Things 3 vs Todoist
Things 3 and Todoist are both top task managers built on opposite models. Things is a one-time purchase, Apple-only, and widely called the best-designed to-do app there is. Todoist is a subscription that runs on every platform, with collaboration and the fastest capture in the category. Pick Things if you are all-Apple and want to pay once; pick Todoist if you need cross-platform reach or shared projects.
| Things 3 | Todoist | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | One-time, per device (~$80 all Apple) | Free tier; Pro $5/mo ($60/yr) |
| Subscription | No | Yes (for Pro) |
| Platforms | Apple only (iPhone, iPad, Mac, Watch) | iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, web |
| Collaboration | No | Yes, shared projects |
| Structure | Projects, areas, headings | Projects, labels, filters |
| Quick capture | Good | Best in class |
| Design | Best in class | Clean, functional |
Pay once versus subscribe
The money models are opposites. Things is bought outright, once per Apple device, so iPhone, iPad and Mac together come to around 80 dollars, and then you own it with free sync and no renewals. Todoist is free to start and 60 dollars a year for Pro after the December 2025 increase. Over a single year Todoist can be cheaper; over five years on the same Apple devices, Things is far cheaper. Which looks better depends less on the numbers than on how you feel about renting a tool you use every day versus owning it.
Apple-only beauty versus everywhere
Things is Apple-only, and inside that walled garden it is hard to beat: the layout, the typography and the small animations make it the app people point to when they say a to-do list can be beautiful. But Apple-only is a real limit. Todoist runs on Android, Windows and the web as well, syncs everywhere, and adds shared projects for working with other people and natural-language input for fast entry. If an Android phone, a work PC or a shared list is anywhere in your life, that reach usually decides it before design does.
Which should you pick?
It comes down to how you like to pay and where you work. Pick Things 3 for a beautiful, one-time, Apple-only system you own outright and use solo. Pick Todoist for cross-platform reach, shared projects and the fastest capture, if a yearly subscription suits you. Your devices and whether you collaborate usually decide it more than the feature lists do.
A third option
Both of these are full task managers, one bought and one rented. If what you actually want is not a better manager but a smaller ask, NanoDo is the third option: a day you carry on your lock screen instead of a system you maintain. Three things, free to use, with Pro a one-time €4.99. No projects, on Apple or anywhere else. Just today.