One of the biggest barriers people face when adopting a task management app is the price. Apps like Things and OmniFocus are at the high end of the price spectrum, but there a plenty of iPhone users out there who have no interest in spending anything on an iPhone app of any kind…let alone a task management solution.
But that doesn’t mean those users shouldn’t have options should they want to add a task manager to their app arsenal.
Here are 6 of the best free iPhone apps for task management out there for those who want to give one a go…
1. Asana
I’ve been using Asana for collaborative task management pretty much since it launched, and the iOS app has recently had an update that makes it far more useful than ever before.
Asana
The great thing about it is its flexibility and its versatility – you can make it fit the system of productivity that suits you best. And with Asana Inbox now part of the mix, any projects that you’re collaborating with people on can have associated emails sent right inside the app. That means no emails from Mail.app to distract you – just the meals you need for the tasks at hand. Very clever.
2. Any.DO
A beautiful and elegant-looking task management app, Any.DO has a clean interface and is simply a pleasure to use.
Any.DO
Any.DO focuses on individuals instead. Tremendously customizable, multiple views for deliberate focus, and a powerful planning component are all aspects of Any.DO that make it a worthy addition to this list.
3. Doit.im
The most “GTD-centric” (GTD: Getting Things Done) of any of the apps on this list, Doit.im is deep and rich in both its form and function. It allows users to be both efficient and effective and makes adopting a GTD min set a little bit easier.
Doit.im
It features a lot of the more desired components of paid task management apps like OmniFocus and Things, but without all of the expense that goes along with those apps. And it’s multi-platform to boot!
4. Cheddar
Cheddar is nice to look at – and it’s really, really fast. It’s as clutter-free as task management apps come (although it is, like Wunderlist, more of a to-do list app for most people).
Cheddar
If you’re a fan of writing things in Markdown, Cheddar has you covered, and the tagging system it uses should be a familiar one to those who use Twitter. Cheddar’s simplicity is its strength – it allows it to have the speedy syncing that it possesses. There are extra features if you pony up some dough for Cheddar Plus, but most people are just fine with Cheddar as-is
5. Wunderlist
One of the most popular list-making apps out there is also often used for all-out task management as well. With its collaborative nature and an interface that is both simple to use and easy on the eyes, it’s no wonder that’s the case.
Wunderlist
With the demise of 6Wunderkinder’s Wunderkit app, there seems to be an impending update of the app that isn’t too far off. For users that don’t need a lot, but just need enough, Wunderlist often fits the bill. (You’ll just have to find out for yourself if you’re one of those users.)
6. Remember The Milk
This app never seems to get enough credit, and it’s been around for a long time. Its iOS experience is much-improved (just like the aforementioned Asana’s is) and it is packed with features in its free version that make it incredibly powerful.
Remember The Milk
Reminders are key component of the app, and syncing to the web service allows for backing p of tasks and notes (once per 24 hours for the free version). You can even set up locations for tasks so that Remember The Milk can let you know when it is time (or perhaps, more accurately) to complete them. A veteran of the task management scene, Remember The Milk is definitely worth a look.
There are plenty of other options out there, and you even can use the pre-loaded Reminders to work if you don’t want to dive too deeply into making it a more fully-featured task manager. But the choices I’ve given you above give the most pleasurable and powerful user experience for the price tag.
Use any of these free iPhone apps for task management regularly and you’ll find that the impact it has on you will be…priceless.
What free iPhone apps for task managements do you use? Share them in the comments.
