Picking a task manager shouldn’t feel like choosing a new operating system, but todoist vs things 3 often does—because the apps reflect two very different philosophies: cross-platform collaboration vs. a polished personal workflow. If you’re deciding where your tasks should live for the next few years, the details matter.
1) Philosophy and daily workflow: fast capture vs. curated calm
Todoist is built for frictionless capture and flexible organization. It’s happy to be messy on the way in: you dump tasks, tag them, assign priorities, and sort later. The killer feature is how quickly you can add tasks with natural language (“Pay rent every month on the 1st p1”).
Things 3 is the opposite: it nudges you toward a calmer, curated system. Its “Today / Upcoming / Anytime / Someday” structure pushes you to triage instead of hoarding. It’s opinionated in a good way—if you like a single trusted list and you don’t want to tinker.
My take: if you thrive on a strict ritual (daily review, intentional planning), Things 3 feels like a focused notebook. If your brain works like a queue with a search bar, Todoist is more forgiving.
2) Platforms, collaboration, and team fit
This is where the decision usually becomes obvious.
- Todoist runs everywhere (Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android) and supports sharing projects, assigning tasks, and lightweight teamwork. It’s not trying to be a full project management suite, but it’s plenty for small teams and households.
- Things 3 is Apple-only (macOS, iOS, iPadOS, watchOS). Collaboration is basically “not the point.”
If you’re already using team tools like asana or monday, Todoist can still make sense as the personal “inbox” feeding those systems—or even as a lightweight alternative for smaller initiatives. Things 3 generally lives as a personal layer next to team tools, not instead of them.
Practical rule: if you ever need to assign a task to another human, Things 3 becomes a dead end fast.
3) Organization, automation, and integrations
Both apps handle projects and recurring tasks well, but they diverge on automation and ecosystem.
Todoist strengths
- Natural language input across platforms
- Filters, labels, priorities for building custom views
- Integrations and automation potential (API + third-party tooling)
Todoist is more “SaaS-shaped.” It plugs into workflows around Slack, email triage, calendars, and more. If you’re the kind of person who’s already living in notion for docs and planning, Todoist is easier to stitch into that broader system.
Things 3 strengths
- Clean, guided structure (areas + projects)
- Excellent UX for review and planning
- Feels faster because it’s focused (and native)
Things 3 also integrates nicely with Apple Reminders and Shortcuts, but it’s not a general-purpose automation hub.
Actionable example: turn Gmail into a Todoist capture flow
If you use Todoist, you can standardize how you create tasks from email by sending a formatted message to your Todoist email address (available in Todoist settings). For example:
Subject: Reply to vendor about renewal p1 #Work @email
Body:
Due: tomorrow 10am
Note: Include updated seat count and ask for annual discount.
This is low-tech, but it’s reliable—and it helps you stop “keeping tasks in your inbox.” Things 3 can do email-to-task via Apple Mail workarounds/Shortcuts, but it’s less universal.
4) Pricing, sync, and what you’re actually buying
- Todoist is subscription-based for premium features (filters, reminders, etc.). You’re paying for continuous cross-platform development, syncing, and integrations.
- Things 3 is a one-time purchase per platform (Mac/iPhone/iPad). You’re paying for a high-quality native experience and long-term stability.
Opinionated note: subscriptions make sense when you’re getting active value—especially integrations and team features. If you want a “buy it once and forget it” tool that stays out of your way, Things 3 feels refreshing.
Also consider data portability and longevity. Todoist’s web-first nature and API make it easier to extract/bridge data. Things 3 is stable, but more siloed by design.
5) Recommendation: which should you choose?
Choose Todoist if:
- You need cross-platform (especially Windows/Android/Web)
- You collaborate or share lists
- You want automation, integrations, and custom task views
Choose Things 3 if:
- You’re all-in on Apple devices
- You want a guided, minimal system that encourages weekly planning
- You prefer a polished personal workflow over endless configuration
Soft suggestion to close: if neither feels like the right “home base,” consider whether you actually need a tasks-only app. Some people do better with a suite approach: notion for planning/notes and a lighter task layer, or a team hub like monday when projects and people are the real constraint. The best app is the one you’ll review daily—because an unreviewed task list is just a guilt spreadsheet.
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