Things 3 vs Google Calendar: Comprehensive 2024 Comparison

What is Things 3

Things 3, a distinguished entrant in the productivity tools arena, is acclaimed for its elegant design and powerful organizational capabilities. It’s a task management app that combines simplicity with a rich set of features, making it a favorite among users who appreciate both aesthetics and functionality. With its intuitive interface, Things 3 allows for effortless management of to-dos, reminders, and projects, all within a visually pleasing environment. The tool stands out for its unique task categorization approach and seamless synchronization across devices, ensuring users can stay organized wherever they go.

Key Features of Things 3

• Task Management: Organize your tasks easily with deadlines, priorities, and reminders.
• Project Organization: Group tasks into projects with subtasks and sections for better management.
• Calendar Integration: See your calendar events alongside your to-dos for effective planning.
• Quick Task Entry: Add tasks quickly while working in other apps, even using Siri for hands-free entry.
• Customizable Tags: Use tags for easy categorization and searching of tasks.
• Cross-Device Syncing: Keep your tasks updated across all your Apple devices with Things Cloud.

What is Google Calendar

Google Calendar is free-to-use calendar application that excels in event planning, appointment scheduling, and integrating seamlessly with Google’s suite of services including Docs, Meet, and Tasks. It boasts features such as easy event scheduling, comprehensive integration with other Google services, sharing and collaboration tools, mobile access, automatic syncing across devices, customization options, and support for recurring events. Additionally, it offers functionalities like invitations and RSVP tracking, reminders, time management tools, search capabilities, holiday calendars, and weather integration for upcoming events.

Key Features of Google Calendar

• Seamless Integration with Google Services: Google Calendar is tightly integrated with Google’s ecosystem, including Gmail for event invitations, Google Meet for video conferencing directly from calendar invites, and Google Tasks for task management. This integration enhances productivity by keeping all tools in one accessible location.
• Easy Event Scheduling and Sharing: The platform enables users to quickly add events, set reminders, and share their calendars with others. This feature is designed to facilitate collaboration and ensure that scheduling meetings or events is a hassle-free process, making it ideal for both personal and professional use.
• Customizable Views and Event Colors: Users can customize their calendar views (day, week, month, or year) and assign colors to different events, making it easier to manage and visually distinguish between various types of appointments or tasks at a glance.
• Recurring Events and Reminders: Google Calendar supports the creation of recurring events and configurable reminders, which can be set to notify users via email or pop-up messages. This ensures that important dates are not missed and helps in establishing routines.
• Mobile Accessibility and Offline Support: With its mobile app, Google Calendar offers the convenience of accessing and managing your schedule on the go. Additionally, offline support means you can view your calendar and receive notifications even without an internet connection.
• Time Zone Support and Working Hours: This feature is particularly useful for those working across different time zones, as it automatically adjusts meeting times accordingly. Setting working hours also helps in managing availability, preventing meetings from being scheduled outside of these times.

Things 3 vs Google Calendar: Features

Features	Things 3	Google Calendar
Integrations	Zapier, including Slack, Gmail, Trello, Notion, Google Calendar, and Google Tasks	ClickUp, Google Tasks, Zoom, Slack, Salesforce, Google Docs
Calendar	No built-in calendar	Yes
Platforms	Available only on iOS platforms (iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Mac).	macOS, iOS, Android, Web
Task Management	Offers labels, tags, and recurring tasks	NA for Calendar
Natural Language Processing	No	Yes
Time Blocking	Not Available	Yes
Analytics	No	No
Meeting Scheduler	Yes	Yes
Time Zones	No	Yes
Reminders	Yes	Yes
Customer Support	Good	Average
1:1 User Onboarding	No	No
Pricing	One Time Payment at $50	Free to use

Things 3 vs Google Calendar: Pricing

Things 3 Pricing

Things 3 requires purchasing separate applications for different Apple devices: $49.99 for macOS, $9.99 for iPhone and Apple Watch, and $19.99 for iPad, totaling around $80 for the full suite.

Google Calendar Pricing

Free to use

Things 3 vs Google Calendar: Reviews

Things 3 Review

Things 3 is acclaimed for its visually appealing design and efficient personal project management tools, appealing to GTD enthusiasts with features like task filtering via tags. However, its high upfront cost for Apple devices and uncertainty about shifting to a subscription model are downsides. Despite its excellent design and one-time purchase model, the lack of collaboration tools, absence of location-based reminders, and incompatibility with non-Apple products are notable limitations. These factors could be crucial in determining whether Things 3 is the right task management tool for individual needs.

Google Calendar Review

Google Calendar is praised for its seamless integration with Google’s ecosystem, offering easy scheduling, comprehensive reminders, and mobile accessibility. It excels in simplicity and functionality, fitting both personal and professional use. However, it might lack advanced project management features found in dedicated tools, and some users may find its interface less customizable compared to specialized calendar apps.

Which One Should You Pick

Consider Things 3 if

1. You Appreciate Minimalism in Design: Things 3 might be suitable if you prefer a simple interface, though some users might find it too basic for complex task management.
2. You Need Basic Task Organization: It’s good for straightforward task organization but lacks advanced features like detailed time tracking or extensive integrations.
3. You Prefer a Non-Overwhelming Approach: Things 3 is a fit if you need a task manager that’s not too complex, though it may not satisfy those needing extensive productivity tools.

Consider Google Calendar if

1. You seek simplicity and integration with Google’s suite for straightforward scheduling needs, though it may lack the depth in task management features found in more specialized tools.
2. Your workflow benefits from easy access and sharing capabilities across devices, though it might not offer the advanced customization options of some competitors.
3. You value the convenience of mobile access and automatic syncing, keeping in mind that users looking for comprehensive project management tools may find it limiting.

Best Things 3 and Google Calendar Alternative

Akiflow: Akiflow is a time management app offering time blocking, task scheduling, and integrations with various tools. It focuses on productivity and organization through a unified task and appointment interface.

Akiflow Price: $19 per month, paid annually