Best Things 3 Alternatives (2026)

Quick answer: Things 3 is beautifully designed but frozen in scope — no calendar, no AI, no time blocking. The best alternative depends on what you need beyond a task list:

• Aftertone — tasks + time blocking + behavioral AI + Focus Screen in one system (£100 one-time, Mac)

• Todoist — cross-platform with AI features and 90+ integrations ($48/yr)

• TickTick — tasks + calendar + habits + Pomodoro at the best price ($36/yr)

• OmniFocus — the deepest GTD implementation on Apple ($10/mo)

Things 3 is one of the best-designed apps ever made for Apple platforms. The interface is clean, fast, and genuinely delightful. For pure task management — capturing, organising, and checking off tasks — it's hard to beat.

But Things 3 is a task list. It doesn't block time on your calendar, doesn't protect your focus during execution, doesn't analyse your productivity patterns, and hasn't added a major feature in years. If your needs have grown beyond task management into scheduling, focus protection, or behavioral insight, Things 3 can't follow you there.

Here are the seven best Things 3 alternatives in 2026.

Why people look for Things 3 alternatives

The reasons people outgrow Things 3 are specific:

• No calendar integration. Tasks and calendar live in separate worlds. You can't see whether a task fits your available time without switching apps.

• No time blocking. You can't assign tasks to specific time slots. Things 3 tells you what to do but not when.

• No AI features. No smart scheduling, no pattern analysis, no weekly reports. Things 3 is entirely manual.

• Apple only. No Windows, Android, or web app. Collaboration with non-Apple users is impossible.

• Stale development. Things 3 hasn't shipped a major feature update in years. Users worry about the app's long-term trajectory.

How we evaluated these tools

We focused on tools that address Things 3's specific gaps: calendar integration, time blocking, AI features, and cross-platform support — while respecting that Things 3 users value design quality, simplicity, and honest pricing.

What Things 3 does well, and where it stops

The design is genuinely best-in-class. Quick Entry captures tasks from anywhere on Mac with a keyboard shortcut. Areas and Projects provide clean organisation. Today view surfaces what matters. The one-time purchase ($49.99 Mac + $19.99 iPhone) means no subscription fatigue. For pure task management on Apple devices, the experience is unmatched.

Where it stops: Things 3 has no concept of time. Tasks exist as items on a list with optional due dates, but there's no calendar integration, no time blocking, no sense of how long anything takes or when you'll actually do it. The gap between "knowing what to do" and "scheduling when to do it" is the gap Things 3 doesn't bridge.

At a glance: all alternatives compared

1. Aftertone — mac users who want ai that observes and reports rather than controls — keeping y

Best for: Mac users who want AI that observes and reports rather than controls — keeping you in charge while surfacing the scheduling intelligence other tools don't provide

Aftertone is a Mac-native calendar and task manager built on behavioural science. The philosophical difference from most alternatives is explicit: instead of automating your schedule, Aftertone analyses what actually happens when you execute it. The AI weekly reports surface patterns across your scheduling history — which time slots produce real output, how your meeting-to-deep-work ratio trends, whether your calendar structure this week resembles your most or least productive periods. The Focus Screen supports execution: when it's time to work, everything except the current task disappears.

Pros:

• AI weekly reports — the only tool in this category that analyses your scheduling patterns over time

• Focus Screen — narrows to the current task at execution time, removing visual load

• Native task management built into the calendar view, not bolted on

• Two-way Google Calendar sync

• £100 one-time purchase — no subscription, no monthly decision

• Built on 45 principles from behavioural science and cognitive psychology

Cons:

• Mac only — iOS coming; no Windows or Android currently

• No auto-scheduling — Aftertone informs and improves your planning rather than making decisions for you

• Individual tool only — not built for teams

• Google Calendar sync only (no Outlook, no iCloud events)

Pricing: £100 one-time purchase. Free trial available. No subscription.

Calendars: Google Calendar (two-way sync).

Why switch from Things 3: You want to own your schedule — not outsource it — and you want honest feedback on how your weeks are actually going. Aftertone costs less than a few months of most subscriptions and compounds in value the longer you use it.

