Comparison

Mindlist vs Bento

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Mindlist

This app helps you manage your daily schedule and tasks with a minimalist interface. It offers features like reminders, calendar visualization, and customizable task lists to boost productivity without distractions.

Highlights
  • No ads
  • Customizable task lists
  • Reminders for appointments
  • Calendar visualization
  • Simple and fast task entry
  • Dark mode
Read full description

Mindlist is a simple, beautiful, and powerful to-do list app designed to help you stay focused, organized, and in control of your day. Plan your tasks, manage your schedule, create checklists, set reminders, and organize everything that matters — without unnecessary complexity. Whether you are managing work, study, errands, personal goals, chores, or daily routines, Mindlist gives you a calm and minimal space to keep everything clear. No complicated setup. No clutter. No ads. Just your tasks, your plans, and a simple way to get things done. Mindlist is built for everyday productivity. Add a task in seconds, set a date, create a reminder, organize your lists, and see what needs your attention. The app is fast, intuitive, and easy to use from the first launch. KEY FEATURES • Minimalist design A clean, distraction-free interface that helps you focus on what matters. • iCloud sync Keep your tasks, lists, reminders, and plans in sync across iPhone, iPad, and Mac. • No ads Stay focused without distractions, pop-ups, or intrusive advertising. • Smart reminders Never miss important tasks, meetings, appointments, deadlines, or daily routines. • Calendar planning View your schedule clearly and plan your day, week, and upcoming tasks with ease. Recurring tasks are now shown directly in Calendar, so your routines are easier to see and manage. • Recurring tasks Create repeating tasks for habits, routines, chores, bills, workouts, study sessions, and more. Set an end date for recurring tasks when a routine or plan should not repeat forever. • Custom task lists Personalize your lists with colors, icons, and display options that match the way you work. • Simple and fast task creation Quickly add tasks, set dates, enable reminders, and organize your plan in just a few taps. • Organized lists Drag, reorder, and arrange your lists so everything stays exactly where you need it. Mindlist is perfect for: • Daily to-do lists • Work tasks • Study and homework planning • Personal goals • Shopping lists • Chores and home organization • Habit tracking • Appointments and deadlines • Simple project planning • Family and personal routines Mindlist is free to use, with optional Premium features available for users who want to unlock even more functionality. Premium is a one-time purchase, giving you lifetime access to all premium features. Download Mindlist today and turn your plans into progress — one task at a time.

About

Bento

This app offers a calm focus timer designed to enhance productivity for work and study. It utilizes Japanese-inspired themes and a distraction-free interface to help users achieve deep work states, manage tasks, and improve focus patterns with insightful analytics.

Highlights
  • Aesthetic Japanese focus scenes
  • Task limitation for reduced overload
  • Deep focus mode to block distractions
  • Customizable daily routines
  • Focus score and analytics
  • Focus booster for momentum
Features
Read full description

Stop getting overwhelmed with long to-do lists. Used by 50,000+ productivity enthusiasts. Bento is not a to-do list app. It's a focus companion. We believe in doing less, and finishing more. Using the calming Japanese themes, stay focused and get things done by packing your focus box. Your focus box is limited to up to 3 tasks. The goal is getting the right things done, not everything. Popular with ADHD, everyday users struggling with to-do list apps and overwhelmed individuals who need better focus. Start your first focus timer today! Bento Features - Aesthetic Timer: Our Japanese focus scenes are designed for calm and minimalism. - Focused Productivity: Limit your focus to up to 3 tasks to help reduce overload and burnout. - Deep Focus Mode: Block distractions, enter deep work states and stay focused with intention. - Custom Routines: Start a daily custom routine from your morning routine to deep focus start. - Focus Booster: Build momentum with your focus & stay engaged as you work. ADHD is one of our most popular use cases. Helping you to beat task paralysis, support better focus & deep work. Use Cases - Study Timer: Perfect for revision and exam preparation. The ultimate timer for study. - Work Timer: Enter flow states at work by embracing the focus box, focus score & scenes. - Reducing Burnout: Stop overwhelm by using a calm, low stimulation timer like Bento Focus. - Neurodiverse Focus: This focus timer is ADHD friendly and popular with the neurodivergent community. - Pomodoro Lovers: Bento focuses works as a pomodoro timer for entering cycles of focus. Plus focus badges, app icons, new themes released monthly, focus achievements and unique Japanese focus scenes. Bento is for everyone who wants to stay focused and reduce distractions. FREE TRIAL & PRICING Start a free trial for Premium for full features. Free version includes: 1 theme, timer mode. Auto-renewal can be canceled anytime via Apple settings. PRIVACY & TERMS: https://www.bentofocus.com/privacy https://www.bentofocus.com/terms SEND US FEEDBACK: https://www.bentofocus.com/feedback

