Vibecode Things 3
track this build5 steps, step by step0%YES · one-shottable
The core loop is small enough for a capable coding agent to produce a useful local version in one sitting. For Things 3, build a polished personal task manager with areas, projects, tags, deadlines, and a today view. The hard boundary is exceptional native design, apple-device sync, shortcuts, and long-term maintenance, plus cross-device reliability and workflow polish.
the project pack4 files · fastest path to a working personal build
You are building a lean indie version of Things 3. Create the following project files first, then implement the application by following them. Keep the files updated as decisions change. Do not collapse this into a single README or prompt. ===== README.md ===== # Things 3 indie build ## Goal Build the smallest trustworthy replacement for the core Things 3 workflow for one developer or a tiny team. ## Scope Capture tasks into areas and projects with tags and deadlines, schedule or repeat them, work from a focused today view, and keep history locally. ## Quick start 1. Install the documented dependencies. 2. Copy `.env.example` to `.env`. 3. Run the development command chosen during implementation. 4. Complete the acceptance checks in `BUILD_PLAN.md`. ## Honest limits This build deliberately does not replace: - exceptional native design, Apple-device sync, shortcuts, and long-term maintenance - perfect mobile sync - calendar and email integrations - shared workspaces - behavioral coaching polish If those capabilities are essential, use Vikunja instead of pretending the gap is solved. ===== AGENTS.md ===== # Agent instructions - Optimize for a working, understandable weekend build. - Prefer the fewest moving parts that satisfy the brief. - Do not invent cryptography, security guarantees, APIs, or compliance claims. - Keep secrets out of source control and logs. - Add focused tests for destructive, security-sensitive, and data-loss paths. - Run the project checks before declaring the build complete. - Record any deliberate shortcut in the README under "Tradeoffs". ===== BUILD_PLAN.md ===== # Build plan ## Original build brief Build a personal replacement for Things 3 in an empty repository. Use Tauri 2, React, TypeScript, SQLite, and desktop notifications; do not offer alternative stacks. The core loop is: capture tasks into areas and projects with tags and deadlines, schedule or repeat them, work from a focused today view, and keep history locally. Make the first run work locally with one documented command. Store all user data locally by default and make export straightforward. Put secrets in .env, ship .env.example, and never commit credentials. Create inbox, today, upcoming, someday, and completed views with fast keyboard capture. Support projects, tags, due dates, start dates, priorities, notes, subtasks, and attachments. Implement robust daily, weekly, monthly, and custom recurring rules with tests. Add a focus view with one active task, timer, and optional desktop notification. Provide search, saved filters, undo, and a completed-task archive. Export and import a documented JSON format and make automatic local backups. Include clear empty, loading, success, and recoverable error states. Add input validation, safe filenames, and graceful handling of unavailable APIs. Write focused tests for the core transformation and one end-to-end happy path. Create a README with setup, architecture, permissions, data location, and backup steps. Do not add accounts, billing, telemetry, analytics, or a hosted control plane. Deliberately leave out team assignment and comments. Deliberately leave out two-way calendar or email synchronization. Deliberately leave out native mobile apps and cloud accounts. Finish by running the tests and listing the exact commands used. ## Required capabilities - macOS, Windows, or Linux - notification permission - local SQLite database ## Delivery order 1. Scaffold the smallest runnable application and document its commands. 2. Implement the primary data model and core workflow. 3. Add validation, safe failure states, and persistence. 4. Cover the critical path with automated tests. 5. Exercise a clean install from the README and fix every missing step. ## Done when - A new user can go from clone to first successful workflow using only the README. - The core workflow works without paid infrastructure unless the brief requires it. - Tests cover the highest-risk behavior. - Known limitations are explicit rather than hidden. ===== .env.example ===== # Copy to .env and document every variable when it is introduced. # Never put real credentials in this file. APP_ENV=development # Add only values required by the selected implementation.
