Microsoft To Do alternatives: where to go and how to get your tasks out
Eight apps, one for each reason to leave, plus the three export routes that actually work.
Short answer: pick TickTick for the easiest move (it imports your To Do lists directly), Todoist for natural-language entry and real filters, and Apple Reminders or Google Tasks if you want to stay free. On a Mac and iPhone and done with subscriptions? Things 3 is a one-time purchase. The hard part is leaving: Microsoft gives you no dedicated To Do export. This guide covers the routes out, what gets lost on the way, and what is actually known about To Do's future next to Planner.
The ranking is editorial: a sponsored spot is always labeled on its card, and no affiliate link changes a score.
Why people outgrow To Do, even though it's free
To Do gets a lot right. It's free with no paid tier, it syncs with Outlook tasks when you sign in with the same personal, work, or school account, and its App Store rating sits at 4.7 out of 5. People leave for other reasons: features that hit a ceiling fast, a strong pull toward Outlook, and the question everyone keeps asking about where the app is headed.
A step down from the old Outlook tasks
On Microsoft's own Tech Community forum, people who came from Outlook tasks list the same gaps: weak filtering, lost categories, and needing an internet connection to see their tasks. One user put it bluntly: "The To Do replacement is worse in every way." If you sort work by client or context, you'll feel it.
My Day wipes itself every morning
That's by design: the My Day list is empty when you first open To Do each day, and the app offers suggestions to refill it. Some people like the reset. Others find rebuilding the day a chore. Your tasks stay in their lists, but the plan for today is gone.
Attachments only in personal lists
You can attach any file type, up to 25 MB per task. The catch: attachments only work in personal lists. Share a list with your team and you can't drop the quote or the floor plan on the task. For anyone working around documents, that alone can end it.
Built around Outlook
Flag an email and it becomes a task, but only on work or school accounts. Tags and a lot of the workflow make more sense inside Microsoft's mail. A developer who moved to Todoist wrote that he mostly wanted tags that work without Outlook. If you don't live in Outlook, a big part of the value is gone.
No Linux app
There's no official To Do app for Linux. You get the web version or an unofficial client like Kuro, kept alive by volunteers. App Store reviews also call the PC version too limited compared with mobile.
Is To Do on the way out?
Microsoft hasn't announced an end date. But Windows Latest describes To Do as "effectively in maintenance mode" while Microsoft rolls Planner into the new Outlook for everyone in 2026. People who lived through the Wunderlist shutdown in 2020 (To Do was built by that team) would rather have a plan B before anything changes.
You're leaving because… go to…
The right Microsoft To Do alternative depends on what's missing for you. Usually one line fits. Each card jumps to the full write-up below.
It imports To Do from its web app: Settings > Integrations & Import > Microsoft To Do.
You want filters and natural-language datesTodoistType "call Paul Friday 10am" and the date sets itself.
You're on iPhone and want freeApple RemindersAlready installed, and it can read your Outlook tasks.
You're on Mac and hate subscriptionsThings 3Pay once per device, no subscription.
You live in Gmail and want freeGoogle TasksTasks next to your inbox and calendar.
You need Linux and want to own your dataSuper ProductivityFree, open source, runs on Linux.
Microsoft To Do alternatives, app by app
For each app: why move there, who it fits, where it falls short, how to bring your tasks over from To Do, and what it costs. We compared prices on each publisher's pricing page and the import paths in their help docs. The main test: can you get your lists in without retyping them, and do you gain what To Do was missing?
TickTick: the easiest move out of To Do
Direct importWhy TickTick. It's the only app in this ranking with a built-in To Do importer (Zenkit To Do has one too): in the web app, go to Settings > Integrations & Import > Microsoft To Do. You also get a calendar view, a Pomodoro timer, and habit tracking, none of which To Do has.
Who it's for. Individuals and couples who want more power without changing how they work: lists, reminders, recurring tasks.
Who should skip it. Teams that need assignments, comments, and project tracking. TickTick is a personal app first.
