Software Alternatives & Startups

article2audio VS Things

Compare article2audio VS Things and see what are their differences

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article2audio logo article2audio

article2audio.app is an article narration service for publishers and for readers who would rather listen. It turns an HTML post - including its images, tables, code blocks, and footnotes - into a script a person would read aloud, then into audio.

Things logo Things

Things is an easy to use task manager.
  • article2audio
    Image date //
    2023-12-22
  • article2audio
    Image date //
    2023-12-22
  • article2audio
    Image date //
    2023-12-22

article2audio narrates blog posts and articles for the people who publish them.

Give it the URL of an HTML post and it produces audio that sounds like a person read the piece aloud, rather than a voice reading the raw text off the page:

  • Narrates the prose of an HTML post
  • Summarises tables instead of reading every cell
  • Explains code blocks and pre-formatted text in spoken language
  • Describes the images in the post
  • Adds pauses where the writing pauses
  • Publishes the result as a podcast feed

English only, with one male and one female American English voice.

Plans are priced per post rather than per minute: Writer at $19/mo for 10 posts a month, Publication at $59/mo for 40. A post is one article up to 30 minutes of audio.

  • Things Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-01-17

article2audio

$ Details
paid Free Trial $19 / Monthly (Writer, 10 posts a month)
Release Date
2023 January
Startup details
Country
Ukraine
Founder(s)
Oleksandr Gornostal

Things

$ Details
-
Release Date
-
Startup details
Country
Germany

article2audio features and specs

  • Tables summarised, not read cell by cell
  • Code blocks explained in spoken language
  • Images described in the audio
  • Languages
    English only, two American voices

Things features and specs

  • User Experience
    Things is known for its clean, intuitive, and beautifully designed user interface, making it easy to use.
  • Integration with Apple Ecosystem
    Seamlessly integrates with macOS and iOS devices, offering features like Handoff and deep Apple Calendar integration.
  • Powerful Task Management
    Supports projects, areas, headings, and tags, providing a robust system for managing complex tasks and workflows.
  • Quick Entry
    Provides a quick entry function allowing users to capture tasks efficiently, which can later be categorized and detailed.
  • Updates and Support
    Regularly updated with new features and enhancements, backed by reliable customer support.
  • Keyboard Shortcuts
    Offers extensive keyboard shortcuts for power users to navigate and manage tasks quickly.
  • Natural Language Processing
    Allows users to input tasks using natural language, which is then intelligently parsed and scheduled.

Possible disadvantages of Things

  • Cost
    Things requires a one-time purchase for each platform (macOS, iOS), making it relatively expensive compared to some subscription-based competitors.
  • Platform Limitation
    Only available on Apple devices (macOS and iOS), making it inaccessible for users on Windows, Android, or other platforms.
  • No Collaboration Features
    Lacks built-in collaboration tools, which can be a drawback for teams looking to share and manage tasks collectively.
  • Learning Curve for Advanced Features
    While the basic interface is user-friendly, fully utilizing advanced features can require time and a deeper understanding.
  • Limited Automation
    Offers fewer automation options and integrations compared to some competitors like Todoist or Microsoft To Do.

Analysis of Things

Overall verdict

  • Things is widely regarded as an excellent productivity tool, especially for Apple ecosystem users. It combines elegance with functionality, making it a top choice for those who prefer a minimalist but powerful task manager.

Why this product is good

  • Things by Cultured Code is highly acclaimed for its clean, intuitive design and effective task management features. It provides a seamless user experience with its natural language input, powerful integration with macOS and iOS, and features like projects, areas, deadlines, and reminders that help users organize their tasks efficiently. The app is particularly praised for its focus on simplicity and ease of use, which allows users to focus on their tasks without being overwhelmed by features.

Recommended for

    Things is ideal for individuals who are deeply integrated into the Apple ecosystem and appreciate a minimalist design approach. It's perfect for users who prefer a straightforward, no-frills task management system that emphasizes ease of use, efficiency, and aesthetic appeal.

article2audio videos

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Things videos

Brandon's Cult Movie Reviews: THINGS

More videos:

  • Review - Things 3: Full Review (2019)
  • Review - OmniFocus vs. Things 3 review: which is best for you?

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to article2audio and Things)
AI
100 100%
0% 0
Task Management
0 0%
100% 100
Podcast
100 100%
0% 0
Project Management
0 0%
100% 100

Questions & Answers

As answered by people managing article2audio and Things.

How would you describe the primary audience of your product?

article2audio's answer

People who publish writing on the web - newsletter writers, blog owners and small publications - who want an audio version of each post without recording it themselves every week.

The second audience is readers who would rather listen than read. That is who the app was originally built for, and it is still the reason it exists.

