# Best To-Do List Apps for Mac in 2026: 10 Compared > The best to-do list apps for Mac in 2026: Things 3 for polish, Todoist across platforms, OmniFocus 4 for GTD, TickTick free, NotchOwl to keep today in view. By Aditya Jaiswal, founder of NotchOwl. Published 2026-11-09, updated 2026-11-09. Canonical URL: https://www.notchowl.com/blog/best-to-do-list-apps-for-mac A to-do list app for Mac has one job: hold everything you need to do and show you the right part of it at the right moment. The ten apps below all do that, but they differ on how you pay, which devices they run on, how fast you can type a task, and whether your list lives in a window, the menu bar or the MacBook notch. I make NotchOwl, so it’s on this list; I’ve tried to be fair about where other apps are the better pick. Compared from each app’s website, help center and App Store listing in November 2026. Prices are US prices as of November 2026. Nothing here comes from benchmarks or user surveys. ## Quick picks - **Best overall polish on Apple devices:** Things 3, $49.99 once for the Mac - **Best cross-platform task manager:** Todoist, free or Pro $5/month billed yearly - **Best free all-in-one:** TickTick, free or Premium $49.99/year - **Best for power users and GTD:** OmniFocus 4, from $74.99 once - **Best free app already on your Mac:** Apple Reminders - **Best for keeping today’s tasks visible, and the lowest one-time price:** NotchOwl, $9 once - **Best free app for Windows and Outlook users:** Microsoft To Do - **Best for family lists and WhatsApp reminders:** Any.do, free or Premium $4.99/month billed yearly - **Best for teams:** Todoist Business, $8 per user/month billed yearly - **Best guided daily planning:** Sunsama, $17/month billed yearly - **Best visual timeline of the day:** Structured, free core app ## How we compared Each app was checked on five things, using only what its developer publishes: the price model and free-tier limits, platforms, capture speed (a global shortcut and natural-language dates like “dentist friday at 10”), how sync and reminders reach your phone, and whether today’s list stays in view while you work. ## Mac to-do list apps compared Table: The best to-do list apps for Mac compared by price, free tier, platforms, natural-language input, sync and standout feature (US prices, November 2026) | App | Price | Free tier | Platforms | Natural-language dates | Sync and reminders | Standout feature | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Things 3 | $49.99 once (Mac); iPhone $9.99, iPad $19.99 | Free trial on its website | Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Vision Pro | In the When and Deadline fields | Things Cloud; timed reminders | Today with This Evening; Quick Entry with Autofill | | Todoist | Pro $5/mo yearly or $7 monthly; Business $8/user/mo yearly | Yes: 5 personal projects | Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone, iPad, Android, web | Yes, in Quick Add | Todoist cloud | Quick Add, Ramble voice capture, team workspace | | TickTick | Premium $49.99/year | Yes: 9 lists, 99 tasks per list | Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone, iPad, Android, web | Yes (Smart Date Parsing) | TickTick cloud; constant and location reminders | Pomodoro, habits, Eisenhower Matrix | | OmniFocus 4 | Standard $74.99 or Pro $149.99 once; or $99.99/yr | 14-day trial | Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Vision Pro; web with subscription or add-on | In date fields (“tomorrow”, “2d”) | Omni sync | Custom perspectives (Pro), Forecast, Review | | Apple Reminders | Free | Free, built in | Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Vision Pro | Yes: suggests the date you typed | iCloud; time and location reminders | Shared lists with assignment | | NotchOwl | $9 once for up to 3 Macs | No (14-day refund) | Mac only: Apple silicon, macOS 14+ | Yes: day, time, priority, project, repeat | On the Mac; optional two-way Apple Reminders sync | Today’s tasks and a focus timer in the notch | | Microsoft To Do | Free | Free, no paid tier | Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, web | Windows and iOS only, per Microsoft | Microsoft account; Outlook tasks | My Day, shared lists | | Any.do | Premium $4.99/mo yearly or $7.99 monthly | Yes: unlimited tasks | Mac, Windows, iPhone, iPad, Android, Apple Watch, Wear OS, web | Yes (Smart Type) | Any.do cloud; WhatsApp and location reminders with Premium | My Day planner, Family plan | | Sunsama | $17/mo yearly or $22 monthly | 14-day trial, no free plan | Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, iPadOS, Android, web | Partly: “@Friday” start dates, “~30min” estimates | Two-way Google, Outlook and Apple calendar sync | Guided daily planning and shutdown | | Structured | Free core; Pro price varies by region | Yes | iPhone, iPad, Mac (macOS 15+), Apple Watch, Vision Pro, Android, web | Not stated on its site | Calendar import with Pro | Visual timeline of your day | ## The best to-do list apps for Mac ### Things 3: best overall polish on Apple devices Things 3 by Cultured Code is a personal task manager known for a calm, uncluttered design. Things 3 sorts work into areas, projects with headings, and to-dos with checklists. The Today list holds what you plan to do today, with an optional This Evening section for things you can only do later, and Upcoming shows scheduled and repeating to-dos, deadlines and calendar events for the days ahead. - **Price:** $49.99 once for the Mac, $9.99 for iPhone and Apple Watch, and $19.99 for iPad, as of November 2026. Each version is a separate purchase, with no subscription. Mac version 3.24.2 came out on November 5, 2026. - **Platforms:** Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Vision Pro, synced through Things Cloud. No Windows, Android or web app. - **Best for:** people who use only Apple devices and want a polished list at a fixed price. - **Strengths:** Quick Entry (Control–Space) captures a to-do over any app, and Quick Entry with Autofill also saves a link to the page, email or file you’re viewing. The When and Deadline fields understand typed dates like “tomorrow” or “next week” in eight languages. Calendar events appear at the top of Today. - **Drawbacks:** no shared lists, no focus timer, no menu bar app, and no official MCP server (community ones exist). Dates go in the date fields; Things 3 doesn’t read them from the task title. - **Official site:** [culturedcode.com/things](https://culturedcode.com/things/) For cheaper, cross-platform or always-visible options, see [the best Things 3 alternatives for Mac](/blog/things-3-alternatives-mac). ### Todoist: best cross-platform task manager Todoist by Doist runs on Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone, iPad, Android and the web. Todoist is known for Quick Add, which reads natural language, so “submit report friday at 3pm” gets its date and time without touching a date picker. - **Price:** Beginner is free with 5 personal projects and 3 filter views. Pro costs $5/month billed yearly ($60) or $7 monthly, and Business costs $8 per user/month billed yearly or $10 monthly, as of November 2026. - **Platforms:** Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone, iPad, Android and the web. - **Best for:** people who move between a Mac, a Windows PC and an Android phone, and teams that share projects. - **Strengths:** global Quick Add with Option–Space on the Mac; Ramble voice capture you can start from the Todoist menu bar icon; deadlines; list and board layouts, plus calendar and table layouts with Pro. Business adds a shared team workspace with roles and permissions. Doist also runs an official cloud MCP server for AI assistants. - **Drawbacks:** the free plan stops at 5 personal projects and 10 Ramble sessions a month; no focus timer among its listed features; on the Mac, the list itself lives in a window. - **Official site:** [todoist.com](https://www.todoist.com) For a closer look at the trade-offs, read [NotchOwl vs Todoist](/blog/notchowl-vs-todoist). ### TickTick: best free all-in-one TickTick combines a to-do list with a Pomodoro timer, a habit tracker, an Eisenhower Matrix, countdowns and calendar views. TickTick’s Smart Date Parsing reads dates and times typed into a task title, so “buy ticket tomorrow 8 am” gets a due date and a reminder. - **Price:** free with 9 lists, 99 tasks per list, 2 reminders per task and 5 habits. Premium costs $49.99 a year, as of November 2026, and raises the limits to 299 lists and 999 tasks per list, with multiple calendar views and task durations. - **Platforms:** Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone, iPad, Android and the web. - **Best for:** one app for tasks, focus sessions and habits, starting free. - **Strengths:** on the Mac, Command–Shift–O opens a menu bar mini window with your tasks and a focus session, and Command–Shift–A captures a task from any app. Constant and location reminders, shared lists (2 members free, 29 with Premium), and MCP servers listed among Premium features. - **Drawbacks:** caps on the free plan, and a long feature list to sort through. - **Official site:** [ticktick.com](https://ticktick.com) ### OmniFocus 4: best for power users and GTD OmniFocus 4 by The Omni Group is built around Getting Things Done: an Inbox, projects, tags, a Forecast view of upcoming tasks, and a Review that walks you through your projects to keep them current. Custom perspectives (saved, filtered views) need OmniFocus Pro. - **Price:** Standard $74.99 or Pro $149.99 once, or a $99.99/year subscription that includes Pro, as of November 2026. 