Microsoft To Do vs Obsidian
Which one should you choose? Here's how they compare.
| Feature | Microsoft To Do | Obsidian |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | ★ 4 | ★ 4.6 |
| Pricing | Free | Free / $50/year sync |
| Type | free | free |
| Company | Microsoft | Dynalist |
| Founded | 2019 | 2020 |
Microsoft To Do Features
- •Tasks
- •Lists
- •Steps
- •Integration
Obsidian Features
- •Markdown
- •Bidirectional links
- •Graph view
- •Plugins
Microsoft To Do Pros
- ✓Free
- ✓Microsoft integration
- ✓Simple
Microsoft To Do Cons
- ✗Basic features
- ✗Limited customization
- ✗No advanced features
Obsidian Pros
- ✓Free for personal
- ✓Very flexible
- ✓Local files
Obsidian Cons
- ✗Learning curve
- ✗Sync costs
- ✗No collaboration free
The Verdict
Microsoft To Do and Obsidian are two of the most popular tools in the productivity category, but they take different approaches to solving the same problems. Microsoft To Do, developed by Microsoft (founded 2019), is described as "simple task management app integrated with microsoft ecosystem.". Meanwhile, Obsidian by Dynalist (founded 2020) "knowledge management app with bidirectional linking.". In terms of overall user satisfaction, Obsidian edges ahead with a rating of 4.6/5.0, compared to Microsoft To Do's 4/5.0 — a difference of 0.6 points. Obsidian's strongest advantages include free for personal, very flexible, while Microsoft To Do is praised for free. Both tools are free to use, making this a zero-risk comparison — try both and keep the one that fits your workflow. Neither tool is perfect: Microsoft To Do's main drawbacks include basic features, limited customization, while Obsidian users typically cite learning curve as its biggest limitation. However, Microsoft To Do has an edge in simple tasks, which might be the tiebreaker if that's important to you. In terms of target audience, Microsoft To Do is particularly popular among microsoft users and casual users, while Obsidian tends to attract researchers and writers. Our verdict: Obsidian is the stronger choice overall, especially if you value free for personal. However, if free matters more to your workflow, Microsoft To Do remains a solid alternative.
- • You need free
- • You need microsoft integration
- • You need free for personal
- • You need very flexible