Things 3 icon
Things 34.2 (42K+)

Cultured Code GmbH & Co. KG

App Store

Report updated Apr 17, 2026

Things 3 is an established productivity app that is a paid app. With a 4.2/5 rating from 42K reviews, it shows polarized user reception. Users particularly appreciate ui/ux design, though progress-blocking bugs remains a common concern.

What is Things 3?

Things 3 is a premium personal task manager designed exclusively for the Apple ecosystem, emphasizing a "craft" software approach with a one-time purchase model. It targets productivity-focused power users who follow the Getting Things Done (GTD) methodology. However, the current market presence is severely complicated by a significant data conflict with the "Stranger Things 3" game, which has introduced critical, progress-blocking bugs into the sentiment profile. While the core iOS experience remains highly rated for its minimalist UI, the brand is currently suffering from Mixed sentiment and a Declining trend due to ecosystem lock-in and fragmented pricing.

Current Momentum

v3.22 · 3w ago

Steady

Things 3.22 introduces a complete interface refresh, new app icons, and expanded widget styles for iOS and watchOS 26.

Active Nemesis

Todoist: To Do List & Calendar

Todoist: To Do List & Calendar

By Doist

Other Rivals

Microsoft To Do
Any.do: To do list & Planner
Structured: Daily Planner Todo
2Do - Todo List, Tasks & Notes
NotePlan - To-Do List & Notes
Fantastical Calendar
Habitica: Gamified Taskmanager
OmniFocus 4

7-Day Rank Pulse 🇺🇸

Productivity
#3
8

Rating Pulse 🇺🇸

Recent User Mood

What makes this app unique?

What Does It Look Like?

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What Are The Key Features?

Projects & AreasDifferentiator

Hierarchical organization system to group tasks by life spheres and specific goals.

Magic PlusDifferentiator

Drag-and-drop interface to insert tasks anywhere in a list.

This EveningDifferentiator

A dedicated space for planning tasks specifically for the evening.

How much does it cost?

Paid
  • iPhone/Watch app at $9.99
  • iPad app at $19.99
  • Mac app at $49.99
  • Vision Pro app at $29.99

Premium, one-time purchase model per platform without recurring subscriptions. High friction noted by users who must pay multiple times for different Apple devices.

Who Built It?

Cultured Code GmbH & Co. KG app icon 1
Cultured Code GmbH & Co. KG app icon 2
Cultured Code GmbH & Co. KG app icon 3
Cultured Code GmbH & Co. KG app icon 4

Cultured Code GmbH & Co. KG

(11.7K)

Providing Apple ecosystem users with a minimalist, high-craft task management system to organize daily goals and long-term projects.

Portfolio

3

Apps

Paid 2
Productivity100%

Explore the full Cultured Code GmbH & Co. KG report

Portfolio breakdown, audience, momentum, and every app published by Cultured Code GmbH & Co. KG.

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What do users think recently?

High confidence · Latest 100 of 42K total reviews analyzed

How did the latest release land?

Overall
4.2/ 5
(42K)
Current version
4.8/ 5
+0.7 vs overall
(27.5K)
Main signal post-update: uI/UX Design.

What is the recent mood?

Mixed

Recent user voice shows a mixed sentiment. Users appreciate ui/ux design and one-time purchase model, but report progress-blocking bugs and ecosystem restrictions.

What Users Love

UI/UX Design
One-Time Purchase Model

What Frustrates Users

Progress-Blocking Bugs
Ecosystem Restrictions

View the full user-sentiment analysis

Mood gauge, ratings & review-volume history, every praise / complaint / request, and sentiment over time.

Go deeper

What is the competitive landscape for Things 3?

How's The Productivity Market?

How does it evolve in the Productivity market?

Things 3 is climbing the charts.

