Things 3 Review 2026: Cultured Code’s Apple Task Manager Still Beats Subscriptions?

Verdict: Things 3 remains the polished personal task manager for Apple-only lives in 2026: Today/Upcoming, projects, areas, headings, and Quick Find without turning your to-dos into a second job. Pricing is still one-time per platform via the App Store (commonly about $49.99 Mac, $19.99 iPad, $9.99 iPhone with Watch included — confirm in your storefront). Things Cloud sync is free. Buy it if you will not leave Apple; look elsewhere if you need Windows/Android or team assignments.

Best for: Solo professionals and students deep in iPhone + Mac (and often iPad).
Not for: Cross-platform teams, shared project ops, or anyone who refuses separate device purchases.

Researched 2026 overview based on culturedcode.com support/pricing pages — App Store local prices vary. Confirm live storefront amounts.

What it is

Things by Cultured Code is a GTD-friendly personal task app for Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Vision. Structure is Areas → Projects → To-Dos, with When/Someday, checklists, tags, calendar integration, and excellent keyboard/Quick Entry on Mac. There is no web app and no subscription tier gating features — you own the apps you buy. Sync across your Apple devices uses Things Cloud at no extra charge.

Who it’s for

Writers, consultants, and makers who want a calm inbox-to-Today ritual. Managers who assign work to others will bounce off the personal focus. Android/Windows users are simply out of scope — Cultured Code has not blurred that line.

Strengths

• Best-in-class Apple design and speed; daily use feels intentional, not cluttered.
• One-time purchase economics beat years of Todoist/TickTick Pro for many solos.
• Free sync; no upsell treadmill inside the app.
• Project headings and Today magic make planning honest without enterprise chrome.

Trade-offs

• Separate purchase per device class adds up (Mac + iPhone + iPad).
• No Windows/Android/web — collaboration is “share a list elsewhere.”
• Fewer automations/integrations than Todoist or Reminders+Shortcuts stacks.
• If you need shared workspaces, you will outgrow Things regardless of polish.

Buying notes & pricing

Plan the device set you actually use daily. Many people start with iPhone (~$10) and add Mac (~$50) when desktop Quick Entry becomes the habit; add iPad only if it is a real work surface. Family Sharing follows Apple’s usual same-platform rules. There is no Cultured Code subscription to cancel — budget App Store price changes over time and confirm at culturedcode.com/things/pricing / your store.

How it compares

Versus Apple Reminders: Reminders is free and shared-list friendly; Things is sharper for personal project structure. Versus Todoist: Todoist wins cross-platform and collaboration; Things wins native feel and no subscription. Versus OmniFocus: OmniFocus is deeper/power-user; Things is lighter and prettier for most humans.

If you need one shared grocery list with a partner on Android, do not force Things into that job — keep Reminders or a cross-platform app beside it.

Practical setup: create Areas that match life roles (Work, Personal, Admin), keep Projects outcome-shaped, and park fuzzy ideas in Someday instead of polluting Today. Use the Mac Quick Entry shortcut until capture is reflex; on iPhone, lean on the share sheet and Today widget. Things will not replace a team tracker — keep Linear/Jira/Asana for shared delivery and let Things be the personal layer that decides what you do next. That separation is a feature, not a missing integration.

Verdict

Best for Apple-only personal productivity. Not for mixed-OS teams. Buy the platforms you open every day, enjoy free sync, and stop comparing monthly SaaS prices once the one-time math clears a year of Pro subscriptions.