Things 3 vs Apple Reminders
Things 3 and Apple Reminders are both strong Apple to-do apps aimed at different people. Reminders is free, built in and tied to Siri; Things 3 is a paid, beautifully designed task manager with projects and areas. Choose Reminders for simple lists and ecosystem integration, and Things for a complete system you are happy to buy once.
| Things 3 | Apple Reminders | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | One-time, per device ($10-50) | Free (built in) |
| Subscription | No | No |
| Platforms | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Watch | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Watch (built in) |
| Structure | Projects, areas, headings | Lists, sections, subtasks |
| Design | Best in class | Clean, native |
| Siri & ecosystem | Good | Deep (built in) |
Which should you pick?
There is no single winner. Pick Apple Reminders if you want something free, built in and deeply tied to Siri and shared family lists, and your needs are mostly simple lists. Pick Things 3 if you want a complete, elegant system with projects and areas and you are happy to buy it once per Apple device. Both are genuinely good at what they do.
A third option
There is a third way of looking at this. If neither fits because you want less, not more, NanoDo takes a different tack: three things a day, checked off from your lock screen. It is not a full manager like Things, and not as woven into the system as Reminders. It is deliberately smaller, for the days when a shorter list is the whole point.