AI Tools · head to head
AI21 Labs vs Things 3
The short version
- Only AI21 Labs has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: AI21 Labs the free allowance is $10 of credit lasting 7 days rather than an ongoing free tier; Things 3 no team collaboration, task sharing, or task assignment features
- They diverge on capability: AI21 Labs covers Jamba models, Things 3 covers Today view.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which AI21 Labs and Things 3 actually diverge.
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).
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 AI21 Labs
- Jamba models
- Long context
- RAG engine
- Writing tools
- REST API
- Amazon Bedrock
- Cloud platforms
- Api support
Only in Things 3
- Today view
- Projects and areas
- Quick entry
- Tags
- Calendar integration
- Apple Calendar
- Siri
- Shortcuts
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
AI21 Labs
- Running long-context tasks on the Jamba model familynot Things 3
- Building and optimising production AI agents with Maestronot Things 3
- Routing between models to control cost and accuracynot Things 3
- Long-horizon agentic tasks needing stateful workspacesnot Things 3
Things 3
- Schedulingnot AI21 Labs
- Appointment bookingnot AI21 Labs
- Time trackingnot AI21 Labs
- Resource managementnot AI21 Labs
- Team coordinationnot AI21 Labs
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
AI21 Labs
- The free allowance is $10 of credit lasting 7 days rather than an ongoing free tier
- Jamba Large is $2 per million input tokens and $8 per million output, so output-heavy work costs four times as much as input
- Volume discounts, private cloud hosting and higher rate limits require a custom plan
- Standard rate limits are not published
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
AI21 Labs
Free- Free TrialFree
- Limited usage
- API access
- Jamba$0.2/per-million-input-tokens
- 256K context
- Hybrid architecture
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 AI21 Labs if
- You need jamba models.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Api, Cloud.
- You also want long context.
Choose Things 3 if
- You need today view.
- You work on macOS, iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, visionOS.
- You also want projects and areas.
Questions people ask
- Is AI21 Labs or Things 3 better?
- Neither clearly leads. AI21 Labs starts at Free 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, AI21 Labs or Things 3?
- AI21 Labs has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for AI21 Labs and $9.99/one-time for Things 3.
- Does AI21 Labs or Things 3 run on more platforms?
- AI21 Labs runs on Api, Cloud. Things 3 runs on macOS, iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, visionOS.
- Can I use AI21 Labs for free?
- Yes. AI21 Labs has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Things 3 starts at $9.99/one-time.
- What is AI21 Labs best used for?
- AI21 Labs is most often used for running long-context tasks on the jamba model family, building and optimising production ai agents with maestro, routing between models to control cost and accuracy, long-horizon agentic tasks needing stateful workspaces. Of those, running long-context tasks on the jamba model family and building and optimising production ai agents with maestro are not what Things 3 is typically brought in for.
- What can AI21 Labs do that Things 3 cannot?
- AI21 Labs covers Jamba models, Long context, RAG engine, Writing tools. Things 3 covers Today view, Projects and areas, Quick entry, Tags.
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.
SourceThings 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.
SourceThings 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.
SourceThings 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.
SourceThings 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.
SourceRelated pages
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- Things 3 vs Pika
- Things 3 vs Anthropic API
- Things 3 vs D-ID
- Things 3 vs Fathom
- Things 3 vs Stable Diffusion
- Things 3 vs ChatGPT
- Things 3 vs Copy.ai
- Things 3 vs HeyGen
- Things 3 vs Jasper
- Things 3 vs Leonardo AI
- Things 3 vs Murf
- Things 3 vs Perplexity
- Things 3 vs Pi
- Things 3 vs Play.ht
- Things 3 vs Replicate
- Things 3 vs Replika
- Things 3 vs Rytr
- Things 3 vs Together AI
- Things 3 vs Todoist
- Things 3 vs OmniFocus 3
- Things 3 vs Brain.fm
- Things 3 vs TickTick
- Things 3 vs Akiflow
- Things 3 vs Any.do
- Things 3 vs Focus@Will
- Things 3 vs Forest
- Things 3 vs Google Workspace
- Things 3 vs Hubstaff
- Things 3 vs Remember The Milk
- Things 3 vs Structured
- Things 3 vs Tana
- Things 3 vs Time Doctor
- Things 3 vs 7-Zip
- Things 3 vs Bear
- Things 3 vs Bear Notes
- Things 3 vs BoldSign


