In 2020, task management apps aren’t just limited to create and complete tasks. They offer more functions to increase overall user engagement. Some of the features include habit tracking, basic project management, location-based reminders, calendar integration, and more. While choosing an app over the other, it’s essential to invest in a platform that is easily available on rival platforms. That way, all your tasks get synced over multiple platforms, and you don’t lose data when switching between the devices. We have hand-picked top five task management apps for iOS and Mac. In this post, we are going to talk about their features, price, theme engine, and more. Let’s get started.
1. Microsoft To-Do
In a bid to accelerate its ‘Mobile First, Cloud First’ vision, Microsoft purchased the popular task management tool Wunderlist and shut down the further development in favor of its app Microsoft To-Do. After four years of acquisition, I can safely say that Microsoft’s version of task management is right up there with the rivals. The company recently redesigned the whole app to make it more familiar to the Wunderlist users. Microsoft To-Do offers the My Day function, which lets you add tasks for the day. You can quickly add terms like ‘Conference call 8 PM,’ and the app will suggest the time for the task. You can also add sub-tasks for the prime to-do task. Being a Microsoft product, it nicely integrates with other services as well. For example, you can flag an email in the Outlook app, and it will get saved in the Flagged mail section in the Microsoft To-Do app. One can also view the tasks in the Outlook desktop app. The other functions include the ability to create a list, Siri Shortcuts support, dark theme, Wunderlist import tool, and more. The company’s macOS app is right up there with its iOS counterpart. It supports keyboard shortcuts too. The app syncs the theme and wallpapers from the mobile app, which looks nice on the big screen. Microsoft To-Do is completely free to use, and it’s available on Android, iOS, Windows, and Mac. Download Microsoft To-Do for iOS Download Microsoft To-Do for macOS
2. TickTick
This one is my favorite. TickTick is a multi-featured productivity app. It’s full features, but more importantly, the overall implementation is better than the others. The theme support is the best I have ever seen. It’s not limited to light/dark theme. You can implement colorful ones based on seasons and well-known cities around the world. Besides creating a list and adding a task, the app also has integrated habit tracking and the Pomodoro function. You can add habits and complete them to see a cool chain of habit building in the calendar widget. Pomodoro helps you keep track of the productive hours throughout the app. The Mac version is more powerful. In a task list, one can switch to a Kanban-style to view and manage tasks. The desktop app also supports notes function. TickTick is free to use. But the premium subscription at $2 per month lets you unlock functions like theme support, habit tracking, app icon customization, and more. It’s accessible on iOS, Android, Windows, and macOS. Download TickTick for iOS Download TickTick for macOS
3. Apple Reminders
After neglecting the default Reminders app over the years, Apple finally gave it the much-needed makeover with the iOS 13 update. It’s now head to head with the third-party apps there. For starters, the new design looks much better than ever. It lets you add tasks as well as location-based reminders. I use it all the time. I have set the relevant tasks to remind myself wherever I reach my workplace. You can ask Siri to set tasks and even add a reminder when you are messaging a particular person. Check out the best tips and tricks for the Apple Reminders app. The Mac app also got the redesign to resemble the iOS version. It’s not as fluid or intuitive as the others. I’m hoping to see tight integration with other Apple services, including the Notes and Email app in the future. Apple Reminders is only available on iOS and macOS. It’s completely free to use. Download Apple Reminders for iOS
4. Todoist
Used by millions of users around the world, Todoist has nailed the task management in the app. The app uses a fairly standard UI with the hamburger menu. It terms lists as projects and even lets you add tags to find the tasks later. Todoist recently announced Foundation function, which lets you convert big projects in the small tasks to manage them more efficiently. One can also use Siri Shortcuts to set tasks. The app supports icon customization to change app icons. Todoist has integrated a cool stats tab to see the data of completed tasks. The Mac app is right up there with the iOS variant. If you are looking for the best Mac app to manage tasks, then Todoist will easily top the list. It’s available on Android and Windows as well. The app is free to download, but the premium functions such as icon customization, stats, etc., come with a subscription of $50 per year. Download Todoist for iOS Download Todoist for macOS
5. Any.do
Any.do brings fresh UI to the table. It shows the tabbed list from the home screen. The app has rightly integrated the calendar function to use it as a calendar app too. The biggest highlight of the app is how it plans your day. It will suggest all the tasks one by one and will ask you to take action on it. A couple of things to mention here. I experienced a few crashes while using the app, and adding a new task screen was quite cumbersome. It’s not minimal like others and asks way too many details upfront. The Mac app is much better. One can quickly add tasks from the floating menu, and it supports keyboard shortcuts too. Any.do is available on iOS, Android, Windows, and macOS. Download Any.do for iOS Download Any.do for macOS
Get Tasks Done in Style
Use any of the apps mentioned above, and you will be completely fine with flying through the day without missing any task. Microsoft To-Do is free, TickTick is an all-rounder, millions favor Todoist, Apple Reminders makes the best out of Apple ecosystem. At the same time, Any.do is perfect for task and calendar combo. Next up: Looking to ditch the Apple Reminders in favor of richer third-party apps? Read the post to find the top five alternatives for the Apple Reminders app.
