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The Apple Reminders alternative for when lists aren't enough
Done Bear is the Apple Reminders alternative for people who've outgrown lists. It adds real GTD structure (Inbox, Today, Upcoming, Anytime, Someday), Windows and web apps, real-time team workspaces, and CLI and MCP automation, while staying local-first fast. Free to start.
Done Bear vs Apple Reminders at a glance
Done Bear
Apple Reminders
Done Bear
Apple Reminders
GTD structure
Platforms
Offline speed
Collaboration
CLI / API / MCP
Pricing
Why people switch from Apple Reminders
Lists stop scaling; systems don't
Reminders gives you lists; GTD needs a system. In Done Bear, capture lands in the Inbox, Today is a deliberate choice, and Someday holds ideas without guilt: structure Reminders can't express without hacks.
Leave the walled garden without losing speed
Your tasks shouldn't require an Apple device. Done Bear runs fully in the browser and ships native Windows and Linux apps, so a work PC no longer cuts you off from your system.
Automation beyond Shortcuts
Reminders automation tops out at Siri and Shortcuts. Done Bear has a CLI, a GraphQL API, and a hosted MCP server, so scripts and AI assistants like Claude can capture and triage for you.
Who should stay on Apple Reminders
If your needs are light (groceries, a few dated reminders, Siri capture from your wrist), Apple Reminders is excellent and free, and switching would be overkill. Done Bear is for the moment your lists turn into a workload that needs a system.
Moving from Apple Reminders
Most Reminders setups move in one sitting: create a project per list, then re-enter the tasks that still matter. Treat it as a review rather than a copy; half of an old Reminders list is usually done or dead.