Worklenz vs Things 3: Which Is Better for Teams in 2026?
Worklenz vs Things 3 is a comparison between a beautifully designed personal task manager for Apple devices and a cross-platform team project management tool. Things 3 has a loyal following for good reason - it’s one of the most polished to-do apps available. But it’s strictly personal and Apple-only, which rules it out for most team use cases entirely.
Quick Comparison: Worklenz vs Things 3
| Feature | Worklenz | Things 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Teams and agencies | Individuals (Apple ecosystem only) |
| Pricing | Free (up to 3 projects); from $9.99/user/mo | One-time: $9.99 (iPhone), $19.99 (iPad), $49.99 (Mac) |
| Platform | Web, cross-platform | Apple only (no Windows, no Android) |
| Team Collaboration | ✅ Real-time, multi-user | ❌ Strictly single-user |
| Time Tracking | ✅ Built-in | ❌ Not available |
| Resource Management | ✅ Built-in | ❌ Not available |
| Open Source | ✅ Yes (AGPL-3.0) | ❌ No |
| Best For | Teams managing shared project work | Individual Apple users wanting elegant personal task management |
Pricing Deep Dive
Things 3 uses one-time purchases rather than subscriptions - a genuine plus for individuals who dislike recurring fees. But the catch is per-platform pricing: $9.99 for iPhone/Watch, $19.99 for iPad, and $49.99 for Mac, totaling around $80 to use it across all your Apple devices. And it only runs on Apple hardware - no Windows or Android versions exist at any price.
Worklenz pricing:
- Cloud: Free plan - unlimited users, up to 3 active projects; Pro Small Teams from $9.99/user/month, Business Small Teams $14.99/user/month
- Self-hosted: Community edition free (unlimited users); Business ($99/mo) and Enterprise ($499/mo)
These aren’t really comparable as “cheaper vs more expensive” - Things 3 is a one-person purchase for an Apple-only app, while Worklenz is a team platform that works on any device or OS.
Feature-by-Feature Breakdown
Task Management
Things 3 is genuinely elegant for personal task organization - Today, Anytime, and Someday views, smooth drag-and-drop scheduling, and a clean, native-feeling interface that’s widely praised for its design.
Worklenz is built around shared project boards with subtasks, labels, and assignees for team coordination, not personal day planning.
Winner: Depends on use case - Things 3 for personal task elegance, Worklenz for team project structure.
Team Collaboration
Things 3 has no sharing or collaboration features at all - it’s explicitly built for one person. There’s no way to assign a task to someone else or see what a teammate is working on.
Worklenz is built for teams from the ground up: shared boards, assignments, comments, and live status visible to everyone.
Winner: Worklenz, decisively - this isn’t a close comparison for any team use case.
Platform Availability
Things 3 only runs on macOS, iOS, iPadOS, and watchOS. If anyone on your team uses Windows or Android, they’re locked out entirely.
Worklenz works in any modern browser, regardless of operating system.
Winner: Worklenz, for any team with mixed devices.
Time Tracking & Resourcing
Things 3 has no time tracking or resourcing features - it’s a personal to-do list, not a project management tool.
Worklenz includes time tracking and team utilization views as core features.
Winner: Worklenz.
Who Should Choose Worklenz?
- Teams and agencies coordinating shared project work
- Teams with mixed devices/operating systems
- Teams needing time tracking and resourcing
Who Should Choose Things 3?
- Individual Apple users wanting an elegant, one-time-purchase personal task manager
- Users who specifically value the Today/Anytime/Someday organizational model
- Solo users with no need for sharing or collaboration
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I share Things 3 lists with my team?
No - Things 3 has no collaboration features whatsoever. It’s designed exclusively for individual use.
Does Things 3 work on Windows or Android?
No - it’s Apple-only (Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch). There’s no plan to expand to other platforms.
Is Worklenz a good replacement for Things 3’s personal task views?
Worklenz is built for team coordination rather than personal day-planning aesthetics. If you specifically love Things 3’s Today/Anytime/Someday model for individual use, Worklenz won’t replicate that experience - they’re solving different problems.
Is Worklenz free for unlimited users?
Yes - the free cloud plan supports unlimited users, capped at 3 active projects.
Final Verdict
If you’re an individual Apple user who wants one of the best-designed personal to-do apps available, Things 3 remains an excellent, one-time-purchase choice. If you need to coordinate a team on shared project work - across any device, with time tracking and resourcing - Worklenz is built for that job, which Things 3 was never designed to do.