alfred_ vs
Things 3
Apple's most beloved task manager vs an AI that manages your email, tasks, and calendar automatically. Craftsmanship vs automation.
Which should I choose — alfred_ or Things 3?
- Choose Things 3 if you want the most beautifully designed task manager on Apple devices, prefer a GTD-inspired workflow, and like the simplicity of a one-time purchase with no subscriptions.
- Choose alfred_ if you want AI to triage your email, automatically create tasks from conversations, draft replies, and deliver a Daily Brief — filling the gaps Things 3 doesn't address.
- Things 3 is a personal task sanctuary with zero noise. alfred_ is an AI-powered system that bridges the gap between email and tasks automatically.
Things 3 deliberately excludes email and collaboration. alfred_ is built around email automation. They have almost zero feature overlap.
Crafted Simplicity vs Intelligent Automation
Things 3 and alfred_ represent opposite design philosophies. Things 3 is intentionally minimal — a calm, focused space for tasks you curate yourself. alfred_ is intentionally comprehensive — an AI that ingests your email and calendar to manage tasks you haven't even identified yet.
Things 3 is perfect if you know your tasks and want a beautiful place to manage them. alfred_ is built for when most of your tasks are buried in your email — and you want AI to surface them.
What Things 3 Does Well
Things 3 has won multiple Apple Design Awards and is widely considered the gold standard for personal task management on Apple platforms:
Design & User Experience
- •Apple Design Award-winning interface with meticulous attention to detail
- •Fluid animations, thoughtful interactions, and calming visual design
- •Optimized for Apple ecosystem: native Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch apps
- •Quick Entry with global keyboard shortcut (Ctrl+Space on Mac) for instant task capture
GTD-Inspired Workflow
- •Structured views: Inbox, Today, Upcoming, Anytime, Someday, and Logbook
- •Areas and Projects for organizing tasks by life domain or goal
- •Headings within projects to break work into phases
- •Evening Review and Today view for daily planning discipline
Pricing & Philosophy
- •One-time purchase: $49.99 Mac, $9.99 iPhone, $19.99 iPad — no recurring fees
- •No feature gating or premium tiers — you get everything upfront
- •Cultured Code has maintained Things for 15+ years with free updates within major versions
- •No account required — data stays on your devices with iCloud sync
Focus & Intentionality
- •Deliberately excludes collaboration, email, and complex integrations
- •Markdown support in task notes for rich descriptions
- •Tags for flexible cross-cutting organization
- •Repeating tasks with flexible scheduling (daily, weekly, custom)
If you value design craftsmanship, prefer Apple devices, and want a calm personal task manager without subscriptions or feature bloat, Things 3 is in a class of its own.
What alfred_ Does Differently
alfred_ fills every gap Things 3 deliberately leaves open — email management, automated task creation, and AI-powered workflow:
Email Integration & Triage
- •Overnight inbox triage — wake up to a categorized, prioritized inbox
- •AI drafts replies in your writing style, ready for one-tap sending
- •Follow-up tracking when responses are overdue
- •Things 3 has zero email integration; alfred_ is built around it
Automatic Task Creation
- •AI extracts action items from email threads — no manual task entry needed
- •Tasks include full context linked back to the source conversation
- •Detects deadlines, commitments, and requests you might have missed
- •Things 3 requires you to create every task manually; alfred_ does it for you
Daily Brief & Connected Intelligence
- •Every morning: your priorities, today's meetings, pending tasks, and follow-ups in one view
- •Cross-references calendar events with related email threads and tasks
- •AI prioritization based on deadlines, sender importance, and urgency
- •Replaces the manual "planning session" with an automated briefing
Things 3 is deliberately simple — a personal task sanctuary. alfred_ is deliberately comprehensive — an AI assistant managing the messy intersection of email, calendar, and tasks. They solve completely different problems.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Things 3 | alfred_ |
|---|---|---|
| Task Management | ||
| Calendar | ||
| Design & Platform | ||
| Pricing | ||
Who Should Choose What
Pros
- Want the most beautifully designed task manager available
- Prefer GTD-inspired workflow with Inbox, Today, Someday structure
- Hate subscriptions and want a one-time purchase
- Use Apple devices and want native, polished apps
Cons
- Apple-only — no Windows, Android, or web app
- Zero email integration — tasks must be created manually
- No collaboration features whatsoever
- No AI assistance, automation, or smart prioritization
Pros
- Want AI to extract tasks from email conversations automatically
- Need inbox triage and AI-drafted replies
- Want email, calendar, and tasks connected in one system
- Prefer automation over manual task curation
Cons
- Subscription-based ($24.99/mo) — no one-time purchase option
- Not as visually refined as Things 3's award-winning design
- No GTD-style workflow structure (Inbox, Someday, etc.)
- Less suitable for personal life task management
Our Verdict
A personal task sanctuary vs an AI workflow engine
Things 3 is the most beautifully designed task manager on Apple — a calm, focused space for personal productivity with no subscriptions. alfred_ is an AI executive assistant that automates the email-to-task pipeline, triages your inbox, and delivers daily briefings. If you want a serene place to manage known tasks, choose Things 3. If your tasks live in your email and you want AI to extract and manage them, choose alfred_.
Best for
- Professionals whose tasks primarily come from email and need AI extraction
- Anyone spending hours daily in their inbox who wants automated triage and replies
- Cross-platform users who need web and mobile access beyond Apple
Not for
- Users who prefer GTD-inspired personal task management
- Apple-only users who want a one-time purchase with no subscriptions
- People who value design craftsmanship above all else in a task app
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use Things 3 and alfred_ together?
They can serve complementary roles. alfred_ handles email triage, auto-generated tasks from your inbox, and daily briefings. Things 3 can be your personal task sanctuary for non-email tasks, life goals, and GTD-style project planning. However, they don't integrate directly with each other.
Will Things 3 ever add email integration?
Unlikely. Cultured Code has consistently maintained Things as a focused, intentionally simple task manager. Their philosophy explicitly excludes email, collaboration, and integrations bloat. That's by design, not by omission.
Is Things 3 cheaper than alfred_ in the long run?
Yes, significantly. Things 3 is a one-time purchase (~$80 for Mac + iPhone + iPad). alfred_ is $24.99/month ($300/year). But they solve completely different problems — Things 3 is a task UI; alfred_ is an AI handling your email, tasks, and calendar automation.
Does Things 3 work on Windows or Android?
No. Things 3 is exclusively available on Apple platforms (Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch). alfred_ works on any platform via web and mobile apps.
What if I want Things 3's design but alfred_'s email features?
There's no single app that combines both. The closest approach is using alfred_ for email triage, AI replies, and task extraction, while keeping Things 3 for personal task management. They don't sync with each other, so you'd maintain two systems.
Try alfred_
Your tasks shouldn't require manual entry.
alfred_ reads your email, extracts action items, drafts replies, and delivers a Daily Brief. AI-powered workflow automation that fills the gaps no task manager can — $24.99/month with a 30-day free trial.
Try alfred_ Free