Notif vs Things 3 (2026): a beautiful task manager or help with each note?

Things 3 is the better pick if you want to plan projects in a calm, well-made app you pay for once. Notif is the better pick if your list is mostly everyday errands and what you need is help doing each one, with the note kept in Apple Reminders.

I make Notif, so read this with that in mind. Things is one of the best-made apps on the iPhone, and for a lot of people it's the right answer. I'll say where.

The short answer

• Things 3 if you plan projects with many steps, like to sort your life into areas, and want to pay once instead of subscribing
• Notif if you write quick notes like "renew the passport" or "drop off the UPS return" and want each one to come back with something useful and a button for the next step
• Both if Things holds your projects and Apple Reminders holds your errands. Notif sits on the Reminders side

Side by side

Where Things 3 is better

Things is about structure, and it does structure better than almost anything. According to its App Store page, you group to-dos and projects into areas like Work or Family, split projects with headings, add deadlines, tags and checklists of smaller steps, and see your calendar events next to your to-dos in Today and Upcoming. There's a This Evening section for things that belong after work. If your list is long and has layers, Things gives it a shape.

It's also on more of your devices. Things runs on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Vision Pro, and Cultured Code's sync, Things Cloud, is free with the purchase. Notif doesn't have a Mac app; its notes reach your Mac only through Apple Reminders.

Then there's the price model. Things is a one-time purchase per platform: as of October 2026, $9.99 for iPhone and Watch, $19.99 for iPad and $49.99 for Mac, with a 15-day free trial on Mac. If you dislike subscriptions and will use the app for years, that math is hard to beat.

What Things won't do is help with a single task. A to-do in Things is the text you typed, plus a date, a note and maybe a checklist. That's by design, and plenty of people want exactly that.

Where Notif is better

Notif does less organizing and more of the doing. You write a note the way you'd say it, and Notif adds:

• Insight, one line worth knowing about what you wrote
• Action Button, the next step: call a contact, get directions, link to a site or open the app
• Chat, to ask more about what's in the note

"Call Mom" gets a button that calls her; Notif asks once who "Mom" is, then remembers. "Renew the passport" can come back with a link to the right official page, and Notif only ever links to pages its search actually cited. A comma or bulleted list becomes a tickable checklist. Unprompted weather appears only at 30%+ precipitation or snow, so "walk the dog at 6" stays quiet on a dry evening.

The other difference is where your notes live. Every Notif note is a real reminder in Apple Reminders. It writes to its own list. Never yours. That means your notes show up on your Mac and Apple Watch through Reminders, Siri adds a note without opening anything, and if you stop using Notif, your reminders are still there.

Things works the other way. It can show one Reminders list in its Inbox so you can capture with Siri, but Cultured Code's support page says that once you import a reminder, it's deleted from the Reminders app. That's tidy if Things is your only list. It's a poor fit if you want Reminders to stay the home for your tasks.

Notif also has no account. Things needs a Things Cloud account with an email address to sync between devices. Notif syncs through Apple Reminders and iCloud, and there is no Notif account and no Notif cloud copy of your notes. When an Insight is made, that one note's words go to Notif's server and an AI provider, and Notif's server does not store your note content. A note you mark Private (Pro) has no way off your phone.

What each one costs over time

Things for iPhone alone is $9.99 once, as of October 2026. Add iPad and Mac and it's about $80, still once.

Notif is free, with one Insight a day, 7 a week, and 14 Chat answers a week. Notes, widgets and Siri don't count against anything. Notif Pro is $4.99 a month or $39.99 a year, cancel any time, and puts an Insight on every note, makes Chat unlimited and adds private notes.

So if you only want a list, Things is the cheaper long-term buy. If you want help with each note, Notif's free tier may be enough, and Pro is a subscription.

Which should you use?

• Projects, areas and a calendar view, on every Apple device, paid once: Things 3
• Everyday errands on iPhone, kept in Apple Reminders, with the details and the next step on the note: Notif
• Both: Things for the projects, Notif for the errands

If you're still deciding what to move away from, the best Apple Reminders alternatives covers Things alongside a few others, and Notif vs Todoist is the same comparison with a task manager built for teams. Notif is mine, and it's free on the App Store: get Notif

Questions

Is Things 3 a subscription?

No. Things 3 is a one-time purchase per platform. As of October 2026 the App Store lists it at $9.99 for iPhone and Apple Watch, $19.99 for iPad and $49.99 for Mac, with a 15-day free trial on Mac

Does Things 3 sync with Apple Reminders?

Not two ways. Things can show one Reminders list in its Inbox and import from it, and Cultured Code says an imported reminder is deleted from the Reminders app. Every Notif note stays a real reminder in Apple Reminders

Do I need an account for Things 3 or Notif?

Things works on one device without an account, but syncing between devices needs a free Things Cloud account with an email address. Notif has no account at all and syncs through Apple Reminders and iCloud

Which is better for big projects?

Things 3. It has areas, projects, headings, deadlines and tags, and it's built for planning work across weeks. Notif keeps to single notes and doesn't do projects

Can I use Things 3 and Notif together?

Yes. Some people plan projects in Things and keep quick errands in Apple Reminders. Notif sits on the Reminders side, so the two don't overlap much