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Scheduling & Booking · head to head

Cal.com vs Things 3

Cal.com logo

Cal.com

Scheduling & Booking

Scheduling infrastructure for everyone

From
Free
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

  • Only Cal.com has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Cal.com free plan limited to single user only; Things 3 no team collaboration, task sharing, or task assignment features
  • They diverge on capability: Cal.com covers Custom booking pages, Things 3 covers Today view.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Cal.com and Things 3 actually diverge.

Attributes where Cal.com and Things 3 differ
AttributeCal.comThings 3
Starting priceFree$9.99/one-time
Pricing modelfreemiumUnknown
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Mobile app, Browser extensionmacOS, iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, visionOS
CategoryScheduling & BookingProductivity
Founded20212004

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 Cal.com

  • Custom booking pages
  • Team scheduling
  • Collective scheduling
  • Routing forms
  • Webhooks
  • Google Calendar
  • Outlook
  • Zoom

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.

Cal.com

  • Schedule meetings and manage availabilitynot Things 3
  • Accept payments via Stripe and PayPalnot Things 3
  • Integrate with Salesforce and HubSpotnot Things 3

Things 3

  • Schedulingnot Cal.com
  • Appointment bookingnot Cal.com
  • Time trackingnot Cal.com
  • Resource managementnot Cal.com
  • Team coordinationnot Cal.com

Where each one falls short

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

Cal.com

  • Free plan limited to single user only
  • Free plan restricted to 1 user account
  • Teams plan requires yearly billing at $12/user/month
  • Organizations plan requires yearly billing at $28/user/month
  • Free plan lacks team collaboration features

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

Cal.com

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Cal.com 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 Cal.com if

  • You need custom booking pages.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile app, Browser extension.
  • You also want team scheduling.
Cal.com 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 Cal.com or Things 3 better?
Neither clearly leads. Cal.com 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, Cal.com or Things 3?
Cal.com has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Cal.com and $9.99/one-time for Things 3.
Does Cal.com or Things 3 run on more platforms?
Cal.com runs on Web, Mobile app, Browser extension. Things 3 runs on macOS, iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, visionOS.
Can I use Cal.com for free?
Yes. Cal.com has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Things 3 starts at $9.99/one-time.
What is Cal.com best used for?
Cal.com is most often used for schedule meetings and manage availability, accept payments via stripe and paypal, integrate with salesforce and hubspot. Of those, schedule meetings and manage availability and accept payments via stripe and paypal are not what Things 3 is typically brought in for.
What can Cal.com do that Things 3 cannot?
Cal.com covers Custom booking pages, Team scheduling, Collective scheduling, Routing forms. 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

More on Cal.com

More on Things 3

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