To-Do List Apps for ADHD: What Actually Helps

To pick a to-do list app for ADHD, judge it on three things: how fast you can get a task out of your head, how clearly it shows what to do next, and how well it makes time visible while you work. Friction matters much more than feature count. Start with a free option (Apple Reminders on Apple devices, Microsoft To Do on Windows or mixed devices). Pay only when a specific gap makes it worth it, such as boards, a missing platform or a dislike of subscriptions.

Quick picks:

• Apple Reminders: best free pick if you use Apple devices and need nudges at a set time or place.
• Microsoft To Do: best free pick on Windows, or if you mix Windows, Mac and Android.
• Todoist: best if your list has to follow you to every platform, with board views included.
• Things 3: best one-time-purchase task manager if you only use Apple devices.
• Gubb: best if you want a brain-dump window, checklists, a Kanban board and a timer in one desktop app with no subscription.

We make Gubb, so weigh our view accordingly. We've tried to be fair to every app here, and we say plainly where the free options are enough.

What makes a to-do list app ADHD-friendly

We judged each app on the points below, using its published features and prices as of November 2026. We didn't run trials or surveys.

• Capture in one step. If adding a task takes four taps and a project picker, the thought is gone before you finish. Look for a field you can type into right away, voice entry, or natural-language input.
• A clear "now" view. A list that shows everything at once is hard to act on. Look for views like Today, Overdue or Upcoming that show only what matters this hour.
• Structure you can see. Some people plan better with columns and cards than with a long list. A board shows what's waiting, what's in progress and what's done at a glance.
• Time cues that reach you. A due date you never see doesn't help. You want reminders that actually notify you, or a timer you can see and hear.
• Low setup. If an app needs an afternoon of configuring tags, filters and projects before it's useful, you may never get past the setup.
• Cheap to try and cheap to drop. A free tier, a trial or a one-time price lowers the cost of finding out an app isn't for you.

Summary table

Prices are as of November 2026.

Visual boards: when columns beat a list

A Kanban board splits work into columns, usually To Do, In Progress and Done, and each task is a card you drag from left to right. The useful part is that "in progress" becomes visible. If the middle column has seven cards, you can see you've started too much. One common rule is to cap that column at two or three cards. For the basics, see what a Kanban board is.

Options for a personal board:

• Todoist has board views. Tasks on its Today, Upcoming, label and filter boards can expand to show their sub-tasks.
• Gubb turns a note into a board when you type gubb@board on its own line. It starts with To Do, In Progress and Done columns, and you drag cards between them.
• Trello is built around boards and cards. Third-party reviews say it has a free plan and that paid plans are charged per user; check Trello's own site for current limits.
• Obsidian added a kanban view for Bases in version 1.14, and its core app is free.

You don't need a board app to try the idea. Three headings in any notes app (To Do, Doing, Done) with tasks you cut and paste between them works the same way. If that sticks, a real board saves you the cutting and pasting. There's more in our guide to a personal Kanban board app for Mac.

Timers and time blindness

If you often look up and find an hour has gone (often called time blindness), a to-do list on its own won't show you that. A timer can, if it has three things:

• A visible countdown that stays on screen while you work.
• An audible end, so you notice even when you're absorbed.
• A break prompt that interrupts, rather than a quiet notification you dismiss without reading.

A common setup is the Pomodoro method: work for a fixed block (often 25 minutes), then take a short break. Our guide to the Pomodoro technique covers the method, and how many Pomodoros a day covers planning.

Timer options, built-in first:

• Mac Clock app: macOS has a built-in Clock app with timers and alarms. It's free and enough for most people. See how to set a timer on Mac.
• Windows Clock: Microsoft's Clock app has alarms, timers and Focus Sessions, where you pick a session length and whether to include breaks. It's linked with Do Not Disturb.
• Be Focused (Mac, iPhone, iPad): a Pomodoro timer with a menu bar icon, global hotkeys to start or stop it from any app, a ticking sound and a choice of alarm sounds. The free version shows ads. Pro is a one-time App Store purchase, but listings disagree on its price as of November 2026, so check the App Store.
• Session (Mac, iOS): a Pomodoro timer whose Pro plan blocks distracting websites and apps on the Mac. The free tier has unlimited sessions; Pro is $4.99/month or $39.99/year as of November 2026.
• Stretchly (Mac, Windows, Linux): a free, open-source app that only does break reminders, with short and long breaks.
• Gubb has a countdown timer and full-screen break reminders, covered in its section below. Its timer ends without a sound, so if an audible alarm is what you need, use one of the options above.

