OmniFocus vs. Things 3 review: which is best task manager?

[@PeterAkkies]

04:43 Capturing tasks 06:45 Organizing projects 10:47 Planning your days and weeks 14:18 Reviewing your projects 15:21 Usability and design 16:21 Which app is best for you? 17:03 My free OmniFocus and Things resources 18:40 Bloopers ▶ Free cheat sheet on how to do a weekly review in OmniFocus: peterakkies.net/omnifocus/ ▶ Free Things 3 Quick Start Setup: peterakkies.net/things/

[@redmtl1]

Peter Akkies very good review Peter, your work is appreciated

[@MrMasoric]

I’m using both apps as an integrated system. Things holds the higher GTD horizons and Someday / Maybe. I also keep larger project plans and reference material in things. Omnifocus holds projects and next actions only. I use URLs to link items. For example, if I’ve completed all of my next actions on a project, I click the link to the project plan which takes be to the master plan in Things where I review project support material and perform further planning to define more actions.

[@1BSDjunkie]

I’ve tried Omnifocus in the past, but found it to be more complex than what I needed. Now am using Things 3 and am liking it so far!

[@llothar68]

I found it not complex enough.

[@Ahduciekwndnbbbsvvvghhhyyyyy]

My #1 reason for using Omnifocus, is actually the text based organization. I can add projects, tags, due dates as I'm typing using only the keyboard, instead of having to use my mouse to drag/drop/click. This alone is a significantly faster workflow than Things for me. The ability to defer and use sequential projects to hide irrelevant tasks also lets me focus on what's relevant now, and not be distracted or overwhelmed by future tasks. I like Things. It's so elegant you just want it to work, but it always felt really limiting to me compared to omnifocus.

[@expresscisco7880]

I don’t often leave a comment, but here I want to say it’s a very clear comparison between those two apps. I’ve been using Omnifocus for years and today I’d like to give a new try to things, looking for more simplicity. I think you cover this aspect very well. Thanks!

[@kingkiril]

I love things 3. It’s easier and I feel more productive

[@PaulGarthAviation]

Thank you for the comprehensive and balance review. Just in time, as I'm planning on migrating to a new GTD trusted system.

[@markforrest881]

First time viewer. Your explanation of the apps, quality of presentation and video was nicely done! Thank you for speaking at a normal, conversational speed ( a rarity when watching youtube reviews). I have subscribed.

[@artofguitar]

Great video. Thank you. All your content is super helpful. I'm still trying to decide. At the moment, it's coming down to this: OmniFocus lets me organise everything nicely. That's very important. Things can't do that. I can't nest folders as deep as I want. In fact, I can't at all. I can have an area and projects within it. If my area is 'Work' then I need to make a project for 'British Council' where I freelance, one for 'International House' where I do the same and one for 'tutoring' gigs. But British Council is not an actionable project. It's a list of single actions (in OF terminology). The check box annoys me, if nothing else. But then within 'British Council' I want to have 'Teacher's Room' and 'Classrooms.' Classrooms could be broken down into the 8 groups I teach weekly and use the system as a place for a quick reference of my lesson plans. Now I have to use headings which I don't like because I can't focus on any one of them. But then I can't go any deeper than a heading so I can't put my group in there. The alternative would be to have more areas with less top level organisation. I don't like either solution. (EDIT: I suppose tags could fill the gap of the lower level organisation--I have got to try that.) But that's all I like about Omni Focus. The organisation. People say it's more versatile, but I'm not sure. Why can't we customise Forecast more by adding more than one tag to it or allowing flags in there. Why does it take two steps to input a task that I want to appear in a today view when I want it to. This is what I like about Things 3 better. In OmniFocus I need to set a flag or give the task a tag such as 'Next.' But that will always be around unless I defer the task=two steps. Things of course has the TODAY view which sorts everything out. It's not customisable much, but neither is Forecast in OF. But at least I only need to give a WHEN date and life is good. It seems like a more organic way of thinking, despite the confusing terminology. I set a WHEN date and on that date it appears in TODAY. That's all. Deadlines are a separate function, just as they are in OmniFocus. So those two aspects of the two apps are throwing me for a loop. I don't know what's more important to me and I hate having to choose. I wish I knew that either company listens to what people want and develops timely improvements. I don't think that's the case for either company. They're both rather stubborn, but CulturedCode is more so because Things is by design more simplistic. Things is simple by design and any changes to suit some people would reduce the simplicity, usability for many the draw of their loyal users. Then again, Cultured Code is pretty bad ass and focus only on T3, unlike OmniGroup. Given that, can anyone shed any more light on anything that might sway me one way or the other. I'm enjoying using OmniFocus and have also used Todoist in the past (great, by the way--it's seems overlooked often). I'm leaning more towards OF cause of my shiny app syndrome, but I'm yet to actually find someone that uses both in depth and likes OF better. After writing this, I may be leaning back over to T3. HELP!

