Comparison
SettlTM vs Things 3
Things 3 is widely regarded as the most beautifully designed task manager on Apple platforms. SettlTM trades native design perfection for AI-powered planning, autonomous agents, and cross-platform access.
TL;DR
Choose Things 3 if you are fully in the Apple ecosystem, value beautiful native design above all else, prefer offline-first with no subscription, and do not need AI features. Choose SettlTM if you want AI that plans your day, cross-platform access (web + Android), 6 autonomous agents, a built-in focus timer, and a free tier to start.
| Feature | SettlTM | Things 3 |
|---|---|---|
| AI daily planning | Smart Focus Pack scores by priority, urgency, and capacity | No AI -- manual "Today" list curation |
| Autonomous agents | 6 agents: planning, scheduling, breakdown, triage, focus coach, backlog grooming | No agents or automation |
| Built-in focus timer | Pomodoro timer with session tracking and streaks | No built-in timer |
| Productivity analytics | Focus sessions, streaks, daily trends, project health | Logbook of completed tasks (no analytics) |
| Design quality | Clean, functional web-first UI | Award-winning native Apple design -- widely considered the best-looking task app |
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android (cross-platform) | Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch only |
| Offline support | Requires internet for AI features | Fully offline-first with seamless iCloud sync |
| Subtask decomposition | AI-powered automatic subtask generation | Manual checklists within tasks |
| NLP task input | Natural language quick add with auto-parsing | Quick entry with natural language date parsing |
| Collaboration | Individual-focused (team features coming) | No collaboration -- purely personal |
| Free tier | 5 projects, 50 tasks, 10 AI calls/day | No free tier |
| Pricing model | $2.99/month (Plus) or free forever | One-time purchase: $49.99 (Mac) + $9.99 (iPhone) + $19.99 (iPad) |
See Smart Focus Pack in action
Choose Things 3 if...
- You are fully in the Apple ecosystem (Mac, iPhone, iPad)
- You value award-winning native design and offline-first reliability
- You prefer a one-time purchase over a monthly subscription
- You do not need AI planning, agents, or productivity analytics
Choose SettlTM if...
- You want AI to tell you what to work on each day
- You need cross-platform access (web, Android, iOS)
- You want 6 autonomous agents and AI-powered subtask decomposition
- You want a free tier to start and $2.99/mo for unlimited features
Last updated: April 2026. Things 3 features and pricing based on publicly available information.