The 40 Best To-Do List Apps For Task Management

For a simple way to manage tasks, Grocery List method apps—where you list the things you need to do one after another, like you list the groceries you need to buy—are best. Some include only task lists, others come with extra features like notes or due dates. The main focus, though, is a list of things you need to do. Grocery List apps are the most common type of to-do list apps. While they're each simple to use, there are a number of apps with their own unique take on simple task management. The best simple to-do list is the one hiding in your Gmail inbox: Google Tasks. Click the round Google Tasks icon in the sidebar of the redesigned Gmail, and you'll find a simple to-do list where you can add tasks, drag in emails to turn them into tasks, and organize everything with sub-tasks and lists. The new version also includes mobile apps, so you can add tasks on the go and get notified when something's due. And with its integration with Google Calendar, you'll see due tasks along with your appointments for the day.

It's the simplest way to turn your email into tasks—and if you just want the basics, it's the to-do list app to pick. For a deeper look at Google Tasks' features and pricing plans, check out our Google Tasks review. → Learn more in our detailed Google Tasks guide. The new task app from the team that brought us Wunderlist, Microsoft To-Do is a great way to manage tasks. List everything you need to do. You can start fresh, or import tasks from Outlook, Todoist, and Wunderlist and pick up your older tasks. Then add notes and due dates to tasks, along with an extra reminder to help you remember when to start working on a task. Sometimes it's hard to know what to do next, even with lists of tasks and due dates. Instead of showing all of the tasks due today, Microsoft To-Do gives you a clean slate in the My Day list each morning so you can decide what's most important.

Tap the lightbulb for suggested tasks—including due and overdue tasks, along with those Microsoft thinks you might want to do today—and build out the perfect list to get stuff done today. Wunderlist was one of our original favorite to-do list apps—and its is an even simpler—and somewhat smarter—way to keep track of tasks. → For a deeper look at Microsoft To-Do's features and how it compares to Wunderlist, check out our Microsoft To-Do guide. The simple Reminders app that comes with iPhones, iPads, and Macs might be the easiest way to keep up with things you have to do. You can even add tasks via Siri when you're in a hurry. Want to do more, There's a lot of power hidden behind the i button on each task. You can add a due date to tasks or have it notify you about tasks at specific locations so you won't forget to pick up stuff at the store, say. Enable the calendar from the View menu and you can drag tasks to their due date. There's even a note field, a priority setting to organize tasks, and the option to share task lists with other Reminders users.

You know of Google Docs and Gmail, but how about Google Keep, This newer notes app from Google is a board virtual sticky notes where you can add images, text notes, and lists. It's great for notes—and equally great for quick to-do lists. Add as many task notes as you need, each with a quick list of bullet-point tasks, then have Google remind you about that list when you need. Individual lists and notes can be shared with other Google users for easy collaboration on small projects. Google Keep is built into Google Docs, too, so you can outline your next essay or list everything that needs done in a project then check those tasks off right from your document. It also is included in the redesigned Gmail sidebar. It's just the basics, but Google Keep's sticky note-style interface just might be to-do system you need if you're used to sticking tasks to your desk or refrigerator and want to arrange your notes and tasks together.

Remember The Milk was one of the first online to-do list apps. And with a recent redesign, the app that's helped manage tasks since the Blackberry was new is still one of the best ways to get things done. It's a simple tool—add your tasks, organize them in lists, and check them off when finished. Tap a task to add extra details, including tags, locations, the estimated time it'll take to finish a task, the day you should start working on it, and much more. Then it adds features to keep things organized. Add Smart Lists to create search-powered lists of tasks, perhaps to group all of your tasks that are due this week and are tagged with your company's name—or anything else you want. It's powerful while still keeping things simple. And if you still want to manage your tasks alongside your emails, you can integrate Remember The Milk with Google Calendar, Gmail, or Outlook to see all of your tasks wherever you work.