BetterKeeper vs Any.do: native Apple focus vs. cross-platform daily planner
BetterKeeper
A native Apple task manager with projects, rich-text notes, and built-in time tracking — all synced through your personal iCloud. No account, no servers, no compromises.
Any.do
A popular cross-platform planner known for its Daily Planner and Focus Mode. Works everywhere — Android, iPhone, web, desktop — but as a cloud account-based service, not a native Apple app.
Feature comparison
| BetterKeeper | Any.do | |
|---|---|---|
| Task management | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Built-in notes | ✓ Rich text notes on tasks & projects | ✗ Plain descriptions & checklist items only |
| Project management | ✓ Yes, with progress tracking | ✓ Lists & boards (premium WorkSpace) |
| Time tracking | ✓ Built-in timers per task | ✗ Focus Mode timer only, not per-task tracking |
| Native Apple app | ✓ SwiftUI + AppKit | ✗ Cross-platform app, web-based desktop |
| Data storage | Your iCloud only | Any.do servers |
| No account needed | ✓ Apple ID only | ✗ Any.do account required |
| Offline access | ✓ Full offline | Limited, requires sync to refresh |
| Home screen widgets | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Pricing | $4.99/mo or $29.99/yr | ~$5.99/mo or ~$34.99/yr (Premium); WorkSpace extra |
Where they really differ
Built in SwiftUI and AppKit — the same frameworks Apple uses for its own apps. Launches instantly, supports Siri shortcuts, deep widgets, swipe gestures, and Focus filters. It behaves exactly like you'd expect an Apple app to behave, on iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
Any.do is designed to work the same everywhere — Android, iPhone, web, and desktop. That cross-platform reach is its strength, but it means the experience is built around a shared cloud account rather than deep Apple-specific integrations, and there's no native Mac app.
Every task and project can have a full rich-text note attached — formatted text, lists, headings — and projects track real progress toward a deadline. Notes are part of the app, synced through iCloud alongside your tasks.
Any.do tasks support a description and checklist sub-items, and its premium WorkSpace adds Kanban-style boards for teams. But there's no rich-text formatting, and no project-level progress percentage the way BetterKeeper tracks it.
Everything lives in your personal iCloud account. BetterKeeper has no backend server — there is no BetterKeeper database, no company that could be breached, and no one who can read your tasks. Your data is yours, end of story.
Any.do stores your tasks on its own servers under an Any.do account, which is what makes cross-device and cross-platform sync possible. The trade-off is that your task data lives in a third-party cloud rather than your personal iCloud.
Every task has a built-in timer. Start working, tap start. Stop working, tap stop. Time rolls up to the project automatically — useful for freelancers who bill by the hour or anyone who wants a record of where their time went.
Any.do's Focus Mode is a Pomodoro-style timer for staying on task — great for concentration, but it doesn't log time against individual tasks or projects, so it can't double as a billing or reporting tool.
Which one is right for you?
You live on Apple devices and want one app that handles tasks, project notes, and time tracking without switching. Especially the right call for freelancers, consultants, and anyone who cares that their data stays in their own iCloud — not a third-party server.
Your household or team mixes Android, iPhone, and desktop, and you want a single planner with a Daily Planner view, Focus Mode, and shared task boards that work the same everywhere — without needing every device to be an Apple device.