A task management tool helps you organize your work and personal life more efficiently. Our work productivity is linked to how well we can manage time and organize our tasks on a daily basis. There are plenty of task management tools available online that keep changing regularly based on what they offer at each new instance.

Among such popular platforms are Microsoft To-Do and Taskade, both considered leaders in their respective fields, but with features that set them apart. Let's take a closer look at these contenders side by side for a clearer picture of which one you should go with.

What Is Microsoft To Do?

microsoft to do homepage

Microsoft To Do is a cloud-based task management program. It allows users to keep track of their activities on various devices. The technology was developed by the Wunderlist team that Microsoft bought. The stand-alone apps integrate into Outlook's and Office 365 suite existing tasks functionality.

Download: Microsoft To Do (Free)

What Is Taskade?

taskade home page

Taskade is a feature-rich task management app that integrates various tools to create an all-inclusive environment for managing tasks. Many different features are available to users through Taskade, both free and premium.

Tasks, to-do lists, assigning and editing tasks, setting deadlines, and online meetings on video chat for brainstorming can be done on this platform in real-time. This allows team members to be on the same page as if working from the same space.

Download: Taskade for PC | Android | iOS | Linux (Free, subscription available)

Microsoft To Do vs. Taskade: Which One Is Better?

Pricing

Microsoft To Do has an indisputable advantage when it comes to pricing. The task manager is available for free to users with a Microsoft account.

You get to explore exciting features like prior reminders, adding tasks within a task, sharing your task list with team members, or setting up repetitive tasks. Lots of other task-management software would charge for such levels of efficiency, but not Microsoft To Do.

Taskade’s pricing includes a free plan, an unlimited paid plan, and an organizational plan. You get an unlimited number of tasks and projects on each of these, which you can craft with custom templates. You can share the work with as many collaborators as you need on the desktop or app version and guarantee 99.9% uptime.

You also get unlimited tasks and projects, members and guests, real-time collaborations, templates, calendars, and repeat tasks. Unfortunately, the free plan has an upload limit of 25MB per file and limits your level of customization.

However, with the unlimited plan, you pay $5 per month per user. This guarantees you all the perks of the free version, plus add-ons like advance permission, version history, 2-way calendar integration, and cloud upload integration. The Organization plan costs $20 per month per member and comes with all features plus flexible payment options and a custom contract.

While Microsoft To Do is free, it may not have all the necessary and additional features Taskade has, like the 2-way integration with Google Calendar.

Winner: Microsoft To Do

Integration With Other Apps

Taskade-Dashboard

Taskade facilitates organized workflow that speeds up productivity while also increasing user engagement by offering integration with:

  • Dropbox
  • Microsoft Outlook
  • Google calendar
  • Google Drive
  • Zapier
  • Microsoft One Drive

Microsoft To Do allows you to integrate and sync with most of Microsoft’s offerings, plus other apps, including:

  • Microsoft Outlook
  • Desktop.com
  • Microsoft Intune
  • Microsoft Teams
  • Google Keep
  • Intergromat
  • Zapier
  • Avaza
  • Friday
  • FreedCamp
  • Trello
  • Slack
  • Evernote

Winner: Microsoft To Do

Related: The Best Ways to Use Microsoft To Do App With Productivity Tools

Customization

Your task manager needs to be suited to your needs, which explains why customization is important. The more you can customize your tasks, the more you feel at home with them. Microsoft To Do has several tips and tricks for customization.

With the software, you can change your background and add images or colors that appeal to you. This also applies to your lists. You can color-code and rearrange them to your liking. You also have the option of bundling up your lists into a group. Not only that, but you can then organize these list groups and add all the team members necessary to each of them.

Microsoft To Do Dashboard

Taskade has great customization features as well. On Taskade, not only can you make the customizations offered by Microsoft To Do, but you can go a step further and customize things as complex as onboarding and training activities. You also get to make custom logos and a chance to set up custom intervals for repeated activities.

Taskade workspace welcome window

As far as customization is concerned, Taskade is doing a lot more than Microsoft To Do, which puts it in the lead.

Winner: Taskade

Usability

Microsoft To Do is best suited for managing large projects but is also effective for smaller tasks, which you will likely use it for. While it's ideal for freelancers and writers, it isn't the best platform for individuals. However, Microsoft To Do does come with a slight advantage in that it is easier to integrate with other Microsoft products.

Taskade also has a wide usability range. The platform is ideal for small to medium scale businesses, and can be used by teams or individuals. The best platform in terms of usability depends on the number of users.

Winner: It's a tie between both.

Platforms Supported

Taskade download our apps section with all supported platforms

Microsoft To-Do is available for free on all major platforms including Android, iOS, macOS and Windows. It works across multiple devices too, so tasks can be synced up no matter where they are created.

The service is also web based, meaning it can be accessed anywhere without the need to download anything. This makes it perfect for using on multiple computers or even accessing tasks when you are out of the office.

However, Taskade is the better pick when it comes to usability. Taskade features all the above, and in addition, can also be hosted on Linux.

Winner: Taskade

Why You Should Choose Microsoft To Do

  • It is owned by Microsoft and allows integration with most Microsoft products.
  • It is still growing and has a promise to get better with time, as with other Microsoft applications.
  • It is quite user-friendly with a simple user interface.
  • Microsoft To Do is a free application for all its users, offering recurring tasks and collaborative features.
  • Comprehensive file sharing.
  • Efficient task prioritization and scheduling. It also utilizes algorithms to create main tasks and subtasks.

Some Cons to Consider

  • You cannot add details to your subtasks, which could be a bummer to your workflow.
  • Custom views are not available as well.
  • Limited features, e.g., lack of Gantt charts and reporting.
  • Priority rating and advance search are not present.

Related: How to Improve Time Management With the DRY Principle

Why You Should Choose Taskade

  • Suitable for both teams and individuals.
  • Taskade provides charts and spreadsheets to report on the progress of a project.
  • It keeps track of the workflow from the inception of the tasks to tracking and completion by producing reports.
  • It also allows integration with Microsoft Outlook.
  • It allows for video chats.
  • It has many templates and a well-curated workspace.

Some Cons to Consider

  • Could be quite expensive when you have many users and require an unlimited version.
  • More user resources or training is needed.

Choose a Task Management Tool That Suits You

So, the verdict here is that both Microsoft To-Do and Taskade are amazing task management tools in their own right. It all boils down to what you are looking for in a particular platform. If it's straightforward task management functionality, then Microsoft To-Do definitely has your back there with its clean interface and easy-to-use design.

At the same time, if you want more features like file sharing capabilities and user interaction modes (all rolled into one app), then Taskade can be an obvious option for you. Still confused about which tool to choose? Just pick whatever suits your workflow better! There isn't much of a difference when it comes to actually using these platforms—it all depends on your preferences.