The 5 best to-do list apps: which is right for your work?

Pros

• You can make your Confluence pages as simple or intricate as you’d like.
• Mention and tagging features enhance collaborative working.
• It’s versatile - create reports, user guides, documentation, and more alongside your to-do lists.
• Free to use for up to 10 users.

Cons

• It’s a bit complicated to link tasks to other tasks.
• Though Confluence has a mobile app, its more complex features mean it’s easier to use on desktop.
• Third-party macros usually require an extra subscription for 10+ users.

2. Workflowy

• Bullets [bullet points] as documents - each bullet acts as both an item on your to-do list as well as its own document, meaning you can have lists within lists.
• Tag and search system - add hashtags to your lists to categorise them, and search by tags or keywords.
• Easily view details or the bigger picture - zoom in and out of bullets.
• Share with others to view or edit - customise permissions to let others interact with your documents as much or as little as you’d like.
• Shortcut commands - perform actions more quickly by typing their associated shortcut.
• Nest hierarchy - bullets can be nested to reduce what you see on your page at one time.
• Cross-platform syncing - sync your account between desktop, iOS, and Android.

Pros

• Reduces distractions with its simple, functional design.
• Easy to find bullets (documents) using the search function.
• You can add extra context to your notes and lists by attaching files, dates, and comments.
• Standard accounts are free to use.

Cons

• If you’re more of a visual worker, Workflowy might not be for you.
• Standard free accounts are more suited to individual use than team use.
• If you’re looking for one program that can do it all, you’d do better to look elsewhere.
• You can’t back up your data with a free account.

3. TickTick

• Eisenhower Matrix, Pomodoro timer, habit tracker, and calendar - extra features to keep you focused and on-track.
• Smart Lists - TickTick automatically assigns some of your tasks to smart lists. For example, tasks due on the current date are sent to the ‘Today’ list.
• Customisable reminders - set reminders for your tasks for any date, time, and to be shown as frequently as you’d like.
• Share task lists with others - assign tasks to team members, and have tasks assigned to you by your co-workers.
• Filter tasks by priority - make sure you’re focusing on what matters the most right now.
• Timeline and Kanban views - change the way you view your to-do lists to better visualise what’s coming up.

Pros

• A good balance between being simple, and offering extras that you might need.
• TickTick is available to use on all devices, and works on all operating systems.
• Takes some of the organisational burden off of your shoulders with smart lists.

Cons

• Collaborators have to be manually invited to to-do lists.
• The calendar feature is only available to Premium users.

4. Todoist

• Integration with other calendars and productivity apps - add tasks from your calendar, or pull them from messages in a different app used for work.
• Project organisation - assign tasks to colour-coded projects.
• Recurring due dates - as well as regular due dates, add recurring due dates for tasks that repeat daily, weekly, or monthly.
• Smart task add - Todoist’s quick add feature predicts what you’re adding to your lists based on previous data.
• Project sharing and task assignment - collaborate by sending your projects to co-workers, and assigning tasks to team members.

Pros

• With a bit of set-up, integration with other apps means less time spent switching between apps, and less chance of missing tasks requested by co-workers.
• Todoist offers templates to get you started on your projects quickly.
• Ability to add comments and attachments to your lists.
• Syncs across all devices.

Cons

• Adding subtasks is more convoluted than on other platforms.
• The free version limits users to three labels and three filters.
• Free use is capped at just five collaborators and five projects.
• One of the more expensive options when using a paid subscription.

5. Any.do

• Daily planning feature - Any.do’s ‘My Day’ feature helps you to prioritise tasks for the day ahead.
• Syncs across multiple devices - available on mobile, desktop, tablets, and wearables.
• Integration with various calendars and productivity applications - see your tasks in the usual calendar you use.
• Reminders of what needs to get done - no need to go into the app to see your most time-pressured tasks.
• Mobile widget - on a phone or tablet, use Any.do’s widget to get an overview of your day’s tasks.
• Task sharing - share your tasks and lists with collaborators.

Pros

• Any.do is a good choice for users looking for a simple to-do list app.
• Calendar integration helps you to keep on top of tasks and work them around your other plans.
• The daily planner feature empowers you to know where to focus your attention.

Cons

• Integration with other apps such as Slack is only available to paid users.
• The free version of Any.do has limited customisation abilities.