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Last Updated: Oct 2024

Top To Do List Software Tools of 2024
Unclutter your day one task at a time

Finding the right to do list tool is essential to productivity. Compare the brands below and find the right solution to get the most out of your work day.

What Is An Online To Do List?

Let’s be honest, not many people walk around with pencils and notepads anymore, but everyone walks around with their phones. So for people who need to keep track of their to do lists, an online to do list or app is the easiest, most convenient way. 

The need to stay organized is one that is felt by many, especially in today’s fast-paced environment in which people are often juggling work, family, and social lives all at the same time. Staying organized can help people feel calmer and more confident in tackling the many tasks they have. For businesses, an online to do list is essential in making sure that all team members are on the same page, that everyone knows which project is theirs and for overall tracking of progress. 

Who Needs Shared To Do Lists? 

Shared to do lists are a great tool for families and businesses. For families, shared to do lists can be a way of making sure that kids and spouses participate in family life and complete their household chores. Everyone knows what they’re responsible for, and they can happily mark that their task is completed once they do it. It’s motivational, encouraging, and most of all, practical.

Shared to do lists for businesses can be the difference between a company that succeeds and a company that doesn’t. When you’re managing a team, it’s essential that everyone knows what they’re responsible for, can report on their progress, ask questions if necessary, and update the team when the task is completed. This is true for small businesses and larger businesses. 

How to Choose The Best To Do List Software?

There are many different kinds of online to do lists, ranging from the most basic to the most comprehensive project management package. There’s not necessarily one solution that’s best, but there are lots of great solutions that cater to various needs. For example, if you need an online to do list to keep track of your personal affairs, you won’t choose one that has all the reporting and time tracking tools that small business might require. And large businesses may require features that a small business doesn’t need, such as scalable software, collaborative features, multiple communication tools, and more. 

On both the personal and business level, there are different options as well. People who need visual cues to help them stay organized should look for a solution that offers a visual online to do list, color coding, charts, or something in that vein. Company managers might look for a solution that includes an online to do list progress board so they can keep track of the team’s progress. 

Of course, cost is another consideration when choosing an online to do list software. While personal to do list software typically don’t run too expensive, it’s still another monthly bill — so it needs to be worthwhile. Businesses are also careful about how they spend money, but it’s understood that an online to do list that increases productivity is worth the expense. (Of course, only the effective to do list software will do this.) Still, the solution will need to offer everything the business needs. This can include a to do list Windows program, an interactive to do list, a to do list with done dates, responsive customer support, integration with other apps, and overall ease of use. 

The bottom line is, since everyone has different needs, it’s important to choose the to do list software that caters specifically to you. 

Our Top 3 Picks

  • 1
    monday.com

    monday.com

    • PriceFrom $27/month ($9/user/month)
    • Team collaboration toolsCollaborative docs, updates, Zoom integration, whiteboards
    • Free trial14 days

    monday.com unifies your team’s tasks and processes into one user-friendly and visually pleasing interface. This work operating system (OS) provides teams with a clear overview of who’s responsible for what and when tasks are due, which can enhance transparency, instill accountability, and enable efficient resource management.

    The tool also offers over 200 templates that you can easily adapt using 20+ customizable columns and numerous integrated applications. These ready-made templates and apps can significantly reduce how much time you spend on setting up projects or tasks, leading to improved productivity.

    Additionally, you can tailor dashboards to provide detailed, team-specific views of tasks, project progression, and upcoming deadlines to enhance your team’s workflow clarity. Samyuktha Shivakumar, Global Marketing Operations Manager at Thoughtworks, reinforces this, stating that monday.com enables them “to budget the team’s time and efforts much more scientifically.”

    Why we chose monday.com: monday.com earns the top spot on our list because it unifies power, flexibility, and intuitiveness and can cater to the most complex project needs. It also allows you to import data from spreadsheets and integrate it with your current tools. With this functionality, you won’t have to manually input any data, giving you more time for other tasks.

