10 Best Apple Reminders Alternatives for Professionals

Outgrown Apple Reminders? Compare top alternatives like rivva, Things 3, and Todoist for better planning, time blocking, and productivity.

Apple Reminders is perfectly fine. Until your job gets complicated.

It works great for grocery lists, birthday reminders, and simple personal tasks. But when you’re managing multiple projects, coordinating with teams, time blocking your day, and trying to actually plan your work (not just remember it exists), Apple Reminders starts showing its limitations.

There’s no calendar integration worth mentioning. No AI scheduling. No way to see your tasks in the context of your actual availability. You’re left with lists of things to do and no real sense of when you’ll do them.

If you’re reading this, you’ve probably hit that wall. Your work has outgrown what Apple Reminders can handle. You need something more powerful but still feels at home on your iPhone and Mac.

This guide covers the best Apple Reminders alternatives for professionals, focusing on tools that work beautifully in the Apple ecosystem while offering the features Apple Reminders is missing.

Why Look Beyond Apple Reminders?

Apple Reminders is built for simplicity. That’s its strength and its weakness. For professional work, simplicity becomes limitation pretty quickly.

• No real time blocking or planning features. You can set due dates, but Apple Reminders won’t help you actually schedule when to do the work. It doesn’t integrate with your calendar in any meaningful way. You’re managing tasks and time in completely separate apps, then trying to mentally map one onto the other.

• Basic list view only. Everything is just lists. No timeline view, no calendar view, no way to see what you need to do today versus this week versus this month in a format that helps you plan.

• Limited collaboration. You can share lists, but it’s clunky for professional team coordination. No assignment, no discussion threads, no real project management features.

• No AI or automation. Apple Reminders is entirely manual. It won’t suggest when to work on tasks, automatically schedule around your calendar, or learn your patterns to help you plan better.

• Weak project management. Tags and sub-tasks exist, but organizing complex projects with dependencies, multiple stakeholders, and shifting priorities is painful. Reminders wasn’t built for this.

• No energy or capacity awareness. Apple Reminders treats all tasks and all time slots as equivalent. It has no concept of matching demanding work to when you’ll actually have the energy for it.

That said, Apple Reminders is great if you just need simple lists. It’s free, built-in, syncs perfectly across Apple devices, and integrates with Siri. If your work is straightforward and you don’t need time blocking or planning features, stick with it.

But if you’re managing professional work with multiple priorities, time constraints, and the need to actually execute (not just track), you need something built for that complexity.

What Makes a Great Apple Reminders Alternative?

A good alternative should feel native to iOS and macOS while adding the professional features Reminders lacks. Here’s what to look for:

• Native iOS feel. Apple users care about design and user experience. The app should feel like it belongs on your iPhone, not like a web app awkwardly wrapped in an iOS container.

• Powerful without overwhelming. You need more features than Reminders, but not so many that the app becomes a second job to maintain. The right balance between simplicity and capability.

• Calendar integration. Your tasks need to live alongside your meetings. If you’re still switching between apps to see your availability, the tool isn’t doing its job.

• Project and context management. Professional work has layers: projects, areas of responsibility, different contexts. The tool should handle this complexity elegantly.

• Natural language input. Siri spoiled us all. You should be able to type or say “Meeting with Sarah tomorrow at 3pm” and have the app parse it correctly.

• Seamless Apple ecosystem integration. iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch. Everything should sync instantly and feel native on each device.

The tools below range from beautifully simple (Things 3) to powerfully complex (OmniFocus) with various options in between. Pick based on how much power you need versus how much simplicity you value.

1. rivva - Intelligent Planning Beyond Simple Reminders

rivva isn’t trying to be a better version of Apple Reminders. It’s solving a different problem: actually planning your day instead of just tracking tasks.

Instead of giving you lists of things to do, rivva’s AI assistant Nia automatically schedules tasks around your energy levels, calendar availability, and priorities. You still capture tasks easily (including from email and other sources), but then rivva handles the hard part: figuring out when you’ll actually do them.

What Apple users love about rivva:

• iOS-native feel. Built specifically for iPhone and iPad, not a clunky web port. Feels at home in iOS.

• Siri-like natural language interaction. Chat with Nia the same way you’d talk to Siri. “Move my morning tasks to afternoon, I’m exhausted” works perfectly.

