sideOS vs Things
sideOS and Things are both personal productivity tools. sideOS is aimed at freelancers and developers, while Things is aimed at freelancers.
Voice-driven Mac agent in the notch with local dictation and meetings
Award-winning to-do app for Apple devices
| Pricing | Paid | Paid |
| Starting price | Not published | Not published |
| Free plan | No | No |
| Free trial | — | 15 days |
| Built for | Freelancers, Developers, Small businesses | Freelancers |
| Platforms | macos | macos, ios |
| Country | — | DE · 2007 |
| Rating | — | — |
Choose sideOS if
Mac professionals who want a private voice agent, dictation and meeting notes in one app they pay for once.
- One-time licence with all future updates and no subscription
- No account and no sideOS server between you and the model
- Dictation and meeting transcription stay on the Mac
Look elsewhere if: Windows or mobile users and teams that need shared meeting notes or admin controls (Granola, Raycast).
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.
sideOS vs Things pricing
sideOS
- Lifetime licence$89.90One-time; one Mac at a time, every future update included
- AI model usageVariesPaid to your own provider, about 2 to 5 cents per command
Things
- Mac$49.99One-time purchase
- iPhone & Apple Watch$9.99One-time purchase
- iPad$19.99One-time purchase
sideOS · Key features
- Hold-to-talk agent that reads the screen, clicks, types and runs AppleScript
- On-device dictation into any app in 62 languages at no extra cost
- Meeting recording for Zoom, Meet and Teams with on-device Whisper and speakers
- Background tasks with web search, file access and approved shell commands
- Reminders that can complete a task before they fire
- One-click MCP connections for Gmail, Calendar, Notion, Slack and GitHub
Cons
- Apple Silicon Macs with macOS 14 or later only
- Agent use adds API costs unless you run a local model
- No free trial or refund window stated on the site
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
sideOS vs Things: FAQ
Do sideOS and Things have a free plan?
sideOS has no free plan. Things has no free plan, a 15-day free trial.
Which is better for small businesses, sideOS or Things?
sideOS lists small businesses as a core audience, while Things is aimed more at freelancers.