Choosing a task manager should be simple. You need somewhere to put your tasks, a way to organize them, and reminders so you do not forget. Both Todoist and Things 3 deliver on those basics. The difference is in how they approach the problem, and that difference matters more than any feature list.
Todoist is a cross-platform service that syncs across every device you own. Things 3 is an Apple-only app that focuses on design and simplicity. One is built for ubiquity. The other is built for experience. Your choice depends on which matters more to you.
Design and interface
Things 3 is one of the best-looking apps on any platform. The interface is clean, spacious, and deliberate. Every element has room to breathe. Adding a task feels like writing on a notepad. The gestures are intuitive. Swipe right to complete, swipe left to schedule. The color palette is restrained, the typography is excellent, and there is zero visual clutter.
Todoist looks good but not extraordinary. It is functional and clean, with a familiar layout that puts your task lists front and center. The interface has improved significantly over the past two years, with better use of whitespace and more consistent styling across platforms. But it does not make you pause and appreciate the design the way Things 3 does.
For people who spend hours per day in their task manager, the difference in design quality matters. An app you enjoy looking at is an app you keep open. An app that feels generic gets buried behind other windows.
Platform availability
This is where the comparison gets lopsided. Todoist runs on Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, and every major web browser. Things 3 runs on Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. There is no web version, no Android version, and no Windows version.
If you use only Apple devices, this is not a problem. Things 3 syncs seamlessly across Mac, iPhone, and iPad. The experience is consistent and reliable. If you use a Windows laptop at work, an Android phone, or a Linux desktop, Things 3 is simply not an option.
Todoist also has browser extensions, email integrations, and a robust API. For people who want their task manager to connect with other tools in their workflow, Todoist offers far more integration options. Things 3 takes a more isolated approach, which keeps the experience clean but limits connectivity.
Task creation and organization
Both apps let you create tasks quickly. Todoist supports natural language input, so typing “Submit report every Friday at 3pm” automatically sets the due date and recurrence. Things 3 also handles natural language, though its parsing is slightly less flexible.
The organizational structures differ. Todoist uses projects, sections, and labels. Things 3 uses projects, areas, and tags. The concepts are similar, but Things 3 adds the “area” concept, which represents ongoing responsibilities like “Health” or “Finance” that do not have a defined end. This is genuinely useful for people who struggle to organize life responsibilities that are not projects with deadlines.
Things 3 also has the “heading” feature, which lets you add sub-headers within a project without creating a separate section. Small detail, but it makes long project lists much more readable.
Todoist compensates with more powerful filtering and sorting. You can create custom filters using complex queries, save them, and switch between views instantly. For power users who need to slice their task list by priority, label, due date, and project simultaneously, Todoist’s filter system is unmatched.
Collaboration and sharing
Todoist supports shared projects, task assignment, and comments. Teams can use it for basic project management without needing a dedicated tool like Asana or Jira. The collaboration features are not as deep as a full project management platform, but they are more than enough for small teams or family task sharing.
Things 3 has no built-in collaboration features. You cannot share a project with another person, assign tasks, or leave comments. It is designed for individual use. If you need to coordinate tasks with a partner, coworker, or team member, Things 3 forces you to use a separate system.
This is not necessarily a flaw. Many people want a task manager that is personal, not collaborative. But for anyone who needs to share tasks regularly, it is a significant limitation.
Pricing
Todoist offers a free tier with limited features, a Pro plan at four dollars per month, and a Business plan at six dollars per month per user. The free tier lets you manage up to five active projects with five collaborators. The Pro tier unlocks reminders, labels, filters, and unlimited projects.
Things 3 uses a one-time purchase model. The Mac version costs fifty dollars. The iPhone version costs ten dollars. The iPad version costs twenty dollars. There is no subscription, no free tier, and no ongoing cost. If you buy all three, you pay eighty dollars total and own the software forever.
The pricing model reflects the different business philosophies. Todoist is a service that you rent. Things 3 is a product that you buy. For people who dislike subscriptions, Things 3’s model is appealing. For people who want to try before committing, Todoist’s free tier is more accessible.
