Apple Reminders vs Todoist: Which Task App Is Right for You in 2025?

Apple Reminders vs Todoist is one of the most common task management decisions for iPhone users. Apple Reminders is free, already installed, and works natively with Siri. Todoist adds depth — project management, collaboration, and more powerful filtering — for $4–6/month. The honest answer: most individuals don't need Todoist, but the people who do need it really notice the difference.

Here's a feature-by-feature breakdown to help you decide.

Quick Comparison Table

Feature	Apple Reminders	Todoist Free	Todoist Pro
Price	Free	Free	$4/mo (annual)
Platforms	Apple only	All major platforms	All major platforms
Natural language input	Via Siri	In-app ✓	In-app ✓
Recurring reminders	✓	✓	✓
Location-based reminders	✓	✗	✓
Projects/lists	Lists	5 projects	Unlimited
Collaboration	Shared lists	✗	✓
Labels/tags	✗	✓	✓
Priority levels	✗	✓	✓
Filters	Basic	Limited	Advanced
Integrations	Siri, Shortcuts	60+ apps	60+ apps
Offline mode	✓	✓	✓
Email tasks to inbox	✗	✓	✓

Apple Reminders: What It Does Well

Native Siri integration: Apple Reminders is the only app where "Hey Siri, remind me to call the dentist tomorrow at 3pm" works flawlessly without any configuration. The result appears in Apple Reminders instantly, with the correct time set. No shortcuts, no workarounds.

Location-based reminders: "Remind me when I get home" works better in Apple Reminders than almost any other app because iOS handles location services natively. Setting a reminder triggered by arriving at or leaving a specific place is a 30-second setup.

Zero cost, no account: It's already on your phone, requires no new account, and costs nothing. For users who need basic task management without research overhead, this is a genuine advantage.

iCloud sync: Seamless sync across iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch with no additional setup. Changes appear across devices within seconds.

Shared lists: You can share a list with other Apple users and both manage it in real time — useful for household shopping lists or family task management.

Apple Reminders: Limitations

• Apple-only: No Android or Windows support. If anyone in your household uses Android, shared lists don't work across platforms.
• No project structure: You can organize tasks into lists, but there's no sub-project hierarchy, no dependency tracking, and limited view customization.
• No priority system: All tasks in a list are visually equal unless you manually sort them.
• No filters: You can't create a view like "all tasks due this week tagged 'work'."
• Limited integrations: Native Shortcuts support exists, but direct integrations with Slack, Gmail, or project tools require workarounds.

Todoist: What It Does Well

Natural language scheduling in the task field: Type "Submit report every other Friday at 5pm p1" and Todoist parses the date, recurrence, and priority level without any dropdowns. This is faster than Apple Reminders' Siri approach for users who prefer typing over voice.

Project hierarchy: Todoist supports nested projects, sections within projects, and sub-tasks — useful for managing complex work alongside personal tasks.

Cross-platform parity: Todoist on Android is identical in features to Todoist on iPhone. If you use multiple devices or share tasks with Android users, Todoist is consistent everywhere.

Integrations: Native integrations with Slack, Gmail, Google Calendar, Outlook, Zapier, and 60+ other tools. You can forward an email to Todoist to create a task, or have Slack messages become tasks with a single reaction.

Karma and Streaks: Todoist gamifies task completion with a Karma productivity score and streak tracking — effective motivational features for some users.

Todoist: Limitations

• Free tier restrictions: 5 active projects and no reminder notifications on the free plan (reminders require Pro).
• No location reminders on free tier: Location-based triggers require Pro.
• Less native Siri support: You can add Todoist tasks via Siri using Shortcuts, but it requires setup. "Hey Siri, add to Todoist" doesn't work out of the box.
• Cost: $4/month (annual) is reasonable, but it's not free. For users who need only basic reminders, this is a cost without proportional benefit.

Choose Apple Reminders If…

• You use exclusively Apple devices
• You set mostly personal reminders and shopping lists
• You use Siri frequently for voice reminders
• You want location-based "when I arrive at the store" reminders without setup
• You share lists with other Apple users
• You want zero cost, zero configuration

Choose Todoist If…

• You use both Apple and Android devices, or share tasks with Android users
• You manage work projects and personal tasks in one system
• You need collaboration (comments, task assignments) with others
• You want deep integrations with Slack, Gmail, or project tools
• You prefer natural language scheduling in a text field over Siri voice input
• You're willing to pay $4/month for more powerful filters and unlimited projects

The Third Option: SMS Reminders for Time-Sensitive Alerts

Both Apple Reminders and Todoist have one shared limitation: their notifications are push notifications, which your phone can silence, batch, or deprioritize. For reminders where you need to be interrupted — medication, important deadlines, time-critical tasks — SMS delivers higher urgency.

YouGot sends reminders via SMS, WhatsApp, or email in natural language — type what you need and when, and it handles the scheduling. Unlike Apple Reminders or Todoist, SMS reminders:

• Arrive even in Do Not Disturb mode (on most phones)
• Don't require any app to be installed on the recipient's phone
• Can be sent to someone else (your spouse, a client, a parent)
• Work across iPhone and Android equally

Text me at 8pm every Sunday: "Set up tomorrow's top 3 tasks in Todoist."

For most people, the best setup is: Apple Reminders or Todoist for task management, YouGot for time-critical SMS reminders that can't be missed. See YouGot pricing to explore plans.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Apple Reminders good enough, or do I need Todoist?

Apple Reminders is genuinely good enough for most individual users managing personal tasks on Apple devices. It's free, syncs seamlessly, and works natively with Siri. Todoist makes sense if you need project management, collaboration, or cross-platform use (Apple + Android). If Apple Reminders mostly works for you, there's no need to switch just for more features you won't use.

Does Todoist work on iPhone?

Yes — Todoist has a full-featured iPhone app with iOS widgets, Siri Shortcuts integration, and Apple Watch support. It syncs across iPhone, iPad, Mac, Android, and web in real time. Native Siri integration (without Shortcuts setup) isn't as seamless as Apple Reminders, but everything else works excellently.

Can Apple Reminders sync with Android?

No — Apple Reminders is Apple-only, syncing via iCloud. For cross-platform reminders shared between iOS and Android, use Todoist, Google Tasks, TickTick, or SMS-based reminders (which work on any device regardless of OS).

How much does Todoist cost?

Todoist has a Free tier (5 active projects), Pro at $4/month billed annually, and Business at $6/user/month billed annually. The free tier is generous for personal use. Pro adds unlimited projects, reminders, and advanced filters. Check todoist.com/pricing for current rates as pricing can change.

Which is better for recurring reminders — Apple Reminders or Todoist?

Both handle recurring reminders well. Apple Reminders uses Siri natural language and a visual recurrence picker. Todoist uses natural-language input directly in the task field. Todoist's filters make recurring tasks easier to view and manage at scale. For basic recurring reminders, Apple Reminders is simpler. For complex recurring task management, Todoist offers more control.