Alcove vs Apple Reminders: when is the free app enough?
Apple Reminders is free, built into every Apple device, and great for shared family lists and location reminders, and in iOS 27 it reads plain language with Apple Intelligence on iPhone 15 Pro and later. Alcove is for people who want more from their Mac: the day in a menu bar popup, quick add from any app with one sentence and no Apple Intelligence needed, boards, and notes that calculate, for $29.99 once on Mac, iPhone and iPad.
Apple Reminders has quietly become a good app. It's free, it's on every Apple device, and it now does smart lists, tags, columns and, from iOS 26.2, reminders that ring. iOS 27 added plain-language entry too. So when is it worth paying for something else? I make Alcove, so weigh that, but I've tried to be fair about where Reminders is the better choice.
How I compared. This comparison is based on Apple's Reminders support pages and on 9to5Mac, MacRumors and TidBITS coverage of iOS 26.2 and iOS 27, checked on 8 October 2026, rather than on a side-by-side test. The sources are listed at the end.
At a glance
| Feature | Alcove | Apple Reminders |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free, or $29.99 once for everything on Mac, iPhone and iPad | Free, built in |
| Platforms | Mac, iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and more Apple devices |
| Menu bar | Popup with today, lists, the month and notes; lists can float on top | None |
| Quick add | ⌥ Space from any app; one sentence sets day, time, length, list, tag, priority and repeat, with built-in rules | Type in the app or ask Siri; in iOS 27 on iPhone 15 Pro and later, Apple Intelligence fills in the date, time and location from your words |
| Organising | Lists, folders, tags, boards | Lists, tags, Smart Lists, sections and columns |
| Notes | Notes that calculate, with tables and budget rows, beside your tasks | A separate Notes app |
| Alarms | Quiet, a notification or an alarm for each reminder; on iPhone with iOS 26 an alarm rings through silent mode and Focus, with Stop and Snooze | Urgent reminders ring as alarms from iOS 26.2 |
| Sharing | No | Shared lists and assigned reminders |
| Sync | Your own iCloud | Your own iCloud |
iOS 27 changed Reminders
iOS 27, released in September 2026, made adding a reminder quicker:
- Plain-language entry. Type "get the groceries at 6pm tonight" and Reminders fills in the date, time and any place you mention. This uses Apple Intelligence, so it needs an iPhone 15 Pro or later.
- A new details editor. While you type a reminder in a list, a box around it offers Date, Time, Urgent, Repeat, Location, Tag, Flag and Camera, so you rarely need the full details screen.
- Better grocery lists. Grocery lists sort more accurately, and in more languages.
What's still different in Alcove:
- Quick add without Apple Intelligence. Alcove reads your sentence with its own rules, on any Mac with macOS 14 or later and any iPhone or iPad with iOS 17.4 or later.
- From any Mac app. ⌥ Space opens quick add over whatever you're doing, and one sentence sets the day, time, length, list, tag, priority and repeat.
- The rest of the list above. The menu bar popup, boards, the hour-grid calendar and notes that calculate.
Where Reminders is stronger
- It's free and already there. Nothing to install or buy, on every Apple device.
- Sharing. Shared lists, with reminders you can assign to people.
- Smart Lists. Lists that gather reminders by tags, dates, priority, flags or location.
- Urgent reminders that ring. Since iOS 26.2, a reminder marked urgent sets off an alarm when it's due, even with the phone on silent.
- Location reminders and Apple Watch. Reminders can nudge you when you arrive somewhere, and it's on your wrist.
Where Alcove is stronger
- The Mac menu bar. Your whole day, one click away, with today's count beside the icon and lists that can float above your work. See keeping your to-do list in the Mac menu bar.
- Quick add from any app. Press ⌥ Space and type "Pay rent every month !high /Home". See the quick add guide.
- Notes and tasks together. Notes live beside your lists, can link to tasks and do the maths. See notes that do the maths.
- Boards. Drag cards from To do to Done, and each card stays a real task. See personal kanban boards.
- More in a task. Durations, reminders, attachments, links and linked notes.
Which should you choose?
Stay with Reminders if you share lists with family, rely on location reminders or your Apple Watch, or want something free. With iOS 27 on a recent iPhone, typing a reminder in plain words is built in too.
Choose Alcove if you spend your day on a Mac and want the list in the menu bar, capture tasks mid-flow with one shortcut, and keep notes, boards and tasks in one calm place. Like Reminders, it keeps everything in your own iCloud with no account; see a private to-do list with no account.
For more apps to try instead of Reminders, see Apple Reminders alternatives for iPhone and Mac. If you're weighing Reminders against Things, see Things 3 vs Apple Reminders.
Sources
Checked on 28 September 2026; alarm details and the iOS 27 changes checked on 8 October 2026:
- View reminders as lists or columns on Mac, Apple Support
- Organize reminders on your iPhone or iPad, Apple Support
- Create custom Smart Lists in Reminders on Mac, Apple Support
- Use Reminders on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, Apple Support, for urgent reminders that ring when the device is silenced or a Focus is on
- iOS 26.2 adds reminder alarms, TidBITS
- Reminders just got more powerful, here's what's new in iOS 27, 9to5Mac, 29 September 2026
- Everything new in Calendar and Reminders in iOS 27, MacRumors, for the natural-language example and the iPhone 15 Pro requirement
Questions people ask
Is Apple Reminders good enough?
For many people, yes. It's free, syncs through iCloud and shares lists with family. Alcove is worth it if you want your day in the Mac menu bar, notes and tasks in one place, and boards.
What changed in Apple Reminders in iOS 27?
Reminders now turns a description in your own words into a reminder with its date, time and location, using Apple Intelligence on iPhone 15 Pro and later. It also has a new details editor with Time, Urgent and Repeat beside the reminder you're typing, and sorts grocery lists more accurately, in more languages.
Does Alcove's quick add need Apple Intelligence?
No. Alcove reads your sentence with its own built-in rules, on any Mac with macOS 14 or later and any iPhone or iPad with iOS 17.4 or later.
Does Apple Reminders have a menu bar app?
No. Reminders lives in its own window. Alcove keeps your day in a menu bar popup, one click from any app.
Can Alcove share lists like Reminders?
No. Alcove is built for one person, so for shared shopping or family lists, Reminders is the better choice.
Do both sync through iCloud?
Yes. Both keep your data in your own iCloud, with no separate account.