2. OmniFocus — gtd practitioners who want the deepest implementation of getting things done met

Best for: GTD practitioners who want the deepest implementation of Getting Things Done methodology on Apple platforms

OmniFocus is the power tool for GTD (Getting Things Done) practitioners. Perspectives let you create custom filtered views of your task database, forecast mode shows upcoming deadlines against your calendar, and the review system enforces the weekly review that GTD requires. It's more complex than any other task manager in this category — and that complexity serves GTD practitioners well.

Pros:

• Deepest GTD implementation available — perspectives, contexts, review cycles

• Forecast mode — see tasks and calendar events together on a timeline

• Custom perspectives let you build any view of your task data

• Apple-native — Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch

• Automation via Shortcuts and OmniAutomation (JavaScript)

Cons:

• $10/month subscription (or $150 one-time for Standard)

• Steep learning curve — designed for GTD, overwhelming for non-GTD users

• No time blocking — it's a task manager, not a calendar

• Apple only — no Windows, Android, or web

• No AI features

Pricing: $9.99/month or $99.99/year. Standard one-time purchase available (~$150).

Calendars: Reads calendar events in Forecast view. No calendar sync.

Why switch from Things 3: OmniFocus takes a different approach that may better fit your specific workflow and priorities.

3. Todoist — cross-platform task management with natural language input, massive integration

Best for: Cross-platform task management with natural language input, massive integration ecosystem, and a genuine free tier

Todoist is the most widely used task manager in the world. Natural language input ("Submit report every Friday at 3pm #work p1") makes task creation fast. 90+ integrations connect it to virtually every tool in your stack. The free tier is genuinely functional for personal use. Todoist AI (assistant features) adds smart scheduling suggestions and task decomposition.

Pros:

• Natural language task creation — fast and intuitive

• 90+ integrations with every major productivity tool

• Cross-platform: Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, web

• Genuine free tier for personal use

• Todoist AI for smart scheduling suggestions

• Team/shared projects with comments and assignments

Cons:

• No time blocking — it's a task list, not a calendar

• No Focus Screen or execution support

• No AI analysis of productivity patterns

• Calendar integration is view-only (no native time blocking)

Pricing: Free tier. Pro: $5/mo or $48/year. Business: $8/user/mo.

Calendars: Google Calendar, Outlook (view events in Todoist, not full sync).

Why switch from Things 3: Todoist takes a different approach that may better fit your specific workflow and priorities.

4. TickTick — users who want the best feature-to-price ratio — task management, calendar, habi

Best for: Users who want the best feature-to-price ratio — task management, calendar, habits, and Pomodoro in one affordable app

TickTick combines task management, calendar view, habit tracking, and a Pomodoro timer in one app at a fraction of what competitors charge. The calendar view lets you drag tasks into time slots for basic time blocking. Cross-platform support is excellent — Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, web, and browser extensions.

Pros:

• Task management + calendar + habits + Pomodoro timer in one app

• Excellent cross-platform support including Apple Watch

• Calendar view with drag-and-drop time blocking

• Very affordable at $35.99/year

• Natural language task input

• Collaboration and shared lists

Cons:

• No AI behavioral analysis or weekly reports

• No Focus Screen — only a basic Pomodoro timer

• Calendar view is basic compared to dedicated calendar apps

• Free tier has meaningful limitations

Pricing: Free tier available. Premium: $3.99/mo or $35.99/year.

Calendars: Google Calendar, Outlook (in calendar view).

Why switch from Things 3: TickTick takes a different approach that may better fit your specific workflow and priorities.

5. Amazing Marvin — users who want maximum customisation — 94+ toggleable productivity strategies th

Best for: Users who want maximum customisation — 94+ toggleable productivity strategies that let you build a system tailored to how your brain works

Amazing Marvin is the most customisable task manager available. It offers 94+ toggleable "strategies" — features you can turn on or off to build a productivity system that matches your cognitive style. Time blocking, Pomodoro timers, daily limits, gamification, priority matrices, and dozens more can be mixed and matched.

