Everybody loves checklists and to-dos. They have the power to bring order, tranquility, and a sweet feeling of accomplishment to work and personal life. But why keep all the benefits to yourself when you can boost team productivity with the best collaborative to-do software?

In today's article, we take a look at the best collaborative to-do software you can get in 2021. We also uncover the benefits of checklists and see how they can help your team excel.

Click on the links below to navigate the guide. 👇

✅ Before you start... Checklists are project and knowledge management power tools. Here are a handful of guides that'll help you learn how to use those tools effectively.

The Benefits of Collaborative To-Do Tools ⚡

"The list is the origin of culture. It's part of the history of art and literature. What does culture want? To make infinity comprehensible [...]"

Umberto Eco

Simple lists go a long way. Whether it's a project roadmap, daily/weekly to-do, or a crumpled shopping checklist, you can't but appreciate the peace of mind they offer.

Collaborative to-do software takes listicles to a whole new level.

When you manage a team---especially one that's spread across multiple time zones---you have to keep many moving parts in check. Project specs, assigned tasks, due dates, and key milestones all call for a holistic approach to project management.

The best collaborative to-do software can give you a bird's eye view of everything that happens across all stages of a project lifecycle. But there's more.

Some of the awesome benefits of collaborative to-do software include:

• ⚡️ The ability to keep everybody on the same page
• ⚡️ Real-time synchronization and notifications
• ⚡️ Easy task management and progress tracking
• ⚡️ Email reminders (so nobody misses a thing)
• ⚡️ Automation with recurring tasks and real-time sync 
• ⚡️ Less time spent on memorizing stuff (shallow work)
• ⚡️ More time spent on high-impact tasks (deep work)
• ⚡️ Chat and video conferencing for superb collaboration
• ⚡️ Organization with color-coded tags and cross-linking
• ⚡️ Increased transparency and task ownership
• ⚡️ And more...

"So, where are all those tools when I need them?"

The Best Collaborative To-Do Software in 2021 🏆

From the most important tasks to bite-sized errands, every project breaks down into a series of incremental steps. Assembling those steps hierarchically helps connect the dots, break work into manageable chunks, and see the bigger picture.

Here's a list of the best collaborative to-do software that'll help you do all that. 👇

#1 Taskade

Taskade is a holistic project management platform and the only collaborative to-do software that offers true, real-time (as opposed to push/pull) synchronization! That means every edit and update is instantly reflected in your shared task lists.

Taskade is also one of the few project management platforms out there that offer 100% free, integrated video conferencing, calls, and chat. And the best part? Your to-do list and team conversations happen in the same window, at the same time.

But Taskade has a few other tricks up its sleeve. 👇

Taskade Select Features 🌟

• Free Team Communication. Enter and track tasks while communicating with your team in real-time. Chat, video conference, and leave project comments.
• User Roles & Permissions. Decide who you share your to-do lists with and define user roles/editing privileges (Owner, Admin, Editor, Checker, Viewer).
• Mobile and Desktop Apps. Sync your to-dos between Mac, Linux, and Windows or tackle tasks on the go with Android and iOS mobile apps.

• Folding To-Do Lists. Folding your to-do lists will hide sub-tasks and let you narrow your focus. Do it manually or use the ⌨️ Ctrl/⌘+↑ keyboard shortcut.
• Keyboard Experience. Format lists, reorder elements, and complete tasks without taking your hands off the keyboard! 
• Export To-Do Lists. Export your shared to-do lists to plain text, PDF, or markdown files. Create convenient attachments for emails, presentations, or for print.

• 500+ Checklist Templates. Taskade comes packed with over 500 free checklist and to-do templates. Customize, share, or create new ones from scratch.
• Customizable Sub-Tasks. Customize your sub-tasks individually. Select checkbox styles, change colors, and add emojis for a unique visual flavor.
• Multi-Select Formatting. Format or bulk assign multiple tasks at once. Select several content blocks to copy/paste, reorder, and customize the visuals.

• Multiplayer Indicator. See when somebody's editing a shared list in real-time. Every active editor is marked with a profile avatar miniature.
• Drag-and-Drop Reorder. Drag tasks and sub-tasks to reorder your list. Multi-select several items to quickly reassemble entire list sections.
• Sort Tasks. Sort tasks and sub-tasks by due dates or completed/uncompleted status. Define task sorting rules in a convenient pop-up menu.

• Keyboard Shortcuts. Navigate your lists with over 30 handy keyboard shortcuts. Add new tasks, reorder elements, and format your to-dos with ease.
• Custom Notifications. Set push notification settings for workspaces and individual projects to stay up to date with the most important projects.
• List Comments/Notes. Discuss the contents of your projects with other team members. Invite collaborators to edit projects together and gather valuable feedback.

