At a time when task managers are increasingly expanding into team chat, artificial intelligence, and document editing, Things 3 maintains a narrower proposition: organizing personal to-dos with as little friction as possible. Cultured Code’s app is not a new product. Even so, its consistent design, lack of a subscription, and deliberate focus on the Apple ecosystem continue to give it a distinct place among today’s options.
Core workflow
Things is easy to understand. You first put new tasks in the Inbox, then move them into projects or areas. Today shows the tasks you have chosen to work on that day, while Upcoming displays scheduled and repeating tasks in a calendar context. Items for which you do not want to set a specific time can remain in Anytime, while those you want off the agenda without deleting entirely can be kept in Someday.
This distinction is valuable because it does not confuse a deadline with the date you intend to work on something. Even if a report is due Friday, you can add it to Today on Tuesday and start working on it. Tasks can include tags, checklists, notes, reminders, start dates, and deadlines. Larger efforts are organized as projects, with headings used to structure stages within them. Rescheduling tasks by dragging them in the Upcoming view also speeds up weekly reviews.
The interface does not constantly display a dense set of options. Details remain in the background until needed, so there is less of the feeling—common in powerful task managers—that you are working merely to manage the system. Quick Find lets you jump to a task, project, or tag as soon as you start typing, while extensive keyboard shortcuts on the Mac make everyday use faster.
Its advantage in the Apple ecosystem
Things offers native apps for Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Vision Pro. Siri, Apple Shortcuts, calendar display, widgets, the share menu, and AppleScript support on the Mac make the app feel natural across Apple devices. Support for Markdown in notes and the Things URL scheme also gives advanced users room to build personal automations.
Syncing through Things Cloud is included with the purchase. Because the database resides on the device, the app works offline and syncs changes when the connection returns. Another positive detail is that calendar events are not uploaded to Things Cloud; they are read from the local calendar on each device.
In return, there is a very clear limitation: Windows, Android, Linux, and web apps are not supported. If your work computer runs Windows and your phone runs Android, Things cannot serve as a practical hub. Even for people who work entirely across Apple devices, each platform version must be purchased separately. As of August 2026, official U.S. prices are $49.99 for Mac, $9.99 for iPhone and Watch, $19.99 for iPad, and $29.99 for Vision Pro. Because Apple determines local App Store pricing, buyers should check their store before purchasing. The absence of a subscription is beneficial over the long term, but someone who wants to use the Mac, iPhone, and iPad versions must initially make three separate payments. A free, fully featured 15-day trial is available only on the Mac.
Why the missing features matter
Things is strong at personal task management but deliberately limited when it comes to collaboration. You cannot share a list with another user in real time, assign tasks, leave comments, set team permissions, or use a shared project view. File and photo attachments are not supported either. With no public API, integration options are limited to emailing tasks into the Inbox, the URL scheme, Shortcuts, and Mac automations.
These omissions do not affect only business users. Someone who wants to share household chores with a partner, edit a travel list with friends, or give a client a project view as a freelancer will need another app. Natural-language date recognition is available, but the product’s appeal is not AI-assisted automatic planning; it is the ability to record the user’s decisions quickly.
Privacy assessment
Cultured Code says Things Cloud data is encrypted in transit and on the server, and that the service does not use tracking, analytics, or profiling. According to the official support document, the company uses 256-bit AES encryption on the server and TLS in transit. This description, however, does not mean end-to-end encryption. The privacy policy explicitly states that the account email address, IP address, device information, access logs, task content, and emails forwarded to Mail to Things may be processed. Users who plan to put highly sensitive personal information or corporate secrets in task notes should understand this distinction.
People who use a single device can work without Things Cloud. Syncing across multiple devices requires creating a Things Cloud account with a valid email address. The account and cloud data can be deleted; before an important migration, it is sensible to test the export options separately.
Conclusion: Who is Things 3 for?
Things 3 remains one of the most refined personal task managers for people who work alone and use Apple devices exclusively. Users looking for a simple rhythm between capturing tasks, making daily choices, and rescheduling work each week—and who do not want complexity for the sake of automation—can gain real productivity from the app’s design. A one-time license also becomes meaningful compared with subscription-based rivals when the app is used for several years.
In contrast, people who use a mix of devices, share team lists, attach files, or build extensive API connections between apps should choose another product. Things succeeds not because it offers every feature, but because it carefully preserves the boundaries of personal planning. If those boundaries match the way you work, it is worth the price; if they do not, the attractive interface will not compensate for missing workflows.
Research sources:
- Cultured Code features and usage model: https://culturedcode.com/things/features/
- Cultured Code purchasing, platforms, and sharing limitations: https://culturedcode.com/things/support/articles/2803552/
- Things Cloud security and syncing explanation: https://culturedcode.com/things/cloud/
- TechRadar’s independent Things 3 review: https://www.techradar.com/reviews/things-3