Your inbox is overflowing. Your notepad is full of half-forgotten to‑dos. And somewhere in your head floats that one important deadline you really don’t want to forget. Sound familiar? Then it’s time for a decent to‑do list app. And if you’re already working with Outlook, Microsoft To Do might just be the solution that ties all those loose ends together.
Microsoft To Do is free, works on all your devices, and connects seamlessly with your Outlook calendar. But is it actually good enough to get your chaotic to‑do list under control? I dove in.
Microsoft To Do: the company
Microsoft To Do didn’t just appear out of nowhere. It’s the successor to Wunderlist, a beloved to‑do list app that Microsoft acquired in 2015. In 2017, Microsoft launched To Do as the new flagship, and in 2020 Wunderlist was officially phased out.
The app is built by Microsoft itself and is now firmly embedded in the Microsoft 365 ecosystem. You’ll find To Do in Outlook, Teams, and even in your Windows taskbar. It’s clear that Microsoft takes the app seriously as part of their productivity suite.
What stands out: Microsoft To Do remains completely free for personal use. You only need a Microsoft account, and you probably already have one if you use Outlook, OneDrive, or Xbox. For business use, To Do is included with Microsoft 365 subscriptions at no extra cost.
Who is Microsoft To Do for?
Microsoft To Do is perfect if you’re already in the Microsoft universe. Do you use Outlook for email? Teams for meetings? Then To Do integrates seamlessly. Your flagged emails automatically appear as tasks, and you can share tasks with colleagues you’re already connected with in Teams.
The app is also ideal for people who don’t feel like dealing with complicated project management tools. To Do keeps it simple: lists, tasks, subtasks. Done. No Gantt charts, no burndown graphs, no mandatory course to understand the interface.
But To Do is less suitable if you’re a power user who wants to organize everything down to the smallest detail. Missing advanced filters, tags, priorities, and natural language input? Then you’ll probably run into the limitations quickly.
If you mainly work on Linux, you’re out of luck as well. There is no official Linux app, although you can use the web version.
What can Microsoft To Do do?
Microsoft To Do is packed with features that make your daily planning much easier. These are the most important ones:
- My Day – This is the crown jewel. Every morning you get a clean slate with suggestions of tasks that deserve attention today. You manually drag in what you want to tackle, helping you stay focused. No overwhelming list of 47 tasks, but an achievable day plan.
- Sharing lists – Create a shopping list and share it with your housemates. Or a project list with colleagues. Anyone with a Microsoft account can join, add tasks, and check things off. Ideal for families and small teams.
- Outlook integration – Flag an email in Outlook? Then it automatically appears in To Do. It also works the other way around: tasks you create in To Do show up in Outlook. Everything stays synchronized without you having to do anything.
- Reminders and deadlines – Set a due date and To Do will send you a notification. You can also create recurring tasks for things that come up every week or month, such as taking out the trash or preparing your tax return.
- Subtasks (steps) – Big task? Break it into smaller steps. For each task, you can create a checklist with substeps that you check off one by one. Useful for projects with multiple components.
- Notes and attachments – Add a note to a task for extra context. Or drag a file onto it (up to 25 MB). This way you have all information together without having to search through your mailbox or OneDrive.
- Themes and dark mode – Choose from different color themes or switch to dark mode. Not groundbreaking, but nice when you’re checking your task list in the evening without blinding your eyes.
- Cross‑platform – Create a task on your iPhone while waiting for the bus, and see it appear on your Windows laptop when you get home. To Do syncs between iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, and the web version.
What stands out is that Microsoft To Do focuses on simplicity. There are no fancy Kanban boards or time tracking. It’s a task list, and it does exactly what you expect it to do.
How much does Microsoft To Do cost?
Here comes the good news: Microsoft To Do is completely free. No limited trial period, no premium subscription trying to upsell you, no “upgrade for more features”. Everything you just read comes at no cost.
You only need a Microsoft account. Don’t have one? Then you can create one for free. Do you use Microsoft 365 for work? Then To Do is automatically included at no extra cost.
This is a big difference from competitors like Todoist, where the free version is limited to 5 projects and you have to pay for advanced features. Or TickTick, where you don’t get subtasks without premium. Microsoft To Do gives you everything for free.
The downside? Because it’s free, Microsoft doesn’t earn directly from it. That means new features arrive slowly. Wunderlist users have been waiting for years for features that were promised during the transition. Development just doesn’t move as fast as with apps backed by a paid subscription.
What should you pay attention to?
Microsoft To Do is free and convenient, but not perfect. These are the main pain points users run into:
The subtasks aren’t really subtasks. They’re called “steps” and are simply a checklist within a task. You can’t assign them a separate deadline, add a note, or set a reminder. For simple things it works fine, but for complex projects with dependencies? Forget it.
Synchronization sometimes falters. You create a task on your phone, but on your laptop it takes a while before it appears. Or the other way around. It usually resolves itself, but it’s frustrating when you want to quickly check something and it’s not there.
