Best Microsoft To Do Alternatives in 2026

Microsoft To Do is still a good choice if you want a free, simple task list that works closely with Outlook. My Day, reminders, recurring tasks, steps, shared lists and flagged-email integration cover the basics well.

The reason to switch is usually not that Microsoft To Do is bad. It is that your workflow has become more complicated than a list.

Explore task managers for people juggling many small tasks.

If you need stronger daily planning, built-in time tracking, AI planning and review, automatic calendar scheduling, advanced filters or deeper project management, there are better alternatives in 2026.

Microsoft To Do Alternatives: Quick Comparison

The right Microsoft To Do replacement depends mostly on what you have outgrown.

Why People Outgrow Microsoft To Do

Microsoft To Do intentionally keeps task management simple.

You can create lists, use My Day, set reminders and due dates, make tasks repeat, break tasks into steps, attach files and share lists.

It also has a major advantage for Microsoft 365 users: To Do is built directly into Outlook. Flagged emails can become tasks, and tasks can appear inside Outlook's My Day experience.

For many users, that is enough.

The limitations appear when task management becomes part of a larger planning system.

You may want to:

• See how long tasks actually take.
• Review what you completed last week.
• Organize several clients or areas of life at once.
• Ask AI to turn a goal into a structured plan.
• Automatically schedule tasks around meetings.
• Build custom filtered views.
• Manage larger projects.
• Combine notes, tasks and project context.
• Understand progress across a month or quarter.

That is where alternatives become more interesting.

1. SelfManager.ai - Best for Date-Based Planning and AI Review

SelfManager.ai is the most different alternative on this list because it changes the basic unit of organization.

Microsoft To Do starts with lists.

SelfManager starts with dates.

Every day has its own workspace, and each date can contain multiple tables. You might have one table for client work, one for product development, one for administration and another for personal tasks on the same Tuesday.

That makes it particularly useful for people whose work and personal obligations compete for the same day.

Where SelfManager goes beyond Microsoft To Do

SelfManager combines:

• Date-based daily workspaces
• Multiple tables per day
• Week and Month views
• Pinned long-running tables
• Task priorities and statuses
• Built-in time tracking
• Notes and comments
• Images and recordings
• AI planning
• AI reviews
• AI chat and summarization
• Voice capture
• Historical records of completed work

AI Plan can create an editable plan covering anywhere from one day to 31 days.

Explore using one task manager instead of several productivity apps.

Instead of simply generating a list, it can create separate dated tables and tasks across the period. You review the plan before anything is saved.

AI Review works in the opposite direction.

Choose a week, month, quarter or custom period and SelfManager can examine the tasks, statuses, priorities, tracked time, notes, comments and other context recorded during that period.

This makes it useful for questions such as:

"What did I actually accomplish last week?"

"Where did most of my time go?"

"What slipped repeatedly this month?"

"What should I carry into next week?"

Explore AI task managers that can write a weekly review.

Built-in time tracking is another major difference

SelfManager includes a task timer and manual time entry.

That gives you actual task and table durations instead of relying only on due dates and completion checkmarks.

For freelancers, consultants, founders and desk workers handling many small tasks, this can be more useful than simply knowing whether something was completed.

Where SelfManager is weaker

SelfManager is not a Microsoft ecosystem replacement.

There is currently:

• No Outlook Calendar integration
• No Google Calendar integration
• No CalDAV integration
• No automatic calendar time blocking
• No automatic rescheduling
• No public API
• No Zapier integration
• No general webhook system
• No subtasks
• No tags
• No Gantt charts
• No dependencies
• No sprints
• No custom fields or formulas

There are also no native iOS or Android apps today. SelfManager runs in a modern browser on phones and tablets and can be added to the home screen for app-like access.

Choose SelfManager if your main problem is organizing, executing and reviewing work by day.

Do not choose it if Outlook synchronization is essential to your workflow.

