Buzzley vs Microsoft To Do for reminders

Microsoft To Do is a free list app: you plan your day, keep task lists and share them, and it can send you a reminder. Buzzley is a paid reminder app built around one job, making sure a reminder gets noticed: it can ring like an alarm, trigger when you arrive somewhere, and tell a family member if something was missed. If you want a free list with reminders on the side, To Do suits you. If the reminder itself is the point, look at Buzzley.

Competitor details below come from Microsoft's store listings and our October 2026 research.

Side by side

	Buzzley	Microsoft To Do
Price	Core $2.99/month, Plus $5.99, Pro $9.99; yearly from $24.99	Free
Free plan	No. A 7-day trial, no card	Free, no in-app purchases
Account	Email link, Google or Apple	Microsoft account (personal, work or school)
How a reminder arrives	Notification or full-screen alarm, chosen per reminder	Notification
Rings when the phone is on silent	Android: yes, Alarm style. iPhone: on iOS 26 and later	No
Location reminders	Arrive, leave or both	No
Sharing	Sharing group; reminders for someone else; "If missed, tell"	Shared lists
Lists	Checklist inside a reminder, up to 50 items	Task lists and a daily planner
Platforms	Android, iPhone, web	All major platforms
Developer access	API and webhooks on Pro	Microsoft Graph

Where Microsoft To Do is stronger

Price. It is free, with no in-app purchases. For a list app with reminders, that is hard to argue with.

Lists and planning. To Do is built around lists and planning your day. You can share a list with someone and both work from it. Buzzley shares individual reminders inside a group, which is a different thing: it is about who gets reminded, not about a list you tick off together.

Microsoft accounts. If you already use a Microsoft work or school account, To Do signs in with it and is reachable through Microsoft Graph. Buzzley's API exists too, but only on the Pro plan.

Where Buzzley is stronger

A reminder can ring like an alarm. Choose the Alarm style for the things you can't miss. On Android it fills the lock screen, rings on the alarm channel through silent mode and Do Not Disturb, and stops when you snooze it, mark it done or dismiss it. On iPhone it uses Apple's alarm system on iOS 26 and later. To Do sends a notification, which a silent phone keeps quiet.

Location reminders. To Do has none. In Buzzley you can set a reminder for when you arrive at the pharmacy or leave the office, with a radius between 50 and 500 metres, or one that triggers only by place. The details are in location reminders.

Family reminders with a safety net. Set a reminder for your partner or a parent and it rings only on their phone. Pick who is told if it still isn't done after 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour or 2 hours, and whether they also hear when it is done.

Scheduling detail. Custom repeats (every 3 days, the second Tuesday of the month, specific dates), up to three early warnings, a time zone per reminder for travel, and snooze presets from the notification.

Typed or spoken sentences. Write "dentist Tuesday at 3" and Buzzley suggests the date and time. It understands English, German and Spanish.

When Microsoft To Do is the better pick

Choose To Do if you want a free, shared list for a household or a team, if you already work inside Microsoft 365, or if your reminders are things you will see at your desk anyway. It is also the better choice if you want one app for planning your whole day and a notification is enough of a nudge.

Choose Buzzley when a missed reminder costs you something: a medicine dose, a bill, picking someone up. You can also use both: a list app for planning and Buzzley for the few things that must ring.

Weighing other options? See Buzzley vs Google Tasks for Google's free app, or Buzzley vs Todoist for a paid task manager.

Common questions

Does Microsoft To Do have location reminders?

No, not as of October 2026.

Is there a free version of Buzzley?

No. There is a 7-day trial with every Plus feature and no card. After that, plans start at $2.99 a month or $24.99 a year. See pricing.

Does Buzzley work on a computer?

Yes, in the web app at buzzley.app you can add, edit and complete reminders, and they sync with your phone. The phone does the ringing; the web app does not send browser notifications.