If you’re debating todoist vs things 3, you’re really choosing between two philosophies: a cross-platform task system that scales with teams, or a beautifully opinionated personal workflow that stays out of your way. Both are “best in class”—but they win for different people, and the wrong pick will quietly tax your attention every day.
1) Core philosophy: system-first vs craft-first
Todoist is built like a flexible task database: projects, labels, filters, reminders, collaboration, and integrations. It’s not trying to be pretty; it’s trying to be ubiquitous and fast everywhere.
Things 3 is built like a crafted daily planner for Apple users. The UI nudges you into a calm rhythm: Inbox → Today → Upcoming → Areas. It’s intentionally constrained, which is why it feels so “clean.”
My take: if you want your task manager to behave like a lightweight SaaS platform, Todoist is the better bet. If you want something that feels like a premium native app with strong defaults, Things 3 is hard to beat.
2) Platforms, sync, and reliability (the boring part that matters)
This section decides the winner for a lot of people.
- Todoist: works across iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, web. If you switch devices (or you’re not all-in on Apple), it’s the safe choice.
- Things 3: Apple-only (macOS/iOS/iPadOS/watchOS). Sync is generally rock-solid within that ecosystem, but there’s no web app to bail you out from a random PC.
If your job involves jumping between a work Windows laptop and a personal iPhone, Things 3 will feel like friction. If you live entirely in Apple-land and value a consistent native experience, Things 3 feels “right” in a way web-first apps rarely do.
3) Task modeling: projects, views, and what “power” actually means
Here’s where the apps diverge in how they let you think.
Todoist’s power: labels + filters
Todoist shines when your workflow depends on slicing tasks dynamically—especially with Filters. You can build dashboards like “Next actions across all work projects,” “Waiting for,” or “High energy tasks under 30 minutes.”
Things 3’s power: structure + focus
Things 3 is less about custom query logic and more about strong built-in views:
- Areas for ongoing responsibilities
- Projects for outcomes with an end
- Today for commitments
- Upcoming for planning
It’s opinionated. You won’t get the same “query engine” feel as Todoist, but you’ll likely spend less time fiddling.
Actionable example: a “focus filter” in Todoist
If you want a simple but high-leverage setup, create a filter that shows only the tasks that matter right now:
Filter name: Focus (Work)
Query: @work & (overdue | today) & !subtask
Why it works:
- it limits scope to work
- it prioritizes urgency
- it avoids pulling you into subtask rabbit holes
You can build similar filters for “Quick wins” (e.g., tasks with a @15min label) or “Deep work” (e.g., @90min). Things 3 can approximate this with tags and smart lists, but Todoist is simply more expressive.
4) Collaboration and the “Productivity SaaS” ecosystem
If there’s any chance you’ll share tasks with others, Todoist starts pulling ahead.
- Todoist: shared projects, assigned tasks, comments, notifications—good enough for small teams without feeling like a full project management suite.
- Things 3: effectively personal. There’s no real team workflow.
In real life, many teams end up pairing a task app with a broader workspace. For example:
- notion often becomes the “source of truth” for docs, meeting notes, and decisions—while tasks live in Todoist.
- asana (or similar tools) may handle cross-team projects, dependencies, and reporting, while individuals still track personal execution in a task manager.
Opinionated advice: don’t force Things 3 into team use. If you need collaboration even occasionally, use a collaborative tool (Todoist, asana, etc.) and keep your personal system simple.
5) Pricing, lock-in, and who should pick what (soft landing)
The cost isn’t just money—it’s switching friction.
- Things 3: one-time purchase per platform (macOS/iOS). Great if you hate subscriptions and you’re committed to Apple.
- Todoist: subscription model for premium features. Great if you want continuous improvements, cross-platform access, and advanced organization.
Choose Things 3 if:
- you’re Apple-only
- you want a calm, focused daily workflow
- you dislike spending time “configuring” your task system
Choose Todoist if:
- you need web/Windows/Android support
- you want powerful filters and automation-like organization
- you collaborate or plan to integrate with other tools
If you’re already living in a broader Productivity SaaS stack—say, notion for knowledge, asana for team projects—Todoist tends to slot in more naturally as the execution layer. If your priority is personal clarity over ecosystem flexibility, Things 3 is the app that feels like it was designed by someone who actually finishes work.
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