• Apple Health integration. The only app in this list that uses your Apple Health data to understand your energy patterns and schedule work accordingly.

The intelligent upgrade from Reminders:

Instead of just reminding you tasks exist, rivva helps you plan when you’ll actually do them. Nia auto-schedules based on when you’ll have energy and availability, not just due dates.

Energy-based planning means hard tasks get scheduled for your peak hours. Admin work goes to afternoon dips. The system understands that you’re not equally productive all day.

Actual daily structure instead of endless lists. You wake up to a planned day, not a pile of tasks you have to manually organize.

Best for: Professionals who’ve outgrown simple reminders and need intelligent daily planning. Perfect if you love Apple’s ecosystem but need more than Reminders can provide.

Key Features:

• AI assistant (Nia) schedules tasks based on energy and availability

• Automatic task extraction from email, calendar, meeting notes

• Natural language chat interface

• Energy-based timeline showing when you work best

• Two-way sync with Apple Calendar and other calendars

• iOS, iPad, Mac, and web apps

• Apple Health integration for energy tracking

Pricing:

• $13.99/month or $10.50/month (billed quarterly)

• 7-day free trial

Pros:

• Only alternative with energy awareness from Apple Health

• More intelligent than Reminders, feels just as native

• Auto-scheduling versus manual reminder creation

• Designed for professionals, not just lists

• Nia provides coaching, not just static reminders

Cons:

• Subscription versus Apple Reminders’ free

• Newer than established alternatives

• Requires Health app for full energy features

Sign up on rivva

2. Things 3 - Beautiful, Powerful, Apple-Native

Things 3 is the gold standard for task management in the Apple ecosystem. It’s gorgeous, intuitive, and powerful without feeling complicated. If you want the most Apple-feeling task manager that isn’t Apple Reminders, this is it.

Things uses projects, areas, and tags to organize work elegantly. The Today view shows what needs doing, the Upcoming view shows what’s ahead, and everything feels effortlessly organized.

Best for: Apple purists who want beautiful design and powerful features. Great if you prefer manual planning and don’t need AI.

Key Features:

• Clean, native iOS and macOS apps

• Projects, areas, and tags for organization

• Today, Upcoming, and Someday views

• Checklist items within tasks

• Calendar integration (view-only)

• Quick entry with keyboard shortcuts

• Apple Watch app

Pricing: One-time purchase (no subscription)

• iPhone/iPad: $9.99

• Mac: $49.99

• $59.98 total for all devices

Pros:

• Most beautiful interface of any task manager

• One-time purchase, not subscription

• Perfect Apple ecosystem integration

• Simple enough to use daily

• Fast and reliable

Cons:

• Expensive upfront cost ($60 for all devices)

• No AI or automatic scheduling

• Calendar integration is basic (can’t time block)

• No collaboration features

• No web access

How it compares to Apple Reminders: Things is what Reminders would be if Apple made it for professionals. Same philosophy (simple, native, beautiful) with actual organizational power. But still manual planning.

3. Todoist - Cross-Platform Powerhouse

Todoist is the most popular task manager for good reason: it’s powerful, reliable, works everywhere, and doesn’t cost much. The iOS app is excellent even though Todoist isn’t Apple-specific.

It has natural language input, project organization, labels, filters, and integrations with basically everything. If you work across Apple and non-Apple devices, Todoist is solid.

Best for: Professionals who need reliable task management across all platforms. Good if you use Windows at work, Apple at home.

Key Features:

• Natural language input (”tomorrow 3pm”)

• Projects, sections, and labels

• Filters for custom views

• Calendar view in Premium tier

• Team collaboration features

• Integrations with many tools

• Karma gamification

Pricing:

• Free tier available

• Pro: $4/month (annual billing)

Pros:

• Very affordable

• Works on literally everything

• Reliable (been around since 2007)

• Good collaboration features

• Strong integrations

Cons:

• Not specifically designed for Apple ecosystem

• Basic calendar integration

• No AI or automatic scheduling

• Interface feels less native than Things

How it compares to Apple Reminders: More powerful organization and filtering. Better collaboration. Works across platforms. But doesn’t feel quite as native on iOS as Apple-specific alternatives.

