Microsoft Lists vs Planner vs Todo: When to Use Each One?

Last Updated on September 19, 2024

How do these tools compare with one another?

In this guide, let’s take a look at Lists, Planner, and To-Do, how they’re different from each other, and when to use them.

Let’s get started!

Table of Contents:

What is Microsoft Lists?

If you’re not familiar with Lists, it’s an app designed to help users track information and organize work.

It’s an evolution of SharePoint Lists where you can create, share, and collaborate on structured data.

The interface looks like this:

Here are its core features:

It’s particularly useful for teams that need a flexible solution to manage tasks and coordinate projects.

For personal users, it’s an efficient tool for personal productivity due to its integration with Microsoft apps.

If you want more information about it, I wrote an introductory article about Lists which I’ll be tagging below.

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On the other hand, Planner is a task management tool designed specifically for team collaboration.

It’s ideal for creating plans, assigning “Planner” tasks, sharing files, and updating statuses with team members.

The interface looks like this:

Planner’s experience is centered around the user of “cards” and “boards” through a Kanban-style interface.

Here’s a direct comparison of features between Lists and Planner:

Feature	Microsoft Lists	Microsoft Planner
Primary function	Data management and organization	Project and task management
User interface	Lists with customizable columns	Card-based boards (Kanban-style)
Best used for	Tracking complex datasets	Managing teamwork and deadlines
Integration	Deep integration with SharePoint	Direct integration into Microsoft To-Do
Collaboration	Can be used individually or in teams	Primarily designed for team use
Customization	High (custom columns, views, etc.)	Moderate (task categories, labels)

If you’re interested in reading more about Microsoft Planner, you can read more about it here:

You must’ve heard about To-Do already since it’s a lightweight tasks app for individual use.

Its integration with Outlook makes it nice and useful for managing email tasks (where Outlook tasks came from).

Here’s what its simple user interface looks like:

As you can see, it’s best for individual users who want to streamline their daily personal and professional tasks.

Here’s a direct comparison of features between Lists and To-Do:

Feature	Microsoft Lists	Microsoft To-Do
Primary function	Complex data and task management	Personal task and daily to-do management
User interface	Customizable lists with various views	Simple, clean interface for task lists
Best used for	Data tracking, project management	Managing personal tasks
Integration	Microsoft Teams, SharePoint, Office 365	Deep integration with Outlook
Collaboration	Team-oriented or individual	Primarily individuals with sharing options
Customization	High (custom columns, filters, etc.)	Low (tasks, reminders, due dates)

If you want to see how To-Do compares with Planner, you can read my comparison article from the link below.

You can see how these tools collide with each other mainly because of how similar many of their features are.

When you need to choose between them, you need to look at your specific needs, work environment, and tasks.

For Lists, you can use it when you need to:

Lists has collaboration features that are robust and integrated with Teams, which is why it’s best for data collaboration.

For Planner, I suggest you use it when you need to:

The board layout helps teams see the status of tasks at a glance, which is nice for managing workflows and deadlines. 🙂

For To-Do, it’s lightweight, which makes it the best if you need to:

In short, it’s the best when your needs are straightforward and don’t require extensive collaboration.

To be fair, you can always switch through these major task apps since all you need is a Microsoft account. 🙂

Got any questions about how Lists, Planner, and To-Do differ from each other? Leave a comment below.

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