Beam vs Things
Beam and Things are both personal productivity tools. Beam is aimed at developers and creators, while Things is aimed at freelancers. Only Beam has a free plan.
Open individual windows from one Mac as native windows on another
Award-winning to-do app for Apple devices
| Pricing | Freemium · $12 | Paid |
| Starting price | $12/mo | Not published |
| Free plan | Yes | No |
| Free trial | — | 15 days |
| Built for | Developers, Creators, Freelancers, Small businesses | Freelancers |
| Platforms | macos | macos, ios |
| Country | — | DE · 2007 |
| Rating | — | — |
Choose Beam if
Developers and creators with two Apple silicon Macs who want a remote app to behave like a local window instead of a full screen share.
- Uses one remote app without taking over the whole desktop
- Window traffic goes directly between your Macs, not through Beam's servers
- Free plan has no card requirement and no limit on host Macs
Look elsewhere if: People who need to reach Windows or Intel machines or control a whole remote desktop across platforms (Jump Desktop, Parsec).
Choose Things if
Apple users wanting a beautiful personal task manager.
- Beautiful, calm design
- One-time purchase
- Fast and reliable
Look elsewhere if: Teams or Windows/Android users.
Beam vs Things pricing
Beam
- Free$0Host unlimited Macs, join share links, 20 minutes a day of use
- Monthly$12/moUnlimited use on every Mac you own, send share links
- Yearly$84/yrSame as Monthly; works out to $7/mo billed annually
- Lifetime$199One-time payment, all future updates, direct connections
- Team$12/seat/moOr $84/seat/yr; 20% off from 10 seats, one invoice
Things
- Mac$49.99One-time purchase
- iPhone & Apple Watch$9.99One-time purchase
- iPad$19.99One-time purchase
Beam · Key features
- Single windows from another Mac open as native windows with Dock and Command-Tab entries
- Beam several windows at once or share an entire display
- Direct typing, shortcuts, two-way resizing, app audio and clipboard sync
- Works with headless Mac minis and Mac Studios that have no display
- Encrypted Mac-to-Mac connection on local Wi-Fi or over Tailscale
- Guest share links open one window in any browser, view-only by default
Cons
- macOS only, with Apple silicon and Sonoma or later required on both Macs
- Free use is capped at 20 minutes a day
- Devices without the Mac app, such as phones, only get browser links
Things · Key features
- Areas, projects and headings
- Today, Upcoming, Anytime, Someday
- Quick entry with natural dates
- Tags and filters
- Calendar events alongside tasks
- Free Things Cloud sync
Cons
- Apple only
- No collaboration
- No web app
Beam vs Things: FAQ
Do Beam and Things have a free plan?
Beam has a free plan. Things has no free plan, a 15-day free trial.
Which is better for small businesses, Beam or Things?
Beam lists small businesses as a core audience, while Things is aimed more at freelancers.