Todoist vs Apple Reminders: Which Is Better for You in 2026?

Todoist vs Apple Reminders is one of the most common task app questions—and the honest answer is that they're built for different users. Todoist wins on cross-platform support, project depth, and integrations. Apple Reminders wins on simplicity, Siri integration, and being completely free for iPhone users. Here's a side-by-side breakdown to help you pick the right one.

Who Each App Is Built For

Before comparing features, it helps to understand the intended user for each app:

Todoist is designed for people who manage multiple projects, work across different devices, and want to track tasks with due dates, priorities, labels, and filters. It's popular with freelancers, project managers, and anyone who uses both Android and iPhone.

Apple Reminders is built for iPhone and Mac users who want a simple, reliable way to create reminders with minimal friction. It's tightly integrated with the Apple ecosystem—Siri, Shortcuts, Messages, and Notes. It's not designed for complex project management.

Feature Comparison: Todoist vs Apple Reminders

Natural Language Input

Todoist parses natural language with impressive accuracy. Type "Pay rent every 1st of the month at 9am" and it sets the task with the correct recurring schedule. This is one of Todoist's strongest features.

Apple Reminders supports some natural language via Siri ("Hey Siri, remind me to call the dentist next Tuesday at 2pm"), but the manual text input inside the app doesn't parse natural language as flexibly as Todoist.

Winner: Todoist

Platform Support

Todoist runs on iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Linux (web), and as browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox. If you use a mix of devices or share tasks with Android users, Todoist covers everything.

Apple Reminders is iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and watchOS only. No Android app, no Windows app. If you switch to Android or share tasks with non-Apple users, Apple Reminders falls short.

Winner: Todoist (clear)

Recurring Tasks

Both apps handle recurring tasks. Todoist supports flexible schedules like "every 2nd Tuesday" or "every workday." Apple Reminders handles daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly recurrence, plus custom intervals.

Winner: Tie for most use cases; Todoist slightly ahead for complex custom schedules

Project and List Organization

Todoist organizes tasks into projects with sub-projects, sections, and labels. You can filter by due date, priority, and label across all projects at once. This is where Todoist significantly outpaces Apple Reminders for power users.

Apple Reminders organizes tasks into lists (equivalent to Todoist projects) with basic grouping. In iOS 17+, it added sections within lists. It's functional but less powerful for managing many projects simultaneously.

Winner: Todoist

Collaboration

Todoist supports project sharing with other Todoist users on all plans (free plan includes 5 collaborators per project). This works cross-platform, so a team member on Android can collaborate with someone on iPhone.

Apple Reminders supports shared lists with other Apple users via iCloud. Works well within Apple families or teams, but requires the other person to have an Apple device.

Winner: Todoist for mixed-device teams; Apple Reminders for all-Apple households

Siri and Voice Input

Apple Reminders integrates with Siri better than any third-party app. "Hey Siri, remind me to pick up my prescription when I leave work" creates a location-based reminder instantly. This integration is seamless and fast.

Todoist supports Siri on iOS, but the integration is less deep than Apple's native app.

Winner: Apple Reminders

Location-Based Reminders

Both apps support location-based reminders (remind me when I arrive/leave a specific location). Apple Reminders' location reminders are more reliable due to OS-level integration.

Winner: Apple Reminders (slightly)

Notification Types

Here's where both apps have a shared gap: neither sends SMS reminders. Both rely exclusively on push notifications, which can be silenced, dismissed, or missed when your phone is off.

If you need reminders that arrive as text messages—for yourself or to remind someone without a smartphone—you need a separate service. YouGot fills this gap directly. Set a reminder like:

Text me at 8pm on Sundays to plan my upcoming week's task priorities.

See yougot.ai/#pricing for plan options.

Pricing

Todoist:

• Free: 5 projects, 5 collaborators, basic features
• Pro: ~$4/month (billed annually) — adds reminders, filters, labels
• Business: ~$6/user/month — adds team features

Apple Reminders:

• Completely free, included with every Apple device
• No paid tiers

Winner: Apple Reminders (free vs. paid for full feature set)

Head-to-Head Summary

Feature	Todoist	Apple Reminders
Natural language input	Excellent	Basic (Siri only)
Platform support	All platforms	Apple only
Project organization	Deep	Basic
Collaboration	Cross-platform	Apple users only
Siri integration	Limited	Excellent
Location reminders	Yes	Yes (more reliable)
SMS delivery	No	No
Recurring tasks	Flexible	Good
Free plan	Limited	Fully free
Best for	Cross-platform power users	iPhone simplicity

Which Should You Choose?

Choose Todoist if you:

• Use Android, Windows, or Linux alongside iPhone/Mac
• Manage multiple projects or complex task lists
• Want natural language input without relying on Siri
• Need team collaboration with people on different platforms
• Are willing to pay for Pro to unlock full reminders

Choose Apple Reminders if you:

• Use iPhone and Mac exclusively
• Want zero cost and zero setup
• Use Siri heavily for hands-free task creation
• Need basic reminder functionality without a learning curve
• Want tight integration with Shortcuts, Siri, and Apple Calendar

Add YouGot if you:

• Want critical reminders delivered as SMS (not just push)
• Need to send reminders to someone without a smartphone
• Use Do Not Disturb frequently and miss push notifications
• Want backup reminders for high-stakes deadlines

Sign up at yougot.ai/sign-up — works alongside either app.

Try These Reminders

Here are reminder examples you can set up in YouGot right now to complement either app:

Text me the morning of every project deadline with the project name and what's left to do.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Todoist better than Apple Reminders?

Todoist is better for cross-platform users, project organization depth, and natural language input. Apple Reminders is better for iPhone-only users who want zero setup, excellent Siri integration, and a completely free tool. The right choice depends on your devices and how complex your task management needs are.

Is Apple Reminders good enough for most people?

Yes—for basic personal task management, Apple Reminders handles recurring reminders, shared lists, Siri input, and location-based alerts well. Its main limits are iOS/macOS lock-in and no integration ecosystem. For anything beyond personal reminders, Todoist offers more depth.

Does Todoist have a free plan?

Yes. Todoist's free plan supports up to 5 active projects and basic recurring tasks. The Pro plan ($4/month billed annually) adds reminders, filters, and labels. Most personal users can manage with the free plan.

Can Todoist and Apple Reminders sync with each other?

Not natively. Todoist integrates with Apple Calendar, and third-party automation tools can bridge the two, but native sync doesn't exist. For most users, picking one app is simpler than maintaining both.

What reminder app sends SMS text alerts instead of push notifications?

YouGot (yougot.ai) delivers reminders via SMS, WhatsApp, email, or push notification. Unlike Todoist and Apple Reminders, which rely on push notifications, YouGot sends text message reminders—useful when push notifications are muted or you need to alert someone without a smartphone.