Things
Award-winning personal task manager for Mac with a clean design and powerful organization features.
Quick Take: Things
Things is the gold standard for personal task management on Apple platforms. Its timeless design, reliable sync, and thoughtful features justify the premium one-time purchase for users invested in the Apple ecosystem. While the lack of cross-platform support and collaboration features limit its utility for some, those seeking a calm, beautiful, and dependable task manager will find Things delivers an unmatched experience.
Best For
- •Apple ecosystem users
- •Design-conscious professionals
- •GTD methodology practitioners
What is Things?
Things is an award-winning personal task manager for Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Vision Pro, developed by Cultured Code, a software company based in Stuttgart, Germany. First released in 2007, Things has evolved through three major versions to become one of the most beloved productivity apps in the Apple ecosystem. Unlike cross-platform task managers that compromise on platform-specific design, Things is Apple-exclusive, allowing it to deeply integrate with macOS, iOS, and Apple's native frameworks. In 2026, Things continues to set the standard for task management with its timeless design philosophy and meticulous attention to detail. The app follows the Getting Things Done (GTD) methodology while remaining flexible enough for various productivity systems. Its 2025 refresh for macOS 26 brings a thoroughly updated interface with refined aesthetics, glass-like buttons, and new app icon variants that complement the latest macOS design language. Things Cloud, rebuilt from the ground up in Swift for server-side deployment in 2025, now delivers fourfold faster sync performance while maintaining the reliability users have trusted for over a decade. The app balances powerful project management capabilities with a distraction-free, calm interface that makes task management genuinely enjoyable.
Install with Homebrew
brew install --cask thingsDeep Dive: Things Architecture and Philosophy
Things represents a philosophy of software craftsmanship that prioritizes longevity and user experience over rapid feature expansion.
Key Features
Today and This Evening Lists
The Today list serves as your daily command center, displaying both calendar events and to-dos in a unified timeline. You can integrate multiple calendars—Personal, Family, Work—to see your entire day at a glance. A unique innovation is the This Evening section, which keeps evening-bound tasks separate from daytime obligations. This intelligent separation helps you focus on current priorities without being overwhelmed by later tasks, creating a more mindful approach to daily planning.
Upcoming Planning View
The Upcoming list provides a weekly horizon view, displaying scheduled to-dos, repeating tasks, deadlines, and calendar events in a chronological timeline. This bird's-eye perspective helps you anticipate busy periods and adjust plans proactively. Rescheduling is effortless—simply drag and drop items to new dates. The natural language recognition understands inputs like "next Tuesday" or "in 3 days," making date entry intuitive and fast.
Projects with Headings
Large projects become manageable when broken into sections using Headings. Create categories, milestones, or phases by adding named headings and dragging to-dos beneath them. This structure provides visual clarity and enables batch operations—rearrange entire sections by dragging their headings. When projects conclude, archive headings with their associated to-dos for future reference while keeping your active workspace clean.
Checklists within To-Dos
Complex tasks that require multiple steps benefit from built-in checklists without becoming full projects. Use them for packing lists, ingredient shopping, or process workflows. You can paste bulleted lists from other apps and Things automatically converts them to checklists. Each checklist item can be checked off independently while remaining attached to the parent to-do, providing granular progress tracking without cluttering your main lists.
Magic Plus Button
The Magic Plus button transforms task creation with intuitive gesture-based controls. Simply drag the button to insert a new to-do exactly where you want it—under a specific heading, on a particular date, or at a precise position in your Today list. Within projects, dragging to the left margin creates new headings. Dropping the button on the Inbox target captures thoughts instantly without switching contexts. These fluid interactions make organization feel natural and responsive.
Quick Find with Type Travel
Quick Find delivers instant search across your entire task database. Start typing anywhere to locate projects, to-dos, or tags—results appear immediately and refine as you type. On Mac, Type Travel enables keyboard-driven navigation without explicit search invocation; simply begin typing to jump to matching items. The system automatically detects tag searches, enabling app-wide filtering by keywords like "Errands" or "Work" in milliseconds.
Jump Start Scheduling
Jump Start streamlines date assignment with a clever popover interface. Hover over any to-do and click the calendar button to access scheduling options—add to Today, schedule for later, set reminders, or move to Someday. Natural language recognition interprets phrases like "tomorrow," "Saturday," or "August 1" intelligently. On iOS, a simple swipe gesture opens the same powerful scheduling controls, making date management consistent across platforms.
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 to seamlessly continue working when switching 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
OmniFocus
TickTick
Apple Reminders
Pricing
Things uses a traditional one-time purchase model with separate pricing for each platform. Things for Mac costs $49.99, Things for iPhone & Watch is $9.99, Things for iPad is $19.99, and Things for Vision Pro is $19.99. There is no subscription fee. Things Cloud sync is included free with any purchase. Educational discounts are available through the App Store. Family Sharing is not supported due to App Store limitations for productivity apps.
Pros
- ✓Beautiful, timeless design with meticulous attention to animations and micro-interactions
- ✓Native Apple integration with iCloud sync, Shortcuts support, and Control Center widgets
- ✓One-time purchase with no recurring subscription costs
- ✓Powerful organization features including headings, checklists, and areas of responsibility
- ✓Reliable Things Cloud sync rebuilt in Swift for fourfold performance improvement
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 benefits from a passionate and engaged user base that spans creative professionals, developers, and productivity enthusiasts. Cultured Code maintains an active presence on Bluesky, X, Threads, and Instagram where they share tips and announce updates. The company provides direct email support with a reputation for thoughtful, detailed responses—often from the developers themselves. A comprehensive help center covers every feature with illustrated guides, and the Things blog publishes in-depth articles about productivity methodology and behind-the-scenes development stories. Third-party communities on Reddit and Mac Power Users forum share workflows, shortcuts, and integration ideas.
Frequently Asked Questions about Things
Our Verdict
Things is the gold standard for personal task management on Apple platforms. Its timeless design, reliable sync, and thoughtful features justify the premium one-time purchase for users invested in the Apple ecosystem. While the lack of cross-platform support and collaboration features limit its utility for some, those seeking a calm, beautiful, and dependable task manager will find Things delivers an unmatched experience.
About the Author
Productivity & Workflow Analyst
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: May 7, 2026
Key Verified Facts
- Things for Mac costs $49.99, Things for iPhone & Watch is $9.99, Things for iPad is $19.99 as one-time purchases.[cite-1, cite-2]
- Things Cloud was rebuilt in Swift and now delivers fourfold faster sync performance.[cite-3]
- Things 3.22 (released September 2025) introduced refreshed interface for macOS 26 with new app icon variants.[cite-4]
- Things supports Apple Intelligence Writing Tools and Shortcuts integration with AI model actions.[cite-4]
- Things is developed by Cultured Code, based in Stuttgart, Germany.[cite-5]
- 1Things Pricing - Cultured Code
Accessed May 7, 2026
- 2Things 3 on the Mac App Store
Accessed May 7, 2026
- 3A Swift Cloud - Things Blog
Accessed May 7, 2026
- 4Things for OS 26 - Things Blog
Accessed May 7, 2026
- 5About Cultured Code
Accessed May 7, 2026
- 6Things Features - Cultured Code
Accessed May 7, 2026
Research queries: Things app Cultured Code pricing 2026 Mac App Store; Things 3.22 macOS 26 features updates; Things Cloud Swift rebuild performance