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Ensō vs Apple Reminders
Free and built into Apple devices versus a cross-platform suite.
Ensō is an offline-first personal productivity suite: todo, agenda, calendar, reading list, projects, notes, email, and history in one app. Apple Reminders is the free task app built into iPhone, iPad, and Mac, with deep Siri and Apple Watch integration.
| Ensō | Apple Reminders | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $8/month or $80/year after a 14-day free trial (no card). No free plan. | Free with Apple devices. |
| Platforms | Web, Windows, macOS, iPhone/iPad, Android. No Linux desktop app (Linux uses the web app). | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch. Other computers use iCloud.com in a browser. |
| Offline | Everything, on every device, including the web app: each device keeps a full local SQLite database. | Native Apple apps. |
| Sync | Included in Premium; every 15 seconds while online, one merge engine on every platform. | iCloud, free. |
| End-to-end encryption | Opt-in Vaults: lock chosen lists, calendars, projects, or notes folders end-to-end (the server holds only ciphertext). | With Advanced Data Protection turned on (opt-in), Reminders are end-to-end encrypted. |
| Tasks | Nested lists, groups, sections, subtasks, due dates, repeating tasks, tags, a daily Agenda. | Lists, sections, subtasks, tags, Smart Lists, location reminders, grocery lists that sort themselves. |
| Voice & ecosystem | None. | Siri, Apple Watch, and integration across Apple's apps. |
| Notes, calendar, projects | Built in: Notes, Calendar, Projects with a Gantt timeline, a reading list, and email. | Separate apps (Apple Notes, Calendar); no project planning. |
| Collaboration | None. Ensō is a personal app: no shared workspaces, lists, or guests. | Shared lists and assigned reminders. |
Apple Reminders details are from its own website and help pages as of September 2026. Spotted something out of date? Email contact@raintree.dev and we'll fix it.
Where Apple Reminders is the better choice
- You only use Apple devices and want something free that is already installed.
- You add tasks by voice with Siri, or rely on your Apple Watch and location reminders.
- You share grocery or household lists with family.
Where Ensō is the better choice
- You also use Windows or Android. Ensō has native apps there, plus a web app that works offline.
- You want tasks, notes, a calendar, project plans, and a reading list in one app, with one search.
- You want nested subtasks, repeating tasks, and a daily agenda that pulls everything together.
Switching from Apple Reminders
Ensō has no one-click importer for other apps yet. Notes accepts Markdown files (Import .md in the Notes sidebar), and tasks, events, and projects are entered by hand. Every account starts with a 14-day free trial, no card needed, so you can run both side by side first. See getting started and your data.