I bought Things 3 four times. Yes, four. Each time convinced this would finally be the task manager that stuck. Each time I migrated back to Todoist within a month.

Both apps have devoted followers. Both work great for neurotypical brains. But ADHD has specific needs that most reviews ignore.

TL;DR

Factor	Todoist	Things 3
Capture friction	3 seconds	8 seconds
Visual overwhelm	Medium	Low
Dopamine hits	Weak	Strong
”New app” honeymoon	2 weeks	3 weeks
Maintenance burden	Low	Medium
Price	Free works	$50 once

Winner for ADHD: Todoist, but Things 3 almost convinced me every time.

The Short Version for Skimmers

Todoist wins because natural language input removes friction. “Call mom tomorrow 3pm #personal” creates a task instantly. Things 3 requires clicking through menus.

Things 3 is prettier and completing tasks feels better. But pretty doesn’t matter if you never open the app.

Both are infinitely better than trying to remember everything.

Where Todoist Wins

Natural Language Processing

This is everything. I type “submit report monday 9am p1 @work” and Todoist understands:

• Task: submit report
• Due: Monday at 9am
• Priority: 1
• Label: work

Things 3 makes me:

1. Type the task name
2. Click the calendar icon
3. Select Monday
4. Click the time field
5. Select 9am
6. Click tags
7. Select work

Those extra clicks happen while my ADHD brain is already thinking about something else. The task often doesn’t get created.

Global Quick Add

Command+Shift+A (Mac) or Ctrl+Shift+A (Windows) opens Todoist’s quick add from anywhere. I’m in a meeting, someone mentions a deadline, captured in 3 seconds without switching apps.

Things 3 has Quick Entry, but it requires the app to be running. If Things isn’t open, the hotkey does nothing. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve pressed the hotkey, nothing happened, and I just… didn’t capture the task.

Cross-Platform Reality

Todoist works identically on:

• iPhone
• Android
• Windows
• Mac
• Linux
• Web browser

Things 3 is Apple-only. No web version. No Windows. If you ever touch a non-Apple device, Things becomes useless.

I use a Windows machine for gaming. Being able to capture tasks there matters.

Where Things 3 Wins

The Completion Animation

This sounds stupid but it matters: Things 3’s task completion animation releases more dopamine than Todoist’s checkmark.

The task flies up with a satisfying whoosh and disappears. It feels like accomplishment. Todoist just… checks a box. The difference in satisfaction is real.

Visual Calm

Things 3 is gorgeous. Clean typography, thoughtful spacing, subtle animations. Opening the app doesn’t trigger overwhelm.

Todoist is utilitarian. Red priority flags, density, more visual noise. Some days my brain can’t handle it.

The Evening Review

Things 3’s “This Evening” section is brilliant for ADHD. Tasks you want to do today but not at a specific time go there. It’s visible but not urgent.

Todoist makes you choose: either give it a time (annoying) or no time (gets lost in the today list). The Evening concept would help.

Headings in Projects

Things 3 lets you organize project tasks under headings. “Research,” “Writing,” “Editing” for an article project. Visual separation without multiple projects.

Todoist has sections too, but they’re clunkier and weren’t available when I formed my habits.

The Stuff Nobody Talks About

The Migration Cycle

Every 3-6 months I convince myself Things 3 will solve my productivity problems. The cycle:

Day 1-3: Migrate everything from Todoist. Feel incredibly organized. Things 3 is clearly superior.

Week 1-2: Honeymoon phase. Using Things religiously. The animations spark joy.

Week 3: First missed task because capturing took too long. “I’ll remember to add it later.”

Week 4: Haven’t opened Things in 3 days. Stress building.

Week 5: Migrate back to Todoist. Promise myself I’ll stick with it this time.

Month 3: “Maybe Things 3 would work better now…”

The $50 Commitment Fallacy

Things 3 costs $50 on Mac, $20 on iPhone, $10 on iPad. I spent $80 total.