[@artofguitar]

I'm yet to find a user of both that prefers OmniFocus. If you're one, could you help a guy decide? :)

[@artofguitar]

I'm just going to stick with Things. It just feel better. I'm giving in and having many more areas (as I can see in your videos), even though I wish there were more toggles to nest areas within areas. :)

[@PeterAkkies]

Hey Bart. I think it’s a great choice to go with Things. I agree that OmniFocus’s extra levels of organization are nice. But overall, I find Things more pleasant to use-and that’s worth a lot!

[@artofguitar]

@@PeterAkkies I'm all set up already and am loving it. It was a good choice.

[@calisongbird]

I tried to enroll in your free resource "Choosing the Right Task Manager for You," shown in the description box, but I couldn't complete the process. I received an error page indicating "too many redirects." I also don't see a free "Things 3 Quick Start Setup" guide in the description box, as stated at 17:19. 😒

[@PeterAkkies]

Hey, sorry about that. This is quite an old video and I offer a different range of free things now. I haven’t gotten around to updating the descriptions of old videos yet. Take a look at the description of my latest video and you’ll find links that work.

[@AnnetteTomei]

Thank you for this - it made the decision an easy one in the end (I went with Things 3 - was not my original first pick)

[@7775Kevin]

Nice comparison Peter. Thanks!

[@timothylinn]

It is a complete cop out to dodge the question of pricing when you have to know that OmniFocus’ rentalware scheme is an immediate deal killer for many users.

[@suprememax4948]

well you dont need to rent

[@timothylinn]

Supreme Max What do you mean, Max? Are you saying that people have the option of paying for the app once instead of renting monthly?

[@suprememax4948]

@@timothylinn yeah as far as i am aware it can be purchased on ios and Mac for a one time fee. And in fact with the available discount for Mac its exactly the same price for students as things 3, provided you were to buy Things 3 for iPad, iPhone and Mac. The subscription comes in handy when you want the new versions free of any extra charge and have access to the web version

[@marktripney9407]

The web app is subscription; the Mac and iOS apps are one-time purchases, with fairly generous upgrade discounts when new versions come along (four years between 2 and 3, the latter came out 2018 (I think)).

[@ElProductivista]

Great comparison! I am moving to a mixed setup with a Mac and a Windows machine and I currently use and love Omnifocus hability to postpone a task and not see it until it's relevant. Any recomendation on a multi-platform tool that has this feature?

[@PeterAkkies]

Hey Roberto. I only use Apple devices so I do not have much knowledge of cross-platform apps. The only cross-platform task manager I've used extensively is Nozbe, which is great, but I don't think it has the feature you're looking for.

[@Vital0gy]

I believe Nirvana has this ability and has a good web app for cross-platform use.

[@raymondconners]

I didn't realize you live in Amsterdam. You have a perfect American accent.

[@jamesturner226]

Very Helpful, thank you very much.

[@willpoole2777]

As an architect, I MUST be able to attach visual information to my lists. Things doesn’t allow that, so it’s quickly a no-go. Can I attach jpgs and PDFs to task entries in OmniFocus?

[@PeterAkkies]

Yes, you can do that in OmniFocus

[@saljamex]

Thank you!

[@myphamouslife6399]

Things 3

[@detra8353]

I'm just watching this video and you mentioned the free links but when I click on the link it takes me to a $99 course. Was the video free for a period of time? Thx

[@PeterAkkies]

Hey Detra. My videos right here on KZbin are, of course, all free. My comprehensive courses are paid.

[@jonathanjohnson7012]

Which one are you actually using Peter?

[@PeterAkkies]

These days I use Things, Jonathan. I like Things's design better and, now that I teach productivity for a living, I often find myself demonstrating my task manager-and people tend to get excited when they see Things and put off when they see OmniFocus.

[@jonathanjohnson7012]

Peter Akkies Thanks for the response. After switching between the two for some time I’m finding the same, Omnifocus really needs an update to the UI to make the system as nice to use as Things.

[@matrhein]

Hey Peter, really nice content you have there. This is one of the most comprehensive and clear comparisons of the two apps. However, I feel that some problems are solved easier in Things than in OmniFocus: Your "next" tag solution is superfluous in Things since planned tasks propagate to the next day by default, something which is still not implemented with OF. One major problem in Things is repeating tasks that are finished before they repeat again. Due to the way Things handles repeats differently, therefore this is not possible before the individual repeat is created. Your Video helped me understand, why I should give OmniFocus another try. My biggest problem not solved by either of the apps: Show me my finished tasks in the context of my calendar entries for that day. I'd LOVE to have this for my weekly reviews. Do you have a suggestion on how to solve this in OmniFocus?

