Things 3 is it the best todo app?

[thisismyusername]

Things gets my vote if you're ok with an Apple-only solution. It's a good, simple ToDo list that gives me just enough power to do what I want with it.

There are, however, 2 things (no pun intended) I don't like about it:
1) It's expensive if you want the iPhone, iPad, and Mac versions. I personally think the Mac version is way overpriced, especially if you already purchased the iPhone and iPad versions. I mean, as good as it is, it's just a really nice todo list app and there's only so much a todo list app can and should do. Thus, I only use the iPhone and iPad apps.
2) It's iOS/MacOS only. There's no web version. I feel like in today's age, the best productivity apps need to be multi platform. I held off on buying Things for a long time because of this (I use a Windows PC at home) but so far it hasn't been an inconvenience since I tend to have either my iPhone or iPad on me at all times. Still, it's something to consider.

That said, it looks like I'll have to checkout TickTick based on what others have said here. I used to use Wunderlist but stopped when MS bought it to kill it off.

 

[sean000]

Things gets my vote if you're ok with an Apple-only solution. It's a good, simple ToDo list that gives me just enough power to do what I want with it.

There are, however, 2 things (no pun intended) I don't like about it:
1) It's expensive if you want the iPhone, iPad, and Mac versions. I personally think the Mac version is way overpriced, especially if you already purchased the iPhone and iPad versions. I mean, as good as it is, it's just a really nice todo list app and there's only so much a todo list app can and should do. Thus, I only use the iPhone and iPad apps.
2) It's iOS/MacOS only. There's no web version. I feel like in today's age, the best productivity apps need to be multi platform. I held off on buying Things for a long time because of this (I use a Windows PC at home) but so far it hasn't been an inconvenience since I tend to have either my iPhone or iPad on me at all times. Still, it's something to consider.

That said, it looks like I'll have to checkout TickTick based on what others have said here. I used to use Wunderlist but stopped when MS bought it to kill it off.

TickTick does let you share lists with other users, and it's platform agnostic.

I used to share some Wunderlist tasks with my wife. It was when it was a pretty new product and I don't think it had much for features at the time. At work we use Office 365 and Microsoft has thrown Wunderlist into the environment as "To-Do." The odd part being that Wunderlist was all about sharing task lists, and Microsoft implemented it as a personal solution... I guess so it wouldn't compete with Microsoft Planner for groups/teams. Office 365 actually has some nice collaboration tools, but it's a bit of a mess as well since it's a mix of things Microsoft has purchased (like Wunderlist) or copied from others. I guess I can see how Microsoft Planner for o365 Groups can get away with copying Trello, since Trello/Atlassian doesn't have a copyright on Kanban style boards and cards. But Microsoft Teams is such a ringer for Slack that I'm amazed Slack hasn't sued Microsoft. We also use Slack in our environment, and it's been great but we will probably drop Slack as Teams matures. Office 365 Groups and OneNote are excellent, but the rest is kind of a mess and it's hard to tell what Microsoft will actually end up keeping vs dropping. At this point I don't understand why they even bothered to purchase Wunderlist since they took away the one feature that made it useful in a team environment.

 

[nikeagogo]

Things gets my vote if you're ok with an Apple-only solution. It's a good, simple ToDo list that gives me just enough power to do what I want with it.

There are, however, 2 things (no pun intended) I don't like about it:
1) It's expensive if you want the iPhone, iPad, and Mac versions. I personally think the Mac version is way overpriced, especially if you already purchased the iPhone and iPad versions. I mean, as good as it is, it's just a really nice todo list app and there's only so much a todo list app can and should do. Thus, I only use the iPhone and iPad apps.
2) It's iOS/MacOS only. There's no web version. I feel like in today's age, the best productivity apps need to be multi platform. I held off on buying Things for a long time because of this (I use a Windows PC at home) but so far it hasn't been an inconvenience since I tend to have either my iPhone or iPad on me at all times. Still, it's something to consider.

That said, it looks like I'll have to checkout TickTick based on what others have said here. I used to use Wunderlist but stopped when MS bought it to kill it off.

