Choosing between Todoist and Things 3 on a Mac sounds easy until you actually try to live in one of them for a few weeks.
At first glance, they both look like “task apps.” Clean interface, projects, due dates, recurring tasks, keyboard shortcuts, all that. But the reality is they push you into pretty different ways of working. One is built for flexibility and collaboration. The other is built for calm, personal planning.
That difference matters more than any feature checklist.
If you’re a Mac user trying to figure out which should you choose, here’s the short version: Todoist is usually the better pick if your work is messy, shared, fast-moving, or spread across platforms. Things 3 is usually the better pick if you want a focused, personal system that feels great on Apple devices and doesn’t constantly ask for your attention.
I’ve used both on Mac for real work, not just for testing. They’re both good. But they’re good at different jobs.
Quick answer
If you want the fastest answer:
- Choose Todoist if you work with other people, need cross-platform access, want strong natural language input, and like a flexible system you can shape around your workflow.
- Choose Things 3 if you mostly manage your own tasks, live in the Apple ecosystem, care a lot about design and focus, and want a task manager that feels quieter and more intentional.
For most Mac users with team work, Todoist is the safer choice.
For most solo Mac users, especially writers, designers, developers, consultants, and anyone who values simplicity, Things 3 is often the better daily experience.
If you want one sentence: Todoist is more capable; Things 3 is more pleasant.
That’s the core of it.
What actually matters
A lot of comparisons get stuck listing features. Both apps have projects, deadlines, recurring tasks, sections, and filters of some kind. That’s not what decides it.
What actually matters is this:
1. Personal system vs shared system
This is the biggest split.
Things 3 feels like a personal command center. It’s excellent when your task list is mainly yours. It helps you decide what matters today, this evening, later, or someday. It’s less about coordination and more about clarity. Todoist feels like a task engine. It handles personal work fine, but it really starts to make sense when tasks are coming from multiple directions: teammates, clients, Slack messages, emails, side projects, recurring admin work.If your work involves handoffs, shared projects, assigning tasks, or checking in on other people’s progress, Things 3 starts to feel a bit isolated. In practice, that’s where Todoist pulls away.
2. Calm vs flexibility
Things 3 is opinionated in a good way. It nudges you toward a cleaner workflow. Inbox. Projects. Areas. Today. Upcoming. Anytime. Someday. You don’t spend much time configuring it.
Todoist gives you more freedom. Labels, filters, priorities, nested projects, shared workspaces, templates, integrations. That flexibility is useful, but it also means you can build a slightly chaotic system if you’re not careful.
A contrarian point here: more flexibility is not always better. A lot of people pick Todoist because it seems more powerful, then end up maintaining the system instead of doing the work.
3. Friction on Mac
Mac users care about this more than they admit.
Things 3 feels like a native Mac app in the best way. It’s smooth, fast, visually calm, and consistent with macOS habits. The keyboard experience is excellent. Quick Entry works well. It feels “at home” on a Mac.
Todoist’s Mac app is solid, but it doesn’t have the same native polish. It’s perfectly usable. Sometimes very fast. But if you’re sensitive to interface quality and flow, Things 3 usually wins.
That may sound superficial. It isn’t. You open a task manager dozens of times a day. Tiny annoyances add up.
4. How you think about dates
This one surprises people.
Todoist is more date-driven. It’s great if you want to capture tasks quickly with natural language like “Send draft every Friday at 2pm” and trust the system to schedule it.
Things 3 handles dates well too, but it’s more thoughtful about when something becomes relevant. The “When” and “Deadline” distinction is genuinely useful. You can plan when to work on something without pretending that every task has a hard due date.
That’s a big quality-of-life difference if you hate fake urgency.
5. Cross-platform reality
If you use iPhone, iPad, and Mac only, Things 3 fits beautifully.
If you also use Windows at work, Android on the side, a browser on random machines, or need easy access anywhere, Todoist is much safer.
This is one of the key differences that people underestimate at first and regret later.
