Microsoft To Do Alternatives for Mac and Windows (2026)

The best Microsoft To Do alternative depends on why you're leaving.

• Sync across Windows, Mac and your phone, plus projects and boards: choose Todoist.
• You've moved to Apple devices: choose Things 3 or Apple Reminders.
• A simple checklist kept on your own computer with no account: choose Gubb.

Each option gives up something Microsoft To Do does well, so the sections below cover what each one lacks as well as what it adds.

For context, Microsoft To Do is free, runs on Windows, Mac, iPhone, Android and the web, and syncs tasks with Outlook. People usually look elsewhere for one of three reasons:

• They want more structure than plain lists. Cloudwards' review names "does nothing beyond lists" as a con.
• They've moved to Apple devices and want an app built around them.
• They'd rather not keep their tasks in a cloud account at all.

Quick list:

• Todoist: best for syncing tasks across every platform, including Linux, with projects and board views.
• Things 3: best for Mac, iPhone and iPad users who want one-time purchases instead of a subscription.
• Apple Reminders: best free option if every device you own is Apple.
• Gubb: best for a simple daily checklist on one Mac or Windows PC, stored locally with no account.

We make Gubb, so weigh our view accordingly. We've tried to be fair to every app here, and Gubb is the narrowest tool on this list.

Microsoft To Do alternatives compared

Prices are as of November 2026.

Todoist

Todoist is the closest match if you use Microsoft To Do on a Windows PC and a phone and want more than lists. It runs on Linux, Mac, Windows, iPhone, iPad, Android, Apple Watch and Wear OS, plus the web, browser extensions and email add-ons.

Good at:

• Platform coverage. It runs on more platforms than any other app here, so switching computers or phones won't strand your tasks.
• Board views. Tasks on Today, Upcoming, label and filter boards can expand to show their sub-tasks.
• Teams. The Business plan adds team workspaces.
• Updates. The official 2026 changelog has entries up to October 30, 2026 for web, macOS, Windows and Linux.

Lacks:

• A one-time option. Paid features are subscription only.
• Notes. It's a task manager, not a scratchpad or notes app.

Price (as of November 2026):

• Beginner: free.
• Pro: $7/month, or $60/year ($5/month billed yearly), with a 7-day free trial. Pro includes AI features.
• Business: $10 per user per month, or $8 per user per month billed yearly, with a 14-day free trial.

Pick it if you need the same task list on Windows, Mac and a phone (or on Linux). It also suits you if you want projects and boards, and you're fine with a subscription when you need Pro features.

Things 3 (Mac, iPhone, iPad)

Things 3 from Cultured Code is a personal task manager made only for Apple devices. It has an Apple Editors' Choice award on the App Store, and you buy it once per platform rather than subscribing.

Good at:

• One-time pricing. There's no monthly fee.
• Native Apple apps. It runs on Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch, with optional sync through Things Cloud.
• Updates. Version 3.22.3 (September 2025) refreshed the design for macOS 26 Tahoe, and Things for Mac 3.24.2 came out on November 5, 2026.

Lacks:

• Windows support. There is no Windows version. If you still use a Windows PC for work, Things can't replace To Do there.
• One purchase for everything. Each platform is a separate purchase, so Mac plus iPhone costs more than the Mac price alone.
• Support for older Macs. The Mac version needs macOS 13.3 or later.
• Anything beyond tasks. It's a task manager only.

Price (as of November 2026): $49.99 for the Mac version on the Mac App Store. Cultured Code offers a 15-day free trial of the Mac version from its website. The iPhone and iPad versions are bought separately.

Pick it if all your devices are Apple and you want a dedicated task app you pay for once.

Apple Reminders

If you've moved fully to Apple devices, Reminders is the free replacement that's already installed. It syncs through iCloud across iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Apple Vision Pro.

Good at:

• Structure. It supports subtasks, sections inside lists, tags, flags, dates, locations and repeating reminders.
• Adding tasks quickly. You can add reminders by voice with Siri, or type them in natural language.
• Unusual triggers. It can remind you when you message a specific person, and you can attach a URL or image to a reminder.
• Smart lists. It offers Smart Lists, Custom Smart Lists, and grocery lists that sort themselves into categories.

Lacks:

• Windows support. We found no Windows version, so it's no help if you also use a Windows PC.
• Full features on every setup. The advanced features need updated iCloud reminders and the same Apple Account on each device.
• Other tools. It's a reminders and task app only.

Price (as of November 2026): free with Apple devices.

Pick it if every device you use is Apple and you want a free app that's already installed. For most people in that position, Reminders is enough, and there's nothing to buy.

