Productivity · head to head
Things 3 vs Microsoft OneNote
Things 3
Productivity
The award-winning personal task manager
- From
- $9.99/one-time
- Rated
- -
Microsoft OneNote
Productivity
Free digital note-taking application for all devices
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Microsoft OneNote 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; Microsoft OneNote full-featured OneNote requires a paid Microsoft 365 subscription (from $9.99 per month for Personal); the standalone free version is web and mobile only
- They diverge on capability: Things 3 covers Today view, Microsoft OneNote covers Digital notebook with sections and pages.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Things 3 and Microsoft OneNote actually diverge.
| Attribute | Things 3 | Microsoft OneNote |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $9.99/one-time | Free |
| Pricing model | Unknown | free |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | macOS, iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, visionOS | Web, IOS, Android, MacOS, Windows |
| Founded | 2004 | 1975 |
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 Microsoft OneNote
- Digital notebook with sections and pages
- Rich text formatting
- Drawing and handwriting
- Image and file attachments
- Web clipper
- Cross-platform sync
- Collaboration and sharing
- Search functionality
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Things 3
- Schedulingnot Microsoft OneNote
- Appointment bookingnot Microsoft OneNote
- Time trackingnot Microsoft OneNote
- Resource managementnot Microsoft OneNote
- Team coordinationnot Microsoft OneNote
Microsoft OneNote
- Productivitynot Things 3
- Collaborationnot Things 3
- Task managementnot Things 3
- Organizationnot 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
Microsoft OneNote
- Full-featured OneNote requires a paid Microsoft 365 subscription (from $9.99 per month for Personal); the standalone free version is web and mobile only
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
Microsoft OneNote
Free- OneNoteFree
- Unlimited free notes
- Cross-device sync
- Collaboration
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 Microsoft OneNote if
- You need digital notebook with sections and pages.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, IOS, Android, MacOS, Windows.
- You also want rich text formatting.
Questions people ask
- Is Things 3 or Microsoft OneNote better?
- Neither clearly leads. Things 3 starts at $9.99/one-time and Microsoft OneNote at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Things 3 or Microsoft OneNote?
- Microsoft OneNote has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $9.99/one-time for Things 3 and Free for Microsoft OneNote.
- Does Things 3 or Microsoft OneNote run on more platforms?
- Things 3 runs on macOS, iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, visionOS. Microsoft OneNote runs on Web, IOS, Android, MacOS, Windows.
- Can I use Microsoft OneNote for free?
- Yes. Microsoft OneNote 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 Microsoft OneNote is typically brought in for.
- What can Things 3 do that Microsoft OneNote cannot?
- Things 3 covers Today view, Projects and areas, Quick entry, Tags. Microsoft OneNote covers Digital notebook with sections and pages, Rich text formatting, Drawing and handwriting, Image and file attachments.
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