This created guilt. “I paid for this, I should use it.” Guilt doesn’t overcome ADHD friction. I’d stare at the app icon, feel bad about not using my expensive app, then… not use it anyway.

Todoist’s free tier removes this psychological weight. No guilt, just utility.

Reminder Anxiety

Things 3’s reminder system is minimal. You can add one reminder per task. It’s gentle.

Todoist lets you add multiple reminders. This became a problem. I’d add 5 reminders to important tasks, then get reminder fatigue and start ignoring all notifications.

Sometimes less functionality protects us from ourselves.

What I Actually Do

I use Todoist for everything. But I’ve modified my approach based on what I learned from Things 3:

Minimal projects. Just “Work,” “Personal,” “Someday.” Things taught me that too many projects creates decision paralysis. Similar to how I keep my note-taking system simple—fewer folders means fewer decisions.

No priority flags. Everything was becoming P1. Now I use due dates only.

Today view only. I never look at upcoming. Planning beyond today is fantasy.

Natural language for everything. If I can’t add it in one line, it doesn’t get added.

No subtasks. They add friction. I make separate tasks instead.

The ADHD-Specific Breakdown

Friction to Add Tasks

Todoist: Type sentence, done. 3-5 seconds average.

Things 3: Type, click date, click time, click tags. 8-15 seconds average.

Those seconds matter when your brain is already moving on. The same friction principle that makes Apple Notes better than Notion for quick capture applies here.

Visual Overwhelm

Todoist: Can get cluttered with overdue tasks, priority flags, labels. Need discipline to keep it clean.

Things 3: Stays calm even when you’re behind. Better for anxiety-prone ADHD.

Dopamine/Satisfaction Loops

Todoist: Karma system tries but fails. Checking boxes feels administrative.

Things 3: Completion animation genuinely satisfying. Makes me want to complete tasks just for the animation.

Reminder Systems

Todoist: Can set multiple reminders. Good for important tasks, dangerous for reminder fatigue.

Things 3: One reminder per task. Clean but sometimes insufficient.

The Shiny New App Cycle

Both apps are “old” enough that the novelty wears off quickly. The real test is which one you’ll open after week 3.

For me, Todoist’s quick capture keeps me coming back. Things 3’s friction, despite being beautiful, creates avoidance.

Price Reality Check

Todoist

• Free: 5 projects, basic features (enough for most)
• Pro: $4/month for reminders, labels, filters
• Business: $6/month (you don’t need this)

Things 3

• Mac: $50
• iPhone: $20
• iPad: $10
• Total: $80 for all devices
• No subscription: Pay once, use forever

Things 3 is cheaper long-term if you stick with it. But ADHD means you might not stick with it. $80 for an abandoned app hurts more than a cancelled $4 subscription.

Who Should Use Which

Choose Todoist if:

• You need quick capture above all else
• You use non-Apple devices ever
• Natural language input appeals to you
• Free/cheap matters
• You’ve bought Things 3 multiple times already

Choose Things 3 if:

• Visual design affects your anxiety
• You’re 100% Apple ecosystem
• You can form habits around the extra clicks
• Completion satisfaction motivates you
• You’ve never tried it (might as well experience the honeymoon)

The Honest Bottom Line

Both apps are good. Both are better than no system. The difference is that Todoist’s lower friction means I actually use it after the honeymoon phase.

Things 3 is the task manager I wish I could use. Todoist is the one I actually use.

Your ADHD might work differently. The only way to know is to try both and watch your actual behavior after week 3. Not your intentions, not your plans—your actual behavior.

If you’re paralyzed by the choice, start with Todoist’s free tier. You can always spend $80 on Things 3 later. You probably will anyway. We all do.

Related Reading

Once you’ve chosen your task manager, you’ll need a morning routine that actually works with ADHD to make sure you actually check it each day. And if you’re losing tasks because they’re mixed with random notes, our guide to note-taking apps for ADHD brains will help you separate capture systems from task systems.

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Currently have 47 overdue tasks in Todoist. Would have 147 if I’d stuck with Things 3 because I wouldn’t have captured them at all.