# Principal Task vs To Do Machine

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: To Do Machine at none against Principal Task's 2. To Do Machine also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (8 vs 1). Principal Task's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.6). On price, rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Principal Task sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. To Do Machine asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Principal Task against 5.0 for To Do Machine. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: To Do Machine has 8 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Principal Task ships an update every 3 months, To Do Machine every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Principal Task | To Do Machine |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/principal-task/id1545072734/reviews) | [5.0 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/to-do-machine/id6770824708/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **8** |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 32 MB | 30 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, Mac |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Zechariah Schwenk](https://appshunter.io/developer/1545072736) | [Electric Lantern LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1059775537) |

## What reviewers say

### Principal Task

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/principal-task/id1545072734)

This app helps you manage tasks by tracking your completion rate against new tasks created. It offers a unique 'Task Velocity' score to show if you're keeping up with your workload. Organize with folders, contexts, and priorities, with advanced features available through a premium subscription.

**Highlights:** Task Velocity score, GTD-native structure, Due dates and repeating tasks, Markdown support, Kanban boards, Private templates

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $3.99 | per month |
| Annual Subscription | $29.99 | per year |


### To Do Machine

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/to-do-machine/id6770824708)

This productivity app allows users to fully customize their to-do list and workflow using natural language commands. It offers AI-powered task creation, project management, and calendar integration, syncing seamlessly across Mac and iOS devices.

**Highlights:** Natural language interface for customization, AI-powered task creation and triage, Multiple project views (list, kanban, calendar), Customizable statuses, fields, and automations, Two-way calendar sync (Apple/Google), Real-time sync across Mac and iOS

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Principal Task free?

Principal Task is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is To Do Machine free?

To Do Machine is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Principal Task or To Do Machine?

Principal Task and To Do Machine are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 8 ratings respectively.

### Do Principal Task or To Do Machine have ads?

Neither Principal Task nor To Do Machine shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Principal Task or To Do Machine?

Principal Task ships an update every 3 months, and To Do Machine every 2 weeks. Most recently, Principal Task was updated on October 1, 2026 and To Do Machine on October 2, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*