Apple Reminders alternatives for iPhone and Mac
The best Apple Reminders alternative depends on what's missing. GoodTask adds power on top of your existing Reminders lists. Things 3 adds polish and projects. Todoist and TickTick add every platform and sharing. Alcove adds a Mac menu bar app, natural-language quick add, boards, a calendar with an hour grid and notes that calculate, for $29.99 once.
Apple Reminders has become a good app: free, everywhere on your Apple devices, with tags, smart lists, sections, a column view and, from iOS 26.2, urgent reminders that ring. Here's what to try when it still isn't enough, organised by what you're missing. I make Alcove, which is one of the options; facts were checked in October 2026.
At a glance
| App | Price | Best if you want |
|---|---|---|
| GoodTask | Sold once or by subscription, and on Setapp | More power without leaving your Reminders data |
| Alcove | $29.99 once for iPhone, iPad and Mac, after a 14-day free trial | The Mac menu bar, one-sentence quick add, boards, a calendar and notes |
| Things 3 | $9.99 iPhone, $19.99 iPad, $49.99 Mac, each once | A polished planner with projects |
| Todoist | Free plan, or Pro at $5 a month billed yearly | Every platform, sharing and integrations |
| TickTick | Free plan, or Premium at $49.99 a year | Habits, a focus timer and calendar views in one |
| Microsoft To Do | Free | A free list on Windows and Android too |
If you want more power but your data in Reminders
GoodTask sits on top of Apple Reminders and Calendar, adding custom smart lists, quick actions and board views while your reminders stay where they are. If you share Reminders lists with family, that's a big advantage.
If you live on a Mac
Reminders has no menu bar list and no global quick add. Alcove puts your day in the menu bar: one click shows today, every list, the month, your notes and boards, and ⌥ Space adds a task from any app in one sentence ("Dentist Tuesday 3pm #health"). Lists can float above other apps. See Alcove vs Apple Reminders.
If you want notes and planning with your tasks
Reminders keeps notes per reminder and leaves planning to Calendar. Alcove has a notebook beside your tasks, with tables that total themselves, plus boards and a calendar with Day, Week and Month views and an hour grid. TickTick and Todoist add calendar views in their paid plans.
If you need Windows or Android
Todoist, TickTick and Microsoft To Do run everywhere. Reminders, Alcove and Things 3 are Apple-only.
What you'd give up
- Free and built in. Everything else here costs something or needs an install.
- Shared family lists. Alcove and Things 3 are built for one person.
- Location reminders and Apple Watch, which Reminders does very well.
Sources
Checked in October 2026:
- Reminders on Mac: lists and columns, Apple Support
- iOS 26.2 adds reminder alarms, TidBITS
- GoodTask introduction
- Things 3 on the App Store
- Todoist pricing and TickTick Premium
Questions people ask
Is there an app that works with my existing Apple Reminders?
Yes. GoodTask uses your Reminders and Calendar data directly, so your lists stay in Reminders while you get more views, filters and quick actions on top.
Why switch from Apple Reminders at all?
Common reasons are wanting the list in the Mac menu bar, typing a whole task in one sentence, boards or an hour-grid calendar, notes alongside tasks, or Windows and Android support. If none of those matter, Reminders is a fine choice.
Can Apple Reminders ring like an alarm?
Yes, from iOS 26.2: mark a reminder as urgent. Alcove, Todoist and TickTick offer alarm-style reminders on iOS 26 too.
Can I move my Reminders lists to Alcove?
Copy a list's reminders and paste them into an Alcove note as a checklist, then turn the lines into tasks, or ask an AI assistant connected through Alcove's MCP server to recreate them.