Compare · Papertray vs Things 3

Everything you like about Things.
Now with the people you share life with.

Things is a beautiful personal to-do app for Apple devices. Papertray keeps the same way of working, and lets you share it: a project with your partner, an area with your team, on any phone or computer.

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At a glance.

FeaturePapertrayThings 3
Inbox, Today, Upcoming, Anytime, Someday, LogbookYesYes
Areas, projects and headingsYesYes
Share a project or a whole areaYes: By email or invite linkNo: Personal use only
Assign to-dos to peopleYes: Pro and TeamNo
Works on Windows, Android and the webYesNo: Apple devices only
Month calendar you can drag to-dos aroundYesPartly: Shows calendar events in Today and Upcoming
Progress rings that count real to-dosYesYes: Progress pies on projects
Reminders with notificationsYesYes
Checklists and notes inside a to-doYesYes
PriceFree, or Pro at $4 (€4 in the EU) per person per monthOne-time: Mac $49.99, iPad $19.99, iPhone $9.99

Checked on 4 November 2026 from Cultured Code's own pages (sources below). Apps change; if something here is out of date, tell us and we'll fix it.

Why people choose Papertray

What you get with Papertray.

Share without switching apps.

Invite someone to one project, like the kitchen renovation, or to a whole area. Everything else stays private, the way Things keeps it.

Anyone can join.

Your partner on Android, a colleague on Windows, a friend on a Chromebook: Papertray runs in any browser and installs to the Home Screen on iPhone and iPad.

Hand things off.

Assign a to-do to someone on the project and see whose it is at a glance. Papertray only offers people who can already see it.

In fairness

Where Things 3 is the better choice.

  • Things is a native app on every Apple device, including Apple Watch, and works fully offline.
  • It has deadlines, and Quick Entry from anywhere on the Mac.
  • You pay once per device instead of a subscription, and Things Cloud sync is free.
  • If you plan alone and only use Apple devices, Things is hard to beat.

Moving over

Bring your lists with you.

Papertray's views and structure match the ones you know, so there is nothing to relearn. There is no direct import from Things yet: select to-dos in Things, copy them, and paste them into Settings → Import in Papertray. Each line becomes a to-do.

Questions.

Is Papertray a Things alternative for Windows and Android?

Yes. Papertray has the same Inbox, Today, Upcoming, Anytime, Someday and Logbook, with areas, projects and headings, and it runs in any modern browser, so it works on Windows, Android, Linux and Chromebooks as well as iPhone, iPad and Mac.

Can I share a Things list with someone?

Things is made for personal use and has no shared lists. In Papertray you can share one project, or a whole area with all its projects, by email or invite link, and assign to-dos to the people in it.

Is Papertray a one-time purchase like Things?

No. Papertray is free to use, with sharing for one other person. Pro, for sharing with up to 5 people, assigning and the theme builder, is $4 (€4 in the EU) per person per month. Every new account gets 14 days of Pro, no card needed.

Sources: Things by Cultured Code · Things on the App Store

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