TLDR
Things 3 is one of the most beautiful task managers ever made — a true Apple design masterpiece. Composed shares that design philosophy (composed, intentional, no clutter) but applies it to a different problem: preparing for events rather than managing task lists. If you want elegant task management, Things 3 is hard to beat. If you want intelligent event planning, that’s Composed’s territory.
Quick Comparison
| Things 3 | Composed | |
|---|---|---|
| Core purpose | Task management | Unified planning |
| Design philosophy | Calm, minimal | Calm, minimal |
| AI features | None | Full AI planning + voice |
| Pricing | One-time (~$80 across platforms) | Subscription |
| Platforms | Apple only | iOS (Apple native) |
| Collaboration | None | Shared events + RSVP |
| Travel features | None | Departure + flight tracking |
Where Things 3 Shines
Things 3 is beloved for good reason. Cultured Code spent years perfecting every detail:
The design is exceptional. Every animation, every transition, every pixel is considered. Things 3 set the standard for what a productivity app can look like on Apple platforms. It’s calm and focused without feeling sterile.
Organization is elegant. Areas (for life categories), Projects (for multi-step goals), and Headings (for sections within projects) create a clean hierarchy without overwhelming complexity. It’s structured enough to be useful, simple enough to not be a burden.
Quick entry is blazing fast. The keyboard shortcut for adding tasks is legendary among Mac power users. Thought to task in under a second. No friction.
One-time purchase. In a world of subscriptions, Things 3 charges once and you own it forever. The full suite runs about $80 across all platforms (iPhone $9.99, iPad $19.99, Mac $49.99), with no recurring costs.
It just works. Things 3 is rock-solid reliable. It doesn’t crash, it doesn’t lose data, it doesn’t surprise you. There’s something deeply respectable about software that simply does its job, perfectly, for years.
Where Composed Takes a Different Approach
Composed and Things 3 share DNA — both believe planning tools should be composed and beautiful. The divergence is in how they help you plan.
Events drive the planning. Things 3 starts with tasks: what do you need to do? Composed starts with events: what’s happening in your life? From there, it works backward to generate the tasks. This is more natural for people who think in terms of commitments and appointments rather than to-do lists.
AI does the heavy lifting. In Things 3, every task is manually created, manually scheduled, and manually organized. Composed’s AI analyzes your events and generates prep tasks automatically. Tell it about a dinner party and it suggests what to buy, when to start cooking, and what to clean.
Voice input creates structure. Things 3’s quick entry is text-based. Composed lets you speak your plans and turns natural language into structured events with linked tasks and appropriate reminders.
Reminders are contextual. Things 3 offers basic due dates and reminders. Composed’s 3-layer system changes the type of reminder based on how far away something is — gentle awareness for distant events, action nudges as they approach, logistics alerts on the day.
Travel is built in. Things 3 has no concept of location, distance, or travel time. Composed includes departure tracking and flight intelligence so your planning accounts for the physical world.
Who Should Use Which
Choose Things 3 if:
- You prefer a one-time purchase over subscriptions
- You want the most beautiful task management interface on Apple platforms
- Your planning is primarily about personal tasks and projects
- You prefer full manual control over AI suggestions
- You don’t need collaboration features
- You value stability and simplicity above all
Choose Composed if:
- Your life is organized around events and commitments, not just tasks
- You want AI to help generate prep work and reminders
- You prefer speaking your plans over typing them
- You need travel awareness (departure times, flight tracking)
- You want to share events with others
- You find traditional task managers create more pressure than they relieve
FAQ
I love Things 3’s design. Will I like Composed’s?
If you appreciate composed, intentional design — yes. Composed shares the same philosophy: no red badges, no clutter, no anxiety-inducing elements. The visual language is different, but the feeling is similar.
Can Things 3 handle events?
Things 3 can assign due dates and times to tasks, and it integrates with Apple Calendar for a side-by-side view. But it doesn’t create events, generate prep tasks, or handle travel logistics. It’s fundamentally a task tool.
Is Things 3 still being updated?
Cultured Code maintains Things 3 with regular compatibility and refinement updates. The pace of major feature additions is deliberate — stability and polish are clearly prioritized.
Does Composed work on Mac?
Composed is currently focused on iOS. Things 3’s Mac app is one of its strongest advantages for desktop users.