• List Cross-Linking. Create connections between lists and tasks with @mention. Combine multiple lists into high-level checklists and never miss a thing
• Copy Tasks/Sub-Tasks. Select and copy tasks/sub-tasks to other to-do lists in a shared workspace, subspace, or project. You'll be notified on completion.
• Recurring Tasks. Mark important team events as recurring tasks so you're always prepared. Set custom due dates, start/end time, and intervals.

• Taskade Search. Search for keywords inside to-do lists or run global searches across workspaces. Click on search results to quickly navigate to a project. 
• Project Activity. When a team member checks off a task or sub-task, you'll see a chat notification with the editor's nickname and change details.
• Project History. See all changes made by you and your team members. Select Project History entries to jump to edited items within a project.

• Assign Tasks. Use @mention functionality to assign tasks. Team members will receive email notifications whenever you mention them in a project.
• Workspaces and Subspaces. Organize your lists into workspaces and subspaces. Sort projects and filter lists with color-coded tags.
• #Tags. Organize and filter collaborative to-do lists with hashtags. Add a #tag anywhere inside a project to create a clickable reference.

• Undo/Redo. Undo to-do list actions whenever you make a mistake. Undo/redo works even when you're editing a list with other team members in real-time.
• File Uploads. Add visuals and other assets to your lists. Drag-and-drop videos, images, and documents to upload them directly to a project.
• Flexible Views. Transform your to-do lists into mind maps, kanban boards, org charts, and action items. View one project in several different ways!

• Shared Calendar. Taskade allows you display all tasks and projects in a shared calendar. Sync with Google, Apple, and Outlook calendars.
• Simple Pricing Scheme. Taskade offers a complete collaboration suite from the moment you sign up. You don't need extra add-ons or any other app to get work done.

Taskade Pricing 💸

• 🟢 Free (forever!)

  • Unlimited tasks/sub-tasks
  • Unlimited projects
  • Unlimited collaborators
  • Unlimited file storage (up to 25MB per file)
  • Chat, calls, and video conferencing
  • Desktop and mobile synchronization
  • Activity feed and notifications
  • 7-day project history and version history
  • Cross-linking and project sharing
  • 500+ free checklist and to-do templates
  • List-sorting options
  • Org charts, boards, mind maps, and action view
  • Export to image, markdown, PDF, and plain text

• 🔵 Unlimited ($5/month per user billed annually)

  • Everything in the Free plan +
  • Unlimited storage space (up to 250MB per file)
  • Recurring tasks and bulk assign
  • Workspace branding and customization
  • Unlimited project history and version history
  • Priority support and custom onboarding
  • Email, Google, Dropbox, and One Drive integrations
  • Advanced reporting and revision history
  • Advanced workspace/project permissions
  • SAML, 2FA, and Single Sign-On (SSO)

#2 Todoist

Todoist lets you share lists, assign tasks, and integrate with Twist for a convenient team chat. Thanks to a solid set of task and project management features, Todoist remains one of the best collaborative to-do software in the wild.

Todoist Select Features 🌟

• Reminders and recurring due dates
• Sections and sub-tasks
• Task priority settings
• Delegating tasks
• Task notifications
• Board view, labels, filters, and themes
• Email and calendar integrations
• Activity history and progress tracking

Todoist Pricing 💸

• 🟢 Free

  • Up to 5 projects and collaborators
  • 5MB for file uploads
  • Activity history (1 week)
  • 3 filters

• 🔵 Pro ($3/4 per user billed annually/monthly)

  • Up to 300 projects and 25 collaborators
  • 100MB for file uploads
  • 150 filters and unlimited activity history
  • Reminders, themes, and automatic backup

• 🟣 Business ($5/6 per user billed annually/monthly)

  • Everything in the Pro plan +
  • Up to 500 projects and 50 collaborators
  • Team inbox, admin tools, and roles
  • Team billing and priority support

See how Todoist compares to Taskade (click). 👈

#3 Asana

Asana is another notable collaborative to-do software that has been around since 2008. A brainchild of Dustin Moskovitz and Justin Rosenstein, Asana lets you create aesthetic lists topped with the usual set of features you'd expect in a solid to-do app.

