PalomaApple Reminders vs Todoist: which should you use?
The short version: if you live entirely on Apple devices and mostly need lists and reminders, Apple Reminders is free and already does more than most people realise — including geofenced location alerts. Todoist is the better tool the moment you need real projects, saved filters, shared work, or a client on Windows or Android. The one thing worth knowing before you choose: location reminders are free in Reminders and paid in Todoist.
| Feature | Apple Reminders | Todoist |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free | Free plan, Pro $4/mo or $36/yr, Business |
| Location reminders (arrive / leave) | Yes, free | Pro or Business only |
| Platforms | Apple only — iPhone, iPad, Mac, Watch | iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Linux, web |
| Typed natural-language dates | Yes | Yes |
| Typed sentence sets the place too | No — location is a separate step | No — location is a separate field |
| Projects, labels, saved filters | Lists, tags, and smart lists only | Yes, its core strength |
| Collaboration / shared workspace | Basic list sharing via iCloud | Yes, shared projects and Business teams |
| Third-party integrations | Limited | Extensive |
| Works with no account | Uses your existing Apple account | Requires a Todoist account |
Where Apple Reminders wins
It costs nothing, it's already installed, and it syncs across every Apple device without handing your data to another company. Its location reminders are the genuinely underrated part — arrive or leave any address, repeating every time until you mark the reminder complete, at no cost. Todoist charges for that exact capability.
Where Todoist wins
Todoist is a real project manager. Sub-tasks, labels, priorities, saved filters, shared projects, and a deep integration ecosystem are all things Reminders doesn't seriously attempt. It also runs everywhere — if you have an Android phone or a Windows machine in your life, Reminders is simply not an option.
If it's specifically location reminders you're after
Both apps treat the place as a separate field you attach to a task after writing it. That's fine occasionally and tedious if you do it often. Paloma is a smaller, iPhone-only app built around the opposite idea: type "grab milk when I leave work" as one sentence and it reads the errand, the place, and the arrive-or-leave trigger out of it, then remembers that place for next time. It doesn't replace either app for project work — it's just quicker at this one thing.
Questions
Does Todoist have location reminders on the free plan?
No. Per Todoist's own plan comparison, location reminders require Pro ($4/month or $36/year) or Business. Apple Reminders includes them for free.
Is Apple Reminders good enough to replace Todoist?
For personal lists, groceries, and time or location reminders, yes for most people. Todoist pulls ahead once you need projects with sub-tasks, labels, saved filters, shared workspaces, or clients on Windows, Android, and Linux.
Do both apps understand typed dates like "tomorrow at 6"?
Yes. Both parse dates out of typed text. Neither parses a place out of the same sentence — in both apps the location is a separate step you attach to the task.
Which one works outside the Apple ecosystem?
Todoist. Apple Reminders exists only on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch. Todoist runs on those plus Android, Windows, Linux, and the web.
Or just type where and when.
Paloma reads the place and the time out of one sentence. No separate location field.
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