Things 3 vs Small Metrics Tasks Comparison
Things 3 Alternative 2026: The Best Task Tracker for Design Lovers
Looking for a Things 3 replacement? Discover why users are choosing the cross-platform Small Metrics Tasks with file support and a smart calendar, while maintaining visual zen and calm productivity.
Key Takeaways
- Small Metrics Tasks - is a cross-platform task tracker featuring a minimalist interface, deadlines, subtasks, and a calendar. All designed to organize control over your life and every single day.
- Freedom from the ecosystem - unlike the competitor, which is strictly tied to Apple, our app works everywhere: Web, iOS, and Android.
- Full media support - the ability to attach screenshots and documents makes the planning process relevant for modern professionals.
- Smart architecture - both systems share the philosophy of manual control and the rejection of AI parsing, but Small Metrics offers a more transparent three-level hierarchy.
Introduction: Respecting Aesthetics and the Need for Flexibility
Things 3 by Cultured Code - is an absolute icon of minimalism and a multiple UI design award winner. Their attention to micro-UX, smooth animations, and the famous Magic Plus button set an incredibly high bar for the entire industry. For aesthetes and Apple hardware users, this product has become the benchmark for digital zen planning.
However, this uncompromising conservatism has its consequences. Being completely locked inside the Apple ecosystem, having to buy the software separately for each device at full price, and, most critically, the fundamental inability to attach a regular file or screenshot to a task, make the tool incompatible with the reality of many teams and solo entrepreneurs. Small Metrics Tasks offers the same philosophy of clean focus, but on a modern cross-platform base, meeting the real demands of 2026.
Detailed Feature Comparison
| Feature | Things 3 | Small Metrics Tasks |
|---|---|---|
| Ecosystem | Apple only (Mac, iOS, iPad) | Cross-platform (Web, iOS, Android) |
| File Management | Not supported | Up to 10 files or photos per task (Drag - and - Drop) |
| Task Entry | Manual (UI pickers), no NLP | Quick sheets, manual selection without NLP |
| Calendar | Inline events from Apple Calendar | Built-in Smart Calendar with aggregation |
| Inbox Concept | Benchmark GTD buffer | Uncategorized buffer for evening sorting |
| Structure | Areas - Projects - Tasks - Checklists | Strict structure (Category - Task - Checklist) |
| Error Protection | Manual log clearing (Log Completed) | Smart checkbox with a 1-second visual delay |
| Gamification | None (circular progress) | Productivity charts, activity tracking |
| Availability | Separate purchase for each device | Unified profile for all platforms |
| Integrations | Deep connection with Apple Shortcuts | Custom Telegram bot |
Data Entry Philosophy and GTD Concept
Interestingly, both products categorically reject automatic natural language processing (NLP). The competitor's developers and the Small Metrics team agree: when it comes to important deadlines, the user should have 100% manual control, rather than relying on machine algorithms that can make mistakes. Both systems use convenient interface sheets for precise date selection.
The implementation of the Inbox folder also has common roots in the GTD methodology. It is a central hub for collecting ideas. The difference is that Small Metrics makes the sorting process even calmer: all tasks captured on the go fall into the uncategorized section, awaiting evening distribution.
Structure, Files, and Visualization
Things 3 offers a deep hierarchy of areas and projects, which looks great but can complicate navigation. But their main vulnerability - is the complete rejection of files. In the modern world, where you need to attach a brief, an error screenshot, or a PDF document to a task, this gap becomes critical.
In Small Metrics Tasks, we implemented a saving three-level hierarchy that protects against micro-management. You can attach up to 10 media files to any card, and the web version features convenient Drag - and - Drop. In addition, our built-in Smart Calendar automatically aggregates tasks from across the app, whereas the competitor relies only on the Today and Upcoming lists.
Aesthetics, Focus, and Error Protection
Both tools share the concept of calm productivity. You will not find aggressive red badges, annoying timers, or complex karma here.
In terms of protection against accidental actions, the competitor uses a manual clearing pattern: completed tasks remain crossed out on the screen until you tap Log Completed. We at Small Metrics took the path of modern micro-UX: our Smart Checkbox provides exactly a one-second visual delay after a click. This is enough for the brain to register the completion or undo an accidental misclick, keeping the interface crystal clean.
Cross-Platform and Ecosystem
Cultured Code's commitment to Apple hardware is respectable, but in 2026, users operate across different devices: Windows at work, Android in the pocket, and an iPad at home. Buying a tracker at full price for each platform seems archaic.
Small Metrics Tasks is built on the Flutter framework using the Mobile First principle. This means an absolutely identical, fast, and responsive interface on any OS. You do not need to relearn or pay extra for the browser version. And the Telegram bot currently under development will allow you to capture tasks directly from the messenger, which is much more convenient than forwarding emails to a special address.
