Best To-Do List App for Mac Free (Reddit-Tested, 2026)

The best free to-do list apps for Mac in 2026 are Apple Reminders, Todoist, TickTick, Superlist, Any.do, and ClickUp — each free with real caps rather than trials.

Disclosure: Dooit is our product, and it appears in the keyboard-first section below. Everything else here is a straight comparison.

Key takeaways

• Todoist's free plan caps you at 5 projects vs. 300 on Pro, a 60x jump, while TickTick and Superlist cap habits and lists instead of projects.
• Apple Reminders syncs via iCloud across iPhone, iPad, Watch, and Mac natively, with no third-party account or sign-up needed [21][22].
• Amazing Marvin offers full offline mode on desktop and mobile, a detail most free-app roundups skip [20].
• Superlist Basic ($5/mo) undercuts ClickUp Unlimited ($7/mo) by 25%, making it the cheaper upgrade path if you outgrow the free tier [11].
• Dooit is a keyboard-first paid option with sub-50ms actions and a single $9/month plan (7-day trial). Not free, but relevant if the free tools' limits pinch.

What Are the Best Free To-Do List Apps for Mac?

Six free apps cover most Mac workflows: Apple Reminders, Todoist, TickTick, Superlist, Any.do, and ClickUp. Each is free with real limits — projects, lists, habits, or storage caps — rather than time-limited trials. Your pick depends on whether you want native Apple simplicity or richer power-user features like calendars and habit tracking.

• Apple Reminders: built-in, zero setup, iCloud sync [21].
• Todoist: clean UI but capped at 5 projects free.
• TickTick: calendar views, Pomodoro, and habits in one app [8].
• Superlist, Any.do, ClickUp: free tiers with varying storage and list limits.

Free-Tier Limits Compared: Projects, Lists, Habits, and Storage

Free-tier ceilings vary by category, not just size. Todoist free caps at 5 projects, TickTick free caps habit tracking at 5, Superlist free gives 5 private plus 5 shared lists with 500MB storage, and Any.do and ClickUp free tiers claim no hard usage limits. Lining them up shows where each app actually pinches.

• Todoist free: 5 projects, 3 filter views, 1 week activity history.
• Todoist Pro: 300 projects, 60x the free capacity.
• TickTick free: 5 habits tracked vs. 299 on Premium.
• Superlist free: 5 private lists, 5 shared lists, 500MB total storage.
• Any.do free: no stated limits on time, usage, or task volume.
• ClickUp Free Forever: $0, no credit card required.

The sharpest number is Todoist's project ceiling. Moving from free to Pro takes you from 5 to 300 personal projects, a 60x increase, at 5.0x the price ($5/user/month billed yearly vs. $0). That gap is why Todoist free often works better as a trial than a permanent home.

Comparison Table: Free Mac To-Do Apps at a Glance

This table condenses free-plan limits, Mac/iOS availability, offline support, and starting paid price so you can compare without opening six pricing pages. Superlist and Any.do lead on generous free limits; TickTick and Amazing Marvin lead on offline and habit features.

App	Free plan limit	Mac + iOS app	Offline mode	Paid plan starts at
Apple Reminders	No limits, iCloud only	Native, built-in [21]	Yes	Free (Apple ecosystem)
Todoist	5 projects [1]	Yes	Partial	$5/user/mo yearly
TickTick	5 habits [7]	Yes [6]	Yes	Premium (price unspecified)
Superlist	5+5 lists, 500MB [9]	Yes [10]	Not specified	$5/person/mo [11]
Any.do	No stated limits [15]	Yes [14]	Not specified	Paid tier (unspecified)
ClickUp	$0, no card [16]	Mobile confirmed, native Mac unconfirmed [17]	Not specified	$7/user/mo yearly
Amazing Marvin	Trial-based	Yes [19]	Yes, full offline [20]	Paid (unspecified)

Apple Reminders: best for staying inside the Apple ecosystem

Screenshot: Apple Reminders en ie page, September 2026.

