Todoist vs Things 3: Which Productivity App Wins in 2026?

Choosing between Todoist and Things 3 comes down to one fundamental question: are you looking for a flexible, cross-platform productivity workhorse, or a beautifully crafted personal task manager built exclusively for the Apple ecosystem? Both tools have earned their reputations — Todoist with millions of users across every device imaginable, and Things 3 with a near-perfect 4.8/5 rating from Apple loyalists who appreciate its stunning, distraction-free design. They are not really competing for the same person, which makes this comparison more about self-awareness than feature checklists.

The key decision factors are platform loyalty, collaboration needs, long-term cost tolerance, and how complex your workflow actually is. If you work on Windows or Android at any point in your day, Things 3 is immediately off the table — full stop. If you're a solo Apple user who wants a calm, elegant system for personal task management, Todoist's sprawling feature set may feel like overkill. Understanding where each tool excels — and where it deliberately steps back — is what this comparison is designed to help you figure out.

From a UI and UX standpoint, Things 3 is genuinely in a class of its own on Apple hardware. Its interface feels like it was designed by someone who actually uses a task manager daily, with fluid animations, thoughtful typography, and a visual hierarchy that makes scanning your day effortless. The Today view, quick entry panel, and support for keyboard shortcuts make it feel native in the truest sense — because it is. Todoist, by contrast, opts for a clean and functional cross-platform aesthetic that looks consistent whether you're on Android, Windows, or a browser tab. It won't make you stop and admire it, but it gets out of your way and works reliably everywhere, which is its own kind of design success.

On core functionality, both tools support natural language input and recurring tasks, but Todoist handles complex recurrence patterns far more reliably. Setting something like 'every other Tuesday' in Things 3 can become an exercise in frustration, while Todoist parses it instantly. Todoist's Pro plan unlocks calendar layout, task durations, custom reminders, and Task Assist AI — features added and enhanced through 2025 and into 2026 — giving power users serious scheduling muscle. Things 3 counters with its elegant start date versus deadline distinction, structured Headings within projects, and Areas for grouping life domains, all of which create a thoughtful personal workflow system without ever feeling bloated. Where Things 3 shines is in helping individuals think clearly; where Todoist shines is in handling volume.

Collaboration is where the comparison becomes one-sided very quickly. Todoist's Business plan supports shared workspaces, task assignments, comments, role-based permissions, and up to 500 projects per user at $10 per user per month billed monthly. Things 3 has zero collaboration features — it is a personal tool, by design, and makes no apology for it. If you manage a team or share projects with clients, Things 3 is simply not a viable option. Todoist also dominates on integrations: Google Calendar, Slack, and hundreds of third-party automation tools give it a rich ecosystem that Things 3 intentionally avoids. Things 3 offers basic Calendar sync and little else, which suits users who want a standalone, distraction-minimizing system.

On mobile, both apps are excellent on iOS, but Things 3's iPhone app ($10 one-time) and iPad app ($20 one-time) feel more polished and native, with widgets and an Apple Watch app that integrate tightly into the Apple experience. Todoist's iOS app is capable and syncs instantly across all platforms, which matters enormously for users who bounce between devices. Android users get a strong Todoist app with no equivalent from Things 3, making Todoist the only realistic choice for mixed-device households or teams.

The pricing models here are fundamentally different, which makes a straight comparison tricky but important. Todoist operates on a subscription model: the free Beginner tier is functional but limited to 5 projects and one week of activity history. The Pro plan costs $7 per month billed monthly, or the equivalent of $5 per month on the annual plan ($60 per year), unlocking 300 projects, 150 filters, calendar view, Task Assist AI, and unlimited history. The Business plan runs $10 per month per user monthly, or $8 per month on annual billing ($96 per year per user). Note that Todoist raised these prices effective December 2025, ending legacy Pro rates that some users had held since 2022. Over five years, a Todoist Pro subscription costs approximately $240 at annual pricing — a real and ongoing commitment.

Things 3 asks for a one-time payment: $50 for Mac, $10 for iPhone, and $20 for iPad, totaling $80 for the full suite or $60 if you skip the iPad app. There are no subscriptions, no tier limitations, and no feature paywalls. That said, there is a non-trivial risk: a future Things 4 release could require a full repurchase, as Cultured Code has followed this model before, though no such release has been confirmed as of 2026. For budget-conscious Apple users who hate subscription fatigue, Things 3's one-time cost is a compelling argument. For teams or cross-platform users who need flexibility and ongoing updates, Todoist's subscription model delivers continuous value that justifies the recurring cost.

For teams, freelancers managing multiple clients, developers, or anyone working across more than one platform, Todoist is the clear winner — and it isn't particularly close. Its cross-platform availability, robust collaboration features on the Business plan, 300-project cap on Pro, deep integration ecosystem, and continuously improving AI features make it the more capable and scalable tool in 2026. The subscription cost is real, but it's justified by what you get: a task manager that grows with your workflow rather than capping it. Students and professionals already deep in the Apple ecosystem who work solo, manage personal projects, and value design above all else will find Things 3 delivers an experience Todoist simply cannot match on aesthetics and native feel — and the one-time $60 purchase (Mac + iPhone) makes it an easy long-term financial decision for individuals.

For teams and cross-platform users, choose Todoist. For solo Apple users who want the most beautiful, focused personal task manager available, choose Things 3. If you're on the fence because you're a solo Apple user who needs occasional complexity, still go with Todoist — its free tier lets you test the water before committing. The one-sentence recommendation: if you own an iPhone and a Mac and never need to collaborate or leave the Apple ecosystem, Things 3 is worth every cent; everyone else should use Todoist.