App vs App logo App vs App
Roman Kropachek Photo
Written by:

Fantastical vs Things 3 (best planner apps for mac)

Compare
Winner
Ease of Use
Customization
Integration
Task Management
Project Management
Collaboration
Notification
Notes & Attachments
Multi-device Sync
Customer Support
FREE / PAID
Things 3 works with a one-time purchase model. It costs $9.99 for iPhone and Watch, $19.99 for iPad, and $49.99 for Mac. No subscription required, and no cross platform support.
Fantastical offers a free version with limited functionality. The Premium version costs $4.99 per month and offers dozens of extra features, with a 20% discount for annual subscription.
Conclusion

✨Things 3 scores with its clean design and powerful project management tools. It’s especially known for its ‘magic plus button’ for quick task entry 🚀 However, it’s only available in the Apple universe 🍏

💫 Fantastical shines with its integration into the Apple ecosystem, making it a top choice for Mac users. 🌙 It’s perfect for advanced event planning but may be overkill for simple task management ✍️

Things 3 Pros & Cons

Top Pros
  • 🎈 Extremely user-friendly interface

  • 💭 Unique feature of creating projects from thoughts

  • 🧲 Quick and easy task addition

  • 💻 Good for managing large projects

  • 🔄 Seamless sync across Apple devices

Fantastical Pros & Cons

Top Pros
  • 👥 Great integration with other Apple tools

  • 🌐 Can bring all calendars into a unified view

  • 💬 Natural language event creation

  • 🌐 Time zone support

  • 🆗 Good customer support

  • 📱 Real-time sync across devices

Top Cons
  • 💰 No free version

  • 🔄 No Android or web app

  • ⚙️ Lack of advanced settings

  • 👥 No collaboration features

  • 🆘 Limited customer support

  • 🏷️ No tags for tasks

Top Cons
  • 💰 Premium version required for best features

  • 🔍 Learning curve for non-Apple users

  • 🔄 Limited integration with non-Apple apps

  • 👥 No collaboration tools

  • 🔧 Limited task management features

Other best planner apps for mac

3

👍Todoist is a top all-rounder app: it combines a straightforward interface with rich features like labels and filters 👀 But some advanced features are behind a paywall 💰

4

👌Any.do offers a balance between functionality and simplicity. Its unique daily planner and focus mode are great for productivity 🚀 However, it does have limitations for project management 🚧

5

💡Microsoft To Do shines in the sector of simple and clear task management. It integrates well into the Windows ecosystem 🏘️ But might lack advanced features for professional use 🕹️

FAQ

There are several excellent planner applications suitable for Mac users, including but not limited to Fantastical, Things 3, OmniFocus, Any.do, and Todoist.

Fantastical is an excellent planner app for Mac due to its robust features like natural language event creation, reminders, flexible viewing options, and seamless syncing across devices and other popular calendar apps.

Things 3 is a task management app that provides a clean interface, simple yet powerful task management, a checklist feature, scheduling options, and project organization, making it a versatile choice for individuals and teams alike.

Fantastical offers a free basic version, while the premium version has a subscription fee of $4.99/month. On the other hand, Things 3 is a one-time purchase app costing $49.99 for Mac.

While both Fantastical and Things 3 boast sleek interfaces, Fantastical offers a more traditional calendar view. In contrast, Things 3 has a more task-oriented layout focusing on checklists and task organization.

Yes, both Fantastical and Things 3 offer integration with a number of other popular apps. Fantastical syncs with other calendar apps, while Things 3 allows for cloud sync with other devices.

Absolutely! The ability to sync Fantastical across multiple devices is one of its standout features, helping you stay organized no matter which Apple device you’re using.

While Things 3 offers great project organization features, it does not currently provide built-in features for team collaboration. It’s primarily designed for individual use.

Fantastical offers a range of customization options to suit your needs, including customizing alerts, viewing preferences, event and task colors, and much more.

Absolutely. One of the primary strengths of Things 3 is its uncluttered, intuitive interface which makes it easy to use, even for beginners.

