Eight to-do apps for Apple devices let a single task carry two dates: the day the work is planned, and the date it is actually due. Things 3, Todoist, OmniFocus 4, Amazing Marvin, 2Do, GoodTask, Google Tasks, and Pinwork all document both. They differ in what the first date does to the task, whether a time can be attached, which plan includes the deadline, and whether both dates fit in one typed line. This page covers iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch, as each app’s own documentation described it in October 2026.
Why one date per task falls short
A deadline says when the work stops being acceptable. A work date says which day it gets done. A single date field can hold only one of them. Using it for the due date leaves the work day unplanned, and using it for the work day leaves the real cutoff out of the task. Two separate fields keep both visible. The deadline versus due date explainer covers the difference in more depth.
What to compare
- What the work date does. It can put the task in Today on that day, or also hide the task until then.
- What the deadline does. A countdown, a warning before the date, or an overdue state afterwards.
- Times. Some apps store days only. Others let either date carry a time.
- Typing. Whether one line of text can set both dates at once.
- Plan. Whether the deadline field costs extra.
The apps
Things 3: When and Deadline
Things 3 calls the work date When and the due date Deadline. A to-do whose When is today appears in Today, and a future When keeps it in Upcoming until that day. A Deadline shows how many days remain, then marks the to-do overdue. Both fields are days: a reminder can add an alert time to When, but neither date holds a time of day. Each date is set in its own picker. Both fields come with the one-time purchase, which is sold separately for Mac, iPhone, and iPad, and Things also runs on Apple Watch.
Todoist: Date and Deadline
Todoist keeps its familiar Date, which decides when a task shows in Today, and
adds a separate Deadline. When a deadline is within seven days, the task shows
how many days are left. Quick Add takes both at once, with the deadline in
braces: Report tomorrow {next Friday}. Deadline is part of the Pro and Business
plans; the free plan has the Date only. A deadline does not repeat, though a repeating Date
can sit beside one fixed deadline. Todoist has apps for iPhone, iPad, Mac, and
Apple Watch.
OmniFocus 4: Defer, Planned, and Due
OmniFocus 4 has three dates. Defer keeps a task out of views that show only available tasks until its defer date. Planned, added in version 4.7 in August 2025, records the day the work is intended and shows the task in Forecast on that day. Due is the cutoff, and a task moves to Due Soon and then Overdue as it passes. All three can carry a time of day, and all three are in the Standard edition. Turning on Planned dates requires a one-time database migration. OmniFocus runs on all four Apple platforms.
Amazing Marvin: do date and due date
Amazing Marvin schedules a task for a day, which places it in My Day on that
date, and gives it a separate due date, which lists mark with a flame icon (the
same icon marks a task flagged as urgent). A third field, Start Date, keeps a task on the Backburner until
it becomes available. Both main dates can be typed when the task is created:
+tomorrow schedules it and due friday sets the deadline. All of this is in
Marvin Pro, a subscription, with apps for iPhone and Apple Watch and a desktop
app for Mac.
2Do: Start Date and Due Date
2Do gives a task a Start Date and a Due Date, with an optional due time. By
default, a task with a future start date stays out of view until it starts, and
Today includes tasks that have started. On Mac, one typed line can carry both
dates, as in Essay begins Monday, due Friday. A repeating task keeps the gap
between its start and due dates. On iPhone and iPad, 2Do is a one-time purchase
for each; the Mac App Store version is a subscription, and a perpetual Mac
license is sold directly by its developer. 2Do also runs on Apple Watch.
GoodTask: Start Date and Due Date
GoodTask works on top of Apple Reminders and adds a Start Date once start dates are switched on in its settings. A start date needs a due date to go with it. A list whose filter includes start dates can then show the task from its start date to its due date. GoodTask is a one-time purchase, with iPhone and iPad sold together and Mac separately, and it runs on all four Apple platforms.
Google Tasks: start date and deadline
Google Tasks gives a task a start date and time, with the time planned for it, and a separate deadline that shows in the All day section of Google Calendar. It is free with a Google Account, with an app for iPhone and iPad; on Mac it is used on the web.
Pinwork: When and Deadline
Pinwork uses When for the planned day or time and Deadline for the real due
date. When decides where the task appears: Today on that day, Upcoming before
it, and Inbox or another unscheduled view when it has none. Both fields can
carry a time, and the Deadline picker defaults to End of Day, 11:59 PM. One
typed line sets both, because by, due, or deadline placed right before a
second date phrase creates the Deadline: Review pitch deck Friday at 2pm by next Monday at 5pm. Deadline warnings are separate from task reminders, with
their lead time chosen in Settings. A linked Apple Calendar event takes its
timing from When and can use the Deadline as an alarm. The When and Deadline
guide has the full picker and syntax list. Pinwork
runs on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch; plans are $4.99 a month or $34.99 a
year with a seven-day trial, or $79.99 once.
Side by side
| App | Work date | Deadline | Both in one typed line | Deadline included in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Things 3 | When | Deadline | Each date in its own picker | The one-time app purchase |
| Todoist | Date | Deadline | Yes, deadline in braces | Pro or Business plan |
| OmniFocus 4 | Defer, Planned | Due | Each date in its own field | Standard edition |
| Amazing Marvin | Scheduled do date | Due date | Yes, + and due | Marvin Pro |
| 2Do | Start Date | Due Date | Yes, on Mac | Every edition of the app |
| GoodTask | Start Date | Due Date | Not documented | The one-time app purchase |
| Google Tasks | Start date and time | Deadline | Not documented | Free |
| Pinwork | When | Deadline | Yes, by, due, or deadline | Every paid plan and the trial |
Other date models
Apple Reminders gives a reminder one date and time. An Early Reminder sends an alert ahead of it without adding a second date. Microsoft To Do has a due date and a reminder, and My Day gathers the tasks picked for today. TickTick’s nearest equivalent is a start and end range on a task, a Premium feature; its documentation describes that range rather than a work day plus a separate deadline.
Which one fits
- Days are enough, and a one-time price matters: Things 3.
- Already in Todoist on every device: Todoist Pro adds Deadline beside the Date.
- Tasks hidden until available, plus a planned day and times: OmniFocus 4.
- A daily plan built each morning, with typed shortcuts: Amazing Marvin.
- Tasks hidden until their start date, with a due time: 2Do.
- Apple Reminders stays the place tasks live: GoodTask.
- Free, with deadlines on Google Calendar: Google Tasks.
- Both dates and a time estimate in one typed line, with deadline warnings: Pinwork, on iPhone, iPad, and Mac, with an Apple Watch app as well.