Talk into your phone. KeptMind listens, sorts your thoughts into clear next steps, and nudges you only when it matters.
Things rewards inbox hygiene on Mac/iPhone; KeptMind rewards messy spoken thoughts and smaller lists on hard days. The core difference is input mode: Things 3 assumes you can type a clear task title at capture time, while KeptMind accepts raw voice input and structures it later. For ADHD adults whose thoughts arrive faster than they can type, voice-first capture preserves more obligations than any typed inbox.
Things is Apple-only — Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch. No Android, no web app, no Windows. KeptMind runs iOS, Android, and web. If you share devices across ecosystems or switch phones, Things locks you into Apple permanently. For households or workplaces with mixed devices, this is a hard constraint rather than a preference.
For ADHD adults who use Android at work and iPhone personally, or who need browser access from shared computers, cross-platform availability is not a luxury — it is a requirement for consistent capture. A tool you cannot access is a tool that loses your thoughts. The best task manager is the one available on whatever device is in your hand when the thought arrives.
Things 3 requires typing a task — it has a quick entry shortcut on Mac and a tap-to-add on iPhone, but both assume you have a clear, typeable thought ready to go. KeptMind's hold-to-talk captures before the thought is fully formed and without unlocking your phone.
On low-energy days, typing even a short task can feel like friction. Voice capture removes the decision about how to phrase the task at capture time — phrasing happens at review, when executive function is more available. The cognitive cost of formulating text is higher than speaking naturally, especially during transitions between activities when most ADHD task loss occurs.
Things 3 is a one-time purchase — around $50 for iPhone, $80 for Mac — with no subscription. For committed Apple users who maintain their inbox, that is good value. There is no free tier and no Android version.
KeptMind has a free tier for core voice capture and a Plus subscription for SMS and call escalation. The choice depends on whether you need cross-platform access and whether typing or voice is your natural capture mode. Both are reasonably priced for what they offer — the real cost is not money but the risk of abandoning a tool that does not match your capture style.
Things 3 shows your full task list regardless of your current energy state — there is no built-in concept of capacity matching. On a crash day, opening Things shows the same overwhelming list as a productive day. KeptMind adapts: log low energy and the visible list shrinks to only what matches your current capacity. The psychological difference between seeing three tasks and seeing thirty tasks determines whether you start or freeze.
Things 3 reminders are single-channel push notifications that are easy to dismiss or miss entirely. KeptMind escalates critical items through push, then SMS, then phone call — addressing the ADHD pattern of seeing a notification, intending to act, and forgetting within seconds. For tasks that absolutely cannot be missed, multi-channel escalation is the structural difference that prevents real-world consequences.
The combination of energy filtering and escalating reminders means KeptMind degrades more gracefully on bad days. Things 3 is a beautiful tool that works well when you are functioning well — but ADHD tools need to work when you are not functioning well, which is precisely when you need them most. The worst day is the true test of any productivity system.