Apps Like Any.do: 12 Task Managers Worth Switching To

Updated September 28, 2026 12 alternatives
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About Any.do
Founded 2011
Israel
Ships to Worldwide
Editor-reviewed
Every recommendation read and refined by hand
Honest tradeoffs
Drawbacks listed, not hidden
No paid placements
Brands cannot pay to be ranked
Who does Any.do's free plan actually serve now? Increasingly, nobody who has to plan more than one day ahead. The app that once felt refreshingly light — swipe a task away when it's done, shake your phone to clear finished items, that soft chime as you check things off your morning list — has quietly walled off the features that made it worth committing to.

Recurring tasks now sit behind the Premium tier. So does the calendar sync that was arguably the whole point of choosing Any.do over a plain list app. What's left on free is a to-do pad that nags you toward an upgrade every time you try to set a chore to repeat weekly.

That stings most for the person Any.do courted hardest: someone coordinating a shared grocery list with a partner, a school pickup rotation, a recurring "pay rent" reminder — the exact workflows that now require a subscription.

The irony is that the market is crammed with apps that hand you recurring tasks, real calendar views, and shared lists without the paywall theatrics. Below are twelve of them, ranked for how well they replace what Any.do used to do for free.
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The 12 Best Alternatives to Any.do

1

Todoist

Est. 2007 Delaware, USA (remote)
≈ similar People who want a polished, cross-platform list app with generous recurring support on free

The cleanest direct swap — natural-language input like "every Monday at 9am" creates recurring tasks instantly, and the free tier actually allows them, unlike Any.do.

Pros
  • Recurring tasks work perfectly on the free plan
  • Natural-language date parsing is best in class
  • Syncs across every platform reliably
  • Karma and streaks gamify follow-through
Cons
  • Free plan caps projects at 5 active
  • Calendar view is a paid feature
  • Reminders now require Pro
2

TickTick

Est. 2013 Hong Kong
$ cheaper People who want calendar + tasks + habit tracking in one app without upgrading

Combines tasks, a built-in calendar, and a Pomodoro timer — closer to Any.do's all-in-one pitch, but with recurring tasks free.

Pros
  • Recurring tasks free, unlike Any.do
  • Built-in calendar and habit tracker
  • Pomodoro timer baked in
  • Affordable Premium at around $36/year
Cons
  • Calendar view limited on free
  • Interface can feel cluttered with features
  • Widget customization is thin
3

Microsoft To Do

Est. 2017 Redmond, USA
$ cheaper People who want zero paywall and live in the Microsoft/Outlook world

Free, cross-platform, with recurring tasks and shared lists — the exact features Any.do put behind Premium, at no cost.

Pros
  • Completely free including recurring and shared lists
  • My Day planner nudges daily focus
  • Syncs with Outlook tasks
  • Clean, calm interface
Cons
  • No native calendar view
  • List sharing needs a Microsoft account
  • Slower feature development
4

Things 3

Est. 2007 Stuttgart, Germany
$$$ pricier Apple-only users who prefer paying once over a recurring Premium fee

A gorgeous, distraction-free task manager for Apple users with flawless recurring tasks — no subscription, one-time purchase.

Pros
  • No subscription — pay once, own it
  • Beautiful, calming design
  • Excellent recurring and deadline handling
  • Deep calendar integration via system calendar
Cons
  • Apple-only, no Android or web
  • Separate purchase per platform (Mac, iPad, iPhone)
  • No built-in collaboration
5

Notion

Est. 2013 San Francisco, USA
≈ similar Households wanting one flexible workspace for lists, plans, and notes

For families who outgrew simple lists — shared databases handle chores, meal plans, and recurring tasks with far more flexibility.

Pros
  • Endlessly customizable for family and personal systems
  • Generous free plan for individuals
  • Great for combining lists with notes
  • Strong templates community
Cons
  • Recurring tasks need workarounds or automations
  • Steeper learning curve
  • Can be slow on mobile
6

Apple Reminders

Est. 2011 Cupertino, USA
$ cheaper Apple households wanting free shared lists with zero setup

Free, built into iOS/macOS, with recurring reminders, location triggers, and shared lists — no Premium tier at all.

Pros
  • Completely free and pre-installed
  • Shared lists sync instantly across family devices
  • Location and time-based recurring reminders
  • Siri integration is seamless
Cons
  • Apple ecosystem only
  • No real calendar dashboard
  • Limited for complex projects
7

Google Tasks

Est. 2018 Mountain View, USA
$ cheaper Gmail and Google Calendar users who want tasks in the same view

Free and tightly wired into Google Calendar and Gmail — tasks appear alongside your schedule, covering Any.do's calendar hook for nothing.

Pros
  • Free with recurring tasks
  • Appears directly inside Google Calendar
  • Create tasks from Gmail
  • Dead simple to use
Cons
  • No shared lists
  • Very bare-bones features
  • No location reminders
8

Amazing Marvin

Est. 2018 USA
≈ similar Power users who want to build a system exactly to their habits

A deeply customizable task manager with every feature toggleable — recurring tasks, day planning, and calendar sync without upgrade gates.

Pros
  • Extremely customizable with strategies you toggle on/off
  • Strong ADHD-friendly design
  • Recurring tasks and day planning built in
  • One flat price covers everything
Cons
  • Overwhelming out of the box
  • Subscription or lifetime is pricier upfront
  • No free forever tier
9

Tweek

Est. 2019 Cyprus
$ cheaper People who think in weeks and want a paper-planner feel

A minimalist weekly calendar-planner that blends tasks and dates the way Any.do intended, with a genuinely usable free plan.

