Softwr

Productivity · head to head

Canary Mail vs Things 3

Canary Mail logo

Canary Mail

Productivity

Security-focused AI email client with end-to-end encryption and a lifetime purchase option

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 Canary Mail has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Canary Mail pGP encryption only protects a message if the recipient also supports and uses PGP, so most everyday mail to non-technical contacts stays unencrypted regardless.; Things 3 no team collaboration, task sharing, or task assignment features
  • They diverge on capability: Canary Mail covers AI Copilot, Things 3 covers Today view.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Canary Mail and Things 3 actually diverge.

Attributes where Canary Mail and Things 3 differ
AttributeCanary MailThings 3
Starting priceFree$9.99/one-time
Pricing modelPer user per year, or one-time purchaseUnknown
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsmacOS, Windows, iOS, AndroidmacOS, iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, visionOS
FoundedUnknown2004

Identical on both: 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 Canary Mail

  • AI Copilot
  • AI Summaries
  • Smart Search
  • PGP encryption
  • Read receipts
  • Lifetime licence

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.

Canary Mail

  • A privacy-conscious user who wants PGP encryption built into a mainstream-feeling clientnot Things 3
  • Someone who wants to avoid an open-ended subscription and prefers a lifetime purchasenot Things 3
  • A user who wants AI summaries without sending mail content through an unfamiliar third party indefinitelynot Things 3
  • Someone consolidating several IMAP accounts into one client with unified searchnot Things 3

Things 3

  • Schedulingnot Canary Mail
  • Appointment bookingnot Canary Mail
  • Time trackingnot Canary Mail
  • Resource managementnot Canary Mail
  • Team coordinationnot Canary Mail

Where each one falls short

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

Canary Mail

  • PGP encryption only protects a message if the recipient also supports and uses PGP, so most everyday mail to non-technical contacts stays unencrypted regardless.
  • Team and shared-inbox features are minimal compared with Spark or dedicated tools, so it does not suit a support team out of the box.
  • The lifetime purchase price and terms have shifted over past versions, and buyers should confirm current lifetime pricing directly before assuming it still applies.
  • AI features still require sending thread content to a processing service to generate drafts and summaries, so the privacy story is stronger for encryption than for the AI layer itself.
  • Windows and Android apps have historically received updates later than the macOS and iOS versions.

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

Canary Mail

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Unified inbox
    • Basic search
    • PGP support
  • Growth$36/year
    • AI Copilot and summaries
    • Send later
    • Inbox cleaner
  • Pro+$100/year
    • Advanced security features
    • Priority support
    • All Growth features

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 Canary Mail if

  • You need ai copilot.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on macOS, Windows, iOS, Android.
  • You also want ai summaries.
Canary Mail 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 Canary Mail or Things 3 better?
Neither clearly leads. Canary Mail 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, Canary Mail or Things 3?
Canary Mail has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Canary Mail and $9.99/one-time for Things 3.
Does Canary Mail or Things 3 run on more platforms?
Canary Mail runs on macOS, Windows, iOS, Android. Things 3 runs on macOS, iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, visionOS.
Can I use Canary Mail for free?
Yes. Canary Mail has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Things 3 starts at $9.99/one-time.
What is Canary Mail best used for?
Canary Mail is most often used for a privacy-conscious user who wants pgp encryption built into a mainstream-feeling client, someone who wants to avoid an open-ended subscription and prefers a lifetime purchase, a user who wants ai summaries without sending mail content through an unfamiliar third party indefinitely, someone consolidating several imap accounts into one client with unified search. Of those, a privacy-conscious user who wants pgp encryption built into a mainstream-feeling client and someone who wants to avoid an open-ended subscription and prefers a lifetime purchase are not what Things 3 is typically brought in for.
What can Canary Mail do that Things 3 cannot?
Canary Mail covers AI Copilot, AI Summaries, Smart Search, PGP encryption. Things 3 covers Today view, Projects and areas, Quick entry, Tags.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Canary Mail: Does Canary Mail host my email?

No, it is a client over Gmail, Outlook, iCloud or IMAP accounts you already have.

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
Canary Mail: Is the lifetime licence still available?

Canary has offered a one-time lifetime purchase alongside its subscriptions; check current pricing on their site as terms have changed over time.

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
Canary Mail: Does PGP encryption work automatically?

Only between users who both have PGP set up; it does not encrypt mail to recipients without it.

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
Share

Related pages

More on Canary Mail

More on Things 3

Keep looking

Other head to heads