Best To-Do List Apps of 2026: Expert-Tested Picks That Respect Your Privacy

Each year, Wirecutter updates its recommendations for the best to-do list apps, testing dozens of options for features, reliability, and ease of use. Their 2026 picks are out, and while most reviews focus on functionality, there’s another layer worth examining: how these apps handle your personal data. Your to-do list might contain work projects, personal goals, medical appointments, or even passwords written as reminders. That makes it a surprisingly sensitive store of information.

Here’s a look at what happened with this year’s top apps, why privacy matters more than you might think, and what you can do to choose wisely.

What Happened

Wirecutter’s 2026 review narrowed the field to three apps: Todoist, Things 3, and Microsoft To Do. All three are widely used and have been updated within the past year. The testing team evaluated them on cross-platform support, natural language input, collaboration tools, and speed. But a closer reading of each app’s privacy policy reveals notable differences in how they treat user data.

  • Todoist stores your tasks on its servers (cloud-based), uses end-to-end encryption only for its “pro” tier with a specific setting, and shares anonymized data with third-party analytics services. The company is based in Croatia, subject to GDPR, which offers stronger protections than U.S. law.
  • Things 3 is an Apple-only app that stores data locally on your device and syncs via Apple’s iCloud. That means the app developer (Cultured Code) never sees your task content—only Apple handles the encrypted sync. No third-party analytics are used inside the app.
  • Microsoft To Do syncs through your Microsoft account, stores data on Azure servers, and integrates deeply with Outlook and Teams. Microsoft uses your data to improve its services and may share it with affiliates. The company publishes a transparency report, but data is subject to U.S. law enforcement requests. End-to-end encryption is not offered for task content.

Wirecutter itself notes that Things 3 lacks Windows or Android support, which limits its audience. Todoist and Microsoft To Do are far more cross-platform, but that convenience comes with different privacy trade-offs.

Why It Matters

Most people don’t think twice about trusting an app with their grocery list. But to-do lists often accumulate sensitive details: medication schedules, confidential work tasks, therapy appointments, or travel plans while your home is empty. In 2025, security researchers demonstrated that even metadata from task apps—like timestamps and frequency of edits—can reveal patterns about your habits and health.

The bigger risk is data sharing. Free tiers of apps like Todoist rely on advertising or analytics revenue; while Todoist doesn’t show ads, it does send usage data to services like Amplitude and Mixpanel. Microsoft To Do, part of the Microsoft 365 ecosystem, feeds into a broader data collection network that includes advertising profiles for some accounts. Things 3 costs money upfront but collects very little data—a trade-off that appeals to privacy-conscious users.

There’s also the question of company ownership and jurisdiction. Todoist is run by Doist, a company with a transparent privacy policy but limited legal exposure to U.S. surveillance. Microsoft is an American corporation subject to the Cloud Act and broad data requests. For some users, that difference matters.

What Readers Can Do

Decide based on your actual needs and threat model. Here’s a practical guide:

  • If privacy is your top priority and you use Apple devices exclusively, Things 3 is the clear winner. Your tasks never leave your control except through iCloud, which has strong encryption. The downside: no web app, no Windows, no Android.
  • If you need cross-platform access and reasonable privacy, Todoist is a solid middle ground. Use the Pro plan (around $5/month) to enable end-to-end encryption for your task data. Turn off analytics sharing in settings. Avoid syncing sensitive information like passwords or financial details in the task titles.
  • If you already live inside Microsoft’s ecosystem and don’t mind the data implications, Microsoft To Do is convenient and free. But don’t expect privacy beyond what Microsoft offers for its consumer products. Consider using it only for low-sensitivity tasks, and keep truly private items in a separate, encrypted notes app.

For anyone still unsure, a simple test: open the app’s privacy policy and search for “third party,” “analytics,” or “share.” If those words appear more than a few times, assume your data is being used for purposes beyond just syncing your list.

No app is perfect, but being informed about how your data flows can help you make a choice that matches your comfort level. The best to-do list app is the one you trust enough to use every day—without worrying about who else is reading it.

Sources

  • Wirecutter: “The 3 Best To-Do List Apps of 2026” (December 2025)
  • Doist (Todoist) Privacy Policy, accessed May 2026
  • Microsoft Privacy Statement, updated March 2026
  • Cultured Code (Things 3) Privacy Policy, accessed May 2026
  • Independent security research on task app metadata (2025, various academic sources)