Pros
  • Clean weekly planner layout
  • Shared lists and calendars for families
  • Recurring tasks on free
  • Works on web and mobile
Cons
  • Fewer power features
  • No native calendar app sync
  • Smaller ecosystem
10

2Do

Est. 2009 UK
$$$ pricier Users who want depth and offline reliability without a monthly fee

A flexible, GTD-friendly task app with powerful recurring options and calendar alarms — one-time purchase, no subscription trap.

Pros
  • One-time purchase, no subscription
  • Powerful recurring and smart lists
  • Works fully offline
  • Strong tags and filters
Cons
  • Dated interface
  • Setup takes patience
  • Sync uses third-party services
11

Sunsama

Est. 2018 USA
$$$ pricier Professionals who want a calm daily planning routine

A daily planner that pulls tasks and calendar events into one intentional daily ritual — the calendar-task blend Any.do gates behind Premium.

Pros
  • Pulls in calendar, tasks, and email into daily plan
  • Time-blocking and daily shutdown ritual
  • Integrates Todoist, Trello, Asana
  • Thoughtful, calm design
Cons
  • Expensive at around $20/month
  • Overkill for simple lists
  • Subscription only
12

Google Keep

Est. 2013 Mountain View, USA
$ cheaper People wanting quick shared checklists and notes for free

Free, fast, and great for shared checklists with reminders — a lighter answer to Any.do's family list ambitions.

Pros
  • Completely free
  • Shared checklists sync instantly
  • Color-coded notes and labels
  • Time and location reminders
Cons
  • Recurring reminders are limited
  • Not a true task manager
  • No calendar view
Free plans that don't gate recurring tasks
The single reason most people leave Any.do is the recurring-task paywall. Microsoft To Do, Apple Reminders, Google Tasks, and TickTick all let you set "repeat weekly" for free — no upgrade prompt. Google Keep handles simple repeating checklists, and Tweek gives you recurring items plus shared family lists without a subscription. If you just want your "take out the bins every Tuesday" reminder back, start here.
Pay-once apps that skip the subscription entirely
Tired of monthly fees for basic features? Things 3 and 2Do are one-time purchases you own forever — no Premium tier creeping over your recurring tasks. Things 3 is the polished Apple pick; 2Do is the deeper, cross-platform GTD workhorse. Both handle recurring tasks and calendar alarms flawlessly with no ongoing cost.
Best calendar + task blends
Any.do's calendar sync was its standout — and now it's behind Premium. TickTick bundles a real calendar view for free, Google Tasks lives inside Google Calendar, and Sunsama turns your calendar and tasks into a single daily plan. For families juggling schedules, these keep tasks and time in one place.
Which Alternative Is Right for You?
Switching from Any.do comes down to why you're leaving. If it's purely the recurring-task paywall and you want free, grab Microsoft To Do or, on Apple devices, Apple Reminders — both do shared lists and repeats at no cost. If you want the closest overall experience with a free calendar thrown in, TickTick is the natural landing spot. Todoist is the pick if you value polish and cross-platform reliability and don't mind a Pro tier for advanced features. Households that have outgrown simple lists should look at Notion for a shared family workspace. And if subscriptions are the dealbreaker, Things 3 (Apple) or 2Do (cross-platform) let you pay once and never see an upgrade nag again.

Frequently Asked Questions

QIs there a free alternative to Any.do that allows recurring tasks?
Yes — several. Microsoft To Do, Apple Reminders, Google Tasks, and TickTick all support recurring tasks on their free plans, which is exactly what Any.do now gates behind Premium. TickTick is the closest match feature-for-feature, while Microsoft To Do and Apple Reminders are the simplest free swaps.
QWhich app has the best free family shared lists like Any.do?
Apple Reminders is unbeatable for Apple households — shared lists sync instantly across family devices at no cost. For mixed-device families, Google Keep and Tweek both offer free shared checklists, and Microsoft To Do supports free list sharing if everyone has a Microsoft account.
QWhat's the best Any.do alternative that doesn't use a subscription?
Things 3 and 2Do are both one-time purchases with no recurring fee. Things 3 is the polished, Apple-only choice; 2Do works across platforms and offers deeper filtering and offline use. Amazing Marvin also offers a lifetime license if you prefer paying once.
QDoes TickTick or Todoist replace Any.do better?
TickTick is the closer replacement because it bundles a calendar view, habit tracking, and recurring tasks on its free tier — mirroring Any.do's all-in-one pitch. Todoist is more polished and reliable cross-platform, but its calendar view and reminders sit behind Pro.
QWhich Any.do alternative syncs tasks with my calendar for free?
Google Tasks shows your tasks directly inside Google Calendar at no cost, and TickTick includes a built-in calendar view on its free plan. If you want a deeper daily planning ritual that merges calendar and tasks, Sunsama does it beautifully but requires a paid subscription.
Our Verdict
The Best Any.do Alternative For You
Switching from Any.do comes down to why you're leaving. If it's purely the recurring-task paywall and you want free, grab Microsoft To Do or, on Apple devices, Apple Reminders — both do shared lists and repeats at no cost. If you want the closest overall experience with a free calendar thrown in, TickTick is the natural landing spot. Todoist is the pick if you value polish and cross-platform reliability and don't mind a Pro tier for advanced features. Households that have outgrown simple lists should look at Notion for a shared family workspace. And if subscriptions are the dealbreaker, Things 3 (Apple) or 2Do (cross-platform) let you pay once and never see an upgrade nag again.