I felt the same way regarding the Mac environment, but after trying out a handful of other applications it seems like all of them have something missing, or does something slightly different than I'm looking for. Things really nails everything I need, or at least Things 3 added everything I needed in Things 2 that I was looking elsewhere for. With the Things 3 update allowing Mail to Things, being able to add to-do's from my PC is almost good enough.

Obviously, pinning down a 'best' application for any particular arena is hard based on the subjectivity of it all, but Things 3 is easily at the top of any potential 'best to-do' list.

 

[thisismyusername]

With the Things 3 update allowing Mail to Things, being able to add to-do's from my PC is almost good enough.

I never considered that feature. I always kind of blew it off and figured "why would I do that when I can just open the app". Silly me, lol. That might be enough for me to not care about having a fully accessible version from a PC. Thanks for bringing it up.

 

[nikeagogo]

Sure. While a web client would be super cool, being able to easily add some simple and quick submissions was what I really wanted. I can then open and edit or assign them as necessary when I have a few minutes, so I don't find it to be a huge sticking point.

 

[sean000]

I never considered that feature. I always kind of blew it off and figured "why would I do that when I can just open the app". Silly me, lol. That might be enough for me to not care about having a fully accessible version from a PC. Thanks for bringing it up.

I went through periods of using Things, Things 2 and Omnifocus when I figured I didn't need to care about it being accessible from my PC, because I always have my iPhone or iPad with me. Ultimately I found that I really missed the functionality so I switched to a task list with a Web interface as well as apps. Wunderlist disappointed me for its lack of features compared to other lists Things and 2Do, but the first one I tried that was really good was Swipesapp.com. I think it shifted to being more of a team-based service rather than personal task list (although they still offer that). I switched to TickTick after reading about it here, and I really like the Web interface (it has a Windows app as well). I copy/paste things into it all the time, which is the main reason I have found it to be useful to have. If that's not a need, then I think it's entirely possible to just use an iOS only app as your task manager... especially if it at least lets you forward items into it via email or ITTT.

 

[TheBruno]

I tried TickTick and Todoist this last week since Wunderlist seems to be dying. However, I noticed they updated Wunderlist on iOS three weeks ago with bug fixes. I also found it to be the #1 rated to-do list app on Slant. I liked both Ticktick and Todoist, though I found their features and UI design to be very similar. Todoist edged out a little bit with some of the goal features and karma points; they aren't necessary, but they spice it up a bit. Despite being similarly priced, Ticktick offered a monthly payment option where Todoist appeared to only accept annual payments. I think Ticktick had a better handle too with Subtasks than Todoist, which allows you to toggle between Description and Subtask view. Don't ask me why, but I thought that was great. Todoist needs some work with Subtasks because you're forced to nest them under other tasks. The functionality isn't terribly intuitive, and it makes for a lot of extra click work. However, the natural language entry of Todoist is stellar. It's one of those features you didn't know you needed until you used it.

Ultimately, I decided to stay with Wunderlist until it's canned by Microsoft (or whatever they're doing with it). The syncing of lists and tasks are my highest priority, and Wunderlist is entirely free right now. It supports Subtasks, and is available on my iPhone, iPad and Mac. After having recently purchased a new iMac, I've decided I need to watch every penny I have.

Omnifocus is bloated and too expensive. Things is lacking some rather obvious features, and it's quite expensive if you have multiple devices. It isn't surprising to see it sitting at #20 on Slant's website for cross-platform to-do apps. While beautiful, it really looks like a $10 Mac app to me (not $50). I've yet to see 2Do. Maybe I'll try that next. So far, Things would be the LAST Task Management app I would choose to use, despite its squeaky clean interface.

 

[sean000]

I tried TickTick and Todoist this last week since Wunderlist seems to be dying. However, I noticed they updated Wunderlist on iOS three weeks ago with bug fixes. I also found it to be the #1 rated to-do list app on Slant. I liked both Ticktick and Todoist, though I found their features and UI design to be very similar. Todoist edged out a little bit with some of the goal features and karma points; they aren't necessary, but they spice it up a bit. Despite being similarly priced, Ticktick offered a monthly payment option where Todoist appeared to only accept annual payments. I think Ticktick had a better handle too with Subtasks than Todoist, which allows you to toggle between Description and Subtask view. Don't ask me why, but I thought that was great. Todoist needs some work with Subtasks because you're forced to nest them under other tasks. The functionality isn't terribly intuitive, and it makes for a lot of extra click work. However, the natural language entry of Todoist is stellar. It's one of those features you didn't know you needed until you used it.

