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Expensify vs Things 3

Expensify logo

Expensify

All industries

Expense management for receipts, bills & more

From
$5/month
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: Expensify minimal offline expense entry capabilities hamper use in areas with unstable internet; Things 3 no team collaboration, task sharing, or task assignment features
  • They diverge on capability: Expensify covers SmartScan receipts, Things 3 covers Today view.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Expensify and Things 3 differ
AttributeExpensifyThings 3
Starting price$5/month$9.99/one-time
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidmacOS, iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, visionOS
CategoryAll industriesProductivity
Founded20082004

Identical on both: pricing model (Unknown), free tier (No), 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 Expensify

  • SmartScan receipts
  • Expense reports
  • Corporate cards
  • Reimbursements
  • Travel booking
  • Mileage tracking
  • Multi-currency
  • Real-time syncing

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.

Expensify

  • Expense reportingnot Things 3
  • Receipt managementnot Things 3
  • Travel expensesnot Things 3
  • Corporate card managementnot Things 3
  • Reimbursementsnot Things 3

Things 3

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

Where each one falls short

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

Expensify

  • Minimal offline expense entry capabilities hamper use in areas with unstable internet
  • OCR receipt data extraction requires manual review and correction for accuracy
  • Per-user pricing model increases costs for larger organizations

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

Expensify

$5/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Expensify 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 Expensify if

  • You need smartscan receipts.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want expense reports.
Expensify 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 Expensify or Things 3 better?
Neither clearly leads. Expensify starts at $5/month 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, Expensify or Things 3?
Expensify starts at $5/month and Things 3 at $9.99/one-time.
Does Expensify or Things 3 run on more platforms?
Expensify runs on Web, iOS, Android. Things 3 runs on macOS, iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, visionOS.
What is Expensify best used for?
Expensify is most often used for expense reporting, receipt management, travel expenses, corporate card management. Of those, expense reporting and receipt management are not what Things 3 is typically brought in for.
What can Expensify do that Things 3 cannot?
Expensify covers SmartScan receipts, Expense reports, Corporate cards, Reimbursements. Things 3 covers Today view, Projects and areas, Quick entry, Tags.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Expensify: How does Expensify capture receipts?

Expensify uses SmartScan technology with OCR to automatically extract data from receipt images, reducing manual data entry. Users can photograph receipts with their phone to quickly create expense entries.

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
Expensify: What reimbursement methods does Expensify support?

Expensify supports ACH reimbursement via direct deposit after setting up a direct deposit account. Next-day reimbursement is available, or standard processing takes 3-5 business days.

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
Expensify: How does Expensify offline mode work?

Expensify has limited offline capabilities. Users can capture receipts offline, but data syncs when internet connectivity is restored. Full functionality requires online access.

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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