Comparison table
Here’s the simple version.
| Category | Todoist | Things 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Teams, shared work, mixed platforms, flexible workflows | Solo users, Apple-only users, focused personal planning |
| Mac app feel | Good | Excellent |
| Collaboration | Strong | Very limited |
| Cross-platform | Mac, Windows, web, iPhone, Android, more | Apple only |
| Task input | Excellent natural language | Fast, but less flexible |
| Project structure | Flexible, scalable | Clean, simpler |
| Daily planning | Good | Excellent |
| Filters/views | Powerful | Simpler, more opinionated |
| Recurring tasks | Strong | Strong |
| Integrations | Lots | Minimal |
| Setup complexity | Medium | Low |
| Risk | Can become cluttered | Can feel too limited |
| Pricing model | Subscription | One-time purchase per platform |
| Best for power users | Usually yes | Only if your system is personal |
| Best for calm focus | Decent | Yes |
If you already know you want a beautiful personal task manager for Mac and iPhone, Things 3 is probably the answer.
Detailed comparison
1. Interface and daily feel on Mac
This is where Things 3 makes its strongest case.
The app is just nicer to use. That sounds vague, but it matters. The spacing is right. The typography is better. The sidebar makes sense. The Today and Upcoming views are genuinely useful. Entering and organizing tasks feels light instead of mechanical.
Things 3 has that rare quality where it almost disappears. You stop “using an app” and just manage your day.
Todoist is cleaner than it used to be, and I think it deserves credit for that. It’s no longer a cluttered productivity dashboard. But next to Things 3, it still feels more utilitarian. More functional than elegant.
If you spend a lot of time in your task manager, Things 3 is simply the better Mac experience.
But there’s a trade-off: Things 3’s polish comes partly from doing less. It can stay so calm because it avoids some of the complexity Todoist embraces.
2. Capturing tasks quickly
Todoist is excellent here.
Its natural language input is one of the best reasons to use it. Typing something like:
“Review onboarding doc tomorrow 3pm p1 #Work @writing”
is fast, and it just works. You can dump tasks in quickly without clicking around.
For people who capture a lot of tasks throughout the day, especially in fast-moving jobs, this is a real advantage.
Things 3 is also quick, especially with Quick Entry on Mac. It’s not slow. But it’s less flexible in one shot. You often do a little more after capture: assign a project, adjust date, maybe move it to Evening or Anytime.
In practice:
- Todoist is better for fast capture under pressure
- Things 3 is better for thoughtful planning after capture
That distinction matters more than “which app adds tasks faster.”
3. Organizing projects
Todoist lets you build a more complex structure. Nested projects, sections, labels, priorities, filters, shared project spaces. If you like systems, you can create one.
That’s both the strength and the trap.
A lot of users overbuild in Todoist. They create labels for context, energy level, client type, meeting status, urgency, and life category. Then six weeks later, nothing gets updated consistently.
Things 3 is more constrained. You get Areas, Projects, headings, tags, and status buckets like Anytime and Someday. It’s enough for most personal workflows, but not enough for every workflow.
Here’s the contrarian take: for individual use, Things 3 is often more organized precisely because it offers fewer ways to organize.
Less structure can create more clarity.
If your brain likes clean boundaries, Things 3 wins.
If your work genuinely needs many dimensions and custom views, Todoist wins.
4. Planning your day
This is where Things 3 feels like it was designed by people who actually have jobs.
The Today view is excellent. Upcoming is one of the best planning views in any task app. Evening is a tiny feature, but weirdly useful. Anytime and Someday reduce pressure without burying tasks forever.
The “When” vs “Deadline” split is maybe the most underrated feature in Things 3. You can say, “I want to work on this Thursday, but it’s not truly due until Monday.” That mirrors real life better than slapping due dates on everything.
Todoist can absolutely support daily planning, especially with filters and priorities. Some people build very effective systems with it. But it takes more intention. It doesn’t guide you as naturally toward a calm daily plan.
The reality is Todoist is better at managing tasks. Things 3 is better at shaping a day.
That won’t matter to everyone. But for Mac users who want a system that feels less stressful, it matters a lot.
5. Collaboration and team use
This one isn’t close.
Todoist is the clear winner.
You can share projects, assign tasks, comment, set deadlines, and keep everyone in one place. It’s not as deep as a full project management tool like Asana, ClickUp, or Linear, but that’s part of the appeal. For lightweight team coordination, it works.
Things 3 is basically not built for this. You can share via Apple reminders or copy things around, but that’s not real collaboration. It’s a personal productivity tool.