Apple Reminders is the default free choice for Mac users already invested in Apple devices. It syncs automatically through iCloud across iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Mac when signed into the same Apple Account, with no download, account, or subscription required.

Apple's own documentation confirms reminders stored in iCloud appear across iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Mac, and are reachable through iCloud.com on non-Apple devices. The trade-off: no Kanban boards, habit streaks, or advanced tagging. It's a list, not a system.

Todoist: best for a clean, fast interface with real limits

Screenshot: Todoist pricing page, September 2026.

Todoist's free Beginner plan is genuinely $0, with 5 personal projects, Smart Quick Add, reminders, and 3 filter views [1]. The catch is the upgrade math: Pro unlocks 300 projects but costs 5.0x the free plan, so heavier users hit the ceiling fast.

• Free plan: 5 projects, 3 filter views, 1 week history.
• Pro plan: $5/user/month yearly, 300 projects, 60x free capacity.
• Team accounts limited to 1 free team per account.
• Limitation: the free plan's one-week activity history is short for reviewing past work.

TickTick: best for calendar views and habit tracking in one app

Screenshot: TickTick upgrade page, September 2026.

TickTick packs calendar views, a Pomodoro timer, and habit tracking into its free tier, making it the richest free option for people who want more than a plain list. The free plan caps habit tracking at 5, jumping to 299 on Premium [7].

• Menu bar quick capture via Command+Shift+A.
• Native apps across iOS, iPadOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Linux, plus web.
• Multiple calendar views, Pomodoro timer, and flexible recurring rules [8].
• Limitation: habit tracking capped at 5 on the free tier.

Superlist: best for shared lists without a paywall

Screenshot: Superlist en page, September 2026.

Superlist's free plan includes 5 private lists, 5 shared lists, unlimited tasks and notes, and 500MB of file storage. That makes it a strong pick for freelancers who need to share a checklist with a client without hitting a paywall on day one.

The free plan covers 5 private plus 5 shared lists, 25MB per file, and 500MB total storage, with repeating tasks and reminder notifications included at no cost across iOS, Android, Web, and macOS. Outgrow it and Basic runs $5/person/month, 25% cheaper than ClickUp Unlimited at $7/user/month.

Any.do: best for unlimited free usage without a credit card

Screenshot: Any.do en page, September 2026.

Any.do markets its free plan as "Free Forever, no credit card," and its help center confirms no limits on time, usage, or task volume. It also has one of the widest platform lists, including a dedicated Mac app.

"Free Forever. No credit card." — Any.do

• Free Forever, no credit card required.
• Native Mac app from the App Store (macOS 10.15+) or a stand-alone install (10.14.6+).
• No stated limits on time, usage, or task volume.
• Available across Android, iPhone, iPad, Mac, Web, Apple Watch, and more.

ClickUp: best for teams who want full project management

Screenshot: ClickUp faqs page, September 2026.

ClickUp's Free Forever plan costs $0 with no credit card, but it's built for teams managing full projects, docs, and goals rather than a lightweight personal to-do list. Solo Mac users should expect a steeper learning curve than the other apps here.

ClickUp confirms its mobile app on iOS and Android, with paid tiers running from Unlimited at $7/user/month up to Enterprise. Its features page positions it as a replacement for separate project management, docs, goals, chat, and time tracking tools. All that scope is the point for teams — and likely more than a solo user wants for a simple Mac task list.

Amazing Marvin: best for offline-first, account-free flexibility

Screenshot: Amazing Marvin download page, September 2026.

Amazing Marvin stands out for full offline support on both desktop and mobile, plus instant sync when you're back online — a detail most free-app roundups skip. It supports Mac Intel and Apple Silicon plus iOS 13+, making it a solid pick for a connection-independent workflow.