The catch. The free plan is tighter than To Do's: 9 lists, 99 tasks per list, and 2 reminders per task. With fifteen lists in To Do, you'll need Premium on day one. Premium is $49.99 a year ("less than US$4.17/month"), and the website shows no monthly option.
How to move. Start the import from TickTick's web app: Settings > Integrations & Import > Microsoft To Do. Then check recurring tasks and steps, the data most likely to break in any import.
- Free
- 9 lists, 99 tasks per list
- Paid
- Premium $49.99/year
- To Do import
- yes, on the web (Settings > Integrations & Import)
- Platforms
- iOS, Android, Mac, Windows, web, Linux
Todoist: when you need filters that work
Most powerfulWhy Todoist. It fixes the top complaint about To Do: sorting. You type tasks in plain English, dates set themselves, and filters show you, say, everything urgent for one client. Labels work everywhere, with no email app attached.
Who it's for. Freelancers and small teams juggling lots of tasks who need to find them fast. Our full Todoist review scores it 3.9 out of 5.
Who should skip it. Anyone who just needs a shared grocery list: the free plan covers that, but everything else costs.
The catch. Free caps you at 5 personal projects, 3 filters, one week of activity history, and 5 MB files. Pro is $5 a month billed yearly ($60), or $7 month to month.
How to move. Todoist has no To Do importer. Use the open-source Microsoft To Do Export tool, which writes a Todoist-format CSV. Todoist's CSV import takes up to 300 tasks per project, so split big lists first.
- Free
- 5 projects, 3 filters
- Paid
- Pro $5/mo yearly, $7 monthly
- Teams
- Business $8/user/mo yearly, $10 monthly
- To Do import
- CSV, 300 tasks per project
Apple Reminders: the free app already on your iPhone
Already installedWhy Reminders. It's free, already on your iPhone, iPad, and Mac, and it has one trick that matters here: it can show the tasks from an Outlook account. That makes it both a destination and a bridge to Things or TickTick.
Who it's for. Apple users who want to stay free and share a few lists with family.
Who should skip it. Anyone who also works on Windows or Android.
The catch. It doesn't leave Apple's world. And a known trap: one user on the Toodledo forum warns "do NOT also sync the same Outlook account tasks to Reminders" long term, because the sync eventually breaks.
How to move. Add your Outlook account in iPhone Settings and turn on Reminders. Once your tasks show up, recreate the lists you keep in iCloud, then switch Reminders off for the Outlook account.
- Price
- free, built in
- Platforms
- iPhone, iPad, Mac
- To Do import
- through your Outlook account
- Limit
- Apple only
Things 3: the Apple app you pay for once
No subscriptionWhy Things. It's known for a polished interface, and it's sold as a one-time purchase, so it doesn't add another subscription to your stack of bills.
Who it's for. People who live on Mac, iPhone, and iPad and want a personal task app that lasts.
Who should skip it. Windows and Android users, and any team: Things has no web version and no shared lists.
The catch. You pay per device. The Mac app is $49.99 on the US App Store, and iPhone and iPad versions are sold separately. There's a free trial on Mac.
How to move. Things can't import your To Do lists in one go, only task by task. It does offer a migration path from Apple Reminders, Todoist, and OmniFocus. So route through Reminders: add Outlook to your iPhone, let your tasks appear in Reminders, then import Reminders into Things.
- Price
- Mac $49.99, iPhone and iPad extra
- Free
- trial on Mac
- Platforms
- Mac, iPhone, iPad, Watch, Vision Pro
- To Do import
- via Apple Reminders
Google Tasks: free, for people who live in Gmail
FreeWhy Google Tasks. It's Google's version of To Do: simple, free, and sitting right next to Gmail and Calendar. You create tasks from Gmail or Calendar without opening another app.
Who it's for. People leaving Outlook for Gmail at the same time, or anyone who wants the bare minimum for free.
Who should skip it. Anyone leaving To Do because it lacked filters: Google Tasks is even more basic.