Over three years, Todoist Pro costs one hundred forty-four dollars. Things 3 for all Apple devices costs eighty dollars. The long-term cost advantage goes to Things 3, but only if you stay within the Apple ecosystem.
What Todoist does better
Cross-platform availability. If you switch between operating systems, use a work laptop running Windows, or have an Android phone, Todoist is the only option.
Collaboration. Sharing projects, assigning tasks, and commenting make Todoist viable for teams and families.
Integration. Todoist connects with hundreds of tools through its API and native integrations. Google Calendar, Slack, Zapier, IFTTT, and dozens more. Things 3 integrates with Apple Calendar and Shortcuts, and that is about it.
Power filtering. Custom filters using complex queries let you create views that show exactly what you need, when you need it. This is a genuine productivity advantage for people with large, complex task lists.
Free tier. You can use Todoist indefinitely without paying. The free tier is limited but functional.
What Things 3 does better
Design. The interface is more polished, more intuitive, and more enjoyable to use. This is not subjective decoration. Good design reduces friction, and less friction means you actually use the app.
The “area” concept. Organizing ongoing life responsibilities separately from finite projects is a better model for how most people actually manage their lives.
Focus. Things 3 does not try to be a project management tool, a calendar, or a note-taking app. It is a task manager, and it does that one thing extremely well. The lack of features is a feature.
Apple integration. Things 3 works beautifully with Apple Calendar, Siri, and Shortcuts. If your entire digital life runs on Apple hardware, the integration feels seamless in a way that cross-platform tools cannot match.
The one-time purchase. Pay once, own it forever. No subscription fatigue, no annual renewals, no price increases.
Which one should you choose
Choose Todoist if you use multiple operating systems, need to collaborate with others, rely on integrations with other tools, or want to try a task manager before committing money. It is the safer, more flexible choice for most people.
Choose Things 3 if you live entirely in the Apple ecosystem, value design quality, prefer one-time purchases over subscriptions, and want a task manager that does one thing perfectly rather than many things adequately.
The learning curve
Todoist has a gentle learning curve for basic use. You can start adding tasks immediately and figure out advanced features like filters, labels, and natural language dates as you go. The complexity is opt-in. You do not need to understand the full feature set to get value from the app.
Things 3 has an even gentler learning curve. The interface is self-explanatory in a way that Todoist is not. New users typically figure out the core workflow within minutes. The app does not overwhelm you with options. It presents a clean slate and lets you build your system gradually.
The tradeoff appears over time. Todoist rewards exploration. Users who invest time learning filters, integrations, and advanced workflows build a system that becomes increasingly powerful. Things 3 rewards restraint. Users who embrace the simplicity and resist the urge to over-engineer their task management tend to stick with the app longer.
Migration and lock-in
Moving between task managers is painful. Todoist offers CSV import and export, and several third-party tools can migrate data between the two apps. Things 3 supports import from Todoist, though the process is not always perfect for complex projects with sub-tasks and tags.
The lock-in risk is real for both apps. Todoist stores your data in their cloud. If the service changes its pricing, reduces features, or shuts down, you lose access to your task history. Things 3 stores data locally on your devices, which gives you more control but also means you are responsible for backups.
For people who value data ownership, Things 3’s local storage model is more reassuring. For people who want automatic cloud backup and access from any device, Todoist’s approach is more practical.
The verdict
Both are excellent tools. The right one is the one that matches how you actually work, not the one with the longer feature list. If you are genuinely torn, try Todoist’s free tier for two weeks. If you find yourself wanting a cleaner, more focused experience, buy Things 3. If Todoist feels like home, upgrade to Pro. The worst outcome is spending months deliberating instead of managing your tasks in either app.
The task manager market has matured enough that both Todoist and Things 3 are refined, reliable products with years of thoughtful development and iteration behind them. There are no dealbreakers in either app for the specific audience each one targets. Todoist will not suddenly lose its cross-platform advantage. Things 3 will not suddenly add a Windows version. The choice is stable, which means you can make it once and move on to actually doing the real work these tools are meant to support.