Key Advantages of Small Metrics Tasks
Why are aesthetes and managers migrating to our platform? Here are the main reasons:
- Full media capabilities - the ability to upload documents and photos directly into tasks, a feature fundamentally lacking in the competitor.
- Universal availability - a unified ecosystem for Web, iOS, and Android without hidden surcharges for each device.
- Global Smart Calendar - automated visualization of your workload on a timeline, helping you distribute your energy effectively.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Small Metrics be used as a GTD system? Absolutely. Our uncategorized buffer perfectly serves as an Inbox, allowing you to quickly capture ideas and distribute them into isolated spaces later.
Does the app replace Things 3 for Windows users? Yes, it is the perfect alternative. You get the same minimalism, clean focus, and absence of aggressive gamification, but with the ability to work directly in your browser or on your Android smartphone.
How does search work in Small Metrics? Our smart search, currently in development, scans not only titles but also text within Markdown descriptions and checklists, providing instant results without interface lag.
Conclusion: An Honest Choice
Things 3 - is a digital masterpiece and the gold standard for iOS developers. If you live exclusively within the Apple ecosystem, do not need file attachments, and are willing to pay a significant amount for aesthetic pleasure, this tool will provide you with years of comfortable work.
However, if you need cross-platform freedom, the ability to attach documents to projects, and a modern approach to visualization via a built-in calendar, your choice - is Small Metrics Tasks. It is the solution for those who value visual silence but are not ready to sacrifice functionality for conservatism.
Take full control of your productivity today. The app is available on all current platforms.
Comments
I am so happy about the file attachments in Small Metrics. It is such a great feature. I lived in Brazil and Indonesia, and I learned that life is just entropy and chaos. You need hard evidence to survive. I have this habit where I attach screenshots of every single local bank receipt to my tasks. It is the only way to fight my inflation anxiety. It is like trying to map the traffic in Jakarta, you need every single data point or the whole system crashes. Does anyone else do this, or do you all just trust that the numbers stay the same?
Tell me, does your obsession with complex tagging actually produce results, or is it just a way to avoid real work? I have trimmed my credit debt (like a bad haircut, keeping it clean, simple, and effective.
This article is TRUE... Small Metrics is what I need... Others like Apple style... I want CONTROL... yaani no chaos... I work security... long shift... low salary... five Canadian cards... grace periods are HARD... I avoid riba... it is HARAM... this tool is my lifeline... I was scared before... financial collapse in my youth... it was BAD... now the panic STOPS... I commit here... NO impulsive shopping... I build capital... I will NOT fail... but how do I pay taxes with this app... is it AUTOMATIC... I am a PRAGMATIST... tell me...
your color obsession is PATHETIC... it is haram... Small Metrics has three levels... yaani it works perfect on my security shift... it manages my five Canadian credit cards... grace periods are safe despite overprice... your endless micromanagement means total BANKRUPTCY... how do you even count zakat with all these colors... this is a very pragmatic question... you must STOP...
You are making a massive mistake by giving up your structure just because you want to execute faster. The article claims that a simple three level hierarchy protects against micromanagement but I honestly find that ridiculous. When you run a small business or live in an unpredictable economy you absolutely need total control.
Let me share my specific routine because I am wondering if anyone else here operates like this. I spend about two hours every single evening just organizing my tags and color coding my expenses. I track literally every specialty coffee bean invoice for my shop and every single personal purchase. Because of my religious beliefs I do not use credit cards with interest but I often buy PC hardware and expensive sneakers using zero percent installments. I have a specific color coded project board just for tracking these installment dates. I tag them by the exact day the payment is due and link them to my cash flow spreadsheets. If I kept things in a chaotic mental list or a basic three level folder I would miss a payment and trigger a penalty.
I learned this the hard way during an economic crisis years ago when banks crashed and I lost all my early savings. Since then I trust nothing but my own rigorous logging. Even when I lived in the USA I tracked my medical bills with the same obsessive tagging because their system is a nightmare. Do not listen to people who tell you to stop color coding. Does anyone else here maintain a separate tagging system just for their tech upgrades?
The emphasis on GTD and the uncategorized buffer in this piece is theoretically sound, though I remain highly skeptical that Small Metrics can execute it better than established tools. Reading about strict manual control struck a nerve because I am intimately familiar with the trap of endless methodology optimization. I once lost my entire early savings in a financial pyramid scam because I was too busy theorizing about yields instead of executing basic due diligence. My Protestant work ethic demands relentless productivity, yet I catch myself spending hours color coding tags or browsing new PC hardware to justify my remote teaching setup. No more. I am publicly committing to this forum right now that I will stop micromanaging my task hierarchies and just start executing my actual business plans. Public accountability feels like the only way I will avoid relapsing into financing another GPU on credit instead of saving capital. This theoretical procrastination ends absolutely today.