[@PeterAkkies]

Hey Mathias. Thank you for the kind words. I think OmniFocus and Things each have strengths and weaknesses. The repeating task problem in Things you mention-you can manually create a copy of the repeating task if you want to complete it early. Then delete the instance that gets generated automatically when it does get created. Not ideal but it works. The last thing you mention-what do you mean by “in the context of calendar entries”? I suspect that you’re essentially wanting OmniFocus to do something it is not designed to do.

[@applejuice-4706]

Can you do a similar video Omnifocus 3 Vs Todoist Premium .. Thank you.

[@PeterAkkies]

I have checked out Todoist before but I was not particularly impressed. Perhaps it merits another look. I've added it to my list of possible future video ideas. Thank you for the suggestion!

[@scottwhitlow8468]

I agree. Todoist has come along quite a bit this past year and would be a good video to do for comparison. Almost the best of Things and OF (but then still lack some of OF’s great features like dependent tasks, reviews, deferred dates and times, etc)

[@ericchan9571]

Looks like you're not able to come to Malaysia anytime soon. stay safe & healthy

[@PeterAkkies]

I was there in January 2020 and I had a blast! But I would love to go back soon.

[@stehlealexander]

What about Apple tasks?

[@stehlealexander]

Peter Akkies yes you are Right- just figured it out this evening- thanks

[@paulvallance4970]

Things 3 is OK, though it has very limited layout and capability of project structures. it does not handle any form of complexity well. If they incorporated disclosure triangles and allowed for placing of subprojects within projects plus the ability to colour, bolden or otherwise highlight project titles in the sidebar, with the ability to tag an inbox item from a dropdown list of projects it would be near on perfect for me. However for almost £50, as it currently stands it is quite underwhelming in its lack of functionality. Frankly I believe I could write something easily as good, if not better in Xojo in a couple of weeks. As a Software Developer I need to organise all my ideas, code snippets, issues, bugs, tests etc into relatively complex hierarchies within projects and have it all collected and collated even though of various different data-types . Things 3 just doesn't do it well enough. In fact it doesn't do it at all. So that leaves....?

[@sambarjunk]

Things better for iPhone users who manage tasks on the go, OmniFocus is tailored for mac users who value flexibility more than portability.

[@7775Kevin]

Nice comparison Peter. Thanks

[@ophiophagush.3926]

Nice vid. If I was only ever on Mac, I’d go Omnifocus. But needed cross platform so went with Nozbe. Things3 is beautiful, best designed. Both Nozbe & Things win because they are more or less the same across platforms, Omnifocus loses points on mobile experience. OF & Things 3 are the best two mac only no doubt.

[@PeterAkkies]

Nozbe is a solid app! I used it for a good while. The design could use some work though.

[@jeromekapeller5129]

Thanks Peter this is great , very helpful. What I'd love is either of these to integrate with a gantt chart.

[@j.l.8726]

@Productivity with Peter, could you do a video tutorial series about how to use Things 3 and Omnifocus 3, explaining the step by step to learn how to use each app? I really need to understand how to manage my multiple projects with this amazing apps. Thanks you so much for your help 😀

[@PeterAkkies]

Alvaro L. Rivera hey Alvaro, I’ve created exactly what you are asking for! :) I created two online courses, one to get stuff done and be organized with OmniFocus, and the other with Things 3. You can find them here: learn.peterakkies.net

[@DCW96161]

Thank you. Good information, but not really very helpful in making a decision. There’s a tendency in YT product comparison vids to split the baby and give fair and balanced reviews to competing products and then throw it back to the consumer with “it all depends.” I’d love to see someone get real sometime and just state a real and robust preference. And you’re right. I have neither the time nor inclination to spend a few weeks with both. I have a business to run, and my business is not reviewing software. And, by the way, what do you mean that Things is more “opiniated?”

[@PeterAkkies]

I recommend Things for most people and OmniFocus for people who like to customize more, have more simultaneous projects, or unusually complex projects. So go with Things then.

[@jacksonbooth2462]

4 minutes into this video and not a thing of value has been said. All too common in You Tube comparisons.

[@xmeerzx]

@4:44 you're welcome

[@suprememax4948]

amazing comparison! I'm still very much on the fence but this helps a lot! Thanks!

[@alir.9894]

Hey Peter, great job on the comparisons? Ever heard of Pagico 9? I wonder if we could get a comparison of that one as well. Thank you!

[@PeterAkkies]

Hey Ali. I had not heard of Pagico. Just took a look and I'm not quite sure what it's for. Is it a personal task management app? Or a project management app for teams? It's intriguing but I don't see obvious use cases.

[@MikeHuerto]

What about attachments?

