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Todoist vs Things 3: Which is Better in 2026?

Choosing between Todoist and Things 3 comes down to understanding what each tool does best. This comparison breaks down the key differences so you can make an informed decision based on your specific needs, not marketing claims.

Bottom line: Things 3 is our overall pick for productivity workflows. Pick Todoist if you need task management.

··Methodology
Editor reviewed0 verified reviews comparedPricing checked May 2026

Short on time? Here's the quick answer

We've tested both tools. Here's who should pick what:

Todoist

Organize work and life with natural language task capture

Best for you if:

  • • You want to try before committing
  • • You need task management features specifically
  • Fast, cross-platform task manager with natural language input and clean design used by 50M+ people
  • Free tier covers 5 projects with smart scheduling; Pro adds calendar view, reminders, and 300 projects for $5/mo

Things 3

Award-winning task manager for Apple

Best for you if:

  • • You need productivity features specifically
  • GTD-based task manager for Apple ecosystem with elegant design and keyboard shortcuts.
  • Features projects, areas, tags, and seamless iCloud sync across Mac, iPhone, and iPad.
At a Glance
TodoistTodoist
Things 3Things 3
Starts at
$5/mo (billed yearly)/moPro
$49.99/onceMac
Best For
Task ManagementProductivity
Rating
--

Choose Todoist or Things 3?

Todoist

Choose Todoist if

Organize work and life with natural language task capture

  • Exceptionally clean and fast interface with near-zero learning curve
  • Generous free tier with 5 projects and core features included
  • Natural language input makes adding tasks faster than any competitor
  • Your work is task management-shaped, not productivity-shaped
Things 3

Choose Things 3 if

Award-winning task manager for Apple

  • Beautiful design (Apple)
  • Powerful organization
  • One-time purchase
  • Your work is productivity-shaped, not task management-shaped
FeatureTodoistThings 3
Pricing ModelFreemiumPaid
User Rating
4.6/5
3,451 reviews
5.0/5
342 reviews
Categories
Task ManagementProductivity
ProductivityProject Management

In-Depth Analysis

TodoistTodoist

Organize work and life with natural language task capture

Strengths

  • +Exceptionally clean and fast interface with near-zero learning curve
  • +Generous free tier with 5 projects and core features included
  • +Natural language input makes adding tasks faster than any competitor
  • +Available on every major platform with reliable real-time sync
  • +Karma system and streak tracking provide built-in motivation

Weaknesses

  • -No built-in time tracking or Gantt chart views
  • -Limited project hierarchy depth compared to tools like Asana or ClickUp
  • -Calendar view and task durations locked behind the Pro plan
  • -No native document or wiki features for project context
  • -Reporting and analytics are minimal even on paid plans

Key features

Natural language task input with smart date recognitionRecurring and repeating task schedulesKanban board, list, and calendar viewsShared team workspaces with task assignmentPriority levels, labels, and custom filtersProject templates for common workflows
Starts at $5/mo (billed yearly)/mo

Things 3Things 3

Award-winning task manager for Apple

Strengths

  • +Beautiful design (Apple)
  • +Powerful organization
  • +One-time purchase
  • +Good keyboard shortcuts
  • +Fast and reliable

Weaknesses

  • -Apple only (no Windows/Android)
  • -Expensive upfront ($50+)
  • -No collaboration
  • -No web version
  • -Limited integrations

Key features

Task managementProjectsAreasTagsCalendar integrationApple design
Starts at $49.99/once

Pricing: Todoist vs Things 3

PlanTodoistThings 3
Tier 1
Free
Beginner
$49.99 once
Mac
Tier 2
$5/mo (billed yearly)
Pro
$9.99 once
iPhone
Tier 3
$8/user/mo (billed yearly)
Business
$19.99 once
iPad

Pricing verified from each vendor's public pricing page. Compare in detail on Todoist pricing and Things 3 pricing.

Who Should Use What?

On a budget?

Todoist has a free tier. Things 3 is paid only.

Go with: Todoist

Want the highest-rated option?

Neither has user reviews yet.

Go with: Todoist

Value user reviews?

Neither has user reviews yet.

Go with: Things 3

3 Questions to Help You Decide

1

What's your budget?

Todoist is freemium. Things 3 is paid. Todoist lets you start free.

2

What's your use case?

Todoist is a task management tool. Things 3 is in productivity. Pick the category that matches your needs.

3

How important are ratings?

Neither has user reviews yet.

Key Takeaways

Things 3

  • Higher user rating: 5.0/5 vs 4.6/5
  • Our pick for this comparison

Todoist

  • Has a free tier
  • Larger review base (3,451 reviews)
  • Better fit for task management

The Bottom Line

Things 3 is our pick. Todoist has a free tier if you want to test without paying.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Todoist or Things 3 better?

Things 3 is rated in our evaluation. Todoist is freemium and Things 3 is paid.

What are Todoist and Things 3 used for?

Todoist: Organize work and life with natural language task capture. Things 3: Award-winning task manager for Apple.

What does Todoist cost vs Things 3?

Todoist is freemium (free tier + paid plans). Things 3 is a paid tool. Visit their websites for detailed pricing.

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