I confess. I am addicted to todo lists. I love the idea of checking off things from a list I have prepared to keep my feeble mind from forgetting things. However, I do take it to extremes. Not the point of a friend I had in residency who would write out a paper list every day and include such items as "brush teeth" and "pick up newspaper". Back in the day, I was a big fan of the Franklin-Covey method of listing, assigning priorities, and making sure the important things were done first. A few years ago, though, I migrated to using electronic versions and have tried many programs, apps, and systems. I have found myself always searching for one that meets all of my personal (and professional) needs. I have decided that the perfect option does not exist.

Currently, I am using Informant (formerly Pocket Informant, by Fanatic Software). I have used this off and on for years and really like a lot of the options and flexibility it gives. A few shortcomings have made me look at a few other options and I now have Wunderlist, Any.do, Toodledo, and Todoist ALL on my phone, iPads, and computers. I am continuing to refine my search and plan to list pros and cons of each one later this week. I am anxiously awaiting the release of Informant 5 (hopefully today) and would welcome an end to my search. We'll see.

Here is a running list of pros and cons for the apps/programs I have tried:

  • Informant- I have used this for years with many iterations and have been loyal to the company. The move to primarily iOS has left some of my devices behind, but I have tried to stay with it because of a long-time investment. I have to admit, the recent “upgrade” is what made me sort looking for other options. 
    • Pros
      • Multiple priorities for sorting tasks
      • Templates added easily
      • Projects with multiple tasks easily added and copied
      • Easy copying of tasks
      • Easy to skip occurence of repeating task
      • Combines calendar AND tasks, making one app for both- helps me schedule tasks on future days knowing commitments
    • Cons
      • Sync through Toodledo to get to Windows, therefore requires subscriptions to both Informant AND Toodledo for full functionality
      • Possibly too many options. Can take a while to get everything zoned in
      • Search can be confusing
      • Having purchased many versions (Android, iOs, macOS, etc) I admit I am frustrated when a new version comes out and I have to purchased another one. Informant Sync is useless to e because I need to be able to run both macOS and Windows environments. That requires me to run through Toodledo, which requires another subscription. So…the jury is out on the recent changes. 
  • Todoist
    • Pros
      • Multiple priorities for sorting tasks
      • Easy swipe actions for updating tasks
      • Simple, straight-forward, easy learning curve
    • Cons
      • No templates
      • Projects with multiple todos difficult to repeat
      • Just added- ability to copy tasks!
  • Toodledo
    • Pros
      • Multiple priorities for tasks
      • Easy to duplicate/copy tasks
      • Lists, Notes, Outlines, Habits functions are handy
    • Cons
      • Sync can be a little slow at times
      • Clunky mobile interface
      • Repeating tasks take several seconds to reset and remain on current date
  • Wunderlist
    • Pros
      • Easy to enter tasks
      • Beautiful interface
    • Cons
      • Only 2 priorities- standard and starred
      • Not enough functionality for me to sort by importance
  • Swipes - This is a new app for me. I am intrigued by its design. I really like swiping off completed tasks as opposed to checking a box, so this is a plus. I haven’t used it enough to understand full functionality, but so far I am impressed. 
    • Pros
      • Tasks set by time instead of priority. You can set a priority task, but like Wunderlist, there are only two levels.
      • Easy to schedule
      • Recurring tasks are easy to add
      • Uses Workspace concept to sort (i.e. tags)
      • Easy search functionality
      • Action subsets easy to add
    • Cons
      • Only two levels of priority
      • No integration with Siri, IfTTT or for that matter anything other than Evernote and Gmail. Syncing across platforms or making workflow additions is hindered by this. 
      • “Premium” service yet to be added. I’m not sure when this will go to a subscription service, but expect it to be necessary soon
  • Any.do
    • Pros
      • Long list of options when adding task
      • Easy to reactivate completed tasks
    • Cons
      • Clunky to add recurring tasks
      • Free version (trial) doesn't allow use of recurring tasks, so difficult to evaluate without purchase
      • Web site simple, difficult to find Today's tasks
      • No way to have untimed daily tasks- must assign a reminder time
      • Can't experiment with free version by syncing devices to see if it works and how

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