Things
Award-winning personal task manager for Mac with a clean design and powerful organization features.
Install with Homebrew
brew install --cask thingsQuick Take: Things
Buy Things 3 if you want a paid-up-front Apple task manager that still gets OS 26 and OS 27 work in 2026. The 3.22 Tahoe redesign, free Cloud sync, and 3.23 beta show Cultured Code is iterating on Things 3 rather than forcing a subscription reboot. The Mac license is about $49.99; iPhone and iPad are separate. Skip it if you need Windows, Android, or shared team lists, those are still missing on purpose.
Best For
- •Apple ecosystem users
- •Design-conscious professionals
- •GTD methodology practitioners
What is Things?
Things is a personal task manager for Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Vision Pro from Cultured Code in Stuttgart, Germany. First released in 2007 and still on the Things 3 line, it stays Apple-only on purpose: deep hooks into macOS and iOS instead of a cross-platform web client. As of August 2026 the product is actively maintained. Things 3.22 (15 September 2025) shipped full compatibility with macOS/iOS/iPadOS/watchOS/visionOS 26 (Tahoe and related releases), a new app icon, a refreshed interface, Control Center integration, Clear-style widgets, Spotlight to-do creation on Mac, and Vision Pro Writing Tools/widget support. Cultured Code's status board lists general refinements from 3 August 2026, Things 3.23 in external beta, and Things 3 for OS 27 already marked in development for fall. There is still no Things 4 announcement; the company keeps shipping Things 3. Pricing is a one-time App Store purchase per platform with no subscription: Mac $49.99, iPhone & Apple Watch $9.99, iPad $19.99, Vision Pro sold separately. Things Cloud sync is free for owners. Windows, Android, and collaborative web sharing are intentionally absent. The competition is Todoist, TickTick, OmniFocus, and Apple Reminders; Things bets on calm design and a GTD-friendly layout (Inbox, Today, This Evening, Upcoming, Areas, Projects, Headings, Tags).
Closer look: Things architecture and philosophy
Things is built around longevity and day-to-day calm rather than racing every productivity trend.
Key Features
macOS Tahoe 26 Design Refresh (Things 3.22)
Things 3.22 rebuilt the interface for Apple's OS 26 generation with a new icon, refreshed controls, Control Center integration on Mac and Watch, Clear widget styles, improved windowing/menu bar behaviors on iPad, Spotlight creation of to-dos on Mac, and Vision Pro widget/Writing Tools support. The redesign keeps Cultured Code's calm typography while aligning with Liquid Glass-era system aesthetics. Subsequent 2026 point releases focus on refinements while 3.23 betas add long-requested improvements.
Today and This Evening Lists
Today is the daily list: calendar events and to-dos on one timeline. Pull in Personal, Family, or Work calendars when you want the whole day in one place. This Evening holds tasks you deliberately parked for after hours, so daytime work is not competing with "do laundry later" items. Many users treat Today as the only list they open before lunch, then empty This Evening after dinner.
Upcoming Planning View
Upcoming shows the next week of scheduled to-dos, repeating tasks, deadlines, and calendar events in order. Drag items to new dates when a week looks overloaded. Natural language date entry understands phrases like "next Tuesday" or "in 3 days," which is faster than picking from a calendar grid every time. It is the view people open on Sunday night to see whether Monday already has three deadlines stacked.
Projects with Headings
Headings split a large project into sections, milestones, or phases. Name a heading, drag to-dos under it, then drag the heading itself when you need to reorder a whole block. Archive a heading with its to-dos when that phase is done so the active project stays short. Client work often maps cleanly to Discovery / Design / Delivery headings without inventing a second project for each phase.
Checklists within To-Dos
Checklists cover multi-step work that does not deserve its own project: packing lists, shopping lists, short procedures. Paste a bulleted list and Things converts it. Check items off one by one while they stay attached to the parent to-do. Progress stays visible on the parent without flooding Today with ten tiny tasks.