Asana Select Features 🌟

• Task grouping/sorting
• Custom fields and attachments
• Reminders and recurring tasks
• Forms and reusable templates
• List, Board, Calendar, and Gantt views
• Project Timeline and progress tracking
• Automation and integrations 
• Private projects 

Asana Pricing 💸

• 🟢 Basic

  • Unlimited tasks, projects, and storage (up to 100MB per file)
  • Activity log, up to 15 collaborators, 100+ integrations
  • List, Board, and Calendar views + Project Overview

• 🔵 Premium ($13.49/10.99 per user billed annually/monthly)

  • Everything in the Basic plan +
  • Timeline, unlimited dashboards, and reporting
  • Advanced search, custom fields, unlimited guests
  • Forms, rules, milestones, private projects
  • Admin console

• 🟣 Business ($24.99 per user monthly)

  • Everything in the Premium plan +
  • Goals, custom rules, and customization
  • Advanced integrations
  • And more...

• 🟡 Enterprise (custom)

  • Everything in the Business plan +
  • SAML, SCIM, and priority support
  • Data export and custom branding 

See how Asana compares to Taskade (click). 👈

#4 TickTick

TickTick is a minimalist to-do list app with collaboration features. A successor to 2010 GTasks, the app lets you share lists, assign tasks, and check progress inside a simple and distraction free environment. A good match for those looking for a frictionless to-do experience.

TickTick Select Features 🌟

• Sharing lists and assigning tasks
• Task duration and recurring events
• Task and location reminders
• Smart date/time parsing
• Task prioritization settings
• Calendar view and integrations
• Pomodoro timer and white noise

TickTick Pricing 💸

• 🟢 Free

  • Limited to 9 lists
  • 99 tasks/19 sub-tasks per list
  • 2 reminders per task
  • 1 attachment/day
  • 2 list members
  • List/task activities
  • Advanced search

• 🔵 Premium ($27.99/2.79 billed annually/monthly)

  • Up to 299 lists
  • 999 tasks/199 sub-tasks per list
  • 5 reminders per task
  • 99 attachment/day
  • 30 members per list
  • Calendar, Timeline, and Grid views
  • Task duration, custom smart lists
  • Premium themes and integrations

• See how TickTick compares to Taskade (click). 👈

#5 OmniPlan

OmniPlan is dedicated project management and collaborative to-do software from the creators of OmniOutliner and OmniFocus. The app is a good match for high-level, complex projects and managing multiple projects at the same time.

OmniPlan Select Features 🌟

• Proprietary WebDAV sync
• Change tracking and reporting
• Multi-project dashboard 
• Customizable work calendar
• Recurring tasks and due dates
• Import/export and project assistant
• Project Outline, Resource View, and Gantt charts

OmniPlan Pricing 💸

• 🟢OmniPlan Subscription ($19.99 monthly or $199.00 yearly)

  • Collaboration features
  • Gantt/Timeline/Outline views
  • Progress/project tracking
  • Resource management
  • And more...

#6 Any.do Teams

Any.do Teams is an offshoot of the popular Any.do to-do list app with a number of collaborative features sprinkled on top. The Teams subscription unlocks advanced list and file-sharing options, integrations, tagging, as well as priority support.

Any.do Teams Select Features 🌟

• Recurring reminders
• Any.do Moment view
• Calendar, Kanban, and Agenda
• Chat and notifications
• List and file sharing
• Color-coded tags
• Integrations with Zapier and WhatsApp
• Reminders and event notifications

Any.do Teams Pricing 💸

• 🟢 Teams Plan ($4.99 per user per month)

  • Access to Any.do Premium features
  • Advanced list sharing
  • Activity Tab and integrations
  • User roles for shared items

See how Any.do compares to Taskade (click). 👈

#7 Monday.com

Monday.com is a complete package for advanced project management. Apart from its core to-do list functionality, Monday offers advanced automation and integrations as well as communication, planning, and collaboration tools for all types of projects.

Monday.com Select Features 🌟

• Flexible workflows
• 200+ templates
• 30+ customizable column types
• Drag-and-drop navigation
• Data visualization tools
• Desktop and mobile apps
• Automation features
• 40+ integrations

Monday.com Pricing 💸

• 🟢 Free/Individual

  • Up to 2 team members
  • Unlimited boards
  • 200+ templates
  • Over 20 column styles

• 🔵 Basic ($8 per user/month billed annually)

  • Everything in the Individual plan +
  • Unlimited viewers
  • 5 GB for file storage
  • Priority support
  • Dashboard based on 1 board

• 🟣 Standard ($10 per user/month billed annually)

  • Everything in the Basic plan +
  • Timeline, Calendar, and Gantt views
  • 250 automations/actions per month
  • 250 integrations/actions per month
  • Dashboard based on 5 boards

• 🟡 Pro ($16 per user/month billed annually)

  • Everything in the Standard plan +
  • Private boards, Chart view, and time tracking
  • Formula/dependency columns
  • 25,000 automations/integrations per month
  • Dashboard based on 10 boards

• 🟤 Enterprise (custom)

  • Enterprise automations/integrations
  • Security and governance
  • Reporting, analytics, and permissions
  • Custom onboarding and premium support
  • Dashboard based on 50 boards

See how Monday.com compares to Taskade (click). 👈

#8 Wrike

Wrike is an enterprise-grade project management tool and collaborative to-do software. The platform can handle anything from simple lists to automated workflows and AI-backed data insights. Wrike is a solid choice for large organizations.

