Getting Things Done is one of the timeless concepts developed by David Allen in the 1990s as a way for people to better handle new inputs. For many it has shaped how they take notes, get things done in projects and even the way they think about storing things.
The beauty of the system is that it is simple to use and easy to implement once you go over the core five stages of the system that millions have adopted. One of those benefits to GTD is task management as it helps to better make sure the tasks on your list are captured, organized and get done in the best fashion possible.
We've compiled together the best GTD task management apps that align with this focus:
Why is Getting Things Done helpful for task management?
GTD is a system that people love because it reduces reliance on their brain for remembering everything. From tasks to notes, people love that, but for task management, this works wonders as you can capture an idea you have, or what David Allen calls "an open loop" and bring it into one of the task apps.
This makes life a lot easier when you have lots of open loops flying around you mind in one given day. Imagine getting all those open loops in your head into an app. That's why I personally love task management using the GTD concept because I can capture everything into a tasks app instantly, even if I'm asking my wife to do it for me sometimes (when driving) to stop those outpour of open loops.
5 Best GTD Task Management Apps in 2024
- 1. Nirvana - Structured, well-priced way to handle tasks and GTD strictly
- 2. OmniFocus 3 - Priced much more but with one of the best in-class task apps for GTD
- 3. Todoist - Flexible and powerful, Todoist expands to GTD's nature
- 4. 2Do - Classic in looks, smart lists & GTD like abilities make life easier
- 5. Things 3 - Minimal and clean, people love the one-off paid nature of this app
Let's dig into the best task management apps for GTD:
GTD Strictness Score is simply a rating of how much this app sticks to the core essence of GTD as a system and how much it can be adapted. The higher the number, the higher the closeness to the 5 stages of GTD is and the core framework.1. Nirvana HQ
Best All Round GTD Task App
- Best GTD Features: Next Action, Context Tags
- GTD Strictness Score: 10 out of 10
Why Nirvana is good for GTD?
Nirvana is probably the task app most designed for GTD task management because it is from the core. Many people won't get on with this if they are looking for a to-do list application because it uses the core of Getting Things Done and sticks to it.
Features like next action allow for better system management like in GTD, wide device availability make it great for managing on any device, the context tags make it great for narrowing down tasks on your list per scenario and there's so much more.
This is the ultimate task app for GTD in our opinion.
2. OmniFocus 3
Best Premium GTD Task App
- Best GTD Features: Forecast, Tags
- GTD Strictness Score: 8 out of 10
Why OmniFocus is good for GTD?
OmniFocus does a great job by presenting a very GTD orientated task app, many people use OmniFocus because it brings a quality build application on iOS and web devices. For many this is the most expensive GTD task app out there so consider that.
Forecast in OmniFocus allows you to plot what's coming up, perfect for next action. Tags help for better context management and there's so much more that OmniFocus users have adapted in this app to make better for Getting Things Done task management.
This one is the more expensive option, but allows for a more open GTD system.
3. Todoist
Best Flexible Task App for GTD
- Best GTD Features: Labels, Filters & Task Capture
- GTD Strictness Score: 6 out of 10
Why Todoist is good for GTD?
Todoist is actually more of a task app but is popular with those who love the GTD concept but don't want to be too rigid in their system. Maybe you've read GTD and stole some gems from it like capture, tags for context and maybe quick capture - well Todoist can help with that without the stress of sticking to conformity, if that makes sense.
Todoist is a great to-do app if you have all together moved away from the GTD concept and built your own way of working because it is a flexible tool for that.
4. 2Do
Classic Task Management for GTD
- Best GTD Features: Smart Lists, Tags
- GTD Strictness Score: 7 out of 10
Why 2Do is good for GTD?
2Do is a good one for GTD and comes with a classic design (nothing to write home about) but it works as a one-license payment which means you can use on your devices without the need to pay a subscription like OmniFocus 3, Nirvana and Todoist.
2Do presents some great features for GTD like smart lists for better allocation of tags and context in the right lists, GTD native inbox and tags too for better context capture. Simple in nature, this is one of the better GTD apps - but not the best in terms of design.
5. Things 3
Minimal, Clean Task App
- Best GTD Features: This Evening, Projects
- GTD Strictness Score: 6 out of 10
Why Things 3 is good for GTD?
Things 3 is good for GTD although not as strict as the others on this list. You can capture using the quick add on macOS and iOS, and the features allow you to add tags and labels to them. Projects also help for better management of tasks and capture into the right places. They also come with deadlines & due dates too.
This evening is another feature that breaks up your to-do list and something that David Allen constantly advocates for around managing your list to best suit you, for this evening, you can push tasks into a sub-list within today to avoid overload.
There's plenty more to-do list apps on the market to consider, but these are the best ones for GTD task management and ones worth considering.
- 5 Best GTD Task Management Apps in 2024
- 1. Nirvana HQ
- 2. OmniFocus 3
- 3. Todoist
- 4. 2Do
- 5. Things 3
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