Things, Todoist, Reminders or Sprint Zero: an honest guide
There are many good to-do apps for Apple devices, and we use several of them. This guide covers three of the best known alongside Sprint Zero, and tries to be straight about who each one is for.
Apple Reminders
Best for: errands, shopping and anything you want to add by voice.
Reminders is free and already on every Apple device. Siri understands it, lists can be shared with family, and it can remind you when you arrive somewhere. For “buy milk” and “call the dentist”, it is hard to beat.
It is a list of reminders, though, not a place to think. Notes on an item are small, and a task is either complete or not.
Things
Best for: people who want a calm, beautifully made task manager.
Things is a native app with years of polish. Its Today and Upcoming views are excellent, and a start date can hide a to-do until the day you want to see it. If you like a clear structure of areas and projects, it is a pleasure to use.
Two things to know. The Mac, iPhone and iPad apps are bought separately. And Things is about to-dos: each one can carry notes, but there are no free-form pages where writing and tasks mix.
Todoist
Best for: people who need their list everywhere, or share it with others.
Todoist runs on almost everything, including Windows, Android and the web. Typing “every other Friday at 9am” just works, and you can assign tasks to other people. Its filters and labels are powerful once you learn them.
It needs an account and keeps your tasks on its servers. The fuller features are part of a subscription.
Sprint Zero
Best for: people whose tasks and notes belong on the same page.
Sprint Zero is closer to a notebook than a task database. A page holds writing, sections and checklists together, in the order you put them. On top of that:
- Tasks can be working, blocked or snoozed, not only done or not done. A task blocked until a date comes back by itself.
- It is native on both Mac and iPhone, with no web views.
- It works offline with no account. Sync, if you want it, uses your own iCloud.
- One purchase covers both apps. There is no subscription.
Side by side
| Reminders | Things | Todoist | Sprint Zero | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Notes and tasks on one page | No | No | No | Yes |
| Working and blocked states | No | No | With labels | Yes |
| Hide a task until later | No | Start date | Filters | Snooze |
| Needs an account | Apple Account | For sync | Yes | No |
| Windows or Android | No | No | Yes | No |
| Sharing with others | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| Recurring tasks | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| How you pay | Free | Per platform | Subscription | Once |
Features and pricing change, so check each app’s own site before you decide.
What Sprint Zero does not do
We would rather you knew now than after you bought it. Sprint Zero has no shared lists, no repeating tasks, no location reminders, and no version for iPad, Windows, Android or the web. If any of those matter to you, one of the other three is the better choice today.
How to choose
- You mostly need nudges and shopping lists: Reminders.
- You want a refined, structured task manager: Things.
- You need every platform or a shared list: Todoist.
- You think by writing, and your tasks live inside your notes: Sprint Zero.