Best Things 3 Alternatives in 2026
Looking for a Things 3 alternative that works across more platforms or gives you a different productivity workflow? Compare five task management apps for daily planning, reminders, recurring tasks, and personal productivity.
Things 3 has built a reputation around focused personal task management and a clean approach to organizing projects, areas, schedules, and everyday responsibilities.
That focused approach is exactly why many people use it. But it also creates a natural limitation: your ideal productivity system may need different platforms, different integrations, more advanced collaboration, or a different way to organize your work.
That is why people search for Things 3 alternatives. Sometimes the problem is not that the original app is missing features. It is simply that the user's workflow has changed.
Why Look for a Things 3 Alternative?
Things 3 is designed primarily around personal productivity. For many users, that focus is useful because it avoids the complexity of broader project management platforms.
But people may look elsewhere for several reasons. They might want a different platform strategy, cross-platform access, collaboration features, broader integrations, or simply a different approach to daily planning.
The important thing is to identify what you actually need before switching. Otherwise you can spend an afternoon comparing productivity apps only to discover that your original problem was having too many tasks.
5 Things 3 Alternatives to Consider
Todoist
Todoist is a dedicated task management platform built around projects, tasks, priorities, and structured workflows.
It can be useful for people who like the focused nature of Things 3 but want a task management system designed for a wider range of platforms and workflows.
Best suited for: Personal tasks, work projects, structured task management, and cross-platform productivity.
Pros:
- Focused task management experience
- Useful project organization
- Works for personal and professional tasks
- Strong task-oriented workflow
Cons:
- Can feel more structured than a minimal checklist
- Some advanced workflows may require additional configuration
TickTick
TickTick combines task management with a broader collection of productivity features designed for planning, reminders, recurring tasks, and routines.
It can be relevant for users who want the personal productivity focus of Things 3 but also want more functionality surrounding their task system.
Best suited for: Tasks, recurring work, reminders, routines, and broader personal productivity.
Pros:
- Broad productivity feature set
- Useful for recurring tasks and reminders
- Strong personal task management focus
- Supports multiple productivity workflows
Cons:
- Additional features can introduce complexity
- May be unnecessary if you only need basic task management
Microsoft To Do
Microsoft To Do takes a straightforward approach to personal task lists and daily planning.
It is useful for people who want to capture tasks, organize lists, and work through daily responsibilities without building a large productivity system.
Best suited for: Simple daily planning, personal task lists, and users working within the Microsoft ecosystem.
Pros:
- Simple task-focused workflow
- Easy to understand
- Useful for everyday planning
- Fits naturally into Microsoft's ecosystem
Cons:
- Less suited to highly customized productivity systems
- Advanced project workflows may require additional tools
Any.do
Any.do combines tasks, reminders, and daily planning into a workflow designed around everyday organization.
It can be useful for people who want their task manager to stay closely connected to their daily routine and schedule.
Best suited for: Daily planning, reminders, personal tasks, and schedule-oriented workflows.
Pros:
- Strong daily planning orientation
- Useful task and reminder workflow
- Designed around everyday routines
- Simple approach to personal organization
Cons:
- Complex project workflows may require additional structure
- Some users may prefer a more minimal interface
Todoal
Another option is to move away from the idea that a productivity app needs to model every part of your life.
Todoal focuses on everyday task management and daily productivity. The idea is straightforward: organize what needs to be done, understand what matters today, and keep the workflow centered around execution.
This can make sense for people who want a focused task system without needing their productivity application to become a massive workspace.
Best suited for: Daily planning, personal task management, and focused productivity.
Pros:
- Task-first workflow
- Focused on everyday productivity
- Useful for daily planning
- Less dependent on complex workspace configuration
Cons:
- Not designed to replace every project management platform
- Users needing specialized workflows may prefer another tool
Things 3 Alternatives Compared
These applications overlap in task management but differ in how they organize projects, routines, reminders, and daily work.
| Tool | Main Focus | Good For | Workflow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Todoist | Task management | Projects and personal tasks | Task-focused |
| TickTick | Productivity management | Tasks, reminders, and recurring work | Feature-rich |
| Microsoft To Do | Task lists | Simple daily planning | List-focused |
| Any.do | Tasks and planning | Daily routines and reminders | Planning-focused |
| Todoal | Daily productivity | Tasks and daily planning | Task-focused |
Things 3 vs Cross-Platform Task Managers
One reason users consider alternatives is platform availability. Things 3 is closely associated with Apple's ecosystem, while other task managers are built around broader platform availability.
If you work across different operating systems or regularly collaborate with people using different platforms, this can become an important part of your decision.
On the other hand, a platform-focused application can provide a tightly integrated personal workflow for people who stay within that ecosystem.
Neither approach is inherently better for every user. The relevant question is whether the platform strategy matches your own devices and working habits.
Think about the workflow first.
If you need a personal task manager, start there. If you need team collaboration, recurring work, advanced planning, or cross-platform access, make those requirements explicit before switching.
How to Choose a Things 3 Alternative
If you want structured task and project management, Todoist provides a dedicated task workflow.
If you want more productivity features around tasks, TickTick provides a broader system. If you want simple lists, Microsoft To Do keeps the workflow straightforward.
If daily planning and reminders are central to your workflow, Any.do is another option. If you want a focused task-first approach for everyday productivity, Todoal provides another way to organize your work.
The important thing is not to replace one productivity system with another simply because it looks interesting. Replace it because the new workflow solves a specific problem you actually have.
Do You Really Need a Things 3 Alternative?
Switching applications is not automatically a productivity improvement. Sometimes the existing system is perfectly adequate and the real issue is simply having too many commitments.
Before moving your tasks, projects, lists, and carefully accumulated productivity rituals into another application, identify what is actually missing.
If the problem is platform compatibility, look for broader platform support. If it is project organization, look for stronger project management. If it is daily planning, prioritize a workflow that makes your daily priorities easier to see.
Otherwise you may spend three hours migrating tasks just to discover that the tasks are still waiting for you afterward.