The life of a student: hyper-active, overwhelming, and non-stop. Whether you’re trying to get into the best school, graduate at the top of your class, be offered a position at your dream job, or just survive past your 20s, it is an exciting time to build your future! A great to-do list can definitely help.
A student at Harvard described her experience: “College here is like daring yourself to swim the length of a swimming pool without breathing. A lap is a semester. I want to do everything I possibly can.”
Sometimes you may find yourself questioning whether or not it is all worth the stress. How do you possibly manage the non-stop tasks and responsibilities? You must learn to maximize your success and efficiency at getting stuff done. It all starts with organization and planning. We are here to help! We have researched and ranked the top 10 best to-do list apps below to help you work smarter and crush those to-dos without letting any pesky due dates sneak up one you – or worse, sneak passed you.
Todo Cloud
At Todo Cloud we definitely built our app with students in mind. Unlike many of the popular to-do list apps out there, Todo Cloud enables students to create different lists based on different classes and subject matter, whereas other to-do list apps only let you sort tasks by project. Not only that, but the app allows you to get organized by creating checklists with start/due dates along with custom built-in reminders.
Do some of your classes have recurring reading or homework assignments that are due the same night each week? You’ll love our recurring tasks feature. With Todo Cloud, you’ll be able to keep on top of your assignments and not have to stress out about nebulous tasks and due dates creeping up on you and slipping through the cracks. Check it out!
Todo Cloud Pros:
- Allows you to forward tasks from email
- You can set location-specific reminders
- You can set automatic recurring tasks
- Allows you to set the priority of tasks
Todo Cloud Cons:
- Advanced features require a Premium or Business subscription
Todo Cloud Pricing:
Free: All basic features
Premium: $29.99/year, includes all premium features
Business: $39.99/year, includes all premium and business features
myHomework Student Planner
This to-do list app is specifically catered towards students and works for all types of students from elementary to graduate school. The app gives you a calendar to track your homework assignments and schedule tests. You can set up reminders to alert you when an assignment is due soon.
myHomework Student Planner Pros:
- Simple interface that is easy to use
- Allows students to manage assignments, homeworks, tests, and projects effortlessly
- Can be used along with the teacher app (teacher.io) which will important assignments automatically
- Syncs across all devices
myHomework Student Planner Cons:
- Best for grades 7-12
- It is a tedious task to import all assignments into the app
myHomework Student Planner Pricing:
Free: Ads included
Paid: Ad-free, $4.99/year
Google Tasks
If you are an avid Google Calendar user, then Google Tasks in the to-do list application for you. Google Tasks can easily be synced with your Google Calendar so you can effortlessly see your tasks and schedule on the same application. You can create multiple lists of tasks along with sub-tasks. If you have a gmail account, any tasks sent to your email can easily sync to a task in your Google Tasks.
Google Tasks Pros:
- Syncs with all Google applications
- Allows you to create and view tasks from Gmail
- Allows you to create and view tasks from Google Calendar
- Allows you to add details and sub-tasks to your tasks
Google Tasks Cons:
- What you see is what you get, there is no way to upgrade the interface features
- Relatively basic compared to other to-do list apps
Google Tasks Pricing:
Free: Always free, no ability to upgrade
Asana
Asana is a unique task management tool unlike any others on this list. This app includes the ability to view your tasks in timeline, list, or board view. It is specifically designed for group and team work. Asana allows you to upload files and subtasks for every task you create. We recommend this app for any student who works in a group or team frequently so you can wrangle in group projects easier.
Asana Pros:
- Great for managing group tasks
- Allows you to create tasks in 3 formats: timeline, board, and list
- Allows you to assign tasks to others
Asana Cons:
- Better suited for groups rather than individuals
- Inability to switch from tasks to Kanban view
Asana Pricing:
Basic: Free
Premium: $10.99/month
Business: $24.99/month
Enterprise: Custom pricing
Things
When you think of a to-do list, Things is probably the exact design you would imagine. The interface is simple and easy-to-use while still allowing you to create and organize tasks. The app is centered around being easy and effective. There are no bells and whistles on this app. It is best for students with pretty basic needs who want a simple to-do list app!
Things Pros:
- Allows you to drag and drop tasks
- The simple interface is easy to use
- Pie charts to show progress over time
- Allows you to create custom tags to organize tasks
Things Cons:
- Only available on Mac & IOS
- No free version available
Things Pricing:
Mac: $49.99 one-time-purchase
iPhone & Apple Watch: $9.99 one-time-purchase
iPad: $19.99 one-time-purchase
Notion
Notion is a very customizable to-do list app. It has multiple designs for you to choose from depending on your preferences. This app includes the ability to journal, write documents, and can store large amounts of information.
Notion Pros:
- Completely customizable layout
- Never-ending tools for organization
- Journal feature
Notion Cons:
- The interface is intricate and takes time to learn
- It is “too complicated” for many
Notion Pricing:
Free: Up to 5MB file uploads
Personal Pro: $5/month (free for students & teachers), unlimited file uploads
Any.do
Any.do is another simple to-do list app. If you hate typing out your to-do lists, then this app is for you, since it allows users to create new tasks and entries by voice command. Similar to the look of Trello, Any.do makes it easy to create task cards and then move those tasks around between lists. It is an easy-to-learn and easy-to-understand interface for students who like the feel of Trello.
Any.do Pros:
- Allows you to create recurring tasks
- Built-in calendar
- Simple interface
- Speech-to-text to-do lists
Any.do Cons:
- Many essential features are locked in the free version
- Very similar to other to-do list apps
Any.do Pricing:
Free: all basic features
Premium: $2.99/month, includes all features
Habitica
If motivation is your issue, consider trying Habitica! It awakes the inner gamer within us all. It turns completing tasks into a game. As you complete tasks, your character will level-up and you will unlock rewards. On the other hand, if you don’t complete your tasks on time, you will level-down. This app does a great job at making not-fun tasks slightly less not-fun.
Habitica Pros:
- Simple but unique interface
- Completely free
- Allows you to create a personalized character
- Allows you to tag and filter tasks
Habitica Cons:
- More game-focused than task-focused
- No advanced task management features are available
Habitica Pricing:
Free: always free, no ability to upgrade features
Memorigi
If you love color coordination, then Memorigi is for you. This app is a to-do list, calendar, and planner all-in-one! You can create weekly, monthly, and semester goals. Our favorite part about this app is that it allows you to create a ‘My Day’ list that includes all the tasks that you must complete during the day.
Memorigi Pros:
- Allows you to include fun colorful icons for each task
- Includes a to-do list, calendar, and planner
- Allows you to create a prioritized ‘My Day’ list
Memorigi Cons:
- Only available on Android devices
- You can only create sub-tasks with the premium feature
Memorigi Pricing:
Free: All basic features
Premium: $49.99/year, includes advanced productivity statistics, subtasks, and tags
Kids ToDo List
The last app on our list is specifically catered for younger students. This app creates tasks as pictures so that young children can learn to complete tasks on their own. There is the ability for a parent or guardian to record a voice recording for each task. Every task that is completed results in a reward from the app. It is perfect for teaching young children good habits and productivity.
Kids ToDo List Pros:
- Allows you to insert pictures for tasks
- Allows you to add voice recording to each task
- Allows parents to nag their children less
Kids ToDo List Cons:
- Encourages children to spend more time on the screen
Kids ToDo List Pricing:
Free: All features are free, no upgrades are available
