The Shortlist · Comparison
Which To-Do App Should You Actually Use?
Things is the calmest choice for personal planning; Todoist becomes stronger when the work turns collaborative.
productivitytask management
Philip Langenbrink
There is no universally best to-do app because the category hides several different jobs. Some people need a quiet place to decide what comes next; others need a shared system that survives an entire team.
| Feature | Things 3 | Todoist |  TickTick |  Microsoft Todo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | Exceptional | Outstanding | Solid | Promising |
| Price | 9,99€-49,99€ | 5-10€ | 3-3.99€ | Free |
| Pricing Model | One time (per system) | Subscription | Subscription | Free |
| Value | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Platforms | Apple only | Everywhere | Everywhere | Everywhere |
| Offline | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Visual Clarity | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Interaction Quality | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐ |
| Mental Clarity | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| System Complexity | Medium | Medium | High | Low |
| Ecosystem / Integrations | Apple ecosystem + Things Mail | API + tools | Wide feature-set | Office 365 |
| Best for | Minimalists / Individuals | Teams | Optimizers | Casual users |
| Positioning | Calm productivity / Second brain | Collaboration | All-in-one | Simple Tasks |
| Our Pick | Best overall | Best for collaboration | Most features | Best free |
| Highlight | editors Pick | featured | — | — |
Choose Things when the quality of the personal experience matters most. Choose Todoist when collaboration and availability across platforms matter more than calm.