The catch. Lists, subtasks, due dates, and not much more. Group tasks live in Google Chat spaces.
How to move. No To Do import. Retype your active tasks, starting with the dated ones. Export everything to JSON with the open-source tool and keep the file as your archive.
- Price
- free with a Google account
- Best for
- Gmail and Calendar users
- Platforms
- web (Gmail, Calendar), Android, iOS
- To Do import
- no, by hand
Any.do: a free plan with no task cap
Unlimited freeWhy Any.do. Its free plan keeps unlimited tasks and subtasks, where TickTick stops at 99 tasks per list. There's also a Family plan for up to four people to share groceries and chores.
Who it's for. Households sharing lists, and people with lots of one-off tasks.
Who should skip it. Anyone with many recurring tasks: recurrence is Premium-only, while To Do gives it to you free.
The catch. Premium is $4.99 a month billed yearly, $7.99 month to month. Family (four people) is $8.33 a month yearly, $9.99 monthly. Teams is $4.99 per member yearly.
How to move. We found no To Do importer at Any.do. Retype a short list. For a long one, export a generic CSV with the open-source tool and paste it in by batches.
- Free
- unlimited tasks and subtasks
- Paid
- Premium $4.99/mo yearly
- Family
- $8.33/mo yearly, 4 people
- Limit
- recurrence is Premium-only
Super Productivity: free, open source, runs on Linux
Open sourceWhy Super Productivity. It's open source (MIT license) and completely free, on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, and the web. It fills To Do's Linux gap, and your data stays with you.
Who it's for. Developers, Linux users, and anyone done depending on a big-tech account.
Who should skip it. Families or teams who want shared lists with zero setup.
The catch. It's a community project: no support line, and the To Do import relies on an unofficial tool.
How to move. The open-source Microsoft To Do Export tool writes a Super Productivity file. Importing it overwrites the app's current state, so do it on a fresh install before adding anything.
- Price
- free, MIT license
- Platforms
- Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, web
- To Do import
- via the export tool
- Trap
- import overwrites everything
Notion: when your tasks live with your notes
Tasks and notesWhy Notion. If you run To Do next to OneNote or a wiki, Notion puts both in one place: a task database linked to your pages, meeting notes, and projects. Our Notion review scores it 4 out of 5.
Who it's for. Freelancers and small teams who want one workspace for tasks and docs.
Who should skip it. Anyone who wants to tick tasks off fast on their phone. A dedicated task app is quicker for that.
The catch. Free is generous for one person. For a team, Plus is $10 per member a month and Business $20, billed yearly, and full AI only comes with Business.
How to move. No native To Do import. Export a generic CSV with the open-source tool and bring it into a Notion database. After that, Zapier or Make can copy new tasks across.
- Free
- generous for one person
- Paid
- Plus $10, Business $20 per member/mo
- Our score
- 4 out of 5
- To Do import
- via CSV
All 8 alternatives side by side
Our default picks: TickTick to move without retyping, Todoist if you want fine-grained sorting. The second column shows the first paid tier and how your tasks get there.
| What's free | First paid tier and import from To Do | |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft To DoWhere you start | Everything, with a Microsoft account | No paid tier; no dedicated export |
| TickTickEasiest move | 9 lists, 99 tasks per list, 2 reminders | $49.99/year; direct import |
| TodoistMost powerful | 5 projects, 3 filters, 5 MB files | Pro $5/mo yearly ($7 monthly); CSV, 300 tasks per project |
| Apple RemindersiPhone | Everything | No paid tier; through your Outlook account |
| Things 3No subscription | Trial on Mac | Mac $49.99, iPhone and iPad extra; via Reminders |
| Google TasksGmail | Everything | No paid tier; by hand |
| Any.doUnlimited free | Tasks and subtasks, no recurrence | Premium $4.99/mo yearly; by hand |
| Super ProductivityOpen source | Everything | No paid tier; export tool file |
| NotionTasks and notes | Generous for one person | Plus $10 per member/mo yearly; CSV |
Prices as shown by each publisher in 2026, before sales tax, subject to change. Things: US App Store price, also shown before tax.
