About 25; min
Todoist, TickTick, and Things 3 are the three personal task managers that productivity enthusiasts argue about endlessly. Todoist is cross-platform and team-friendly. TickTick bundles calendar, habits, and Pomodoro. Things 3 is Apple-exclusive with a one-time purchase. Three philosophies, three price models.
Quick Pricing Comparison
| App | Free | Paid | Pricing Model | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Todoist | 5 projects, 5 collaborators | $4/mo (Pro), $6/user/mo (Business) | Monthly subscription | All platforms |
| TickTick | 9 lists, 99 tasks/list | $35.99/yr ($3/mo) | Annual subscription | All platforms |
| Things 3 | N/A (no free tier) | $49.99 Mac + $9.99 iPhone + $19.99 iPad | One-time purchase | Apple only |
Things 3’s one-time purchase model is unique: pay $79.97 once (Mac + iPhone + iPad) and use it forever. No subscription. After 2 years, Things costs less than Todoist Pro ($96) and TickTick Premium ($72). The break-even is around 20 months.
Todoist: The Cross-Platform Standard
Todoist’s free plan is usable but restrictive — 5 projects forces you to combine unrelated tasks. Pro at $4/month removes all meaningful limits and adds reminders (surprisingly locked behind the paywall — reminders feel like a basic feature).
Todoist’s Strengths
- Natural language input: Type “Submit report every Friday at 3pm” and Todoist creates a recurring task with the correct schedule. The most reliable natural language date parsing of any task manager
- Every platform: Web, Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, browser extension, email forwarding, API. Todoist works everywhere — Things is Apple-only, which eliminates it for many teams
- Karma/productivity tracking: Gamified productivity scores that track your task completion streaks. Motivating for people who respond to stats and streaks
- Team features (Business): Shared projects, task comments, file attachments, and admin controls. The only personal task manager on this list that handles team collaboration properly
- Integrations: Google Calendar, Slack, Zapier, IFTTT, and 60+ native integrations. The most connected task manager available
Todoist’s Limitations
- No calendar view on free: Calendar layout requires Pro ($4/month). TickTick includes calendar view for free
- Reminders require Pro: A basic feature locked behind a paywall. TickTick and Things include reminders on all plans/tiers
- No time tracking: Todoist doesn’t track how long tasks take. TickTick has a built-in Pomodoro timer
- No habit tracking: Pure task management only. TickTick includes habit tracking
TickTick: The All-in-One Productivity App
TickTick’s free plan includes features that Todoist charges $4/month for: calendar view, reminders, and kanban boards. Plus TickTick adds features neither competitor offers: Pomodoro timer and habit tracking. Dollar for dollar, TickTick’s free plan is the most feature-rich personal task manager available.
TickTick’s Strengths
- Best free plan: Calendar view, Pomodoro timer, habit tracking, kanban boards, and reminders — all free. Todoist locks most of these behind Pro ($4/month)
- Pomodoro timer: Built-in focus timer with white noise and break reminders. Start a timer on any task to track focused work time. No separate Pomodoro app needed
- Habit tracking: Track daily habits (exercise, reading, meditation) alongside your tasks. See habit streaks and completion rates. Replaces a separate habit app like Streaks ($5) or Habitica
- Calendar integration: Two-way sync with Google Calendar. Tasks appear on your calendar, calendar events appear in TickTick. The tightest calendar-task integration of the three
- Cheapest premium: $36/year vs Todoist’s $48/year. 25% savings for comparable (arguably more) features
TickTick’s Limitations
- Design: Functional but not as polished as Todoist or Things. The interface has more buttons and options, which can feel cluttered
- Team features: Basic collaboration (shared lists) but no workspace, admin controls, or team billing like Todoist Business
- List limits on free: 9 lists with 99 tasks each. Power users hit these limits within months
- Smaller community: Fewer integrations, templates, and third-party resources than Todoist
Things 3: The Apple Purist’s Choice
Things 3 is the most opinionated task manager on this list. It follows GTD (Getting Things Done) methodology with Areas, Projects, and the Today/Upcoming/Anytime/Someday organization. There’s no kanban view, no calendar layout, no collaboration, and no web version. What Things does, it does with exceptional design quality.
