Last updated · Matthew Blode
Todoist vs Things 3
Todoist vs Things 3 splits on devices, sharing, and how much of the system you maintain. Pick Todoist for Windows, Android, the web, assignees, or an API. Pick Things 3 for Apple-only personal GTD you never configure. Done Bear keeps that structure on web, Windows, macOS, Linux, and iOS: one list for personal, work, and family. There is no Android app yet (waitlist at /android).
Free up to 250 tasks. No credit card.
Key takeaways
- Things 3 runs on Mac, iPad, iPhone, Apple Watch, and Vision, with no browser version.
- Todoist ships Windows, Linux, Android, and a web app, plus a documented API.
- Things 3 is a one-time purchase per Apple platform; Todoist Pro is $7 a month or $60 a year.
- Done Bear keeps Inbox, Today, Upcoming, Anytime, and Someday on web, Windows, macOS, Linux, and iOS: one list for personal, work, and family.
- Import Todoist or Things 3 into Done Bear from Settings, Import, or the CLI.
How Todoist, Things 3, and Done Bear compare
Every competitor cell comes from Todoist’s or Cultured Code’s own documentation, listed under sources. Where a number is not published by the vendor, the cell says so rather than guessing.
| Criterion | Todoist | Things 3 | Done Bear |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Linux, Mac, Windows, iPhone, iPad, Android, Apple Watch, WearOS, browser extensions and email add-ons | Mac, iPad, iPhone, Apple Watch, and Vision | Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS. No Android app |
| Browser access | Yes | None; a supported Apple device is required to view to-dos | Full web app, same GTD views as the native apps |
| Price | Beginner free, Pro $7 a month or $60 a year, Business $10 per user per month or $8 billed yearly | One-time purchase per Apple platform, no subscription; extra devices of the same kind and Things Cloud cost nothing | Free up to 250 tasks, then from $7/month per member billed yearly |
| Published free-plan limits | 5 active personal projects, 3 filters, one week of activity history, 5 people per personal project | No free tier; paid up front per platform | 250 active tasks, unlimited workspace members |
| Caps that apply on every plan | 300 active tasks and 20 sections per project | Not published | No per-project task cap; paid plans lift the 250-task ceiling |
| GTD views | Filters, labels, and custom views you maintain | Inbox, Today, Upcoming, Anytime, and Someday are the app | Inbox, Today, Upcoming, Anytime, Someday, plus a Logbook |
| Sharing | Shared projects, assignees, and comments | None; real-time sharing of to-dos or lists is not supported | Shared workspaces on every plan; personal Today stays personal |
| Offline | Offline mode; changes sync when you reconnect | Native offline on Apple devices | Local-first: views render from the device, then sync |
| Automation | API v1 for tasks and projects, CLI, hosted MCP at ai.todoist.net/mcp | URL scheme, Shortcuts, AppleScript on Mac, Mail to Things | CLI, GraphQL API, hosted MCP at mcp.donebear.com/mcp |
| Getting your data out | One project as CSV on any plan; Pro and Business download a ZIP of one CSV per active project | Things Cloud sync between your own Apple devices | Settings, Import for inbound; CLI and GraphQL for outbound scripts |
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Who should pick which
Stay on Things 3 for Apple-only personal GTD
Things 3 is the pick when every device you use is Apple, nobody else touches the list, and a one-time purchase beats a subscription. Today, Upcoming, Anytime, and Someday are the structure of the app, which is why Things users rebuild their setup so rarely. Cultured Code still has no Windows app and no browser version. Stay if Apple-only and single-player is what you wanted.
Stay on Todoist for Android, sharing, and a documented API
Todoist is the pick when a Windows laptop, an Android phone, or a shared browser is part of the week, when projects have assignees and comments, or when a script or an assistant has to reach the list through a documented API. Todoist publishes its plan limits: 5 active personal projects, 3 filters, and one week of history on Beginner, and 300 active tasks per project on every plan. The integration catalog is the reason to stay, not the price.
Choose neither if these are your constraints
Neither app is the answer if you need Things-style GTD on a Windows machine or in a browser, or shared projects that keep a personal Today list personal. Those are the gaps the next section covers.
Where Done Bear fits in this comparison
Done Bear is a local-first GTD task manager. One list. Every device: personal, work, and family in the same workspace on web, Windows, macOS, Linux, and iOS. It is for the reader the choice above leaves stuck between Apple-only craft and cross-platform lists you assemble yourself.
- Five views (Inbox, Today, Upcoming, Anytime, Someday) plus a Logbook, on web, macOS, Windows, Linux, and iOS.
- Tasks live on device and render without a network round trip, with sync running in the background.
- Shared workspaces on every plan, Free included, while personal views stay personal. One list for personal, work, and family.
- A CLI, a GraphQL API, and a hosted MCP server at https://mcp.donebear.com/mcp.
Done Bear is free to start, up to 250 tasks with unlimited workspace members, then from $7 per month per member billed yearly. See the pricing page for the rest.
