Softwr

Productivity · head to head

PDF Expert vs Things 3

PDF Expert logo

PDF Expert

Productivity

PDF Expert puts Adobe Acrobat to shame

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: PDF Expert pricing displayed in AED (United Arab Emirates Dirham), not widely recognized currency; Things 3 no team collaboration, task sharing, or task assignment features
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which PDF Expert and Things 3 actually diverge.

Attributes where PDF Expert and Things 3 differ
AttributePDF ExpertThings 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 PDF Expert

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.

PDF Expert

  • PDF editing and annotationnot Things 3
  • Document conversion to PDFnot Things 3
  • PDF text recognition (OCR)not Things 3
  • Digital document signaturesnot Things 3
  • Cross-device PDF managementnot Things 3

Things 3

  • Schedulingnot PDF Expert
  • Appointment bookingnot PDF Expert
  • Time trackingnot PDF Expert
  • Resource managementnot PDF Expert
  • Team coordinationnot PDF Expert

Where each one falls short

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

PDF Expert

  • Pricing displayed in AED (United Arab Emirates Dirham), not widely recognized currency
  • Essential and Pro plans offer identical features despite different pricing
  • Lifetime plan limited to Mac only
  • New features beyond initial purchase may cost extra

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

PDF Expert

On request
  • Essential$199.99/year
    • iPhone, iPad, and Mac access
    • AI assistant
    • PDF conversion
  • Pro$309.99/year
    • All Essential features
    • iPhone, iPad, and Mac access
    • AI assistant
  • Lifetime$499.99/one-time
    • Mac only
    • Perpetual license
    • All core 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 PDF Expert if

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

PDF Expert 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 PDF Expert or Things 3 better?
Neither clearly leads. PDF Expert 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, PDF Expert or Things 3?
PDF Expert starts at On request and Things 3 at $9.99/one-time.
Does PDF Expert or Things 3 run on more platforms?
PDF Expert runs on Web. Things 3 runs on macOS, iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, visionOS.
What is PDF Expert best used for?
PDF Expert is most often used for pdf editing and annotation, document conversion to pdf, pdf text recognition (ocr), digital document signatures. Of those, pdf editing and annotation and document conversion to pdf are not what Things 3 is typically brought in for.
What can PDF Expert do that Things 3 cannot?
Things 3 covers Today view, Projects and areas, Quick entry, Tags.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

PDF Expert: How much does PDF Expert cost annually?

PDF Expert's Essential plan costs AED199.99/year and the Pro plan costs AED309.99/year. Both plans include iPhone, iPad, and Mac access, AI assistant, PDF conversion, OCR, digital signatures, and priority support.

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
PDF Expert: Does PDF Expert offer a lifetime purchase option?

Yes. PDF Expert offers a Lifetime plan for AED499.99 as a one-time payment, but this license is restricted to Mac only.

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
PDF Expert: Is there a money-back guarantee for PDF Expert?

Yes. All plans include a 30-day money-back guarantee if you are not satisfied.

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
PDF Expert: Can students get a discount on PDF Expert?

Yes. Students and educators can receive up to 50% off annual subscriptions through educational email verification.

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 PDF Expert

More on Things 3

Keep looking

Other head to heads