14-day free trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee. The one-time license covers all 4.x updates; future major upgrades are discounted, not free. - **Platforms:** Mac (macOS 15.2 or later), iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Vision Pro in one purchase, plus web access with the subscription or a paid add-on. - **Best for:** GTD users with many projects who want weekly reviews and views they design themselves. - **Strengths:** deep filtering and project structure; date fields accept “tomorrow”, “next Thursday” or “2d”; one purchase covers every Apple device. - **Drawbacks:** the highest one-time price here, a steeper learning curve, no Windows or Android app, and only community MCP servers. - **Official site:** [omnigroup.com/omnifocus](https://www.omnigroup.com/omnifocus/) ### Apple Reminders: best free app already on your Mac Apple Reminders is free, built into macOS, and syncs through iCloud to iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Vision Pro. On the Mac, typing “Pay bills on Saturday” makes Reminders suggest that date. Apple Reminders supports Smart Lists, tags, sections, subtasks, time and location reminders, and shared lists where you can assign reminders to people. - **Price:** free. - **Platforms:** Apple devices. - **Best for:** reminders on iPhone and Apple Watch at no cost, shared family lists, and a base list other apps can sync with. - **Strengths:** no new account, and many Mac apps build on it: NotchOwl, Notchable and Tiimo sync with Reminders, and Reminders MenuBar puts it in the menu bar. - **Drawbacks:** no focus timer and no menu bar mode; the list lives in a window. No Windows or Android app. - **Official guide:** [Reminders User Guide for Mac](https://support.apple.com/guide/reminders/welcome/mac) ### NotchOwl: best for keeping today’s tasks visible NotchOwl is a Mac planner that lives in the MacBook notch instead of a window. Hover over the notch or press Option–N, and today’s tasks, a focus timer, a daily notepad and today’s Calendar events drop down over whatever app you’re in. NotchOwl reads tasks the way you’d say them: “call mom tomorrow at 5pm !high #family” gets a day, a reminder, a priority and a project, and dictation is transcribed on the Mac. - **Price:** $9 once (an early-bird price, normally $29) for up to 3 Macs, with lifetime updates and a 14-day money-back guarantee. No subscription, free tier or trial. - **Platforms:** Apple silicon Macs with macOS 14 Sonoma or later. No Intel, iPhone, iPad, Windows or web app. A notch is optional: external monitors get one NotchOwl draws, and Macs without a notch open NotchOwl at the top center of the screen. - **Best for:** people whose list disappears behind other windows, and anyone who wants a low one-time price. - **Strengths:** reminders open the notch with Snooze and Done buttons; future days and a Week view with an Inbox; unfinished tasks carry forward; repeats, deadlines, priorities and projects; a countdown or stopwatch focus timer; optional two-way Apple Reminders sync to iPhone and Apple Watch; a local MCP server for Claude Code, the Claude app and Cursor. Data stays on the Mac, with JSON export. - **Drawbacks:** Mac-only and Apple-silicon-only, no shared lists, and Calendar is read-only. NotchOwl is a day planner first, so long-range project planning is lighter than in Things 3 or OmniFocus 4. First released September 15, 2026. - **Get it:** [download NotchOwl](/download) or see [what the $9 license includes](/#pricing). ### Microsoft To Do: best free app for Windows and Outlook users Microsoft To Do is a free list app built around My Day, a daily list that clears every night so each day starts blank. Unfinished My Day tasks stay in their own lists and come back as Suggestions the next day. - **Price:** free, with no paid tier. - **Platforms:** Mac (macOS 13 or later on the Mac App Store), Windows, iOS, Android and the web. The Mac app’s last update, version 2.177, came out on July 6, 2026. - **Best for:** people who use Outlook or Windows at work and want the same list on a Mac. - **Strengths:** shared lists with assigned tasks, steps inside tasks, files up to 25 MB, recurring due dates and reminders, and