2Do vs GoodTask
GoodTask and 2Do are both truly native Mac apps, built on opposite foundations. GoodTask is a power shell over Apple Reminders and Calendar: your data lives in Apple's database, and GoodTask dresses it up with smart lists, calendar views, and quick actions. 2Do runs its own engine: your data lives with 2Do, stored locally and synced through a service you choose, including Apple Reminders. That shared bond means this comparison has a party trick: point both apps at the same Reminders lists and they can work the very same tasks.
Last reviewed: July 16, 2026.
At a Glance
| Criteria | 2Do | GoodTask |
|---|---|---|
| Primary model | Its own engine: flexible lists, projects, and checklists, synced where you choose | A native front end over Apple Reminders and Calendar |
| Best fit | Power users who want the full task model owned end to end | Reminders users who want more power without leaving Apple's database |
| Strength | Scheduling, recurrence, alarms, search, and portability | Calendar-first views, Quick Actions, and the Reminders ecosystem |
| Trade-off | Reminders sync flattens 2Do's hierarchy inside Apple's apps | Bound by what Reminders can store |
GoodTask organizes Apple Reminders; 2Do syncs two-way with Apple Reminders. Point both at the same lists and a task captured in one shows up in the other, Siri included. Two honest caveats: 2Do's extra fields (start dates, stars, actions) travel as small @… lines at the bottom of a reminder's notes, and GoodTask's text-based sub-tasks and hashtags read as plain note text in 2Do.
Task Management & Sync Comparison
Where GoodTask May Be Better
- Your data staying in Apple Reminders is the whole point: GoodTask adds power without moving anything, and shared iCloud lists, Siri, and every Reminders integration keep working untouched.
- Calendar-first planning: full day, week, and month views with events and reminders side by side.
- Quick Actions automate your repetitive edits: one tap to push a date, swap tags, or append text, defined once and reused everywhere.
- It's light to adopt and easy to leave, since it stores nothing of its own.
Where 2Do May Be Better
- Owning the engine unlocks the data model Reminders can't hold: real projects and checklists with dated, taggable sub-tasks rather than text lines in notes, start dates and times, durations, and Smart Scheduling.
- Recurrence is structural, not simulated: repeat from completion, stop after N occurrences, start-and-due pairs preserved every cycle, and per-occurrence edits.
- Alarms mean it: nagging repeat sounds, 2Do's own alarm window, and per-list silencing.
- Notes are first-class: Markdown, type-to-link task links, and picture and audio attachments on the task itself.
- Search goes deeper: Smart Lists with a real query syntax and typo-tolerant matching.
- Your data has an exit and a lock: .ics and .csv export, automatic local backups with per-list restore, and password protection with Touch ID.
- You're not tied to Apple's database: sync via Dropbox, iCloud CalDAV, CalDAV, Todoist, or Toodledo too, and 2Do also runs on Android.
- Automation reaches further: AppleScript and a built-in MCP server for Claude and other AI agents alongside Shortcuts.
- And the party trick works both ways: connect 2Do to Reminders and GoodTask, Reminders, and 2Do can all see the same lists while you decide which app you plan in.
Ready to pair them instead of picking? See Sync with Apple Reminders for setup and exactly how the sharing works.
Official Links
Want to compare a few more options before deciding? Browse all 2Do comparison guides.