REPLACEMENT BRIEF

tasks

Can AI replace Things 3?

EDITORIAL ANSWERYESCatalog estimate

A personal task manager with areas, projects, tags, and a Today view is a one-sitting build. Things' lasting value is its exceptional native design, sync across Apple devices, and years of careful maintenance.

Capture tasks into areas and projects with tags and deadlines, schedule or repeat them, work from a focused today view, and keep history locally.

Build the personal version →

AT A GLANCE

price
varies
replaceable scope
personal desktop task manager
build time
one sitting
Build promptcatalog estimate

the prompt

Catalog estimate
Build a personal replacement for Things 3 in an empty repository.
Use Tauri 2, React, TypeScript, SQLite, and desktop notifications; do not offer alternative stacks.
The core loop is: capture tasks into areas and projects with tags and deadlines, schedule or repeat them, work from a focused today view, and keep history locally.
Make the first run work locally with one documented command.
Store all user data locally by default and make export straightforward.
Put secrets in .env, ship .env.example, and never commit credentials.
Create inbox, today, upcoming, someday, and completed views with fast keyboard capture.
Support projects, tags, due dates, start dates, priorities, notes, subtasks, and attachments.
Implement robust daily, weekly, monthly, and custom recurring rules with tests.
Add a focus view with one active task, timer, and optional desktop notification.
Provide search, saved filters, undo, and a completed-task archive.
Export and import a documented JSON format and make automatic local backups.
Include clear empty, loading, success, and recoverable error states.
Add input validation, safe filenames, and graceful handling of unavailable APIs.
Write focused tests for the core transformation and one end-to-end happy path.
Create a README with setup, architecture, permissions, data location, and backup steps.
Do not add accounts, billing, telemetry, analytics, or a hosted control plane.
Deliberately leave out team assignment and comments.
Deliberately leave out two-way calendar or email synchronization.
Deliberately leave out native mobile apps and cloud accounts.
Finish by running the tests and listing the exact commands used.
Copy or open in an agent

The prompt stays readable first. Choose a launch option when you are ready.

$ open in your agent (prompt prefilled, you press enter) or copy it raw · suggest a correction

what AI can build

Capture tasks into areas and projects with tags and deadlines, schedule or repeat them, work from a focused today view, and keep history locally.

Editorial catalog estimate · not a completed build

The honest tradeoff

why people still pay

Users pay once for a task manager that feels delightful every day. Design and reliable sync are the value.

what you lose

exceptional native design, Apple-device sync, shortcuts, and long-term maintenance

perfect mobile sync

calendar and email integrations

shared workspaces

behavioral coaching polish

Start with existing software

prior art · use these instead of building, if you'd rather

EVIDENCE LEDGER

What this page can prove

The verdict judges replaceability. The evidence level records what DeepFeather actually checked.

Read the methodology →
evidence level
Catalog estimate

Editorial catalog estimate · not a completed build

replacement boundarypersonal desktop task manager

known limits · exceptional native design, Apple-device sync, shortcuts, and long-term maintenance; perfect mobile sync

editorial reviewawaiting manual review

BUILD FEEDBACK

Did you try this build?

Report the outcome. Submissions enter a manual evidence queue and never auto-upgrade the verdict.

questions

Can AI replace Things 3?

Likely for the core workflow, based on an editorial catalog judgment. This entry is not a verified build yet; use the prompt as a starting point and validate the result against your own acceptance criteria.

How much does Things 3 cost?

Things 3's pricing is usage-based or varies by plan. Use the linked pricing source for the current amount; the catalog last checked it on 2026-07-31.

What do I lose by replacing Things 3?

Honestly: exceptional native design, Apple-device sync, shortcuts, and long-term maintenance; perfect mobile sync; calendar and email integrations; shared workspaces; behavioral coaching polish. If any of those are load-bearing for you, keep paying.

Is there an open-source alternative to Things 3?

Yes — Vikunja (Mature open-source task and project manager with lists, kanban, and recurring work.). Using prior art is also a valid exit; the prompt is for when you want it exactly your way.