Things 3’s Strengths
- One-time purchase: Pay $79.97 once (all 3 apps) and use forever. No subscription, no annual renewal. After 20 months, Things is cheaper than any subscription alternative
- Design quality: The most beautiful task manager ever made. Animations, typography, and interactions are crafted to a level that Todoist and TickTick don’t approach. Using Things feels like using a premium physical product
- Focus: No habit tracking, no Pomodoro timer, no team features, no calendar view. This isn’t a limitation — it’s a design choice. Things does task management only, and the simplicity is its strength
- Speed: Things is a native Swift app on all Apple platforms. Everything is instant — no loading spinners, no sync delays, no electron-app sluggishness. The fastest task manager on Apple hardware
- Quick Entry: Global keyboard shortcut (Ctrl+Space) captures tasks instantly from any app. The fastest task capture of any tool — crucial for GTD’s “capture everything” principle
- Headings and structure: Organize tasks within projects using headings. Creates clean, structured project plans that read like outlines
Things 3’s Limitations
- Apple only: No Windows, no Android, no web app, no Linux. If you ever switch to a non-Apple device, your task manager doesn’t come with you
- No collaboration: Things is purely personal. No shared projects, no team features, no task comments. For team task management, use Todoist or a proper PM tool
- No web version: Can’t access your tasks from a borrowed computer, a work Windows PC, or any non-Apple device. Todoist and TickTick work everywhere
- No calendar view: Tasks have dates but there’s no calendar layout. You see “Today” and “Upcoming” lists, not a visual calendar grid
- No natural language dates: Less flexible than Todoist’s “every other Wednesday” or “last day of the month.” Things uses a date picker, not text parsing
- Uncertain future: Things 3 launched in 2017. Cultured Code is a small studio. A major OS change could break compatibility, and Things 4 would likely require a new purchase
Cost Over 3 Years
| Tool | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | 3-Year Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Todoist Pro | $48 | $48 | $48 | $144 |
| TickTick Premium | $36 | $36 | $36 | $108 |
| Things 3 (all platforms) | $79.97 | $0 | $0 | $79.97 |
Over 3 years, Things 3 costs 44% less than Todoist and 26% less than TickTick. The one-time purchase model rewards long-term commitment. If you use the same task manager for 5+ years (many people do), Things becomes dramatically cheaper.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Todoist | TickTick | Things 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural language input | Best | Good | Basic (date picker) |
| Calendar view | Pro only ($4/mo) | Free | No |
| Pomodoro timer | No | Yes (free) | No |
| Habit tracking | No | Yes (free) | No |
| Kanban board | Pro only | Free | No |
| Collaboration | Yes (best — Business plan) | Basic | No |
| Reminders | Pro only | Free (2 per task) | Yes (all) |
| Cross-platform | All (best) | All | Apple only |
| Web app | Yes | Yes | No |
| Integrations | 60+ (best) | 30+ | Shortcuts only |
| Design quality | Good | Decent | Best (exceptional) |
| Speed/performance | Good | Good | Best (native Swift) |
| Pricing model | Subscription | Subscription | One-time purchase |
Who Should Pick What
Pick Todoist If:
- You use multiple platforms (Mac at work, Windows at home, Android phone) — Todoist works everywhere
- Team task management is needed (shared projects, comments, Business plan)
- Natural language task input (“every weekday at 9am”) is how you think about scheduling
- Integration with Slack, Google Calendar, and other tools matters
Pick TickTick If:
- You want the most features for free (calendar view, Pomodoro, habits, kanban — all $0)
- Habit tracking alongside tasks avoids a separate habit app
- Pomodoro focus sessions are part of your work routine
- $36/year is your budget limit and you want premium features for the lowest price
Pick Things 3 If:
- You’re all-in on Apple and will stay Apple for the foreseeable future
- Design quality and app performance matter to you (Things is the most beautiful task manager)
- One-time purchase appeals to you more than ongoing subscriptions
- You follow GTD methodology and want an app structured around Areas, Projects, and Today/Upcoming/Someday
- You don’t need collaboration, calendar view, or cross-platform access
Best cross-platform: Todoist Pro at $4/month — works everywhere, natural language input, and team features. The safe default for anyone who uses more than one operating system.
Best free plan: TickTick — calendar, Pomodoro, habits, and kanban at $0. More free features than Todoist Pro gives you at $4/month.
Best for Apple users: Things 3 at $79.97 one-time — the most beautiful, fastest, and cheapest-over-time task manager. A joy to use if you live in the Apple world.
Best value over 3 years: Things 3 ($79.97 total) vs TickTick ($108) vs Todoist ($144). One-time purchase wins long-term.
FAQ
Can Things 3 sync between devices?
Yes, via Things Cloud (free). Tasks sync instantly between Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. The sync is fast and reliable — one of Things’ strongest technical aspects.
Is Todoist free good enough?
For basic personal task management with under 5 projects, yes. The moment you need reminders, labels, or more than 5 projects, you need Pro ($4/month). Most active users upgrade within the first month.
Does TickTick have a web app?
Yes. TickTick has web, Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, and browser extension apps. It matches Todoist’s platform coverage. Things 3 is the only Apple-exclusive option.
Will there be a Things 4?
Cultured Code hasn’t announced Things 4. Things 3 has been actively updated since 2017 with new features (Shortcuts, Quick Find, headings improvements). When Things 4 eventually launches, it will likely be a new purchase — but the value of Things 3 today is based on today’s price, not future speculation.
