NoteCircle vs Things 3
We give NoteCircle and Things 3 the same GPA: 3.0 out of 4.0. NoteCircle grades higher on the free plan. Things 3 grades higher on features. They get the same grade on value for money, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
NoteCircle
Weekly to-do planner with routines and checklists for iOS
Things 3
Personal task manager for Apple devices, sold as a one-time purchase
How we grade them
| 3.0GPANoteCircleVery good | 3.0GPAThings 3Very good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BPremium is $3.99 a month or $29.99 a year, about what paid to-do apps start at, and Lifetime is $59.99. But the vendor only says Premium unlocks advanced features, without listing them. So you can't tell what the money buys until you're in the app. | BNo subscription, and sync through Things Cloud costs nothing extra. The iPhone app is $9.99 once, which is cheap. But iPad is $19.99 and Mac is $49.99, with no bundle, and all four apps come to $109.96. That's a bit over two years of a typical to-do subscription. |
| Free plan and trial | BFree to download and use, which is a good start. But neither the vendor's site nor the App Store listing says which features need Premium, so we can't tell you where the free version stops. | CNo free version. The Mac app has a 15-day trial with every feature, downloaded from Cultured Code's site. There's no trial on iPhone, iPad or Vision, so there you pay first and find out after. |
| Features | BA week view you swipe through, routines set for chosen weekdays, a weekly goal on top, a monthly completion report, separate checklists and a Someday list. Events come in from Google and Apple calendars. Solid for planning one person's week. It's a planner, though, not a project tool. | AProjects split by headings, checklists inside a to-do, notes in Markdown, repeating items, deadlines and reminders. Today and Upcoming show your calendar events with your tasks. Type "in four days" and it gets the date. For one person's tasks, that's the whole job with depth. |
| Ease of use | A4.6 from about 1,200 App Store ratings. Daily tasks and the weekly schedule are shown together, and you can add tasks by voice or by photographing a handwritten list. | A4.8 from about 28,000 App Store ratings. Dates go in as plain words like "Tomorrow" or "Saturday", and on a Mac Quick Entry adds a to-do while you're in another app. |
| Platforms and integrations | CiPhone and iPad, plus a Mac if you run the iPhone and iPad app there, which the FAQ says needs macOS 11 or newer. There's no web version. The vendor's page says Android users get limited features for now and links only the iOS download. | CMac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Apple Vision Pro, with Apple Calendar, Reminders, Shortcuts and Siri. All Apple. Cultured Code states it will not work on Windows, Android, Linux or in a web browser. |
| Best for | planning to-dos and routines a week at a time | one person's tasks on Apple devices, paid for once |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: NoteCircle and Things 3. How we grade
Where they differ
- NoteCircle starts at $3.99 per month, or $29.99 per year. Things 3 starts at $9.99 one-time for iPhone; iPad $19.99 and Mac $49.99 are sold separately.
- NoteCircle has a free plan. Things 3 does not, though it has a free trial.
- NoteCircle also covers habit tracking, goals and reports.
- Things 3 also covers Markdown and natural-language input.
At a glance
| NoteCircle | Things 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | $3.99 per month, or $29.99 per year | $9.99 one-time for iPhone; iPad $19.99 and Mac $49.99 are sold separately |
| Free plan | Free to download and use. The App Store listing says NoteCircle Premium unlocks advanced features but does not itemize which ones. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | 15-day free trial of the Mac app with every feature. There is no trial on iPhone, iPad or Vision. |
| macOS | ||
| iOS | ||
| Made by | Genau Factory | Cultured Code GmbH & Co. KG |
| Price read from | apps.apple.com | apps.apple.com |
| Checked | Oct 9, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 |
Who each one suits
NoteCircle
- People who plan their to-dos a week at a time
- Keeping weekly routines alongside one-off tasks
- iPhone and iPad users who want calendar events in their list
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
Worth knowing
NoteCircle
- Neither the vendor's site nor the App Store listing says which features need Premium.
- There is no web version; on a Mac it runs as the iPhone and iPad app, which the FAQ says needs macOS 11 or newer.
- The vendor's page says Android users get limited features for now, and it links only the iOS download.
- The listing states that refunds are not available for the unused part of a billed subscription period.
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.
Key features
NoteCircle
- Weekly planning view
- The app is organized around the week: daily tasks and the weekly schedule are shown together, and swiping moves from one day to the next.
- Recurring routines
- A routine is set up once with the weekdays it applies to and then appears among that day's to-dos. A setting can hide routines from the to-do list.
- Weekly goal and monthly report
- A goal for the week is pinned above the to-do list, and a monthly report shows what was planned, the completion rate and progress on weekly goals.
- Events and calendar sync
- Birthdays, paydays and other dated events appear at the top of the list on the day, and events from Google and Apple calendars can be imported or added selectively.
- Checklists and Someday list
- Separate checklists cover topics such as shopping or travel and can be reordered and cleared of completed items at once. A Someday list holds tasks to move into the to-do list later.
- Paper to-do scanning and voice input
- A photo of a handwritten list is turned into editable tasks, and tasks can also be added by voice.
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.
Plans
NoteCircle
Free$0
The app is free to download and use; the vendor does not publish a list of what stays outside Premium.
Premium Monthly$3.99
per month
NoteCircle Premium, described by the vendor only as unlocking advanced features, billed monthly.
Premium Annual$29.99
per year
The same Premium upgrade billed once a year.
Premium Lifetime$59.99
one-time purchase
Premium bought once through a Lifetime in-app purchase in place of a subscription.
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.
Ways to pay less
NoteCircle
- Annual discount
Annual plan costs about 37% less than monthly
The US App Store lists NoteCircle Premium at $3.99 monthly or $29.99 annually, so a year on the annual plan costs about 37% less than twelve monthly payments.
- Lifetime license
Lifetime Premium for a one-time $59.99
A Lifetime in-app purchase is listed at $59.99 as an alternative to the monthly or annual subscription.
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.