Import paths into Done Bear
Todoist and Things 3 each have a documented way out. Todoist exports one project as CSV on any plan, or a ZIP of active-project CSVs on Pro and Business; completed tasks and archived projects are in neither export. Things 3 imports from the Mac database with `donebear import things`, or from Settings, Import, Things 3. Keep the old app until you have checked the preview.
You might not need this. If you are all-Apple, single-player, and happy with Things, switching costs a weekend for nothing. If your team already runs on Todoist projects with assignees and years of integrations, the migration is real work. Stay where you are until the constraint bites.
Free up to 250 tasks. No credit card.
Where this information comes from
- Cultured Code, Getting Things (Things is sold separately for Mac, iPad, iPhone and Vision, with no Windows or browser app)
- Cultured Code, Syncing with Things Cloud (a supported Apple device is required to view to-dos, and real-time sharing of to-dos or lists is not supported)
- Cultured Code, Connecting AI tools to Things (the Things URL Scheme, Apple Shortcuts, AppleScript on Mac, and Mail to Things are the supported automation routes)
- Todoist, Download Todoist (apps for Linux, Mac, Windows, iPhone, iPad, Android, Apple Watch and WearOS, plus browser extensions and email add-ons)
- Todoist, Todoist plans, pricing, and billing FAQ (Beginner is free, Pro is $7 a month or $60 a year, and Business is $10 per user per month or $8 per user per month billed yearly)
- Todoist, Usage limits in Todoist (Beginner allows 5 active personal projects, 3 filters, one week of activity history and 5 people per personal project, and every plan caps a project at 300 active tasks and 20 sections)
- Todoist, Import or export a project as a CSV file in Todoist (CSV export and import run one project at a time and leave out completed tasks)
- Todoist, Download or restore backups in Todoist (Pro and Business backups are ZIP files of active-project CSVs, excluding completed tasks and archived projects)
- Todoist, Todoist API v1 reference (a public HTTP API covering tasks and projects)
- Todoist, Connect Todoist to an AI assistant (hosted MCP at ai.todoist.net/mcp)
- Doist, todoist-cli (the official td command line for Todoist)
- Todoist, Use Todoist while offline (offline mode needs you logged in first, and offline changes sync to the server when you reconnect)
Related pages
- Migrate from Todoist to Done Bear
- Migrate from Things 3 to Done Bear
- Done Bear vs Todoist
- Todoist for Windows
- Done Bear vs Things 3
- Done Bear on Windows
- Todoist vs Things 3 (editorial)
- How to export your Todoist data
- GTD fact sheet
- What a Things 3 import keeps on Windows
- Android waitlist
- Apple Watch beta waitlist
- What local-first means
- Done Bear on the web
Frequently asked questions
Todoist vs Things: which should I pick?
Todoist if you need Windows, Android, a browser, shared projects, or a documented API. Things 3 if you work alone on Apple hardware and want GTD views you never configure. Done Bear is the third option when you want that Things structure on Windows and the web, local-first. There is no Android app yet.
Things vs Todoist: which should I pick?
Things if you work alone on Apple hardware and want GTD views you never configure. Todoist if you need Windows, Android, a browser, shared projects, or an API. Done Bear is the third path when you want that Things structure on Windows and the web: one list for personal, work, and family.
Is Todoist better than Things 3?
Neither wins outright. Todoist is better if you need Windows, Android, or a browser, shared projects, or a documented API. Things 3 is better if you work alone on Apple hardware and want GTD views you never configure. Done Bear is the third option when you want that Things structure on Windows and the web.
Things 3 vs Todoist: which should I pick?
The same split as Todoist vs Things, with Things 3 as the current app name. Pick Things 3 for Apple-only personal GTD. Pick Todoist for Windows, Android, sharing, or an API. Pick Done Bear when you want Things-style views on Windows and the web.
Things vs Todoist for family and work on one list?
Neither is built as one list for personal, work, and family across every device. Things does not share to-dos or lists. Todoist shares projects, with caps per plan. Done Bear keeps personal, work, and family in one workspace on web, Windows, Mac, Linux, and iOS. One list. Every device.
Is there a Things 3 app for Windows?
No. Cultured Code’s device list names Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Apple Vision Pro. Windows is unsupported. Things Cloud syncs those Apple devices; it is not a site you can open on a PC. Done Bear is a native Windows app with the same GTD views.
Can I import Todoist into Done Bear?
Yes. Export a Todoist backup or a project CSV, then open Settings, Import, Todoist in Done Bear and review the preview before confirming. The walkthrough is on the Todoist migration page. Your Todoist account is unchanged by the import.
Can I import Things 3 into Done Bear?
Yes. Run `donebear import things` on the Mac where Things is installed, or use Settings, Import, Things 3 and upload a copy of the Things database. Areas, projects, Today, Someday, and scheduled dates come across. Keep Things until you have checked the result.
Is Done Bear local-first like Things 3?
Yes. Things is fast because the database sits on your Mac or iPhone. Done Bear is local-first for the same reason: every view opens from a copy on the device, with no loading state. On iPhone, and in a browser where it has loaded before, that works with no connection; the desktop apps need one to start. Edits queue locally and sync when you reconnect, including to teammates in a shared workspace. There is no Android app.
Free up to 250 tasks. No credit card.