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Design Tools · head to head

Rive vs Things 3

Rive logo

Rive

Design Tools

Create interactive animations for any platform

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 Rive has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Rive limited ecosystem of plugins and third-party templates compared to established tools like After Effects; Things 3 no team collaboration, task sharing, or task assignment features
  • They diverge on capability: Rive covers Vector animation, Things 3 covers Today view.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Rive and Things 3 differ
AttributeRiveThings 3
Starting priceFree$9.99/one-time
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, Game enginesmacOS, iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, visionOS
CategoryDesign ToolsProductivity
Founded20192004

Identical on both: pricing model (Unknown), 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 Rive

  • Vector animation
  • State machines
  • Skeletal animation
  • Code export
  • Real-time preview
  • Flutter
  • React
  • iOS SDK

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.

Rive

  • UI animationsnot Things 3
  • Interactive graphicsnot Things 3
  • Game animationsnot Things 3
  • Micro-interactionsnot Things 3

Things 3

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

Where each one falls short

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

Rive

  • Limited ecosystem of plugins and third-party templates compared to established tools like After Effects
  • Not ideal for simple looping animations or static graphics that do not require interactivity
  • Production use can expose bugs and rough edges in the editor and runtime
  • No support for 3D animations; limited to 2D vector-based graphics

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

Rive

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Design and animate
    • Team collaboration
    • Cannot export or ship
  • Cadet$9/month
    • Export and ship animations
    • Up to 1 team member seat
  • Voyager$32/month
    • Multiple team member seats
    • Advanced features
    • Priority support
  • Enterprise$120/month
    • Custom solutions
    • Dedicated support

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 Rive if

  • You need vector animation.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, Game engines.
  • You also want state machines.
Rive 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 Rive or Things 3 better?
Neither clearly leads. Rive 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, Rive or Things 3?
Rive has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Rive and $9.99/one-time for Things 3.
Does Rive or Things 3 run on more platforms?
Rive runs on Web, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, Game engines. Things 3 runs on macOS, iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, visionOS.
Can I use Rive for free?
Yes. Rive has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Things 3 starts at $9.99/one-time.
What is Rive best used for?
Rive is most often used for ui animations, interactive graphics, game animations, micro-interactions. Of those, ui animations and interactive graphics are not what Things 3 is typically brought in for.
What can Rive do that Things 3 cannot?
Rive covers Vector animation, State machines, Skeletal animation, Code export. Things 3 covers Today view, Projects and areas, Quick entry, Tags.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Rive: Does Rive replace Adobe After Effects?

No. After Effects creates video files ideal for broadcast, explainers, and YouTube content. Rive creates interactive runtime files that respond to user input in real-time. Use After Effects for video production and Rive for app UI, micro-interactions, and responsive animations in web and mobile products.

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
Rive: What platforms can I export Rive animations to?

Rive exports to Web, iOS, Android, macOS, and game engines (Unity, Unreal, Defold). It also integrates with frameworks like React, React Native, Flutter, and no-code builders like Framer, Webflow, and Wix Studio.

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
Rive: Is Rive free to use?

Yes, Rive offers a free plan that allows you to design, animate, and collaborate for free. Paid plans (Cadet $9/mo, Voyager $32/mo, Enterprise $120/mo) are required to export animations and ship them to production environments.

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
Rive: Does Rive work with React, Vue, and other web frameworks?

Yes. Rive provides official runtimes and libraries for React, React Native, and Flutter. The Rive Renderer is GPU-accelerated and runs at 120fps with MIT-licensed runtimes you can contribute to and modify.

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
Rive: Can I create 3D animations with Rive?

Rive is a 2D vector animation tool focused on interactive vector graphics. For 3D design and animation, consider Spline or Blender. Rive excels at UI animations, micro-interactions, and responsive 2D graphics.

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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