Productivity · head to head
AnyList vs Things 3
AnyList
Productivity
Grocery list and recipe app with fast list sorting and cross-household sharing, sold as a paid subscription
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
Things 3
Productivity
The award-winning personal task manager
- From
- $9.99/one-time
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: AnyList it requires a paid subscription for full functionality, competing directly against Bring and Samsung Food, which are free for a similar core task.; Things 3 no team collaboration, task sharing, or task assignment features
- They diverge on capability: AnyList covers Real-time list sync, Things 3 covers Today view.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which AnyList and Things 3 actually diverge.
Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Productivity).
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 AnyList
- Real-time list sync
- Store-layout sorting
- Recipe import
- Meal planning calendar
- Barcode scanning
- Multiple list 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.
AnyList
- A household that grocery shops together and wants a list that instantly reflects what a partner already addednot Things 3
- Someone who wants their shopping list automatically ordered to match their regular store layoutnot Things 3
- A home cook who saves many recipes online and wants ingredients converted into a list automaticallynot Things 3
- A family planning meals for the week who wants that plan linked directly to a shopping listnot Things 3
Things 3
- Schedulingnot AnyList
- Appointment bookingnot AnyList
- Time trackingnot AnyList
- Resource managementnot AnyList
- Team coordinationnot AnyList
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
AnyList
- It requires a paid subscription for full functionality, competing directly against Bring and Samsung Food, which are free for a similar core task.
- Store-layout sorting has to be configured per store, which takes upfront setup time before it pays off.
- Recipe import quality depends on how a source website is structured, similarly to other recipe-import tools.
- It lacks the appliance integration that Samsung Food offers for households with Samsung smart kitchen hardware.
- A household unwilling to pay may find a free competitor covers their needs adequately, making the subscription hard to justify.
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
AnyList
On request- AnyList Complete$9.99/year
- Full recipe manager
- Store-layout item sorting
- Meal planning calendar
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 AnyList if
- You need real-time list sync.
- You work on iOS, Android, Web.
- You also want store-layout sorting.
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 AnyList or Things 3 better?
- Neither clearly leads. AnyList starts at On request 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, AnyList or Things 3?
- AnyList starts at On request and Things 3 at $9.99/one-time.
- Does AnyList or Things 3 run on more platforms?
- AnyList runs on iOS, Android, Web. Things 3 runs on macOS, iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, visionOS.
- What is AnyList best used for?
- AnyList is most often used for a household that grocery shops together and wants a list that instantly reflects what a partner already added, someone who wants their shopping list automatically ordered to match their regular store layout, a home cook who saves many recipes online and wants ingredients converted into a list automatically, a family planning meals for the week who wants that plan linked directly to a shopping list. Of those, a household that grocery shops together and wants a list that instantly reflects what a partner already added and someone who wants their shopping list automatically ordered to match their regular store layout are not what Things 3 is typically brought in for.
- What can AnyList do that Things 3 cannot?
- AnyList covers Real-time list sync, Store-layout sorting, Recipe import, Meal planning calendar. Things 3 covers Today view, Projects and areas, Quick entry, Tags.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
AnyList: Is AnyList free?
There is a free trial, but full ongoing use requires a paid subscription.
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.
SourceAnyList: How is it different from Bring?
AnyList charges a subscription for a more capable recipe manager and store-layout sorting; Bring is free with a simpler feature set.
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.
SourceAnyList: Does it support recipe import?
Yes, it can import recipes from websites and convert ingredients into shopping list items.
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.
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 Samsung Food
- Things 3 vs Bring!
- Things 3 vs Mealime
- Things 3 vs Paprika Recipe Manager
- Things 3 vs Day One
- Things 3 vs Reflect
- Things 3 vs Streaks
- Things 3 vs Todoist
- Things 3 vs Alfred
- Things 3 vs Coggle
- Things 3 vs TickTick
- Things 3 vs Bluemail
- Things 3 vs Akiflow
- Things 3 vs Any.do
- Things 3 vs Forest
- Things 3 vs HEY
- Things 3 vs Hubstaff
- Things 3 vs Bear Notes
- Things 3 vs Ulysses
- Things 3 vs OmniFocus 3
- Things 3 vs Brain.fm
- Things 3 vs Focus@Will
- Things 3 vs Focusmate
- Things 3 vs Lazy
- Things 3 vs Bear
- Things 3 vs Habitica
- Things 3 vs Tana
- Things 3 vs Google Slides
- Things 3 vs Pitch
- Things 3 vs Spark Mail
- Things 3 vs Google Workspace