5 Best Date Reminder Apps for iPhone in 2025 (Tested & Compared)
Choosing the right date reminder app can be the difference between never missing an important event and constantly scrambling at the last minute. We tested five popular options on iPhone to help you find the best fit.
Quick Comparison Table
| App | Date-Based Alarm | Recurring Events | Free Version | Alarm-Style Alerts | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DateAlarm | Yes | Yes | Yes (with limits) | Yes | 4.8/5 |
| Apple Reminders | Partial | Yes | Free | No | 3.5/5 |
| Todoist | No | Yes | Yes | No | 4.0/5 |
| Microsoft To Do | No | Yes | Free | No | 3.8/5 |
| Due | No | Yes | $7.99 | Nagging alerts | 4.2/5 |
1. DateAlarm — Best for Important Future Dates
Price: Free with optional premium
DateAlarm stands out because it does one thing exceptionally well: setting alarm-style alerts for specific future dates. Unlike most reminder apps that send easily-dismissed notifications, DateAlarm delivers persistent alerts similar to the iPhone's native alarm — the kind you physically cannot ignore.
What we liked:
- Set alarms for any date in the future (not limited to today or this week)
- Alarm-style alerts that ring until dismissed — no silent notifications
- Clean timeline view of all upcoming date alarms
- Fast setup: pick a date, set a time, done
What could be better:
- No collaboration features for shared events
- Limited to iOS platform
Best for: People who need to guarantee they won't miss critical one-time dates — visa deadlines, exam dates, important appointments.
2. Apple Reminders — Best Free Built-In Option
Price: Free (pre-installed)
Apple's built-in Reminders app is convenient because it's already on your iPhone. It handles basic date-based reminders and integrates well with Siri ("Hey Siri, remind me to call the dentist on March 15th").
What we liked:
- Zero setup required — already on every iPhone
- Siri integration for quick voice input
- Shared lists for family reminders
- Location-based triggers
What could be better:
- Notifications are quiet and easy to miss or dismiss
- No alarm-style persistence for critical dates
- Cluttered when managing dozens of reminders
- No visual timeline for upcoming dates
Best for: Low-stakes reminders like grocery lists or casual to-dos with dates attached.
3. Todoist — Best for Task Management with Dates
Price: Free basic / $4/month Pro
Todoist is primarily a task manager, but it includes date scheduling. It excels at organizing complex projects with deadlines rather than standalone date reminders.
What we liked:
- Powerful natural language input ("Submit report every Friday")
- Project-based organization with priorities
- Cross-platform sync (iOS, Android, Web, Mac)
- Extensive integration with other productivity apps
What could be better:
- Notifications are standard push notifications — not alarm-style
- Designed for task management, not specifically for date alerts
- Advanced features require a paid subscription
- Overkill if you just need date reminders
Best for: Productivity power users who want date tracking as part of a larger project management workflow.
4. Microsoft To Do — Best Free Cross-Platform Option
Price: Free
Microsoft To Do (the successor to Wunderlist) provides a clean, free task manager with date reminders. Its strongest feature is deep integration with the Microsoft ecosystem.
What we liked:
- Completely free with no feature gates
- Syncs with Microsoft Outlook and Teams
- "My Day" planning feature helps prioritize
- Shared lists for family or team use
What could be better:
- Reminder notifications are subtle and easy to miss
- No specialized date alarm functionality
- Recurring reminders can be buggy
- Less polished iOS experience compared to native apps
Best for: Users already in the Microsoft ecosystem who want a free, cross-platform option.
5. Due — Best for Nagging Reminders
Price: $7.99 (one-time)
Due takes a unique approach: if you don't acknowledge a reminder, it will keep nagging you at set intervals. This "auto-snooze" feature makes it harder to forget things.
What we liked:
- Persistent nagging until you complete or reschedule
- Quick reschedule with one tap (1 hour, 1 day, etc.)
- Timers included for cooking, workouts, etc.
- One-time purchase, no subscription
What could be better:
- Cannot set reminders for specific future dates more than a few days out easily
- No calendar integration
- Dated UI design
- Nagging can become annoying for non-urgent reminders
Best for: People who need persistent nudging for daily tasks and short-term reminders.
How We Tested
We evaluated each app over 4 weeks using the same set of test scenarios:
- Setting a reminder for 30 days in the future — Can the app reliably alert you for a date a month away?
- Alert prominence — Would you notice the alert if your phone was across the room?
- Recurring annual events — Can it handle birthdays and anniversaries that repeat yearly?
- Setup speed — How quickly can you create a new date reminder from opening the app?
- Reliability — Did every scheduled alert actually fire on time?
The Verdict
There's no single "best" app — it depends on what you need:
- For critical dates you absolutely cannot miss (deadlines, visa renewals, important appointments): DateAlarm is the clear winner. Its alarm-style alerts ensure you'll notice, even if your phone is in another room.
- For everyday task management with dates: Todoist or Microsoft To Do depending on your ecosystem preference.
- For a free, no-install option: Apple Reminders does the basics.
- For persistent nagging on daily tasks: Due is uniquely effective.
The reality is that most people benefit from using two apps: a general task manager for daily to-dos, and a dedicated date alarm app like DateAlarm for the dates where failure isn't an option.
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