Screenshots

Mindlist4 screens
Bento4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Mindlist at 4.7 against Bento's 4.1. Mindlist also leads on review sentiment (76% vs 54%) and ratings volume (1.6K vs 339). Bento's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs fortnightly) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Mindlist sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Bento sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Mindlist holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.6K and 339 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 76% of Mindlist's written reviews are positive against 54% of Bento's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Mindlist ships an update fortnightly, Bento weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Mindlist versus Bento: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMindlistBento
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (1.6K ratings) — better4.1 (339 ratings)
Positive reviews76.4% of reviews — better53.8% of reviews
Number of ratings1.6K — better339
Update frequencyFortnightlyWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, MaciPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS17.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size25 MB117 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNova OceanKeep Productive Ltd

Customer experience

Mindlist

All ratings1,618 ratings
Positive93.3%
Neutral3.1%
Negative3.6%
Written reviews296 reviews
Positive76.4%
Neutral10.1%
Negative13.5%

Bento

All ratings326 ratings
Positive75.5%
Neutral7.4%
Negative17.2%
Written reviews119 reviews
Positive53.8%
Neutral14.3%
Negative31.9%

User reviews

Mindlist

From 1.6K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Simple and easy to use
  • 👍 Useful with friendly design
  • 👍 Clear and simple way to make to-do lists
  • 👍 Customizable
  • 👍 Syncs across devices

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Issues with tasks disappearing or not being saved
  • 🐛 Bugs with repeating tasks and calendar integration
  • 🔒 Concerns about data storage and syncing
  • 🔒 Lack of account/login system
  • 🔒 Limited customization options in free version

Bento

From 339 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Helps focus on important tasks
  • 🎨 Beautiful and calming design
  • 🕰️ Useful Pomodoro-style timer
  • 📚 Bento methodology is insightful
  • 👍 Simple and easy to use

Room to improve

  • 🐛 App freezes and crashes frequently
  • 🔋 Drains battery quickly
  • 💰 Paid app now requires subscription
  • 🔇 Limited music/sound options
  • 🤔 Confusing or unintuitive UI

Bugs and requests

Mindlist

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Tasks disappearing or not being saved
  • Repeating tasks not functioning properly
  • Calendar integration issues
  • Syncing problems between devices
  • Unexpected app behavior after updates

Requested features

10 requests
  • Add shortcuts for Mac version
  • Implement subtasks and task filtering
  • Improve calendar integration and timeline view
  • Add ability to move tasks between lists
  • Implement Apple Watch support
Show 5 more
  • Provide more customization options
  • Add Siri integration
  • Improve syncing between devices
  • Implement automatic task reminders
  • Add ability to create recurring tasks with flexible schedules

Bento

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Titles randomly deleted
  • Timer stops working unexpectedly
  • Switching themes doesn't work
  • Accessibility issues

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add more music/sound options
  • Implement a widget for quick access
  • Allow customization of Bento templates
  • Sync tasks across devices
  • Add an Apple Watch app

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Mindlist

One-time1
  • Buy Premium$5.99
4 purchases

Bento

Subscriptions4
  • Bento Premium - Monthly3 Days trial$1.991 Month
  • Bento Premium - Annually1 Year trial$9.991 Year
  • Bento Premium - Quarterly7 Days trial$12.993 Months
Show 1 more
  • Bento Premium - Semiannual7 Days trial$19.996 Months

Questions

Is Mindlist free?
Mindlist is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Bento free?
Bento is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Mindlist or Bento?
Mindlist is rated higher. Mindlist averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.6K ratings, while Bento averages 4.1 from 339 ratings.
Do Mindlist or Bento have ads?
Neither Mindlist nor Bento shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Mindlist or Bento?
Mindlist ships an update fortnightly, and Bento weekly. Most recently, Mindlist was updated on October 29, 2026 and Bento on October 27, 2026.

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