# Best Notion To-Do List Widgets in 2026 (Live Previews) > The best Notion to-do list widgets in 2026. A small checklist that sits on your dashboard without a database behind it, embedded in one paste. Live previews, setup steps, and when a Notion database is the better answer. Source: https://widgetsfornotion.com/blog/notion-todo-list-widget Updated: 2026-08-02T00:00:00.000Z --- Notion already has checkboxes, so a to-do list widget sounds redundant until you have tried keeping a short daily list in a Notion database. The database wants properties, a view, and a filter. What you wanted was five things you have to do today, sitting in the corner of your dashboard, gone tomorrow. That is the gap these widgets fill. This guide covers the Notion to-do list widgets we make, with **live previews** you can type into right now, plus how to embed one and the honest case for using a Notion database instead. > **Key Takeaways** > - A to-do list widget embeds with one URL and needs no database, no properties, and no view setup. > - Your list saves in the browser you added it from, so it persists between visits but does not sync across devices. > - If you need due dates, filtering, or shared tasks, a Notion database is the better tool. See [when to use a database instead](#when-a-notion-database-is-the-better-answer). --- ## What is a Notion to-do list widget? A Notion to-do list widget is a small embeddable checklist that lives on your page. You paste its link into Notion's `/embed` block, type a task, and check it off when it is done. There is no database behind it, no properties to configure, and nothing to set up beyond pasting the link. The trade-off is deliberate. It holds a short list and keeps it out of the way, which is exactly what a Notion database is bad at doing without work. It does not hold a project. ## How to add a to-do list to Notion 1. Copy the widget's embed link (each list below has a copy button). 2. In Notion, type `/embed` and press Enter. 3. Paste the link and choose **Embed link**. 4. Drag the block's edge to size it, then start adding tasks. Same flow as [any other Notion embed](/blog/how-to-add-widgets-to-notion), documented by Notion under [embed and connect other apps](https://www.notion.com/help/embed-and-connect-other-apps). ## The best Notion to-do list widgets in 2026 Three styles. They share the same core behaviour, with one difference worth reading past the colours for: only the pink one can clear the whole list in a single click. --- ### 1. Sleek Blue Todo List, best for work dashboards Add items, mark them complete, remove them, all without leaving the page. It stays small and unobtrusive by design, which is the whole point compared to a full database view. Your list saves automatically between visits. **Live preview: [Sleek Blue Todo List](https://widgetsfornotion.com/widgets/sleek-blue-todo-list)** — interactive on the page. Best used on: work dashboards, project pages, daily planning hubs. **Recommended block size:** narrow and tall. A list reads better in a column than stretched across the page. --- ### 2. Soft Pink Todo List, best for aesthetic setups Today's tasks in a frosted-glass card. Type a task and hit add, check items off with a heart-pink circle, delete individual items, or reset the whole list in one go. That reset button is the useful difference: it is built for a list you clear daily rather than one you maintain. It follows your light or dark theme and belongs to the [Soft Pink collection](/collections/soft-pink). **Live preview: [Soft Pink Todo List](https://widgetsfornotion.com/widgets/soft-pink-todo-list)** — interactive on the page. Best used on: study dashboards, personal planners, journaling pages. **Recommended block size:** narrow and tall, with a little padding so the card does not touch the block edge. --- ### 3. Retro Style Todo List, best for retro and dark workspaces The same lightweight list with arcade-style controls and a pixel-art frame. Add, check off, and remove items, with everything saved automatically between visits and no database setup. It uses a fixed retro palette rather than following your theme. It belongs to the [Retro Style collection](/collections/retro-style). **Live preview: [Retro Style Todo List](https://widgetsfornotion.com/widgets/retro-style-todo-list)** — interactive on the page. Best used on: retro dashboards, developer workspaces, 8-bit themed setups. **Recommended block size:** narrow and tall, with extra height for the pixel frame. --- ## Quick comparison | Widget | Style | Notable | Follows your Notion theme | |---|---|---|---| | [Sleek Blue Todo List](/widgets/sleek-blue-todo-list) | Clean, minimal | Stays visually quiet on a busy page | No, fixed palette | | [Soft Pink Todo List](/widgets/soft-pink-todo-list) | Frosted pink | Reset-all button for daily lists | Yes, light and dark | | [Retro Style Todo List](/widgets/retro-style-todo-list) | Pixel-art retro | Arcade controls | No, fixed retro palette | All three: add, complete, and delete tasks, saved between visits, free, one paste to embed. ## Where your tasks are actually stored Before you put a week of work into one of these lists, know where the tasks live. They are saved locally, in the browser you added them from. That means the list survives closing the page and coming back, which is what most people are asking for. It also means it does not follow you. Open the same Notion page on a different computer and you get an empty list, because the tasks were never on a server. Same on your phone. Clearing your browser data clears the list too. For a daily list you rewrite anyway, none of that matters. For anything you would be upset to lose, it matters a lot, which leads to the next section. ## When a Notion database is the better answer A widget is the wrong tool the moment dates enter the picture. It has no concept of one, so it cannot remind you of anything, while a Notion database can. The same goes for anything shared: a teammate opening your page gets their own empty list rather than yours. And because the tasks live in one browser, anything you need on both a laptop and a phone belongs in a database instead. Sorting and filtering fall on the same side. The widget shows one flat list in the order you typed things, and that is all it will ever show. Use the widget when the list is short, personal, and disposable. Use a database when it is none of those. Plenty of dashboards run both: a database for the project, a widget for today. ## Free Notion to-do list widgets: how these compare All three are free to embed, with no account and no cap on how often the widget loads. Check that before committing a dashboard elsewhere: a common pattern in this space is a free tier that quietly counts views and then asks you to upgrade once the widget is actually being used. See all three on the [to-do list widget hub](/widgets/types/todo-list), or browse the [full free widget catalog](/widgets). If what you are really tracking is a repeating routine rather than one-off tasks, the [habit tracker widgets](/blog/notion-habit-tracker) handle streaks and daily completion properly. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How do I add a to-do list widget to Notion? Copy the widget's embed link, type `/embed` on your Notion page, paste it, and choose **Embed link**. You can start typing tasks straight away. There is no account step and no database to create. ### Do my tasks sync across devices? No. Tasks are saved in the browser you added them from, so opening the same page on another device or phone shows an empty list. For tasks you need everywhere, use a Notion database instead. ### Will I lose my tasks if I clear my browser? Yes. The list is stored in your browser's local storage, so clearing site data clears the list. Treat these as daily lists rather than a permanent record. ### Why use a widget when Notion has checkboxes? Speed and quietness. A Notion database checklist needs a database, a view, and usually a filter before it is useful. A widget is one paste and holds a short list without adding structure to your page. ### Can my team see the same list? No. Each person who opens the page sees their own list stored in their own browser. Shared task lists need a Notion database. ### Are these Notion to-do list widgets free? Yes. All three are free to embed with no account and no view cap. Free embeds carry a small Widgets For Notion attribution.