TickTick vs Things 3: Which Task Manager Fits Your Daily Workflow?

Choose TickTick if you need Windows, Android or browser access, shared lists, habit tracking and calendar-based task planning. Choose Things 3 if you use Apple devices, manage your own tasks and prefer a focused system with separate start dates and deadlines, clear project organization and a one-time purchase.

Both can help you plan a day. The decision is whether you want a broader productivity toolkit or a personal task manager built around Apple devices and a defined planning structure.

If neither approach addresses your main need, SelfManager.ai is a different option for planning through dated tables, tracking task time and retaining comments and context for later review.

Prices, platforms and features checked October 2026, using official product documentation and US App Store listings. This comparison is published by SelfManager.ai. Workflow examples below are illustrative, not claims of hands-on testing.

TickTick vs Things 3 at a Glance

The platform and purchase differences are documented by the vendors. SelfManager.ai does not currently sync external calendars, so consider it for its dated-workspace workflow rather than as a replacement for TickTick’s calendar features or Things’ native Apple experience.

1. Platforms: Does Your Task Manager Need to Follow You Beyond Apple?

This can settle the decision before you compare any other feature.

TickTick offers apps for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS/iPadOS, plus web access. Things supports Apple devices and explicitly does not offer Windows, Android, Linux or browser access.

If you use an iPhone but work on a Windows computer, TickTick fits that setup more directly. You can manage the same task system without relying on your phone during the workday.

If your devices are all Apple, Things’ platform restriction may not affect you. Its Mac-specific conveniences, including keyboard navigation and Quick Entry, then become more relevant than the availability of platforms you never use.

Verdict: TickTick wins for mixed-device access. Things is a strong fit for a personal Apple-only setup.

2. Task Capture: Quick Reminders or Links to the Work in Front of You?

Both tools support fast capture, but there are useful differences in how it connects to your work.

TickTick documents natural-language recognition of dates and times, priorities, tags and recurring tasks. That suits quickly adding an obligation with the scheduling details you already know.

Things’ Mac Quick Entry lets you capture a task without leaving your current application. Quick Entry with Autofill can also include a link to the webpage, email or file you are viewing. Autofill requires the Things Helper and is designed especially for Safari, Mail and Finder, with compatibility varying elsewhere.

Consider two examples:

• A thought arrives: “Send the weekly update Friday at 3pm.” TickTick’s natural-language date recognition is useful for getting that reminder in quickly.
• An email needs action: You want a task that takes you back to the original message. Things’ Quick Entry with Autofill provides a documented Mac workflow for keeping that link.

Verdict: Both suit quick capture. Things deserves particular attention if capturing references from other Mac applications is part of your routine.

3. Dates: When Will You Start, and When Must You Finish?

Things makes this distinction explicit. A start date determines when a task comes to your attention. A deadline determines when it must be finished. Future-start tasks stay in Upcoming until their start date arrives; Anytime holds work available to tackle without a future start date.

For a report due Friday, you might choose Tuesday as the start date and Friday as the deadline. You can plan when to begin without treating Tuesday as the final due date.

TickTick also supports task dates and timed durations. Its task details let you set start and end times, which is useful when you want to place work into a defined period rather than only select the day you will begin.

Verdict: Things has a clear model for separating availability from urgency. TickTick is more relevant when you want to work with scheduled task durations.

4. Calendar Planning: Seeing Meetings is Different from Scheduling Tasks

Things displays events from Apple Calendar in Today and Upcoming. If your events originate in Google Calendar, Exchange or Outlook, Cultured Code says to sync them into Apple Calendar first. Things reads the local calendar on each device; it does not sync those events through Things Cloud.

It also does not directly send to-dos into Apple Calendar. Cultured Code offers an Apple Shortcut as a separate time-blocking approach.

TickTick offers multiple calendar views and task durations through Premium. Its calendar documentation also covers displaying habits and focus records, and scheduling adjustments. Some operations differ by platform, so check the client you intend to use.

For example, if you have meetings at 10am and 2pm:

• In Things: View those meetings alongside the tasks you selected for today, then decide the working order.
• In TickTick: Use task times and durations to plan work around your commitments.

Neither workflow should be described as a guarantee that the app will automatically create a realistic schedule for you.

Verdict: TickTick is the stronger fit for calendar-based task planning. Things works well when seeing events beside a curated task list is enough.

When Your Daily Plan Needs More Context

If the missing piece is a record of tasks, time spent and decisions by day, try SelfManager.ai’s seven-day free trial. Create a table for today’s main project, add tasks, enable time tracking where useful and leave comments as work develops.

Begin with the core planner. AI planning and review are available when you want help using the context you have recorded. No credit card is required.

5. Habits and Focus: Do You Want Routines Tracked Separately?

TickTick includes a dedicated habit tracker, Pomodoro tools and statistics for tasks, focus duration and habits. That makes it a useful choice if routines are a significant part of your system.

Things supports repeating to-dos. You can use those for recurring obligations such as a weekly review or exercise session, but that is a different approach from TickTick’s dedicated habit tracking.

The practical distinction is what you want to inspect later. A recurring task helps you remember the next occurrence. A habit tracker helps you monitor the routine as a routine.

Verdict: TickTick wins for dedicated habit and focus tools. Things is sufficient when repeating tasks cover what you need and you prefer fewer types of information in the planner.

6. Collaboration: Personal Organization or Shared Responsibility?

TickTick supports shared lists, task assignment and comments. Its help documentation says free users can add one other shared member, while Premium users can add up to 29 members to a shared list. Both free and Premium users can join shared lists.

