SmallTask has a clean, minimalist interface that’s designed to look like a notepad. There are only two buttons: one for creating new tasks and the other for setting up Dropbox sync. Tasks created in the app can be given a due date and time: Reminders for tasks that are due can be delivered by both the iOS app (via push notifications) and the Mac app (only while it is running). Tasks in the list can be edited by clicking or tapping them.

I’ve tested the apps, and the Dropbox sync works very well. But even though I’m normally a fan of minimalist apps, I find SmallTask a little too basic for my needs. There’s no feature for marking which tasks have been completed (you can only delete them), nor can you set up tasks that don’t have a due date or time associated with them. Additionally, there’s no support for more-advanced task management functionality such as tags, additional task lists or projects. It doesn’t have a search feature, which means it probably won’t be much good for users with lengthy task lists, and it almost certainly won’t be suitable for use in a GTD-style system. However, if you’re a Mac/iOS user and all you need is a very simple task list you can access anywhere, then SmallTask is worth a look. The Dropbox sync means that, unlike web-based task management apps like Google Tasks, your to-do list should always be available, even if you don’t have an active Internet connection; tasks will simply be synced next time you get online.

SmallTask is free for both Mac and iOS. The synchronization feature requires a Dropbox account; a 2 GB account is free.

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