- Microsoft To Do is free and solid, but it's basic — no natural-language input, no built-in calendar or habits, limited structure.
- Todoist is the best power upgrade; TickTick adds a calendar, habits, and a timer; Any.do is the polished middle ground.
- Productivity Genie adds AI planning if a list never tells you what to do today; Google Tasks or Apple Reminders if you want free-and-simple elsewhere.
- Pick by how much more capability you actually want.
Why look for a Microsoft To Do alternative?
Microsoft To Do is genuinely good and completely free, with tight Outlook integration — a flagged email becomes a task. But it's deliberately simple: no natural-language quick-add, no built-in calendar view or habit tracking, and limited project structure. Once your task list gets serious, or you leave the Microsoft ecosystem, you feel the ceiling. Here are the six best alternatives, sorted by what you want more of.
1. Todoist — the best power upgrade
Todoist is the natural step up: fast natural-language capture ("submit report Friday 5pm"), projects, labels, filters, and a polished app on every platform, plus an AI voice-to-task feature. Free plan covers 5 projects; Pro is about $5/month. The pick if you want a task manager that scales — see our free Todoist alternatives if the free cap is tight.
2. TickTick — for a calendar, habits, and a timer too
If you want more than tasks, TickTick adds a calendar view, habit tracker, and Pomodoro timer in one app, on every platform, for $35.99/year with a usable free tier. Far more capable than Microsoft To Do for a low price. See our TickTick comparison.
3. Any.do — the polished middle ground
Any.do keeps things clean and good-looking while adding a calendar, reminders, and a nicer interface than Microsoft To Do, across Android, iOS, and web. Some features are paywalled, but it's an easy, attractive upgrade. See our Any.do comparison.
Want more than a list — a day that plans itself? Productivity Genie's AI coach does that, free to start on iOS and Android.
4. Productivity Genie — if you want a plan, not just a list
Microsoft To Do organizes tasks, but like any list it won't decide your day for you. Productivity Genie adds that: an AI coach, Mo, plans your tasks into a realistic day, with habits, a focus timer, and a review in one app, on iOS and Android — free to start. It's brand new and mobile-only, and a bigger shift than swapping list apps. But if a tidy To Do list still left your days shapeless, the plan-my-day layer is the real upgrade. See our AI coach roundup.
5. Google Tasks — free and simple, inside Google
If you're leaving the Microsoft ecosystem for Google, Google Tasks is the equivalent free, minimal option, built into Gmail and Calendar. Bare-bones, but frictionless if you live in Google. See our Google Tasks comparison.
6. Apple Reminders — free and capable on Apple
For Apple users, Reminders has quietly become genuinely good: lists, tags, smart lists, location and time reminders, and deep Siri integration, free on every Apple device. A strong free alternative if you've moved from Windows to Mac and iPhone.
How to choose
- Power features that scale: Todoist.
- Calendar + habits + timer: TickTick.
- Polished middle ground: Any.do.
- A plan, not just a list: Productivity Genie.
- Free and simple (Google): Google Tasks.
- Free and capable (Apple): Apple Reminders.
Switching apps is a chance to simplify rather than port clutter — our guide to simple task management shows how to keep the list lean.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best Microsoft To Do alternative?
Todoist is the best power upgrade — natural-language input, projects, and filters on every platform. TickTick adds a calendar, habits, and a Pomodoro timer for a low yearly price; Any.do is a polished middle ground; and Productivity Genie adds AI planning if you want your tasks turned into a daily plan rather than just a list. Match the pick to how much more capability you want.
Is there a better free alternative to Microsoft To Do?
Microsoft To Do is already one of the best free task apps, so 'better and free' usually means a different fit rather than more features. Google Tasks and Apple Reminders are free within their ecosystems, TickTick and Todoist have free tiers with more capability, and Productivity Genie is free to start with AI planning To Do doesn't offer.
Is Microsoft To Do or Todoist better?
Microsoft To Do is free, clean, and great inside the Microsoft ecosystem, but basic. Todoist is more powerful — natural-language capture, projects, labels, filters, and a larger app ecosystem — with a paid Pro tier. Choose Microsoft To Do for free, simple, Outlook-friendly task management; choose Todoist if you need a task manager that scales with complexity.