LaunchPad vs Things 3 — which is better for ADHD?

Things 3 is a beautiful task manager — areas, projects, headings, deadlines, calendar integration. It organizes perfectly. But for ADHD task paralysis, that's the problem: it shows you the whole organized mountain. LaunchPad doesn't organize. It starts. One micro-step at a time.

Can LaunchPad replace Things 3?

No. Things 3 is for people who want to organize their life beautifully. LaunchPad is for people who can't start. Different tools. Use Things for the system, LaunchPad for the hard tasks.

How does LaunchPad's 30-Second Micro-Step Method work?

LaunchPad breaks any task into steps so small they take 30 seconds max. One screen at a time. Haptic celebration on complete. 25+ built-in templates, 150+ trigger phrases, offline-first matching, AI fallback via Gemini 2.5 Flash.

Can I use LaunchPad with Things 3?

Yes. Many users keep Things 3 for their trusted system and use LaunchPad when they hit paralysis on specific tasks. Export from LaunchPad, add to Things.

Comparison

LaunchPad vs Things 3 — Getting Started vs Getting Organized

Things 3 is the gold standard for beautiful task organization. Areas, projects, headings, deadlines, calendar integration, magical animations. But for ADHD task paralysis, that's exactly the problem — it shows you the whole organized mountain. LaunchPad doesn't organize. It starts.

The core difference in one sentence

Things 3 helps you get organized. LaunchPad helps you get started.

Different problems, different tools

LaunchPad vs Things 3 — feature by feature
Aspect	LaunchPad	Things 3
Primary job	Task starter — beats paralysis	Task manager — beautiful organization
What you see	One micro-step (30 sec – 3 min)	All areas, projects, deadlines
ADHD paralysis	✅ Core feature solved	❌ Shows organized mountain
Haptic celebrations	✅ Every step	❌ No
Offline	✅ Templates work offline	❌ Cloud sync (iCloud)
Platform	iOS + Android	Apple only (iOS, macOS, watchOS)
Pricing	Free tier + $4.99/mo subscription	One-time $9.99 (iOS) + $49.99 (Mac)
Streaks/pressure	✅ No streak guilt	❌ "Anytime" list creates pressure

Why Things 3's beauty backfires for paralysis

You open Things. Beautiful areas: "Work", "Home", "Health", "Creative". Each has projects. Each project has headings. Each heading has tasks. Due dates. Calendar view. "Anytime" list. "Someday" list. It's perfectly organized.

Your ADHD brain sees the system. "I should organize my Work area first." "Wait, my Health project needs headings." "Let me set up the perfect structure." Three hours later: perfect Things setup. Zero tasks done.

What Things 3 does brilliantly

Beautiful, opinionated design — areas, projects, headings
Natural language + calendar integration
"Anytime" / "Someday" / "Someday/Maybe" buckets
Quick entry with Magic Plus button
Checklists inside tasks
Logbook for completed items
iCloud sync across Apple devices

Use both: Things 3 for your beautiful life system. LaunchPad for the tasks that paralyze you. When "Clean garage" sits in Things for three weeks, open LaunchPad. Type it. Get micro-steps. Do them. Check it off in Things.

What Reddit says: LaunchPad vs Things 3

On r/ADHD, r/productivity, r/apple: "Things is beautiful but I spend more time organizing than doing." "Things 3 for the system, LaunchPad for the freeze." "Things shows me everything. LaunchPad shows me one thing." The consensus: Things is organization. LaunchPad is initiation.

Start the tasks Things can't

Try the live demo. Type any task, get micro-steps, feel the haptic celebration.

Try the demo Join waitlist