Softwr

Productivity · head to head

Things 3 vs Trello

Things 3 logo

Things 3

Productivity

The award-winning personal task manager

From
$9.99/one-time
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Trello logo

Trello

All industries

Organize anything, together

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Trello 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; Trello free tier limited to 10 boards and 10 collaborators per workspace
  • They diverge on capability: Things 3 covers Today view, Trello covers Kanban boards.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Things 3 and Trello differ
AttributeThings 3Trello
Starting price$9.99/one-timeFree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsmacOS, iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, visionOSWeb, Ios, Android, Windows, Macos
CategoryProductivityAll industries
Founded20042011

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 Things 3

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

Only in Trello

  • Kanban boards
  • Cards & lists
  • Drag-and-drop interface
  • Activity feed
  • Due dates & reminders
  • File attachments
  • Comments & mentions
  • Power-Ups ecosystem

What people use each for

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

Things 3

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

Trello

  • Project trackingnot Things 3
  • Content calendarsnot Things 3
  • Sales pipelinesnot Things 3
  • Onboarding processesnot Things 3
  • Personal task managementnot 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

Trello

  • Free tier limited to 10 boards and 10 collaborators per workspace
  • Free tier automation capped at 250 monthly Butler runs
  • No offline access; web-based platform requires internet connection
  • Advanced views (timeline, table, dashboard) not available on Standard plan
  • SSO only available on Enterprise plan

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

Trello

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Up to 10 boards/workspace
    • Up to 10 collaborators
    • 250 monthly Butler automation runs
  • Standard$5/user/month
    • Unlimited boards
    • Unlimited Power-Ups
    • 1,000 monthly Butler runs
  • Premium$10/user/month
    • All Standard features
    • Timeline, table, dashboard, calendar views
    • Unlimited automation
  • Enterprise$17.5/user/month
    • All Premium features
    • Unlimited workspaces
    • SSO and user provisioning

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.
Things 3 review

Choose Trello if

  • You need kanban boards.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Windows, Macos.
  • You also want cards & lists.
Trello review

Questions people ask

Is Things 3 or Trello better?
Neither clearly leads. Things 3 starts at $9.99/one-time and Trello at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Things 3 or Trello?
Trello has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $9.99/one-time for Things 3 and Free for Trello.
Does Things 3 or Trello run on more platforms?
Things 3 runs on macOS, iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, visionOS. Trello runs on Web, Ios, Android, Windows, Macos.
Can I use Trello for free?
Yes. Trello 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 Trello is typically brought in for.
What can Things 3 do that Trello cannot?
Things 3 covers Today view, Projects and areas, Quick entry, Tags. Trello covers Kanban boards, Cards & lists, Drag-and-drop interface, Activity feed.

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
Trello: What are the free tier limitations for Trello?

Trello Free supports up to 10 boards per workspace, unlimited cards, 250 monthly Butler automation runs, and up to 10 Power-Up attachments. Limited to 10 collaborators per workspace.

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
Trello: What features are included in the Standard plan?

Standard ($5-6/user/month) adds unlimited boards, custom fields, advanced checklists, 1,000 monthly automation runs, list colors, and calendar view access.

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
Trello: Does Trello offer SSO and on which plan?

SSO through Atlassian Guard is included only on the Enterprise plan ($17.50/user/month or $210/year per user).

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
Trello: How many file attachment options are available?

Free tier includes 2 Power-Ups per board, Standard adds unlimited Power-Ups, and Premium and above offer full Power-Up marketplace access with custom integration options.

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
Trello: Is there offline access to Trello boards?

Trello is a web-based application requiring internet connection. Mobile apps are available for iOS and Android but do not support true offline editing.

Source
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Related pages

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