1. Workflowy
https://workflowy.com/
This is one app that has been getting some tremendous buzz lately and its easy to see why. The beauty of Workflowy is that it doesn't force you to create to-do lists in any particular way, it is a completely free-form task management app that lets you build and organize lists exactly the way you want to. Also its completely free so there's no reason not to give it a try. Pro Tip: Use Fluid on OSX to create a WorkFlowy experience that is sheer bliss.
Pros
- completely free-form lists
- supports tagging
- lighting quick
- completely free!
- lackluster collaborative support
- no dedicated mobile app
- ridiculous name
2. Checkvist
http://checkvist.com/
Checkvist is very similar to Workflowy except that it puts one constraint on you, top level items are treated as projects whereas inner items are simply treated as list items. Checkvist does have some nice features that Workflowy doesn't have like smart date recognition as you type, progress bars for projects with multiple to do items, and better collaborative support.
Pros
- supports tagging
- smart date recognition
- progress bars - quick visual indicators
- free!
- forces top level items to be projects
- not a fan of the colour scheme
- no dedicated mobile app
- ridiculous name
3. Task Paper
http://www.hogbaysoftware.com/products/taskpaper
Unlike Workflowy and Checkvist, Task Paper is not a web-app but can instead be downloaded as an OSX app via the App Store (they also have an iPhone app available). I found Task Paper to be slightly less intuitive than WorkFlowy and Checkvist and offer even fewer features. Like WorkFlowy and Checkvist however, Task Paper also supports infinite child lists and tagging.
Pros
- completely free-form lists
- supports tagging
- nicely integrated into OSX
- no support for sharing of lists
- expensive
- no built in support for syncing of lists
4. Wunderlist
http://www.6wunderkinder.com/wunderlist/
Thanks to Apple featuring Wunderlist numerous times in the App Store this app has gained significant popularity. The best thing about Wunderlist is that it is available everywhere. And I mean everywhere: iPhone, iPad, OSX app, web app, Android, heck they even made a Windows Phone version. This app isn't nearly as free-form as WorkFlowy, Checkvist, and Task Paper, as it only allows for one level of grouping, but, Wunderlist almost makes up for it with its beautiful interface.
Pros
- easy on the eyes
- supports tagging
- available everywhere
- free
- fairly rigid list structure - only supports one level of grouping
- minimal collaborative support
5. Strike
http://www.strikeapp.com/
From the always wonderful folks at ZURB comes Strike, a dead simple to-do list web app. Compared to the other apps on this list Strike offers almost no features. There is no grouping of list items, no support for multiple projects, and no tagging support; Strike is completely bare bones. But, what Strike is is fast! If you need to share a quick to-do list with a team member or client in a pinch there is just nothing faster or easier to use than Strike. It requires no sign-ups or logins and has almost no learning curve.
Pros
- well designed
- no learning curve
- lighting fast (no sign-ups or logins)
- free
- perhaps its slightly too bare-bones
- long and difficult to remember list URLs
- if you forget your list's URL there's no way to retrieve it
6. Asana
http://asana.com/
Of the apps that force a list structure on you (ie. a forced hierarchy structure), Asana seems to be one of the fastest to use due to the plethora of keyboard shortcuts it supports. Like Flow (below) Asana also offers many features for collaborating on lists with multiple team members. After trying both, I would recommend Asana over Flow due to its speed (not to mention its attractive price-point).
Pros
- excellent collaborative support
- easy to use
- lots of keyboard shortcuts
- well designed
- free
- slower to use than some of the more free-form options above
- forces you to use a loose structure for your lists
- a calendar view would be greatly appreciated in this app
7. Flow
http://www.getflow.com/
Flow is bar far the most expensive app on this list but it is also one of the most feature rich. Flow has fantastic support for collaborating with team members and clients on large and expansive to-do lists. Flow is also extremely nice to look at and is very reminiscent of the iCloud web interface.
Pros
- excellent collaborative support
- feature rich
- easy to use
- well designed
- slower to use than some of the more free-form options above
- forces you to use a loose structure for your lists
- expensive
What task management and to-do apps are you currently using and why? Any task management apps you feel we’ve glaring left out? Tell us in the comments below!
