One of our favorite to-do list apps, Wunderlist, has been bought by Microsoft. It's great news for the team at 6WunderKinder, which has worked hard for years to make the best to-do app. But if this is bad news for you and you want to switch out, there is an easy way to do that.

Yes, Microsoft has stated that the app will remain free and will continue to support several platforms. But MS is notorious for taking fantastic products and not doing much with them or downright killing them. Heard of this tiny little startup called Nokia?

So if you want to get out of Wunderlist and switch to another task manager, here's how to do that.

The Easy Way: Todoport

Export-Wunderlist-Todoport-Export-start

The easiest way to switch out of Wunderlist is through Todoport, a web app made for migrating to-do lists. It's a free app, but you will have to switch off any ad-blocker if you want to run it.

Currently, Todoport supports exporting your Wunderlist to Toodledo, Todoist, Trello, Asana and Google Tasks. You will need an account for whichever app you want to export to.

Todoport does not work seamlessly when transferring Wunderlist to Google Tasks, so we wouldn't recommend that. You're better off using Excel and Google Tasks to make a killer task management system.

Using the app is quite simple.

  1. Under "I want to Export From", click the "Wunderlist" button.
  2. Log in to your Wunderlist account.
  3. Under "I want to Import To", choose the service you want.
  4. Sign into the service you chose.
  5. Optional: Pick a Trello board or choose an Asana workspace
  6. Click the blue "Export" button.
Export-Wunderlist-Todoport-Trello

After a couple of minutes, Todoport will show you a floating notification announcing that the transfer has been completed successfully. It works quite seamlessly, and if you have been using Wunderlist's new folders to boost your lists, it keeps those intact too.

That's it, you're done!

Todoist vs. Trello vs. Toodledo vs. Asana

Since Google Tasks doesn't work well, your choice boils down to one of these four apps. So which one is right for you?

Export-Wunderlist-Todoist

If you're looking for a simple Wunderlist clone, go with Todoist. It has several features similar to Wunderlist and is available for free across different platforms. Todoist also has productive filters to superpower your workflow, and you can hook it up to IFTTT for automated task management.

Export-Wunderlist-Toodledo

If you're looking to set up habits and processes, go with Toodledo. The app has a whole bunch of options to do things with your lists, and it can be a little overwhelming at first. But you can customize Toodledo for better productivity with process-based outlines for tasks, new habits to inculcate, and general notes.

Export-Wunderlist-Trello

If you like Kanban boards for productivity, go with Trello. It's a powerful task management system based on visualizing your tasks more clearly. In fact, these vision boards can break down big goals and make them seem achievable.

Export-Wunderlist-Asana

If you work in a team and share tasks, go with Asana. It's the ideal task and time management app for teams, especially to manage projects you are working on with other people.

These are just cursory guidelines to select an alternative for Wunderlist. For a detailed idea of what to pick, go through our five commandments to choosing the right productivity app for you.

The Hard Way: Export a JSON File

In case none of these to-do apps appeal to you, there is one other way. But it's a little messy. Wunderlist itself offers the option to download all your lists in a web-friendly JSON file.

Export-Wunderlist-JSON

To do that, open Wunderlist and browse to and click Menu > Account Settings > Create Backup. You'll get a message saying "Fetching data", after which the button will let you download it as a JSON file.

Once you have the JSON file on your hard drive, head to a site like JSON-CSV or any other JSON to CSV converter. Follow the instructions, download the CSV file, and then open it in your favorite spreadsheet app. Excel, for instance, has some useful task management templates that you can download.

The problem with this method is that you won't get the data perfectly formatted. You do get all the data though, which is better than what the Todoport-to-Google Tasks transfer gives you.

Will You Continue to Use Wunderlist or Switch?

Wunderlist's acquisition by Microsoft does lead to a big question. Are you ready to stick with Wunderlist in the Microsoft era or are you looking to switch out? Why?