Comparison
TodoCity vs Things 3: a Things alternative for Mac
TodoCity is a free alternative to Things 3 for people who live on a Mac. It keeps Things' ideas — Today, Upcoming, Anytime, Someday, projects with headings, deadlines — and adds on-device AI that turns any copied text into a dated task, plus a 3D city that grows as you finish things. Things 3 is the better pick if you need iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch apps. TodoCity can bring your whole Things library over in one step.
At a glance
| Feature | TodoCity | Things 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free for personal use | Paid, one-time, per platform |
| Platforms | Mac | Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Turn any text into a task | Yes — ⌘C twice, on-device AI | Share sheet and Quick Entry (no AI) |
| Dates from plain words | Yes, with deadlines and repeats | Typed dates in the When field |
| Projects and sections | Projects with floors | Projects with headings, and areas |
| Sync | Mac to Mac, end-to-end encrypted, no account | Things Cloud (account) |
| Calendar beside your tasks | Yes, with hours to drag tasks onto | Calendar events in Today and Upcoming |
| Work / personal modes | Yes, per Mac | Via areas |
| Import from the other | Imports your Things library | — |
| Source code | Public on GitHub | Closed |
What feels familiar
If you know Things, you'll find your way: Today (with This Evening), a calendar for what's coming, Anytime, Someday and the Logbook. Projects have sections — called floors — and tasks have notes, checklists, a separate deadline and repeats.
What's different
- Capture from anywhere with AI: copy a message and press ⌘C again, and the task arrives with its date filled in.
- Plan on the clock: drag a task onto an hour of today or a day of the week, beside your calendar events.
- Overdue has its own list, instead of tasks quietly rolling over.
- Modes: show only work projects on your work Mac, and everything at home.
- Your city: every project is a building and every finished task lights a window — no streaks, no points.
Who should pick which
- Pick TodoCity if you work mainly on a Mac, capture tasks from messages and email, want AI without the cloud, or need to sync a work Mac without iCloud.
- Pick Things 3 if you add tasks on your iPhone or Apple Watch, or rely on Things' areas and iOS widgets.
- Not sure? Try both: TodoCity reads a copy of your Things database and doesn't change Things, so you can keep using it.
Questions
Can I move from Things 3 to TodoCity?
Yes. Settings → Move in reads a copy of your Things 3 database on your Mac and brings projects, headings, to-dos, checklists, dates, deadlines, repeats, tags and your Logbook. Things isn't changed.
Does TodoCity have an iPhone app?
Not yet — TodoCity is for Mac. You can turn on two-way Apple Reminders sync to see and tick off tasks on your iPhone through Reminders.