Apple devices only

Clients are exclusively for devices from Apple. See More

Top Pro

Amazing UI

Great user interface. See More

IncredibleBalayang's Experience

Used it extensively for a year. Nice. If you are disciplined, Things will do all the things you need from a GTD app. See More

Specs

Platforms:iOS, macOS

Top Con

Expensive

Quite expensive considering its functionality. It looks pleasing but that doesn't justify the cost. See More

Top Pro

Great for GTD

Things is one of the best apps of doing Getting Things Done. See More

Top Pro

Sync works great these days. Import tasks from reminders. Very configurable. Has tags (which omnifocus doesn't).

Top Pro

Daily review

At the beginning of every day, a yellow box appears at the top of the Today section, displaying all tasks scheduled for this day. You can investigate them, and then decide which ones you’ll have for that day and which one you’d rather want to delay. See More

See All

score 7 · Answer 16

2Do

Top Pro

Variety of organization methods

Use a combination of tasks, projects and checklists. See More

Top Con

Decreased cross-platform support, new versions only for iOS

For those that use multiple mobile platforms, support for the Android version has been dropped meaning there is no longer parity between the apps on iOS and Android. See More

Specs

Collaborative:Yes (only when syncing via Reminders)

Top Pro

Get Things Done-style inbox

You can use 2Do according to the Get Things Done methodology – or not. See More

Top Con

No attachment capability

2Do will create a link to a file, but will not store the actual file as an attachment. See More

Top Pro

Support for Apple Watch

Top Pro

Advanced search

Find old tasks or organize smart lists based on complex search terms (for example, “tasks to do at home between 6 pm and 11 pm”). See More

Top Pro

Optionally sync with iCal or Outlook

The app can optionally sync with iCal or Outlook with free helper software available from the 2Do Website. See More

Top Pro

Updates have remained free since beginning of time

Unlike many other apps that will release a new paid version when major features get launched, 2Do doesn't resort to that. See More

Top Pro

Flexible

2Do conforms to your workflow instead of forcing you to conforming into some preset workflow. It helps to accommodate your workflow through a series of features including tags, batch editing, configurable presets, and the ability to quickly add tasks at any time. See More

Top Pro

Offers detailed options

Adding a task can be as simple or complicated as you like. A to-do list entry can simply consist of its title, or you can also add notes, recurrence, set a due date, tag a location, schedule an alarm, priority (low, medium, high, starred) and tack on a URL or photo. You can even make an audio recording with voice notes. And each list is sortable by a number of criteria, including priority and due date. See More

See All

score 12 · Answer 17

Google Keep

Top Con

Not adapted to GTD

Top Pro

Quick and easy to use

Please visit this link for a list of features. See More

Specs

Platforms:Android / iOS / Chrome / Web / Desktop

API:No

Top Con

Limited functionality

See All

score 5 · Answer 18

OmniFocus 2

Top Con

Limited to Apple devices

Must be used as a native Mac, iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch app. There's no cross-compatibility with Windows, Android, or web. See More

Top Pro

Best support for GTD in the marketplace

This really supports the implementation of David Allen's Getting Things Done See More

Specs

Top Pro

Nearby and context-sensitive tasks

OmniFocus 2 allows you to set up contexts for tasks in certain areas. This makes sure you never miss a task when you're out running errands or happen to be near something you need to do. Just set contexts around places you frequent or set as a specific task. See More

Top Pro

Apple Watch integration

You can send lists from your iPhone, and get notifications on your watch each morning with any tasks you have set for that day. See More

See All

score 5 · Answer 19

Simpletasks Dropbox

Top Pro

100% Free

Just like todo.txt cli, this is 100% free (although donations are accepted). See More

Top Con

Must use DropBox service

ImmaculateKresnik's Experience

This works really well for me. I have been a huge fan of todo.txt on Linux for years and this is the first app I've found that not only syncs my todo.txt file with my android phone, but also supports due date sorting and then priority sorting. I know Gina purposely left out due dates in her original todo.txt script for Linux, but I basically use todo.txt and simpletext as a calendar to keep track of things I need to have finished by a specific date. See More

Top Pro

Also comes in a cloudless an Owncloud version

For those who don't care about syncing there is a cloudless version while people who run Owncloud may opt for the Owncloud version. See More

Top Con

As far as I know this app is Android only

I believe Simpletasks is an Android only app. See More

Top Pro

There is an add to calendar button

This not only tells one's calendar (and thus any devices that sync with your calendar) about the todo, but allows all synced calendars to play an audible alarm when the todo is scheduled to be finished. See More

Top Pro

Seemless compatibility with todo.txt cli

Let's one sort to-dos by due date then priority See More

See All

score 2 · Answer 20

Asana

All

1

Specs

Platforms:Web, iOS, Android

37 Options Considered

My Recommendation for Todoist

My Recommendation for Todoist

Using "next" actions requires a messy workaround

Multi-platform compatibility

Free version has limited functionality

No ads in the free version

Doesn't fully embrace GTD workflow

Minimalist UI that's designed for efficient use

Labels (@contexts, etc.) only available with premium subscription

Multiple ways to organize tasks

No start dates, only due dates available

Allows creating location-based reminders

Does not listen to user suggestions

Extensive integration with a wide range of external apps

No support for dependencies

Supports natural language input

Annual subscription required for notifications and attachments

Powerful search and filtering functionality

No manual sort capabilities

Super quick syncing

Does not have a reminder snooze

Monitors productivity and rewards it with karma

Recurring tasks are hard to set because the app only supports "natural language"

Quickly browse your list through smartwatch devices

Not much independence of customising the layout

Visual scheduling

Makes it too hard to see all tasks assigned to you across the app

Great home screen and lock screen widgets

Recurring tasks are hard to set because the app only supports "natural language"

Supports text formatting

No way to add additional info to a task

Browser extension for "add website as task"

Very basic compared to alternatives

Business strategy doesn't hinge on being acquired

Very basic compared to alternatives

Allows sharing and collaborating on tasks

Mac Mail not supported

Smart Schedule (Let AI schedule your tasks)

Awkward data entry

Integration with any app supporting web-calendar link

Heavy premium advertisement

Allows creating task templates

Latest iPhone app only available for iOS 8 and above

Allows creating task templates

Import feature is bad at handling non-English characters

Can be set to send a daily digest email

Infinite list depth

Quickly assign a task to a project as you type with #

No ads in free version

On mobile apps, swipe left/right performs fast reschedule/done

Integration with Sunrise Calendar

My Recommendation for Facilethings

My Recommendation for Facilethings

Android app

Helps the weekly review process

Rather slow

Allows adding items via email

A lot of clicking

Support of a "start" date and a "expected" date

Relatively costly

Horizons of Focus

No native Windows App

Allows attachments in emails

Mobile web version is rubbish

Full Integration and Syncing with Evernote

Integrates with a bunch of third-party tools

Very simple

Excellent support

My Recommendation for Nirvanahq

My Recommendation for Nirvanahq

Solid project management

No way to add sub-projects

Allows setting how much effort a task will take

Does not integrate with other apps or services

Allows adding items via email

No recur upon completion option

Use start dates

No attachments

Beautiful interface