What makes these good for small teams?
Look, if you're running a small business or managing a tight team, the last thing you need is heavyweight project management software that costs a fortune and takes weeks to set up. We get it. Sometimes a solid to-do list app is all you actually need to keep everyone aligned and moving forward.
The reality? Most small teams don't need Gantt charts, resource allocation dashboards, or enterprise-grade reporting. You need something that helps you track who's doing what, when it's due, and keeps communication flowing without fifteen Slack channels blowing up your phone.
Here's the thing about great to-do list apps for teams: they punch way above their weight. You get task assignments, due dates, mobile access, and collaboration without paying $30 per person every month. The apps we've picked here work for teams of 3-15 people who need structure but don't want complexity. After testing dozens of options throughout 2026, these eight actually deliver.
We focused on three non-negotiables: First, mobile apps that don't suck. Your team needs to check tasks on the go without fighting clunky interfaces. Second, team features that make sense like task assignments, comments, and shared workspaces. Third, pricing that won't make you wince when you multiply it by your headcount.
Some of these lean more toward project views with boards and timelines. Others keep it stupidly simple with just lists and checkboxes. Pick what matches how your team actually works, not what some productivity guru says you should use.
1. Nozbe
Best for Projects: Nozbe
Nozbe hits a sweet spot that's honestly hard to find: advanced enough to handle real project work, but clean enough that your team won't spend three days figuring out where to click. We'd recommend this if you're tired of apps that either oversimplify everything or throw 47 features at you on day one.
What sets Nozbe apart is how it thinks about team organization. You create projects, sure, but inside each project you can manage clients, campaigns, task breakdowns, comments, and all the context your team needs without opening twelve different tools. Everything lives in one workspace, which sounds basic but you'd be surprised how many apps mess this up.
Task management here actually works the way teams work. Assign someone a task, they get notified. Break it into subtasks if needed. Add a due date and priority level. Drop files and comments right on the task so nobody's hunting through email threads for that PDF Sarah sent last Tuesday. The incoming tasks view keeps everyone updated on what just landed, and the activity section shows you who's actually getting stuff done (or who's stuck and might need help).
Honestly, the priority system and tagging in Nozbe are clutch for small teams juggling multiple clients. You can filter by priority, by person, by project, or by tag, which means your Monday morning planning session takes minutes instead of an hour. The mobile apps work well too, so when someone's out meeting a client, they can still update task status without pulling out a laptop.
Pricing starts around $8 per user per month, which isn't the cheapest on this list but also isn't crazy when you consider you might be replacing two or three other tools. They offer a free trial, and we'd say actually test it with your team for a week or two because the interface takes a bit of getting used to. Once it clicks though, it really clicks.
2. MeisterTask
Best for Kanban: MeisterTask
If your team thinks in columns and cards, MeisterTask is going to feel like home. This is Kanban done right for small businesses, with just enough structure to keep projects moving without drowning you in setup work. The dashboard gives everyone a bird's-eye view of what's happening: notifications, upcoming deadlines, and today's priorities all in one spot.
The Kanban boards here are clean and customizable. You're not stuck with some rigid "To Do, Doing, Done" setup. Build columns that match your actual workflow. We've seen teams use everything from "Client Approval" to "Waiting on Invoice" to "Sarah Needs to Review This." Drag cards between columns, and everyone sees progress in real time. It's satisfying in a way that checking boxes in a list just isn't.
Each task card becomes this central hub for everything related to that work. Attach files, paste links, tag team members, set due dates, add checklists. You can even create recurring tasks if you've got weekly or monthly work that needs to happen like clockwork. The comment threads on tasks mean all your project communication lives right there instead of buried in email or scattered across Slack channels.
What we really like about MeisterTask is how it handles multiple projects without getting messy. Switch between project boards easily, and the dashboard keeps surfacing what needs attention across all of them. The mobile app is solid too, though honestly we find Kanban boards work better on bigger screens when you're moving a lot of cards around.
Pricing is pretty fair. Free tier works for up to 3 projects and basic integrations, which might be enough if you're really small. Pro is around $9 per user per month and unlocks unlimited projects, automations, and better reporting. Worth it if you're managing 5+ active projects at once.
3. Todoist
Best for All Round: Todoist
Todoist deserves its reputation as one of the most reliable team task managers out there. It's been around since 2007, and honestly, they've spent all that time perfecting simplicity. If your team just needs to track who's doing what and when it's due, without learning some elaborate system, this is probably your best bet.