For more choices, see the best Pomodoro timers for Mac, the best Pomodoro timers for Windows and break reminder apps for Mac.

Apple Reminders

Reminders is Apple's built-in to-do app, and for many people on Apple devices it's all they need.

Good at:

• Getting tasks in fast. You can add reminders by voice with Siri, and it understands natural language when you type.
• Reaching you at the right moment. Reminders can have dates, locations and repeats. They can even remind you when you message a specific person.
• Structure without much setup: subtasks, sections inside lists, tags, flags, Smart Lists and Custom Smart Lists. Grocery lists sort themselves into categories.
• Syncing across iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Apple Vision Pro through iCloud.

Lacks:

• Apple devices only.
• The advanced features need iCloud reminders and the same Apple Account on each device.
• No timers. It's a reminders and task app only.

Price: free, built into Apple's operating systems.

Pick it if you use an iPhone and a Mac and your main problem is forgetting things at the right time. Pair it with the Clock app for timed work blocks before you pay for anything.

Microsoft To Do

Microsoft To Do is a free, cloud-based list app that syncs across Windows, Mac, Android, iOS and the web.

Good at:

• Free everywhere, with automatic sync between devices.
• Syncing tasks with Outlook and pulling in tasks from other Microsoft 365 apps.
• Lists and tasks from more than one account.

Lacks:

• It's a task list only, with no timer or notes tools. Cloudwards' review lists "does nothing beyond lists" as a con.
• The Mac app needs macOS 13 or later.

Price: free, with no paid plan found as of November 2026.

Pick it if you're on Windows or switch between Windows and other devices and want a free list that just syncs. See also the best to-do list apps for Windows.

Todoist

Todoist is a cross-platform task manager from Doist with projects, boards, filters and team workspaces.

Good at:

• Platforms: Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone, iPad, Android, Apple Watch, WearOS, web, browser extensions and email add-ons. Your list is wherever you are.
• Board views, including Today and Upcoming boards where tasks expand to show their sub-tasks.
• AI features on the Pro plan.

Lacks:

• Paid features are subscription only.
• Third-party sources say the free plan is limited to 5 active projects; we couldn't confirm this on Todoist's own pages.
• It's a task manager, not a scratchpad, so long messy brain dumps fit better somewhere else first.

Price (as of November 2026): Beginner is free. Pro is $7/month or $60/year, with a 7-day free trial. Business is $10 per user per month, or $8 billed yearly.

Pick it if you need one list on every device, including Android or Linux, and you want board views without a separate board app.

Things 3

Things 3 is a personal task manager from Cultured Code for Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch. It has won an Apple Editors' Choice award and was updated for macOS 26 Tahoe.

Good at:

• A one-time price with no subscription.
• Optional sync between your Apple devices through Things Cloud.
• Active development: Things for Mac 3.24.2 came out on November 5, 2026.

Lacks:

• Apple platforms only.
• Each platform is a separate purchase.
• The Mac version needs macOS 13.3 or later.
• It's a task manager only, so if you want a focus timer, pair it with one from the timer section.

Price (as of November 2026): $49.99 one-time for the Mac 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 sold separately.

Pick it if you're fully on Apple devices, you've outgrown Reminders, and you'd rather pay once than subscribe. Our best to-do list apps for Mac page compares more options.

Gubb: dump, list, board and timer in one window

Gubb is our app. It's a small desktop window for notes with checklists, to-do lists, Kanban boards, a timer and break reminders built in, so capture, planning and timing happen in one place.
How to set it up as a system:

1. Open Gubb and type everything in your head into the note, one item per line. To make a line a checklist item you can tick, type [ ] at the start of the line and press Space.
2. For tasks with dates, hover the title bar, click + (Create New Note) and type gubb@todo on a line by itself. Type a task in Add a task... and press Return. Tasks group into Overdue, Today, Tomorrow, Upcoming and No Date.
3. To set a due date, a priority (Low to Urgent) or notes, use the + button (Add new task) instead of quick add. To break a task into steps, use Add subtasks on its row.
4. For a project, start another note and type gubb@board on a line by itself. You get To Do, In Progress and Done columns; drag cards between them.
5. Move the pointer to the right edge of the window, click Timer, set the minutes and click Start. Click Minimize (−) to shrink it to a small floating pill that shows the time.
6. To get pulled away for breaks, click Settings in the same right-edge column, open Break Time, turn on Enable Break Timer and click Save Break Settings.

