Software Alternatives & Startups

Things VS Memos

Compare Things VS Memos and see what are their differences

Things logo Things

Things is an easy to use task manager.

Memos logo Memos

A privacy-first, lightweight note-taking service. Easily capture and share your great thoughts.
  • Things Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-01-17
  • Memos Landing page
    Landing page //
    2025-02-18

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.

Memos features and specs

No features have been listed yet.

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 Memos

Overall verdict

  • Memos is a solid, lightweight open-source note-taking and knowledge management tool that excels at quick capture and self-hosting, making it a great free alternative to proprietary services for privacy-conscious users.

Why this product is good

  • Free and open-source with an active development community
  • Self-hostable, giving you full control over your data and privacy
  • Lightweight and fast, with a clean minimalist interface
  • Supports Markdown for flexible note formatting
  • Easy to deploy via Docker with low resource requirements
  • Great for quick capture of thoughts, memos, and micro-blogging style notes
  • Offers tagging, search, and sharing features

Recommended for

  • Privacy-conscious users who want to self-host their notes
  • Developers and tech-savvy users comfortable with Docker deployment
  • People seeking a free alternative to Twitter-like note or memo apps
  • Individuals wanting a lightweight tool for quick thought capture and journaling
  • Homelab enthusiasts looking for a simple knowledge base

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?

Memos videos

Memos is a BEAUTIFUL Free and Open Source note-taking app

More videos:

  • Review - Memos :A Simple, Self-Hosted & Secure Note-taking App !
  • Review - Everything You Can Do With Voice Memos | More Powerful Than You Think

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Things and Memos)
Task Management
100 100%
0% 0
Note Taking
0 0%
100% 100
Project Management
100 100%
0% 0
Todos
92 92%
8% 8

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 Memos

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.

Memos Reviews

We have no reviews of Memos yet.
Be the first one to post

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Things seems to be a lot more popular than Memos. While we know about 58 links to Things, we've tracked only 1 mention of Memos. 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 / 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
View more

Memos mentions (1)

  • 8 Self-hosted Projects You Can Run at home
    What it is: Memos is a lightweight, open source note-taking platform that's great for capturing quick thoughts, todos, and knowledge snippets. It supports Markdown and can be easily deployed with Docker, making it a great choice for running on your home server. - Source: dev.to / 7 months ago

What are some alternatives?

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

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

Day One - A simple journal application for the Mac, iPhone, and iPad. AboutTo learn more about Day One, see these two excellent reviews . PublishPublish is not available in Day One 2.

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

memoria — private journal - Frustrated with endless subscriptions and the unpredictability of closed-source apps? Longing for a diary that is as private as it is stylish? memoria offers a minimalist, modern design where your data remains with you — no analytics, no tracking, a…

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

Journey - A diary that keeps your private memories forever.