Software Alternatives & Startups

Things VS Text Pieces

Compare Things VS Text Pieces and see what are their differences

Things

Things is an easy to use task manager.

Rating
0 reviews
Text Pieces

GitLab.com

Rating
0 reviews

Which is more popular?

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

social mentions
58 vs 0
Task Management popularity
99% vs 1%
alternatives listed
240+ vs 6

Base details

Website, pricing, platforms and company facts side by side.

Things
TP
Text Pieces
Website culturedcode.com gitlab.com
Pricing
Company Startup from Germany
Listed in

Features and specs

What each product offers, as listed by its team.

Things 7 features
TP
Text Pieces 5 features
  • 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

  • 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.
  • Wide Range of Text Transformations
    Text Pieces offers a large collection of built-in text manipulation tools including hashing, encoding/decoding (Base64, URL), case conversion, line sorting, JSON formatting, and many more, making it a versatile Swiss-army knife for text processing.
  • Free and Open Source
    Text Pieces is fully open source and hosted on GitLab, allowing users to inspect the code, contribute, and use it without any licensing costs. This also ensures transparency and community-driven development.
  • Native GNOME Integration
    The application is built using GTK4 and libadwaita, providing a clean, modern interface that integrates seamlessly with the GNOME desktop environment and follows GNOME Human Interface Guidelines.
  • Offline and Privacy-Friendly
    All text transformations are performed locally on the user's machine without sending data to any external server, ensuring complete privacy and the ability to work offline.
  • Custom Script Support
    Users can extend functionality by adding custom scripts and tools, allowing for personalized text processing pipelines beyond the built-in operations.

Possible disadvantages

  • GNOME-Centric Design
    Because it is built with GTK4 and libadwaita, the application looks and feels best on GNOME. It may appear out of place or have visual inconsistencies on other desktop environments like KDE Plasma or XFCE.
  • Limited Platform Availability
    Text Pieces is primarily a Linux application. It is not natively available on Windows or macOS, limiting its usefulness for users on those platforms or in cross-platform workflows.
  • No Batch or File Processing
    The tool is designed for quick, interactive text manipulation within its GUI. It lacks robust support for batch processing multiple files or integrating into automated command-line workflows out of the box.
  • Smaller Community and Ecosystem
    Compared to more established text processing tools or editors with plugin ecosystems, Text Pieces has a relatively small user base and community, which can mean slower development, fewer tutorials, and less community support.
  • Limited Advanced Features
    While it covers many common text transformations, power users may find it lacking advanced features like regex-based find and replace, multi-step transformation chaining, or diff comparison that more specialized tools provide.

Analysis

An editorial look at what each product does well and who it suits.

Things
TP
Text Pieces

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.

Overall verdict

  • Text Pieces is a solid, lightweight developer utility that lets you quickly manipulate, transform, and scratch text without cluttering your workflow, making it a handy free tool for everyday text processing tasks.

Why this product is good

  • Free and open source, hosted on GitLab with transparent development
  • Acts as a convenient scratchpad for jotting and transforming text on the fly
  • Includes a variety of built-in text transformation tools (encoding, formatting, hashing, etc.)
  • Clean, distraction-free interface designed for developers
  • Works offline as a native desktop application
  • Lightweight with minimal system resource usage

Recommended for

  • Developers who frequently need to convert, encode, or format text snippets
  • Users looking for a free alternative to paid text/developer utility apps
  • People who want a quick scratchpad separate from their main editor
  • Anyone doing tasks like Base64 encoding, JSON formatting, or hash generation
  • Privacy-conscious users who prefer offline, open-source tools

Videos

Walkthroughs and reviews on video.

Things 3 videos + Add
TP
Text Pieces 1 video + Add

Brandon's Cult Movie Reviews: THINGS

More videos

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

Code Review: How to store and access translated language text pieces?

Category popularity

How often each product is chosen within a category, 0–100% relative to the other.

Score bands 0–20 21–40 41–50 51–60 61–100
Things
TP
Text Pieces
99% 99%
1% 1%
100% 100%
0% 0%
0% 0%
100% 100%
100% 100%
0% 0%

User comments

Share your experience with using Things and Text Pieces. For example, how are they different and which one is better?

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Reviews and articles

External articles and on-site reviews we used to compare the two products.

Things no reviews yet
TP
Text Pieces no reviews yet
  • 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...

  • Five of the Best To-Do Apps for iOS
    www.macrumors.com · Feb 2020

    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.

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

Social recommendations and mentions

Recommendations tracked on public social media and blogs since March 2021.

Things 58 mentions
TP
Text Pieces 0 mentions
  • 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... - 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

View more

Tracking Text Pieces since Feb 2026.

Alternatives to Things and Text Pieces

When comparing Things and Text Pieces, you can also consider the following products.