Kalend is the better app overall, scoring 9.6 to 8.8. Kalend wins on 4 of the 5 scores, Things 3 on 1.
People who want tasks, habits and a journal in one private, free app
Apple users who want a calm, personal task manager without a subscription
Score by score
The details
| Feature | Kalend | Things 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Productivity & Notes | Productivity & Notes |
| Category rank | #1 of 10 | #5 of 10 |
| Developer | The Big Head | Cultured Code |
| Pricing | Free | Paid |
| Usable for free | Yes | No |
| iPhone & iPad | ✓ | ✓ |
| Mac | — | ✓ |
Strengths and weaknesses
Kalend
- Four planning tools in one app, with nothing locked
- No account; syncs through your own iCloud
- Habit streaks forgive a missed day
- iPhone and iPad only, no Android, Mac or web app
- No shared lists or team features
Kalend folds a to-do list, a calendar, a habit tracker and a journal into one native iPhone and iPad app, and asks nothing for it. There is no account and no company server: everything syncs through your own iCloud and works offline. It is not as deep as Todoist or Things for complex projects, but for planning a normal day it covers a lot of ground for free.
Full Kalend review
Things 3
- Calm, polished design that makes planning easy
- Fast, reliable sync across Apple devices
- One-time purchase with no subscription
- Apple devices only, with no web access
- No shared lists or team collaboration
Things 3 is the most pleasant task manager on Apple devices. Every screen is calm and clear, and features like Today, This Evening, Areas and headings make planning feel easy rather than fiddly. It syncs reliably through Things Cloud and works well with Shortcuts and widgets. The catch: there are no Windows, Android or web apps, no sharing with other people, and you buy each platform separately.
Full Things 3 review