    Our experience: monday.com has revolutionized my team’s information management. It let me implement processes that would’ve previously taken days or weeks within a few minutes. The platform’s communication tools, such as document sharing, comment annotation, and direct communication within the task manager, also improved collaboration within my team.

    Pros
    • Color-rich interface for improved organization and coordination
    • Robust list of supported, third-party integrations
    • Drag and drop project charting and timeline construct
    Cons
    • Pricing structure is fragmented and unclear
    • Certain features (Gantt charts, timelines, etc.) are paywalled by higher-tier plans
  • 2
    ClickUp

    ClickUp

    • PriceFrom $7/month/user
    • Team collaboration toolsCollaborative docs, real-time chat, file sharing, proofing
    • Free trialFree plan available

    ClickUp’s variety of visualization options for tracking project statuses is truly remarkable, with tools like Gantt charts, mind maps, and Kanban boards catering to various management styles. These tools give you a blend of flexibility and control in your projects, enabling you to stay on top of your tasks, track progress, and pinpoint roadblocks.

    The platform’s “Timeline View” brings about a new level of resource management. By enabling you to visualize your schedule linearly, it helps you plan work over time and create visual roadmaps. It also allows task grouping by assignee, priority, tags, custom fields, and more, so you can create a flexible organizational structure.

    Additionally, ClickUp enhances team visibility with the “Pulse ClickApp.” This feature provides high-level activity reporting, showing who’s online and their current tasks. Its global timer function also lets you track time both automatically and manually, linked directly to your desktop, mobile, or browser.

    Why we chose ClickUp: What sets ClickUp apart is its seamless integration with over 1,000 other apps, including Slack, GitLab, GitHub, and Webhooks. This capability makes it a go-to choice for development teams, allowing them to streamline their existing workflows.

    Our experience: I was particularly impressed with ClickUp’s unique features, such as notepads, time tracking software, goal-setting tools, and pre-made templates. I also liked that I could use slash commands (typing “/” in any text field to trigger a command menu) to assign tasks, set due dates, or create subtasks quicker.

    Pros
    • AI Compatible
    • Can integrate with over 1,000 apps
    • Offers numerous project tracking tools
    Cons
    • Extensive feature list can be overwhelming for new users
    • Steep learning curve for beginners
  • 3
    Jira

    Jira

    • PriceFrom $77.50/month ($7.75/user/month)
    • Team collaboration toolsConfluence, Bitbucket, goal tracking, task reporting
    • Free trialSeven days; free plan available

    Jira is a highly scalable project management tool that can adapt as your team grows. It can configure workflows, create custom fields, and manage permissions at granular levels. This customizability will give your team room to mold the platform to your specific needs, enabling more efficient work processes.

    Additionally, Jira’s scrum and Kanban boards make managing and visualizing workflows easy by giving teams a clear overview of the project's progression and individual tasks. This can be especially useful for software development teams who need to break projects down into smaller, iterative phases and reassess their process based on user feedback.

    This tool also offers efficient bug and issue-tracking software. Its robust reporting system allows you to create detailed reports and dashboards, which can provide in-depth insights into project performance. This information can help your team identify bottlenecks, prioritize tasks, and implement improvements effectively.

    Why we chose Jira: Jira supports integration with other Atlassian products, such as Confluence and Bitbucket, to enhance its collaborative capabilities. With these tools, you can document, share, and directly link detailed project information to tasks. This will ensure your team stays informed about project progress and has immediate access to relevant resources.

    Our experience: Jira made it extremely easy for me to refine my team’s product backlogs. It allowed me to attach details—like sample wireframes and project guidelines—directly to our tasks. I could also associate items with specific product versions to help my team stay focused. And during the planning stages, I could drag and drop items into different sprints.

    Pros
    • Highly customizable
    • Robust reporting functionality
    • Supports integration with other Atlassian products
    Cons
    • May require technical expertise to set up advanced workflows
    • Might be too pricey for smaller teams

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monday.com
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ClickUp
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Jira
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