Ultimately, I decided to stay with Wunderlist until it's canned by Microsoft (or whatever they're doing with it). The syncing of lists and tasks are my highest priority, and Wunderlist is entirely free right now. It supports Subtasks, and is available on my iPhone, iPad and Mac. After having recently purchased a new iMac, I've decided I need to watch every penny I have.

Omnifocus is bloated and too expensive. Things is lacking some rather obvious features, and it's quite expensive if you have multiple devices. It isn't surprising to see it sitting at #20 on Slant's website for cross-platform to-do apps. While beautiful, it really looks like a $10 Mac app to me (not $50). I've yet to see 2Do. Maybe I'll try that next. So far, Things would be the LAST Task Management app I would choose to use, despite its squeaky clean interface.

I agree that Omnifocus seems expensive and kind of... I don't know if bloated is the right word, but it's definitely expensive compared to most of the other apps mentioned here. I guess I would say that it's really a different kind of app all-together, and was the first one to offer some of the features that are now standard across some of the better known task apps. I think at the time I used it (it's been a few years) I appreciated the different custom views and perspectives you could create, but I kind of get the same thing with hashtags and custom smartlists in TickTick. Those custom smartlists (filtered lists) are very helpful, but I think they limit how many you can create unless you're a premium subscriber (which, at less than $2.50 a month, is pretty reasonable). I also like the Calendar view. I don't schedule most of my tasks, but it's nice to see the ones that have to be done on a specific day on the calendar, and it's easy to drag and drop them to move them. You also get the swipe to snooze option in list view though. Omnifocus seems like a good option for people who don't mind paying for an app that will walk them through the GTD methodology, but I think you have to buy into the way Omnifocus says you should do things. Most of the other apps mentioned here are a bit more flexible in terms of providing features you can use, or not use, depending on what fits your task management style the best.

I'm glad Wunderlist is still kicking, but I haven't tried it in a long time. I was hoping Microsoft's new-ish To-Do app was going to be Wunderlist for Office 365 re-branded since we use Office 365 at work, but so far I'm not sure if it's even based on the same code. It says it's from the Wunderlist team, and it's still in Preview so I guess I should reserve my judgement. Makes you wonder what will happen to Wunderlist long-term though. I keep seeing ads for Monday.com advertising itself as a Wunderlist alternative, but it's really designed for business use (and priced accordingly) while Wunderlist has been a good way for families to share tasks as well.

I wish I could get my wife to use a task list so we could share lists in ToDo, but she just isn't into using technology for this stuff. I do have her using some shared spreadsheets and notes (Google Keep... MS OneNote is my preferred, but it's way too geeky for her) to manage some of our family projects and needs. I might see if she would be willing to give Trello a try since it's got that mix of simple and powerful. I could see the Kanban style boards and cards appealing to her much more, and you can have task lists within a card. We have some teams using it at work, but most have gone to MS Planner since it's included in Office 365 and integrates better in our environment. I'm using more tools to manage projects and tasks these days than I'd like to be (at least at work), but for personal use I've stayed with TickTick longer than any of the previous products I used. That's not to say it's the best for everyone. There are a lot of great task management and project management options out there these days, and the differences come down to personal preferences more than just about anything else.

 

[lexvo]

OmniFocus expensive? Yes if you compare to a one-off price of another app.

But OmniFocus has no subscription. Over 2 years ago I paid $40 for the app ($60 for the premium version). Based on a month rate that’s $1,60 a month (or $2,50 a month for premium). And Omnifocus 3 isn’t released yet so it becomes cheaper each month

 

[sean000]

OmniFocus expensive? Yes if you compare to a one-off price of another app.

