Microsoft To Do alternative: what changes if you switch
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Microsoft To Do is free, simple and connected to Outlook and Microsoft 365. If your work lives there, that connection is hard to beat. If you want more planning tools, or a planner that works without a Microsoft account, Pladay is one option.
Try Pladay without an accountPaste tasks to import themOpens in your browser — no install or sign-up needed.
Side by side
| Microsoft To Do | Pladay | |
|---|---|---|
| Account | Microsoft account required | Not required; optional sign-in for sync |
| Price | Free | Free plan and a paid Pro subscription |
| Outlook / Microsoft 365 integration | Yes, tasks sync with Outlook | Calendar feed subscription; sending a task to Outlook as an event (Pro) |
| Daily planning view | Yes (My Day) | Yes (Today and the focus plan) |
| Built-in focus timer | Not built in | Yes |
| Habit tracker | Not built in | Yes |
| Shared lists | Yes | Read-only share links only |
Checked on 2026-10-12 against the vendor's public website and help pages. Products change often; please verify the current details on the vendor's site before deciding. Trademarks belong to their owners; Pladay is not affiliated with them.
When Microsoft To Do is the better choice
- Your tasks come from Outlook emails and Microsoft 365, and you want them flagged into the same list automatically.
- You share lists with family or colleagues.
- You want a completely free tool and a deliberately simple feature set.
When Pladay may fit better
- You want natural-language input that reads dates, repeats, tags and priority in one line.
- You need rules like “last Friday of the month” or “3 days after done” (repeating tasks).
- You want habits, a focus timer and an AI planner next to your tasks.
How to move your tasks
- Pladay has no direct Microsoft To Do importer, and To Do has no official bulk export, so moving is manual. For most people that is a short job: only active tasks need to move.
- In To Do, open a list and copy the task titles (select and copy works in the desktop and web apps).
- In Pladay, paste them into the task input. Every line becomes a task; add dates in the text, such as “tomorrow” or “Friday”, and they are recognised.
- Recreate repeating tasks once with a rule in plain language, for example “Timesheet every Friday 4pm”.
Using both
Some people keep work tasks in To Do (because of Outlook) and personal planning, habits and life admin in Pladay. That is a reasonable split; just make sure each task lives in exactly one place.
FAQ
Can Pladay show my tasks in Outlook?
Yes, by subscribing to Pladay's private calendar feed in Outlook. It is one-way, from Pladay to Outlook. See calendar sync.
Is Pladay also free?
The core planner is free. A paid Pro plan adds features such as calendar sending, voice transcription, cloud backup and advanced stats.