TapTidy vs Things 3
Things 3 is beautifully designed but Apple-only — no Android app, no web app, no free tier, and proprietary CloudKit sync. TapTidy works on web and Android with open CalDAV, E2E encryption (beta), and a free tier.
Stick with Things 3 if you're exclusively on Apple devices, value premium UX design, and prefer a one-time purchase over a subscription.
Switch to TapTidy if you need Android support, a web app, open CalDAV sync, a free tier, or end-to-end encryption — none of which Things 3 offers.
Feature comparison
| Feature | TapTidy | Things 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | ||
| Free tier | Yes — 400 tasks, no expiry | No free tier |
| Cost model | Subscription ($48/yr Pro) | One-time purchase (~$10 iPhone / ~$50 Mac) |
| Zero-telemetry option | Yes — Pro Privacy ($67/yr) | Not available |
| Offline & Sync | ||
| Offline-first architecture | Yes — writes to device first, always | Yes — local-first on Apple devices |
| CalDAV server | Built-in — connect any CalDAV client | Not available |
| CalDAV client | Yes (Pro+) | Not supported |
| Sync protocol | Open CalDAV + Google Calendar | Proprietary Things Cloud (Apple only) |
| Google Calendar sync | Yes (Pro+) | Not supported |
| Privacy & Security | ||
| End-to-end encryption | Beta (Pro+) — AES-256-GCM, device-side keys | Relies on Apple CloudKit encryption |
| Zero-telemetry mode | Yes — Pro Privacy tier | No |
| Task data used for AI | Never | Unknown |
| Capture & Productivity | ||
| Natural language input | Yes — Rust parser, works fully offline | Yes — well-regarded NLP |
| Email-to-task | Yes (Pro+) | Not available |
| Pomodoro timer | Yes — built-in | Not available |
| Habit / streak tracking | Yes — routines with streak counter | Not available |
| Platforms | ||
| Web app (PWA) | Yes — installable PWA | No web app |
| Android app | Yes — native Kotlin + Jetpack Compose | Not available |
| iPhone app | Not yet | Yes (~$9.99) |
| iPad app | Not yet | Yes (included with iPhone) |
| Mac app | Not yet | Yes (~$49.99) |
Where TapTidy wins
Android + web cross-platform
TapTidy works on any device — web browser, Android phone, Android tablet. Things 3 is strictly Apple. If you own an Android device or need access from a Windows or Linux machine, Things 3 is simply unavailable.
Open sync with CalDAV
TapTidy syncs using open CalDAV and Google Calendar standards. Things 3 uses proprietary Things Cloud — tasks are locked into the Apple ecosystem and cannot be accessed from other calendar apps via open protocols.
Free tier to get started
TapTidy's free tier gives you 400 tasks and 5 projects with no expiry — try the full workflow before committing. Things 3 requires an upfront purchase ($9.99 iPhone, $49.99 Mac) before you can evaluate it.
End-to-end encryption (beta)
TapTidy Pro encrypts tasks on-device with AES-256-GCM before transmission. Things 3 relies on Apple's CloudKit encryption, where Apple holds the keys. For sensitive tasks, TapTidy's model gives you more direct control.
Where Things 3 wins
Apple Design Award winner
Things 3 won Apple's prestigious Design Award and is routinely cited as one of the best-designed apps ever shipped on any platform. The interaction quality, typographic care, and animation polish are a deliberate design philosophy — not just surface polish. TapTidy's UI is clean and functional, but not in the same league.
One-time purchase, no subscription
Things 3 costs ~$9.99 once on iPhone and ~$49.99 once on Mac — no recurring charges, ever. For users who prefer owning software outright, this model is genuinely more appealing than a $48/year subscription, particularly if you'll use it for many years.
The canonical GTD app for Apple
Things 3 is built around the Getting Things Done methodology with first-class support for areas, projects, headings, and deferred tasks — structures that map directly to GTD workflows. For serious GTD practitioners on Apple, Things 3's opinionated structure is a strength, not a constraint. TapTidy is more flexible but less methodically guided.
Fifteen years of refinement
The Things franchise (Things 1, 2, and 3) has been an Apple productivity staple since 2009. Things 3 itself has been polished since 2017. There's a large, active community with deep workflow resources, GTD templates, Shortcuts libraries, and a long stability track record. TapTidy is significantly newer — that depth of community and iteration simply doesn't exist yet.