But OmniFocus has no subscription. Over 2 years ago I paid $40 for the app ($60 for the premium version). Based on a month rate that’s $1,60 a month (or $2,50 a month for premium). And Omnifocus 3 isn’t released yet so it becomes cheaper each month

If you want to run it on both iOS and macOS that's $80 or $140 depending on whether you go standard or pro. And you might be on the hook for paying the same amount for v3 unless they offer an upgrade discount. I guess the good thing is that they don't charge for minor upgrades so they have keep the software fresh by adding support for newer iOS features, the Apple Watch, etc. And if you want to use it on just iOS it's just $40 to $60. Things makes you pay separately for iPhone/Watch and the iPad, so you can spend a lot licensing it for macOS, iPhone and iPad. It's not that much cheaper than Omnifocus.

TickTick premium subscription is $27.99 a year, but that covers all platforms: iOS, macOS, Windows, Android, Chromebook, and anything else with a web browser.

In the end the prices of these things isn't that much if you get a lot out of them. If you're a heavy user of task management apps and really benefit from them (as I do) then it's worth paying for the one that works best for you. A good task management app should help you be more productive while reducing stress and anxiety. Sometimes you have to try several to find the one that actually clicks with you. I know I've been through quite a few of them. None are perfect, but it's a fantastic thing when you find one that is a good enough match for your needs.

 

[eltoslightfoot]

Nobody has mentioned Todoist? Give it a try. I own Omnifocus, and still keep coming back to Todoist.

 

[vbctv]

I use Todoist currently, but may head back to 2Do. I'm n Apple only-user both macOS & iOS plus 2Do syncs with reminders and I can use IFTTT for Alexa integration. I love Todoist and always come back to it, but there are so many bugs and issues as of late and their support is awful anymore. I've had issues with Karma not updating for 24-48 hours or more, still not fixed... Subtasks and projects just change places at random, they claim it's fixed but it's not. I like Todoist because everything is built in from Calendar integration, Alexa and the sync works so good. But 2Do is always my other choice as I think it is more powerful than Todoist, but it's more of a DIY, bring your own sync, integrate how you wish, etc...

 

[eltoslightfoot]

I use Todoist currently, but may head back to 2Do. I'm n Apple only-user both macOS & iOS plus 2Do syncs with reminders and I can use IFTTT for Alexa integration. I love Todoist and always come back to it, but there are so many bugs and issues as of late and their support is awful anymore. I've had issues with Karma not updating for 24-48 hours or more, still not fixed... Subtasks and projects just change places at random, they claim it's fixed but it's not. I like Todoist because everything is built in from Calendar integration, Alexa and the sync works so good. But 2Do is always my other choice as I think it is more powerful than Todoist, but it's more of a DIY, bring your own sync, integrate how you wish, etc...

Man, for those prices, it would have to be good. Yikes.

 

[sean000]

I use Todoist currently, but may head back to 2Do. I'm n Apple only-user both macOS & iOS plus 2Do syncs with reminders and I can use IFTTT for Alexa integration. I love Todoist and always come back to it, but there are so many bugs and issues as of late and their support is awful anymore. I've had issues with Karma not updating for 24-48 hours or more, still not fixed... Subtasks and projects just change places at random, they claim it's fixed but it's not. I like Todoist because everything is built in from Calendar integration, Alexa and the sync works so good. But 2Do is always my other choice as I think it is more powerful than Todoist, but it's more of a DIY, bring your own sync, integrate how you wish, etc...

I used 2Do for a long time and it was easily one of my favorites. I think I left it for something that would run on Windows as well as iOS. TickTick is very similar to 2Do, which is probably why I like TickTick so much. I know I tried Todoist a long time ago. I can’t remember why I didn’t stick with it, but it looks quite nice.

 

[eltoslightfoot]

I used 2Do for a long time and it was easily one of my favorites. I think I left it for something that would run on Windows as well as iOS. TickTick is very similar to 2Do, which is probably why I like TickTick so much. I know I tried Todoist a long time ago. I can’t remember why I didn’t stick with it, but it looks quite nice.

The main reason I can't leave Todoist is the intelligent task parsing. I can type "add parameter x and y to report #project @Label p1 today" and it will add a task "add parameter x and y to report" to the appropriate project with that label. It will also add the highest priority (p1) to it and make it due today.

