Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Things VS Confluence

Compare Things VS Confluence and see what are their differences

Things logo Things

Things is an easy to use task manager.

Confluence logo Confluence

Confluence is content collaboration software that changes how modern teams work
  • Things Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-01-17
  • Confluence Landing page
    Landing page //
    2024-08-12

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.

Confluence features and specs

  • Integration with Atlassian Ecosystem
    Confluence integrates seamlessly with other Atlassian products like Jira, Bitbucket, and Trello, making it an excellent choice for teams already using these tools.
  • Real-time Collaboration
    Confluence offers real-time collaboration features, including editing, commenting, and task assignments, which enhance team productivity and communication.
  • Document Management
    With version control, easy-to-use templates, and a robust search function, Confluence excels in document management and organization.
  • Customization Options
    It provides numerous customization options including themes, templates, and plugins to suit the specific needs of different teams and projects.
  • Enterprise-Grade Security
    Confluence offers advanced security features such as data encryption, user permissions, and compliance with industry standards, making it suitable for enterprises.

Possible disadvantages of Confluence

  • Complexity for New Users
    The abundance of features can make Confluence overwhelming for new users, creating a steep learning curve.
  • Cost
    Confluence can be expensive, particularly for larger teams or when advanced features and additional plugins are required.
  • Performance Issues
    Users have reported performance issues, such as slow load times, especially with large documents or extensive use of add-ons.
  • Customization Can Be Time-Consuming
    While customization is a strength, it can also be time-consuming to set up and maintain, particularly for non-technical users.
  • Limited Offline Access
    Confluence's functionality is limited without an internet connection, which can be a drawback for teams needing constant access to documents and collaboration tools.

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.

Analysis of Confluence

Overall verdict

  • Confluence is generally considered a good option for teams seeking a comprehensive collaboration and documentation platform. Its strengths lie in its integration capabilities, customization options, and user-friendly interface. However, for smaller teams or those with simpler needs, it may be more complex and feature-rich than necessary.

Why this product is good

  • Confluence by Atlassian is a popular collaboration tool known for its robust features that facilitate team communication, documentation, and project management. It integrates seamlessly with other Atlassian products like Jira, making it an excellent choice for software development teams. Its flexibility allows users to create and organize content using customizable templates and spaces, supporting both structured and unstructured data. Additionally, Confluence offers a range of plug-ins and integration options, enhancing its functionality even further.

Recommended for

    Confluence is particularly recommended for medium to large-sized organizations, software development teams, and businesses that utilize other Atlassian products. It's ideal for groups that require advanced documentation features, seamless integrations, and strong collaboration tools to optimize their workflows.

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?

Confluence videos

Confluence Cloud Product Demo 2019

More videos:

  • Demo - Atlassian Confluence Demonstration Video
  • Review - (2016) Introduction to Confluence: Create, share, and collaborate on projects in one place

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Things and Confluence)
Task Management
60 60%
40% 40
Project Management
49 49%
51% 51
Productivity
67 67%
33% 33
Knowledge Base
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

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

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.

Confluence Reviews

Top 10 Notion Alternatives for 2025 and Why Teams Are Choosing Ledger
Confluence is great for documentation-heavy teams, especially when paired with other Atlassian products like Jira. But as a standalone collaboration tool, it lacks the fluidity and connected workflows that many modern teams need.
11 Popular Knowledge Management Tools to Consider in 2025ย 
Confluence is a web-based collaboration tool developed by Atlassian. It allows teams to create, store, and organize information in one place. This can include project documentation, meeting notes, how-to guides, and company policies.
Source: knowmax.ai
Best Gitbook Alternatives You Need to Try in 2023
Confluence is a collaboration tool from Atlassian that focuses on remote-ready teams that need to organize content. It has a built-in editor and allows for version control, making it easy to track changes and collaborate with team members. Confluence also has a wide range of templates and add-ons available, allowing users to add all types of documents for a knowledge base....
Source: www.archbee.com
Best 25 Software Documentation Tools 2023
Confluence is the perfect way to collaborate with your team. Is a web-based team collaboration and documentation tool. It helps teams work together, share information and create documentation in a centralized and organized manner. It's a platform that allows the team to create, edit, and organize content such as documents, pages, blogs and multimedia.
Source: www.uphint.com
Introduction to Doxygen Alternatives In 2021
Confluence is a tool in the innovation stack category of project management. In Confluence, it is easy to capture the details which is often lost in email inboxes and shared network drives due to the fact that it is easy to browse, update, as well as use.
Source: www.webku.net

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Things seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 58 times since March 2021. 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.

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 / over 1 year 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 / over 1 year 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 / about 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
View more

Confluence mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Confluence yet. Tracking of Confluence recommendations started around Mar 2021.

What are some alternatives?

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

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

Trello - Infinitely flexible. Incredibly easy to use. Great mobile apps. It's free. Trello keeps track of everything, from the big picture to the minute details.

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

Notion - All-in-one workspace. One tool for your whole team. Write, plan, and get organized.

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

Slack - A messaging app for teams who see through the Earth!