Magic Plus Button
Drag the Magic Plus button to drop a new to-do under a heading, on a date, or into a specific spot in Today. In a project, dragging to the left margin creates a heading. Dropping on the Inbox target captures a thought without leaving the list you were reading. On iPhone the same gesture pattern works for quick capture during a meeting.
Quick Find with Type Travel
Quick Find searches projects, to-dos, and tags as you type. On Mac, Type Travel jumps to matches when you start typing without opening a search field first. Typing a tag name such as Errands or Work filters the whole database in milliseconds. That is usually faster than clicking through Areas when you only remember a fragment of the title.
Jump Start Scheduling
Jump Start is the scheduling popover: hover a to-do, click the calendar control, then send it to Today, a later date, a reminder, or Someday. Phrases like "tomorrow," "Saturday," or "August 1" are accepted. On iOS, a swipe opens the same controls. It is the habit that keeps Inbox empty without opening a separate calendar app for every defer.
Who Should Use Things?
1The Creative Professional
A freelance designer uses Things to manage multiple client projects simultaneously. Each client becomes an Area of Responsibility containing project folders with Headings for phases like Discovery, Design, and Delivery. The designer starts their day reviewing Today, which shows client meetings from Calendar alongside design tasks. The This Evening section holds administrative work for after creative hours. Quick Find instantly surfaces all tasks tagged "Urgent" across projects when priorities shift unexpectedly.
2The Executive Manager
A department lead tracks quarterly objectives, team meetings, and personal development goals. Repeating to-dos ensure weekly one-on-ones and monthly reviews never slip. Headings organize OKR milestones by month. The Upcoming view helps anticipate conflict weeks when multiple deadlines converge. Things Cloud sync keeps iPad and iPhone updated for quick task capture during off-site meetings using the Magic Plus drag-to-Inbox gesture.
3The Graduate Student
A PhD candidate balances coursework, research milestones, and teaching responsibilities. Checklists within to-dos track experiment steps and literature review progress. Projects for each course contain assignment deadlines synced to Today. The Someday list holds future research ideas that aren't currently active. Control Center widgets on iPhone provide instant access to the Today list between classes without unlocking the device.
How to Install Things on Mac
Things for Mac is available exclusively through the Mac App Store. Each platform version is purchased separately, and Things Cloud sync is included free with any purchase.
Open the Mac App Store
Click the App Store icon in your Dock or Applications folder, or search for 'App Store' using Spotlight.
Search and Purchase
Search for 'Things 3' and click the price button to purchase. The Mac version typically costs $49.99 as a one-time purchase with no subscription required.
Launch and Configure Things Cloud
Open Things from your Applications folder. Create or sign in to your Things Cloud account during setup to enable sync across all your Apple devices.
Pro Tips
- • Enable Handoff in System Settings so you can pick up the same to-do when you switch between Mac and iPad.
- • Add Things widgets to your desktop or Notification Center for at-a-glance access to Today, Upcoming, or specific projects.
- • Configure keyboard shortcuts in Things > Settings > Shortcuts to match your muscle memory from other apps.
Configuration Tips
Customize Your Today List
Configure which calendars appear in Today via Things > Settings > Calendar Events. Disable completed items from showing to maintain focus, and enable 'Include items from the next day at 8 PM' to prepare for tomorrow without switching views.
Set Up Reusable Tags
Create a consistent tag system for context-based filtering. Common patterns include energy levels (High/Low Energy), locations (Office, Home, Errands), or time estimates (Quick, Deep Work). Apply multiple tags for flexible filtering through Quick Find.
Master Keyboard Shortcuts
Learn essential shortcuts to navigate without lifting your hands from the keyboard: ⌘+N for new to-dos, ⌘+Shift+N for projects, ⌘+F for Quick Find, and the space bar to expand/collapse to-do details. Customize these in Settings to match your workflow.
