AppsUpdated Oct 31, 20263 reviewed

The best task & project managers

From a personal to-do list you check twenty times a day to the issue tracker a whole product team lives in. Pick by who else needs to see your tasks.

Quick answer: the best is Todoist (8.6/10, best cross-platform to-do list); Linear (8.4/10, best for product teams); Things 3 (7.4/10, best for Apple users).

Attribute	Todoist	Linear	Things 3
Score	8.6	8.4	7.4
From	Free · Pro $5/mo	Free · $10/user/mo	$9.99 iPhone · $49.99 Mac
Best for	Anyone who wants a fast, cross-platform to-do list that scales from personal use to small teams.	Software and product teams that want a fast, opinionated issue tracker with built-in AI agents.	Apple-only users who want a beautifully designed personal task manager with no subscription.
Capability	8.3	9.0	7.9
Ease of use	9.0	8.5	9.5
Value	8.9	8.2	7.3
Compatibility	9.7	8.8	4.8
Openness	7.0	7.2	6.5

Underlined values win their row.

№003AppTask & project managers

Best cross-platform to-do list

Todoist

Todoist runs on practically every device you own, turns plain sentences into dated tasks, and costs $5 a month for the version most people want. The free plan is tight and some reviewers find it feels like a web app, but nothing else balances reach, speed and price this well.

Free tier available
Reasonably priced premium plans

Customer support needs improvement
Free plan is tight: 5 personal projects, 1-week activity history, no custom reminders

Free · Pro $5/moFull review

№005AppTask & project managers

Best for product teams

Linear

Linear is purpose-built for software teams: issues, cycles, projects and triage that move at keyboard speed, now with AI agents and MCP access on every plan. It is not trying to be your company wiki, and the free tier’s 250-issue cap means real teams will pay.

Strong for software projects: issue tracking, sprint planning and managing development pipelines
Free plan allows unlimited members, and agent/MCP features are on every plan

Free plan is capped at 250 issues and 2 teams
SAML/SCIM and advanced admin controls are Enterprise-only, and Enterprise is billed annually only

Free · $10/user/moFull review

№004AppTask & project managers

Best for Apple users

Things 3

Things 3 is the to-do app Apple users recommend to each other: calm, polished and still actively improved — the August 2026 update rebuilt repeating tasks for free. You pay once per device, which adds up, and there is no Windows, Android or web version at all.

Named the best to-do app for Apple users; described as gorgeous and great to use
Lots of features without feeling cluttered; flexible enough for most workflows

High price, with separate purchases for Mac, iPad and iPhone
No Windows or Android version

$9.99 iPhone · $49.99 MacFull review

Compare them in detail

Task & project managers: questions

What is the best task & project manager in 2026?

Todoist scores highest in our ranking at 8.6/10. Todoist runs on practically every device you own, turns plain sentences into dated tasks, and costs $5 a month for the version most people want. The free plan is tight and some reviewers find it feels like a web app, but nothing else balances reach, speed and price this well.

What’s the cheapest option?

Todoist: Free · Pro $5/mo.

Todoist or Linear?

Todoist (8.6) — get it if you want a dependable to-do list that works on Windows, Mac, Linux, phones and watches alike. Linear (8.4) — get it if you run a product or engineering team and want planning, triage and releases in one fast tool.

How did you rank these?

Pricing and plan limits come from each official pricing page as of our check date. Pros and cons are drawn from Zapier, TechRadar and MacRumors coverage and from official plan limits, each linked on the review.

Read the methodology