Best To Do List App for iPhone: 6 Picks, Free or Paid

The best to do list app for iPhone depends on how you like to work. Things 3 is a calm list you pay for once, Todoist is free and works on every device, and Structured plans your day on a timeline. If you want tasks and notes together, Notion holds everything in one place.

How to pick a to do list app for iPhone

Most people searching for a to-do app want one of three things. Some want a simple list they'll actually open every day. Some want help planning the hours of their day, not just the tasks. And some want one app that holds tasks, notes and projects together.

There's also a money question. A few apps here cost once and you own them. Others are free to start, with a subscription for the extra features. Neither is better on its own, but it helps to know which kind you're signing up for.

Three things to check before you choose:

• Where you'll use it. Some of these apps only work on Apple devices. If you also use Android or a Windows computer, that matters.
• What's free. Some apps give you a lot for free, some give you a trial, and one has no free version at all.
• How much setup you want. A list you can use in a minute is very different from a workspace you build yourself.

Things 3: the calm list you pay for once

Things 3 · $9.99 onceView app ›

Things 3 is a to-do list known for its clean, thoughtful design. You add to-dos, group them into projects and areas of your life, like work or home, and see what's due today in one tidy list. You can break a task into smaller steps, schedule it for later and set a deadline.

What makes it different is the price. Things 3 costs $9.99 once for iPhone, with no subscription. There's no free version, so you pay before you try. It works only on Apple devices, and the iPad and Mac versions are sold separately, so if you want it everywhere, you buy it more than once. You don't need an account, and it works offline.

Who it suits: Apple users who want a calm, good-looking list and would rather pay once than every month.

Todoist: the free list that works everywhere

Todoist · Free or $60/yrView app ›

Todoist is the pick if you use more than one kind of device. It works on iPhone, iPad, Android, Mac and the web, so your list follows you from your phone to a work computer.

Its best trick is reading tasks the way you'd write them. Type "pay rent every 1st" and it sets the date and the repeat for you, or just say it out loud. You can sort tasks into projects and labels, and share a project with someone else and assign them tasks.

Personal lists are free. Reminders and more projects need Todoist Pro, a subscription, so see the app page for today's price. You'll need an account to use it.

Who it suits: busy people juggling a lot, small teams and anyone who switches between devices.

Structured: plan your day, not just your list

StructuredView app ›

A list tells you what to do. Structured tells you when. It lays out your tasks, events and routines in order on one timeline, so you can see your whole day at a glance. You drag tasks into time slots, break big ones into smaller steps and drop loose ideas into an inbox to sort later. There's a focus timer and widgets too.

It's designed with people with ADHD in mind, along with students and anyone with a packed day. Seeing time laid out, instead of a long list, can make a busy day feel smaller. There's even a dyslexia-friendly font option.

The planner itself is free and needs no account. Structured Pro adds calendar sync, repeating tasks and AI planning, and you can pay monthly, yearly or once. See the app page for today's prices. It runs on iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Mac.

Who it suits: people who like time blocking, or who find a plain list too easy to ignore.

Notion: everything in one place

Notion · Free or $119.99/yrView app ›

Notion isn't only a to-do app. It's a flexible workspace where you write notes and documents, keep to-do lists and build simple databases for things like projects, trips or classes. You can view tasks as a list or a board, and its AI can answer questions about your pages.

That flexibility is the catch. Notion takes time to set up the way you like, and for a quick grocery list it can feel like too much. But if you already keep your notes in one place and want your tasks right next to them, nothing else on this list comes close.

Notion is free for personal use and needs an account. Teams can try it for free, then pay. It works on iPhone, iPad, Android, Mac and the web.

Who it suits: students, teams and people who like to organize everything in one app.

Fantastical: when your to-do list is really your calendar

FantasticalView app ›

Fantastical is a calendar first, not a to-do list. We include it because many people's real problem isn't a missing list, it's a busy schedule. You type something like "lunch with Sam Friday at 1" and it creates the event for you. It shows your day, week, month or year clearly, and it keeps your tasks right next to your calendar, with the weather for the days ahead.

If most of what you need to remember happens at a set time, a good calendar with tasks alongside may be all you need. If your tasks have no fixed time, pick one of the to-do apps above instead.

The basic calendar is free. Flexibits Premium adds more features, with a 14-day free trial, so see the app page for today's price. It works on iPhone, iPad and Mac.

Who it suits: people with busy schedules who want events and tasks on one screen.

Streaks: for the things you do every day

Streaks · $5.99 onceView app ›

Streaks is a habit tracker, not a to-do list. It's here because some of what ends up on a to-do list isn't really a task. Drinking water, reading or stretching don't get finished, they get repeated. Streaks lets you pick up to 24 habits and check them off each day, with the goal of keeping an unbroken streak. It can also help you break a bad habit by tracking something you want to avoid.

Some habits can be checked off on their own from the Health app, and there are home screen widgets and reminders. It costs $5.99 once, with no free version and no account, and it syncs through iCloud on Apple devices.

Who it suits: anyone whose list is full of daily habits. Pair it with one of the to-do apps above.

Best to do list apps for iPhone, compared

Here's how they line up side by side, with today's prices on the App Store:

Free to do list app or pay once?

If you want to spend nothing, start with Todoist for a simple list or Structured for a daily plan. Both are free to use, and you only pay if you want the extra features. Notion is free for personal use too.

If you hate subscriptions, Things 3 and Streaks are the two you pay for once and own. Structured Pro also has a pay-once option.

If you already pay for Fantastical Premium, try its tasks before adding another app. You might not need one.

How to choose

Start with how you think about your day, then follow that.

If you want a simple list

Pick Things 3 if you only use Apple devices and like to pay once. Pick Todoist if you want it free, or need it on Android or the web.

If you want to plan your day

Pick Structured. Seeing your tasks on a timeline makes it clear what fits and what doesn't.

If you want everything in one app

Pick Notion, and give yourself an afternoon to set it up.

If your list is mostly appointments or habits

Pick Fantastical for appointments, or Streaks for daily habits.

Still not sure? Tell us how you work and find a to-do app that fits, or browse all the productivity apps we cover.

Keep deciding: Find a to-do app that fits how you work, Things 3 on Squapp, Structured on Squapp.