Apple Reminders replaces 3 paid apps
One genuinely free tool, 3 subscriptions it can stand in for. Each pairing below is curated and verified by hand, with the honest catch spelled out. No votes, no pay-to-list.
licenseproprietary, free
runson your machine
installPreinstalled on iPhone, iPad, and Mac; enable iCloud or another supported reminders account for synchronization
enginesOptional Apple Intelligence can suggest or auto-categorize reminders on supported devices; ordinary task management does not require AI
dataStructured reminder records live in iCloud or another configured reminders account and are cached on Apple devices; iCloud provides account-level restore rather than user-visible task files
setupno real blockers; verified to install clean
facts verified 2026-08-10
Things minus the polish tax, provided every device in sight has an Apple logo
the catchApple Reminders lacks Any.do’s guided My Day flow and broad Windows, Android, and web support.
the verdict →all Any.do alternatives →
Things minus the polish tax, provided every device in sight has an Apple logo
the catchApple Reminders is confined to Apple’s ecosystem and is less capable than Todoist for cross-platform collaboration, integrations, and complex filters.
the verdict →all Todoist alternatives →
Things minus the polish tax, provided every device in sight has an Apple logo
the catchApple Reminders is less coherent and polished than Things for organizing Areas, multi-step projects, headings, start dates, deadlines, and the Today-to-Upcoming flow.
the verdict →all Things 3 alternatives →last updated 2026-08-10 · up to $180/yr replaced · no votes, no pay-to-list
