Productivity · head to head
Things 3 vs OmniFocus 3
Things 3
Productivity
The award-winning personal task manager
- From
- $9.99/one-time
- Rated
- -
OmniFocus 3
Productivity
Professional task management for complex workflows
- From
- $39.99/year
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Things 3 no team collaboration, task sharing, or task assignment features; OmniFocus 3 apple platforms only apart from the web client: macOS 14, iOS or iPadOS 17, watchOS 10 or visionOS 2 and newer are required, with no Windows or Android app
- They diverge on capability: Things 3 covers Today view, OmniFocus 3 covers GTD-based task organization.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Things 3 and OmniFocus 3 actually diverge.
| Attribute | Things 3 | OmniFocus 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $9.99/one-time | $39.99/year |
| Pricing model | Unknown | subscription |
| Platforms | macOS, iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, visionOS | MacOS, IOS, IPadOS, Web |
| Founded | 2004 | 1993 |
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 Things 3
- Today view
- Projects and areas
- Tags
- Calendar integration
- Apple Calendar
- Siri
- Shortcuts
Only in OmniFocus 3
- GTD-based task organization
- Projects and subprojects
- Contexts and tags
- Custom perspectives
- Automation
- Sync across devices
- Deferred and due dates
Both cover
- Quick entry
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Things 3
- Schedulingnot OmniFocus 3
- Appointment bookingnot OmniFocus 3
- Time trackingnot OmniFocus 3
- Resource managementnot OmniFocus 3
- Team coordinationnot OmniFocus 3
OmniFocus 3
- Getting Things Done style task and project management on Apple devicesnot Things 3
- Capturing tasks with contexts, defer dates and review cyclesnot Things 3
- Syncing a personal task database across Mac, iPhone, iPad and Watchnot 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
OmniFocus 3
- Apple platforms only apart from the web client: macOS 14, iOS or iPadOS 17, watchOS 10 or visionOS 2 and newer are required, with no Windows or Android app
- Web access is not included with a perpetual licence and costs an extra $4.99 per month or $49.99 per year
- The Pro perpetual licence costs $149.99 against $74.99 for Standard
- Future major upgrades are a paid discount rather than free for perpetual licence holders
- The $99.99 per year subscription is the only option that bundles Pro plus web access
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
OmniFocus 3
$39.99/year- Standard$39.99/year
- Mac and iOS apps
- Cloud sync
- Core features
- Pro$99.99/year
- Everything in Standard
- Advanced automation
- Perspective management
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 OmniFocus 3 if
- You need gtd-based task organization.
- You work on MacOS, IOS, IPadOS, Web.
- You also want projects and subprojects.
Questions people ask
- Is Things 3 or OmniFocus 3 better?
- Neither clearly leads. Things 3 starts at $9.99/one-time and OmniFocus 3 at $39.99/year, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Things 3 or OmniFocus 3?
- Things 3 starts at $9.99/one-time and OmniFocus 3 at $39.99/year.
- Does Things 3 or OmniFocus 3 run on more platforms?
- Things 3 runs on macOS, iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, visionOS. OmniFocus 3 runs on MacOS, IOS, IPadOS, Web.
- 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 OmniFocus 3 is typically brought in for.
- What can Things 3 do that OmniFocus 3 cannot?
- Things 3 covers Today view, Projects and areas, Tags, Calendar integration. OmniFocus 3 covers GTD-based task organization, Projects and subprojects, Contexts and tags, Custom perspectives. Both handle Quick entry.
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