Pros:

• 94+ toggleable strategies — build exactly the system you need

• Day view with time blocking and calendar integration

• Particularly popular with ADHD users for its flexibility

• Daily task limits prevent overcommitment

• Available on Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, web

Cons:

• $8–12/month — moderate ongoing cost

• Overwhelming number of options for users who want simplicity

• No AI behavioral analysis or weekly reports

• Setup requires significant time investment

Pricing: $8/mo (annual) or $12/mo (monthly). $300 lifetime option occasionally available.

Calendars: Google Calendar, Outlook.

Why switch from Things 3: Amazing Marvin takes a different approach that may better fit your specific workflow and priorities.

6. Structured — visual thinkers who want a simple timeline view of their day with drag-and-drop

Best for: Visual thinkers who want a simple timeline view of their day with drag-and-drop task scheduling on Apple devices

Structured presents your day as a clean visual timeline — tasks and events stacked vertically with colour-coded blocks. Drag tasks up and down to reschedule. The simplicity is the point: no AI, no complex integrations, just a visual day plan you can build and adjust in seconds.

Pros:

• Visual timeline makes your day structure immediately clear

• Simple drag-and-drop scheduling

• Lifetime purchase option at $64.99 — no subscription needed

• Apple-native: Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch

• Import events from Apple Calendar and Google Calendar

Cons:

• No AI features of any kind

• No deep calendar sync — imports events but doesn't fully integrate

• No productivity analysis or weekly reports

• Apple only — no Windows or Android

• Limited task management compared to Todoist or Things 3

Pricing: Free tier. Pro: $6.49/mo, $19.99/yr, or $64.99 lifetime.

Calendars: Apple Calendar, Google Calendar (import).

Why switch from Things 3: Structured takes a different approach that may better fit your specific workflow and priorities.

7. Sunsama — people who want intentional daily planning as a deliberate counterpoint to autom

Best for: People who want intentional daily planning as a deliberate counterpoint to automated scheduling — slow, guided, and ritualistic

Sunsama is the philosophical opposite of auto-scheduling tools: instead of AI building your day, Sunsama walks you through building it deliberately yourself. The morning ritual asks you to pull tasks from connected tools, estimate time against your calendar, and commit to the plan. The evening shutdown reviews completion. The commitment is the point — you chose it, which preserves the psychological ownership that automation removes.

Pros:

• Guided daily planning ritual — pulls tasks from connected tools, estimates time, locks in a realistic day

• Daily Shutdown feature — structured end-of-day review and reflection

• Integrations with Asana, Trello, Notion, ClickUp, Todoist, Gmail, Slack, Linear, Jira

• Cross-platform: macOS, Windows, web, iOS, Android

• 14-day free trial, no credit card required

Cons:

• $20/month annually — expensive for a planning layer

• No AI auto-scheduling — everything is manual

• The daily ritual takes 15–20 minutes; speed-oriented users find it slow

• No AI analysis of historical scheduling patterns

Pricing: $20/month billed annually ($26/month monthly). 14-day free trial, no credit card required.

Calendars: Google Calendar, Outlook.

Why switch from Things 3: Sunsama takes a different approach that may better fit your specific workflow and priorities.

Who Things 3 is still right for

If your workflow genuinely only requires a task list — you don't need time blocking, calendar integration, or AI features — Things 3 remains the most beautifully designed option on Apple platforms. The one-time purchase and zero-complexity approach serve users who want to capture and check off tasks without any planning overhead.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best Things 3 alternative in 2026?

It depends on your priorities. For Mac users who want behavioral AI and a Focus Screen for deep work, Aftertone offers a unique system at £100 lifetime. For cross-platform users, Morgen and Sunsama are strong options. See the comparison table above to match your specific needs.

Is there a free Things 3 alternative?

Todoist has the strongest free tier. Aftertone provides a free trial of the full system. Check the comparison table for free tier details across all options.

Which Things 3 alternative works best on Mac?

Aftertone is the strongest Mac-native option — built specifically for macOS with a Focus Screen, native Google Calendar sync, and AI weekly reports. Fantastical is the best pure calendar for Mac. Both are one-time or annual purchases, not monthly subscriptions.

Is there a one-time purchase alternative to Things 3?

Yes — Aftertone is £100 one-time (lifetime, no subscription). Things 3 is also a one-time purchase for task management. BusyCal and Structured offer lifetime options for calendar management.