 

[sean000]

The main reason I can't leave Todoist is the intelligent task parsing. I can type "add parameter x and y to report #project @Label p1 today" and it will add a task "add parameter x and y to report" to the appropriate project with that label. It will also add the highest priority (p1) to it and make it due today.

I think my only issues with TickTick are this and the lack of integrations for tools like Slack, ITTT/Workflow, Trello, Office365, etc. You can at least email a task to yourself, so I have used workflow triggers in other apps to create tasks that way. You can also use Siri to add tasks. TickTick can at lease parse dates, times, and hashtag labels. The developer says they are working on the API, so I hope they release some integration support and more advanced parsing this year. Todoist has a nice list of integrations, and in today’s market the tools with the most open API’s/integration support tend to win. At least when it comes to business use cases.

 

[jzamoras]

I use taskangel. Syncs with toodledo seamlessly.

 

[ScottNWDW]

I have tried many different task apps and I currently have many of them on my Macs and iOS devices. There are things about each one that I really like and there things about each one I don't like. Currently I would have to say I am running between Todoist and Tick Tick. I am also beta testing OmniFocus 3 and on my Mac I also have 2Do, ToDo, Things 3, Good Task and Informant. Personally I would like to see ToDo since that has been on my iPhones since the iPhone 3G was first released. I love OmniFocus and continue to gravitate back to it from time to time. Informant is excellent in my opinion because it is really the only one that deals with the Franklin Covey methods from my Franklin Planner days. I like the look and feel of Things 3/3.5 and I also like 2Do. Lately though I am really liking Tick Tick and todoist the best among them all. One handled certain features better than the other so the choice between the 2 is hard. For Calendar and Contact integration though Informant is a favorite as well. I have tried Fantastical and BusyCal. Fantastical is great for Calendaring but both it and BusyCal sync with the Reminders app, which in my opinion is just awful.

 

[hank moody]

Clear is releasing Clear 2 soon.

 

[sean000]

I have tried many different task apps and I currently have many of them on my Macs and iOS devices. There are things about each one that I really like and there things about each one I don't like. Currently I would have to say I am running between Todoist and Tick Tick. I am also beta testing OmniFocus 3 and on my Mac I also have 2Do, ToDo, Things 3, Good Task and Informant. Personally I would like to see ToDo since that has been on my iPhones since the iPhone 3G was first released. I love OmniFocus and continue to gravitate back to it from time to time. Informant is excellent in my opinion because it is really the only one that deals with the Franklin Covey methods from my Franklin Planner days. I like the look and feel of Things 3/3.5 and I also like 2Do. Lately though I am really liking Tick Tick and todoist the best among them all. One handled certain features better than the other so the choice between the 2 is hard. For Calendar and Contact integration though Informant is a favorite as well. I have tried Fantastical and BusyCal. Fantastical is great for Calendaring but both it and BusyCal sync with the Reminders app, which in my opinion is just awful.

I really like this thread, because it shows me that I'm not the only person who enjoys trying out new task management apps.

I see so many familiar titles in this thread, as well as some I haven't tried. Whenever I see something on another post I haven't tried... I can't resist trying it out, or at least reading the description in the app store. I'm not saying I switch task apps frequently (been with TickTick for two years), but I will try new ones to see if they offer something I didn't know I was missing. As you say they all have things to like and not like about them, so it comes down to finding the one that you personally enjoy using the most. There is always room for improvement... in terms of the app as well as in terms of my own workflow. They also keep improving, so sometimes I will revisit an app that didn't quite meet my needs a year or so ago. One of the benefits of trying new apps every now and then is that it can get you to think about your workflow in a different way. Sometimes that's enough to make you switch apps, and other times it just helps you use your current app even more effectively than you were before.

Sean

 

[lexvo]

I really like this thread, because it shows me that I'm not the only person who enjoys trying out new task management apps.