4. TickTick - Feature-Packed with Calendar View

TickTick is like Todoist with more features and better calendar integration. It has everything: habits, Pomodoro timer, calendar view, time blocking, and more. Almost too many features, but they’re well-organized.

Best for: Power users who want comprehensive features at an affordable price. Good if you need both task management and productivity features.

Key Features:

• Full calendar view with time blocking

• Habit tracking built-in

• Pomodoro timer

• Natural language input

• Collaboration features

• Custom smart lists

• Offline mode

Pricing:

• Free tier available

• Premium: $27.99/year (very affordable)

Pros:

• Calendar integration is much better than Todoist

• Comprehensive feature set

• Very affordable

• Works offline

• Good iOS app

Cons:

• Interface feels busy with so many features

• Not as beautiful as Things

• No AI scheduling

• Some features feel bolted on

How it compares to Apple Reminders: Way more features at low cost. Better calendar integration. But also more complex to set up and maintain.

5. OmniFocus - GTD Powerhouse for Professionals

OmniFocus is the most powerful task manager in the Apple ecosystem. It’s built around Getting Things Done methodology and can handle absurdly complex workflows. But it’s also intimidating if you’re not ready for that complexity.

Best for: Professionals with extremely complex workflows who’ve read Getting Things Done. Overkill for most people.

Key Features:

• Full GTD implementation

• Contexts, projects, and tags

• Perspectives for custom views

• Forecast view with calendar integration

• Powerful automation and workflows

• iOS, Mac, and web

Pricing: Expensive

• Subscription: $9.99/month

• Or one-time: iOS $49.99, Mac $99.99

Pros:

• Most powerful task manager available

• Handles complex professional workflows

• Excellent Apple ecosystem integration

• Highly customizable

• Strong automation features

Cons:

• Steep learning curve

• Expensive

• Overwhelming if you don’t need this much power

• UI feels dated

How it compares to Apple Reminders: Like comparing a calculator to Excel. OmniFocus can do anything, but most people don’t need (or want) that complexity.

6. Apple Reminders (Updated iOS Features)

Apple has improved Reminders significantly in recent iOS versions. It now has tags, smart lists, and better organization. Still basic compared to dedicated task managers, but worth reconsidering if you tried it years ago.

What’s improved:

• Tags for organization

• Smart lists based on tags

• Better collaboration on shared lists

• Integration with Mail and Messages

• Location-based reminders

What’s still missing:

• Calendar integration

• Time blocking

• AI or automation

• Project management

• Energy awareness

When to stick with it: If your work is simple and you value free + built-in + zero learning curve. Not everyone needs more.

7. Any.do - Simple and Elegant

Any.do strikes a balance between Reminders’ simplicity and more powerful tools’ features. It’s clean, easy to use, and has just enough organization without overwhelming you.

Best for: People who want something slightly more powerful than Reminders without complexity.

Key Features:

• Clean interface

• Calendar view

• Collaboration features

• Integration with calendars

• Voice entry

• All-in-one view

Pricing:

• Free tier available

• Premium: $3/month

Pros:

• Simple and approachable

• Affordable

• Good iOS app

• Calendar integration included

Cons:

• Limited compared to Things or Todoist

• No AI or automation

• Smaller feature set

• Less customization

How it compares to Apple Reminders: Slightly more powerful with better calendar view, but maintains similar simplicity. Good stepping stone.

8. Due - For Persistent Reminders

Due is specifically for reminders you absolutely cannot miss. It nags you repeatedly until you mark them done. Great for time-sensitive tasks, not general task management.

Best for: Professionals who need aggressive reminders for critical tasks. Use alongside, not instead of, a main task manager.

Key Features:

• Persistent, repeating alerts

• Natural language input

• Quick timers

• Sync across devices

• Auto-snooze options

Pricing: $7.99 one-time purchase

Pros:

• Will not let you forget important things

• Fast to add reminders

• One-time purchase

• Excellent iOS app

Cons:

• Not a full task manager

• Can become annoying with too many reminders

• No project organization

• Limited features

How it compares to Apple Reminders: More aggressive notification system. Good supplement for critical reminders.

9. Microsoft To Do - For Office 365 Users

If you’re in the Microsoft ecosystem at work, To Do integrates with Outlook, Teams, and Planner. It’s basic but free and works well with Microsoft tools.