Gubb for lightweight checklists

Gubb is our app: a small single-window scratchpad for Mac and Windows. It's not a full task manager. It fits if your To Do use is mostly "today's list on this computer" and you'd rather not have an account or a cloud copy.

How the to-do list works

You turn a note into a to-do list by typing a command:

1. Hover over the title bar and click + (Create New Note).
2. On an empty line, type gubb@todo (or /todo) with nothing else on that line.
3. Type a task in the Add a task... field and press Return.
4. For more detail, click + (Add new task) instead. Set a Due Date, a Priority (None, Low, Medium, High or Urgent) and notes, then click Add Task.
   Tasks are grouped into collapsible Overdue, Today, Tomorrow, Upcoming and No Date sections. Click the circle to complete a task. Each task can have subtasks, and the row shows progress such as "1/3".

For something simpler, type [ ] and Space at the start of any line to get a plain checklist item. Typing gubb@board alone on a line gives you a Kanban board with To Do, In Progress and Done columns and cards you can drag between them. If boards are new to you, see what a Kanban board is.

Good at:

• Local storage. There's no account, and tasks are stored in a database on your computer, so the list works offline.
• Keeping the list in view. Lists sit in the same small window as your notes, and you can pin that window on top of other apps.
• Other small tools. The same window has clipboard history and a timer, if you'd otherwise run separate apps for those.

Lacks (read this before switching from To Do):

• Reminders. Gubb has no reminders or notifications for due dates. A due task only shows under Overdue or Today when you open the note.
• Due times and repeats. Due dates are date-only, and there are no recurring tasks.
• Sync. There's no sync and no phone or web app. Your list lives on one computer.
• Reordering and labels. You can't drag tasks to reorder them, and there's no labels UI.
• Delete confirmation. Deleting a task happens immediately, without a confirmation step.
• Integrations and import. There's no integration with Apple Reminders or Calendar, and no importer for To Do or other task apps. Plan to retype the tasks you want to keep.

One gotcha: gubb@todo must sit alone on its line. If it's inside other text, the note can open in an older to-do view that doesn't work properly.

Price (as of November 2026): $59 one-time for a lifetime license from the direct Mac download, which activates on up to 3 devices. Because there's no sync, each device keeps its own notes and tasks. Gubb is also on the Mac App Store and the Microsoft Store.

Pick it if you want a local checklist and quick notes on a Mac or Windows PC and don't need alerts or a phone app. If you rely on To Do to ping you about deadlines, Gubb won't replace that.

The to-do section of our help center covers the details. The direct Mac download includes a 7-day free trial.

Pick a Microsoft To Do alternative by what you need

• Your tasks must sync across Windows, Mac and a phone, with projects or boards: Todoist. Start on the free Beginner plan.
• You're all-Apple and want it free: Apple Reminders.
• You're all-Apple and prefer a dedicated app you pay for once: Things 3.
• You want tasks offline, with no account, on one computer: Gubb. Accept that it has no reminders.
• You want a board view instead of lists: Todoist's boards, or Gubb's gubb@board for a personal board on one computer.

For wider roundups, see our guides to the best to-do list apps for Mac and the best to-do list apps for Windows.

Should you switch at all?

Microsoft To Do does several things well that none of the alternatives above fully match for free:

• Price and reach. It's free on Windows, Mac, iPhone, Android and the web, with automatic sync.
• Microsoft integration. It syncs tasks with Outlook and pulls in tasks from other Microsoft 365 apps and services.
• Multiple accounts. It handles lists from more than one account.
• A Mac app. It has its own app on the Mac App Store, which needs macOS 13 or later.

If your work runs on Outlook or a Microsoft 365 account, staying put is often the sensible choice. Each alternative gives something up:

• Cost: Todoist Pro, Things 3 and Gubb cost money.
• Windows: Things 3 and Reminders have no Windows version.
• Sync: Gubb doesn't sync.

Switching makes the most sense when you've left Windows for Apple devices, or when you want something To Do doesn't do. For projects and boards, that's Todoist. For a list on your own computer with no account, that's Gubb.

FAQ

Is there a free Microsoft To Do alternative that works on both Windows and Mac?
Todoist has a free Beginner plan, and Todoist runs on Windows, Mac, the web and phones. Apple Reminders is free but works only on Apple devices.

Does Microsoft To Do have a Mac app?
Yes. It's on the Mac App Store and needs macOS 13.0 or later.

Can Gubb remind me when a task is due?
No. Gubb shows due tasks under Overdue, Today or Tomorrow when you open the note, but it sends no notifications. If you need alerts, use Apple Reminders, Todoist or Microsoft To Do itself.