I see so many familiar titles in this thread, as well as some I haven't tried. Whenever I see something on another post I haven't tried... I can't resist trying it out, or at least reading the description in the app store. I'm not saying I switch task apps frequently (been with TickTick for two years), but I will try new ones to see if they offer something I didn't know I was missing. As you say they all have things to like and not like about them, so it comes down to finding the one that you personally enjoy using the most. There is always room for improvement... in terms of the app as well as in terms of my own workflow. They also keep improving, so sometimes I will revisit an app that didn't quite meet my needs a year or so ago. One of the benefits of trying new apps every now and then is that it can get you to think about your workflow in a different way. Sometimes that's enough to make you switch apps, and other times it just helps you use your current app even more effectively than you were before.

Sean

Same for me with note taking apps

 

[sean000]

Same for me with note taking apps

I have that problem too. Note-taking apps, outliner apps, and mind-mapping apps as well. Funny thing is that you'd never thing I was the slightest bit organized by looking at my desk or my home. I don't deal well with paper, but I'm much more organizing in the virtual world.
[doublepost=1524759853][/doublepost]

Clear is releasing Clear 2 soon.

Be interesting to see what features are added. I tried Clear when it was first released. I liked how Clear looked and worked on the iPhone, but I think it was missing something I needed. Can't remember what, but by now it might have it. Hopefully it will retain the simplicity of the interface with the new version.

Upvote on the avatar! I was watching the latest season of the X-Files and it reminded me of how much I miss Californication. I used to have a hard time seeing David Duchovny as anyone other than Fox Mulder. Now I have a hard time seeing him as anyone other than Hank Moody.

 

[jel888]

Is Things 3 the best todo app or is there something better?

I wanted to reply to this post because I've been researching the best GTD/productivity todo app and will settled on one of these three: Things 3, Omnifocus and Firetask in my final tests. And I'm almost convinced that Firetask beats them all for simplicity, flexibility and GTD-like (not purist) organization. In my searching for the best one, or rather the best one adapted to my needs, I note that not too many people know or discuss Firetask, and I think that's a shame because it really seems like a one-up, simplified version of Omnifocus and Things 3. I'm wondering if there are others who have given it a go and if someone can share with me their opinion (before I pay for either Omnifocus or Firetask, which seem to be where I am at the moment decision wise). And to share in particular why I would choose Omnifocus over Firetask (or vice versa). There's only one thing that bothers me about Firetask, in the Calendar view I can't see my iCal events unless I click on the triangle. But what bothers me about Omnifocus is not having a dedicated "Today" "Next" "Waiting For" focus views (you have to create them or see them all on a "Forecast" view". For some, that may be preferable to see the events after clicking, but I would rather like to see the events with my actions (tasks). I'd really like to hear from someone who has used these two (or three) apps for a while and tell me their thoughts. I'm just starting out with disciplining myself to a GTD'ish daily lifestyle, so I figure I can adapt if I have to, but I'd rather use an app that feels natural and has the least "clicks" when using.
[doublepost=1524769137][/doublepost]

I have tried many different task apps and I currently have many of them on my Macs and iOS devices. There are things about each one that I really like and there things about each one I don't like. Currently I would have to say I am running between Todoist and Tick Tick. I am also beta testing OmniFocus 3 and on my Mac I also have 2Do, ToDo, Things 3, Good Task and Informant. Personally I would like to see ToDo since that has been on my iPhones since the iPhone 3G was first released. I love OmniFocus and continue to gravitate back to it from time to time. Informant is excellent in my opinion because it is really the only one that deals with the Franklin Covey methods from my Franklin Planner days. I like the look and feel of Things 3/3.5 and I also like 2Do. Lately though I am really liking Tick Tick and todoist the best among them all. One handled certain features better than the other so the choice between the 2 is hard. For Calendar and Contact integration though Informant is a favorite as well. I have tried Fantastical and BusyCal. Fantastical is great for Calendaring but both it and BusyCal sync with the Reminders app, which in my opinion is just awful.

Haven't heard of Informant, and as a previous franklin Covery person, I think I may look at that too. Thanks!

 

[Freddy Fruitfly]

I like this thread.

Did anyone gave NotePlan a try?

 

[ScottNWDW]

I like this thread.

Did anyone gave NotePlan a try?

I looked at the decryption and read up on it, but just did not appeal to me at the moment. I may give it a second look somewhere down the line.