Best for: Professionals using Office 365 who want simple task management integrated with Microsoft products.

Key Features:

• My Day planning view

• Integration with Outlook tasks

• Shared lists

• Step-by-step tasks

• Works across platforms

Pricing: Free (included with Microsoft account)

Pros:

• Free

• Good Outlook integration

• Works everywhere

• Simple interface

Cons:

• Basic features

• Feels corporate, not consumer-friendly

• Limited compared to dedicated apps

• No Apple ecosystem advantages

How it compares to Apple Reminders: Similar simplicity with better Microsoft integration. Choose based on which ecosystem you’re in.

10. Google Tasks - For Google Workspace Users

Google Tasks is basic but integrates with Gmail and Google Calendar. If you’re deep in Google’s ecosystem, it provides simple task management without switching tools.

Best for: People who live in Gmail and Google Calendar and want integrated task management.

Key Features:

• Direct Gmail integration

• Shows in Google Calendar

• Subtasks

• Mobile apps

• Free

Pricing: Free

Pros:

• Free

• Integrates with Gmail perfectly

• Shows on Google Calendar

• No learning curve

Cons:

• Very basic features

• Not great as standalone app

• Limited organization

• No iOS widgets or deep integration

How it compares to Apple Reminders: Similar feature level with better Google integration instead of Apple integration.

How to Choose Your Apple Reminders Alternative

Here’s a quick decision framework:

• If you want intelligent auto-scheduling: rivva is the only option that actually plans your day for you based on energy and availability.

• If you want beautiful Apple-native design: Things 3 is the most gorgeous task manager you’ll use. Manual planning but stunning execution.

• If you need power and customization: OmniFocus handles any complexity, but requires commitment to learn.

• If you’re on a budget: TickTick gives you the most features for $28/year. Todoist is $4/month for simpler needs.

• If you want one-time purchase: Things 3 ($60 total) or Due ($8). No subscriptions.

• If you work across Apple and non-Apple: Todoist or TickTick work everywhere.

• If you want energy-aware scheduling: rivva is currently the only tool that schedules based on when you’ll actually have capacity, not just due dates.

The biggest decision is manual versus automated planning. Things, Todoist, and TickTick give you more control but require more daily decision-making. rivva removes that burden with AI but requires trusting the system.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Apple Reminders good enough for work?

For simple work with straightforward tasks, yes. For complex professional work with multiple projects, competing priorities, and the need to actually plan your time, no. The lack of calendar integration and planning features becomes a real limitation.

What’s the best free alternative to Apple Reminders?

Todoist and TickTick both have generous free tiers. Todoist’s free version is more limited but still functional. TickTick’s free tier includes more features like calendar view. If you’re in Microsoft or Google ecosystems, their free task apps integrate well.

Can I sync alternatives with Apple Calendar?

Yes. rivva, Todoist, TickTick, and most others sync with Apple Calendar (and other calendars). Things 3 can show your calendar but doesn’t sync tasks to it. Check specific apps for two-way versus one-way sync.

How do I migrate from Apple Reminders?

Most apps support importing from Apple Reminders. Usually you export Reminders to a file (iCal format), then import into the new app. Some manual cleanup typically required. Start with one list to test before migrating everything.

What’s better than Apple Reminders for professionals?

Depends on your needs. rivva for AI planning and energy awareness. Things 3 for beautiful Apple-native manual planning. Todoist for reliable cross-platform. TickTick for features on a budget. OmniFocus for maximum power. All are significant upgrades from Reminders for professional work.

Conclusion

Apple Reminders is great for simple personal tasks. Professional work needs professional tools.

The alternatives above solve different problems. Some focus on beautiful design, others on cross-platform reliability, others on sheer power. Pick based on whether you want manual control or intelligent automation, simple or complex, free or premium.

For Apple users specifically, the sweet spot is usually Things 3 (if you prefer manual planning) or rivva (if you want AI to handle the scheduling). Both feel native to iOS while providing the professional features Reminders is missing.

The key insight: reminders are not the same as planning. Knowing tasks exist doesn’t help you figure out when to do them. That requires either manual time blocking (Things, Todoist) or intelligent auto-scheduling (rivva).

Ready for reminders that actually plan your day? Try rivva free for 7 days at www.rivva.app