Things 3 Alternative: What to Use When You're Done Paying Apple Tax
A Things 3 alternative is worth exploring if you've hit one of the app's hard limits: it's Apple-only, has no free tier (the full suite costs ~$80), and delivers reminders exclusively via push notifications. Things 3 is genuinely one of the most beautiful productivity apps ever designed — but its constraints are real, and the right alternative depends on which constraint you're actually running into.
What Things 3 Does Exceptionally Well
Before switching, acknowledge what you'd be trading away:
- Design: the most polished iOS/macOS task manager by a significant margin
- Focused capture: today view, this evening, upcoming, someday — natural planning rhythms
- No subscription: pay once, use forever (rare in 2026)
- No clutter: intentionally simple — no Kanban, no charts, no team features
- Reliable reminders: push notifications are consistent within Apple's ecosystem
- Apple Watch support: glanceable tasks on your wrist
If these are why you're using it and none of the limitations bother you, stay. The alternatives listed here are for specific gap-filling, not general upgrades.
Things 3 Alternative #1: YouGot — For SMS and Cross-Channel Reminders
Best for: Getting reminded without opening an app
Things 3 requires the app to be running (or a background refresh) to deliver push notifications. YouGot delivers reminders via SMS, WhatsApp, email, or push — whichever channel actually interrupts you:
Remind me every morning at 7:30am to take my supplements — send via SMS.
Text me 3 days before my passport expires on July 20 to apply for renewal now.
YouGot has no task lists, no subtasks, no Gantt charts. It's purely reminder delivery — which is exactly what some Things 3 users need when the task management structure isn't the friction.
Things 3 vs YouGot:
| Feature | Things 3 | YouGot |
|---|---|---|
| Platform | Apple only | Any device (SMS, WhatsApp) |
| Price | $80 one-time | Free tier available |
| Reminder delivery | Push notification | SMS / WhatsApp / email / push |
| Natural language input | Yes | Yes |
| Task lists / subtasks | Yes | No |
| Team/multi-user | No | Yes (shared reminders) |
| Works without app installed | No | Yes (SMS) |
| Web app | No | Yes |
Choose YouGot if: you want reminders to reach you via SMS or WhatsApp regardless of whether an app is installed.
Things 3 Alternative #2: Todoist — For Cross-Platform Power Users
Best for: iPhone + Android + Windows + Web users
Todoist is the closest analog to Things 3 in terms of organizational philosophy and natural language input, but runs on every platform. Free tier is reasonable; Pro is $4/month. Team collaboration included. No Pomodoro timer or habits — just excellent task management with reminders.
Choose Todoist if: you've moved off Apple or need Windows/Android support with a similar organizational feel.
Things 3 Alternative #3: TickTick — For Feature Completeness at Low Cost
Best for: Users who want habits, Pomodoro, and calendar all in one
TickTick ($28/year) includes things Things 3 intentionally excludes: habit tracking, Pomodoro timer, calendar view, Eisenhower Matrix. Cross-platform including Android and web. Free tier is generous.
Choose TickTick if: you want more features at a lower price point with cross-platform support.
Things 3 Alternative #4: OmniFocus — For Heavy GTD Users
Best for: Power users needing complex project hierarchy
OmniFocus is more powerful than Things 3 but also more complex. It's also Apple-only and subscription-based ($99/year). It's the right upgrade if Things 3 felt too simple for your project structure — not if simplicity was the appeal.
Choose OmniFocus if: you need deep project hierarchy, custom perspectives, and complex project dependencies — and you stay in the Apple ecosystem.
Things 3 Alternative #5: Apple Reminders + Calendar
Best for: Apple users who want free and built-in
Apple Reminders has improved significantly in recent iOS versions — lists, subtasks, smart lists, tags, flagged items. It's free, syncs across all Apple devices, and integrates with Siri. It lacks Things 3's polished design and focus views but handles 80% of use cases without a separate app purchase.
Choose Apple Reminders if: you want free, built-in, and Apple-ecosystem-only — and don't need the organizational structure Things 3 provides.
