A smaller Things 3 alternative for iPhone
Comparing Things 3 and NanoDo? Both skip the subscription, but they aim at different things. Things is a beautiful, full task manager for Apple devices, sold separately per device (about $10 on iPhone up to $50 on Mac). NanoDo is free, with an optional one-time €9.99 Pro, and built around three things a day on your lock screen.
| NanoDo | Things 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free · €9.99 Pro | One-time, per device ($10-50) |
| One-time, no subscription | Yes | Yes |
| Works without an account | Yes | Yes |
| Daily three-things ritual | Yes | No |
| Lock-screen focus task (Live Activity) | Yes | No |
| Beyond Apple (Android, Windows) | No | No |
| Projects, labels & power features | No | Yes |
Where Things 3 is the better choice
Things is the better choice if you want a complete, elegantly designed task manager with projects, areas and headings, and you are happy to buy it once per Apple device. Its design and structure are best in class.
Where NanoDo fits
NanoDo fits if you don't want to manage a system at all. The app is free, and the whole of it is three things a day, checked off from your iPhone lock screen; Pro is a one-time €9.99.
Why look past Things 3
Things 3 is one of the most admired to-do apps on Apple platforms, so most people searching for an alternative have a specific reason. The most common is platform: Things is Apple-only, and if you carry an Android phone or work on a Windows PC, it is simply not for you. Next is the price shape: Things is a one-time purchase, but a separate one per device, so covering iPhone, iPad and Mac runs to around 80 dollars. And some people love the design but find that a full task manager, with projects, areas and headings, is more structure than their day needs.
An honest warning: NanoDo does not replace Things
If you want another full task manager, NanoDo is the wrong recommendation, and it is better to say so plainly. Things does projects, areas, headings, scheduling and a genuinely lovely design; NanoDo does three things a day on your lock screen and nothing else. If you need that structure but on other platforms, look at Todoist or TickTick instead. NanoDo is only an alternative in one specific case: when the thing you actually want is less, not a differently shaped more.
Where NanoDo actually wins
For the person who wants less, NanoDo has a few real advantages over Things. It is free, where Things is a paid app bought separately per device. It asks for three things a day rather than presenting an empty structure to fill. And it lives on your lock screen, so the point of the app is visible without opening it. None of that makes it better than Things; it makes it a different tool for a smaller job.