Head to head
The two best-known GTD apps on Apple devices, built for different people: OmniFocus is a system you configure and grow into, Things 3 is a calm list you can learn in an afternoon.
By Yassine Zeriouh. Prices and features checked on October 25, 2026.
Short answer
Pick Things 3 if you want an app that stays out of your way: a clear Today list, a place for this evening, a Someday pile, and very little to set up. It’s the calmer, prettier app, and most people are productive in it within an afternoon.
Pick OmniFocus if you enjoy building a system and keeping it up: projects whose steps must happen in order, defer dates that hide work until it’s relevant, a built-in weekly review, and, with Pro, custom perspectives that show exactly the slice of work you want.
Both are task managers for one person on Apple devices. If what you’re really planning is a project with stages, read when neither fits.
Feature comparison
Platforms
OmniFocus
Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple Vision Pro; Windows and Android through the web app
Things 3
Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple Vision Pro
Price model
OmniFocus
One universal license, or a yearly subscription
Things 3
One-time purchase per platform
Trying it for free
OmniFocus
14-day free trial
Things 3
Free trial on the Mac only
Learning curve
OmniFocus
Steep; built to be configured
Things 3
Gentle; very little to set up
Structure
OmniFocus
Folders, projects (parallel, sequential or single-action lists), actions, several tags each
Things 3
Areas, projects, headings, to-dos with checklists, tags
Dates
OmniFocus
Due dates, defer dates and extra reminders
Things 3
A start date (When) and a deadline
Planning your day
OmniFocus
Forecast: due and flagged items next to your calendar
Things 3
Today and This Evening, fed by start dates, plus Upcoming
Weekly review
OmniFocus
A built-in Review that reminds you which projects to check
Things 3
None; you review by hand
Custom views
OmniFocus
Custom perspectives with your own filters and grouping (Pro)
Things 3
Fixed lists you can filter by tag
Focus
OmniFocus
Focus mode hides everything outside the folders or projects you pick (Pro)
Things 3
None
Location
OmniFocus
Nearby: location tags on a map, with alerts
Things 3
None
Notes and files
OmniFocus
Rich-text notes with file attachments
Things 3
Markdown notes, no attachments
Automation
OmniFocus
Shortcuts actions; Omni Automation plug-ins and AppleScript (Pro)
Things 3
Shortcuts, a URL scheme, AppleScript on the Mac
Sync
OmniFocus
Omni Sync Server, free and end-to-end encrypted, or your own server
Things 3
Things Cloud, free, with its own account
Look and feel
OmniFocus
Dense and functional, with many settings
Things 3
Calm and polished, with few settings
Sharing
OmniFocus
None: one person per database
Things 3
None: one account, one person
Pricing
One-time; covers Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Vision Pro
One-time; adds custom perspectives, Focus and automation
Includes Pro and the web app; 14-day free trial
Or $49.99 a year
One-time; free trial from culturedcode.com
Includes the Apple Watch app
A separate purchase
Paid once, no subscription. Things Cloud sync is free.
On all three Apple devices the two cost about the same: $79.97 for Things against $74.99 for OmniFocus Standard, whose one license covers every device. Things is far cheaper if you only want it on iPhone ($9.99). OmniFocus gets expensive once you want its best features: Pro costs $149.99 once, or comes with the $99.99 yearly subscription.
Neither forces a subscription. Things 3 has been a one-time purchase since 2017, and OmniFocus 4 sells its licenses alongside the subscription.
Prices checked on October 25, 2026: OmniFocus pricing · Things 3 on the App Store
When neither fits
OmniFocus and Things are both task managers, and very good ones. Both answer “what should I do next?” better than “how far along is this project?” In OmniFocus you can model stages with sequential projects or groups of actions; in Things, with headings. Neither shows you how far along each stage is.
That gap is why I build Milestones, the app this site belongs to, so weigh this part with that in mind. Each project is split into milestones with a due date, their own tasks and a progress bar, on iPhone, iPad and Mac, synced through your own iCloud. It’s far simpler than OmniFocus and less refined for daily planning than Things, it has no Windows, Android or web version, and you can’t share a project.
Compare
Milestones vs Things 3
A milestone-driven project planner vs the most polished GTD task manager on Apple platforms. Both are native, both respect you; they’re just for different jobs.
OmniFocus alternatives
Looking for an OmniFocus alternative?
OmniFocus is the most complete GTD app on Apple devices. People leave it because it costs a lot, because keeping the system up became the work, or because they need Windows or Android. Here’s what fits each.
Things 3 alternatives
Looking for a Things 3 alternative?
Things 3 is one of the best to-do apps on Apple devices. People leave it for three reasons: they need Windows or Android, they need to share with someone, or their lists have turned into projects. Here’s what fits each.
For researchers
From hypothesis to publication, in one quiet planner.
Milestones is built for academics, PhD candidates, and independent researchers. A project per paper or grant, milestones for submission and revision rounds, tasks for experiments and reviewer comments.
FAQ
Not for everyone. OmniFocus is more powerful: sequential projects, defer dates, a built-in review, custom perspectives and location reminders. Things 3 is simpler and calmer, and better for planning a single day. If you enjoy building a system, pick OmniFocus; if you want to get through a list, pick Things.
It doesn’t have to be. OmniFocus 4 sells a one-time universal license, $74.99 for Standard or $149.99 for Pro, that covers Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Vision Pro. A $99.99 yearly subscription is also available and includes Pro and the web app.
Things 3, by a wide margin. Most people are productive in it within an afternoon. OmniFocus rewards time spent setting up projects, tags, perspectives and a weekly review, and it expects you to keep that system up.
Neither has a Windows or Android app. OmniFocus for the Web runs in any browser, so you can reach your tasks from those computers; it comes with the subscription or costs $4.99 a month on top of a license. Things 3 has no web version at all.
No. Both are built for one person, with no shared projects, assignees or comments. If you need to plan with other people, a tool built for sharing, such as Todoist, fits better.
Neither uses iCloud. OmniFocus syncs through Omni’s free, end-to-end encrypted Sync Server or a server you run yourself. Things syncs through Things Cloud, which is free but needs its own account.
Milestones splits each project into milestones with their own tasks and progress, on iPhone, iPad and Mac. Free for two projects.