Get your tasks out of To Do in seven steps
There's no "export my tasks" button. Microsoft's help page on exporting a To Do account points you to exporting your whole Outlook.com mailbox as a .pst file, which needs desktop Outlook and opens in no task app. Three routes do work: a direct import, the open-source export tool, and a detour through Apple Reminders.
Take stock of what you actually have
FirstList your lists and list groups, recurring tasks, steps (To Do's one-level subtasks), lists shared with others, attachments, and tasks created from flagged emails. Also spot the Planner tasks showing up in Assigned to me: they belong to Planner, not To Do, and won't move with your lists.
- Time
- about fifteen minutes
- Risk if rushed
- a forgotten shared list
Pick your route by destination
DecisionThree cases. Your destination imports To Do (TickTick, Zenkit To Do): run its Microsoft To Do import (in TickTick's web app, Settings > Integrations & Import). It imports Reminders (Things): go through the iPhone. Otherwise (Todoist, Notion, Super Productivity, Any.do): export with the open-source tool in the right format. Zenkit imports on every plan, free included, but leaves behind steps, assignments, members, and lists shared with you.
- Direct import
- TickTick, Zenkit To Do
- Via Reminders
- Things 3
Back up with Microsoft To Do Export
BackupEven with a direct import, take a full copy first. Microsoft To Do Export is unofficial, open source, and on GitHub, with builds for Windows, macOS, and Linux. It grabs your lists, tasks, notes, steps, and attachments. It asks for an access token you get from Graph Explorer, Microsoft's developer tool, with the Tasks.ReadWrite permission. Output options: Todoist CSV, JSON, generic CSV, a Super Productivity file, or a Joplin export.
- Formats
- Todoist CSV, JSON, CSV, Super Productivity, Joplin
- Tip
- keep the JSON as your archive
For Things: the Reminders detour
AppleOn your iPhone, add your Outlook account in Settings and turn on Reminders. Your To Do lists appear in Reminders. Then run the Reminders import in Things (or TickTick). Afterwards, switch Reminders off for the Outlook account: syncing the same account to both To Do and Reminders is a known cause of duplicated or vanishing tasks.
- For
- Things 3, TickTick, Reminders
- Trap
- leaving both syncs on
Import one list at a time
Switch dayImport one test list, then the rest. In Todoist, split any list over 300 tasks, the cap per project for a CSV import. In Super Productivity, import onto an empty install, since the import overwrites everything. In Notion, bring the CSV into a new database and set the date columns before adding more.
- Todoist
- 300 tasks per imported project
- Super Productivity
- empty app only
Check what got lost
VerifyCompare the task count of each list before and after. Check recurring tasks, reminders, and steps first: they break most often. Even a live sync has gaps. The Android app Tasks.org, which syncs with To Do, says it plainly: "Microsoft To Do does not support all of Tasks.org's features." Start dates, location reminders, attachments, and comments don't come through, and you keep a single reminder per task.
- Check
- recurrence, reminders, steps
- Attachments
- move by hand if needed
Switch, then keep To Do around for a few weeks
AfterDon't delete anything yet. To Do is free, so leave it read-only for a few weeks in case you need a forgotten task. If you need a bridge during the move, Zapier or Make can copy new To Do tasks to your new app as they come in. They don't move your history. Our Make integration page for Microsoft To Do shows those scenarios.
- Keep To Do
- a few weeks, read-only
- Bridge
- Zapier or Make, no history
Is your tool missing from this page? Email us: hello@hackceleration.com
What makes a To Do move go wrong
Moving a task list looks easy. It still fails for the same few reasons, forum after forum. And before you leave, check whether Planner, Microsoft's other task tool, already covers what you need.
Thinking the .pst export is enough
The export in Microsoft's help dumps your whole Outlook.com mailbox into a .pst file. You need desktop Outlook to make it, and no task app can read it. Keep it as an archive if you like, but use one of the three routes to actually move.
