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Calendar & Time Management · head to head

Microsoft To Do vs Outlook Calendar

M

Microsoft To Do

Calendar & Time Management

Your personal task management app

From
Free
Rated
-
Outlook Calendar logo

Outlook Calendar

Calendar & Time Management

Professional calendar management for Microsoft 365

From
Free
Rated
-

The short version

  • They diverge on capability: Microsoft To Do covers My Day suggestions, Outlook Calendar covers Meeting scheduling.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Microsoft To Do and Outlook Calendar actually diverge.

Attributes where Microsoft To Do and Outlook Calendar differ
AttributeMicrosoft To DoOutlook Calendar
Pricing modelfreeUnknown
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Android, Windows, MacosWeb, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Calendar & Time Management), founded (1975).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Microsoft To Do

  • My Day suggestions
  • List sharing
  • Steps
  • Due dates
  • Reminders
  • Outlook
  • Microsoft 365
  • Cortana

Only in Outlook Calendar

  • Meeting scheduling
  • Shared calendars
  • Room booking
  • Availability sharing
  • Recurring events
  • OneDrive
  • SharePoint
  • Slack

Both cover

  • Microsoft Teams
  • Web support
  • Ios support
  • Android support
  • Windows support
  • Macos support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Microsoft To Do

  • Scheduling
  • Appointment booking
  • Time tracking
  • Resource management
  • Team coordination

Outlook Calendar

  • Scheduling
  • Appointment booking
  • Time tracking
  • Resource management
  • Team coordination

Both are used for scheduling, appointment booking, time tracking, resource management, team coordination, on those jobs the choice comes down to price and fit rather than capability.

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Microsoft To Do

Nothing recorded yet. See the Microsoft To Do review.

Outlook Calendar

  • Offline support limited to only past 30 days of events, older events unavailable
  • Shared calendars and group calendars not available offline
  • Cached Exchange Mode issues can limit available offline data
  • Occasional sync conflicts when coming back online

Pricing, plan by plan

Microsoft To Do

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Unlimited tasks
    • My Day
    • List sharing

Outlook Calendar

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Outlook.com email and calendar
    • 50MB attachment limit
    • 1GB cloud storage
  • Microsoft 365 Basic$19.99/year
    • Outlook with limited features
    • Cloud storage
  • Microsoft 365 Personal$99.99/year
    • Premium Outlook
    • Ad-free email
    • 100GB mailbox storage
  • Microsoft 365 Business Basic$6/month
    • Business-class email
    • 1TB cloud storage
    • Microsoft Teams

Which should you pick?

Choose Microsoft To Do if

  • You need my day suggestions.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Windows, Macos.
  • You also want list sharing.

Choose Outlook Calendar if

  • You need meeting scheduling.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android.
  • You also want shared calendars.

Questions people ask

Is Microsoft To Do or Outlook Calendar better?
Neither clearly leads. Microsoft To Do starts at Free and Outlook Calendar at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Microsoft To Do or Outlook Calendar?
Microsoft To Do starts at Free and Outlook Calendar at Free.
Does Microsoft To Do or Outlook Calendar run on more platforms?
Microsoft To Do runs on Web, Ios, Android, Windows, Macos. Outlook Calendar runs on Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android.
Can I use Microsoft To Do for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Microsoft To Do best used for?
Microsoft To Do is most often used for scheduling, appointment booking, time tracking, resource management.
What can Microsoft To Do do that Outlook Calendar cannot?
Microsoft To Do covers My Day suggestions, List sharing, Steps, Due dates. Outlook Calendar covers Meeting scheduling, Shared calendars, Room booking, Availability sharing. Both handle Microsoft Teams, Web support, Ios support, Android support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Outlook Calendar: Is Outlook Calendar free?

Outlook.com with calendar is free via a Microsoft account. Outlook Calendar also comes with Microsoft 365 Personal ($99.99/year), Family ($129.99/year), or Business plans starting at $6/user/month.

Source
Outlook Calendar: Does Outlook Calendar work offline?

Outlook Calendar has limited offline support. New Outlook caches only the past 30 days of calendar items. Shared calendars and group calendars are not supported offline. Changes sync when you reconnect.

Source
Outlook Calendar: What platforms does Outlook Calendar support?

Outlook Calendar is available on Windows (desktop and web), macOS (desktop and web), iOS, and Android. Real-time synchronization works across all devices.

Source
Outlook Calendar: Does Outlook Calendar integrate with Slack?

Yes. Outlook Calendar integrates with Slack to sync your status and receive meeting notifications. You can RSVP to invites directly in Slack and join Microsoft Teams meetings from Slack reminders.

Source
Outlook Calendar: Can you share calendars and set delegate permissions?

Yes. Outlook Calendar supports calendar sharing with delegate permissions, color categories for organization, and the Scheduling Assistant to view attendee availability for meeting times.

Source

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