The 4 best to-do list apps to get your tasks organized

There are tons of productivity hacks out there, from creating a morning routine to getting enough sleep and eating healthy. But none of these compares  to making a to-do list. There is power in putting down everything you need to do in a day or even a week. It ensures that you prioritize the right tasks and stay motivated to finish what you have planned for a particular period.

Furthermore, creating a to-do list makes you orderly and organized, relieves stress and helps you delegate.

Luckily, you no longer have to deal with sticky papers every time you want to plan your day. You can now go the digital way with tons of to-do list apps to choose from.

Planning your time on an app gives you a sense of accomplishment. You also don’t have to worry about forgetting to carry your list because you will always have it on your phone and the best part is that you can set reminders.

But how do you select the right to-do list app especially with so many options in the Market? This guide compiles some of the top rated apps, their features, pros and cons to help you make a sound decision.

What Are the Best To-Do List Apps?

Google Task Manager

Rating by G2: Not listed
Rating by Capterra: Not listed

Google recently introduced an app that aims to help users maximize their productivity, Google task manager. And from the name, you can already tell that the application offers a dedicated place to create, and edit your to-do list. You can view and edit task lists, including those created within Google calendar or in Gmail.

The main difference between Google task manager and the previous Gmail to do list applications is the interface. This one features a much easier to use interface along with Google Calendar and Google Keep notes which you can pop at the Gmail sidebar with a single click.

You can integrate Google Task Manager with other apps such as Gmail and calendar. Being able to access your to-do list on other platforms is useful and helps to save time, syncing changes and allows you to trace your tasks back to the source.

To-Do list Features

• Integration with other apps which allow you to view your to do list from other platforms
• Allows you to create your list and break it down into subtasks
• You can set a reminder simply by adding a date

Pros

• Features an easy to use interface 
• You can create and edit to-dos from the app 
• Integrates with Gmail 
• You can choose which tasks to prioritize 

Cons 

• The reminder doesn’t allow you to set time, which may not work for everyone
• Tasks can’t be shared or delegated

Google Keep

Rating by G2: Not listed

Rating by Captera: 4.8 stars

The most notable feature about Google Keep is the ability to create, share and even collaborate with others on the notes and to-do lists. The application is ideal for web-based note taking and works for individuals, businesses and professionals.

You can use Google Keep to keep notes about everything you do and what you intend to accomplish within a particular period. It features easy to use search functionality. The user interface is simple yet interactive and you can add a picture to your notes.

Google Keep is a cloud based application that allows you to jot thoughts down which you can later integrate into Google Docs.

However, the app features basic features which make it unsuitable for individuals looking for complex solutions. But it is free and easy to use so you can forgive it for being basic.

Google Keep allows you to create as many notes as you wish, with a maximum of 20,000 characters per note. You can also add labels to be more organized.

The app lets you compile your ideas and add reminders and it is accessible both on computers and mobile devices.

To-Do list Features

• You can create different kinds of memos
• The application is tied to your Google account so you can access your notes on different devices provided you are logged into your account
• The app gives you options of making your notes by text, voice recording, picture or checklist

Pros

• It is completely free
• Easy to use interface
• Features voice notes
• You can set reminders

Cons

• Lacks automated notes
• Notes can’t be shared
• Doesn’t allow text formatting

Drag

Rating by G2: 4.4
Rating by Capterra: 4.4

Pricing:  $8/ user/month

Drag is the best task management app for anyone using Gmail. The most noticeable feature about this application is being able to open your mail and viewing what’s going on instantly.

Drag transforms Gmail into a team workspace. It offers a single interface where you can create to-dos, manage tasks and close deals without having to switch tabs. You no longer have to switch between tools, which saves you time and ensures accuracy in your workflow. This is super helpful for companies that have email-driven workflows because they can quickly transform their emails into tasks.

Drag is a chrome extension that makes it easier to share notes and collaborate with teammates. Besides creating a to-do list, drag is a perfect solution for anyone looking for free project management software. It makes communication and collaboration easier; saves time and helps professionals to achieve the most within the shortest period.

To-Do list Features

• The application features Kanban Gmail for easy viewing of your progress
• Allows you to use email as to do list thus no need to switch between tools
• Integration with other tools such as calendar
• Allows desktop and mobile synchronization so you can view your notes and lists from different devices

Pros

• Features a user-friendly interface
• Turns gmail to a single working space
• Affordable especially for small organizations

Cons

• It is only ideal for individuals that use Gmail

TickTick

Rating by G2: 4.6 stars
Rating by Capterra: 4.8 stars

Pricing: $2.99/user/month

Ticktick provides an array of features to suit different platforms. The application features natural language processing, which makes it easy for users to add tasks. Moreover, it has a universal keyboard shortcut for desktop users and pinned widgets for mobile users. Therefore, you don’t have to go through the lengthy process of opening tabs to add tasks to your list.

