Things 3 vs TickTick (2026): Which Task App Wins?
Fabio Bergmann
Things 3 is a one-time-purchase, Apple-only task manager built around GTD simplicity, while TickTick is a cross-platform subscription app that bundles calendar sync, habit tracking, and reminders. The real choice comes down to your platform and your budget model.
Key takeaways
- Things 3 is a one-time purchase per Apple platform (up to $79.99 on Mac); TickTick Premium is $35.99/year across seven platforms — 55% cheaper annually than Things 3 on Mac.
- TickTick Premium costs 47% less than Todoist Pro ($60/year) while adding calendar sync, habits, and filters.
- Things 3 is Apple-only (Mac, iPhone, iPad, Watch, Vision Pro); TickTick runs on iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Linux, and the web — platform lock-in is the real deciding factor.
- Both apps parse natural language dates, but TickTick caps calendar subscriptions and filters behind Premium.
- Neither app is keyboard-first by design; speed-focused users can weigh a sub-50ms, shortcut-driven alternative.
Things 3 vs TickTick: what's the real difference?
Screenshot: Things 3 website, July 2026.
Things 3 is an Apple-exclusive task manager you buy once per platform; TickTick is a cross-platform app you subscribe to yearly that folds in calendar sync, habit streaks, and collaboration. The tradeoff is pay-once polish versus pay-yearly flexibility — and which OS ecosystem you're locked into.
Things supports Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Vision Pro on a pay-once model by platform. TickTick launched in 2013 and runs everywhere. The decision hinges on the devices you actually use and how you'd rather pay.
Things 3 vs TickTick vs Todoist vs OmniFocus vs Amazing Marvin vs Superlist: comparison table
Screenshot: TickTick website, July 2026.
Across six task managers, pricing models diverge sharply: Things 3 charges per Apple device once, TickTick and Todoist charge annual subscriptions, and platform support ranges from Apple-only to fully cross-platform. This table lines up pricing, platforms, and standout features using each vendor's published data.
Pricing and platform matrix at a glance
| App | Pricing | Platforms | Standout feature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Things 3 | One-time, per Apple platform (up to $79.99 Mac) | Mac, iPhone, iPad, Watch, Vision Pro | GTD Review list, Quick Entry |
| TickTick | $35.99/year Premium | iOS, iPadOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Linux, web | Calendar sync, habits, Constant Reminder |
| Todoist | $60/year Pro, $7/mo; Business $8–10/user/mo | Cross-platform | Free tier with 5 team projects |
| OmniFocus | Paid (Apple) | Apple-only | Granular Review feature |
| Amazing Marvin | Subscription | Cross-platform | Heavy customization |
| Superlist | Freemium | Cross-platform | Shared lists, collaboration |
| Dooit | $9/month, 7-day trial | Web + mobile | Sub-50ms, keyboard-first |
Disclosure: Dooit is our own product, included here for transparency. Todoist's free plan includes 5 free projects for teams, and OmniFocus centers on its Review feature for GTD discipline.
Things 3: best for polished Apple-only GTD workflows
Things 3 suits users fully inside the Apple ecosystem who want a clean GTD tool and will pay once per device instead of subscribing. Things 3 has no Android, Windows, or web version at any price, so cross-platform teams and Android users are excluded outright.
Cultured Code sells Things as separate apps for Mac, iPhone/Watch, iPad, and Vision Pro. Its Quick Entry captures to-dos from anywhere on Mac, a built-in Review list supports GTD-style check-ins, and on Mac, iPad, and Vision you get keyboard shortcuts or natural language for scheduling plus timed reminder notifications.
TickTick: best for cross-platform users who want calendar and habits in one app
TickTick fits users who need one task manager across Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, Linux, and web, with calendar sync, habit streaks, and Pomodoro-style tools built in. TickTick's free tier is usable, but calendar sync, filters, and checklist reminders sit behind Premium.
TickTick runs on seven platforms. Premium unlocks full calendar functionality including start/end dates and third-party calendar subscriptions, plus customizable filters, checklist reminders, and historical statistics. Its recurring rules can be weekly, monthly, yearly, or custom, and a Constant Reminder keeps ringing until a task is done. TickTick also detects dates and times automatically as you type.
- Free-tier limit: calendar subscriptions, filters, and checklist reminders require Premium.
- Premium adds premium themes, white noises, and Quick Ball for Android.
Todoist: best for teams needing flexible per-user pricing
Screenshot: Todoist website, July 2026.
Todoist works as a middle-ground option for freelancers and small teams, with a free plan that includes 5 team projects and natural language due-date parsing. Todoist Pro costs 1.67× TickTick Premium per year for broadly similar personal-use features.
Todoist Pro is $7/month or $60/year, with Business at $8–10 per user monthly. Todoist recognizes natural language and sets the due date automatically. Pick it when per-user team billing matters more than raw cost.
OmniFocus: best for strict GTD Review discipline
Screenshot: OmniFocus website, July 2026.
OmniFocus targets GTD purists who want a dedicated Review feature that periodically forces a walkthrough of every project and action. OmniFocus is similar in spirit to Things 3's Review list but built for deeper, more customizable review cycles on Apple platforms.
The OmniFocus Review feature reminds users to go through projects and actions to keep everything on track. Being Apple-only, it competes with Things 3 rather than TickTick, and appeals to anyone who found Things 3's Review list too basic.
Amazing Marvin and Superlist: where do they fit?
Amazing Marvin and Superlist round out the field as customization-heavy and collaboration-first alternatives, included for readers comparing beyond the Things 3/TickTick binary rather than as direct substitutes for either.
