{"id":188825,"date":"2025-12-10T15:09:59","date_gmt":"2025-12-10T14:09:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.itta.net\/?p=188825"},"modified":"2026-01-19T11:13:33","modified_gmt":"2026-01-19T10:13:33","slug":"microsoft-planner-vs-to-do-which-tool-should-you-use-to-manage-your-tasks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.itta.net\/en\/blog\/microsoft-planner-vs-to-do-which-tool-should-you-use-to-manage-your-tasks\/","title":{"rendered":"Microsoft Planner vs To Do: Which Tool Should You Use to Manage Your Tasks?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

With emails piling up, back-to-back meetings, and projects multiplying, managing tasks effectively<\/strong> is a real daily challenge for professionals in Switzerland. Microsoft offers two flagship tools to help organize work: Microsoft Planner<\/strong> and Microsoft To Do<\/strong>. But which one truly fits your needs? Both apps, integrated into Microsoft 365, can look similar at first glance. In practice, they serve very different use cases. Whether you work in an SME, manage projects in a multinational company in Zurich, or freelance from Lausanne, this guide will help you make the right choice. Explore the features, key differences, and best practices to optimize your task management<\/strong> in 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"introduction<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Table of contents:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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  1. What is Microsoft Planner?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. What is Microsoft To Do?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Comparison table: Planner vs To Do<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. How Planner and To Do work together<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Real-world use cases: which tool for which situation?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  6. Licensing for companies<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  7. Best practices to optimize usage<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

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    What is Microsoft Planner?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Before comparing the two solutions, it helps to clearly understand what each tool offers. Let\u2019s start with Microsoft Planner<\/strong>, Microsoft 365\u2019s collaborative project management solution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Definition and positioning of Microsoft Planner<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Microsoft Planner is a collaborative project management tool<\/strong> designed for teams. Launched in 2016, it helps teams plan, organize, and track task progress within a shared workspace. According to Microsoft Support<\/a>, Planner provides an intuitive visual interface based on the Kanban method, comparable to tools like Trello or Asana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The app is primarily aimed at project teams<\/strong>, managers, and department leads who need to coordinate work across multiple contributors. Microsoft Planner is particularly well-suited to team projects that require collaboration and coordination<\/strong>, especially when tasks are interconnected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Key features of Microsoft Planner<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Planner includes a set of features built for teamwork. Plans<\/strong> are the core element: each plan represents a project or initiative. Inside a plan, buckets<\/strong> help organize tasks by category, phase, or topic. For example, a marketing project might include buckets such as \u201cConcept,\u201d \u201cProduction,\u201d and \u201cDistribution.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    You can enrich each task<\/strong> with plenty of details: assignment to one or more members, due dates, priority level (urgent, important, medium, low), checklists for sub-tasks, attachments, and comments. Color labels<\/strong> make it easy to categorize tasks at a glance. Recurring tasks help avoid recreating the same structure for repeated workflows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    \"microsoft<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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    Available views<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    One of Planner\u2019s biggest strengths is its multiple views. The Board<\/strong> view displays the classic Kanban layout with tasks organized into columns. Grid<\/strong> view provides a detailed list format, ideal for thorough reviews. The Schedule<\/strong> (calendar) view helps visualize due dates over time. The Charts<\/strong> view offers progress dashboards to quickly spot late or completed tasks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    For more advanced needs (a Gantt-style Timeline<\/strong>, dependencies, sprints), Microsoft relies on Planner Premium<\/strong> (formerly Project for the Web), which requires a dedicated license, according to Microsoft Learn<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Native integration with Microsoft 365<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Planner becomes especially powerful thanks to its deep integration with the Microsoft ecosystem. Each plan is automatically linked to a Microsoft 365 Group<\/strong>, which provides access to a shared SharePoint space, a group mailbox, and a OneNote notebook. Integration with Microsoft Teams<\/strong> lets you add a Planner tab directly in team channels for centralized access.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Automation with Power Automate<\/strong> also unlocks many options, such as creating tasks automatically from emails or forms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    \"diff\u00e9rentes<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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    What is Microsoft To Do?