With Ticktick, you can organize your tasks using tags, lists and due dates. If you wish, you can add sub-tasks under the main tasks. The to-do list application has an inbuilt pomodoro timer that lets you start a 25 minute work session for your tasks.

Your app allows integration with different third-party tools such as calendar,  which lets you view your tasks and appointments in a single interface and even do time blocking. The in-built habit-tracking tool comes through to let you view how much you have accomplished over the past days and whether you did or did not stick to your commitments.

The app has an Eisenhower Matrix view that helps you prioritize tasks depending on the urgency and importance.  It also features automatic task creation thus saving time.

To-Do list Features

• Integration with calendar for easy tasks and appointment viewing
• Automatic task creation to save time 
• Habit tracking tool to keep you on track
• Eisenhower Matrix view to help you prioritize tasks

Pros

• Easy to use interface
• Suitable for mobile and desktop users
• Integration with other tools
• Has an embedded timer

Cons

• Lacks reminder and you may end up forgetting to check the calendar.
• Doesn’t have customizable boards to organize complex tasks
• Doesn’t have analytics to help understand the amount of work done

What Makes a Good To-Do List?

Creating a to-do list alone is not enough to keep you productive. Consider if the list helps you to plan your day and whether it has in any way helped you improve since you started to use it.

A good to-do list should help you make the most out of every second. Furthermore, it should guide you to prioritize the right and most important tasks.

How Should You Organize Your To-Do List?

The most important feature of a good-to-do list is proper organization. You can organize your list into;

Weekly to-do list

This list includes all tasks you intend to do in a whole week. Use a weekly to do list app and while at this, keep in mind that your energy and productivity levels are not the same each day. For instance, you may feel sluggish on a Monday and super productive on Wednesday. 

Themed to-do list

This is where you organize similar or related tasks together. For instance, you may choose to do all administrative tasks in the morning hours and work on projects in the afternoon, each day.

Important tasks to-do list

With this list, you only plan for the important tasks. You can then spend the remaining time to do fun things or less urgent tasks, even if they are not necessarily on the list.

How Many Items Should Be On Your To-Do List?

When creating your list, acknowledge that you can only accomplish a limited number of tasks per day. It would be better to complete one major thing, three medium tasks and five small tasks. That is the 1-3-5 rule for creating tasks.

Therefore, your list should have nine items. Nonetheless, if you don’t have any major things going on for the day, you can complete five medium tasks and up to seven small tasks. The number of items on your to-do list depends on the complexity of the tasks that you intend to handle so it may vary from one to the next.

What to Look For in a To-Do List App

The important features to consider when choosing a to-do list organizer vary from one individual to the next. It will help to understand your precise needs then select an app that meets them. Some important aspects to pay attention to include;

The Design

You want an application with an easy-to-understand user interface. Consider if you can comfortably open the application every morning to create your list and whenever you wish to confirm something.

The appearance of the application interface matters too. Is it attractive? A good-looking application design makes a huge difference and determines how often you use the app.

Available Features

The ideal features depend on the size of your organization. For individuals, you only need basic apps such as email integration, calendar and reminder. Small businesses and organizations may need more complex features such as collaborative tools.

Nonetheless, it will help to go for an app with streamlining features such as Kanban board. Kanban gmail allows you to organize your tasks into visual boards so you can view multiple lists in a single page. This is ideal for individuals who love flexibility and attention to details.

Cross-Platform App

Suppose you get a new job where you are forced to use the office computer. Initially, you were using your phone or laptop to create to-do lists. You need an application that lets you switch devices with no fuss. The application should let you sign in on different platforms that you use or plan to use in future.

Cost

Cost plays a critical role when selecting any product or service, and this case is not an exception. You need an application that you can comfortably afford. Luckily, there is a range of applications to suit different organization sizes.

You can also access free to do list apps and although the free versions have limited features, they still go a long way to help you with tasks organization.

What Are Some To-Do List Organization Methods and Terminologies

Backlog

A backlog is a list of things you think or feel you should do. It could be due to clients’ deadlines or just your mindset. Whichever the case, these tasks need to be prioritized, so that the tasks at the top are things that you must do immediately or within the shortest period, while the tasks at the bottom are just fantasies or not as important.

Task Prioritization

From the word priority, task prioritization is where you organize tasks based on the urgency. You need to put the most important and urgent tasks on top of your to-do list. You can use the Eisenhower matrix tool to distinguish between important tasks from non important and urgent tasks from those that are not urgent.

With this, even if you are unable to tick off every item at the end of the day, week or planned period, at least you will be done with the prioritized tasks.

Why is Drag the Best to do List App for Teams Using Google Workspace

Drag transforms Gmail to a to-do list creation space. This feature makes it the best for anyone using Google workspace because they can view and work on their tasks right from Gmail. They don’t have to shift between tools to have work done.

To enjoy all the amazing features of Drag, ensure to signup today and get started with seamless to do list creation and tasks organization. You are assured of a significant improvement with achieving deadlines just like Good Drop.