To-do and planner apps for Mac and iPhoneHead to head

Things 3 vs Todoist

Things 3 ranks #1 and Todoist ranks #2 in our guide to the best to-do and planner apps for Mac and iPhone. Things 3 is our pick for most people.

The Useful TechResearched and written with AI under our rulesUpdated 14 Oct 2026

Our pickThings 3 app iconThings 3Pick Things 3 if you live on Apple devices and want a calm to-do list you pay for once.From $9.99#2 in the guideTodoist app iconTodoistPick Todoist if you want to add tasks as plain sentences and have dates and repeats filled in for you.Free to start

What decides it

  • Things 3 costs less over 3 years: $9.99, against $179.97 for Todoist.
  • Both run on Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch.

Side by side

Prices are checked every day.

At a glanceThings 3 app iconThings 3Todoist app iconTodoist
Price$9.99 on iPhone and Watch, $19.99 on iPad, $49.99 on Mac. Sync is freeFree for 5 projects. Pro is $6.99 a month or $59.99 a year in the App Store
How you payPay onceFree, with paid upgrades
3 years of use$9.99 Cheaper$179.97 Yearly plan
Free trialYesFree to start
Runs onMac, iPhone, iPad, Apple WatchMac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch
Where to buyApp Store, DeveloperApp Store, Developer
Rating4.8 28K ratings4.8 130K ratings
FeaturesFamily Sharing, Widgets, Shortcuts, Free trialWidgets, Free trial
Made byCultured Code GmbH & Co. KGTodoist Inc.
Last updated22 Oct 202631 Oct 2026

Who should get which

Get Things 3 if

You want a calm to-do list across your Apple devices and would rather pay once than every month.

Get Todoist if

You juggle work and personal tasks and want to add them as fast as you can type a sentence.

Skip Things 3 if

You only track errands and groceries, and Apple Reminders is free and already on every device.

Skip Todoist if

You keep a short daily list, and Apple Reminders is free and already syncs everywhere.

Our verdicts

Things 3 app iconThings 3

Buying Things 3 for Mac, iPad and iPhone costs $79.97 once, and syncing between them never costs anything. In return you get a calm to-do app that puts your calendar above the Today list, sets a reminder when you type something like Wed 8pm, and splits big projects into headings. It is built for 1 person's tasks, so if you share lists with a partner or team, Superlist is the better fit.

Todoist app iconTodoist

Things charges $49.99 for its Mac app alone, while Todoist's free plan covers 5 projects on iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch. Type "Submit report every Friday at 4pm #Work" and it files a dated, repeating task in the right project, or talk through your list with Ramble and let it sort things. Past 5 projects or for full history you need Pro at $59.99 a year.

What each one helps you do

Things 3 app iconThings 3

  • Plan today with your calendar above your tasks
  • Break big projects into sections with headings
  • Add a to-do by talking to Siri
  • Sync tasks across devices without a subscription

Todoist app iconTodoist

  • Add a dated, repeating task in 1 sentence
  • Turn a spoken ramble into organized tasks
  • Share a project and assign tasks to others
  • Plan your week on a calendar view

Where to get them

Things 3

$9.99 on iPhone and Watch, $19.99 on iPad, $49.99 on Mac. Sync is free

  • App Store, iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch
    $9.99App Store
  • Mac App Store
    $49.99Mac App Store
  • From the developer15-day free trial for Mac; Things itself is sold only on the App Store
    $49.99Get it

Todoist

Free for 5 projects. Pro is $6.99 a month or $59.99 a year in the App Store

  • App Store, iPhone, iPad and Apple WatchWith in-app purchases
    Free downloadApp Store
  • Mac App StoreWith in-app purchases
    Free downloadMac App Store
  • From the developer
    Free downloadGet it

Neither one quite right?

The other picks in our guide to the best to-do and planner apps for Mac and iPhone.

Read the full guideAll Things 3 alternativesAll Todoist alternatives

More comparisons