Things does not support real-time sharing of tasks or lists. Apple Family Sharing can share the app purchase, but it does not turn Things into a shared task workspace.

That difference matters for a household list, a small collaborative project or work you need to assign to another person. Keeping a personal task about someone else is not the same as giving them access to it.

Verdict: TickTick wins when sharing and assignment are requirements. Things suits managing your own responsibilities.

7. Completed Work: What Do You Want to Learn from It?

Things keeps completed and canceled items in the Logbook. That gives you a place to return to previous tasks rather than assuming completed work disappears.

TickTick offers statistics covering tasks, focus duration and habits. Its documented focus records can help you look back at how you used its focus tools.

Both provide ways to inspect past activity. The choice is what you need the record to answer: “Which tasks did I finish?”, “Did I keep my routine?”, or “Where did my focus time go?”

If you also need explanations of decisions, blockers and work across dates, assess how consistently you will record those details. A completion count alone cannot explain why a project took longer than expected.

Verdict: Things suits looking back through logged tasks. TickTick is stronger for the combination of tasks, habits and focus statistics. For a daily record built around tasks, tracked time and comments, consider the separate workflow below.

Pricing: TickTick Subscription vs Things’ Separate Purchases

US prices checked October 2026. Local storefront prices and purchase channels may differ.

These prices come from TickTick’s official upgrade page and the US App Store listings for Things.

At those prices, Things for Mac and iPhone totals $59.98. Adding the iPad app brings the total to $79.97. Things Cloud sync is included without a separate charge. These totals do not include the separately sold Vision Pro app.

TickTick Premium costs less initially than buying Things for Mac and iPhone, but it renews annually. Things 3 has no subscription, which can make it economical over several years if its workflow meets your needs. A purchase of Things 3 should not be interpreted as a promise about pricing for any future major version.

The feature comparison still comes first. TickTick’s free plan may be enough for basic tasks, but multiple calendar views and task durations are Premium features. Things’ one-time price does not add platforms or collaboration it does not support.

If Neither Fits: Planning by Day Plus Review in SelfManager.ai

SelfManager.ai is relevant when your problem extends beyond choosing a better task list. Its core structure is a date containing tables for different areas of work and life, with tasks, statuses, priorities, time tracking, notes and comments.

An example day might contain a client-project table, a business-development table and a personal table. Record time against tasks where useful and add comments explaining decisions or blockers. Completed work stays attached to its date.

That gives you a different foundation for reviewing a week: the tasks, time and explanations you recorded while working. AI can then help summarize tables, review a period or generate dated plans. The core planner remains useful without beginning with AI.

Choose SelfManager.ai if: You want daily workspaces and a contextual work history you can revisit and review.

Choose TickTick instead if: Dedicated habits, focus tools and calendar-based task planning are the main requirements.

Choose Things instead if: You prefer a native Apple personal task manager with a one-time purchase and clearly separated start dates and deadlines.

SelfManager.ai is a browser-based, installable web app. It does not currently sync external calendars or automatically schedule around meetings. Individual costs $8/month or $72/year; Team costs a flat $30/month or $300/year with unlimited collaborators.

Verdict: TickTick or Things 3?

For the TickTick vs Things 3 decision, choose TickTick when its wider toolkit solves problems you actually have. Choose Things when its Apple-focused personal workflow covers your needs and you value the purchase model.

If neither fits because your priority is planning by day and retaining the context of completed work, try SelfManager.ai’s seven-day free trial. Start with dated tables, tasks, the time tracker and comments, then explore AI as an extra layer for planning and review. No credit card is required.

For a broader shortlist, see our Things 3 alternatives guide. If your other candidate is Todoist, read the separate Things 3 vs Todoist comparison.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is TickTick better than Things 3?

TickTick is the better fit for cross-platform access, shared lists, dedicated habits and calendar-based task planning. Things 3 is a strong fit for personal task management on Apple devices, especially if separate start dates and deadlines and a one-time purchase appeal to you.

Is Things 3 cheaper than TickTick?

It depends on the devices and time period. At US prices checked October 2026, Things costs $49.99 for Mac, $9.99 for iPhone and $19.99 for iPad as separate one-time purchases. TickTick has a free plan; Premium costs $49.99/year. Compare the features you need before comparing several years of cost.

Can I use Things 3 on Windows or Android?

No. Cultured Code lists Apple platforms and explicitly excludes Windows, Android, Linux and browser access. TickTick offers apps for those desktop and mobile platforms, plus web access.

Does Things 3 have calendar integration?

Yes, it displays Apple Calendar events in Today and Upcoming. Third-party calendar events must first be available in Apple Calendar. This is different from directly syncing Things tasks into a calendar or automatically scheduling them.

Can Things 3 share tasks with another person?

It does not support real-time sharing of tasks or lists. TickTick supports shared lists, assignments and comments, with membership limits depending on the plan.

Can Things 3 replace TickTick’s habit tracker?

You can use repeating to-dos in Things for recurring routines. That is not the same workflow as TickTick’s dedicated habit tracker and statistics. Choose based on whether you need reminders for routines or a place to monitor the routines themselves.

When should I consider SelfManager.ai instead?

Consider it when you want dated tables, task time tracking and comments to build a record of each day, with optional AI planning and review. TickTick remains more relevant for dedicated habits and calendar planning; Things remains more relevant for a native Apple personal task system.