Every “best to-do app” list is written for one person trying to be productive at work. A household is a different problem: several people, different phones, things that appear out of nowhere (“we’re out of dog food”), and a list that’s only useful if everyonesees it the second it changes. Here’s how the popular apps actually hold up for a family.
| Feature | toldyou.to | Todoist | Things 3 | ClickUp | Notion | Reminders | Google Keep |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apple + Android + Web | Any browser | All | Apple only | All | All | Apple only | All |
| Real-time shared lists | Instant | Yes | No sharing | Yes | Can lag | Apple users | Yes |
| Works for mixed-device homes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Share with people who never sign up | Open link, tick away | Account needed | No | Guest links | View link | Apple ID | Google login |
| Built for households (not work) | Households | Productivity | Personal | Project mgmt | Build-your-own | Home + personal | Notes |
| Setup effort | None to start | Low–medium | Low | High | High | Low | Low |
| Price | Free while young | Free / $4 mo | Paid, one-time | Free / paid | Free / paid | Free (Apple) | Free |
✓ yes · ~ partial / with caveats · ✕ no. Scroll the table sideways on a phone. Details and prices change — last checked June 2026.
The honest verdict on each
Todoist
The serious task manager that also does families. Shared projects, recurring chores, due dates, natural-language input, and it runs on everything. The catch: it’s built around productivity and tasks, the free tier caps collaborators and projects, and it can feel like bringing work software into the kitchen. Great if your home runs on assigned, recurring chores.
Things 3
The most beautiful personal to-do app there is — and the worst fit for a family. It’s Apple-only (no Android, no web) and has effectively no sharing or collaboration. If everyone in your house is on an iPhone and you only want your ownlists, it’s a joy. For a shared household list, it’s a non-starter.
ClickUp
A full project-management platform: real-time collaboration, every view imaginable, automations. It’s overkill for “who’s buying milk.” The complexity is aimed at teams at work, not the people you live with — you’ll spend the evening configuring statuses instead of writing the shopping list.
Notion
Infinitely flexible. You can build a gorgeous family hub — meal plans, chores, shopping, trips. The cost is time: it’s a blank canvas, not a list app; setup is real; sync can lag; and the quick “add milk from the bus” moment has friction. Best if someone in the house genuinely enjoys building systems.
Apple Reminders
Free, already on every Apple device, and genuinely good now: shared lists, grocery auto-grouping, assignable reminders. The catch is the walled garden — no Android, no web for the non-Apple people. The moment one person in the house has an Android, it falls apart.
Google Keep / Lists
Free, cross-platform, dead-simple shared checklists, and the Assistant shopping-list trick is handy. But it’s notes-first: no real household model, limited structure, every collaborator needs a Google account, and it’s not built around the satisfying shared check-off loop.
toldyou.to
What we built — so yes, we’re biased. But it’s the only one here designed for a single job: a list everyone you live with can see and tick, the instant it changes, on any device, with no app to install. Start a list before you sign up, share a link to the catsitter or grandma who’ll never make an account, and nudge the household when something’s urgent. The honest trade-off: it’s young and free, so it has fewer power features than Todoist or ClickUp. If you want a household list everyone actually uses, that’s the whole point.
So which should you pick?
- Everyone’s on Apple, lists are mostly personal: Things 3 (or Reminders if you want to share).
- Mixed iPhone + Android home, you just want simple shared lists: toldyou.to or Google Keep.
- You run the house on chores and recurring tasks: Todoist.
- You love building systems and want a whole family hub: Notion.
- You’re actually running a project, not a household: ClickUp.
Want the list everyone actually uses?
toldyou.to is a shared list for the people you live with — instant, on any device, no app to install. Start one before you even sign up.
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