Toodledo vs Things 3 (2026): Cross-Platform Power vs Apple Polish

Things 3 might be the most beautiful task manager ever shipped. It's also Apple-only, offline from the web, and built for exactly one person: you. Toodledo is the opposite kind of tool — platform-agnostic, deeply configurable, and comfortable with teams. Which philosophy fits you in 2026?

The short answer

If you live entirely inside the Apple ecosystem, work alone, and value design calm above configurability, Things 3 is a genuinely lovely product with a one-time price. If you touch a Windows machine or Android phone, share tasks with anyone, need a web app, or want rule-based lists that maintain themselves, Things can't come along — and Toodledo can.

What Things 3 does well

Cultured Code's design restraint is real: the Today/Upcoming/Anytime/Someday structure is GTD distilled to its friendliest form, and the one-time purchase (per platform) is refreshing in a subscription world. For a Mac-and-iPhone person managing personal projects, it deserves its reputation.

Where the model breaks

• No web app. On a work PC, a borrowed laptop, a Chromebook — your system is unreachable. Toodledo's web app is a first-class citizen.
• No Android, no Windows. A phone-platform switch means starting over. Toodledo runs on web, iOS, and Android with identical data.
• No collaboration. Things is single-player by design. Toodledo supports shared folders and task assignment — "who's handling that?" becomes a lookup. (Related: 9 remote-team task mistakes.)
• Fixed structure. Things gives you its (excellent) opinionated views. Toodledo gives you fields, saved searches, and a configurable Hotlist to build your own. Depth guide: saved searches.
• Repeat depth. Both handle recurring tasks; Toodledo's engine covers more patterns, including repeat-from-completion — the difference between "every Monday" and "3 days after I last did it."

Head-to-head for common situations

All-Apple, personal use, design-first: Things 3, honestly.

Mixed devices (any Windows/Android anywhere): Toodledo — this one's disqualifying for Things.

Working with a partner, assistant, or team: Toodledo, by forfeit.

GTD by the book: Either works; Things encodes a friendly GTD-lite, Toodledo lets you implement the full methodology including contexts and a real weekly review.

Price sensitivity: Things is pay-once per platform; Toodledo has a capable free plan with paid tiers for subtasks and more.

The bottom line

This one is less "which is better" and more "which world do you live in." Single-player Apple life: Things 3 is a fine choice we won't argue you out of. Everywhere else — mixed platforms, shared work, custom systems — Toodledo simply covers ground Things declines to walk. Start free and bring your setup to every screen you own.

Details change; check both vendors' current pages before deciding.