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AI Tools · head to head

AI21 Labs vs Things 3

AI21 Labs logo

AI21 Labs

AI Tools

Enterprise language AI solutions

From
Free
Rated
-
Things 3 logo

Things 3

AI Tools

The award-winning personal task manager

From
$9.99/one-time
Rated
-

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.

Attributes where AI21 Labs and Things 3 differ
AttributeAI21 LabsThings 3
Starting priceFree$9.99/one-time
Pricing modelusage-basedUnknown
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsApi, CloudmacOS, iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, visionOS
CategoryAI ToolsUnknown
Founded20172004

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.

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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