AnyTask vs Apple Reminders
AnyTask is a native task manager for iPhone, iPad, and Mac, designed to feel like the Apple Reminders alternative that Reminders itself was always supposed to be — same clean simplicity, with the features power users keep wishing for.
Apple Reminders is the bare minimum that ships with iOS. AnyTask is what you actually want once you've used a task app for more than a grocery list — same clean Apple feel, with the features Reminders has been missing for years.
What Apple Reminders covers
Apple Reminders is the system default — free, built into iOS, syncs through iCloud, supports Siri, and handles basic shared lists. It's fine for the lightest use case (a single grocery list, a one-off "remind me at 3pm"). The reason most people end up looking for an alternative is that real life quickly outgrows what it can do.
Where Apple Reminders runs out of room
If you actually live inside your task app, Reminders starts to feel thin. The places people most often hit the wall:
- No fast triage workflow. When you have 15 things to capture, Reminders makes you tag each one with a list and a date as you go. There's no "dump everything, sort later" mode.
- Lists all look the same. A handful of system colors and SF Symbols. Hard to tell your lists apart at a glance.
- No rich content on tasks. You can't attach a photo of the broken part you need to replace, the form you need to fill out, or a link to a doc — without dropping into Notes.
- Limited recurring rules. Daily/weekly/monthly works, but more complex schedules (every other Tuesday, the last weekday of the month) get awkward.
- Widgets are bare. The system widgets show one list. Glancing at "what's actually due today" across all your lists takes more taps than it should.
What AnyTask adds
AnyTask was built to keep the Reminders feel — quiet, native, no methodology to learn — and remove those specific friction points.
The "Any" inbox, the "+Task" widget, and Sort mode
The signature trio. AnyTask ships with an always-present inbox-style list called Any, plus a lock-screen widget called +Task that goes straight to it: tap the widget → app opens → Any list is selected → text field is focused. You go from lock screen to typed task with nothing in between. Then, when you have a moment, you tap into Sort mode (or just drag and drop) to triage Any into your other lists in batch. The point is to move the cognitive overhead of organizing to a moment when you can afford it, instead of the moment you're still trying to remember the thing.
Customizable lists
Pick any color and any icon for each list. Your "Work" list and your "Groceries" list look meaningfully different, which makes scanning faster.
Rich tasks
Subtasks, photos, links, due dates — all attached to the task itself. No more Notes-as-a-second-brain side trip.
Inline natural-language dates
Type the date right in the task title — "Pick up dry cleaning Tuesday @2pm" — and AnyTask parses it as you go. No date picker between you and getting the task down.
Drag and drop between lists
Move tasks anywhere by dragging them — between lists, within a list to reorder, or out of your Any inbox into the right place. Reminders requires a long-press menu and a list picker for the same action.
Better recurring rules and calendar sync
Daily, weekly, monthly, and custom schedules. Tasks with dates show up in Apple Calendar so your day is one unified view.
Widgets that show what's due today, across lists
Home screen and lock screen widgets surface the tasks that actually matter right now — not just one list.
Side by side
| Feature | AnyTask | Apple Reminders |
|---|---|---|
| Sort / triage mode | Yes — capture first, sort later | No |
| Custom list colors & icons | Fully customizable | Limited presets |
| Photos & links on tasks | Yes | No (links via share sheet only) |
| Subtasks | Yes | Yes |
| Inline natural-language dates | Yes — "Tuesday @2pm" parses as you type | Yes |
| Drag & drop between lists | Yes — across all lists | Within a list only |
| Recurring tasks | Daily/weekly/monthly/custom | Basic schedules |
| Apple Calendar sync | Yes | Partial |
| Widgets | Home & lock screen, multi-list | Single list |
| iCloud shared lists | Yes | Yes |
| Siri & Shortcuts | Yes | Yes |
| Works offline | Yes | Yes |
| Platforms | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Web |
| Data storage | Your device + your iCloud (no servers) | iCloud |
Why most Reminders users are ready for AnyTask
If you've ever wished Reminders had photos on tasks, custom list visuals, smarter recurring rules, a fast triage flow for batch-organizing tasks, or a widget that actually shows what's due across all your lists — those are exactly the gaps AnyTask fills. It's the natural next step after Reminders, not a different category of app.
And the switch is painless. AnyTask runs on the same iCloud account, so you can try it alongside Reminders without losing anything. Most people don't go back.
Get AnyTask
iPhone, iPad, and Mac. No account to create.
