Things 3 Review: Complete Guide 2026

Things 3 is a task management app developed by Cultured Code, a small independent software studio based in Stuttgart, Germany. Since its original release and the landmark launch of version 3 in 2017, it has built a devoted following among Apple users who believe that how a tool feels to use matters just as much as what it can do. In a productivity software market increasingly dominated by subscription-heavy, feature-bloated platforms, Things 3 has carved out a rare and respected position: beautifully designed, decisively opinionated, and priced as a one-time purchase rather than an ongoing subscription.

The philosophy behind the app is rooted in Getting Things Done — the productivity methodology popularized by David Allen — but it never feels dogmatic about it. Instead, Cultured Code has translated GTD concepts like Areas of Responsibility, Projects, and a dedicated Today view into an interface so polished and intuitive that even users who have never heard of GTD feel immediately at home. The design isn't decorative for its own sake; every visual decision serves clarity and focus, helping users see exactly what they need to act on without cognitive overhead.

In the productivity space, Things 3 matters because it proves that native, platform-specific software can outperform cross-platform alternatives in ways that are hard to quantify but impossible to ignore. The app runs fast, respects Apple's design conventions, integrates naturally with Calendar, supports widgets on the home and lock screens, and extends all the way to the Apple Watch. For users already living inside the Apple ecosystem, it offers a level of cohesion that no browser-based or Electron-wrapped competitor can match.

Pricing follows a one-time purchase model across separate platform purchases: $9.99 for iPhone, $19.99 for iPad, and $49.99 for Mac, with the full suite costing approximately $80. There is no free tier, though a 15-day free trial is available. That upfront cost gives some buyers pause, but it's the kind of investment that pays for itself quickly when compared to years of subscription fees elsewhere.

Consider a freelance writer juggling five ongoing client projects alongside personal goals like finishing a book manuscript and managing quarterly taxes. In Things 3, each client lives inside its own Project, grouped under an Area called something like "Client Work." Daily tasks surface in the Today view each morning, while the This Evening section carves out space for personal reading or planning without letting it bleed into the workday. Natural language input means adding a task like "send invoice to client on Friday" takes three seconds, not thirty. The result is a system that feels genuinely personal rather than adapted from a team collaboration tool that was never designed for solo work.

A software developer working independently — building and maintaining their own apps, managing App Store submissions, handling support requests, and tracking personal learning goals — gets particular value from the keyboard-first experience. The Quick Entry shortcut lets them capture a thought mid-coding session without breaking flow, and Markdown support inside task notes means they can jot down structured technical specs or reference links without switching to another app. For someone spending eight or more hours a day on a Mac, the speed and reliability of the native experience adds up in a way that matters.

Things 3 also resonates strongly with people in demanding professional roles who use personal task management as a pressure-release valve for work chaos — a product manager at a mid-sized company, for instance, who uses it strictly for personal tracking while their team lives in Jira or Asana. The Calendar integration lets them see work commitments alongside personal to-dos in a single view, and the Apple Watch app means a quick glance during a back-to-back meeting day keeps them grounded. In 2026, where attention is the scarcest resource, that kind of frictionless capture and review is exactly what this app delivers.

Things 3 has no free tier — there is no stripped-down version available at no cost, and no freemium model to ease you in gently. What Cultured Code does offer is a 15-day free trial, which gives you full access to every feature across whichever platform you're testing. That trial window is genuinely generous for a task manager, since 15 days is enough time to build a real workflow and feel whether the app fits your life rather than just clicking around an empty demo.

The pricing structure is platform-specific rather than one bundled subscription. The iPhone app costs $9.99, the iPad app $19.99, and the Mac app $49.99 — purchasing all three comes to roughly $80 total. The Apple Watch app, notably, is priced separately at $9.99. These are one-time charges with no recurring fees, which is increasingly rare in a software market that has moved aggressively toward subscriptions. For a user who plans to rely on the app for five or more years, the math is straightforwardly favorable: $80 once compares very favorably to Todoist's premium plan at $4 per month, which reaches $240 over five years.

That said, the comparison isn't entirely clean. Todoist offers a capable free tier with no time limit, runs on Windows, Android, and Linux, and includes collaboration features that Things 3 simply doesn't have. Microsoft To Do is entirely free and handles basic task management without any upfront cost. For someone who is already uncertain about committing to Apple devices long-term, or who needs cross-platform flexibility, the one-time purchase model loses some of its appeal because the cost is essentially non-transferable. For committed Apple users, though, the pricing model is one of the most compelling things about the app — you pay once, you own it, and Cultured Code has a strong track record of supporting their software for years without forcing paid upgrades.