📑 Table of Contents
📊 Core Parameters Comparison Real-World Testing Who Should Choose Which? 🏆 Final Verdict📊 Core Parameters Comparison
| Feature | Todoist | Things 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Platform | iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, Web, Linux (browser) | iOS, macOS, iPadOS (Apple only) |
| Pricing Model | Subscription ($5/mo Pro, $8/mo Business) | One-time purchase ($10 iPhone, $20 iPad, $50 Mac) |
| Total Cost (3 years) | $180 (Pro) | $80 (all platforms; Things 4 upgrade may add cost) |
| Natural Language Input | Best-in-class ("Meeting tomorrow at 3pm #work p1") | Good but limited (no auto-parse of dates in Quick Entry) |
| Quick Capture | Global shortcut + natural language = instant capture | Quick Entry window, manual date/flag selection |
| Collaboration | Full (shared projects, comments, assignments) | None (no shared projects or cloud collaboration) |
| Filters & Search | Advanced boolean filters (e.g., (today|overdue) & #work) | Tags with basic filtering, limited search |
| Recurring Tasks | Natural language ("every weekday") + GUI | GUI-based repeat rules (flexible but slower to set up) |
| Reminders | Time-based + location-based (Pro) | Time-based only |
| Integrations | 60+ integrations, Zapier, IFTTT, API | Limited (Mail, Calendar, Shortcuts) |
| Offline Support | Full offline with sync | Full offline (native app) |
| G2 Rating | 4.6/5 (1,300 reviews) | 4.8/5 (App Store, 45K reviews) |
Real-World Testing
Based on aggregated community reviews from r/todoist, r/thingsapp, App Store reviews, and personal productivity blog comparisons throughout 2025–2026.
Design & User Experience
Things 3 is widely considered the most beautiful task manager ever built. Every interaction is smooth, animations are delightful, and the UI follows Apple's Human Interface Guidelines perfectly. Todoist has invested heavily in its design over the past two years — new layouts, modern themes, and a cleaner visual language have closed the gap significantly. It's not on Things 3's level of craft, but calling Todoist "unpolished" would be unfair. If design matters to you, Things 3 still wins — but Todoist is genuinely pleasant to use now.
u/productivity_geek on Reddit: "Things 3 is the only task manager that makes me want to open it. The design is so good that completing tasks feels satisfying. Todoist is more powerful, but it feels like a tool. Things feels like a craft."
Quick Capture: The Most Important Feature
You'll capture tasks 10-50 times a day. The speed and friction of that action matters more than almost any other feature. Todoist wins here decisively: press a global keyboard shortcut, type "Call dentist tomorrow 3pm #health p1", hit Enter — done. The natural language parser auto-fills the date, label, and priority. Things 3's Quick Entry window works, but you manually select the date, set the flag, and type the project. For "every weekday" style recurring tasks, Todoist parses it in one line; Things 3 requires clicking through a repeat-rule dialog. Over hundreds of captures per week, this speed gap compounds.
Cross-Platform Reality
Things 3 is Apple-only. No Android, no Windows, no web app. If you use any non-Apple device, Things 3 is a non-starter. Todoist runs everywhere — even your Linux workstation and Android phone. This single factor eliminates Things 3 for many users.
Search & Filters: Power User Decider
Todoist's filter system is genuinely powerful. You can write queries like (today | overdue) & !subtask & #work to build dynamic views that auto-update. Combined with labels and priorities, you can construct sophisticated GTD systems with multiple contexts. Things 3's tag-based filtering is adequate for simple setups but doesn't support boolean logic, cross-tag queries, or saved dynamic views. If you live in your task manager and need complex views, Todoist is the clear choice. If you just need today's list and a few tags, Things 3 is fine.
Collaboration: Not Even Close
Todoist supports shared projects, comments, and task assignments — it's usable for small teams. Things 3 has zero collaboration features. No shared projects, no cloud-based team features, not even an export/import workflow for sharing project structures. It's a strictly solo tool. For personal productivity this is fine, but if you ever need to coordinate tasks with a partner or colleague, Things 3 simply can't help.
Power Features
Todoist is the more powerful tool. Natural language parsing ("Meeting with John tomorrow at 3pm #work p1") is best-in-class. Filters let you create custom views with boolean queries. Collaboration features (shared projects, comments, assignments) make it usable for teams. Things 3 is intentionally simpler — it does less, but what it does, it does beautifully.
Cost Over Time (and the Things 4 Question)
Things 3's one-time pricing is attractive — $80 total for all Apple platforms vs Todoist's $180 over 3 years. But there's a caveat: Things 3 is an 8-year-old app. Cultured Code has not announced Things 4, but historically each major version requires a new purchase. If Things 4 launches in the next 2 years at similar pricing, your real 3-year cost could be $120-$160 — still cheaper than Todoist, but the gap narrows. Todoist's subscription includes all updates, all platforms, and all features. For pure value, Things 3 still wins on cost today. For predictability, Todoist's pricing is more transparent.
Who Should Choose Which?
All-Apple users who value design
✅ Things 3 — the most beautiful task manager, one-time purchase
Users with mixed platforms (Android, Windows, Linux)
✅ Todoist — the only cross-platform option
Team collaboration on tasks
✅ Todoist — shared projects, comments, assignments
GTD practitioners with complex systems
✅ Todoist — advanced filters, natural language, and labels power-user workflows
Budget-conscious users (long-term)
✅ Things 3 — one-time $80 vs Todoist's $180 over 3 years
Power capture & speed-focused users
✅ Todoist — global shortcut + natural language = fastest capture in the business
🏆 Final Verdict
If you're 100% Apple and value design over raw power, Things 3 is the better experience. For everyone else — and that's most people — Todoist is the practical choice. Cross-platform support, collaboration, and power features make it the more versatile tool. The best task manager is the one you'll actually use daily, and for many, Things 3's beauty makes it the one they reach for most often.
Frequently Asked Questions
❓ Is Things 4 coming out?
Cultured Code (Things 3's developer) has not announced Things 4. Things 3 continues to receive maintenance updates. Given the 8-year lifespan of Things 3, a Things 4 seems likely eventually, but there's no timeline. If it does launch, expect to pay again — major version upgrades for Things have historically required new purchases.
❓ Can I use Todoist for free?
Yes. Todoist's free tier includes up to 5 projects, 5 people per project, and a 5MB file upload limit. It's functional for personal use. Things 3 has no free tier — it's a paid app on every platform.
❓ Which is better for GTD?
Todoist is better for strict GTD implementations. Its filters support boolean queries like (today|overdue) & #work & !subtask, and natural language input maps perfectly to quick capture. Things 3 supports GTD with areas and tags, but lacks dynamic saved views and its capture workflow is slower for frequent input.
❓ Does Things 3 support recurring tasks?
Yes. Things 3 supports recurring tasks with flexible schedules (every Monday, every 2 weeks, etc.). The difference is speed: Todoist lets you type "every weekday" and it's done; Things 3 requires clicking through a repeat-rule dialog. Functionally equivalent, but the efficiency gap adds up.