AnyTask vs Things 3
Things 3 is a well-known Apple task manager built around its own GTD-flavored methodology, sold as separate paid apps for each platform. AnyTask is a simpler Things 3 alternative for people who want a calm Apple-native task app without committing to a system, with shared lists, photos on tasks, and a faster capture-then-triage flow.
Things 3 only pays off if you fully adopt its Areas / Projects / Today / Anytime / Someday structure. Most people don't. AnyTask gives you the same Apple-native feel without the methodology — with shared lists, photos on tasks, and a Sort mode designed for the way real life actually generates tasks.
What Things 3 is built for
Things 3 has its audience: GTD-minded power users who think in Projects and Areas, and who are willing to maintain that structure every day. The interactions are polished and the hierarchy (Areas → Projects → Headings → To-dos, with Today/Anytime/Someday/Upcoming views) is powerful if you commit to it. The catch is that "if."
Where most people bounce off it
- You have to buy in to the system. Things' value is highest when you set up Areas, Projects, and use Today/Anytime/Someday properly. Half-using it feels worse than not using it.
- Three separate apps. Things 3 is sold as separate apps for iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
- Quick capture takes more steps than it should. The Magic Plus button is great, but there's no "dump now, sort later" mode the way AnyTask's Sort mode works.
- Updates are slow. Things 3 has been "Things 3" for a long time. That's stability — but also less momentum than newer apps.
What AnyTask does differently
AnyTask sits closer to Apple Reminders in spirit than to Things. There are no Areas, no Projects, no Today/Anytime/Someday split — just lists, tasks, and a Sort mode for when you need to triage a pile of incoming thoughts.
No methodology to learn
Lists, subtasks, due dates, recurring schedules. That's it. The app gets out of your way instead of asking you to organize your life into its conceptual model.
The "Any" inbox, the "+Task" widget, and Sort mode
AnyTask ships with an always-present inbox-style list called Any, plus a lock-screen widget called +Task that opens the app straight into Any with the text field focused. From lock screen to typed task in one tap. Later, you open Sort mode (or just drag and drop) and move each item into the right list in batch. Designed specifically for the moment when you have ten things in your head and don't want to think about which list each one belongs to.
Rich tasks and calendar sync
Photos, links, subtasks, recurring rules, and Apple Calendar integration so your scheduled tasks show up alongside your meetings.
Side by side
| Feature | AnyTask | Things 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Methodology | None — lists & tasks | GTD-inspired (Areas/Projects/Today/Anytime/Someday) |
| Triage / sort mode | Yes — Sort mode | Inbox view (no batch sort UI) |
| Inline natural-language dates | Yes — "Tuesday @2pm" | Yes |
| Custom list colors & icons | Yes | Limited |
| Photos on tasks | Yes | No |
| Shared lists | Yes (iCloud) | No |
| Recurring tasks | Daily/weekly/monthly/custom | Yes (powerful) |
| Apple Calendar sync | Yes | Calendar events shown read-only |
| Widgets | Home & lock screen | Home screen |
| Platforms | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Watch, Vision |
AnyTask is the better choice for most people
If you want a task app that feels like "Apple Reminders, but with the features it should have had" — shared lists, photos and links on tasks, customizable list visuals, a fast capture-then-triage flow — AnyTask is built for that. It's a calmer experience and a fraction of the cost.
The only audience that should still consider Things 3 is the GTD-committed power user who already thinks in Projects and Areas and doesn't share lists with anyone.
Get AnyTask
iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
