Things 3 Review (2026): Pricing, Features & Honest Verdict

TLDR

Things 3 is a beautifully designed, Apple-exclusive task manager that earns an 8.1/10 for its elegant simplicity and powerful organization. Best for: solo creators and freelancers on Apple devices. Price: $49.99 Mac, $19.99 iPad, $9.99 iPhone (one-time). No subscription required.

What is Things 3?

Things 3 is an award-winning personal task manager built exclusively for Apple platforms by Cultured Code. It covers Mac, iPad, iPhone, and Apple Watch with native apps that feel deeply integrated with each platform. The app is built around a simple philosophy: task management should be fast, intuitive, and pleasant to use. Rather than overwhelming users with features, Things 3 focuses on doing the essentials exceptionally well.

Cultured Code, a small German studio, has been refining Things since 2007. The current version represents nearly two decades of iteration on what makes a great to-do app. It earned an Apple Design Award and consistently ranks among the highest-rated productivity apps on every Apple platform.

Key Features

Natural Language Input

Type “Call dentist tomorrow at 3pm” and Things 3 parses the date and time automatically. This Quick Entry feature works system-wide on Mac via a keyboard shortcut, letting you capture tasks without switching apps. The parser handles relative dates, recurring patterns, and tags naturally.

Headings and Checklists

Projects in Things 3 support headings that divide tasks into logical sections. Each task can contain a checklist for subtasks that need completion. This two-level hierarchy keeps projects organized without the complexity of deeply nested structures that plague other task managers.

Areas and Projects

Things 3 organizes work into Areas (ongoing responsibilities like “Health” or “Work”) and Projects (tasks with a clear end goal). This distinction helps separate recurring routines from finite goals, giving your task list a structure that mirrors how life actually works.

Calendar Integration

Your calendar events appear directly in the Today and Upcoming views, sitting alongside your tasks. This unified view eliminates the need to switch between your calendar and task manager to plan your day. Events are read-only, pulled from whatever calendars you have on your Apple devices.

Tags and Filtering

Tags in Things 3 are simple text labels you can apply to any task. Filter by tag within any list to focus on specific contexts (like “office” or “phone calls”). The filtering is fast and works across projects and areas, though it lacks the advanced boolean filtering found in power-user tools.

Quick Entry and Shortcuts

The global keyboard shortcut on Mac lets you add tasks from any application. Things 3 also supports Shortcuts on all platforms, enabling automation workflows. You can create tasks from other apps, generate projects from templates, and build custom input flows.

Pricing

Things 3 uses a refreshingly simple one-time purchase model. You buy the app once for each platform: $49.99 for Mac, $19.99 for iPad, and $9.99 for iPhone. There is no subscription, no recurring fee, and no premium tier. Every feature is included from day one. iCloud sync is free and built in. Compared to subscription-based competitors charging $4-8 per month, Things 3 pays for itself within a year.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• One-time purchase with no subscription, saving significant money long-term
• Exceptionally polished design with smooth animations and intuitive interactions
• Natural language input makes task capture fast and frictionless
• Calendar integration provides a unified daily planning view
• Native apps on every Apple platform with seamless iCloud sync

Cons

• Apple-only with no Android, Windows, or web version available
• No collaboration features, strictly a personal task manager
• Limited tag filtering compared to power-user tools like OmniFocus
• Separate purchases required for each platform add up to $79.97 total
• No built-in integrations with third-party services beyond Shortcuts

Who Should Use Things 3

Things 3 is ideal for freelancers, solo creators, and individual professionals who live in the Apple ecosystem. If you want a task manager that stays out of your way while keeping you organized, this is the gold standard. Writers, designers, and knowledge workers who value aesthetics and simplicity over raw feature count will find Things 3 deeply satisfying.

If you need team collaboration, cross-platform support, or deep third-party integrations, you should look elsewhere. Things 3 is proudly a personal productivity tool, and it excels in that specific lane.

Alternatives

Todoist

Todoist works everywhere, including Android, Windows, and the web. It offers collaboration features, integrations with dozens of services, and a capable free tier. The trade-off is a subscription model ($4/mo for Pro) and a design that, while clean, lacks the polish of Things 3.

OmniFocus

OmniFocus is the power-user alternative in the Apple ecosystem. It supports custom perspectives, advanced filtering, and scripting via OmniAutomation. The learning curve is steeper and the price is higher ($74.99 Mac), but serious GTD practitioners may prefer its flexibility.

TickTick

TickTick offers cross-platform support with a built-in Pomodoro timer, habit tracker, and calendar view. The free tier is generous, and the premium plan is $35.99/year. It covers more ground than Things 3 but spreads itself thinner in terms of design quality.

FAQ

Does Things 3 work on Windows or Android?

No. Things 3 is exclusively available on Apple platforms: Mac, iPad, iPhone, and Apple Watch. There is no web version either. If you need cross-platform access, consider Todoist or TickTick instead.

Is there a subscription fee?

No. Things 3 is a one-time purchase on each platform. You pay once and get all features, including free iCloud sync. There are no premium tiers or recurring charges.

Can I collaborate with team members?

No. Things 3 is designed as a personal task manager. It has no sharing, delegation, or team features. For team task management, look at Todoist, Asana, or Linear.

Verdict

Things 3 is the best-designed personal task manager available today, period. It proves that simplicity and power are not mutually exclusive. The one-time pricing model is a breath of fresh air in a world of subscriptions, and the native Apple experience is unmatched. Its limitations are real (no cross-platform, no collaboration), but within its chosen scope, Things 3 executes flawlessly. For Apple-only solo users who want elegance and reliability, it earns a strong 8.1/10.