Microsoft To Do alternative: tasks, habits and Google Calendar
Microsoft To Do is a free list app, closely tied to Outlook and Microsoft 365, with My Day to pick what you’ll do today. Lumina starts from a different idea: your tasks, habits, notes and Google Calendar in one app. Here’s what changes, including what Lumina doesn’t do.
The short answer
If you work in Outlook and Microsoft 365, keep Microsoft To Do: your flagged emails become tasks, your lists follow your Microsoft account and the app costs nothing. Lumina doesn’t connect to Outlook. If your calendar is on Google and you want to track habits in the same place as your tasks, Lumina is worth a try.
Both have a free version. Lumina doesn’t import To Do data: start by copying one list over and compare for a week.
Lumina and Microsoft To Do, side by side
| Criterion | Lumina | Microsoft To Do |
|---|---|---|
| Free version | No time limit, no ads: 3 habits, 10 tasks per day, 1 group created | Free |
| Paid plans | Student: €2.49 a month or €19.99 a year. Pro: €4.99 a month or €39.99 a year. Team (10 people) and Class (35 people) | None on its Google Play and App Store listings |
| Your day | Today list: tasks due today and undated tasks until they’re done; unfinished tasks carry over to the next day | My Day: an empty list each day that you fill with help from suggestions; unfinished tasks are suggested again the next day |
| Organization | By day, with time, priority, subtasks, a note and recurrence. No lists or projects | Lists you can group by topic or project, steps, notes, one-time or recurring due dates and reminders |
| Attachments | No | Up to 25 MB of files per task |
| Habits | A dedicated space: streaks, daily goal, several reminders | No dedicated tool on its official pages; recurring due dates |
| Calendar | Google Calendar in seven views; create, edit, move and delete events in the app. No Outlook | Built into Outlook, where you can add tasks to your calendar. Google Calendar isn’t mentioned |
| No | Emails you flag in Outlook become tasks (Microsoft-hosted accounts) | |
| Notes | Notes linked to each other, to tasks and to habits, as a graph or a list | A note on each task |
| Working together | Groups with roles and per-member progress, invites by email, link or QR code; Google sign-in required | Lists shared by invitation link, tasks can be assigned; Microsoft account required, between personal accounts or within one organization |
| Account | Works offline and without an account; Google sign-in to sync | Tasks stored on Exchange Online, with a personal, work or school Microsoft account; several accounts supported |
| Devices | Android and web app (iPhone, iPad, Mac, PC in the browser) | Web, Windows, Mac, iPhone, iPad, Android, Apple Watch |
| Playful side | XP, levels, achievements, companions, 9 themes | Emoji in lists, colorful backgrounds, dark mode |
Information about Microsoft To Do comes from its official pages on November 7, 2026, and may change. The links are at the bottom of this page.
When to keep Microsoft To Do
To Do does some things very well that Lumina doesn’t do at all. Stay with it in these cases:
- Your day runs through Outlook. Your tasks are stored on Exchange Online and show up in both To Do and Outlook. Lumina only handles Google Calendar.
- You turn emails into tasks. A flagged email lands in To Do’s Flagged email list, with a link back to the message. Lumina has nothing like it.
- Your team uses Microsoft 365. To Do also shows tasks assigned to you in Microsoft Planner, and sharing works between accounts in the same organization.
- You sort everything into lists. Groceries, work, home: To Do files tasks into lists and list groups. Lumina sorts them by day.
- You attach files to tasks. To Do takes up to 25 MB per task; Lumina doesn’t handle attachments.
- You want a native app everywhere, for free. To Do is free on Windows, Mac, iPhone, iPad, Android and Apple Watch. Outside Android, Lumina is a web app, and its free version has limits.
When Lumina is the better fit
Lumina makes sense if your day lives in Google rather than Microsoft, or if a task list isn’t enough:
- Your calendar is on Google. Lumina shows your Google Calendar in seven views (Day, 3 days, 4 days, Week, Month, Year, Schedule) and lets you create, move and edit events next to your tasks.
- You want to track habits. The habit tracker has its own space, with streaks, daily goals and several reminders, instead of a task that repeats.
- You want it all in one app. Notes linked as a graph, a Pomodoro timer tied to a task and statistics are included.
- You don’t want an account. Lumina works without signing up and offline. Google sign-in is for sync, the calendar and groups.
- You run a class or a club. Groups have roles and show who finished each task. For school, see the student planner.
- A playful side keeps you going. XP, levels, achievements and companions come with every task you check off.
Lumina comes in 6 languages: French, English, German, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese.
Moving from Microsoft To Do to Lumina
Lumina imports from Todoist and Google Tasks, not from Microsoft To Do: you copy over what you want to keep. Keep To Do open next to it and go one list at a time:
- Start with the list you use most. Lumina’s quick add reads the date, time and priority from what you type: “call mom tomorrow at 6pm” creates a task for tomorrow at 6 p.m.
- Steps become subtasks, and a recurring due date becomes a recurring task.
- A task without a date stays in today’s list until you check it off: the closest match to a list without due dates.
- What you do every day (exercise, reading, revision) works better as a habit, with its own streak.
- For a shared list, create a group and invite members by email, link or QR code. They sign in with Google.
A few limits to know first:
- Lumina has no lists: put the name of your To Do list in the task title or note if you need it.
- Attachments and flagged emails don’t come along.
- The free version stops at 10 tasks per day and 3 habits. Student makes them unlimited.
Sources and date checked
Information about Microsoft To Do checked on November 7, 2026, on its official pages. Microsoft To Do, Outlook and Microsoft 365 are trademarks of Microsoft, unrelated to Lumina.
Frequently asked questions
Can I import my Microsoft To Do tasks into Lumina?
No. Lumina only imports from Todoist and Google Tasks. Copy your lists over by hand: quick add reads the date, time and priority from what you type, so it goes fast.
Does Lumina sync with Outlook?
No. Lumina only connects to Google Calendar. If your tasks and calendar live in Outlook, Microsoft To Do is built into it and remains the better choice.
Is Microsoft To Do free?
Yes, according to its Google Play and App Store listings. Lumina is free too, with no ads: 3 habits, 10 tasks per day and 1 group created; Student (€19.99 a year) lifts those limits.
Can Microsoft To Do track habits?
With tasks that have a recurring due date, yes. Its official pages don’t describe a habit tool. Lumina has a dedicated space, with streaks, daily goals and several reminders.
Does Lumina have an iPhone app?
Not on the App Store. On iPhone, open lumina-app.me/app in Safari, then tap “Add to Home Screen”. If you want a native app on iPhone, Mac, Windows or Apple Watch, To Do meets that need better.
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