• Mac (Intel) macOS 10.13+, Mac (Apple Silicon) macOS 11+, iOS 13.0+.
• Offline mode on desktop and mobile with instant sync when reconnected.
• Secure cloud backup included.
• Limitation: full access is trial- or paid-gated after the initial period.

What Is the Best Cute or Visually Appealing Free To-Do List App for Mac?

Visual appeal is subjective, but it maps to real platform features. Superlist's card-style list layout and TickTick's multiple calendar views are the two that lean hardest into polish, while Apple Reminders keeps a minimal native look consistent with macOS design.

• Superlist: clean list and card interface across iOS, Android, Web, macOS.
• TickTick: multiple calendar views add visual variety.
• Apple Reminders: minimal, native macOS design with no extra install [21].

For Keyboard-Driven Mac Users: Where Free Apps Hit a Ceiling

Keyboard-first Mac users hit a wall with most free apps. Todoist and TickTick offer some shortcuts, but core navigation still leans on mouse and menu. TickTick documents one core shortcut, Command+Shift+A, for quick capture, and Superlist stays primarily click- and tap-driven. A dedicated keyboard tool changes that workflow, at a cost.

Dooit takes the opposite approach: 20+ keyboard shortcuts, full undo and redo, and every action built for sub-50ms response. It adds natural language scheduling ("tomorrow," "next Friday," "every Monday"), a single-keystroke Kanban and list toggle, goal tracking by week, month, year, and multi-year horizons, and habit streaks. It runs on one plan at $9/month with a 7-day free trial.

Disclosure: Dooit is our product. The honest limitation is that Dooit has no free-forever tier, unlike every app compared above, so weigh the $9/month against what the free options already give you. For more head-to-head picks, see our roundup of the best free task management apps and the best free Mac planner apps.

Frequently asked questions

Which free Mac to-do list apps also have a free iPhone companion app?

Todoist, TickTick, Superlist, Any.do, and Apple Reminders all offer free iOS companion apps alongside their Mac versions [6][21]. ClickUp confirms iOS and Android apps but doesn't explicitly detail a native Mac desktop app [17]. Apple Reminders syncs natively via iCloud with no separate download.

Which free to-do list apps for Mac work offline without an account?

Amazing Marvin explicitly supports offline mode on both desktop and mobile with instant sync once reconnected [20]. Apple Reminders works offline within the Apple ecosystem via iCloud once set up. Most third-party apps like Todoist and Superlist require an account to sync, even if some local caching exists.

What paywalls should you check for in free Mac to-do apps?

The common ones are project and list caps (Todoist's 5-project limit vs. 300 on Pro), habit tracking caps (TickTick's 5 vs. 299 on Premium), and storage ceilings (Superlist's 500MB total). Calendar views, custom filters, and longer activity history are also frequently gated behind paid tiers.

How does Apple Reminders compare to third-party free to-do apps on Mac?

Apple Reminders syncs natively through iCloud across iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Mac with zero setup [22], making it the simplest option for Apple-only users. Third-party apps like Todoist and TickTick add Kanban boards, habit tracking, and calendar views, but require separate accounts and often hit free-tier limits.

Which free to-do list apps for Mac can be downloaded without a subscription?

Todoist, TickTick, Superlist, Any.do, ClickUp, and Amazing Marvin all offer free-tier downloads with no subscription required upfront [16][19]. Any.do specifically allows a stand-alone Mac install from its website for macOS 10.14.6 and above, separate from the App Store version.

What features should you look for in a free to-do list app for Mac?

Prioritize recurring tasks, reminders, and cross-device sync as baseline features, all covered free by Superlist and TickTick. Then check project and list caps, offline support, and whether tags or subtasks sit behind a paid tier, since these limits vary widely between apps.

If your workflow lives on the keyboard and you want every action to keep pace with your thinking, start free with Dooit and test sub-50ms, keyboard-first task management before the free tools' limits force a decision.