Alternatives to Things
While Things excels in design and user experience, several alternatives offer different pricing models, cross-platform support, or collaborative features that may better suit specific needs.
Todoist
Cross-platform freemium leader. Pro about $5/mo yearly. Pros: NLP Quick Add, Android/Windows/web, Assist/Ramble, teams. Cons: subscription, less native Mac polish. Choose Todoist if you leave the Apple ecosystem daily.
OmniFocus 4
Heavier Apple-only GTD system with Review and Forecast. Higher price (Standard ~$74.99 / Pro ~$149.99 or subscription). Choose OmniFocus if you need sequential projects and forced reviews more than calm beauty.
TickTick
Cheaper freemium suite with habits and Pomodoro (~$35.99/year Premium). Choose TickTick for feature density on a budget across platforms.
Apple Reminders
Free system app improving with each macOS release. Choose Reminders for simple shared lists; choose Things when projects, headings, and Today/Evening planning justify the one-time cost.
Pricing
Things uses traditional paid-up-front App Store pricing with no subscription for core features. Approximate USD list prices as commonly sold in 2026: Mac $49.99, iPhone & Apple Watch $9.99, iPad $19.99, plus a separate Vision Pro purchase. Buying Mac + iPhone + iPad is about $79.97 before local App Store currency conversion. A Mac trial is available from Cultured Code. Things Cloud sync is included free for legitimate owners. All 3.x updates, including the 3.22 Tahoe redesign and ongoing 2026 refinements, are free to existing 3.x owners. A future major version (if ever announced) would likely be a new paid upgrade, as with prior major releases.
Pros
- ✓Beautiful design with careful animation and micro-interaction work
- ✓Native Apple integration with Shortcuts support and Control Center widgets
- ✓One-time purchase with no recurring subscription for core features
- ✓Organization tools that include headings, checklists, and areas of responsibility
- ✓Things Cloud sync rebuilt in Swift with about fourfold faster performance
Cons
- ✗Apple ecosystem only, no Windows, Android, or web versions available
- ✗Separate purchase required for each platform (Mac, iPhone, iPad)
- ✗Limited collaboration features compared to team-focused alternatives
- ✗No native time tracking or built-in calendar view within the app
Community & Support
Things has a loyal user base among designers, developers, and people who treat task apps as daily drivers. Cultured Code posts on Bluesky, X, Threads, and Instagram with tips and release notes. Email support is known for long, careful replies, often from the people who build the app. The help center walks through features with illustrated guides, and the Things blog publishes longer pieces on methodology and how the app is built. Reddit and the Mac Power Users forum collect Shortcuts recipes, tag schemes, and migration notes from other apps.
Frequently Asked Questions about Things
About the Author
Productivity & Workflow Analyst
Expert Tips for Things
Apple-ecosystem users continue to treat Things as the calm, paid-up-front counterweight to subscription task apps, especially after the 3.22 visual refresh for OS 26.
Cultured Code's public status board is unusually transparent, shipping refinements in August 2026 while already scoping OS 27 support reassures buyers worried about abandonment.
Related Technologies & Concepts
Related Topics
Mac Productivity Apps
Mac Productivity Apps, related to Things
Task Management Software
Task Management Software, related to Things
GTD and Personal Organization
GTD and Personal Organization, related to Things
Sources & References
Fact-CheckedLast verified: Aug 9, 2026
Key Verified Facts
- Things for Mac is sold as a $49.99 one-time App Store purchase.[cite-2]
- Things 3.22 brought full compatibility with macOS 26 Tahoe and a redesigned interface.[cite-1, cite-4]
- As of August 2026 Cultured Code lists Things 3.23 in beta and Things 3 for OS 27 in development.[cite-1]
- 1Cultured Code status board
Accessed Aug 9, 2026
"3.22 Tahoe, Aug 2026 refinements, 3.23 beta, OS 27 in development."
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Research queries: Things 3 pricing 2026; Things 3.22 Tahoe Cultured Code; Things 3.23 beta