So if you’re asking “Todoist vs Things 3 for a startup team” or “best for a small team on Mac,” the answer is Todoist and it’s not complicated.
A second contrarian point, though: just because Todoist supports collaboration doesn’t mean it should become your company’s central operating system. Once projects get complex, comments grow, and dependencies matter, you may outgrow it.
Todoist is good for team tasks. It is not a full project management platform.
6. Integrations and automation
Todoist is much stronger here.
It connects with more services, works well with automation tools, and fits more easily into a modern work stack. If you want tasks from email, calendar tools, Slack, Zapier, IFTTT, or custom workflows, Todoist gives you more room.
For developers and technical users, this matters. Even if you don’t automate heavily, it’s nice knowing the app can plug into the rest of your tools.
Things 3 is intentionally lighter. There are shortcuts, URL schemes, and some Apple ecosystem automation options, but it’s not trying to be deeply connected to every service.
If your task manager needs to be part of a broader system, Todoist is the better choice.
If you want your task manager to stay separate and quiet, Things 3 may actually feel better.
7. Cross-platform and reliability of access
This is one of the biggest practical trade-offs.
Todoist is available basically everywhere. Mac, iPhone, web, Windows, Android. If your work happens across different devices or environments, that flexibility is hard to beat.
Things 3 is Apple-only. For some people, that’s perfect. For others, it becomes a hard limitation.
I’ve seen people choose Things 3 because they loved the Mac app, then later realize they needed access on a work PC or wanted to share workflows with an Android-using teammate. At that point, the nice design stops mattering.
So be honest here. Not aspirationally honest. Actually honest.
If you are truly all-in on Apple, Things 3 is fine.
If there’s any real chance you’ll need broader access, Todoist is safer.
8. Pricing
Todoist uses a subscription model. Things 3 is a one-time purchase per platform.
This changes how each app feels over time.
Todoist can seem easier to try, but it becomes an ongoing cost. If you rely on premium features long term, you’ll keep paying for them. That’s normal now, but it still matters.
Things 3 feels expensive upfront if you buy it across Mac, iPhone, and iPad. But after that, it’s yours.
Oddly, pricing often pushes people toward Things 3 emotionally, but the better question is value. If Todoist saves you time through collaboration, integrations, and flexibility, the subscription is easy to justify. If you just want a personal task manager, Things 3 often feels like the better long-term deal.
Real example
Let’s make this concrete.
Scenario: small startup, mostly on Macs
Say you’re part of a five-person startup. Two developers, one designer, one founder, one operations person. Everyone uses Macs, but one contractor occasionally works from Windows. You have product tasks, bug follow-ups, hiring admin, content deadlines, and random operational loose ends.
Which should you choose?
Use Todoist.Why?
Because the work is shared, fluid, and slightly messy. Someone needs to assign tasks. Someone needs to see what’s waiting on someone else. You need recurring admin tasks, quick capture, and access from anywhere. Not every task belongs in Jira or Linear. Todoist handles the in-between work well.
Things 3 would work great for each person’s personal planning, but not as the shared layer. The founder might love it. The designer might love it. But as soon as someone says “Can you assign this to me and add a deadline?” the cracks show.
Now flip the scenario.
Scenario: solo freelance developer on Mac and iPhone
You manage client work, invoices, feature ideas, personal errands, and a few recurring responsibilities. You don’t need to assign tasks to anyone. You care about staying focused and not turning your task manager into a second job.
Which should you choose?
Use Things 3.Why?
Because your biggest problem is not collaboration. It’s deciding what to do today without drowning in everything else. Things 3 is excellent at that. You can separate client areas, plan upcoming work, keep someday ideas out of the way, and use deadlines only when they’re real.
Todoist would also work. But there’s a decent chance you’d spend too much time tuning filters and labels because the app invites that behavior.
Common mistakes
People usually don’t choose the wrong app because they misread a feature list. They choose the wrong app because they misjudge their own workflow.
Here are the common mistakes.
Mistake 1: Picking Todoist because it seems more powerful
This is probably the most common one.
Yes, Todoist is more flexible. But if you’re a solo user on a Mac who just wants a clean, reliable system, that extra power may not help. It may just create more options to manage.
Power is useful when you actually need it.
