Productivity · head to head
Things 3 vs DeskTime
Things 3
Productivity
The award-winning personal task manager
- From
- $9.99/one-time
- Rated
- -
DeskTime
Productivity
Automatic computer activity tracking and productivity analytics
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only DeskTime has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Things 3 no team collaboration, task sharing, or task assignment features; DeskTime screenshots are excluded from the Pro plan and start at Premium
- They diverge on capability: Things 3 covers Today view, DeskTime covers Automatic activity tracking.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Things 3 and DeskTime actually diverge.
Identical on both: 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 Things 3
- Today view
- Projects and areas
- Quick entry
- Tags
- Calendar integration
- Apple Calendar
- Siri
- Shortcuts
Only in DeskTime
- Automatic activity tracking
- Application and website tracking
- Daily reports
- Weekly summaries
- Privacy-first design
- Detailed analytics
- Goal setting
- Mobile apps
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Things 3
- Schedulingnot DeskTime
- Appointment bookingnot DeskTime
- Time trackingnot DeskTime
- Resource managementnot DeskTime
- Team coordinationnot DeskTime
DeskTime
- Automatic time tracking of desktop app and website usagenot Things 3
- Measuring team productivity and idle timenot Things 3
- Scheduling shifts and tracking absencesnot Things 3
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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
DeskTime
- Screenshots are excluded from the Pro plan and start at Premium
- Integrations and API access require the Premium plan
- Shift scheduling requires the Premium plan
- Enterprise is aimed at 200+ users and is priced by quote with no published rate
- The advertised $6.42 and $9.17 per user rates require annual billing; monthly billing costs more
- The trial lasts 14 days
Pricing, plan by plan
Things 3
$9.99/one-time- iPhone/Watch$9.99/one-time
- iPad$19.99/one-time
- Mac$49.99/one-time
DeskTime
Free- FreeFree
- Activity tracking
- Basic reports
- Weekly emails
- Pro$9/month
- Everything in Free
- Advanced reports
- Detailed analytics
Which should you pick?
Choose Things 3 if
- You need today view.
- You work on macOS, iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, visionOS.
- You also want projects and areas.
Choose DeskTime if
- You need automatic activity tracking.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, IOS, Android, MacOS, Windows, Linux.
- You also want application and website tracking.
Questions people ask
- Is Things 3 or DeskTime better?
- Neither clearly leads. Things 3 starts at $9.99/one-time and DeskTime at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Things 3 or DeskTime?
- DeskTime has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $9.99/one-time for Things 3 and Free for DeskTime.
- Does Things 3 or DeskTime run on more platforms?
- Things 3 runs on macOS, iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, visionOS. DeskTime runs on Web, IOS, Android, MacOS, Windows, Linux.
- Can I use DeskTime for free?
- Yes. DeskTime has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Things 3 starts at $9.99/one-time.
- What is Things 3 best used for?
- Things 3 is most often used for scheduling, appointment booking, time tracking, resource management. Of those, scheduling and appointment booking are not what DeskTime is typically brought in for.
- What can Things 3 do that DeskTime cannot?
- Things 3 covers Today view, Projects and areas, Quick entry, Tags. DeskTime covers Automatic activity tracking, Application and website tracking, Daily reports, Weekly summaries.
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.
SourceThings 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.
SourceThings 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.
SourceThings 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.
SourceThings 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