Wrike Select Features 🌟

• Due dates and prioritization
• Assigning and tracking tasks
• Drag-and-drop navigation
• Time and progress tracking
• Customizable workflows
• Templates, forms, and automations
• Gantt charts and Kanban boards
• Analytics and integrations

Wrike Pricing 💸

• 🟢 Free

  • Unlimited team members
  • Task/sub-task organization
  • Board and spreadsheet views
  • Cloud storage integrations
  • Limited active tasks
  • 2GB of storage space per account

• 🔵 Professional ($9.80/month per user)

  • Everything in the Free plan +
  • 5-200 team members
  • Dashboard sharing
  • Gantt charts
  • 1-2GB of storage per user
  • Additional integrations

• 🟣 Business ($24.80/month per user)

  • Everything in the Professional plan +
  • Custom fields and workflows
  • Workspace branding
  • 200 automations/actions per month
  • Project approvals and real-time reporting
  • Request forms and calendars
  • Time tracking and spreadsheets

• 🟡 Enterprise (custom)

  • Single Sign-On (SSO) + 2FA
  • Password policies 
  • Custom roles and permissions
  • 1000 automations/actions per month
  • 10GB storage per user

See how Wrike compares to Taskade (click). 👈

#9 Google Keep

Keep is part of Google's Workspace suite (previously G Suite). The app complements the productivity/collaboration platform with basic note-taking and to-do list capabilities. It's a keeper (pun not intended) if you're hooked into Google's ecosystem.

Google Keep Select Features 🌟

• Customizable, color-coded lists
• Labels and search functionality
• Integration with Google Workspace
• Sharing and task/note reminders

Google Keep Pricing 💸

• 🟢 Free

  • Basic note-taking capabilities
  • Collaborative to-do editing
  • Integration with Google services

See how Google Keep compares to Taskade (click). 👈

#10 Things 3

Things 3 is one of the best productivity and to-do list apps in Apple's ecosystem. While the app doesn't offer true collaboration features, you can share your Things account with one person and work on all your lists together. Available for iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

Things 3 Select Features 🌟

• Calendar view with events and tasks
• Drag-and-drop interface
• Headings for breaking down large projects
• Search, tags, and widgets
• Reminders and recurring to-dos
• Email to Things to create to-dos
• Synchronization within Apple's ecosystem

Things 3 Pricing 💸

• 🟢 Mac ($49.99 one-time purchase)
• 🔵 iPad ($19.99 one-time purchase)
• 🟣 iPhone ($9.99 one-time purchase)

See how Things 3 compares to Taskade (click). 👈

#11 Wunderlist/Microsoft To-Do

A spiritual successor to the legendary Wunderlist, Microsoft To-Do is a simple app with all the essential to-do features. To-Do allows you to share lists with other users or integrate with Outlook and collaborate within the Microsoft 365 platform.

Wunderlist/Microsoft To-Do Select Features 🌟

• Customizable, color-coded lists
• Smart suggestions in My Day view
• Breaking tasks into individual steps
• Reminders and recurring tasks
• Sync acrossiOS, Android, Mac, and Windows

Wunderlist/Microsoft To-Do Pricing 💸

• 🟢 Free

And that's it!

The Bottom Line 🚀

Complementing your PM toolbox with the best collaborative to-do software will give your team a productivity boost and something to lean on when things go south.

If you haven't made your choice yet, let us make the decision a tad easier. Sign up for a free Taskade account and start reaping the benefits from day one. 👇

• ⚡️ Beautiful and functional to-do lists 
• ⚡️ A complete remote stack in one package
• ⚡️ Simple and transparent pricing plan
• ⚡️ Chat and collaboration on the same page
• ⚡️ True real-time synchronization
• ⚡️ Customizable workflows and visuals
• ⚡️ Powerful outlining and mind mapping features
• ⚡️ Frictionless desktop, mobile, and web experience
• ⚡️ Frequent updates and enterprise-grade security

Want to take Taskade for a test drive before signing up? Check the Live Demo page to tinker with a demo project or visit Taskade's YouTube channel for introductory videos.