Best Things 3 Alternatives for Mac (2026)

What to look for in a Things 3 alternative

Low or no cost — if you're leaving Things 3, subscription fatigue is likely a factor
Local data storage — your tasks shouldn't depend on someone else's uptime
Keyboard shortcuts — the faster you can capture and triage, the better
Mac-native feel — not a web app wrapped in a browser

The best Things 3 alternatives

Our top pick

SuperTasks

Free, keyboard-first, and local-first. Every action reachable from the keyboard via 22+ shortcuts and a ⌘K command palette. Your data lives in a SQLite file on your Mac — no account, no cloud, no subscription. The strongest free alternative to Things 3 for Mac power users.

Completely free — no trial, no tier, no upgrade nag
No account required — open the app and go
All data stored locally in SQLite on your Mac
22+ keyboard shortcuts with Vim-style j/k navigation

Free

OmniFocus

The most powerful Mac task manager for GTD practitioners. Custom perspectives, AppleScript support, local data. Significantly more expensive and complex than Things 3.

$49.99/yr or $99.99/yr Pro

Todoist

Cross-platform with a lower barrier to entry. Cloud-synced and requires a subscription for full features. Better mobile app than Things 3, but loses the local-data advantage.

Free / $4–8/mo

Notion

Flexible workspace that can be configured as a task manager. Much more setup required, and far heavier than a dedicated task app. Better for project management than daily task capture.

Free / $8–15/mo

Quick comparison

	SuperTasks	Things 3
Price	$0	$49.99 Mac (one-time)
No account needed	✓	✓
Local storage	✓	✓
Keyboard-first	✓	✗
Command palette	✓	✗
Custom filtered views	✓	~
Open data format	✓	✗
Works offline	✓	✓
Free forever	✓	✗

Why people switch from Things 3

Don't want to spend $49.99 on a task manager
Want Vim-style keyboard navigation and a command palette
Need custom filtered views (split views) beyond Things 3's Areas/Projects structure
Want to script or query your task data with SQL

Frequently asked questions

Is SuperTasks a good free alternative to Things 3?+

SuperTasks is the strongest free alternative to Things 3 on Mac. Both store data locally and work offline. The difference: SuperTasks has 22+ keyboard shortcuts and a command palette where Things 3 is more mouse-oriented, and SuperTasks costs nothing where Things 3 is $49.99 upfront.

Does SuperTasks have a command palette like Things 3?+

Yes — SuperTasks has a full command palette (⌘K) that reaches every view, task, and action in the app. Things 3 has Quick Find for searching but lacks a command palette for firing actions without a mouse.

How does SuperTasks compare to Things 3 for keyboard users?+

SuperTasks is purpose-built for keyboard navigation. It has Vim-style j/k movement, g-chord view switching (G+I for Inbox, G+T for Today, etc.), single-key task actions (C to create, D to complete, R for due date), and ⌘K for everything else. Things 3 has some keyboard shortcuts but is fundamentally a trackpad-first app.

Also see: SuperTasks vs Things 3: full comparison →

Switch to SuperTasks — it's free

No account. No subscription. Keyboard-first. Download and be productive in under a minute.

Download for Mac — Free

macOS 12+ · Apple Silicon · ~25 MB · No account needed