Best Todo Apps 2026: BAR Leaderboard
We scored 8 todo apps on the BAR rubric — accuracy, features, UX, price, support. Things 3 leads at 92. Here's the leaderboard, sorted.
BAR Top Pick
#1 Things 3 — 92/100 · N/A MAPE
Apple Design Award-winning todo app. One-time purchase per platform. Best UI in the category.
The Leaderboard
Things 3
Top PickApple Design Award-winning todo app. One-time purchase per platform. Best UI in the category.
- Apple Design Award winner (multiple)
- Cleanest UI in the category
- One-time purchase per platform
- GTD methodology alignment
- Apple ecosystem only — no Android, Windows, Linux
- Total cost across devices is ~$80
- No collaboration features
Best for: Apple ecosystem users wanting personal todo system
BAR #1. UI quality + one-time purchase wins.
Todoist
Cross-platform todo app. Strongest cross-platform support. Workable free tier; reasonable Pro pricing.
- Strongest cross-platform support
- Workable free tier
- Reasonable Pro pricing
- Natural language input is best-in-class
- UI is less polished than Things 3
- Free tier limited on filters and projects
- Subscription pressure
Best for: Cross-platform users and team collaborators
BAR #2. Cross-platform breadth is the win.
TickTick
Feature-rich todo app with built-in pomodoro, calendar, and habit tracking. Strong all-rounder.
- Built-in pomodoro timer
- Built-in habit tracker
- Calendar view
- Workable free tier
- UI is busier than Things 3
- Free tier limited on history
- Less polished than top-2
Best for: Users wanting all-in-one productivity
BAR #3. All-in-one feature breadth is the win.
OmniFocus
GTD-purist todo app. Most powerful task system on Apple platforms. Steep learning curve.
- Most powerful GTD implementation
- Perspectives system is unmatched
- Mature platform (15+ years)
- Privacy-first
- Steep learning curve
- Apple-only
- $74.99/year is highest in category
Best for: GTD-system power users
BAR #4. Power-user GTD pick. Loses on accessibility.
Apple Reminders
iOS native todo app. Genuinely free. Has matured significantly since 2019 redesign.
- Free, built-in
- Strong Siri integration
- Location-based reminders
- Apple ecosystem native
- Apple-only
- Less powerful than Things or OmniFocus
- Smart Lists feel limited
Best for: Apple users who don't want a third-party app
BAR #5. Free + native is the win.
Microsoft To Do
Microsoft's free todo app (Wunderlist successor). Cross-platform and free.
- Free with Microsoft account
- Cross-platform
- Microsoft 365 integration
- My Day daily planning
- Less polished than top picks
- Microsoft ecosystem optimal
- Limited automation
Best for: Microsoft 365 users
BAR #6. Niche Microsoft pick.
Any.do
Long-running todo app with calendar integration. Subscription pressure.
- Calendar + tasks integration
- Cross-platform
- Workable free tier
- Subscription pressure is aggressive
- UI feels less modern
- Smaller user base
Best for: Users wanting calendar-task integration
BAR #7. Niche calendar-integration pick.
Google Tasks
Google's basic todo. Genuinely free. Minimal feature set; Gmail and Calendar integration is the win.
- Free with Google account
- Gmail and Calendar integration
- Cross-platform
- Minimal feature set
- No subtasks beyond two levels
- Less polished standalone app
Best for: Google Workspace users wanting minimal todo
BAR #8. Niche Google-ecosystem pick.
BAR Score Weights
- Accuracy (30%): Reliability, sync stability, methodology fidelity
- Features (25%): Tasks, projects, perspectives, integrations
- UX (20%): Capture friction, daily-use polish, mobile experience
- Price (15%): Annual or one-time cost normalized against features
- Support (10%): Customer support, documentation, community
How We Ranked the Top 8
We scored 8 todo apps on the BAR Score rubric. Weights: Accuracy 30%, Features 25%, UX 20%, Price 15%, Support 10%.
The Accuracy component scores reliability (sync stability, data integrity), methodology fidelity (GTD, time blocking, project decomposition), and consistency across platforms.
For features, UX, and support, our reviewers ran a 60-day daily-use protocol on each app. Capture friction (how many taps to add a task) was measured precisely.
Why Things 3 Wins
Things 3 scores 92 — 2 points clear of Todoist at #2. The win is UI quality and the one-time purchase model. Multiple Apple Design Awards validate the UI. One-time purchases ($9.99 iPhone, $19.99 iPad, $49.99 Mac) total ~$80 for the full Apple lineup, which is competitive with 2-3 years of subscription todo apps. Privacy-first (no analytics) is the secondary differentiator.
Bottom Line
For Apple-only users in 2026, install Things 3. For cross-platform users, Todoist at #2. For all-in-one productivity (todo + pomodoro + habits), TickTick at #3. For GTD power users, OmniFocus at #4. For users who don’t want a third-party app, Apple Reminders at #5 has matured into a credible default.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the BAR Score?
BAR Score weights Accuracy 30%, Features 25%, UX 20%, Price 15%, Support 10%. Full rubric at /en/methodology/.
Why is Things 3 #1?
Things 3 wins on UI quality and the one-time purchase model. Multiple Apple Design Awards validate the UI. The total cost across devices (~$80 for iPhone + iPad + Mac) is high, but it is one-time, not recurring. Privacy-first (no analytics) is the secondary differentiator. Apple ecosystem-only is the cap.
Things 3 vs Todoist — which is right for me?
Things 3 if you're Apple-only and want the cleanest UI with one-time purchase. Todoist if you need cross-platform support, collaboration, or natural-language input. The 2-point margin reflects close competition; both are excellent at their target users.
Should todo app users pair with calendar?
Yes. Per GTD (Allen) methodology, todos and calendar serve different purposes — todos are 'next actions' and calendar is 'must-be-done-today.' Most users on this leaderboard pair their todo app with Apple Calendar, Google Calendar, or Outlook. Time-blocking from todo into calendar is a productivity practice that benefits from this integration.
How often are these rankings re-tested?
Top-3 quarterly, ranks 4-8 every six months.
What about apps not on this list?
Notion (project management oriented), ClickUp, Asana, and Trello (Kanban-first) are tracked but did not make the 2026 personal-todo top-8 cut.
References
Editorial standards. Best App Rankings follows a documented BAR Score rubric. We do not accept compensation in exchange for placement, ranking, or favorable framing.