The short answer. Nozbe is the one built around the GTD method explicitly: projects, contexts, a weekly review. TickTick is the broad consumer task manager with lists, reminders and a calendar view. Microsoft To-Do is the successor to Wunderlist, which means a simple list with steps and a daily view. Super Productivity adds timeboxing and time tracking to the task list, and Strategr is the timeboxing planner on its own. TaskPaper is plain-text lists with a syntax, which is the version a developer will keep. One Task and One Thing go the other way entirely: a single task on screen, which is a focus tool rather than a system. The dividing question is whether you need a system for everything or a surface for one thing, because GTD is a method with a weekly review and a single-task app is a reaction against exactly that.
This guide covers 8 gtd task managers for macOS. Every fact below is drawn from the same verified records that back each app’s own page. The recommendations are our editorial judgment, not payment.
Quick comparison
| App | What it is | Pricing | Licence | Version |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft To-Do | Mac utility | Free | not published | 2.177 |
| Nozbe | Mac utility | not published | not published | 2026.17 |
| One Task | Mac utility | not published | not published | 2.0.0 |
| One Thing | system tool | Free | not published | 2.0.4 |
| Strategr | Mac utility | Open source | not published | — |
| Super Productivity | Mac utility | Open source | MIT | 19.1.0 |
| TaskPaper | Mac utility | not published | not published | 3.9.4 |
| TickTick | Mac utility | Free | not published | 8.2.30 |
What actually decides this
- A method or a surface. GTD is inbox, next actions, contexts and a weekly review. A single-task app is one line of text. Both are legitimate and they are not stages of the same journey; they answer different questions about what a task list is for.
- Where the tasks live. A hosted service syncs everywhere and depends on an account. A plain-text file can be versioned and read by other tools. TaskPaper is the extreme case and it is the one that survives every app change.
- Whether time is part of the model. A task has a due date, an estimate or a timebox. Only the third changes what you do at 10 a.m. Tools with timeboxing are planners; tools without are lists, and a list does not tell you what to do next.
- What the review looks like. GTD without a weekly review is a pile. A tool that supports the review with a dedicated screen or filter is doing the method; one that only stores tasks is storing the inputs to a method you still have to run.
- How capture works. A task that takes four taps to add is a task that stays in your head. Quick entry, a global hotkey and an inbox are the features that decide whether the system gets used at all.
- Whether it can say no. A list that accepts everything becomes a backlog. Tools that force a today view, a single task or a capacity limit are making an editorial decision about what you can actually do.
Our picks
- Nozbe — Its record describes a GTD task manager for individuals and teams, which is the method case. Choose it when you actually run GTD and want the method in the tool.
- TickTick — Its record describes a to-do list and task manager covering all aspects of life, which is the general case. Choose it when you want lists, reminders and a calendar in one consumer app.
- Microsoft To-Do — Its record describes the successor to Wunderlist, which is the simple-list case. Choose it when you want a simple list with steps and a daily view.
- Super Productivity — Its record describes a task manager with timeboxing and time tracking, which is the time-aware case. Choose it when you want timeboxing and time tracking attached to tasks.
- TaskPaper — Its record describes plain-text to-do lists, which is the portable case. Choose it when the list should be a text file you own.
- One Thing — Its record describes putting a single task or goal in the menu bar, which is the focus case. Choose it when the problem is choosing, not tracking.
The apps
Microsoft To-Do
Microsoft To-Do is a Mac utility for macOS. Microsoft’s successor to Wunderlist. It is free.
Microsoft To-Do is listed with current version 2.177.
Full profile and verified facts for Microsoft To-Do →
Nozbe
Nozbe is a Mac utility for macOS. GTD task manager for individuals and teams. Its pricing is not published.
What it does. Best personal and team productivity collaboration tool for smart business owners. Use Nozbe - task management software and increase productivity.
Nozbe is listed with current version 2026.17.
Full profile and verified facts for Nozbe →
One Task
One Task is a Mac utility for macOS. Conquer one task at a time. Its pricing is not published.
What it does. Conquer one task at a time. Show a single task on your Home Screen, Lock Screen, or desktop.
One Task is listed with current version 2.0.0.