There’s no natural language input. In Todoist you type “do groceries tomorrow at 3 PM” and the app understands exactly what you mean. In To Do you have to manually set the date and time via dropdown menus. In 2024, that feels a bit outdated.
The filters and smart lists are limited. You can sort by due date or importance, but you can’t create advanced search queries like “all tasks with tag X that are due this week and assigned to person Y”. Power users miss that flexibility.
And then there’s the pace of development. Microsoft To Do sometimes feels like an app that just tags along in the background while Microsoft focuses on Teams and Outlook. New features arrive slowly, and the interface looks a bit dated compared to modern competitors.
Finally: you need to have a Microsoft account. For many people that’s not a problem, but if you intentionally keep your distance from big tech companies, you’re stuck here. There’s no option to use To Do without sharing your data with Microsoft.
What do others think?
Opinions about Microsoft To Do are mostly positive, especially among people already in the Microsoft ecosystem. On YouTube, Tool Finder praises the app as the best free option, mainly thanks to the ‘My Day’ feature that helps you stay focused without feeling overwhelmed. They do warn that power users will be disappointed by the lack of advanced features.
Simon Sez IT emphasizes in their extensive tutorial the strong integration with Microsoft 365 as the biggest advantage for business use. If you already work with Outlook and Teams, To Do is a logical addition that fits in seamlessly.
What users appreciate most: the ‘My Day’ feature gets praise everywhere. It really helps structure your day without being distracted by that huge list of “do someday” tasks. The fact that everything is free without a premium subscription is also constantly mentioned as a major benefit.
The ability to view flagged emails from Outlook directly as tasks is also a frequently mentioned favorite. And the clean, calm interface without distractions is appreciated by people who are tired of cluttered dashboards.
But the complaints are consistent as well. The lack of “real” subtasks with their own deadlines and notes frustrates many users. The steps feature feels like a half-baked solution. Synchronization issues are mentioned regularly, with tasks not appearing immediately on mobile or desktop.
Many users feel that the app seems outdated compared to modern tools like Todoist or TickTick. The limited options for smart lists and filters are also often mentioned as a drawback.
On Reddit you see a mixed picture. Some people swear by it and use it daily without issues. Others have switched to alternatives because To Do was too basic for their workflow. The consensus: it’s a solid free option, but not the most advanced task list app out there.
Microsoft To Do alternatives
Does Microsoft To Do not quite fit what you’re looking for? Here are the best alternatives:
- Todoist – Choose Todoist if you need advanced task input. You type “tomorrow at 2:00 PM call Jan #work !priority1” and everything is automatically recognized and set. The filters and labels are much more powerful than in To Do. Downside: the free version is limited to 5 projects and 5 active collaborators. For all features you pay €4 per month.
- Google Tasks – Do you mainly work in Gmail and Google Calendar? Then Google Tasks is the logical choice. It’s simpler than To Do but deeply integrated into the Google ecosystem. Tasks you create from emails automatically appear in your calendar. Also completely free, but with fewer features than To Do.
- TickTick – This is the all‑in‑one option. In addition to tasks, you get a built‑in Pomodoro timer, habit tracker, and calendar view. Perfect if you want to track habits alongside tasks or work with the Pomodoro technique. The free version is fairly complete, but for the best features you pay €2.79 per month.
Each of these alternatives has its own strengths. Todoist wins on power and flexibility, Google Tasks on simplicity and Google integration, and TickTick on versatility with extra productivity tools.
Frequently asked questions
Is Microsoft To Do really completely free?
Yes, Microsoft To Do is completely free for personal use. You only need a Microsoft account. For business use, it is included with Microsoft 365 subscriptions at no additional cost beyond your existing plan.
Can I sync my tasks with Outlook?
Yes, Microsoft To Do syncs automatically with Outlook Tasks. If you use the same Microsoft account, you will see your tasks in both applications. Flagged emails in Outlook also automatically appear as tasks in To Do.
Can I share lists with people who don’t have a Microsoft account?
No, to collaborate on shared lists in Microsoft To Do, all users must have a Microsoft account and be signed in. You cannot share lists with people who do not want to create an account.
Conclusion
Microsoft To Do is a solid, free task list app that does exactly what it promises. No fuss, no hidden costs, just a reliable way to keep track of your tasks. The ‘My Day’ feature is truly worth its weight in gold if you struggle with focus, and the Outlook integration makes it a no-brainer if you already work with Microsoft 365.
But it’s not a perfect app. The subtasks are limited, synchronization sometimes falters, and power users will miss the advanced features that Todoist or TickTick do have. Development is slow, and sometimes it feels like Microsoft has somewhat forgotten about the app.
Still, To Do is more than good enough for many people. If you want a simple, reliable task list that integrates seamlessly with your Outlook email and is free, then this is an excellent choice. Just give it a try. It costs you nothing, and within five minutes you’ll know whether it suits you.
