App Comparison

Things 3 alternative: when beautiful design isn't enough

Comparison · Last updated March 2026

Things 3 is arguably the most beautiful task manager ever made for iOS. The design is so good it won an Apple Design Award. If you care about the experience of managing your task list, nothing looks or feels better.

But there are two reasons people look for Things 3 alternatives in 2026: price and voice input.

Things 3 is a one-time purchase ($9.99 iPhone, $19.99 iPad, $49.99 Mac) rather than a subscription — which sounds great until you realize it means there's less incentive for continuous development, and voice capture has never been a focus. The app supports dictation, but speaking a task into Things 3 requires the same 5-step navigation as typing one.

The core difference: Things 3 optimizes for reviewing and organizing your task list. Vozly optimizes for capturing tasks the moment they arrive. Different philosophies for different use cases.

Things 3 vs. Vozly

Feature Things 3 Vozly
Design quality ✓ Award-winning Good, functional
Voice-first capture ✓ Core feature
Quick capture speed 5–6 steps 1 step
Today / Upcoming views ✓ Excellent Basic
Voice journal
Dream journal
Subscription required No (one-time purchase) Free tier available
Total cost (1 year) ~$80 (all platforms) Free–$11.88/year
iOS widgets

Who should switch from Things 3 to Vozly

Consider Vozly as your Things 3 alternative if the majority of your tasks are personal (not team-based), if you find yourself with great ideas that never make it into Things 3 because opening the app feels like too many steps, or if you want to add journaling to your productivity system without adding another app.

The capture + organize split

One approach that works well: use Vozly for capture throughout the day (zero friction, voice-first), and Things 3 for your weekly review and planning session (beautiful interface, structured organization). You get the best of both — Vozly's speed and Things 3's organizational depth.

Run your weekly review on Sunday: open Things 3, review what came in, organize into areas and projects, plan the week. Everything else happens in Vozly by voice.

Add voice capture to your workflow

Vozly is free. Use it alongside Things 3 or as a complete replacement for personal task management.

Download Vozly Free