Yes, for Fantastical premium subscribers, updates and support are indeed free. The developers continuously update the app to fix bugs and add new features.

Yes, Things 3 can function offline, allowing you to manage your tasks even when you don’t have an active internet connection.

Yes, Fantastical has excellent support for varying time zones, making it a perfect tool for those who frequently travel or schedule meetings across multiple time zones.

If you’re looking for a planner app with team collaboration features, you might consider options like Asana, Basecamp, or Trello.

Yes, Fantastical does have a mobile version available for iOS devices, helping users stay organized on the go.

The Things 3 app requires macOS 10.13 or later and at least 64-bit processor to run smoothly.

Yes, Fantastical allows users to share their calendars with others, making it a convenient tool for coordinating schedules with colleagues, friends, or family.

Task creation in Things 3 is quite simple and flexible. You can create tasks, organize them into projects, add deadlines, and even create recurring tasks.

Yes, Fantastical is available in a variety of languages, including English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, and others.

The refund policy for Things 3 is determined by Apple’s App Store terms and conditions. If a user is not satisfied with their purchase, they need to request a refund through Apple directly.

Fantastical is a featured-packed scheduling and calendar application optimized for Mac users. It simplifies planning and organizing events and activities by providing a unified view of your schedules. It has advanced features like natural language parsing and reminders.

Yes, Fantastical is available both for macOS and iOS systems.

Natural language parsing in Fantastical means that you can create events in a simple conversational style. For instance, typing meeting with John next Monday at 3 will promptly set an event for the designated time and date.

Yes, Fantastical allows integration with several other calendars. These include Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, Microsoft Exchange, and more.

Things 3 is a task management app meant to help users organize their tasks and projects. It allows you to create to-do lists, set reminders, and organize tasks into different categories for increased productivity.

Yes, in addition to macOS, Things 3 also offers an iOS version of the app for Apple’s mobile devices.

Things 3 offers a clean and intuitive interface, project organization with tags, pie charts for project progress, and a Today and This Evening feature for managing the day’s tasks. It stands out by balancing complex organizational capabilities with a user-friendly environment.

Absolutely. Things 3 allows users to add detailed notes, checklists, and even deadlines to tasks, making it a powerful tool for project management.

Some of the best planner apps for Mac include Fantastical, Things 3, Apple Calendar, and Microsoft Outlook. Each of these has unique strengths that can help a range of user needs, from simple scheduling to complex project management.

Yes, Fantastical allows users to set events in different time zones. This feature is particularly useful for coordinating meetings across different geographical locations.

Things 3 provides a robust reminder system, with options to set alerts at a certain date and time. It also offers a Today and This Evening feature that automatically brings up relevant tasks every day.

Yes, the Fantastical app does permit calendar sharing. You can share entire calendars or specific events with others, making it handy for both personal and professional planning.

Yes, Things 3 supports recurring tasks. You can set tasks to repeat daily, weekly, monthly or customize the recurrence to fit your specific needs.

The Fantastical app has highly customisable views. You can opt for a day, week, month, or year layout. Furthermore, you can choose the number of events displayed at a time and adjust color coding.

Yes, Things 3 allows data import from several other popular task management apps, making it easier to transition if you’re switching services.

No, while Fantastical offers a free version, its full range of premium features are available under a subscription model. The premium version provides added capabilities such as calendar integration and full access to iOS apps.

In Things 3, you can schedule tasks for a future date. The app brings these tasks back in your ‘Today’ list when their date comes up. Furthermore, a ‘This Evening’ feature separates your evening tasks from others to avoid clutter.

Yes, the Fantastical app does support attachments. You’re able to attach files and photos to specific events, making it an effective tool for keeping relevant information accessible.

Things 3 supports multiple languages including English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, and so on. The app automatically uses the system language of your device.

Yes, Fantastical indeed has a dark mode feature for browsing the app with a darker theme. This feature blends well with macOS’s native dark mode, providing a cohesive user experience.