Is Things 3 or Ulysses better?

Neither clearly leads. Things 3 starts at $9.99/one-time and Ulysses at $5.99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.

Which is cheaper, Things 3 or Ulysses?

Things 3 starts at $9.99/one-time and Ulysses at $5.99/month.

Does Things 3 or Ulysses run on more platforms?

Things 3 runs on macOS, iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, visionOS. Ulysses runs on MacOS, IOS, IPadOS.

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 Ulysses is typically brought in for.

What can Things 3 do that Ulysses cannot?

Things 3 covers Today view, Projects and areas, Quick entry, Tags. Ulysses covers Distraction-free writing, Markdown support, Syntax highlighting, Organization with sheets and groups.

Productivity · head to head

Things 3 vs Ulysses

Things 3

Productivity

The award-winning personal task manager

From: $9.99/one-time
Rated: -

Full review Website

Ulysses

Productivity

Distraction-free writing application for creative professionals

From: $5.99/month
Rated: -

Full review Website

The short version

Each has a real cost: Things 3 no team collaboration, task sharing, or task assignment features; Ulysses no free tier available
They diverge on capability: Things 3 covers Today view, Ulysses covers Distraction-free writing.
Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Things 3 and Ulysses differ
Attribute	Things 3	Ulysses
Starting price	$9.99/one-time	$5.99/month
Pricing model	Unknown	subscription
Platforms	macOS, iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, visionOS	MacOS, IOS, IPadOS
Founded	2004	2003

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
Quick entry
Tags
Calendar integration
Apple Calendar
Siri
Shortcuts

Only in Ulysses

Distraction-free writing
Markdown support
Syntax highlighting
Organization with sheets and groups
iCloud sync
Dark and light themes
Full-screen mode
Search and filter

What people use each for

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

Things 3

Schedulingnot Ulysses
Appointment bookingnot Ulysses
Time trackingnot Ulysses
Resource managementnot Ulysses
Team coordinationnot Ulysses

Ulysses

Writing and editing on Apple devicesnot Things 3
Cross-device document synchronizationnot Things 3
Markdown-based writingnot 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

Ulysses

No free tier available
Only subscription model, no one-time purchase option
Family Sharing limited to 5 additional members (6 total users)

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

Ulysses

$5.99/month

Annual Subscription$39.99/year
- Ulysses on all Macs, iPads, and iPhones
- Full iCloud synchronization
- Frequent improvements and updates
Monthly Subscription$5.99/month
- Ulysses on all Macs, iPads, and iPhones
- Full iCloud synchronization
- Frequent improvements and updates

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 Ulysses if

You need distraction-free writing.
You work on MacOS, IOS, IPadOS.
You also want markdown support.

Ulysses review

Questions people ask

Is Things 3 or Ulysses better?: Neither clearly leads. Things 3 starts at $9.99/one-time and Ulysses at $5.99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Things 3 or Ulysses?: Things 3 starts at $9.99/one-time and Ulysses at $5.99/month.
Does Things 3 or Ulysses run on more platforms?: Things 3 runs on macOS, iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, visionOS. Ulysses runs on MacOS, IOS, IPadOS.
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 Ulysses is typically brought in for.
What can Things 3 do that Ulysses cannot?: Things 3 covers Today view, Projects and areas, Quick entry, Tags. Ulysses covers Distraction-free writing, Markdown support, Syntax highlighting, Organization with sheets and groups.

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

Ulysses: What are Ulysses pricing options?

Ulysses costs $39.99 per year (annual) or $5.99 per month (monthly). Student discounts are available. Volume licensing is available for businesses through their licensing portal.

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

Ulysses: Does Ulysses include Family Sharing?

Yes, both annual and monthly Ulysses subscriptions include Apple Family Sharing, allowing up to five additional family members to use Ulysses on their devices at no extra cost.

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

Ulysses: Can I get Ulysses through a subscription service?

Yes, Ulysses is available through the Setapp subscription service as an alternative to direct subscription. Volume licensing is also available for businesses and organizations through their licensing portal.

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

Ulysses: Does Ulysses pricing vary by location?

Prices listed apply to the U.S., and local pricing may differ in other regions. Check your regional App Store for exact pricing.

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

Things 3 vs Ulysses

Things 3

Ulysses

The short version

Where they differ

What each one covers

Only in Things 3

Only in Ulysses

What people use each for

Things 3

Ulysses

Where each one falls short

Things 3

Ulysses

Pricing, plan by plan

Things 3

Ulysses

Which should you pick?

Choose Things 3 if

Choose Ulysses if

Questions people ask

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Related pages

More on Things 3

More on Ulysses

Keep looking

Other head to heads