Forgetting shared lists
A list someone shared with you isn't yours: Zenkit won't import it, and depending on the route, it can go missing. Tell the members, and recreate the shared list in the new app before you ask them to switch.
Running two syncs at once
One Outlook account hooked to To Do, Reminders, and a Zapier sync is a recipe for duplicates. One active source at a time: cut the old one as soon as the new one holds.
Importing into an app you already use
In Super Productivity, importing the To Do file wipes the app's state. Elsewhere, importing into a busy app mixes everything together. Import first, organize after.
Leaving when Planner would do
To Do is for your personal tasks. Planner is for team tasks in Microsoft 365, with assignments. Planner tasks assigned to you already show up in To Do. If your company pays for Microsoft 365 and your problem is teamwork, look at Planner before you switch ecosystems.
Deleting your account too early
Your Microsoft account also runs Outlook, OneDrive, or Windows. To leave To Do, you don't need to delete anything: clear your lists once everything checks out, and you're done.
- Lists, groups, steps, recurrence, attachments, and shared lists written down
- Full JSON backup made with the open-source export tool
- Route picked: direct import, Reminders detour, or file
- One test list imported and checked
- Lists over 300 tasks split for Todoist
- Recurrence, reminders, and steps checked after import
- Shared-list members told
- Only one sync left running
- To Do kept read-only for a few weeks
Microsoft To Do alternatives: common questions
Is Microsoft To Do being discontinued?
Not officially. Microsoft hasn't announced an end date. Windows Latest, though, reports the app is "effectively in maintenance mode" while Microsoft brings Planner into the new Outlook for everyone in 2026. That's no reason to panic, but it is a good reason to back up your tasks with the open-source export tool now.
Microsoft To Do vs Planner: which one should I use?
To Do is for personal tasks and is free with a Microsoft account. Planner is for team tasks inside Microsoft 365: assignments and project tracking. They're connected, since To Do's Assigned to me view pulls in your Planner tasks. For your own list, To Do is enough; for a shared project at a company on Microsoft 365, use Planner. Outside Microsoft 365, our guides to switching from Trello and switching from Asana compare team tools.
What's the best free alternative to Microsoft To Do?
Apple Reminders on iPhone and Mac, Google Tasks if you use Gmail, and Super Productivity if you want open source that also runs on Linux. TickTick's free plan is rich but stops at 9 lists of 99 tasks. Our best task management apps ranking also covers paid options.
Can I import my Microsoft To Do tasks into another app?
Yes. TickTick and Zenkit To Do have a Microsoft To Do importer (in TickTick, it's in the web app under Settings > Integrations & Import). Things takes them through Apple Reminders. For everything else, the open-source Microsoft To Do Export tool writes a Todoist CSV, JSON, a generic CSV, a Super Productivity file, or a Joplin export.
How do I move from Microsoft To Do to Todoist?
Export a Todoist-format CSV with the open-source tool, then import each file as a project. Todoist takes up to 300 tasks per project in a CSV import, so split a big list. Torn between Todoist and Notion as your destination? Read our Todoist vs Notion comparison.
Does Microsoft To Do work on Linux?
Only in the browser. There's no official Linux app, and unofficial clients like Kuro depend on volunteer developers. If Linux matters, TickTick (on Flathub) and Super Productivity have real desktop apps.
Is there a task limit in Microsoft To Do?
Microsoft doesn't publish a maximum number of tasks or lists. A user who asked on the Tech Community forum got no figure back. The only written limit is for attachments: 25 MB per task, and only in personal lists.
What happened to Wunderlist?
Microsoft bought Wunderlist, whose team built To Do in 2017, then shut Wunderlist down in 2020. Importing from Wunderlist into To Do stayed possible after the shutdown, so if you moved back then, your lists are in To Do and leave by the same routes. Leaving TickTick too someday? Our TickTick alternatives guide covers that direction.
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