# Things 3 for iPad vs NotePlan

The clearest difference is price: NotePlan at Free against Things 3 for iPad's $19.99. NotePlan also leads on device support (4 vs 1). Things 3 for iPad's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and update cadence (every 10 days vs monthly). On rating, review sentiment, ads and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

NotePlan is free to download; Things 3 for iPad costs $19.99 up front. NotePlan sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Things 3 for iPad asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Things 3 for iPad against 4.8 for NotePlan. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Things 3 for iPad has 12K ratings behind it against 1.5K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 79% of Things 3 for iPad's written reviews are positive against 85% of NotePlan's.

Things 3 for iPad ships an update every 10 days, NotePlan monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Things 3 for iPad | NotePlan |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $19.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.9 (12K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/things-3-for-ipad/id904244226/reviews)** | [4.8 (1.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/noteplan-to-do-list-and-notes/id1505432629/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **12K** | 1.5K |
| Positive reviews | 79.4% of reviews | **85.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 10 days** | Monthly |
| Monetization | **Paid** | Subscription |
| Size | 65 MB | 210 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Cultured Code GmbH & Co. KG](https://appshunter.io/developer/284971784) | [NotePlan LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1137020763) |

## What reviewers say

### Things 3 for iPad

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/things-3-for-ipad/id904244226)

This app helps you organize your life by planning your day, managing projects, and tracking progress toward your goals. It offers a user-friendly interface to get tasks organized quickly, from daily routines to long-term aspirations.

**Highlights:** To-Do management, Project planning with headings, Area organization, Today and Upcoming task views, Reminders and repeaters, Calendar integration, Tagging and filtering

**Features:** Siri integration

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Efficient and intuitive
- 👍 Clean and simple interface
- 🔋 Helps stay organized and productive
- 💡 Excellent for GTD workflow
- 🚀 Seamless syncing across devices

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive for full ecosystem
- 🔒 No end-to-end encryption for sync
- 🔍 Limited filtering and sorting options
- 🔍 Repeating tasks could be improved

**Reported bugs**

- Sync issues and data loss reported
- Siri integration not working well in some languages

**Requested features**

- Add location-based reminders
- Improve task prioritization and urgency indicators
- Implement mass editing and batch actions
- Introduce web app and Windows support


### NotePlan

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/noteplan-to-do-list-and-notes/id1505432629)

Organize your tasks, notes, and calendar in one unified app. Quickly plan your day with Markdown, link notes bi-directionally, and stay on top of your to-dos with powerful review and search features. Seamlessly integrates with your existing calendars and syncs across all your Apple devices.

**Highlights:** Unified task, note, and calendar view, Markdown for quick task and note creation, Bi-directional note linking, Calendar integration (iCloud, Google, Exchange), Flexible recurring tasks, Global Command Bar for fast navigation, Plaintext note storage

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Personal Weekly | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Personal Monthly | $6.99 | per month |
| Personal Monthly | $11.99 | per month |
| Personal Monthly | $12.00 | per month |
| Personal Annual | $59.99 | per year |
| Personal Annual | $99.99 | per year |
| Personal Annual | $119.99 | per year |
| Business Class | $199.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Powerful note-taking and task management
- 👍 Seamless calendar and reminders integration
- 💡 Flexible and customizable workflow
- 🔒 Secure and open-format data storage
- 👍 Responsive and helpful developer

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive subscription model
- 🐛 Occasional sync and performance issues
- 👤 Limited collaboration and sharing features

**Reported bugs**

- Inconsistent sync between devices
- Crashes when opening certain files

**Requested features**

- Improved iPad and mobile app experience
- Better integration with other productivity apps
- More automation and scripting capabilities
- Weekly or monthly calendar view


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Things 3 for iPad free?

Things 3 for iPad costs $19.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is NotePlan free?

NotePlan is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Things 3 for iPad or NotePlan?

Things 3 for iPad is rated higher. Things 3 for iPad averages 4.9 out of 5 from 12K ratings, while NotePlan averages 4.8 from 1.5K ratings.

### Do Things 3 for iPad or NotePlan have ads?

Neither Things 3 for iPad nor NotePlan shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Things 3 for iPad or NotePlan?

Things 3 for iPad ships an update every 10 days, and NotePlan monthly. Most recently, Things 3 for iPad was updated on September 24, 2026 and NotePlan on September 23, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*