The natural language input in Todoist is stupidly good. Type "email client proposal every Monday at 9am starting next week" and it just figures it out. Assigns the date, sets the recurrence, done. Your team doesn't need training on how to add tasks, which matters more than you'd think when you're trying to get five people to actually use the same system.
Shared projects and workspaces make collaboration simple. Create a project for each client or initiative, invite your team members, and start assigning tasks. Everyone sees what they're responsible for, what's coming up, and what's overdue. The comments and file attachments on tasks mean context stays with the work. No more "hey where did you save that mockup" conversations.
What we appreciate about Todoist for small teams is the balance between features and simplicity. You get priority levels, labels, filters, and integrations with tools like Slack and Google Calendar. But you're not drowning in options. The mobile apps sync instantly and work offline, so your sales rep can update tasks between client meetings without WiFi.
Pricing is straightforward. Free tier gives you up to 5 active projects and basic collaboration. Pro runs about $4 per month per user and opens up reminders, comments, file uploads, and unlimited projects. Business tier at $6 per user adds team roles and admin features. For most small teams, Pro is the sweet spot.
4. Any.Do
Best for List Management: Any.Do
Any.DO brings something different to the table: gorgeous design and flexibility in how you view your work. If your team gets frustrated with apps that lock you into one way of seeing tasks, this might be worth checking out. You can switch between Kanban boards, calendar view, and table view depending on what makes sense for the work you're doing.
The Kanban view works a lot like Trello, with cards moving across columns as work progresses. Break tasks into subtasks, assign them to different team members, set due dates, and add all the details you need. The calendar view is clutch for deadline-heavy work because you can actually see when everything's piling up on Thursday and maybe redistribute some tasks to Wednesday.
What really sets Any.DO apart is the template library and customization options. They've got hundreds of pre-built templates for common workflows: client onboarding, content creation, event planning, product launches. Pick one, tweak it for your team, and you're running instead of spending two hours building lists from scratch. You can also customize backgrounds and colors, which sounds superficial but honestly makes the workspace feel more like yours.
Automations help cut down on repetitive work. Set up rules like "when task is marked complete, create a new task in the review list" or "automatically assign tasks with the client-facing tag to Sarah." Not as advanced as Zapier, but enough to save time on routine stuff.
Pricing runs about $5 per user per month for premium features. The free version works but limits you on collaboration features and recurring tasks. For small teams serious about using it, you'll want premium.
5. Taskade
Best for AI Projects: Taskade
Taskade is where things get interesting if you're willing to experiment with AI in your workflow. This isn't your basic task list app. It's more like a workspace that combines tasks, notes, mind maps, and video chat with AI assistance layered throughout. Definitely has a learning curve, but for teams that want to explore what AI can do for project planning, it's worth the time investment.
The AI project generator is kind of wild. Tell it "create a marketing campaign plan for a SaaS product launch" and it'll spit out a structured project with tasks, timelines, and suggested workflows. You can tweak everything it generates, obviously, but it's a solid starting point that beats staring at a blank page. We've used it for brainstorming project structures and honestly it saves like 30 minutes of initial planning.
Beyond AI, you get multiple views for managing work: list view, board view, calendar, mind maps, and org charts. The mind mapping feature is actually useful for planning complex projects where you need to see how everything connects before breaking it into tasks. Drag nodes around, link ideas, then convert branches into actionable tasks.
Video chat is built right into the workspace, which is convenient for quick team check-ins without opening Zoom. Screen sharing works, audio quality is decent. It's not replacing your main video tool but it's handy for "hey let's hop on for 5 minutes" situations.
The AI can also automate repetitive workflows and help with task descriptions. Type a vague task like "set up email campaign" and the AI can expand it into subtasks with more specific steps. Your mileage may vary on how useful this is, depends on your industry.
Pricing starts free for individuals, but team features require the Pro plan at around $8 per month per user. The AI features have usage limits on the free tier, so if you're planning to use AI heavily, factor in the Pro cost.
6. Notion
Best for Customization: Notion
Notion shows up on basically every productivity list for a reason: you can build almost anything inside it. For small teams, this flexibility is both the biggest strength and the biggest challenge. You're not locked into someone else's idea of how tasks should work, but you also need to invest time setting things up the way you want.
Linked databases are the game changer for task management in Notion. Create one master task database, then surface different views of it across your workspace. Marketing team sees their tasks filtered on their page, sales sees theirs, and leadership sees everything. Update a task anywhere and it updates everywhere because it's all connected. Once you wrap your head around this, it's incredibly powerful.