SelfManager.ai pricing

Individual:

• $8/month
• $72/year, equivalent to $6/month
• 35 AI credits per week

Team:

• $30/month flat
• $300/year, equivalent to $25/month
• Unlimited collaborators
• 70 AI credits per week
• Team AI Review

Both plans include a 7-day full-feature trial with no credit card required.

Explore affordable AI daily planners under $10.

See how SelfManager works.

2. Todoist - Best General-Purpose Microsoft To Do Alternative

Todoist is probably the easiest step up if Microsoft To Do feels too basic but you do not want a dramatically different workflow.

It still feels like a traditional task manager, but gives you substantially more control.

Todoist supports:

• Projects
• Sections
• Subtasks
• Labels
• Priority levels
• Recurring tasks
• Custom filters
• Reminders
• Shared projects
• Calendar-oriented planning features
• AI-assisted features on paid plans

It also works almost everywhere: Windows, macOS, Linux, web, iPhone, iPad and Android.

That makes it a strong choice for someone leaving Microsoft To Do because they want more power rather than a completely different planning philosophy.

Todoist pricing

The Beginner plan is free.

Todoist Pro costs:

• $7/month
• $60/year

Choose Todoist if you like list-based task management but want significantly more organization and flexibility.

3. TickTick - Best if You Want More Productivity Tools in One App

TickTick is another natural progression from Microsoft To Do.

It retains familiar lists and tasks but adds more surrounding productivity features.

The free version already supports priorities, tags, subtasks, recurring tasks, reminders and cross-platform syncing.

Premium adds features including:

• Multiple calendar views
• Task duration
• Higher limits
• Additional reminders
• More advanced planning options

TickTick is available on Windows, macOS, Linux, web, iOS and Android.

This makes it especially attractive for someone who likes Microsoft To Do's simplicity but wants their task manager to handle more of the wider productivity workflow.

TickTick pricing

TickTick offers a free plan.

Premium currently costs $49.99 per year.

Choose TickTick if you want a traditional task manager with more built-in planning functionality without moving into a heavy project-management platform.

4. Sunsama - Best for Deliberate Daily Planning

Sunsama solves a different problem.

Instead of primarily helping you store tasks, it focuses heavily on deciding what belongs in your day.

You intentionally review tasks, bring work into the day and plan it around the available time.

Sunsama also connects with external work systems and calendars, which makes it a much stronger fit than SelfManager for someone whose workday is heavily controlled by meetings.

The experience is deliberately slower and more structured than Microsoft To Do.

That can be a benefit if your problem is not capturing tasks but committing to a realistic workload.

Sunsama pricing

Sunsama currently costs:

• $22/month when billed monthly
• $17/month when billed annually

There is a 14-day free trial with no credit card required.

Choose Sunsama if you want a guided daily-planning ritual and your calendar is central to how you work.

Explore different ways to plan an office workday.

5. Akiflow - Best for Task Capture and Calendar Time Blocking

Akiflow combines task management with calendar planning.

It brings together:

• Tasks and subtasks
• Calendar events
• Quick capture
• Daily planning
• Recurring tasks
• Priorities
• Labels and tags
• Time blocking
• Productivity analytics
• Google Calendar synchronization
• Outlook Calendar synchronization
• Automation through Zapier and IFTTT

That last point makes Akiflow particularly relevant to Microsoft To Do users.

If you are leaving To Do but still need Outlook Calendar to remain part of the workflow, Akiflow is much closer to that requirement than SelfManager.

Akiflow pricing

Akiflow Pro currently costs:

• $34/month when billed monthly
• $19/month when billed annually

A 7-day free trial is available.

Choose Akiflow if you want tasks and calendar scheduling to operate as one workflow.

6. Motion - Best if You Want AI to Build Your Schedule

Motion is the strongest alternative here if your real problem is scheduling.

Microsoft To Do lets you decide what you need to accomplish.

Motion goes further by deciding when tasks should happen.

