Things 3 is the better personal task manager for Apple users who want a quiet, polished system; Todoist is better for people who need cross-platform access, sharing, and stronger automation. The practical choice depends less on features and more on where a person works each day.
TLDR: Things 3 wins for solo planning on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch because it feels clean, fast, and low stress. Todoist wins for users who switch between Windows, Android, web, and Apple devices, or who share tasks with family members. For example, a freelancer managing 35 weekly personal and client tasks may save 5 to 10 minutes a week with Todoist filters, while an Apple-only user may finish daily planning faster in Things 3 with fewer taps and less visual clutter.
Things 3 vs Todoist: the quick difference
Things 3 is built around personal structure. It uses Inbox, Today, Upcoming, Anytime, Someday, projects, areas, headings, tags, and checklists. It feels like a calm paper planner turned into software.
Todoist is built around speed and reach. It works on almost every major platform. It supports natural language input, reminders, recurring tasks, labels, filters, priorities, comments, attachments, and shared projects. It can run a private life, a household, and light work planning from one account.
Where Things 3 feels better
Things 3 has one big advantage: it does not feel noisy. A user can open it, see the day, drag tasks into order, and get moving. The interface is smooth. The spacing is generous. The app rarely feels like it is shouting for attention.
This matters for personal task management. Many people do not need a system packed with dashboards. They need to remember the dentist, buy oat milk, plan a birthday, review a budget, and finish a few errands. Things 3 handles that kind of life admin with very little friction.
- Today view: clean and focused, with calendar items shown beside tasks.
- Areas: useful for separating health, home, money, family, and hobbies.
- Projects: great for tasks with clear steps, such as moving house or planning a trip.
- Headings: helpful for breaking projects into sections without making them messy.
- Someday: perfect for ideas that should not distract from current work.
Its design also encourages review. A person can open Upcoming and see scheduled tasks by date. A weekly reset feels natural. There is less fiddling with settings, filters, or custom views.
Where Todoist feels better
Todoist is stronger when a task system needs to live everywhere. It works on Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, the web, browsers, and email integrations. This is a major edge for users with mixed devices.
Its natural language entry is also excellent. A user can type “Pay rent every month on the 1st at 9am”, and Todoist turns it into a recurring task. That saves time. It also makes quick capture easier when a person has only a few seconds.
Todoist also shines with filters. A filter can show all high-priority tasks due this week, or all errands labeled @outside. For a user with 80 or more active tasks, this can reduce daily review time by 15% to 25%, especially when labels and priorities are used well.
- Cross-platform support: better for mixed-device households.
- Collaboration: shared grocery lists, chores, and family projects are simple.
- Natural language: fast recurring task creation.
- Filters: powerful custom views for larger task lists.
- Integrations: useful with email, calendars, browsers, and automation tools.
The annoying parts
Things 3 has a big limitation: it is Apple-only. There is no Windows app. There is no Android app. There is no full web version. That can be a deal breaker. It feels great until a user sits at a work PC and cannot check the list properly.
It also lacks true collaboration. A couple trying to manage chores together will hit a wall. Shared personal planning is not its strength.
Todoist has its own irritations. It can feel busy, especially after labels, filters, sections, and priorities pile up. Honestly, it feels like a simple grocery list can turn into a control panel if the user keeps tweaking it. Some features also sit behind a paid plan, including richer reminders and more advanced usage.
Natural language input is helpful, but not perfect. A recurring phrase can occasionally land on the wrong date if typed carelessly. Expect to waste a few extra seconds checking complex repeats like “every third weekday after payday”.
Pricing and value
Things 3 uses separate one-time purchases for Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch support through the iPhone app. It can feel expensive upfront, especially if a user buys the full Apple set. The upside is clear. There is no ongoing subscription for the core app.
Todoist offers a free plan, but serious users often need a paid plan for reminders, calendar layout, more history, and higher limits. The subscription model makes sense for people who use Todoist daily across several devices. For light personal use, it may feel like paying rent on a checklist.
Daily planning: which one feels faster?
For a single Apple user, Things 3 often feels faster in the morning. The person opens Today, reviews tasks, drags the most urgent items to the top, and starts. There are fewer menus. The app feels intentional.
Todoist may be faster at capture. Typing tasks with dates and repeats is quick. For example, “Call mom every Sunday 6pm” is almost instant. Things 3 can handle repeating tasks, but Todoist makes this style of entry feel more flexible.
A useful split appears here:
- Planning the day: Things 3 feels calmer.
- Capturing many tasks quickly: Todoist feels faster.
- Reviewing a small personal list: Things 3 is cleaner.
- Managing many contexts: Todoist is stronger.
Best choice by user type
Things 3 is best for:
- Apple-only users.
- People who manage mostly personal tasks.
- Users who like a clean planner style.
- People who prefer buying software once.
- Users who do not need shared projects.
Todoist is best for:
- Users with Windows, Android, web, or mixed devices.
- Families or partners sharing tasks.
- People who rely on reminders and recurring tasks.
- Users who want labels, filters, and custom views.
- Anyone who wants one system for personal and light work tasks.
Final recommendation
If a person lives inside the Apple ecosystem and wants the most pleasant personal task manager, Things 3 is the better choice. It is polished, calm, and quick for daily planning. It works especially well for people who use a task manager as a private life planner.
If a person needs access from any device, shared lists, advanced recurring tasks, and flexible task views, Todoist is the safer choice. It is less elegant than Things 3, but it is more practical for mixed setups.
The simplest rule is this: Things 3 is better for personal focus; Todoist is better for reach and power.
FAQ
Is Things 3 better than Todoist?
Things 3 is better for Apple-only personal planning. Todoist is better for cross-platform use, collaboration, and advanced filtering.
Does Things 3 work on Windows or Android?
No. Things 3 is limited to Apple devices. This includes Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch support through the iPhone app.
Is Todoist good for personal task management?
Yes. Todoist works very well for personal tasks, errands, routines, goals, and reminders. It can feel a bit crowded if the user adds too many labels and filters.
Which app is better for recurring tasks?
Todoist is usually better for recurring tasks because its natural language input is fast and flexible. Things 3 supports repeating tasks too, but Todoist feels quicker for complex schedules.
Which app is better for a simple daily checklist?
Things 3 is usually better for a simple daily checklist on Apple devices. Its Today view is clean, calm, and easy to reorder.
Is Things 3 worth the price?
For Apple users who want a polished personal planner without a subscription, yes. For users who need web, Windows, Android, or shared lists, Todoist offers better value.
