Alcove vs Things 3: which to-do app fits your Mac?

By Basil, maker of Alcove · Updated 28 October 2026 · 7 min read

Things 3 is one of the most admired to-do apps on the Mac, and it's an app I respect. Things has won two Apple Design Awards, in 2009 for the original Mac app and in 2017 for Things 3. Alcove shares its calm and its one-time price, but it's built around a different idea: your day lives in the menu bar. I make Alcove, so weigh that, but I've tried to be fair about where Things is the better choice.

How I compared. This comparison is based on Things' App Store listings (version 3.24), Cultured Code's release notes and its support pages, checked on 8 October 2026, not on a hands-on test of Things. The sources are listed at the end. Prices are US.

At a glance

Where Things 3 is stronger

Things 3 and Alcove are both calm apps you pay for once, but Things 3 has been refined for longer and reaches more Apple devices.

• Maturity and polish. Things has been refined for years, and it shows in every detail of its main window. It's still updated often: version 3.24 arrived on 14 September 2026.
• Siri AI. Things 3.24 added full integration with the new Siri AI and with Spotlight. Alcove has its own Siri phrases and Shortcuts actions, but it hasn't added Siri AI support.
• Apple Watch and Vision Pro. Things has a Watch app and a native Vision Pro app. Alcove has no Watch app and runs on Vision Pro only as its iPad app.
• Projects with headings. Things' projects, areas and headings are a lovely way to structure big plans.
• Quick Entry with Autofill captures the link to the web page, email or file you're looking at into the new to-do's notes.

Where Alcove is stronger

Alcove and Things 3 both keep your list calm, but Alcove puts more of your day in the Mac menu bar and adds boards, notes that calculate and one price for every device.

• The menu bar. Things' menu bar buttons start a new to-do or open a list in Things. Alcove's popup shows today's tasks and count, every list, the month, your notes and your boards, one click from any app. Any list can float above your work, even full-screen apps. See keeping your to-do list in the Mac menu bar.
• Boards. Cards you drag from To do to Done, and every card is a real task. See personal kanban boards.
• Notes that calculate. Sums on any line, tables with totals and budget rows that show what's left. See notes that do the maths.
• One price for everything. $29.99 covers Mac, iPhone and iPad together, against $79.97 for Things on the same three devices. See what to-do apps cost.
• AI assistants. Alcove's MCP server runs on your Mac and lets assistants like Claude read and add tasks, with your approval and a log of every request. Cultured Code doesn't offer a direct connection, and asks you to check that any third-party server uses only safe methods. See connecting an AI assistant and to-do apps that work with Claude.
• No account. Alcove syncs through the iCloud account already on your devices. Things syncs through Things Cloud, a free account with Cultured Code. See a private to-do list with no account.

Moving from Things 3 to Alcove

Alcove has no importer, and Things has no export in a format other apps can import, so the move goes through text:

1. Copy from Things. Right-click a list in the sidebar and choose Share, or select a to-do and press ⌘ C. Things gives you plain text. When it shares a list, notes and tags aren't included.
2. Paste into Alcove. Paste the text into an Alcove note as a checklist, then right-click each line you want to keep and choose Make this a task.
3. Or hand it to an assistant. With Alcove's MCP server on, paste the text into a chat with your assistant and ask it to create the tasks, with the dates and lists you want.

Dates, projects and repeats don't come across on their own, so a move is a good moment to keep only what still matters.

Which should you choose?

Choose Things 3 if you want the most refined planner for Apple devices, use an Apple Watch, plan big projects with headings, or want to talk to your list through the new Siri.

Choose Alcove if your day happens on the Mac and you want it in the menu bar, like to keep notes with numbers beside your tasks, use boards, and want one purchase for all three devices.

If neither fits, Things 3 alternatives for Mac and iPhone compares more apps, including ones for Windows and Android. To weigh Things against the other big names, see Things 3 vs Todoist and Things 3 vs Apple Reminders.

Sources

Checked on 8 October 2026:

• Things 3 for Mac, iPhone, iPad and Vision Pro on the App Store
• Things for Mac release notes, for the menu bar and Control Center buttons in 3.22 (15 September 2025) and Siri AI in 3.24 (14 September 2026)
• Getting Things, Cultured Code, for prices per device, the 15-day trial, Things Cloud and Family Sharing
• Third-Party AI Tools and Things and Using the OS Share Feature, Cultured Code
• Things features and Quick Entry, Cultured Code
• Things wins Apple Design Award 2009 and Back from WWDC, with the 2017 Apple Design Award, Cultured Code blog

Questions people ask