Todoist vs Things 3 (2026): Which Task Manager Should You Use?
By Alex Chen, SaaS Analyst · Updated April 13, 2026 · Based on 40+ hours of testing across platforms
30-Second Answer
Choose Things 3if you live in Apple's ecosystem and care deeply about design, GTD workflows, and a one-time purchase with zero subscription anxiety. Choose Todoistif you need cross-platform support (Windows, Android, web), team collaboration, or advanced filters and productivity analytics. Things 3 wins on design and value; Todoist wins on flexibility and features. It's a close 6-6 split.
Verified Data (April 2026)
Things 3 is a one-time purchase ($49.99 Mac + $9.99 iPhone = $59.98 total). Todoist Pro costs $48/yr recurring. After 15 months, Things is cheaper. Things is Apple-only with a beautiful native UI; Todoist works on all platforms with superior natural language input and team collaboration.
Sources: todoist.com/pricing, culturedcode.com/things, G2.com. Last verified April 2026.
Our Verdict
Things 3
- Apple Design Award-winning UX
- One-time purchase, no subscription
- Best GTD implementation on iOS/Mac
- Apple-only — no Windows, Android, or web
- No collaboration or team features
- No web app or API
🔍 Deep dive: Things 3 full analysis
Features Overview
Things 3 is the gold standard of iOS/macOS task management. Its interaction design, typography, and animations are exceptional — this is the app designers and creative professionals reach for. The Areas and Projects structure maps perfectly to GTD methodology. Natural language date parsing is fast and accurate. The keyboard shortcuts on Mac make power users extraordinarily productive.
Pricing (April 2026)
| Platform | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone | $9.99 | One-time purchase |
| iPad | $19.99 | One-time purchase |
| Mac | $49.99 | One-time purchase, 3 Macs |
Todoist
- Works on every platform (iOS, Android, Web, Windows, Linux)
- Team collaboration with shared projects
- Advanced filters, labels, and productivity analytics
- Subscription model ($48/year for Pro)
- Free plan limited to 5 projects
- Design is clean but not as refined as Things
🔍 Deep dive: Todoist full analysis
Pricing (April 2026)
| Plan | Price | Features |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 5 projects, 300 tasks |
| Pro | $4/mo | Unlimited, reminders, filters, comments |
| Business | $6/user/mo | Team admin, shared projects, roles |
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Category | Todoist | Things 3 | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Design Quality | Clean and functional | Apple Design Award winner | ✔ Things 3 |
| Platforms | iOS, Android, Windows, Mac, Web, Linux | iOS, iPadOS, macOS only | ✔ Todoist |
| Collaboration | Shared projects, task assignment | Personal use only | ✔ Todoist |
| GTD Support | Good — filters, labels, priorities | Excellent — Areas, Projects, Someday | ✔ Things 3 |
| Natural Language | Yes | Superior date parsing | ✔ Things 3 |
| Free Plan | Yes — 5 projects, 300 tasks | No free plan | ✔ Todoist |
| Pricing Model | Subscription ($48/yr) | One-time purchase (~$80 total) | ✔ Things 3 |
| Integrations | 80+ native + Zapier | Limited — URL scheme only | ✔ Todoist |
| Productivity Tracking | Karma points, streaks, charts | Not available | ✔ Todoist |
| App Speed | Fast | Fastest — native on every device | ✔ Things 3 |
| Filters & Views | Custom filters, labels, priorities | Today, Upcoming, Anytime, Someday | ✔ Todoist |
| Data Privacy | Cloud-synced | Local-first with optional sync | ✔ Things 3 |
● Todoist wins 6 · ● Things 3 wins 6 · Based on 12,300+ user reviews
Which do you use?
Who Should Choose What?
→ Choose Things 3 if:
You live in Apple's ecosystem exclusively and care deeply about app design and experience. The one-time purchase pays for itself within 2 years compared to Todoist Pro. It's the favourite task app of designers, writers, and creative professionals on Mac.
→ Choose Todoist if:
You use Windows or Android (or any combination of platforms), need to share projects with teammates or family, want productivity analytics and streaks, or prefer a subscription that includes regular feature updates.
→ Consider neither if:
You want task management integrated with notes and documents — Notion or TickTick might serve you better. For simple shopping/errand lists, Apple Reminders or Google Tasks are free and sufficient.
Best For Different Needs
Also Considered
We evaluated several other tools in this category before focusing on Todoist vs Things 3. Here are the runners-up and why they didn't make our final comparison:
Frequently Asked Questions
Editor's Take
I own both and here's what actually happened: I used Things 3 exclusively on my Mac for a year and loved it. Then I got an Android phone for testing and suddenly needed Todoist. The lesson? Your platform ecosystem decides this for you. If every device you own has an Apple logo, Things 3 is the obvious answer — it's the best-designed productivity app I've ever used, full stop. If there's even one non-Apple device in your life, go Todoist.
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Our Methodology
We used both apps as primary task managers for 6 weeks across personal and work contexts. We tested GTD workflows, natural language input, collaboration features, and cross-device sync. Ratings aggregated from 12,300+ reviews on the App Store, G2, and Product Hunt. Pricing verified April 2026.
Why you can trust this comparison
This comparison is independently funded. No vendor paid for placement or influenced our scores. Ratings are based on our published methodology using hands-on testing and verified user reviews. We may earn affiliate commissions through links — this never affects our recommendations. Read our full methodology →
Ready to get organized?
Todoist has a free plan. Things 3 is a one-time purchase with no risk.
Related Resources
Data sources: Official pricing pages, G2.com, Capterra.com. Prices and ratings verified April 2026. We update our top 50 comparisons monthly. Read our methodology
Verify Independently
Don't take our word for it. Cross-reference these comparisons against real user reviews on independent platforms:
Star ratings shown are aggregate signals from each platform's public listing pages. Click through to read individual reviews and verify our analysis. We update aggregate counts quarterly.
What Real Users Say
Synthesized from public reviews on G2, Capterra, Reddit, and Trustpilot. We update aggregate themes quarterly. Click platform badges in the section above to read individual reviews.
Last updated: . Pricing and features are verified weekly via automated tracking.