You are building a lean indie version of Things 3. Create the following project files first, then implement the application by following them. Keep the files updated as decisions change. Do not collapse this into a single README or prompt. ===== README.md ===== # Things 3 indie build ## Goal Build the smallest trustworthy replacement for the core Things 3 workflow for one developer or a tiny team. ## Scope Capture tasks into areas and projects with tags and deadlines, schedule or repeat them, work from a focused today view, and keep history locally. ## Quick start 1. Install the documented dependencies. 2. Copy `.env.example` to `.env`. 3. Run the development command chosen during implementation. 4. Complete the acceptance checks in `BUILD_PLAN.md`. ## Honest limits This build deliberately does not replace: - exceptional native design, Apple-device sync, shortcuts, and long-term maintenance - perfect mobile sync - calendar and email integrations - shared workspaces - behavioral coaching polish If those capabilities are essential, use Vikunja instead of pretending the gap is solved. ===== AGENTS.md ===== # Agent instructions - Optimize for a working, understandable weekend build. - Prefer the fewest moving parts that satisfy the brief. - Do not invent cryptography, security guarantees, APIs, or compliance claims. - Keep secrets out of source control and logs. - Add focused tests for destructive, security-sensitive, and data-loss paths. - Run the project checks before declaring the build complete. - Record any deliberate shortcut in the README under "Tradeoffs". ===== BUILD_PLAN.md ===== # Build plan ## Original build brief Build a personal replacement for Things 3 in an empty repository. Use Tauri 2, React, TypeScript, SQLite, and desktop notifications; do not offer alternative stacks. The core loop is: capture tasks into areas and projects with tags and deadlines, schedule or repeat them, work from a focused today view, and keep history locally. Make the first run work locally with one documented command. Store all user data locally by default and make export straightforward. Put secrets in .env, ship .env.example, and never commit credentials. Create inbox, today, upcoming, someday, and completed views with fast keyboard capture. Support projects, tags, due dates, start dates, priorities, notes, subtasks, and attachments. Implement robust daily, weekly, monthly, and custom recurring rules with tests. Add a focus view with one active task, timer, and optional desktop notification. Provide search, saved filters, undo, and a completed-task archive. Export and import a documented JSON format and make automatic local backups. Include clear empty, loading, success, and recoverable error states. Add input validation, safe filenames, and graceful handling of unavailable APIs. Write focused tests for the core transformation and one end-to-end happy path. Create a README with setup, architecture, permissions, data location, and backup steps. Do not add accounts, billing, telemetry, analytics, or a hosted control plane. Deliberately leave out team assignment and comments. Deliberately leave out two-way calendar or email synchronization. Deliberately leave out native mobile apps and cloud accounts. Finish by running the tests and listing the exact commands used. ## Required capabilities - macOS, Windows, or Linux - notification permission - local SQLite database ## Delivery order 1. Scaffold the smallest runnable application and document its commands. 2. Implement the primary data model and core workflow. 3. Add validation, safe failure states, and persistence. 4. Cover the critical path with automated tests. 5. Exercise a clean install from the README and fix every missing step. ## Done when - A new user can go from clone to first successful workflow using only the README. - The core workflow works without paid infrastructure unless the brief requires it. - Tests cover the highest-risk behavior. - Known limitations are explicit rather than hidden. ===== .env.example ===== # Copy to .env and document every variable when it is introduced. # Never put real credentials in this file. APP_ENV=development # Add only values required by the selected implementation.
You are building a production product version of Things 3. Create the following project files first, then implement the application by following them. Keep the files updated as decisions change. Do not collapse this into a single README or prompt. ===== PRODUCT.md ===== # Things 3 product brief ## Problem The core loop is small enough for a capable coding agent to produce a useful local version in one sitting. For Things 3, build a polished personal task manager with areas, projects, tags, deadlines, and a today view. The hard boundary is exceptional native design, apple-device sync, shortcuts, and long-term maintenance, plus cross-device reliability and workflow polish. ## Product outcome Capture tasks into areas and projects with tags and deadlines, schedule or repeat them, work from a focused today view, and keep history locally. ## Target user A serious builder who needs a maintainable product foundation rather than a one-off demo. ## Required capabilities - macOS, Windows, or Linux - notification permission - local SQLite database ## Explicit non-goals for v1 - exceptional native design, Apple-device sync, shortcuts, and long-term maintenance - perfect mobile sync - calendar and email integrations - shared workspaces - behavioral coaching polish ## Success criteria - The primary workflow is measurable end to end. - Setup is reproducible in a clean environment. - Failure, recovery, and support paths are documented. - Product claims match what the implementation actually guarantees. ===== ARCHITECTURE.md ===== # Architecture ## Starting brief Build a personal replacement for Things 3 in an empty repository. Use Tauri 2, React, TypeScript, SQLite, and desktop notifications; do not