Apple Notes vs Todoist
Which is better in 2026? Five scores, side by side.
It's a near tie: both score 9.0, with Apple Notes ahead by a hair, so the right pick depends on what you need. Apple Notes wins on 2 of the 5 scores, Todoist on 3.
iPhone, iPad and Mac owners who want a fast, free place for everyday notes
People and small teams who want a fast, reliable task list on every device
Score by score
The details
| Feature | Apple Notes | Todoist |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Productivity & Notes | Productivity & Notes |
| Category rank | #5 of 17 | #6 of 17 |
| Developer | Apple | Todoist Inc. |
| Pricing | Free | Free + paid plans |
| Usable for free | Yes | Yes |
| iPhone & iPad | ✓ | ✓ |
| Android | — | ✓ |
| Mac | ✓ | ✓ |
| Windows | — | ✓ |
| Linux | — | ✓ |
| Web | ✓ | ✓ |
Common questions
Is Apple Notes better than Todoist?
It's a near tie: both score 9.0, with Apple Notes ahead by a hair, so the right pick depends on what you need. Apple Notes wins on 2 of the 5 scores, Todoist on 3.
Which is cheaper, Apple Notes or Todoist?
Apple Notes: Free; syncs with 5 GB of free iCloud storage, and iCloud+ starts at $0.99 a month. Todoist: Free Beginner plan; Pro $5/month billed yearly, or $7 monthly. On value for money, Apple Notes scores higher.
Do Apple Notes and Todoist work on the same devices?
Only Todoist runs on Android, Windows, Linux.
Which is more private, Apple Notes or Todoist?
Apple Notes scores higher on privacy (9.0/10). App Store label: no tracking. Your note content and an ID are linked to you; usage data is not. Turn on Advanced Data Protection and your iCloud notes are end-to-end encrypted.
Strengths and weaknesses
Apple Notes
- Free and built into every iPhone, iPad and Mac
- Handwriting, scans, tables and transcripts in one app
- No tracking, according to the App Store label
- No Android or Windows app, only iCloud.com in a browser
- Free iCloud storage is just 5 GB
- Not end-to-end encrypted unless you turn on Advanced Data Protection
Apple Notes is free, already on your iPhone, iPad and Mac, and a lot better than most people think. You get checklists, tables, document scanning, handwriting, Math Notes and audio recordings with written transcripts. Share notes with family, lock private ones and export to Markdown. Everything syncs through iCloud. The catch is that it lives in Apple's world, with only a web version for Windows and Android.
Full Apple Notes review
Todoist
- Fast, natural language task entry
- Apps for every major platform plus browser add-ons
- Clean design that stays simple as lists grow
- Free plan is limited to five personal projects
- No built-in focus timer or habit tracking
- Pro price went up in late 2025
Todoist is the to-do app that works everywhere and stays out of your way. Type 'call Sam every Friday at 3pm' and it sets the date and repeat for you, or use Ramble to talk through your plans and get tidy tasks back. Filters, labels and shared projects scale from groceries to team work, and sync is fast and dependable. The free plan stops at five projects, and Pro costs more than it used to.
Full Todoist review
