Softwr

Productivity · head to head

Bear vs Things 3

Bear logo

Bear

Productivity

Markdown notes for Apple devices

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Things 3 logo

Things 3

Productivity

The award-winning personal task manager

From
$9.99/one-time
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Bear built for Apple hardware only, with no Windows, Android or web client; Things 3 no team collaboration, task sharing, or task assignment features

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Bear and Things 3 actually diverge.

Attributes where Bear and Things 3 differ
AttributeBearThings 3
Starting priceOn request$9.99/one-time
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
PlatformsWebmacOS, iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, visionOS
FoundedUnknown2004

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 Bear

Nothing recorded that Things 3 does not also cover.

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.

Bear

No use cases recorded yet. See the Bear review.

Things 3

  • Schedulingnot Bear
  • Appointment bookingnot Bear
  • Time trackingnot Bear
  • Resource managementnot Bear
  • Team coordinationnot Bear

Where each one falls short

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

Bear

  • Built for Apple hardware only, with no Windows, Android or web client
  • Free tier is limited to 3 themes, 1 app icon and restricted export formats; iCloud sync requires Bear Pro
  • Bear Pro is $2.99 per month or $29.99 per year after a 7 day free trial

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

Bear

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Bear review.

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 Bear if

Nothing in the data separates Bear from Things 3 on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Bear 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 Bear or Things 3 better?
Neither clearly leads. Bear 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, Bear or Things 3?
Bear starts at On request and Things 3 at $9.99/one-time.
Does Bear or Things 3 run on more platforms?
Bear runs on Web. Things 3 runs on macOS, iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, visionOS.
What can Bear do that Things 3 cannot?
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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Related pages

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