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Software · head to head

Affinity Designer vs Things 3

Affinity Designer logo

Affinity Designer

Software

Professional graphic design software for everyone

From
$69.99/one-time
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Things 3 logo

Things 3

Software

The award-winning personal task manager

From
$9.99/one-time
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Affinity Designer sold as a one-time purchase rather than a subscription: the Windows or macOS edition was priced at CA$94.99, the cross-platform Universal License at CA$224.99, and the standalone iPad edition at CA$24.99 (Internet Archive capture, 1 January 2024); Things 3 no team collaboration, task sharing, or task assignment features
  • They diverge on capability: Affinity Designer covers Vector drawing, Things 3 covers Today view.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Affinity Designer and Things 3 actually diverge.

Attributes where Affinity Designer and Things 3 differ
AttributeAffinity DesignerThings 3
Starting price$69.99/one-time$9.99/one-time
Pricing modelone-timeUnknown
PlatformsWindows, Macos, IosmacOS, iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, visionOS
Founded19942004

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Affinity Designer

  • Vector drawing
  • Bezier tools
  • Gradient tools
  • Typography
  • Pixel-perfect editing
  • Artboards
  • Symbols
  • Non-destructive effects

Only in Things 3

  • Today view
  • Projects and areas
  • Quick entry
  • Tags
  • Calendar integration
  • Apple Calendar
  • Siri
  • Shortcuts

Both cover

  • Macos support
  • Ios support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Affinity Designer

  • Logo designnot Things 3
  • Vector illustrationnot Things 3
  • Icon designnot Things 3
  • Brandingnot Things 3

Things 3

  • Schedulingnot Affinity Designer
  • Appointment bookingnot Affinity Designer
  • Time trackingnot Affinity Designer
  • Resource managementnot Affinity Designer
  • Team coordinationnot Affinity Designer

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Affinity Designer

  • Sold as a one-time purchase rather than a subscription: the Windows or macOS edition was priced at CA$94.99, the cross-platform Universal License at CA$224.99, and the standalone iPad edition at CA$24.99 (Internet Archive capture, 1 January 2024)

Things 3

  • No team collaboration, task sharing, or task assignment features
  • Apple ecosystem only, with no Windows, Android, or web version
  • No third-party app integrations beyond Apple's ecosystem
  • Cannot attach files or images to tasks, only text notes
  • No time blocking or calendar integration for scheduling tasks into specific time slots

Pricing, plan by plan

Affinity Designer

$69.99/one-time
  • Standard$69.99/one-time
    • Full version
    • All features
    • Lifetime updates

Things 3

$9.99/one-time
  • iPhone/Watch$9.99/one-time
  • iPad$19.99/one-time
  • Mac$49.99/one-time

Which should you pick?

Choose Affinity Designer if

  • You need vector drawing.
  • You work on Windows, Macos, Ios.
  • You also want bezier tools.
Affinity Designer review

Choose Things 3 if

  • You need today view.
  • You work on macOS, iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, visionOS.
  • You also want projects and areas.
Things 3 review

Questions people ask

Is Affinity Designer or Things 3 better?
Neither clearly leads. Affinity Designer starts at $69.99/one-time and Things 3 at $9.99/one-time, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Affinity Designer or Things 3?
Affinity Designer starts at $69.99/one-time and Things 3 at $9.99/one-time.
Does Affinity Designer or Things 3 run on more platforms?
Affinity Designer runs on Windows, Macos, Ios. Things 3 runs on macOS, iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, visionOS.
What is Affinity Designer best used for?
Affinity Designer is most often used for logo design, vector illustration, icon design, branding. Of those, logo design and vector illustration are not what Things 3 is typically brought in for.
What can Affinity Designer do that Things 3 cannot?
Affinity Designer covers Vector drawing, Bezier tools, Gradient tools, Typography. Things 3 covers Today view, Projects and areas, Quick entry, Tags. Both handle Macos support, Ios support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Things 3: Does Things 3 support team collaboration?

No. Things 3 is designed for individual use only with no task sharing, team workspaces, task assignment, or commenting features.

Source
Things 3: What platforms does Things 3 run on?

Things 3 is exclusive to Apple devices: macOS, iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, and visionOS. There is no Windows, Android, or web version.

Source
Things 3: How much does Things 3 cost?

Things 3 uses a one-time purchase model: $9.99 for iPhone/Watch, $19.99 for iPad, and $49.99 for Mac. Total cost for all platforms is approximately $80 with no subscription required.

Source
Things 3: Does Things 3 sync across devices?

Yes. Things Cloud keeps your to-dos in sync across all your Apple devices automatically. There is no extra cost for cloud synchronization.

Source
Things 3: Can you attach files or images to tasks in Things 3?

No. Things 3 does not support attachments. You can only add notes (text) to tasks.

Source
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Related pages

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