Things 3 is a task manager for Apple devices made by Cultured Code. It is consistently rated among the best task managers on the App Store and has won multiple Apple Design Awards. Unlike most modern software, it does not charge a recurring subscription. You pay once per platform, and that's it.

The pricing structure is one reason Things 3 has a loyal following despite being more expensive upfront than many alternatives. If you plan to use it long-term, the math often works in your favor compared to subscription-based apps. If you only want it on one device, the entry cost is low. If you want the full suite across all your Apple devices, you're looking at about $80 total.

Key Takeaways

• Things 3 is a one-time purchase with separate prices for iPhone ($9.99), iPad ($19.99), and Mac ($49.99)

• Syncing across all your Apple devices is included at no extra cost via Things Cloud

• There are no tiers, no subscription, and no feature-gating within each platform

Things 3 Pricing by Platform

Things 3 is sold separately on each platform. There is no bundle deal or family sharing option that covers all platforms in a single purchase.

• iPhone and Apple Watch: $9.99

• iPad: $19.99

• Mac: $49.99

• Vision Pro: Listed separately on the App Store; requires a separate purchase

The iPhone version includes the Apple Watch app at no extra charge. The Mac version is priced higher than the mobile apps, which is consistent with most premium Mac software that targets professional users who rely on it for sustained daily work.

All pricing is in USD. Apple sets local prices in other currencies, so the amount you pay may differ based on your country's App Store pricing tier.

What's Included at Every Price

Things 3 does not have a free tier or a trial period. Each purchase gives you the full app with no feature limitations. There is no "Pro" upgrade within Things 3 on any platform.

What you get with every purchase:

• Full task and project management with areas, projects, tasks, and subtasks

• Today view, Upcoming view, Anytime view, and Someday view

• Repeating tasks with flexible scheduling

• Deadlines and start dates independent of each other

• Tags for flexible cross-project organization

• Markdown support in notes

• Things Cloud syncing across all your Apple devices at no additional cost

• Shortcuts integration for automation on Mac and iPhone

• Quick Entry with natural language input on Mac

• Calendar integration (viewing calendar events alongside tasks)

The Mac version includes a few capabilities not on mobile: a full keyboard shortcut system designed for power users, email capture from Mail, and more detailed window management. These aren't locked behind an additional payment. They're simply features that make sense for a desktop workflow.

What Things 3 Does Not Include

Understanding what's not in Things 3 helps clarify whether the price makes sense for your workflow.

No collaboration. Things 3 is a strictly personal task manager. There is no sharing, no team workspaces, no task assignment, and no commenting. If you need to assign tasks to others or work in a shared list, Things 3 is the wrong tool regardless of price.

No time blocking or scheduling. Things 3 shows your tasks and calendar events in the same view, but it doesn't help you schedule tasks into specific time slots or block time for focused work. For people who do time blocking as part of their system, this is a significant limitation that usually means using a separate calendar or scheduling app alongside Things.

No integrations with third-party apps. Unlike tools like AI task managers that sync with Slack, Gmail, or project management tools, Things 3 relies entirely on manual input and clipboard actions. There is no official API and no app integrations beyond Apple's ecosystem (Reminders, Mail, Shortcuts).

No Android or Windows. Things 3 is Apple-only. If you use any non-Apple devices, Things 3 is not accessible on those platforms.

Is Things 3 Worth the Price?

For the right user, yes. Things 3 is one of the most polished task managers available for Apple devices. The design is exceptional, the performance is fast, and the organization model (areas, projects, tasks, subtasks, tags) is flexible enough for most personal productivity workflows. The absence of a subscription is genuinely rare for premium software and a real advantage for long-term use.

The breakeven calculation compared to subscription alternatives is straightforward. If you're comparing against a $10/month subscription app, the $79.97 total cost of all three Things 3 platforms pays for itself in about 8 months. After that, you're paying nothing while subscription users keep paying.

The calculus shifts if you only need Things 3 on one platform. The iPhone version at $9.99 is genuinely low-risk. The Mac version at $49.99 is a meaningful purchase that makes more sense after trying the iPhone version and confirming the workflow fits.

Where Things 3 is not worth it: if you need collaboration, cross-platform access, third-party integrations, or automatic scheduling. These are not missing features that might be added later. They reflect deliberate design decisions by Cultured Code to keep Things 3 focused on personal, manual task management. If you need those capabilities, there are better fits regardless of price. Personal task management apps that offer AI scheduling or team features operate in a different category.

Things 3 vs. Subscription-Based Alternatives

The comparison that comes up most often is Things 3 against apps like Todoist, TickTick, and OmniFocus. Each has a different pricing approach.

OmniFocus, Things 3's closest competitor in terms of depth and target user, also uses a one-time purchase model at similar or higher price points. Both target power users who want a sophisticated personal task system on Apple devices. The choice between them usually comes down to interface preference and workflow style, not price.

Todoist uses a subscription model (free tier with limits, Pro at $4/month billed annually). For lightweight use, Todoist's free tier competes directly with Things 3, with the advantage of cross-platform access but the disadvantage of limitations on tasks and projects. Power users find Todoist's Pro features fully featured; Things 3's advantage is depth of Apple integration and overall design quality. See the comparison of best task manager apps for iPhone for a fuller breakdown.

A Note on Scheduling

Things 3 manages what you need to do. It doesn't help you decide when in your day to do it, account for your energy levels, or automatically reschedule tasks around meetings and recovery. For users who want that layer, a dedicated scheduling app works alongside Things 3.

Lifestack is one option for this: it reads sleep and recovery data from wearables and builds a daily schedule around your energy, scheduling tasks when you're best prepared to do them. Used with Things 3's task list as the source of what needs doing, it handles the question of when. Lifestack is $7/month or $50/year with a 7-day free trial. Unlike Things 3, it works on iOS and Android. Taken together, a strong to-do list app and a scheduling layer covers more ground than either alone.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does Things 3 cost in total?

If you buy all three main platforms (iPhone, iPad, Mac), Things 3 costs $79.97 in total. That covers every feature on every platform with no additional fees. The Vision Pro version is an additional separate purchase if needed.

Is there a Things 3 free trial?

No. Things 3 does not offer a free trial or a free tier on any platform. You can find detailed walkthroughs and YouTube demonstrations of the full app before buying, but the app itself requires payment from the first launch.

Does Things 3 have a subscription?

No. Things 3 uses a one-time purchase model. There are no monthly or annual fees, no "Pro" upgrade tier, and no feature-gating behind a subscription. What you pay once is what you own indefinitely, including future updates within the same major version.

Does Things 3 sync across devices?

Yes, using Things Cloud, Cultured Code's proprietary sync service. Things Cloud is included at no extra cost with any Things 3 purchase. Syncing works across iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch. There is no iCloud sync option; Things Cloud handles all cross-device sync.

Will Things 3 be updated if I buy it now?

Yes. Cultured Code provides ongoing updates to Things 3 at no cost. New major versions (like Things 4, if released) would likely require a new purchase, as was the case with previous major versions. The current version has received consistent updates and is actively maintained.

Is Things 3 available on Android or Windows?

No. Things 3 is Apple-only. There are no Android or Windows versions and none have been announced. If cross-platform access is important to your workflow, Things 3 is not the right tool. Cross-platform digital planner apps that work on both iOS and Android cover this use case.