Things is the broader, more established task manager and wins for teams that want depth, integrations, and a mature ecosystem. Microsoft To Do is the lighter, more affordable option that covers the core task manager workflow for less. If you need maximum capability and ecosystem, choose Things; if lower cost and simplicity matter more, Microsoft To Do is the stronger-value pick.
Quick comparison
| Feature | Things | Microsoft To Do |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $50/mo | Free plan |
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Open source | No | No |
| Self-hostable | No | No |
| G2 rating | Not listed | Not listed |
| Best for | teams wanting a mature, full-featured task manager | teams on a tighter budget |
| Starting price | Things starts around $50/user/month. | Microsoft To Do offers a free plan. |
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Open source | No | No |
| Self-hostable | No | No |
| Primary tradeoff | Things fits best when its default workflow already matches the team, while Microsoft To Do is stronger when its focus maps more closely to the work being managed. | Microsoft To Do fits best when its default workflow already matches the team, while Things is stronger when its focus maps more closely to the work being managed. |
| Best for | teams wanting a mature, full-featured task manager | teams on a tighter budget |
Task and list management
Things is award-winning personal task manager; Microsoft To Do is free task management by Microsoft. On raw capability and feature depth, Things is the stronger of the two — it covers more of the task manager workflow out of the box and handles edge cases that Microsoft To Do only reaches through workarounds or add-ons. Microsoft To Do keeps a deliberately narrower surface area, which is a feature for teams that find broader tools cluttered. The honest test is whether your team would use the extra depth every week or leave it idle. Map your three most common task manager tasks against each product before deciding, because feature lists rarely predict daily fit.
Ease of use
For everyday usability and onboarding, Microsoft To Do is the easier of the two to live with. Microsoft To Do gets a team to first value with less configuration, while Things asks for more upfront structure and setup. Both Things and Microsoft To Do reward teams that adopt their default workflow rather than fighting it. Adoption is where most task manager rollouts succeed or stall, so weigh who opens the tool every day — and how much training they will tolerate — more heavily than any single capability. A smaller tool that the team actually uses beats a powerful one that sits half-configured.
Organization and control
Neither Things nor Microsoft To Do is open source, so control comes down to data export, portability, and how much you depend on each vendor's roadmap. Things offers more depth here through richer admin settings, export options, and APIs, while Microsoft To Do keeps things simpler at the cost of some configurability. If avoiding lock-in is a priority, confirm both products' export formats and API limits before you store years of task manager data in either one. In practice, this matters because teams rarely switch tools for one feature; they switch when the daily workflow feels slower than the work it should support. Test one real use case in each before committing.
Pricing and value
On price, Microsoft To Do is the better value for most teams. Things starts around $50/user/month; Microsoft To Do offers a free plan. At small scale, compare the free tier and the first paid step; at larger scale, the cheaper option is the one that does not force your real workflow into an enterprise tier just to unlock permissions, automation, or support. Things can still win on total cost if it replaces other tools you already pay for, so price the whole stack, not just the per-seat sticker. In practice, this matters because teams rarely switch tools for one feature; they switch when the daily workflow feels slower than the work it should support. Test one real use case in each before committing.
Integrations
Things has the broader ecosystem — more native integrations, a larger community, and more templates, guides, and people who already know it. Microsoft To Do connects to the common tools but leans on a smaller marketplace for anything niche. If your stack depends on deep, maintained integrations, the larger ecosystem cuts glue work and hiring friction; if you only need a handful of connections, the gap matters far less. Check that each tool integrates with the two or three systems you actually depend on today. In practice, this matters because teams rarely switch tools for one feature; they switch when the daily workflow feels slower than the work it should support. Test one real use case in each before committing.
Pricing deep-dive
Things
- Paid plans start around $50/user/month (billed annually); higher tiers add automation, admin controls, and scale.
- Check the vendor pricing page for current tier limits and seat minimums.
Microsoft To Do
- Free plan: $0 — covers core task manager use with limits on seats, usage, or history.
- Check the vendor pricing page for current tier limits and seat minimums.
Pricing verdict: Things starts around $50/user/month; Microsoft To Do offers a free plan. Things has no free plan and Microsoft To Do has a free plan. For most teams Microsoft To Do is the lower-cost choice on the entry tiers. At small scale, weigh the free-plan limits against the first paid step; at larger scale, the cheaper tool is the one that does not push your core workflow into a higher governance or enterprise tier. Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's page before you commit.
How to migrate from Things to Microsoft To Do
What real users say
Things: Things users praise its fit for teams wanting a mature, full-featured task manager, and most complaints center on price at scale or features they do not need.
Microsoft To Do: Microsoft To Do users praise its fit for teams on a tighter budget, and most complaints center on gaps in depth, integrations, or polish versus the larger incumbent.
Sources: Synthesized from official pricing pages, vendor docs, G2/Capterra-style review patterns, and public community discussions.
Final verdict
Choose Things if...
- Choose Things if you want the broader, more capable option and the team will use it as the primary task manager.
- Choose Things if mature integrations, community, and available expertise matter more than squeezing the lowest price.
- Choose Things if its workflow already resembles how your team works, keeping switching and training costs low.
Choose Microsoft To Do if...
- Choose Microsoft To Do if you want a lower-cost, simpler option rather than bending Things to fit.
- Choose Microsoft To Do if its lower entry price and free or cheaper tiers map better to your budget and usage.
- Choose Microsoft To Do if its strengths line up with your top task manager workflow instead of forcing the team into the wrong defaults.
Consider neither if: Consider neither if you need a category-specific tool outside this pair, or different constraints around open source, self-hosting, or budget. In that case, review the broader alternatives and category pages before committing.