Microsoft To Do is a free task management app launched by Microsoft in 2017, deeply integrated with Microsoft 365 and Outlook, available across 5 platforms at no cost — the handiest to-do tool for Microsoft ecosystem users.

Strengths and Features

✅ Core task management is completely free (since its 2017 launch) with no limits on users, tasks, or ads, usable at zero cost long-term
✅ Deep integration with the Microsoft 365 ecosystem, with emails flagged in Outlook syncing as tasks; Microsoft 365 has over 400 million commercial users
✅ Built-in "My Day" daily smart suggestions automatically gather tasks due today and new tasks, recommending the 3-5 most important items to reduce daily planning effort
✅ Available across 5 platforms — Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, and Web — with real-time cloud sync
✅ Supports 5 task capabilities — steps, subtasks, due dates, reminders, and recurring tasks — for complete personal task management
⚠️ Weaker advanced organization: no natural-language quick entry or custom tags, with less depth than rivals such as Todoist
⚠️ Limited collaboration: shared lists are restricted on the free tier, with weak team task assignment and project management
⚠️ Deep experience depends on the Microsoft ecosystem: heavy use requires a Microsoft account and Outlook, so migrating non-Microsoft users is costly

Product Information

Category Productivity

Tags 16IDC Productivity Task Management cross-platform Free Microsoft To-Do Outlook Integration Microsoft To Do

Company microsoft

Service Region United States

Official Website https://todo.microsoft.com/

Recommendation Score 4 pts

Published 2026-08-09

Detailed Notes

Overview

Microsoft To Do is a free task management app launched by Microsoft in April 2017, headquartered in Redmond, Washington, United States. Microsoft acquired the popular task management app Wunderlist in 2015 and introduced To Do in 2017 as its successor; the original Wunderlist service was shut down in 2020. To Do is completely free for individual users and deeply integrated with the Microsoft 365 ecosystem and the Outlook task system.

To Do provides "My Day" smart suggestions, list grouping, steps, due dates, reminders, and recurring tasks, covering Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, and Web. With Microsoft 365 now serving over 400 million commercial users, To Do acts as its lightweight task entry point and stands out in the productivity category for its "free plus ecosystem integration" positioning.

Key Strengths

Completely free: Core task management is permanently free with no limits on users, tasks, or ads, so individuals can use it at zero cost long-term and lower procurement barriers.
"My Day" smart suggestions: Automatically gathers tasks due today, new tasks, and recommended priorities every day to cut the cost of re-planning.
Deep Outlook and Microsoft 365 integration: Emails flagged in Outlook become tasks in one click, with links to Teams and Planner; Microsoft 365 has over 400 million commercial users.
Cross-platform coverage: Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, and Web with real-time cloud sync for capturing tasks anywhere.
Complete task capabilities: Steps, subtasks, due dates, reminders, and recurring tasks cover the full scope of personal task management.

Product Ecosystem

My Day

Smartly aggregates tasks due today and newly created tasks, recommending priorities to help users focus on the most important 3-5 items each day.

Outlook Task Sync

Two-way sync with Outlook tasks, connecting flagged emails, calendar to-dos, and To Do lists into a unified personal task entry.

Smart Lists

Built-in auto lists such as "My Day", "Important", "Planned", and "Tasks" that gather tasks by condition without manual organizing.

Cross-Platform Clients

Consistent experience across Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, and Web, with system-level shortcuts and widgets for quick task capture.

Microsoft 365 Integration

Links with collaboration tools such as Teams and Planner, syncing team plans into personal tasks to bridge individual and team workflows.

Limitations

Weaker advanced organization: No natural-language quick entry or custom tags, with less depth than rivals such as Todoist, limiting heavy organizing needs.
Limited collaboration: Shared lists are restricted on the free tier, with weak team task assignment, kanban, and project management for complex teamwork.
Deep experience depends on the Microsoft ecosystem: Heavy use requires a Microsoft account and Outlook, so migrating non-Microsoft users is costly and cross-ecosystem experiences feel fragmented.

Use Cases

Microsoft ecosystem users (★★★★★): Naturally linked with Outlook, Teams, and Planner with no extra learning cost — the default to-do tool for Microsoft users.
Personal daily task management (★★★★★): Completely free and feature-complete for recording everyday personal and work to-dos.
Office workers using Outlook/Teams （★★★★☆）: Email flags turn into tasks and meeting to-dos sync, so nothing is missed in office workflows.
Team-level project management （★★★☆☆）: Team task assignment and kanban are limited; evaluate more specialized tools via productivity tool comparison.

Pricing

Plan	Price	Key Features
Microsoft To Do	$0 free	All core features, cross-platform sync, no ads
Microsoft 365 Personal	~$6.99/month or $69.99/year	Desktop Office + 1TB OneDrive storage
Microsoft 365 Family	~$9.99/month or $99.99/year	6 people + 1TB storage each

Note: The To Do app itself is free; a Microsoft 365 subscription unlocks desktop Office and larger cloud storage but is not required to use To Do.

FAQ

Is Microsoft To Do free, and how does it relate to Wunderlist? Yes, it is completely free with no ads. Microsoft acquired Wunderlist in 2015, launched To Do in 2017 as its successor, and shut down Wunderlist in 2020, with existing tasks migratable to To Do. See productivity tool comparison for a broader task tool comparison.
How does it sync with Outlook tasks? After account sync is enabled, emails flagged in Outlook automatically appear in To Do's "Tasks" list, and tasks created in To Do sync back to Outlook for two-way sync. More Microsoft ecosystem office tools can be found in the productivity category.
Is it suitable for teams? It fully covers individual and light sharing use; for team task assignment, kanban, and project management, see productivity tool comparison for more specialized team tools.
How do I choose between Microsoft To Do and Todoist? To Do is completely free and deeply integrated with the Microsoft ecosystem, suiting Microsoft/Outlook users, while Todoist offers stronger natural-language input and labels. See productivity tool comparison for details.

Visit Microsoft To Do Website →