Diurnal and Apple Reminders
Reminders is a list that nudges you. It is on your iPhone, your Watch and your Mac already, and for groceries and “call the dentist at four” it is hard to beat. Diurnal is a page you write on: ⇧⌘A over any app, and every paragraph becomes a task.
The difference is upkeep. Reminders keeps what you missed in its Today list as overdue. Diurnal asks about a quiet task, then moves it to next week.
Side by side
| Diurnal | Reminders | |
|---|---|---|
| Write freely, and every paragraph becomes a task | ||
| Shows your whole day in the overlay | ||
| Two-way Google Calendar sync | ||
| Built-in Pomodoro timer | ||
| Comes installed with macOS | ||
| Works without any account | ||
| Shares a list with other people | ||
| Runs on iPhone and Apple Watch |
A page, not a list
Press ⇧⌘A over whatever you are in and write, or ⇧⌘L to speak it. Dates and tags are read as you type, and a task you stop touching asks about itself before it moves to next week.
Connect Google Calendar and your meetings sit beside the page. Type /cal to book an event, or edit one you already have, without opening a browser.
Where Reminders is the better answer
It is everywhere, and already installed. It is on the iPhone in your pocket, the Watch on your wrist and the Mac on your desk, it syncs through iCloud with no setup, and Siri adds to it hands free. Diurnal is a Mac app that requires an account, which is a real cost against an app you already have.
It also does things we do not: location reminders, shared lists a household can edit, and smart lists.
Which one suits you
Stay with Reminders if what you need is a list that follows you onto a phone and a Watch, or if you share lists with family. It is genuinely good at that and nothing here suggests replacing it.
Pick Diurnal if you would rather write than keep a list tidy, your calendar is Google, and you plan on a Mac.
Questions
- Why use Diurnal when Reminders comes with the Mac?
- For the upkeep. You write on a page instead of adding items, nothing needs a date, and quiet tasks tidy themselves away rather than waiting as overdue.
- Does Diurnal show my Google Calendar?
- Yes, both ways. Your meetings draw beside the page, and you can book, change or delete an event without a browser.
- Is Diurnal free?
- Yes, right now, with every feature included.
- Which platforms does Diurnal run on?
- Macs, today, on macOS 15 or later. Reminders is on every Apple device you own, which is a real advantage.
Other comparisons
Facts about Reminders were checked in . Software changes; if something here has gone out of date, it is a mistake rather than a position.