Its AI scheduler considers things such as:

• Deadlines
• Priorities
• Available time
• Meetings
• Work capacity

It then places tasks into the calendar and recalculates the schedule as circumstances change.

If a meeting appears or work takes longer than expected, Motion can reorganize the remaining schedule.

This is fundamentally different from SelfManager.

SelfManager's AI helps create a plan that you review and approve. It does not automatically move unfinished tasks or rebuild your calendar.

Motion is designed specifically for users who want the software to handle that scheduling work.

Motion pricing

Motion Pro AI currently starts at $19 per user per month.

Choose Motion if you want AI to decide when tasks should happen.

Do not choose it simply because you want a more powerful task list. Its main value is automation around time.

7. Things 3 - Best for Apple Users Who Want Simplicity

Things 3 is almost the opposite of ClickUp or Notion.

It deliberately stays focused.

Its structure includes:

• Inbox
• Today
• Upcoming
• Anytime
• Someday
• Areas
• Projects
• Tags
• Checklists

Things is especially good for someone who likes the simplicity of Microsoft To Do but wants a more polished personal task-management experience.

There is one major restriction.

Things is Apple-only.

It runs on Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Vision Pro.

There is no:

• Windows app
• Android app
• Linux app
• Web app

If you are looking for a Microsoft To Do alternative specifically because you work from Windows, Things is therefore probably not the answer.

Things uses one-time purchases rather than a subscription, with each Apple platform sold separately.

Choose Things if you use Apple devices exclusively and want personal simplicity rather than collaboration or integrations.

8. Notion - Best if Tasks Are Only Part of the System You Need

Notion is not primarily a to-do list application.

That is exactly why it can make sense for someone who has outgrown Microsoft To Do.

Instead of only creating lists, you can build a workspace containing:

• Documents
• Notes
• Databases
• Tasks
• Projects
• Custom properties
• Subtasks
• Dependencies
• Calendars
• Knowledge bases

The tradeoff is setup.

Microsoft To Do gives you a ready-made task system.

Notion gives you building blocks.

That makes Notion more flexible but also easier to overcomplicate.

Notion works through the browser and has Windows, Mac, iOS and Android apps.

Notion pricing

Notion offers a free plan.

The Plus plan currently starts at $10 per member per month.

Choose Notion if your tasks need to live beside documentation, research, project information and a larger knowledge system.

Do not choose it if what you really want is a task manager that requires almost no configuration.

9. ClickUp - Best for People Moving Beyond Personal Task Management

ClickUp is the heaviest alternative on this list.

That is not necessarily a criticism.

If your workload has grown from personal tasks into structured projects or team operations, ClickUp provides much more depth than Microsoft To Do.

Its current platform includes tools for:

• Tasks and projects
• Docs and wikis
• Forms
• Calendar
• Whiteboards
• Gantt charts
• Time tracking
• Dashboards
• Sprints
• Custom fields
• Automations
• AI

ClickUp also works through the web and has desktop apps for Windows, Mac and Linux, plus iOS and Android apps.

ClickUp pricing

ClickUp has a Free Forever plan.

Its Unlimited plan currently costs:

• $10 per user/month when paid monthly
• $7 per user/month when billed annually

AI products and more advanced AI functionality have separate pricing options.

Choose ClickUp if Microsoft To Do has become too lightweight because your tasks are turning into real projects.

For an individual simply trying to plan tomorrow, ClickUp can easily be more system than necessary.

Which Microsoft To Do Alternative Should You Choose?

The easiest way to choose is to identify exactly what To Do is no longer solving.

Choose Todoist if you want a stronger version of traditional task management

Todoist is the safest general-purpose upgrade.

You keep a familiar list-and-project model but gain subtasks, filters, labels, broader integrations and more sophisticated organization.

Choose TickTick if you want more planning tools without moving into project management

TickTick fits users who want more capabilities around their tasks but still want the app to feel personal.

