Things 3 vs OmniFocus 2026: Which GTD App Wins for Mac?

The GTD Decision That Matters

If you're a Mac user serious about task management, you've probably narrowed your choices to Things 3 and OmniFocus. Both are native macOS applications built on Getting Things Done principles, both cost money upfront, and both command fierce loyalty from their users. But they diverge in philosophy, interface design, and power—sometimes dramatically.

We've tested both extensively in 2026, and the answer to "which is better?" depends entirely on how you work. Let's dig into the specifics so you can make the right choice for your workflow.

Things 3: Elegance Over Everything

Things 3 prioritizes beauty and simplicity. The interface is clean, the animations are smooth, and opening the app feels like stepping into a well-designed space rather than launching software.

The core feature set covers the essentials: projects, areas of responsibility (which organize projects thematically), tasks with subtasks, deadlines, and repeating tasks. Quick Entry is excellent—hit Cmd+Enter from anywhere to capture a task without leaving your current app. The Today view is a gentle introduction to your workload, showing only what matters today. The Upcoming view chains tasks into a timeline, and the Logbook tracks completed work.

Recurring tasks in Things 3 use a simplified model: daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, or custom. You can't create complex rules like "every weekday except holidays" without workarounds. Integration with other tools is basic—you can create tasks from emails in Mail, but deeper automation requires third-party scripts.

Things 3 syncs across your Apple devices (Mac, iPad, iPhone) over iCloud. The sync is fast and reliable. Offline access works perfectly—your data lives on your device, not in the cloud, which means privacy but also means you're managing local storage.

Pricing: $49.99 one-time purchase for Mac. $19.99 for iPhone. $19.99 for iPad. No subscription. This is Things 3's biggest advantage for budget-conscious users: you pay once and own the software forever.

Best for: People who want a beautiful, distraction-free task manager. Students, writers, solo knowledge workers. Anyone who values simplicity and design over feature depth.

OmniFocus 3: Power and Customization

OmniFocus takes the opposite approach. It's feature-rich, customizable, and deliberately complex. If Things 3 is a minimalist apartment, OmniFocus is a workshop full of tools.

The core differences emerge quickly. OmniFocus supports true nested hierarchies—projects within projects, with unlimited depth. Context tags are more flexible than Things 3's simple lists. Review cycles are built in: you can schedule regular reviews of different projects, and OmniFocus will remind you. Perspectives (custom views) let you create complex filters—show me all tasks tagged "writing" that are due tomorrow and don't have a start date, for example.

Automation is deeper. OmniFocus supports AppleScript and, as of 2026, native JavaScript automation through the new Automation panel. You can create elaborate workflows: when you complete a task tagged "meeting", automatically create a follow-up subtask. When a task is due tomorrow, move it to your Forecast view and send yourself a notification. For power users integrating OmniFocus with other tools, this flexibility is transformative—you can wire OmniFocus into larger systems using Zapier or native webhooks.

OmniFocus syncs via OmniSync Server (their proprietary sync) or iCloud. The sync is reliable but occasionally shows lag on slower connections. Web access exists through their beta portal, though it's less polished than the Mac app.

Recurring tasks support complex rules: "every weekday", "the third Thursday of each month", "every 2 weeks on Monday". You can set up task dependencies and defer dates separately from due dates, giving you nuanced control over when tasks appear.

Pricing: OmniFocus 3 runs on a subscription model: $9.99/month or $99.99/year for the full experience across Mac and iOS. A free version exists but limits you to fewer projects and no perspectives. This is the trade-off: more money for more power.

Best for: Complex workflows, large projects, teams coordinating tasks, anyone using GTD seriously at an advanced level. Project managers, researchers, people managing multiple areas of life simultaneously.

Side-by-Side Comparison

Real-World Testing: Where They Differ

In 2026, we ran both apps through identical workflows. For a simple task list—groceries, personal errands, three medium projects—Things 3 feels frictionless. You capture tasks faster in Things 3 because there are fewer options. The Today view is genuinely calming. For someone with 50-100 active tasks, Things 3 excels.

But scale that to 300+ tasks across 20 projects, and OmniFocus's architecture shows its value. You can create perspectives that show "all overdue tasks in Client A's projects" instantly. Things 3 would require manual sorting. OmniFocus's review cycles mean you revisit stalled projects on a schedule; Things 3 leaves that burden to you.

For team coordination, OmniFocus has a slight edge in sharing capabilities, though both are designed for individual use first. If you're using task management alongside other productivity tools—journaling with Notion, content creation with Jasper, or email management—both integrate adequately, but OmniFocus's automation opens deeper possibilities.

The Honest Trade-offs

Things 3's design seduces you. You'll open it daily because it's pleasant to look at. But that beauty comes from feature sacrifice. You cannot create task dependencies (task B starts only when task A is done). You cannot build complex filters. The price is right, though: $50 lifetime feels like a steal compared to OmniFocus's subscription model.

OmniFocus costs more money over time and requires learning. The interface is darker, more utilitarian. But if you're running a complex life or managing serious projects, the automation and flexibility justify the cost. Three years of OmniFocus ($299.97) still feels cheap compared to the time saved by not manually reorganizing your tasks.

Quick Verdict

• Choose Things 3 if: You want a beautiful, simple task manager; you have fewer than 150 active tasks; you prefer owning software over subscribing; you value design and simplicity above customization.
• Choose OmniFocus if: You manage complex projects; you want advanced automation; you need custom views and filters; you're willing to pay for power and flexibility; you use GTD seriously across multiple life areas.
• The winner overall in 2026: OmniFocus for professionals and serious productivity enthusiasts. Things 3 for everyone else. Both are excellent—the "best" one is the one that fits your actual workflow, not the one with more features.