Todoist vs Things: Which is Better in 2026?

Platform availability and cross-device use

Todoist runs on everything: iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, and any web browser. If you use an Android phone, a Windows work laptop, and a Mac at home, Todoist works across all three without compromise. Things 3 is macOS and iOS exclusively — there is no web app, no Android app, and no Windows version. This isn't a minor gap; it's an architectural choice by Cultured Code. Things 3 is designed to be a native Apple app and the quality shows, but it makes Things unavailable to roughly half the computing world. If anyone on your team uses Android or Windows, Things is off the table entirely. For individuals fully committed to Apple hardware across all their devices, this limitation is irrelevant. For everyone else, Todoist wins by default.

Design quality and native experience

Things 3 is one of the most beautiful and considered productivity apps ever made for Apple platforms. The typography, spacing, interaction model, and attention to detail are exceptional — it's won Apple Design Awards and consistently ranks among the top iOS and macOS app designs. The interface is calm and intentional; there's no clutter, no feature creep, no settings you'll never use. Todoist is well-designed and functional across many platforms, but it's a cross-platform tool optimized for universality rather than native feel — it looks similar on iOS and Android, which means it doesn't feel fully native on either. For Apple users who care about interface quality and are willing to pay a premium for it, Things 3 is in a different league. For users who prioritize features and cross-platform consistency, the design gap matters less.

Collaboration and team features

Todoist has meaningful collaboration features: you can share projects with team members, assign tasks to specific people, add comments, attach files, and use a team inbox to delegate. The Business plan adds team billing, admin controls, and higher limits. Things 3 is explicitly a personal task manager — there is no sharing, no task assignment, no comments, and no way to collaborate with other users. This is a deliberate product decision; Cultured Code has never added collaboration to Things and likely won't. If you're evaluating task managers for a team that needs shared projects or task assignment, Things 3 is eliminated from consideration immediately. For individuals who don't need collaboration, this distinction is irrelevant — but it's the starkest functional gap between the two tools.

Integrations and automation

Todoist integrates natively with Gmail, Outlook, Google Calendar, Slack, Zapier, IFTTT, and dozens of other tools. The Todoist API is well-documented and actively used by automation tools — you can create tasks from emails, calendar events, Slack messages, or any webhook-enabled service. Things 3 has more limited integrations: it supports URL schemes for deep linking and basic calendar integration via Apple Reminders. Things can be connected to Zapier and automation tools via URL schemes, but the integration depth is much shallower. For users who want tasks to automatically flow in from their email, calendar, or communication tools, Todoist's integration breadth is a meaningful advantage. For users who manage tasks manually and don't need integrations, Things' simpler model is fine.

Pricing model and total cost of ownership

Things 3 uses a one-time purchase model: $49.99 for the Mac app, $9.99 for iPhone, $19.99 for iPad. A full Apple ecosystem setup (Mac + iPhone + iPad) costs $79.97 once and you own it forever — no subscription, no renewal, no price increases. Todoist's free plan covers basic use well, but Pro is $4/month ($48/year) for features like reminders, labels, and filters that most serious users need. Over three years, Todoist Pro costs $144 versus Things' one-time $79.97 for the full platform. The comparison flips if you add team members: Things has no team pricing because there's no collaboration model, while Todoist Business scales per seat. For solo users planning to use a task manager for many years, Things' one-time model compares favorably. For teams or users who want a free starting point, Todoist wins.

Pricing deep-dive

Pricing verdict: Things 3 is cheaper for solo Apple users over a multi-year horizon: $79.97 once for all three Apple platforms versus $48/year for Todoist Pro. If you use Things for two or more years, you come out ahead financially. Todoist's free plan is a meaningful advantage for users who don't need Pro features — you can use Todoist indefinitely at no cost. For teams, Todoist Business at $6/user/month is the only option since Things has no multi-user model. The most honest comparison: for an individual Apple user planning to use a task manager seriously for 3+ years, Things 3 is likely the better financial choice. For teams or cross-platform users, Todoist's subscription is the practical option.

How to migrate from Todoist to Things

What real users say

Todoist: Todoist users praise the cross-platform consistency, the breadth of integrations, and the fact that the free tier is genuinely useful for basic task management. Long-time users appreciate that it works identically on their phone, laptop, and browser. Common complaints: the interface feels slightly generic compared to native apps, reminders require the Pro plan which feels like a gate on a basic feature, and the natural language date parsing occasionally misinterprets complex recurring patterns.

Things: Things 3 users are among the most loyal in the productivity app space — the design quality and native feel generate strong enthusiasm. Cultured Code's reputation for thoughtful, stable releases rather than constant feature churn is frequently praised. Common complaints: no web app makes it inaccessible from non-Apple devices, the lack of collaboration is a deal-breaker for team use, and updates can feel slow as Cultured Code moves deliberately rather than shipping frequently.

Sources: Pattern synthesized from catalog data, vendor positioning, and public review themes; verify on the App Store, Reddit r/productivity, or Cultured Code's community forums before quoting directly.

Final verdict

Choose Todoist if...

• You use any non-Apple device — Android phone, Windows PC, or web-only access — since Things 3 has no app for these platforms and no web access at all.
• You need to share tasks with teammates, assign work to other people, or manage a project with multiple collaborators — Todoist has these features built in; Things doesn't offer them.
• You want integrations with Gmail, Slack, or calendar tools to automatically create tasks from your workflow — Todoist's integration ecosystem is broad and well-maintained.

Choose Things if...

• You use Apple devices exclusively (Mac + iPhone + iPad) and want the most beautifully designed, natively integrated task manager on the platform — Things 3 is in a class of its own for Apple UX quality.
• You prefer a one-time purchase over a subscription: $79.97 total for all three Apple platforms versus $48/year for Todoist Pro, making Things cheaper after two years of use.
• You work alone and want a calm, distraction-free interface without collaboration features, admin settings, or integration complexity — Things' deliberate simplicity is the product, not a limitation.

Consider neither if: Consider TickTick if you want a cross-platform task manager with built-in Pomodoro timer, habit tracking, and a more generous free tier. Consider OmniFocus if you're an Apple user who needs more advanced project management than Things offers, including custom perspectives and review workflows. Consider Notion or Linear if you need task management that integrates deeply with documentation or engineering workflow tracking.