Your task list is overflowing. Deadlines fly by. And you wonder: should I go for Todoist or stick with Things 3? I’ve used both for weeks, gotten frustrated and fallen in love. Here’s what I discovered.
Todoist in brief
Todoist is the Swiss Army knife among task apps. It runs on literally everything: your Mac, your Android phone, your browser, even Linux. The power lies in natural language input. Type “tomorrow 2 PM meeting with John” and the app understands. No clicking through menus. It feels fast. And that speed makes it addictive. Todoist targets everyone who wants control over tasks, from freelancers to entire teams.
Things 3 in brief
Things 3 is the Apple child that never rebelled. It only runs on Mac, iPhone and iPad. And that’s a deliberate choice. The makers want to perfect that native Apple experience. The result? An app that feels like Apple could have made it themselves. Minimalist design. No unnecessary buttons. It distinguishes itself by the difference between “start date” and “deadline” – when you want to do something versus when it needs to be done. That sounds simple, but it makes your planning calmer.
Todoist vs Things 3: the differences
The biggest difference? Platforms. Todoist works everywhere. Things 3 only in the Apple universe. Got a Windows laptop for work and an iPhone privately? Then Things 3 is out. Simple. But are you fully in Apple? Then with Things 3 you get an experience that integrates better with your system. Widgets that actually work well. Shortcuts that feel logical. Todoist feels fine on Mac, but it remains a web app in a wrapper.
Then the language input. Here Todoist wins easily. Type “every Monday 9 AM status update #work @high” and everything is set correctly. Project, priority, recurring pattern – all in one sentence. Things 3 also has quick input, but you need to click more often to add details. Honestly? If you add dozens of tasks per day, you notice that difference.
Collaboration is another story. In Todoist you can share projects, assign tasks to team members and leave comments. Handy for teams. Things 3? Nope. Nada. Nothing. You can’t share tasks. It’s a solo player. For some that’s a dealbreaker. For others it’s a blessing – no distraction from team stuff.
The interface also differs fundamentally. Todoist shows everything: filters, labels, projects, karma scores. It can become overwhelming. Things 3 chooses calm. You only see what you need to do today, unless you actively click further. Where Todoist gamifies your productivity with a point system, Things 3 keeps it sober. Which approach you prefer depends on how your brain works.
Recently Todoist has invested heavily in new features. Calendar view, Outlook integration, even an AI voice tool called Ramble. Things 3 on the other hand? Gets mainly “polish updates”. New icons, better compatibility, but no major new functions. Some call that stable. Others boring. Fact is: Todoist innovates faster, but that also means more complexity.
Comparing the prices
Here it gets interesting. Todoist has a free plan, but it’s limited. Maximum 5 projects and no reminders. Too tight for most people. The Pro subscription costs $1 per year (price increase from December 2025). Paying monthly? Then $1 per month, so $1 per year. Business costs $1 per year.
Things 3 works differently. No subscription. One-time purchase. $1.99 for iPhone, $1.99 for iPad, $1.99 for Mac. Want everything? Then you’re about $1 out. Once. Then never pay again. Cheaper than Todoist in the long run. After two years you’ve already spent $1 on Todoist.
But watch out: Things 3 has no free version. No trial period. There is a money-back guarantee via the App Store, but you have to pay first. You can test Todoist extensively for free. That feels safer if you’re doubting.
Honestly? I think that price increase for Todoist is on the high side. $1 per year for a task app. It works well, but it remains a to-do list. Things 3 then feels like a bargain – pay once and done. Unless Things 4 ever comes. Then you pay again.
Conclusion
Choose Todoist if you work cross-platform, collaborate with teams or find that powerful natural language input important. It’s the more flexible, more powerful option. But prepare for a subscription that keeps running.
Choose Things 3 if you’re fully in the Apple ecosystem, value peace and simplicity and prefer to pay once. It’s less powerful, but also less distracting. For solo users seeking focus, it’s the better choice.
My personal preference? Depends on the day. For work projects with colleagues: Todoist. For personal tasks and peace in my head: Things 3. Fortunately you don’t have to choose forever. Test Todoist for free. Try Things 3 and ask for a refund if it doesn’t work out. Your task list deserves an app that fits you, not the other way around.
