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A Things 3 alternative for Windows, the web, and anyone who wants an AI in their todo list
Things 3 has a reputation as the most polished todo app on any platform, and people searching for an alternative usually aren't unhappy with it. They've hit one of two hard walls: they got a Windows machine (or a work laptop they can't install apps on), or they watched todo apps grow AI assistants and realized Cultured Code is never going to add one.
Two quick honest pointers before the pitch. If what you want is "Things but cross-platform" with no AI agenda, Todoist is the obvious name, and TickTick gets mentioned in the same breath. If you want Things-grade native design and you're staying on Apple hardware, you already own the right app.
The platform wall
Things 3 is Apple-only by design: macOS, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Vision Pro. There is no Windows version, no Android version, and no web version, and as of August 2026 the developers have shown no sign of changing that. Taskelo is a web app. If the machine has a browser, your workspace is there, synced: todos, notes, goals, schedule, all of it. Nothing to install, which also means it works on the locked-down corporate laptop where you can't install anything.
The AI wall
Things has zero AI, and knowing Cultured Code's taste, that's a considered decision, not a gap. But it means "plan my day against my calendar," "break this project into steps," and "what have I been avoiding" are questions your todo app will never answer.
They're the questions Taskelo is built around. Elo, the assistant powered by Claude, gets your todos, notes, and goals with their milestones as context in every message, drafts a timeboxed plan for your day, and sends a short morning brief that reads your Google Calendar.
The price shapes are opposite
As of August 2026, Things 3 is a one-time purchase per platform: $49.99 on Mac, $9.99 on iPhone, $19.99 on iPad. Call it $80 once for the full set, then nothing, forever. Taskelo is $8/month for the assistant (the workspace is free), so a year costs $96.
| Things 3 | Taskelo | |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Apple only | any browser |
| Price shape | ~$80 one-time | free workspace, $8/mo assistant |
| AI | none, by design | assistant with your workspace as context |
| Sync | Things Cloud, free | account sync, free |
| Offline | excellent | needs a connection |
Run the math honestly: if you don't want AI, Things is cheaper than almost everything within two years. You're paying Taskelo's subscription for the assistant, not for the checkboxes.
What you'd give up
The polish. Things' animations, keyboard-first speed, widgets, and offline behavior are the best in the category, and a web app is not going to match a decade of native Apple craft. Taskelo works in a phone browser but has no native mobile app. If you're mostly on an iPhone and mostly offline, stay where you are.
Try it
If you're reading this on the Windows machine that started the search: taskelo.com, magic-link sign-in, no card. The workspace is free forever and Elo comes free for the first 14 days, so you can find out what an assistant-first todo app feels like before deciding anything. Details at pricing.