tasks that sync with Outlook, including emails you flag there. - **Drawbacks:** Microsoft’s help page lists smart date recognition for the Windows and iOS apps only; no focus timer. - **Official site:** [Microsoft To Do](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/microsoft-to-do-list-app) ### Any.do: best for family lists and WhatsApp reminders Any.do is a to-do list and calendar app with My Day, a daily planner that starts each morning empty so you pick today’s tasks, with your calendar events alongside. Any.do’s Smart Type reads dates like “tomorrow 9am” typed into the Quick Add bar, and forwarding an email to do@any.do turns it into a task. - **Price:** the Personal plan is free. Premium costs $4.99/month billed yearly or $7.99 monthly; Family costs $8.33/month billed yearly or $9.99 monthly for 4 members; Teams costs $4.99 per member/month billed yearly or $7.99 monthly, as of November 2026. - **Platforms:** Mac (macOS 10.15 or later), Windows, iPhone, iPad, Android, Apple Watch, Wear OS, the web, and Chrome and Firefox extensions. - **Best for:** households that share grocery lists and chores, and people who live in WhatsApp. - **Strengths:** free unlimited tasks with reminders, a calendar beside the list, shared lists, and a Family plan with a shared grocery list. - **Drawbacks:** recurring tasks, location reminders, WhatsApp reminders and color tags need Premium, and the Family plan is fixed at 4 members. - **Official site:** [any.do](https://www.any.do) ### Sunsama: best guided daily planning Sunsama is a daily planner for work more than a classic list app. Sunsama’s morning ritual pulls tasks in from your calendar, backlog and connected tools, compares the planned time with your workload limit, and lets you timebox tasks on your calendar. Unfinished tasks roll over to the next day at midnight. - **Price:** $17/month billed yearly ($204) or $22 monthly, with a 14-day trial, no card needed and no free plan, as of November 2026. - **Platforms:** macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, iPadOS, Android and the web. - **Best for:** people whose tasks are spread across Jira, Linear, Notion, Slack, email and their calendar. - **Strengths:** two-way Google, Outlook and Apple calendar sync, a daily shutdown, weekly objectives, focus mode with Pomodoro timers, integrations with Todoist and Apple Reminders, and an official MCP server. - **Drawbacks:** the most expensive app here, and more ritual than a simple list needs. - **Official site:** [sunsama.com](https://www.sunsama.com) ### Structured: best visual timeline of the day Structured is a day planner that puts your tasks on one visual timeline, so you see how the hours fill up rather than reading a list. - **Price:** the core app is free. Structured Pro is sold monthly, yearly or lifetime at prices that vary by region, so check their site for yours. - **Platforms:** iPhone, iPad, Mac (macOS 15 or later), Apple Watch, Vision Pro, Android and the web. - **Best for:** people who plan in blocks of time and want a free start. - **Strengths:** an inbox, a focus timer, widgets and Live Activities; Pro adds recurring tasks, AI planning and calendar import. Structured is an App Store Editors’ Choice, rated 4.8. - **Drawbacks:** a day planner rather than a project manager. Replan, for unfinished tasks, is a Pro feature that isn’t available on Android and Structured Web yet, and the Reminders import is one-way. - **Official site:** [structured.app](https://structured.app) Sunsama and Structured are planners more than lists; [the best daily planner apps for Mac](/blog/best-daily-planner-apps-mac) compares them with Tiimo, Akiflow and others. ## How to choose a to-do app for your Mac Table: Which Mac to-do app fits which need (November 2026) | If you… | Choose | Why | | --- | --- | --- | | Use only Apple devices and want polish | Things 3 | Clean design, fixed price, Quick Entry | | Want it free on Apple devices | Apple Reminders | Built in, iCloud sync, shared lists | | Switch between Mac, Windows and Android | Todoist or TickTick | Apps on every platform plus the web | | Work in Outlook or on Windows | Microsoft To Do | Free, syncs with Outlook tasks | | Run many projects with weekly reviews | OmniFocus 4 | Perspectives, Forecast, Review | | Lose track of a list hidden in a window | NotchOwl | Today’s tasks one hover away in the notch | | Share lists with a team | Todoist Business | Team workspace, roles and permissions | | Share chores and groceries at home | Any.do or Apple Reminders | Family plan or free shared lists | | Plan in hours, not lists | Sunsama or Structured | Timeboxing or a visual timeline | A few more rules of thumb: - **Count your devices first.