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Now let\u2019s look at Microsoft To Do<\/strong>, the personal task management app known for its simplicity and daily usefulness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Definition and positioning of Microsoft To Do<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Microsoft To Do is an individual task management app<\/strong> that evolved from Wunderlist, acquired by Microsoft in 2015. Unlike Planner, it focuses on personal productivity<\/strong> rather than team collaboration. According to Futura Sciences<\/a>, \u201cMicrosoft To Do has established itself as a must-have tool for planning and managing tasks, whether in a personal or professional context.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The app is completely free<\/strong> and available across platforms: Windows, iOS, Android, and web. It\u2019s aimed at employees who want to organize their day, students, freelancers, or anyone looking for a simple way to make sure nothing slips through the cracks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Essential features of Microsoft To Do<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    To Do offers features centered on individual organization. Custom task lists<\/strong> make it easy to group activities by theme, project, or area of life. Each task can include a due date, a reminder, notes, and even attachments up to 25 MB. Steps<\/strong> (sub-tasks) help break complex actions into smaller, manageable items.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The recurring tasks<\/strong> feature is especially useful for routines and habits. According to Le Blog du Mod\u00e9rateur<\/a>, \u201ctasks reset every day in My Day, and To Do provides smart suggestions for tasks to do today.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    The \u201cMy Day\u201d feature: the heart of To Do<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    To Do\u2019s real strength lies in its \u201cMy Day\u201d<\/strong> feature. This personalized daily planner helps you prioritize what matters most today. Each morning, you start with a blank list and can manually add key priorities or rely on smart suggestions<\/strong> based on overdue and upcoming tasks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    According to Microsoft Support<\/a>, \u201call tasks entered in the My Day view are also saved in your task list. Anything you can\u2019t finish today will be saved and suggested again tomorrow.\u201d This approach encourages effective daily planning without mental overload.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Integration with the Microsoft ecosystem<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    To Do integrates seamlessly with Outlook<\/strong>. Tasks created in Outlook automatically appear in To Do, and vice versa. Flagged emails become tasks in the \u201cFlagged email\u201d list. This two-way sync helps centralize all action items without switching between apps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Tasks assigned to you in Planner are automatically synced into To Do as well, so you can view both personal tasks and team assignments from a single interface.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    \"synchroniser<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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    Comparison table: Planner vs To Do<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    To make things clearer, here\u2019s a direct comparison of both tools based on the most important criteria. This table helps you quickly identify which solution best matches each need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Criteria<\/th>Microsoft Planner<\/th>Microsoft To Do<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
    Main use<\/strong><\/td>Team project management<\/td>Personal task management<\/td><\/tr>
    Collaboration<\/strong><\/td>Native and comprehensive<\/td>Limited (shared lists)<\/td><\/tr>
    Kanban view<\/strong><\/td>Yes (core feature)<\/td>No<\/td><\/tr>
    Task assignment<\/strong><\/td>To multiple members<\/td>Basic<\/td><\/tr>
    Progress charts<\/strong><\/td>Yes<\/td>No<\/td><\/tr>
    My Day feature<\/strong><\/td>Via the unified Teams app<\/td>Core feature<\/td><\/tr>
    Outlook integration<\/strong><\/td>Calendar<\/td>Tasks and emails<\/td><\/tr>
    Mobile app<\/strong><\/td>Yes<\/td>Yes<\/td><\/tr>
    Included with Microsoft 365<\/strong><\/td>Yes<\/td>Yes (free even without M365)<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Microsoft Planner stands out thanks to its native integrations and team-friendly experience, while To Do shines through its simplicity for daily work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    How Planner and To Do work together<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Good news: you don\u2019t have to make a permanent choice between the two tools. Microsoft designed these apps to work together<\/strong>, not against each other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Automatic task synchronization<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    When a Planner task is assigned to a user, it automatically appears in To Do in the \u201cAssigned to me\u201d<\/strong> list. This sync helps centralize personal tasks, whether they come from team projects or individual initiatives, in one place. Changes made in either app are reflected across the other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    According to Microsoft Support<\/a>, \u201cthe best part is that you can use To Do and Planner together so they complement each other. In To Do, select Assigned to you to view tasks assigned to you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The unified Planner app in Teams (2024\u20132025)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    In 2024, Microsoft rolled out a major overhaul by unifying the task management experience<\/strong>. The former \u201cTasks by Planner and To Do\u201d app was renamed simply \u201cPlanner\u201d in Teams. This new version centralizes individual tasks (To Do), team plans (Planner), and, depending on licensing, advanced capabilities associated with Planner Premium<\/strong> (formerly Project for the Web).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    With the new Planner, Microsoft brings three approaches into one tool<\/strong>: To Do\u2019s simplicity for everyday work, Planner\u2019s collaboration for teams, and Planner Premium\u2019s power for complex projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n