When comparing Remember the Milk vs ToDoList, the Slant community recommends ToDoList for most people. In the question“What are the best cross-platform task apps?” ToDoList is ranked 17th while Remember the Milk is ranked 19th. The most important reason people chose ToDoList is:
Cost, percent done, priority, you name it - you have it. If you prefer simple layout - no problem. You can configure everything.
Specs
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro Has its own syntax for programming smart lists
Smart lists are configured using Remember the Milk's syntax, making it very customizable.
Pro Semantic shortcuts
Remember The Milk has a list of semantic shortcuts that allow adding tasks and task options faster.
Pro Many features already working in the free version
The majority of commonly used features are available for free. The pro version adds increased functionality such as advanced sorting, mobile push notifications and sharing permissions.
Pro Excellent cross platform support
Whether you depend on an iOS, Windows or Android phone; Google Calendar or Outlook; Evernote or Twitter: RTM has an app or extension for you.
Pro Powerful query language
Query language can be used to build your own GTD-based system, with tags and lists and queries. Such as system can be used for private life and work alongside several simple lists without things getting mixed up.
Pro Location-based notifications
You can set locations for each task (for example a specific store, or a general location like 'near the beach' for shell collectors), and RTM will remind you when you are near or in that location. This can help keep your daily list uncluttered and remind you of errands you might have forgotten.
Pro Tasks may have additional options
Extra options such as how often it repeats, the due date, and the location.
Pro Support of a "start" date
A start date can be set which can be used with smartlists or to set a reminder.
Pro Lists can be shared
Share lists with other Remember The Milk users, or with iCal and more. Shared lists can be collaboratively updated. This makes it great for teams or just to share progress with others.
Pro Quickly add rich text
Remember The Milk offers Smart Add – shortcuts that allow you to quickly add advanced information to a task. For example, you can quickly add a due date, set the priority level, add a tag, set repeat times, add URLs, and add notes to your tasks. For the full list, check out How Do I Use Smart Add?
Pro Manual sorting
Manual sorting is available on both the web app and android, allowing prioritization of tasks. This can be particularly useful for shopping lists, where you can put all the meat together, and all the cheese together etc. to make it easier to skim through when you're in the store.
Pro Nice Android Widget
Compared to competitors like todoist, the widget doesn't use too much space.
Pro Really, really cool support
They react within hours, and they actually keep track of your issue.
Pro Support for keywords to set due/start date, add to list with one line of text
There are special characters which open a box so the user can select predefined values or a calendar picker.
Pro Lightning fast sync
Syncs quickly across all your devices and platforms.
Pro Syncs with Evernote
Not only syncing, it's more of a "linking" with a two-way synchronization. Changing the title of a note in Evernote will update the title in Remember the Milk. So far, Remember The Milk is the only to-do app with a feature like this.
Pro Add tasks via e-mail
You can add tasks to Remember the Milk via email easily once you get the hang of formatting the messages.
Pro Twitter integration
The Twitter integration is excellent and allows for many types of automation.
Pro Great functionality, lots of options
Cost, percent done, priority, you name it - you have it. If you prefer simple layout - no problem. You can configure everything.
Pro Configurable calendar view, day view, Gantt chart, Kanban
Plugins available for e.g. Kanban and MindMap.
Pro Comments with richtext format
It means comments can have different fonts, links to the pages or links to another tasks. You can format text your way.
Pro All features are free
Unlike many other to-do applications that have pricing plans to unlock additional features, all the features here are available for free.
Pro Multi-level subtasks
Pro Portable & lightweight
Default portable is 2.5 MB.
Pro You can set as many filters as many columns you have, as well as export your view or single tasks
Pro Dummy content (optional) included
Makes it easy to comprehend most features.
Pro Multi criteria sorting
Allows for sorting by 3 criteria. Missing in most task management apps.
Cons
Con Subtasks only available in Pro version
Subtasks can break a longer to-do item into discrete tasks, helping you keep tabs on your progress.
Con Bad UI redesign
The web app takes up too much screen real estate and uses a half-screen format that requires a wide screen. The task edit screen is clunky. It still has UI bugs one year in. You can't complete tasks from the UI.
Con Free version lacks features
Mobile reminders, subtsaks, offline mode, Microsoft Outlook sync, priority, and more features are limited to the paid version ($39.99/year). To see the full list of restrictions, check out this page.
Con Does not support attachments
Cloud storage was recently added as a pro feature.
Con Cannot add task in notification bar
There is no pull down option to add a task in the notification bar.
Con Ugly icon
The goofy cow image does not fit well with a professsional office environment.
Con Windows version startup too slow, on 1st time use
8G RAM, SSD, ToDoList Starting always takes 3-5 seconds to load, but if you go to settings and tune it to start with Windows and to minimize instead of closing, it will be instantaneous next time you use it.
Con Android app is in early stages still
Only the Windows version is fully-featured. The Android app is still in early development.