Todoist vs Things (2026): Which Task Manager Wins?

Last updated: 2026-07-06

Todoist offers AI task breakdowns, cross-platform sync, and 80+ integrations. Things provides a beautiful Apple-only experience with one-time pricing. The core question is whether you need AI and cross-platform features or prefer a premium Apple-only tool.

Quick Verdict

• Todoist wins on AI features, cross-platform sync, and integrations.
• Things wins on design, speed, and one-time pricing if you’re all-Apple.
• If you use any non-Apple device, Todoist is the safer default.

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Comparison Snapshot

How I Evaluated This

I use Todoist daily and have spent real time in Things with clients who swear by it, so I judged both on AI features, platform reach, and design rather than benchmark specs. Every price below was re-verified in July 2026.

Where Todoist Wins

AI Features

This is the biggest gap between the two in 2026. Todoist has real AI. Things has none.

Todoist Assist breaks vague tasks into specific subtasks. “Prepare for workshop” becomes: create slides, review attendee list, test equipment, prepare handouts. It suggests scheduling based on your patterns and builds custom filters from plain English descriptions.

Ramble is the voice-to-task feature I use after meetings. Talk into your phone: “Follow up with Sarah about the proposal, due Friday, in the Arena Hall project.” Todoist creates the task, sets the date, assigns the project. Done in 5 seconds.

Things has… none of this. It supports Apple’s built-in Writing Tools (proofread, rewrite text), but that’s Apple’s feature, not Things’. No task breakdown, no voice input, no smart scheduling.

If AI matters to you at all, this comparison is over.

Cross-Platform

Todoist works on Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, web, and has browser extensions. Things works on Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Vision Pro.

If you have a Windows computer at work and an iPhone in your pocket, Todoist works on both. Things doesn’t. If you have an Android tablet, Todoist works. Things doesn’t. If you want to check your tasks from a browser on any computer, Todoist works. Things doesn’t.

For people who live entirely in Apple… this doesn’t matter. For everyone else, it’s a dealbreaker.

Integrations

Todoist has 80+ native integrations: Google Calendar, Slack, Gmail, IFTTT, and works with 8,000+ apps through Zapier. I connect it to Granola for meeting action items, to my calendar for time blocking, and to Slack for team task management.

Things connects to Apple Shortcuts and… that’s about it. No native Zapier integration. No Slack. No Google Calendar sync. You can use third-party bridges, but they’re hacky compared to Todoist’s official integrations.

If your tasks exist in isolation, Things is fine. If your tasks need to flow from meetings, emails, and messages automatically, you need Todoist.

Collaboration

Todoist’s Business plan ($8/user/month) supports shared projects, task delegation, and team workspaces. Things has zero collaboration features. It’s a solo tool.

For teams of any size, Todoist. For solo use, both work.

Where Things Wins

Design

This one’s not close either, but in the other direction. Things is the most beautiful task manager ever made. The typography, the spacing, the animations, the way tasks feel when you check them off. It’s the kind of app where using it is a small pleasure.

Todoist looks fine. It’s functional. It’s clean. But it doesn’t make you smile. Things does.

I know “design” sounds frivolous for a productivity tool. But here’s why it matters: the task manager you actually open is better than the one with more features. If Things’ design makes you check your tasks more consistently, that design advantage is real.

Pricing Model

Things costs $80 total. Mac app ($49.99), iPhone ($9.99), iPad ($19.99). One-time purchase. No recurring charges. No subscription fatigue.

Todoist Pro costs $5/month ($60/year). In year one, Todoist is cheaper. By year two, you’ve already paid more than Things’ lifetime cost. Over five years, Todoist costs $300. Things costs $80.

If you hate subscriptions… and a lot of people do… Things wins on principle.

The caveat: Todoist’s subscription means continuous updates, new AI features, and ongoing development. Things 3 has been the current version since 2017. It gets updates, but not at the same pace.

Simplicity

Things is intentionally limited. No advanced filters. No AI suggestions. No plugin ecosystem. No team features. Just tasks, projects, areas, and tags. That’s it.

For some people, that simplicity is the feature. They don’t want AI suggesting what to work on. They don’t want 47 filter options. They want to open the app, see their tasks, and do the work. Things is the only major task manager that still believes simplicity beats features.

Speed

Things is fast in a way that’s hard to appreciate until you’ve used both. Opening Things is instant. Creating a task is instant. The quick entry shortcut on Mac is genuinely quick. No loading spinners, no brief pauses, no moments where you’re waiting for the app to catch up.

Todoist is fast too, but not Things-fast. Especially on iOS, there’s a noticeable difference in how responsive the two feel.

Pricing Comparison

Side-by-Side

My Recommendation

Get Todoist if:

• You use any non-Apple device (even one Windows machine or Android phone)
• You want AI features now and whatever comes next
• You need your tasks to connect to other tools (calendar, email, Slack, meeting notes)
• You work with a team
• You prefer to start free and upgrade when ready

Get Things if:

• You’re 100% Apple, no exceptions
• Design and speed matter more to you than features
• You prefer a one-time purchase over subscriptions
• You want the simplest possible task manager that stays out of your way
• You don’t need integrations or AI… you just need a clean list

What I use: Todoist. The AI features and integrations are too useful for my workflow. I have meeting action items flowing in automatically via Zapier, voice tasks captured via Ramble, and everything synced to my calendar. Things can’t do any of that.

But I get the Things crowd. If you just want a beautiful place to keep your tasks and you live in Apple, it’s hard to argue with $80 once and done.

FAQ

Is Things 4 coming?

Nobody knows. Cultured Code hasn’t announced anything. Things 3 launched in 2017 and still gets updates, but the pace has slowed. A lot of Things fans are waiting for a major update with AI features. Whether that comes as Things 4 or a Things 3 update is anyone’s guess.

Can I import my tasks from one to the other?

Yes, with some effort. Todoist can export to CSV. Things can import via URL scheme or Shortcuts. There are community-built migration scripts. It’s not seamless, but it’s doable.

What about OmniFocus?

OmniFocus is another strong Apple-only option, built for GTD (Getting Things Done) methodology. It’s more complex than Things and more powerful for advanced project management. But it’s $149.99 for the Pro version and has a steeper learning curve. I didn’t include it in this comparison because the Todoist vs Things question is the one most people are asking.

Can I try either one before paying?

Todoist has a genuine free tier you can use indefinitely before upgrading to Pro — see the comparison table above. Things has no free tier at all; you’re paying the full $80 upfront to find out if it’s for you. If trying before you buy matters, Todoist is the safer starting point.

Next Step

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