Microsoft To Do vs Things 3

Microsoft To Do

• People who already use Outlook or Microsoft 365
• Anyone who wants a to-do list with no paid tier
• Sharing simple lists with family or coworkers

Things 3

• People who work only on Apple devices
• Buyers who prefer a one-time purchase to a subscription
• One person planning their own tasks and projects

Microsoft To Do

• Signing in requires a personal Microsoft account or a work or school account.
• Lists can be shared only between personal Microsoft accounts or between accounts in the same workplace or school.
• No Linux app is listed; the vendor names Windows, Mac, iOS, Android and the web.

Things 3

• Apple devices only: the vendor states it will not work on Windows, Android, Linux or in a web browser.
• Mac, iPhone, iPad and Vision apps are separate purchases with no bundle; all four come to $109.96.
• Real-time sharing of to-dos or lists with other people is not supported.
• Only the Mac app has a free trial.

Microsoft To Do

My Day

A daily list that resets every night. Tasks left unfinished go back to the Tasks list and appear among the next day's suggestions.

Lists, steps and notes

Tasks sit in lists and can have due dates, reminders, notes, a breakdown into steps and up to 25MB of attached files.

Shared lists

A list is shared by sending an invitation link, and it stays in sync as members make changes. Access can later be limited to current members or switched off.

Outlook and Planner

Tasks are stored in Exchange Online, so they show up in both To Do and Outlook Tasks. Flagged email can be handled as tasks, and Planner tasks can be seen in To Do.

Sync across devices

Signing in with the same account on each device keeps lists in step; the vendor says the app updates every 5 seconds.

Tasks API

Microsoft points developers to the public Outlook Tasks REST API for reading and updating the tasks that To Do stores.

Things 3

Today and This Evening

The Today list puts the day's calendar events at the top and to-dos underneath, with a separate This Evening section for tasks meant for later in the day.

Upcoming

A view of the days ahead with scheduled to-dos, repeating items, deadlines and calendar events. A to-do can be dragged to another day to reschedule it.

Projects, headings and checklists

Headings split a project into categories or milestones, and a single to-do can carry a checklist of smaller steps along with notes written in Markdown.

Dates in plain words

The Jump Start popover accepts dates typed as "Tomorrow", "Saturday" or "in four days", and a time-based reminder can be added to any to-do.

Quick Entry and Quick Find

Quick Entry on Mac creates a to-do while you are working in another app. Quick Find searches projects, to-dos and tags as you type.

Things Cloud sync

To-dos sync between your devices through the vendor's own Things Cloud service at no extra charge.

Microsoft To Do

• Free$0

  Every feature of the app, signed in with a personal Microsoft account or a work or school account.

Things 3

• Things for iPhone & Watch$9.99

  one-time purchase

  The iPhone app, with the Apple Watch app included. Sold on the App Store.

• Things for iPad$19.99

  one-time purchase

  The iPad app, bought separately from the iPhone and Mac apps.

• Things for Vision$29.99

  one-time purchase

  The Apple Vision Pro app, bought separately from the other apps.

• Things for Mac$49.99

  one-time purchase

  The Mac app, sold on the Mac App Store. A 15-day trial can be downloaded from the vendor's site.

Microsoft To Do

No public discounts listed.

Things 3

• Other savings

  Shareable through Apple Family Sharing

  Cultured Code supports Apple's Family Sharing, so one purchase of an app can be shared with family members at no extra cost.