Mistake 2: Picking Things 3 because it looks better
It does look better. It also feels better.
But if you need collaboration or non-Apple access, that beauty won’t save you. You’ll eventually hit the wall and move anyway.
Don’t choose an app purely because the interface makes you feel organized for three days.
Mistake 3: Assuming “Apple-only” is automatically a benefit
Sometimes it is. Sometimes it isn’t.
Apple-only means great native apps and consistency. It also means no web app, no Windows fallback, no Android option, and fewer easy ways to work with mixed-device teams.
For some people, that constraint is refreshing. For others, it’s just limiting.
Mistake 4: Confusing task management with project management
Todoist is better for shared work than Things 3, but it still isn’t a replacement for every team tool. If your team needs timelines, dependencies, reporting, or complex workflows, neither app may be the right answer.
This comparison works best when you’re choosing a task manager, not a full operations platform.
Mistake 5: Overbuilding your system on day one
This happens in both apps, honestly.
In Todoist, people overbuild with labels and filters.
In Things 3, people create too many Areas and Projects before they know what they actually need.
Start smaller than you think. Let your real work shape the system.
Who should choose what
If you want clear guidance, here it is.
Choose Todoist if:
- You work with a team
- You assign tasks regularly
- You need access on web, Windows, or Android
- You want strong natural language input
- You rely on integrations or automation
- Your workflow changes often
- You’re comfortable with a more flexible system
Todoist is best for startup teams, operations-heavy roles, managers, cross-platform users, and people whose work comes from many directions.
It’s also a good fit for developers who want task capture to connect with other tools.
Choose Things 3 if:
- Your task system is mostly personal
- You use Mac, iPhone, and maybe iPad only
- You care a lot about interface quality
- You want better daily planning, not more features
- You dislike subscriptions
- You prefer a calmer, more opinionated workflow
- You tend to overcomplicate systems when given too many options
Things 3 is best for solo professionals, freelancers, writers, designers, consultants, and Mac users who want a task app that feels focused instead of busy.
If you’re stuck between them
Ask yourself one question:
Is your main problem coordination, or clarity?- If it’s coordination, choose Todoist.
- If it’s clarity, choose Things 3.
That’s honestly the cleanest way to decide.
Final opinion
If I had to recommend one app to the average Mac user with no extra context, I’d probably say Things 3.
Not because it has more features. It doesn’t.
Not because it’s more modern in every way. It isn’t.
But because for a lot of Mac users, especially solo users, it creates less friction and more focus. You open it, understand your day, and move on. That’s underrated.
That said, if there’s any serious team component to your work, or any chance you need broader platform support, I would not try to force Things 3 into that role. I’d choose Todoist and not look back.
So, which should you choose?
- Choose Things 3 if you want the better personal Mac experience.
- Choose Todoist if you need flexibility, collaboration, and reach.
My actual stance: Things 3 is the better app. Todoist is the better tool. And depending on your work, one of those matters more than the other.
FAQ
Is Todoist or Things 3 better for Mac users?
For pure Mac experience, Things 3 is better. It feels more native, more polished, and better suited to personal planning. But for Mac users who work across teams or platforms, Todoist is often the smarter choice.
Which is better for a small team on Mac?
Todoist, easily. Shared projects, task assignment, comments, and broader access make it much more practical. Things 3 is really not designed for team collaboration.Is Things 3 worth it if I already use Apple Reminders?
If Apple Reminders already feels too basic or messy for your workload, then yes, Things 3 is often worth it. It gives you much better project structure and planning without becoming overwhelming. If your needs are simple, Reminders may be enough.
Is Todoist too complicated for personal use?
Not necessarily. Plenty of people use it personally and love it. But it can become more system-heavy than you need. If you enjoy flexibility, it’s great. If you want something calmer and more focused, Things 3 may be a better fit.
What are the key differences between Todoist and Things 3?
The big ones are:
- collaboration
- cross-platform support
- interface quality on Mac
- flexibility vs simplicity
- how each app handles planning
Todoist is better for shared, flexible work. Things 3 is better for personal, focused work.
If you want, I can also turn this into:
- a shorter blog version,
- a buyer’s guide with affiliate-style formatting, or
- a side-by-side version optimized for SEO headings.