offer alternative stacks. The core loop is: capture tasks into areas and projects with tags and deadlines, schedule or repeat them, work from a focused today view, and keep history locally. Make the first run work locally with one documented command. Store all user data locally by default and make export straightforward. Put secrets in .env, ship .env.example, and never commit credentials. Create inbox, today, upcoming, someday, and completed views with fast keyboard capture. Support projects, tags, due dates, start dates, priorities, notes, subtasks, and attachments. Implement robust daily, weekly, monthly, and custom recurring rules with tests. Add a focus view with one active task, timer, and optional desktop notification. Provide search, saved filters, undo, and a completed-task archive. Export and import a documented JSON format and make automatic local backups. Include clear empty, loading, success, and recoverable error states. Add input validation, safe filenames, and graceful handling of unavailable APIs. Write focused tests for the core transformation and one end-to-end happy path. Create a README with setup, architecture, permissions, data location, and backup steps. Do not add accounts, billing, telemetry, analytics, or a hosted control plane. Deliberately leave out team assignment and comments. Deliberately leave out two-way calendar or email synchronization. Deliberately leave out native mobile apps and cloud accounts. Finish by running the tests and listing the exact commands used. ## Boundaries Separate the product into replaceable modules for interface, application logic, persistence, external integrations, and operational concerns. Keep domain logic independent from delivery frameworks and vendors. ## Production baseline - Configuration: validated at startup with safe local defaults where possible. - Security: least privilege, input validation, secret redaction, rate limits on abuse-prone paths, and no invented security primitives. - Data: explicit schema and migrations, transactional writes where integrity matters, backup and restore instructions. - Integrations: adapters around third-party providers, idempotent webhook or job processing, bounded retries, and timeouts. - Observability: structured logs with request or operation IDs, an error-tracking hook, and health/readiness checks where a server exists. - Quality: unit tests for domain rules, integration tests at module boundaries, and one end-to-end critical-path test. ## Decision records For each major dependency, document why it was chosen, its failure mode, and how it can be replaced. Do not introduce infrastructure until a requirement justifies it. ===== AGENTS.md ===== # Agent instructions - Read `PRODUCT.md` and `ARCHITECTURE.md` before changing code. - Implement milestone by milestone; keep each change reviewable and leave the application runnable. - Treat authentication, payments, encryption, imports, webhooks, and destructive actions as high-risk boundaries when present. - Never invent cryptography or silently weaken a requirement to make a test pass. - Use provider interfaces for external services and deterministic fakes in tests. - Add migrations and rollback or recovery notes for persistent data changes. - Log useful operational context without credentials, tokens, passwords, or personal data. - Update documentation and run all checks before completing a milestone. ===== MILESTONES.md ===== # Delivery milestones ## M0 — Decisions and scaffold - Confirm the runtime, persistence model, threat boundaries, and deployment target. - Create a reproducible local environment and continuous checks. ## M1 — Core workflow - Implement the smallest end-to-end product path with validation and tests. - Keep integrations behind interfaces. ## M2 — Trust layer - Add secure failure behavior, recovery paths, audit-relevant events, and data safeguards. - Test abuse cases and destructive operations. ## M3 — Operability - Add structured logs, error reporting hooks, health signals, backup/restore documentation, and deployment configuration. ## M4 — Release gate - Run a clean-install test, critical-path end-to-end test, dependency review, and documented rollback exercise. - Compare the shipped behavior with `PRODUCT.md` and publish remaining limitations. ===== OPERATIONS.md ===== # Operations ## Before release - Validate configuration and secrets at startup. - Define backup, restore, and rollback procedures and test them. - Document logs, error tracking, health signals, and alert ownership. - Set dependency update and vulnerability review expectations. ## Incident checklist 1. Contain the issue without destroying evidence or user data. 2. Record the timeline and affected scope. 3. Rotate exposed secrets and revoke compromised sessions or credentials. 4. Restore from a verified source when needed. 5. Document the root cause, remediation, and regression test. ## Launch constraint Do not market omitted Things 3 capabilities as implemented. The v1 non-goals in `PRODUCT.md` remain user-visible limitations until they are deliberately delivered.
README.md
# Things 3 indie build ## Goal Build the smallest trustworthy replacement for the core Things 3 workflow for one developer or a tiny team. ## Scope Capture tasks into areas and projects with tags and deadlines, schedule or repeat them, work from a focused today view, and keep history locally. ## Quick start 1. Install the documented dependencies. 2. Copy `.env.example` to `.env`. 3. Run the development command chosen during implementation. 4. Complete the acceptance checks in `BUILD_PLAN.md`. ## Honest limits This build deliberately does not replace: - exceptional native design, Apple-device sync, shortcuts, and long-term maintenance - perfect mobile sync - calendar and email integrations - shared workspaces - behavioral coaching polish If those capabilities are essential, use Vikunja instead of pretending the gap is solved.