You can create whatever structure makes sense for your team. Build a client management system with linked tasks, invoices, and meeting notes. Set up a content calendar with task assignments and publish dates. Design a sprint planning board with backlog, in progress, and done columns. The building blocks are all there: databases, kanban boards, calendars, tables, galleries.
Collaboration works well. Assign tasks, @mention team members, leave comments, attach files and links. Everything can have as much context as you need. The problem is Notion can get overwhelming fast. You start building one task system and three hours later you're customizing icons and building a company wiki. This can be great or a massive time sink depending on your team.
Pricing is free for individuals and small teams (under 10 people I think). Plus plan runs $8 per user per month and adds unlimited file uploads, version history, and better permissions. For small teams just using it for tasks, free might be enough. If you're building your entire workspace in Notion, Plus makes sense.
7. Bonsai
Best for Client Focused Work: Bonsai
Bonsai takes a different approach by bundling client work management with task tracking. If your small business does client projects (agencies, consultants, freelancers working together), this might make more sense than juggling separate tools for contracts, invoicing, time tracking, and task management. Task features alone won't blow you away, but the combination is pretty solid.
You manage everything for each client in one place: the contract they signed, project tasks and timelines, time tracking for billable hours, and invoices. When you complete a task, the time tracked automatically flows into your invoice. No more manually calculating hours or forgetting to bill for that last-minute revision request.
Task management itself is straightforward. Create tasks, assign them to team members, set due dates, attach files. Templates help you replicate common workflows, so when you onboard a new client, you're not rebuilding the same 20-task checklist from scratch. The built-in timers make it easy to track billable work as you go, which matters when you're billing by the hour.
Collaboration features let your team discuss tasks, share files, and stay aligned on client work. The client portal is nice too because clients can see project progress without you sending status update emails every other day. They log in, see what's done and what's coming, and you get fewer "hey what's the status" messages.
Pricing starts around $17 per month for a single user, scaling up as you add team members. This seems pricey compared to pure task apps, but you're getting proposals, contracts, invoicing, and time tracking too. If you're currently paying for three separate tools, the math might work out.
8. Superlist
Best for Small Teams: Superlist
Superlist is the new kid on the block, launched recently but already gaining traction with remote teams. If you want something lightweight that combines notes and tasks without a massive learning curve, this deserves a look. The real-time collaboration feels more like working in a Google Doc than a traditional task app.
What makes Superlist interesting is how it blends notes and tasks in the same workspace. Planning a project? Start with notes outlining the strategy, then convert specific items into actionable tasks right there. No switching between a notes app and a task app, which honestly saves more time than you'd think. The interface is clean and minimal, so new team members don't need a training session to figure out where things are.
The real-time editing is smooth. You can literally see your teammate's cursor as they update a task description or add items to a list. For small remote teams, this creates a sense of working together even when you're scattered across time zones. It's like pair programming but for task planning. Obviously doesn't work as well for big teams (too many cursors gets chaotic), but for 3-8 people it's actually really nice.
You can organize lists by project, client, or however makes sense. Tasks support due dates, assignments, subtasks, and comments. Nothing groundbreaking feature-wise, but everything you need without bloat. The mobile app is solid, loads fast, and syncs instantly.
Pricing is still evolving since they're relatively new. Last we checked, they had a generous free tier for small teams and a Pro plan around $8 per user per month. Worth trying the free version first to see if the real-time collaboration style fits how your team works.
How to Choose the Right App
Matching Tools to Your Team's Needs
So which one should you actually pick? Depends on what drives you crazy about your current setup.
If you're drowning in tools and want everything in one place, look at Nozbe or Notion. Both let you consolidate task management with other workflows, though Notion requires more setup time and Nozbe is more structured out of the box.
Love visual workflows and dragging cards around? MeisterTask and Any.DO both nail the Kanban experience. MeisterTask feels more polished for serious project work, while Any.DO brings better mobile apps and prettier design.
Just want something that works without fuss? Todoist has earned its spot as the reliable workhorse. Not fancy, not trying to revolutionize anything, just stupidly good at managing tasks for teams.
Doing client work where you bill hours? Bonsai combines task tracking with contracts and invoicing, which saves you from tool-hopping hell when you're trying to bill a client.
Curious about AI or need mind mapping? Taskade brings both, plus it's constantly adding new AI features. Learning curve is steeper but the payoff can be worth it.
Small remote team that values real-time collaboration? Superlist feels modern and keeps everyone in sync without overwhelming people with features.
Honestly, most of these offer free trials. Pick two that sound interesting, actually test them with your team for a week, and see which one sticks. The best to-do app is whichever one your team actually uses consistently.