Full profile and verified facts for One Task →
One Thing
One Thing is a system tool for macOS. Put a single task or goal in your menu bar. It is free.
What it does. Put a single task or goal in your menu bar. This can be a useful tool to help you focus on a single task.
One Thing is listed with current version 2.0.4.
Full profile and verified facts for One Thing →
Strategr
Strategr is a Mac utility for macOS. Time-boxing planner for structuring your day. It is open source.
Full profile and verified facts for Strategr →
Super Productivity
Super Productivity is a Mac utility for macOS. Task manager with timeboxing and time tracking. It is released under MIT.
What it does. Free, open-source, privacy-first task manager with built-in time tracking, timeboxing, and focus mode. Works offline, no account required, developer-friendly.
Super Productivity is listed with current version 19.1.0.
Full profile and verified facts for Super Productivity →
TaskPaper
TaskPaper is a Mac utility for macOS. Plain text to-do lists. Its pricing is not published.
TaskPaper is listed with current version 3.9.4.
Full profile and verified facts for TaskPaper →
TickTick
TickTick is a Mac utility for macOS. Simple and effective to-do list and task manager that helps you organize all aspects of life. It is free.
What it does. TickTick: Your all-in-one productivity app. Manage tasks, calendars, habits, and more. Sync across all devices. Start for free!
TickTick is listed with current version 8.2.30.
Full profile and verified facts for TickTick →
How to choose
- Free of charge. Microsoft To-Do, One Thing and TickTick — no payment is required.
- No licence fee, source available. Strategr and Super Productivity — the source can be read and, under the terms of each licence, reused.
- Pricing not published in our data. Nozbe, One Task and TaskPaper — check the developer’s own site before assuming anything about cost.
Open source: Strategr and Super Productivity (2 of 8).
Common mistakes
- Adopting GTD and skipping the weekly review, then blaming the app for the backlog.
- Using a single-task app for a project with dependencies.
- Keeping tasks in a hosted service with no export and calling it a system.
- Letting the inbox accept everything and never processing it.
How this guide was put together
Each app’s facts come from its own record: the developer’s own pages and repository, the App Store listing where one exists, and the documentation, each with a source grade and an access date. Where a fact rests on the developer’s own statement rather than on something we verified independently, the sentence says so. Where our data has no value for something, the guide says “not published” instead of guessing.
A price appears here only where the record carries one from a stated source; the guide never estimates one, and it records the pricing model alongside so the two can be read together. Prices change and vary by region, so each app links to its own page for the current detail.
The facts and the recommendations are kept apart on purpose. Everything in the app entries, the comparison table and the answers above is composed from the records. The short answer, the criteria and the picks are our editorial judgment: they reflect what we would choose and why, and they are not paid for. Where we make a recommendation we name the condition it applies under, because we do not call anything “the best” without explaining the criteria.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I choose between these gtd task managers?
There is no single answer — it depends on what you need. This guide covers 8 gtd task managers: Microsoft To-Do, Nozbe, One Task, One Thing, Strategr, Super Productivity, TaskPaper and TickTick. They differ mainly in pricing model, licence and the trade-offs each one carries. Pick by the trade-off you care about rather than by rank.
Are these gtd task managers free?
Pricing across this group: free (Microsoft To-Do, One Thing and TickTick), not published (Nozbe, One Task and TaskPaper) and open source (Strategr and Super Productivity). Where we list pricing as not published, the developer does not state a model we could verify — check their own site before assuming anything about cost. We quote a price only where the record carries one from a stated source, and we never estimate one. Prices change and vary by region and by store, so always check the developer’s own page for the current figure.
Which of these gtd task managers are open source?
Strategr (not published) and Super Productivity (MIT) are open source.
Do these gtd task managers support Apple Silicon?
Our data does not carry an explicit Apple Silicon statement for any app in this group, so we do not claim one. The absence of a statement is not the same as the absence of support.
How do I choose between them?
Start with how you pay: the guide groups these apps by pricing model, because the budget is the constraint most people actually have. Then check the trade-offs listed for each app: the limitations are the part that decides most people’s choice, because they describe what the app will not do for you.
