Things 3 culturedcode.com

Can AI replace Things 3?

Q: Can AI replace Things 3?

Bot. The core loop is small enough for a capable coding agent to produce a useful local version in one sitting. For Things 3, build a polished personal task manager with areas, projects, tags, deadlines, and a today view. The hard boundary is exceptional native design, apple-device sync, shortcuts, and long-term maintenance, plus cross-device reliability and workflow polish.

The core loop is small enough for a capable coding agent to produce a useful local version in one sitting. For Things 3, build a polished personal task manager with areas, projects, tags, deadlines, and a today view. The hard boundary is exceptional native design, apple-device sync, shortcuts, and long-term maintenance, plus cross-device reliability and workflow polish.

Verdict: Bot · AI can help you build or set up a working versionBuild time: one sitting

Replacing a paid app means you set it up and keep it running: hosting, updates and backups can be on you. What you give up.

Bot

01What it costs

Price variesMac license, one-time

Checked Aug 14, 2026 · source: culturedcode.com.

Plan	Monthly	Billed yearly	What you get
Things for Mac	—	—	1 Mac App Store license; 15-day direct-download trial.
Things for iPhone & Apple Watch	—	—	1 iPhone/Apple Watch App Store purchase.
Things for iPad	—	—	1 iPad App Store purchase.
Things for Apple Vision	—	—	1 Apple Vision App Store purchase.

Hidden costs: Mac, iPhone/Watch, iPad, and Vision are separate purchases; there is no cross-platform bundle, though Things Cloud sync is free.

02Could AI build it for you?

The core job: Capture tasks into areas and projects with tags and deadlines, schedule or repeat them, work from a focused today view, and keep history locally.

What a working version needs:

macOS, Windows, or Linux
notification permission
local SQLite database

Editorial comparison targets the Mac license plan and a personal desktop task manager DIY substitute. Recheck price before merge.

03What you'd give up

exceptional native design, Apple-device sync, shortcuts, and long-term maintenance
perfect mobile sync
calendar and email integrations
shared workspaces
behavioral coaching polish

People still pay for Things 3 because task software is sticky because trust, speed, and ubiquitous capture matter more than the database schema. The recurring cost buys recurrence edge cases, notifications, sync conflicts, calendar APIs, mobile capture, and backups, not just the visible interface.

04Free and cheaper alternatives

Apple Remindersfree

Things minus the polish tax, provided every device in sight has an Apple logo

Versus paying: Apple Reminders is less coherent and polished than Things for organizing Areas, multi-step projects, headings, start dates, deadlines, and the Today-to-Upcoming flow.

apps.apple.com →

Microsoft To Dofree

A polished free task manager, paid for with a Microsoft account rather than money

Versus paying: Microsoft To Do lacks Things’ refined Areas-and-project hierarchy, headings, start-versus-deadline distinction, and Apple-native interaction polish.

microsoft.com →

Super Productivityopen-source

A local task manager with timeboxing, Pomodoro, and no account begging to be created

Versus paying: Super Productivity is busier and more time-tracking-oriented than Things and lacks its exceptionally polished native Apple quick-capture and planning flow.

super-productivity.com →

Vikunjaopen-source

A capable Todoist replacement once you accept becoming its hosting department

Versus paying: Vikunja feels like a hosted web task system and cannot match Things’ native offline polish, frictionless capture, or elegant Today and Upcoming experience.

vikunja.io →

Sponsor slot · openFeatured alternative to Things 3. A labeled card for one relevant tool.

Book this spot →

05The build prompt

Get the Build Kit for Things 3

The complete build prompt, plus 11 step-by-step prompts from research to launch, a design system file, a page-by-page spec, the data model and a launch checklist.

Get the Build Kit · $9 →

One-time payment. Delivered on screen and by email.