Things to consider…

Everything you need to know before getting started

1 Mac and iOS versions

If you have a Mac and an iPhone or iPad, you’ll want to use the app on all your devices. Check whether the iPhone and iPad versions are universal or need to be bought separately.

2 Teamworking and collaboration

In our test, only Wunderlist Pro and ToDo Cloud offer collaborative support tools.

3 Are you disciplined?

Productivity tools are only as good as the information you supply. OmniFocus, Things and ToDo work well when you’re disciplined and work with them every day, adding all your tasks. Clear and Taskpaper, however, are just as effective when used ad hoc.

4 Beware the price tag

Two of the apps, Wunderlist and ToDo, have subscription options; OmniFocus has a Pro upgrade that costs as much as the app itself.

5 Be prepared to learn

As you’ll see from our learning curve test, there’s a variation in how much you need to learn to use each app. Are you prepared to put in the time to get the best out of the one you choose?

6 Preferred user input method

Clear stands out for its use of gestures, while Taskpaper relies more on text/keyboard shortcuts. OmniFocus also uses shortcuts; the others use point-and-click control.