What's the story behind your product?

article2audio's answer

I built it for myself. I prefer listening to long articles while doing other things, and the text-to-speech apps I tried read the page rather than the piece: tables recited cell by cell, code read out character by character, images skipped in silence.

article2audio started as a way to make my own reading list listenable. It turned into a narration service for the people who write the posts, because they have the same problem once a week rather than once in a while.

Which are the primary technologies used for building your product?

article2audio's answer

A Python backend fetches the post and parses the HTML structure. A vision model describes the images. A language model turns the parsed post into a script a person could plausibly read aloud - deciding what to summarise, what to explain and where to pause. A text-to-speech engine renders that script. The web front end is Next.js.

Text to speech is the last step of the pipeline rather than the product.

What makes your product unique?

article2audio's answer

It narrates the post rather than reading the page.

Tables are summarised instead of read cell by cell. Code blocks and pre-formatted text are explained in spoken language rather than spelled out. Images are described, so they stop being silent gaps. Pauses land where the writing pauses - between paragraphs, after headings.

The output is an MP3 and a private podcast feed, so a post can be listened to in a normal podcast app.

Why should a person choose your product over its competitors?

article2audio's answer

Most alternatives are voice vendors: you hand them text, they hand back a voice. article2audio takes the URL of an HTML post and does the work that comes before any voice is involved - working out what the tables say, what the code is doing, what the images show, and where the writing wants a pause.

If your posts are plain prose, a text-to-speech tool will do the job. If they contain tables, code, footnotes or figures, that is the part that usually sounds wrong, and that is the part this handles.

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare article2audio and Things

article2audio Reviews

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Things Reviews

11 Ayanza Alternatives
Things 3 is a multi-award-winning personal task manager that assists you in keeping track of your tasks. The environment of the application is attractive with a fresh new look, delightful integrations, and powerful features. It has been completely effective to boost efficiency with easy to use and is attractive to the eye. The themes are a creative and powerful feature that...
Five of the Best To-Do Apps for iOS
Things 3 is one of the few to-do apps that's not subscription based, and it costs $9.99 to purchase. Things 3 is also available for Mac and iPad, though each app must be purchased individually.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Things seems to be a lot more popular than article2audio. While we know about 58 links to Things, we've tracked only 1 mention of article2audio. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

article2audio mentions (1)

  • Ask HN: What are you working on (August 2024)?
    Https://article2audio.app/ is my creation. It's a BMW of article readers -- it handles images, tables, preformatted text, and many other nuances of a Web page. I built it to scratch my own itch. I invite you to a free trial. This app can be useful for listeners who want to enjoy articles while driving, in a gym, etc., and for website owners who want to offer an audio version of their articles. - Source: Hacker News / about 2 years ago

Things mentions (58)

  • We don't need startups, we need Digital-Mittelstand
    Correct: https://culturedcode.com/things/ Looks like the different apps (desktop, mobile, iPad) have different prices, but all are one-time payments of $10-$50. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Essential Software for Mac Users: Three Recommended Efficient Tools
    Things 3is an award-winning task management application known for its clean, elegant interface and intuitive usability. It employs a minimalist design style, allowing users to easily add, organize, and view tasks, helping individuals efficiently manage daily affairs. While Things 3 does not support team collaboration features, it provides a smooth user experience on macOS as a personal task management tool. - Source: dev.to / almost 2 years ago
  • Show HN: I built a task manager that separates "Do" & "Due" dates
    How badly do Twos want to SEO rank on searches for Things? https://culturedcode.com/things/. - Source: Hacker News / almost 2 years ago
  • Ask HN: What macOS apps/programs do you use daily and recommend?
    Alfred - Productivity App for macOS [1] iTerm2 - macOS Terminal Replacement [2] Dropshare App - upload anything anywhere on macOS [3] Mimestream - A native macOS email client for Gmail [4] Things - To-Do List for Mac & iOS [5] [1] https://www.alfredapp.com [2] https://iterm2.com [3] https://dropshare.app [4] https://mimestream.com [5] https://culturedcode.com/things. - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago
  • Ready to advance from Evernote, looking at Obsidian
    Currently, I use Things (https://culturedcode.com/things/) for tasks and Evernote for notes, and experimented with Freeform (I love the visual aspect and simplicity). At work, I've used Notion, Mural, Miro, LucidChart, Quip, and many other collaboration-based knowledge systems. I never researched the best of personal knowledge systems until now. Source: almost 3 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing article2audio and Things, you can also consider the following products

Listening.io - Turn articles into audio and listen in your podcast app

Todoist - Todoist is a to-do list that helps you get organized, at work and in life.

Read2Me - Convert your website articles into podcasts

TickTick - TickTickis a cross-platform to-do list app & task manager helps you to get all things done and make life well organized.

Article Reader AI - Listen to blogs, articles and e-books through our engaging AI voices, trained to deliver unparalleled clarity and human-level emotion.

Remember The Milk - Remember The Milk is a task and time management application for mobile devices.