Which to-do list app should you use in 2026? Wirecutter has the answers.
It’s easy to spend more time choosing a productivity app than actually using one. Every few months, a new task manager promises to fix your workflow, and the features lists keep getting longer. But if you’re looking for a reliable starting point, the reviews from Wirecutter—the product recommendation arm of the New York Times—remain a practical benchmark.
In late 2025, Wirecutter published its latest roundup of the best to-do list apps, updated for 2026. The article reflects new versions, changing user needs, and growing concerns about data privacy. Here’s what the review tells us, and how you can use it to pick an app that actually fits your life.
What happened
Wirecutter’s 2026 to-do list review replaces an earlier version. While the site doesn’t publish a full changelog, the update is likely to account for feature additions, subscription pricing changes, and security improvements in the leading apps. Past roundups from Wirecutter have consistently favored three apps: Todoist, Things, and TickTick. Based on those patterns, these remain strong candidates in the current list, but the exact picks may have shifted—always check the article itself for the final verdict.
The review evaluates apps on core functionality, cross‑platform support, and how well they handle the balance between simplicity and power. It also touches on privacy and security, an area that has become more important after several high‑profile data incidents in the productivity space.
Why it matters
To-do list apps hold a significant amount of personal information: your daily routines, deadlines, projects, sometimes even notes and files. If an app suffers a breach, that data can be used for phishing or identity theft. Even without a breach, many apps collect usage data for advertising or product analytics. The Wirecutter review highlights which apps offer end‑to‑end encryption, multi‑factor authentication, and options to store data in specific regions—features that matter if you’re privacy‑conscious.
Beyond security, choosing the wrong app can waste time and money. Some apps lock useful features behind subscription tiers; others lack offline support or reliable sync. Wirecutter’s testing is designed to cut through marketing noise, but no single recommendation fits everyone.
What you can do
Before you download a to‑do app, ask yourself a few questions:
- How do you actually work? Do you prefer a simple list where you check off items, or do you need project subtasks, tags, and dependencies? Things is known for clean design; TickTick and Todoist offer more granular project management.
- Which devices do you use? Things is exclusive to Apple devices. Todoist and TickTick work across Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, and the web.
- What’s your budget? Things costs a one‑time fee; Todoist and TickTick use subscriptions. Free tiers exist but limit features.
- How much do you care about privacy? Look for apps that encrypt data in transit and at rest, support two‑factor authentication, and let you export your data easily. Check each app’s privacy policy—some share anonymized usage data by default.
Wirecutter’s 2026 review includes a comparison table that lists features, pricing, platform availability, and privacy notes for each app. Use that table to narrow your choices. If you’re still unsure, pick the free version of one app and test it for a week. The best tool is the one you actually use.
Sources
- “The 3 Best To-Do List Apps of 2026 | Reviews by Wirecutter,” The New York Times, December 10, 2025. Link to article (note: this is an RSS feed link; the full article is behind a soft paywall on the Times site).