Things 3 alternative: how Prior compares
Prior and Things side by side on platforms, sync, quick entry, repeats, calendar, collaboration and price, with the pages we read on 5 November 2026.
This page sets Prior next to Things (Things 3, by Cultured Code) as of the date above. Everything about Things comes from Cultured Code's own pages and the App Store listings of Things, listed under Sources. Prices change, so check them before you decide.
Who each one suits
Things suits you if all your devices are Apple devices: it runs on Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Apple Vision Pro, works with Siri and Apple Shortcuts, and is sold per platform, with no subscription listed in its App Store pages. It is a personal tool: its Things Cloud page says Things does not offer sharing or collaboration on to-dos or lists.
Prior suits you if you use Windows, Linux, Android or a browser as well, or if you share projects with other people, or want habits, notes and flashcards next to your tasks. It runs on the web, macOS, Windows, Linux and Android. It has no iOS app yet: on an iPhone you open the web app in the browser, where reminders only fire while the tab is open.
Side by side
| Prior | Things | |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, Android. No iOS app yet. | Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Apple Vision Pro. Its pages do not mention Windows or Android, and Things Cloud has no browser access. |
| Offline | Works from a copy on your device and syncs when you are back online. | Not covered in the pages we read. Sync goes through Things Cloud. |
| Quick capture | A global shortcut on desktop, a widget and a launcher shortcut on Android. The title is read in seven languages. | Quick Entry on Mac, the Magic Plus button, Share Sheet, Mail to Things, Siri and Apple Shortcuts. Dates typed in plain words work in English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Russian, Chinese and Japanese. |
| Recurring tasks | Every N days, weeks, months or years, on chosen weekdays, with an end date, from the due date or the completion date. | Repeat after completion, or on a schedule: daily, weekly, monthly or yearly, with specific days. Reminders and deadlines are supported. |
| Calendar | Day, week, month and agenda views. Google Calendar, ICS files and calendar URLs show read-only, next to events you add yourself. | Apple Calendar events show in Today and Upcoming, read-only, switched on per device. Google, Exchange and Outlook calendars show only once synced into Apple Calendar. |
| Time blocking | Automatic on Pro: places open tasks in your free working hours. You lock a block to fix it. | The support article for calendar integration points to an Apple Shortcut for time blocking. |
| Habits | A Habits space with schedules, streaks and a history grid, on every plan. | Not found in its documentation. |
| Notes | Markdown notes with tables and charts. Project members edit shared notes live. | Markdown notes inside to-dos and projects, per the App Store listing. |
| Flashcards | Decks scheduled with FSRS-5, with Anki import. | Not found in its documentation. |
| Projects | Areas, projects, Kanban board, milestones and a budget tab. Scrum and Scrumban on Pro. | Areas, projects with headings and deadlines, tags, checklists, Today, This Evening and Upcoming. |
| Collaboration | Share a project as editor or viewer, assign tasks, comment with mentions. Free: 2 people per shared project and 3 shared projects. Pro: 10 people. | Not offered: Things does not provide sharing or collaboration on to-dos or lists. |
| AI | Prior AI assistant on Pro and above, with changes you confirm. On Free, your own OpenRouter key. MCP server on every plan. | Not found in the pages we read. |
| Price, 5 Nov 2026 | Free €0. Pro €8 a month or €72 a year. Team €10 per seat a month or €96 a year. 14-day trial on a first subscription. No VAT added. | One purchase per platform. Cultured Code sets prices in US dollars and Apple converts them. US App Store: Mac $49.99, iPhone $9.99 (the iPhone listing describes an Apple Watch app). iPad and Apple Vision Pro are sold separately. Things Cloud sync is free. A free 15-day trial for Mac is mentioned in the Mac listing. |
Where Things goes further
- Apple integration. Native apps for Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Apple Vision Pro, with Siri, Shortcuts, widgets and a Share Sheet. Prior has none on iOS.
- Capture. Quick Entry with Autofill on Mac grabs a link from the app you are in, and Mail to Things turns a forwarded email into an Inbox to-do.
- Structure. Headings inside projects, a This Evening section and Type Travel keyboard navigation.
- No subscription. You pay for each platform, and sync through Things Cloud is free.
What Prior does differently
Prior starts from priority and time. A task's priority and due date place it in the Eisenhower matrix, and on Pro the planner turns your open tasks into blocks around your events. The plan is derived: Prior never moves your calendar events and writes to a task only when you lock a block.
It also runs outside the Apple world, and it can be shared. You invite people to a project, assign tasks and comment. Your data lives on your device first and the account keeps your devices in sync. See Install Prior.
Switching from Things
Things does not export to other apps. Its support page on exporting lists three ways out: the database file, which is machine-readable and needs a viewer app; Apple Shortcuts that you write yourself; and, on Mac, printing to PDF. The last is the practical one. In Things on Mac choose File → Print, set Scope to Entire List and Notes to Full, and save each list as a PDF. Select the text in the PDF, copy it, then in Prior open Settings → Import and paste it under Or paste text.
Prior reads one task per line, indentation for sub-tasks, [x] for done, a # Heading line for a project, and the words quick add understands, such as tomorrow p1. Check the preview: it shows every task and saves nothing until you confirm. If you only use an iPhone, the support page says to install the Mac trial and sign in to Things Cloud to print from there. The steps are in Import your data.
Sources
Read on 5 November 2026.
- Things
- Things: features
- Things: pricing
- Things 3 for iPhone on the US App Store
- Things 3 for Mac on the US App Store
- Things Support: Syncing your to-dos (Things Cloud)
- Things Support: Repeating to-dos
- Things Support: Use natural language to set dates
- Things Support: Calendar integration
- Things Support: Mail to Things, Quick Entry and other ways to capture
- Things Support: Exporting your data