** If one runs Windows or Android, Things 3, OmniFocus 4, Apple Reminders and NotchOwl drop out. - **Decide on subscriptions.** Things 3, OmniFocus 4 and NotchOwl sell one-time licenses; Todoist, TickTick, Any.do and Sunsama sell subscriptions. See [Mac productivity apps with no subscription](/blog/mac-productivity-apps-no-subscription) for what each lifetime license covers. - **Test capture before features.** Type five real tasks with dates into each trial or free tier; the fastest one is the one you’ll keep using. > The best to-do list app for Mac depends on your devices and habits: Things 3 ($49.99 once) for Apple-only polish, Todoist for Mac, Windows and Android, OmniFocus 4 for GTD, Apple Reminders for free, and NotchOwl ($9 once) to keep today’s tasks visible in the notch. ## Window, menu bar or notch? Most apps above live in a window, which works if you open your list on purpose. If the window slips behind a browser, the list stops existing until tomorrow. TickTick’s menu bar mini window softens that, and NotchOwl skips the window: the day drops down from the notch on hover. For more apps that stay in view, see [the best menu bar to-do apps for Mac](/blog/best-menu-bar-to-do-apps-mac). ## When NotchOwl is the wrong choice - **You need an iPhone or iPad app.** NotchOwl reaches iPhone and Apple Watch only through Apple Reminders sync. Things 3, Todoist, TickTick, OmniFocus 4, Microsoft To Do, Any.do, Sunsama and Structured have iPhone apps. - **You use Windows, Android or the web.** NotchOwl runs only on the Mac. Todoist, TickTick, Microsoft To Do and Any.do run nearly everywhere. - **You have an Intel Mac.** NotchOwl needs an Apple silicon Mac (M1 or newer). Todoist, TickTick, Microsoft To Do and Any.do also run in a web browser, whatever the Mac. - **You want a free app.** NotchOwl has no free tier or trial, only a 14-day refund. Apple Reminders and Microsoft To Do are free, and TickTick, Todoist and Any.do have free plans. - **You share lists or work in a team.** NotchOwl has no shared or team lists; Todoist Business, Apple Reminders and Microsoft To Do do. - **You plan on a calendar.** NotchOwl reads today’s Calendar events but never creates or edits them, and has no time-blocking. Sunsama and Structured are built for that. - **You run large, long projects.** OmniFocus 4’s perspectives and reviews, or Things 3’s areas and headings, are built for long project lists. - **You want music controls in the notch.** NotchOwl has none; NotchNook and Boring Notch do. ## Frequently asked questions ### What is the best to-do list app for Mac in 2026? It depends on how you work. Things 3 ($49.99 once) is the most polished list for Apple-only users, Todoist (free, Pro $5/month billed yearly) is best across Windows and Android, OmniFocus 4 suits GTD power users, and NotchOwl ($9 once) keeps today’s tasks visible in the MacBook notch. ### What is the best free to-do list app for a Mac? Apple Reminders is the best free option if you only use Apple devices: it is built into macOS and syncs to iPhone and Apple Watch through iCloud. Microsoft To Do is free with no paid tier and also runs on Windows and Android, and TickTick’s free plan adds a Pomodoro timer and habits. ### Is Things 3 worth $49.99 on the Mac in 2026? Yes, if you only use Apple devices and want a polished list with no subscription. Things 3 has no shared lists and no Windows, Android or web app, and the iPhone ($9.99) and iPad ($19.99) versions are sold separately. ### Which Mac to-do apps understand natural-language dates? Todoist, TickTick, NotchOwl, Apple Reminders and Any.do read dates typed into the task itself, such as “call mom tomorrow at 5pm”. Things 3 and OmniFocus 4 understand typed dates like “tomorrow” in their date fields, and Microsoft’s help lists To Do’s date recognition for Windows and iOS only. ### Which Mac to-do app is best for a team with shared projects? Todoist Business is the strongest pick for teams: $8 per user per month billed yearly, with a shared team workspace, roles and permissions. Apple Reminders and Microsoft To Do share lists for free, while Things 3, OmniFocus 4 and NotchOwl have no shared lists. ### Can I buy a to-do list app for Mac without a subscription? Yes. Things 3 ($49.99 for the Mac), OmniFocus 4 (Standard $74.99 or Pro $149.99) and NotchOwl ($9 for up to 3 Macs) are one-time purchases, and Apple Reminders and Microsoft To Do are free. Todoist, TickTick, Any.do and Sunsama sell their paid plans as subscriptions.