Softwr

Project Management · head to head

Clockwise vs Things 3

C

Clockwise

Project Management

Intelligent calendar management for teams

From
Free
Rated
-
Things 3 logo

Things 3

Productivity

The award-winning personal task manager

From
$9.99/one-time
Rated
-

The short version

  • Only Clockwise has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Clockwise service discontinued and shut down on March 27, 2026; Things 3 no team collaboration, task sharing, or task assignment features
  • They diverge on capability: Clockwise covers Focus Time protection, Things 3 covers Today view.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Clockwise and Things 3 differ
AttributeClockwiseThings 3
Starting priceFree$9.99/one-time
Pricing modelfreemiumUnknown
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWebmacOS, iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, visionOS
CategoryProject ManagementProductivity
Founded20162004

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 Clockwise

  • Focus Time protection
  • Meeting optimization
  • Scheduling links
  • Team analytics
  • Conflict resolution
  • Google Calendar
  • Slack
  • 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.

Clockwise

  • Scheduling
  • Appointment booking
  • Time tracking
  • Resource management
  • Team coordination

Things 3

  • Scheduling
  • Appointment booking
  • Time tracking
  • Resource management
  • Team coordination

Both are used for scheduling, appointment booking, time tracking, resource management, team coordination, on those jobs the choice comes down to price and fit rather than capability.

Where each one falls short

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

Clockwise

  • Service discontinued and shut down on March 27, 2026
  • All user data was deleted upon shutdown
  • Integration with Asana was removed during product lifecycle

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

Clockwise

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Focus Time
    • Meeting optimization
    • Personal analytics
  • Teams$6.75/month
    • Team analytics
    • Flexible meetings
    • Admin controls

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 Clockwise if

  • You need focus time protection.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want meeting optimization.

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 Clockwise or Things 3 better?
Neither clearly leads. Clockwise 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, Clockwise or Things 3?
Clockwise has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Clockwise and $9.99/one-time for Things 3.
Does Clockwise or Things 3 run on more platforms?
Clockwise runs on Web. Things 3 runs on macOS, iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, visionOS.
Can I use Clockwise for free?
Yes. Clockwise has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Things 3 starts at $9.99/one-time.
What is Clockwise best used for?
Clockwise is most often used for scheduling, appointment booking, time tracking, resource management.
What can Clockwise do that Things 3 cannot?
Clockwise covers Focus Time protection, Meeting optimization, Scheduling links, Team analytics. Things 3 covers Today view, Projects and areas, Quick entry, Tags.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Clockwise: What happened to Clockwise?

Clockwise was acquired by Salesforce and shut down on March 27, 2026. The company announced the team was joining Salesforce to work on Agentforce. User data was deleted and prorated refunds were issued to paying customers.

Source
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
Clockwise: What integrations did Clockwise support?

Clockwise integrated with Google Calendar, Microsoft Outlook, Slack, and previously Asana (though this integration was discontinued).

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
Clockwise: What were Clockwise's key features?

Clockwise offered AI-powered focus time protection, automatic meeting buffers, Slack status sync, smart lunch breaks, and team calendar synchronization to optimize schedules and prevent burnout.

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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