[@raymondconners]

I like how Things is simple and looks nice. Omnifocus is very complicated. However, Omnifocus has more functions. I’m still undecided.

[@lzwang3225]

A very useful review, thank you!

[@RipperStudio]

Do you have any suggested Task Managers for Android/ Windows??? I currently use Trello but am looking to explore other options. Thank you.

[@urnotjl]

Thanks. This video literally stopped me from giving Things a go. Still more into customization. Stick with Omnifocus~

[@jhsidoc]

Peter, I’m actually looking to switch over to Things 3 after a decade of using OF. One thing I don’t see in your videos is how you use tags to refine what you’re able to do. For example I have tags in OF for errands and for Mac so I know if I’m going out to run errands I look at that context and decide which ones I’m going to get done. Same for when I sit down at my Mac. Do you use tags in Things similarly or if not what do you do instead? Thanks

[@PeterAkkies]

I don’t feel the need to have a tag like “errands”, but you can certainly set that up in Things. It’s easy to view all tasks with a certain tag assigned too.

[@leechaihee9164]

Omnifocus make your poor

[@emipro_0110]

Professional comparison.

[@thomasbernhard8489]

Hi Peter. I'm looking for a task manager able to create "templates" i could run several times. For example, i'd like to be able to run quickly a project "new client Mr X" (Mr X as a variable) that would insert several tasks in my calendar at different dates. For example in J+1 ("send Mr X a welcome email"), J+10 ("Call Mr X to know if he received his welcome gift"), J+n (send Mr X a customer satisfaction survey) and so on... I really like Things because it seems to be simple and nice. But would i be able to create such projects templates ? Many thanks for your answer and your video !

[@PeterAkkies]

Hey Thomas. I'm not aware of software that does what you describe, although it might exist. Then again, what you describe doesn't sound like it would take much time. You could create a regular project template-check out my videos on project templates-and duplicate that when you start a new instance of the project, and then assign the dates manually.

[@TonyBiancoOfficial]

Have you ever used 2Do? It's a cross hybrid between Omnifocus and Things from what I have experienced. I'm curious to know your opinion on it.

[@PeterAkkies]

Hey Tony. I’ve looked at 2Do before. It comes across as really messy. - Peter

[@MrGuyTsurStiGy]

Great video, thanks

[@jirirbr]

Omnifocus' lack of taste when it comes to design is very sad. It's an amazing and powerful app otherwise.

[@anthonywall1228]

I watched this video to see if I missed anything from your last video on this app (Things3) and I still can't see why I would want or need it. I use calendar and reminders on my devices to track my day, task and projects. I don't see advantage in using these apps. Any thoughts on my statement?

[@PeterAkkies]

My thoughts are: if it ain't broke, don't fix it!

[@ricardocolon3945]

Great video!

[@mirisita]

In the App Store it says that you have natural language reminders or todoist type. I've been with her for a year and I don't know how to use that option. Might you help me?

[@PeterAkkies]

Hey Aresio. I'm not sure exactly what you're asking.

[@mirisita]

@@PeterAkkies things offers the natural language option as well as apple reminders or the todoist app?

[@llothar68]

Is there any TODO app with integrated time and planning managment, so i can store and see how long a task too me. And then use this to calculate the task with a relative length. Say task A took 20min and i set task B to twice as complicated it should assign B an expected duration date of 40min, and always update when i add time values like a spreadsheet does. This is important fundation of all agile project management.

[@PeterAkkies]

I’m not aware of an app with that exact functionality, Lothar.

[@llothar68]

​@@PeterAkkies Great, i found a market niche. I put writing a ToDo App on my ToDo list. Should be on each programmers bucket list anyway to once write a Todo program and invent a programming language.

[@DrMarcos]

I think Motion lets you set a timeframe for a task. That said, I think it is only web based, so if using your phone to do most of your organizing, it may not work for you.

[@mikasiegl]

When you buy things on the iPhone, you need to buy it on the Mac separately or am I wrong?

[@PeterAkkies]

Yes, Things for MacOS, iOS, and iPadOS are all separate purchases.

[@mikasiegl]

And where can I find my Things-Email? I’m only using the iOS App.

[@CurlysCurated]

Excellent unbiased comparison

[@Shopgirl2000]

How come your english is so good? I hardly detect an accent?

[@PeterAkkies]

Ha, thank you. I played a lot of video games as a kid and teenager. I also did half my high school in English. Then I spent two years abroad at a boarding school in Hong Kong, before studying in the U.S. for four years. Spent another few years working in the U.S. So it happened over time!

[@acos21]

Omnifocus is a work of art. It's both the most complex and messy solution and the most elegant and simple system. I have a love and hate relationship with it.

[@PeterAkkies]

I agree! :D