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Signal vs Things 3

Signal logo

Signal

All industries

Speak Freely

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 Signal has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Signal signal must be installed on a phone before the desktop app can be used, so there is no phone-free desktop-only account; Things 3 no team collaboration, task sharing, or task assignment features
  • They diverge on capability: Signal covers End-to-end encryption, Things 3 covers Today view.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Signal and Things 3 differ
AttributeSignalThings 3
Starting priceFree$9.99/one-time
Pricing modelfreeUnknown
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWindows, Macos, Linux, Ios, AndroidmacOS, iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, visionOS
CategoryAll industriesProductivity
Founded20102004

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 Signal

  • End-to-end encryption
  • Disappearing messages
  • Screen security
  • Group chats
  • Voice calls
  • Video calls
  • File sharing
  • No data collection

Only in Things 3

  • Today view
  • Projects and areas
  • Quick entry
  • Tags
  • Calendar integration
  • Apple Calendar
  • Siri
  • Shortcuts

Both cover

  • Macos support
  • Ios support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Signal

  • Private messagingnot Things 3
  • Secure group communicationnot Things 3
  • Confidential conversationsnot Things 3
  • Journalism communicationnot Things 3
  • Family messagingnot Things 3

Things 3

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

Where each one falls short

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

Signal

  • Signal must be installed on a phone before the desktop app can be used, so there is no phone-free desktop-only account

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

Signal

Free
  • FreeFree
    • End-to-end encrypted messaging
    • Voice and video calls
    • Group chats

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 Signal if

  • You need end-to-end encryption.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android.
  • You also want disappearing messages.
Signal 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 Signal or Things 3 better?
Neither clearly leads. Signal 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, Signal or Things 3?
Signal has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Signal and $9.99/one-time for Things 3.
Does Signal or Things 3 run on more platforms?
Signal runs on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android. Things 3 runs on macOS, iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, visionOS.
Can I use Signal for free?
Yes. Signal has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Things 3 starts at $9.99/one-time.
What is Signal best used for?
Signal is most often used for private messaging, secure group communication, confidential conversations, journalism communication. Of those, private messaging and secure group communication are not what Things 3 is typically brought in for.
What can Signal do that Things 3 cannot?
Signal covers End-to-end encryption, Disappearing messages, Screen security, Group chats. Things 3 covers Today view, Projects and areas, Quick entry, Tags. Both handle Macos support, Ios support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
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
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

More on Signal

More on Things 3

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