Rank progression

211 active rankings tracked — 30-day window

The rivals identified

The outtake for Things 3

Strengths to defend, gaps to attack

Core Strengths

  • Award-winning UI/UX design and Apple-centric polish
  • One-time purchase model (no subscription)
  • Deep integration with Apple system features (Shortcuts, Widgets)
  • Strong alignment with GTD methodology

Critical Frictions

  • No cross-platform access (Windows/Web)
  • Fragmented pricing (separate purchase per device)
  • Lack of collaboration/sharing features
  • Critical bugs in game-related logic updates

Growth Levers

  • Visual time-blocking expansion (Structured)
  • Natural language processing for task entry (Todoist)
  • Universal Purchase model to reduce pricing friction

Market Threats

  • Free alternatives like Microsoft To Do
  • Cross-platform rivals like Todoist with team collaboration
  • High-velocity visual planners like Structured

What are the next best moves?

high

Fix game-level logic and 'power button' bugs

Top complaint theme (Progress-Blocking Bugs) is driving the current 'Declining' sentiment trend and 2.9 rating on Android.

medium

Consolidate platform pricing into a Universal Purchase

Users report high friction and negative sentiment regarding paying separately for iPhone and iPad versions ($9.99 + $19.99).

medium

Develop basic project collaboration features

Identified as a major feature gap compared to Nemesis (Todoist) and a medium-frequency complaint ('This is a solo app').

Feature Gaps vs Competitors

  • Cross-platform parity (Todoist)
  • Natural language processing for task entry (Todoist)
  • Team collaboration and task assignments (Todoist)
  • Visual time-blocking timeline (Structured)
  • WhatsApp integration for task creation (Any.do)
  • Smart Lists based on complex filtering logic (2Do)

Key Takeaways

Things 3 is a design-led 'unicorn' that risks being sidelined by its own ecosystem rigidity. To maintain its premium status, it must resolve the technical bugs currently polluting its sentiment profile and address the high friction of its fragmented pricing model before cross-platform rivals like Todoist close the aesthetic gap.

Where Is It Heading?

Declining

Mixed sentiment (45/100) driven by progress-blocking bugs in game-related updates.

v3.22.9 added glassy UI elements and Apple Watch control updates (Mar 2026) — active design investment.

Rankings fell from Overall US charts (↓8) indicating cooling market momentum.

FAQ

Is Things 3 available for Windows or Android?
No. Things 3 is strictly optimized for the Apple ecosystem (iPhone, iPad, Mac, Watch, Vision Pro). Users report the lack of Windows or Web access is a major obstacle to their workflow.
Is Things 3 better than Todoist?
Things 3 offers a superior aesthetic and a one-time purchase model ($9.99), whereas Todoist is cross-platform and subscription-based. Todoist wins on collaboration and natural language entry, which Things 3 lacks.
Why are there reviews about game bugs in Things 3?
There is a significant data conflict between the Things 3 task manager and the Stranger Things 3 game. Users report progress-blocking bugs in game levels, such as buttons not working despite power being available.
What is a good free alternative to Things 3?
Microsoft To Do is a formidable free alternative that uses a similar 'My Day' planning philosophy and integrates deeply with the Microsoft 365 ecosystem, unlike Things 3's paid model.

Disclosure: Independent intel to help mobile builders succeed.

AI-powered analysis with editorial review, built from publicly available sources. Marlvel.ai is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Things 3, its developer, the app publisher, Apple, or Google Play. All trademarks, logos, and screenshots referenced remain the property of their respective owners.

What's new

The report reflects a significant sentiment decline and brand confusion caused by a data conflict with the 'Stranger Things 3' game, alongside a shift toward a more critical, action-oriented competitive strategy.

declined

Sentiment Shift to Mixed

added

New Critical Weakness

shifted

Strategic Pivot to Action-Oriented PM

added

Universal Purchase Opportunity

Cite this report

Marlvel.ai. “Things 3 Intelligence Report.” Updated Apr 17, 2026. https://marlvel.ai/apps/things-3

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