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5 to-do list apps to get organized this year

Getting organized doesn't have to be stressful. Here's a list of productivity apps that can help.

Alison DeNisco Rayome Managing Editor
Managing Editor Alison DeNisco Rayome joined CNET in 2019, and is a member of the Home team. She is a co-lead of the CNET Tips and We Do the Math series, and manages the Home Tips series, testing out new hacks for cooking, cleaning and tinkering with all of the gadgets and appliances in your house. Alison was previously an editor at TechRepublic.
Expertise Home Tips, including cooking, cleaning and appliances hacks Credentials
  • National Silver Azbee Award for Impact/Investigative Journalism; National Gold Azbee Award for Online Single Topic Coverage by a Team; National Bronze Azbee Award for Web Feature Series
Shelby Brown Editor II
Shelby Brown (she/her/hers) is an editor for CNET's services team. She covers tips and tricks for apps, operating systems and devices, as well as mobile gaming and Apple Arcade news. Shelby also oversees Tech Tips coverage. Before joining CNET, she covered app news for Download.com and served as a freelancer for Louisville.com.
Credentials
  • She received the Renau Writing Scholarship in 2016 from the University of Louisville's communication department.
Alison DeNisco Rayome
Shelby Brown
2 min read
gettyimages-872926904

Don't drown in sticky notes and paper calendars. Check out these to-do apps. 

Nora Carol Photography/Getty Images

Being more organized is a common New Year's resolution and finding the right productivity app can help with making habits stick. But where to start? We picked five of our favorite task management and list-making apps to help you start 2022 off on solid footing. 

Read more: Best shared grocery list apps to save you another trip to the store

To Do

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Microsoft's To Do app.

Microsoft

After beloved cloud-based task management app Wunderlist shuttered in May 2020, Microsoft's To Do app became its successor. 

The app works like Wunderlist, but with more color and background options, a dark mode option, and the ability to sync across Mac, iOS, Android, Windows and the web. Other Wunderlist features now available in To Do include listing groups (folders), steps (subtasks) and file attachments, and sharing and task assignments.

To Do is available for free download on iOS and Android, or as a web app.

Todoist

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Todoist app

Todoist

Todoist is a productivity app that helps you manage tasks, projects and goals. It syncs across Mac, Windows, mobile phones and via the web and browser extensions, and integrates with apps like Google Calendar and Dropbox. You can also use it to set goals, delegate tasks and see daily and weekly productivity trends. If you're fond of Google Keep or Tasks, you might like this app. 

Todoist is available for free download on iOS and Android, or as a web app. 

Things

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Things app

Things

The Things app includes to-do lists, reminders, goal tracking and, on Mac, the ability to work in multiple windows. There is also a quick find feature, and an app-wide tag search. It's fully integrated between iOS and MacOS. 

Things is available on iOS, iPadOS and MacOS. Things costs $50 on Mac (after a 15-day free trial), $10 on iPhone and Apple Watch, and $20 on iPad. 

Zenkit To Do

zenkit-to-do-ipad-inbox-iphone-home
Zenkit

Task management app Zenkit To Do was designed to look and feel similar to Wunderlist, according to Zenkit CEO Martin Welker. The app uses smart lists, list sharing, comments and reminders. It's available free for consumers, but you can upgrade to paid business plans as well. 

Zenkit To Do is available on iOS, Android and on the web. Its Personal tier is free, while the paid Plus and Business plans price vary depending on your chosen platform. 

Twobird

notability
Ginger Labs

Twobird from Ginger Labs is an email app that also lets you create notes, set reminders, assign to-dos, leave comments and collaborate in one place. The app also gives you some flexibility -- for example, you can share a note and turn a shopping list into a party planning list instead. 

Twobird is available for free on Windows, Mac, iOS and Android