Start the New Year off right with better task management using one of these great to-do apps for the Mac!
I'm a list-maker. Sometimes, the stuff I have to get done swirls around in my head and I feel like I'm going to explode because there is too much to tackle. So, I make lists. Different lists for different parts of my life.
If you're like me, or just feel better organized when you can check of items on your to-do lists, check out my go-to apps for getting things done.
Todoist
Todoist is one of my favorite to-do apps on iOS and the Mac version is just as awesome. I recently discovered that it works with IFTTT for hundreds of different task-managing options, which frankly makes it the best to-do app for my needs. You can connect it to Google Calendar, weather, and more. My personal favorite, you can connect it to Trello to give you notifications to let you know when you've been assigned a new article (Thanks to Joe Keller for discovering this recipe!).
To-do is will help you keep track of any task, but is also great for people that need a little automated help remember what to do next.
- Free - Download now
Wunderlist
Wunderlist is a fantastic to-do list maker for quickly creating a list of tasks that you need to get done by a specific date and time. I like to use it for its notification features. I'll schedule a list of tasks that I want to get done on a certain day and set a notification to remind me to get it done. You can also set up recurring tasks. So, if you always take out the trash on Tuesday nights, Wunderlist can remind you every Tuesday evening. It has just the right amount of additional features to not bog you down with extra list-writing work. You can create sub-tasks and customized main lists to keep your tasks separate from each other.
If you're looking for a simple list maker that gives you some extra customizable features so you can take your to-do lists even further, try Wunderlist.
- Free - Download now
Things
The joy of Things for Mac is how easy it is to use. If you just came up with a great plan for building that recording studio and want to quickly jot down your ideas, Things makes it work for you. You can then go through and organize your plan with deeper organizational features and date scheduling. It integrates with Reminders, which can be invaluable when you've thought of a task on the spot and need to use Siri to help you remember it.
If you like to use Reminders on occasion (especially with Siri), but want something a little more robust to help you take care of things, try Things.
- $49.99 - Download now
OmniFocus 2
OmniFocus is bursting at the seams with features. It has dozens of organizational options and lets you create project lists with sub-categories. You can add due dates, flag important items on a list, and view tasks like an email inbox. It definitely scratches my itch for list-making and organizing. It is, however, a bit much for anyone just looking to quickly jot down a to-do list.
OmniFocus 2 is definitely worth the price if you need a task manager that can cover every aspect of your working life. If you need a powerful GTD (getting things done) style organizer, OmniFocus 2 is the best one available on the Mac.
- $39.99 - Download now
Reminders
Don't sell Apple's built-in to-do list short. Lately, I've discovered that Reminders is a great go-to list maker for when I need to quickly jot stuff down that I can then access on my iPhone or iPad. I love that it is integrated with Siri, too. So I can tell Siri to "remind me to get bread when I go to the store," and it will set up a geolocation reminder and ping me when I get to the store. It's just simple and it just works.
If you aren't much of a list-maker, but do like having the option to create a list when you need it, Reminders might be the perfect solution for you.
Your favorites?
Do you have a go-to Mac app that scratches your list-making itch? Why is it your favorite?
Reader comments
Best to-do apps for Mac
What about 2do¿? I couldn't believe that you include things in your list before 2do
yep indeed, 2Do for a more complete task manager and I'd add GoodTask 3 as Apple reminder replacement
My favorite choice is GoodTask 3. This app is awesome and has way more customisations and options compared to Apple reminder.
Thanks for writing exactly what I was going to write! They also have a macOS version I've yet to try. I use outlook on PC for my work office365 account, which has a million more option than apple reminders. GoodTask 3 is the only one I could find that supports Office365 & proper start/due dates and reminders.
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These are all great solutions, and there are many more out there, including some that are not Mac-dependent, like http://TickTick.com, http://DoIt.im, http://rememberthemilk.com, and, if use all Google apps on Mac/iOS, http://gqueues.com. Another great one is http://nozbe.com, which is more expensive but has great features.
For me, I had to decide what level of organization I wanted, whether I'd include personal and work together, and then I had to try all the free versions till I found the right balance of cost and features. For example, Wunderlist is terrific and free, but I didn't like the way it handled subtasks, it doesn't review or archive projects automatically, and I wonder if Microsoft will support it long-term (apparently the company is working on another task manager too). I tried Todoist for a while, but I disliked the way it looked (which of course is very subjective, but for some people it's a key factor).
Personally, I like the way Things looks, and it syncs very well. It's the right balance of power and simplicity for me. It's also been around for a long time. Omnifocus 2 has a great review function and the ability to hide projects, but is expensive if you buy all the apps (Mac, iPad, iPhone). If I become more of a power-user over time, I may switch to OF.