Choose Sunsama if you need a daily planning ritual

Sunsama is strongest when the main challenge is deciding what realistically fits into today.

Choose Akiflow if you want tasks and Outlook Calendar together

Its Outlook Calendar integration makes it particularly relevant to Microsoft users who do not want to abandon calendar-based planning.

Choose Motion if you want automatic scheduling

Motion is the better fit when you want software to actively place and move tasks on your calendar.

Choose Things 3 if you moved from Microsoft to Apple

Things offers an excellent personal workflow, but only inside Apple's ecosystem.

Choose Notion if you need a workspace, not just tasks

Use Notion when notes, documentation and structured information matter as much as the to-do list.

Choose ClickUp if your personal task list is turning into project management

ClickUp provides the deepest project structure in this comparison.

Choose SelfManager.ai if your work is organized around days

SelfManager makes the most sense if one day contains many different types of work and you want to keep the history of what happened.

It is particularly suited to founders, freelancers, consultants, knowledge workers and people managing several areas of work and personal life from a desk.

Its strongest difference is the complete loop:

Plan what comes next.

Work inside the day.

Track what happened.

Review the week or month with AI.

Then use that history to plan again.

That is a different problem from simply maintaining a to-do list.

Is Microsoft To Do Still Worth Using?

Yes.

There is no reason to replace Microsoft To Do if its simplicity is working for you.

It remains particularly useful when:

• You already live inside Outlook.
• You mainly need basic personal lists.
• You use flagged emails as tasks.
• My Day gives you enough daily focus.
• You do not need built-in time tracking.
• You do not need complex project structure.
• You do not need AI planning or AI-generated historical reviews.

Free software that solves your actual problem is better than a sophisticated productivity system you spend more time maintaining than using.

Move only when you can identify the missing capability.

FAQ

What is the best alternative to Microsoft To Do?

Todoist is one of the strongest general-purpose alternatives because it keeps the familiar task-management model while adding projects, subtasks, labels, filters and broader cross-platform support. Other apps are better for specific workflows: Motion for AI scheduling, Sunsama for daily planning, ClickUp for project management and SelfManager.ai for date-centric planning and AI review.

Is there a better Microsoft To Do alternative for Windows?

Todoist, TickTick, Notion, ClickUp, Sunsama and Akiflow all support Windows-oriented workflows. SelfManager.ai works through the browser on Windows. Things 3 does not support Windows at all.

What is the best Microsoft To Do alternative with AI?

It depends on what you want AI to do. Motion is designed around automatically scheduling tasks, while SelfManager.ai uses AI to create dated plans and review your actual work history. Todoist and ClickUp also include AI-assisted functionality inside broader task and project systems.

What is the best Microsoft To Do alternative with time tracking?

SelfManager.ai includes a built-in task timer and historical time data, while ClickUp also includes time tracking within a more advanced project-management system. TickTick Premium supports task duration, but users needing detailed project or work logs should compare the exact workflow they need.

Can SelfManager.ai sync with Outlook?

No. SelfManager.ai currently has no Outlook Calendar, Google Calendar or CalDAV integration. If Outlook synchronization is required, use an alternative designed around calendar integration, such as Akiflow, Sunsama or another calendar-first planner.

Does SelfManager.ai replace Microsoft To Do?

It can for users who want to move from list-based task management to date-based planning. It is not a direct feature-for-feature replacement because SelfManager does not provide Outlook integration, subtasks, tags or automatic calendar scheduling.

Is Microsoft To Do free?

Yes. Microsoft To Do is available free and works with Microsoft accounts. Its close Outlook integration makes it especially useful for people already inside Microsoft's ecosystem.

Should I switch from Microsoft To Do?

Switch only if you can name the capability you are missing. If you simply need lists, reminders, recurring tasks and Outlook-connected daily planning, Microsoft To Do may already be enough. If you need deeper planning, time tracking, AI, calendar automation or project management, one of the alternatives above is likely a better match.