Which Things 3 Alternative Should You Choose?
| Reason for Switching | Best Alternative |
|---|---|
| Moving to Android/Windows | Todoist or TickTick |
| Need free option | YouGot, TickTick, Google Tasks |
| Need SMS/WhatsApp delivery | YouGot |
| Want team collaboration | Todoist or YouGot (shared reminders) |
| Need web app | Todoist or YouGot |
| Things 3 too simple, stay on Apple | OmniFocus |
| Free + Apple only | Apple Reminders |
Try These SMS Reminders as a Things 3 Replacement
YouGot handles the reminder-delivery piece that Things 3 limits:
Text me every Sunday evening at 7pm to plan my week and review upcoming deadlines.
See yougot.ai/#pricing for plan details. More app comparisons at yougot.ai/blog.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best Things 3 alternative?
For cross-platform support, Todoist or TickTick are the closest equivalents. For SMS and WhatsApp reminder delivery (which Things 3 doesn't support), YouGot is the best alternative. For free, Apple-only users, Apple Reminders covers the basics. Things 3's limitations are platform, price, and push-only reminders — choose an alternative that addresses whichever of those is your actual constraint.
Is there a free version of Things 3?
No — Things 3 is paid-only: $9.99 iPhone, $19.99 iPad, $49.99 Mac. No trial, no subscription, no free tier. Free alternatives: YouGot (free tier with SMS), TickTick (solid free tier), Todoist (free tier), Google Tasks (fully free), Apple Reminders (built into iOS).
Does Things 3 work on Android?
No — Things 3 is Apple-only (iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch). No Android app, no web app. Android users should consider Todoist (best cross-platform parity) or TickTick (similar structure with Android support). YouGot works on any phone via SMS — no Android app installation required.
What is the web app alternative to Things 3?
Things 3 has no web app. Todoist has a full web app accessible from any browser. YouGot's web interface also works from any browser. If web access is a requirement — for work computers or shared devices — Things 3 simply doesn't work. Todoist is the best organizational equivalent with web support.
Why do people switch away from Things 3?
Common reasons: moving to Android or Windows, wanting a free option, needing team collaboration (Things 3 is solo only), needing SMS reminders (Things 3 is push-only), or wanting a web app. Things 3 rarely fails on what it does — the limitations are what it deliberately doesn't do.
Never Forget What Matters
Set reminders in plain English (or any language). Get notified via push, SMS, WhatsApp, or email.
Try YouGot Free →Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best Things 3 alternative?▾
The best Things 3 alternative depends on what you're switching for. For cross-platform support (Android + Windows), Todoist or TickTick are the closest feature matches. For SMS and WhatsApp reminder delivery — which Things 3 doesn't support at all — YouGot is the best alternative. For a free option with minimal setup, Google Tasks works for basic task tracking. Things 3 is exceptional at design and Apple integration; the alternatives trade some polish for broader platform support.
Is There a free version of Things 3?▾
No — Things 3 has no free tier, no trial period, and no subscription model. It's a one-time purchase: $9.99 for iPhone, $19.99 for iPad, and $49.99 for Mac. The full Apple suite costs about $80 total. If free is a requirement, the best alternatives are YouGot (free tier with SMS reminders), Todoist (generous free tier), TickTick (solid free tier with habits), and Google Tasks (completely free within Google Workspace).
Does Things 3 work on Android?▾
No — Things 3 is iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch only. There is no Android version and no web app. If you've switched from iPhone to Android, your Things 3 library is inaccessible on your new device. Android users looking for a Things 3 equivalent should consider Todoist (strongest cross-platform parity) or TickTick (similar organizational structure with Android support). YouGot is available on any phone via SMS — no app required.
What is the web app alternative to Things 3?▾
Things 3 has no web app — it's native Apple apps only. For a web-accessible task manager with a similar organizational philosophy, Todoist is the best match — it has full web, iOS, Android, Windows, and Mac support with natural language input. If you need web access for reminder management across devices you don't control (work computer, shared laptop), Todoist or YouGot's web interface are both accessible from any browser without installation.
Why do people switch away from Things 3?▾
Common reasons to switch from Things 3: moving to Android or Windows (Things 3 is Apple-only), wanting a free or subscription-based model instead of a large one-time purchase, needing team collaboration features (Things 3 is solo only), wanting SMS reminders (Things 3 is push-only), or outgrowing the app's intentionally simple project structure for more complex project management needs. Things 3 rarely disappoints on what it does — the limitations are mostly what it doesn't do.