BetterKeeper vs GoodTask: two native iOS task managers, very different approaches
BetterKeeper
A standalone native Apple task manager with its own data layer, projects, rich-text notes, time tracking, and iCloud collaboration — no dependency on Apple Reminders.
GoodTask
A powerful Reminders and Calendar front-end that adds smart lists, quick actions, and board views on top of Apple's built-in data. A deep customization layer for people who already live in Reminders.
Feature comparison
| BetterKeeper | GoodTask | |
|---|---|---|
| Data source | Own data layer (CloudKit) | Apple Reminders & Calendar |
| Projects with progress | ✓ Yes, deadlines & % complete | ✗ Lists from Reminders, no progress % |
| Built-in notes | ✓ Rich text notes on tasks & projects | ✗ Reminders' plain notes field only |
| Time tracking | ✓ Built-in timers per task | ✗ No |
| Smart Today View | ✓ Auto-sorted sections | ✓ Customisable smart lists |
| Board / Kanban view | ✗ List-based | ✓ Board view available |
| Quick actions & text snippets | Templates (one-tap task sets) | ✓ Text snippets & quick actions |
| iCloud collaboration | ✓ Share projects + built-in chat | Uses Reminders' shared lists |
| Home screen widgets | ✓ 4 widgets, 3 sizes each | ✓ Multiple widget options |
| Pricing | $4.99/mo or $29.99/yr | $39.99 one-time (or subscription) |
Where they really differ
BetterKeeper has its own data layer built on CloudKit. That means it can offer features Apple Reminders can't — project progress tracking, rich-text notes, per-task time tracking, and a built-in project chat. Your data isn't limited by what Reminders supports.
GoodTask reads and writes directly to Apple Reminders and Calendar. The upside: your tasks stay in Reminders, accessible from any Reminders-compatible app or Siri. The downside: GoodTask can only do what Reminders' data model allows — no project progress bars, no rich notes, no time tracking.
Projects group related tasks with a deadline, progress percentage, and linked rich-text notes. It's a real project management layer — you can see how close you are to done at a glance, attach meeting notes or briefs, and share the whole thing with collaborators.
GoodTask's power is in smart lists — custom filters that pull tasks from Reminders by tag, date, list, or keyword. It's incredibly flexible for slicing your existing Reminders data different ways, but it doesn't add project-level structure or notes on top of what Reminders already stores.
BetterKeeper is opinionated — the Today view auto-sorts for you, projects track progress automatically, and there's very little to configure. You trade customisation for a system that works out of the box, which suits people who want to spend less time setting up and more time doing.
GoodTask is a power-user playground. Smart lists, text snippets, quick actions, custom sort rules, and board views let you build exactly the workflow you want. That depth is its biggest strength — and its biggest learning curve. If you enjoy configuring your tools, GoodTask rewards the investment.
Share a full project via iCloud — the other person sees tasks, progress, and can chat with you in a built-in channel. It's more than a shared list: it's a shared workspace with context, notes, and real-time updates.
GoodTask inherits Reminders' sharing — you can share a Reminders list and both people see tasks. But there's no project-level progress, no attached notes beyond Reminders' basic field, and no in-app chat. Collaboration is limited to what Apple Reminders supports.
Which one is right for you?
You want a complete, standalone task manager with projects, rich notes, time tracking, and collaboration built in — one that works immediately without configuring smart lists or learning a customisation system. Especially if you've outgrown Apple Reminders and want more structure, not just a better view of the same data.
You're already invested in Apple Reminders and Calendar and want a more powerful interface on top of that data — custom smart lists, board views, text snippets, and deep sort/filter options. If staying inside the Reminders ecosystem matters more than features Reminders can't support, GoodTask is excellent.