Tough testing, trusted ratings
TO–DO APPS FOR MAC
GROUP TEST
Take control of your life and work with a dedicated task management app for your Mac
REVIEWED BY HOLLIN JONES
ON TEST...
> Any.do
> GoodTask
> OmniFocus
> Things 3
> TickTick
> Todoist
APPLE’S CALENDAR AND Reminders apps provide basic tools for nudging you to do things at specific times, but they don’t really extend to task management or tracking, or indeed anything but the most basic types of collaboration. To–do apps, on the other hand, elevate many of these processes to an art form, providing comprehensive tools that enable you to record and track tasks and reminders in granular detail and across all of your devices.
It’s likely that if you’re in the market for a dedicated to–do app, your needs go beyond simple birthday reminders. The apps on test here range from having a more personalized focus through to more heavyweight project management and the ability to visualize entire processes and collaborate with other team members. As you would expect, they all have iOS and sometimes even Apple Watch versions that sync your data, though these are not always included with the purchase of the Mac app.
Whatever your requirements may be, any of these apps will make managing your work and life significantly easier.
How we tested
We have focused on the Mac versions, though all apps do have iOS companions so additional costs and ease of syncing were also considerations. Setting up multiple smart lists, reminders, tags and, where available, sequential tasks and subtasks, we set up and checked off a range of personal and work–based tasks. Email–to–task, voice input, and collaboration with other invitees were all tested where available in an app, and the overall ease of use and efficiency of workflow was also taken into consideration.