The title-bar and right-edge buttons stay hidden until you move the pointer over them, which keeps the window clear but takes a moment to learn. Keep gubb@todo and gubb@board alone on their line; inside other text they can open in an older, broken view.

Good at:

• Capture with nothing to set up: the window opens to a note you can type into, and it saves as you type.
• Pin window on top keeps the window above other apps, so your list stays in view while you work.
• Breaks that interrupt. Break Time is off until you turn it on. With the default settings, after 60 minutes of work the Gubb window goes full screen and stays on top with a countdown for a 20-second micro break, and after every 3 micro breaks you get a 5-minute long break instead. You can change all of these in Break Time.
• Voice capture into a note with Speech to Text, using a Whisper model you download in Settings and run on your computer.
• One price instead of several subscriptions.

Lacks (read these before buying):

• No reminders for due dates. Due dates sort tasks into sections, but Gubb never notifies you. If you need nudges, keep Reminders or To Do for that.
• No due times, recurring tasks or drag-to-reorder in the to-do list.
• No sync and no phone app. Your lists live on the computer where you made them.
• No global hotkey. You bring the window up with the menu bar icon or the Dock, or keep it pinned on top.
• The timer ends without a sound, and its Pomodoro mode is a plain countdown that doesn't cycle work and breaks for you.
• Break reminders cover only the Gubb window, not other displays, run only while Gubb is open, and can always be skipped. After a break, the window is no longer pinned on top, so you may need to pin it again.
• Local Speech to Text is English-only and transcribes only the first 30 seconds of a recording.

Price: $59 one-time (lifetime) from gubb.net, and the license activates on up to 3 devices. The Mac download has a 7-day free trial with no account. Gubb is also on the Mac App Store and, for Windows, on the Microsoft Store.

Pick it if you work mostly at one computer, your first step is usually a messy brain dump, and you'd like the list, board and timer next to it rather than in three apps. If you need your tasks on your phone or need alerts when things are due, it isn't the right main app. For the dump-first workflow, see how to do a brain dump.

You can try Gubb free for 7 days on Mac.

How to choose

• If you forget things at specific times or places: use Apple Reminders (Apple devices) or Microsoft To Do (Windows or mixed). Notifications matter more than any other feature here.
• If you lose track of time while working: add a timer with an alarm sound, such as the Mac Clock app or Be Focused, whatever list app you use.
• If long lists make you freeze: try a board. Todoist's board views, Trello or Gubb's gubb@board all work; three headings in a notes app is a free test.
• If you use Android, Linux or several operating systems: Todoist covers the most platforms.
• If you're done with subscriptions: Things 3 on Apple devices, Gubb on Mac or Windows, or the free built-in apps.
• If you want fewer windows to check: pick one place for capture and one for time-based nudges, and stop there. A phone reminders app plus a desktop scratchpad is a workable split.

FAQ

Is there a to-do app made specifically for ADHD?

None of the apps here is built specifically for ADHD. Judge any app by how quickly you can capture a task, whether it shows a clear "today" view, and whether it gives you time cues you'll notice.

Are the free built-in apps good enough?

Often, yes. Apple Reminders and Microsoft To Do both cover quick capture, reminders and sync for free. Pay for another app only when you hit a specific gap, like boards, a platform they don't support, or a desktop scratchpad.

Can Gubb remind me when a task is due?

No. Gubb uses due dates to sort tasks into Overdue, Today, Tomorrow and Upcoming, but it sends no notifications for them. Break reminders are the one place Gubb interrupts you.

Subscription or one-time purchase?

If you've abandoned to-do apps before, start with a free option or a trial. A one-time price, like Things 3 or Gubb, means an app you stop using doesn't keep charging you; a subscription like Todoist Pro can be cancelled but bills until you do.