Amazing Marvin is highly configurable and appeals to users who outgrow rigid apps. Superlist is built around shared lists and team collaboration. Neither matches Things 3's Apple-only polish or TickTick's cross-platform habit and calendar bundle, so they suit narrower needs.
How does Things 3 pricing compare to TickTick — and is Things 3 worth the money?
Things 3 on Mac costs $79.99 once, while TickTick Premium is $35.99/year — 55% less annually, though Things 3 carries no recurring fee after purchase. Things 3 is worth it if you stay on Apple devices long-term; otherwise the subscription math favors TickTick.
TickTick describes Premium as less than $3/month, and Things is sold with country-specific App Store pricing. Break-even for Things 3 arrives after roughly 2.2 years versus renewing TickTick Premium annually — after that, the pay-once model wins on cost.
Is TickTick a Chinese app, and does platform availability change the decision?
TickTick's Terms of Service list Appest Inc. as the provider, and TickTick states it launched in 2013, evolving from an earlier Android app called GTasks. Platform-wise, TickTick runs on seven platforms while Things 3 is Apple-exclusive — a bigger practical factor than company origin for most buyers.
TickTick's ToS name Appest Inc. as the service provider. The functional gap matters more: Windows and Android users cannot use Things 3 at any price, since Things is limited to Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Vision Pro.
Which app wins on natural language input, recurring tasks, and reminders?
Both apps parse natural language dates, but the depth differs. Things 3 offers keyboard-shortcut and natural language scheduling with timed notifications on Mac, iPad, and Vision, while TickTick adds custom recurring rules and a Constant Reminder that keeps ringing until a task is done — a persistence feature Things 3 doesn't match.
- Things 3: natural language plus keyboard shortcuts for scheduling; reminders fire a notification at a set time.
- TickTick: recognizes dates and times automatically while typing.
- TickTick: recurring rules across weekly, monthly, yearly, or custom, plus a Constant Reminder that repeats until completion.
- TickTick Premium: adds reminders for individual checklist items.
The gap ranking pages miss: what the subscription math actually shows
Ranking pages rarely run the numbers. TickTick Premium at $35.99/year is 47% cheaper than Todoist Pro's $60/year and 55% cheaper than Things 3 on Mac's $79.99 amortized annually. For budget-conscious freelancers and founders, TickTick is the cheapest recurring paid option among these tools.
- TickTick Premium is 47% less than Todoist Pro ($60/year).
- TickTick Premium is 55% less per year than Things 3 on Mac ($79.99).
- Todoist Pro costs 1.67× TickTick Premium annually.
None of these apps were built keyboard-first from the ground up — and that's the axis buyers overlook. Dooit takes the opposite approach: every action completes in under 50ms with no spinners, alongside 20+ keyboard shortcuts, natural language scheduling, single-keystroke Kanban/list toggling, and one $9/month plan with a 7-day trial. Dooit is web-and-mobile only and newer, with a smaller feature footprint than TickTick's calendar and habit suite.
Which app fits GTD methodology better: Things 3 or TickTick?
Things 3 leans into GTD with a dedicated Review list for periodic project check-ins, matching classic Getting Things Done rituals closely. TickTick supports GTD-style workflows too, but through generalized tools like filters and recurring tasks rather than a purpose-built review step.
OmniFocus says its Review feature "periodically reminds users to go through projects and actions to make sure everything is on track."
For GTD purists, OmniFocus offers a more granular Review feature. TickTick's customizable filters and recurring rules cover GTD-adjacent needs without a formal review ritual. The choice comes down to whether you want a review step baked into the app.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a better app than TickTick?
Better depends on priorities: Things 3 offers a polished GTD experience on Apple devices only, Todoist offers per-user team pricing, and OmniFocus offers deeper Review-based GTD discipline. TickTick remains competitive for cross-platform users wanting calendar, habits, and reminders in one subscription.
Is Things 3 worth the money?
Things 3 is worth it for Apple-only users who want a one-time purchase instead of a subscription and value its Review list and clean design. At $79.99 on Mac alone, Things 3 costs more upfront than a year of TickTick Premium, so heavy multi-device or cross-platform users may find it less cost-effective.
Is TickTick a Chinese app?
TickTick's Terms of Service list Appest Inc. as the provider, and the company states TickTick launched in 2013, evolving from an earlier Android app called GTasks. For most buyers, the more relevant fact is that TickTick supports seven platforms versus Things 3's Apple-only lineup.
What is the best alternative to Things 3 for non-Apple users?
TickTick is the most direct alternative since it covers iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Linux, and web with calendar sync and habit tracking. Todoist is another cross-platform option with strong natural language input, while keyboard-first users may prefer a lighter tool such as Dooit (our product).
Does TickTick or Things 3 have better calendar integration?
TickTick Premium unlocks full calendar functionality, including start/end dates on tasks and third-party calendar subscriptions, giving it a more built-out calendar layer. Things 3 focuses on scheduling and timed reminders rather than dedicated calendar subscription features, keeping its calendar footprint simpler.
Which app is better for freelancers and founders tracking goals and habits?
TickTick includes habit tracking with streaks alongside tasks, which suits founders monitoring recurring routines. Things 3 lacks native habit tracking. Freelancers wanting week, month, year, and multi-year goal horizons alongside fast task entry may also want to evaluate Dooit's structured goal-tracking layer.
Comparing options and tired of slow, cluttered task apps? Start free with Dooit and see how a sub-50ms, keyboard-first workflow feels.