AGENTS.md
# Agent instructions - Optimize for a working, understandable weekend build. - Prefer the fewest moving parts that satisfy the brief. - Do not invent cryptography, security guarantees, APIs, or compliance claims. - Keep secrets out of source control and logs. - Add focused tests for destructive, security-sensitive, and data-loss paths. - Run the project checks before declaring the build complete. - Record any deliberate shortcut in the README under "Tradeoffs".
BUILD_PLAN.md
# Build plan ## Original build brief Build a personal replacement for Things 3 in an empty repository. Use Tauri 2, React, TypeScript, SQLite, and desktop notifications; do not offer alternative stacks. The core loop is: capture tasks into areas and projects with tags and deadlines, schedule or repeat them, work from a focused today view, and keep history locally. Make the first run work locally with one documented command. Store all user data locally by default and make export straightforward. Put secrets in .env, ship .env.example, and never commit credentials. Create inbox, today, upcoming, someday, and completed views with fast keyboard capture. Support projects, tags, due dates, start dates, priorities, notes, subtasks, and attachments. Implement robust daily, weekly, monthly, and custom recurring rules with tests. Add a focus view with one active task, timer, and optional desktop notification. Provide search, saved filters, undo, and a completed-task archive. Export and import a documented JSON format and make automatic local backups. Include clear empty, loading, success, and recoverable error states. Add input validation, safe filenames, and graceful handling of unavailable APIs. Write focused tests for the core transformation and one end-to-end happy path. Create a README with setup, architecture, permissions, data location, and backup steps. Do not add accounts, billing, telemetry, analytics, or a hosted control plane. Deliberately leave out team assignment and comments. Deliberately leave out two-way calendar or email synchronization. Deliberately leave out native mobile apps and cloud accounts. Finish by running the tests and listing the exact commands used. ## Required capabilities - macOS, Windows, or Linux - notification permission - local SQLite database ## Delivery order 1. Scaffold the smallest runnable application and document its commands. 2. Implement the primary data model and core workflow. 3. Add validation, safe failure states, and persistence. 4. Cover the critical path with automated tests. 5. Exercise a clean install from the README and fix every missing step. ## Done when - A new user can go from clone to first successful workflow using only the README. - The core workflow works without paid infrastructure unless the brief requires it. - Tests cover the highest-risk behavior. - Known limitations are explicit rather than hidden.
.env.example
# Copy to .env and document every variable when it is introduced. # Never put real credentials in this file. APP_ENV=development # Add only values required by the selected implementation.
PRODUCT.md
# Things 3 product brief ## Problem The core loop is small enough for a capable coding agent to produce a useful local version in one sitting. For Things 3, build a polished personal task manager with areas, projects, tags, deadlines, and a today view. The hard boundary is exceptional native design, apple-device sync, shortcuts, and long-term maintenance, plus cross-device reliability and workflow polish. ## Product outcome Capture tasks into areas and projects with tags and deadlines, schedule or repeat them, work from a focused today view, and keep history locally. ## Target user A serious builder who needs a maintainable product foundation rather than a one-off demo. ## Required capabilities - macOS, Windows, or Linux - notification permission - local SQLite database ## Explicit non-goals for v1 - exceptional native design, Apple-device sync, shortcuts, and long-term maintenance - perfect mobile sync - calendar and email integrations - shared workspaces - behavioral coaching polish ## Success criteria - The primary workflow is measurable end to end. - Setup is reproducible in a clean environment. - Failure, recovery, and support paths are documented. - Product claims match what the implementation actually guarantees.
ARCHITECTURE.md
# Architecture ## Starting brief Build a personal replacement for Things 3 in an empty repository. Use Tauri 2, React, TypeScript, SQLite, and desktop notifications; do not offer alternative stacks. The core loop is: capture tasks into areas and projects with tags and deadlines, schedule or repeat them, work from a focused today view, and keep history locally. Make the first run work locally with one documented command. Store all user data locally by default and make export straightforward. Put secrets in .env, ship .env.example, and never commit credentials. Create inbox, today, upcoming, someday, and completed views with fast keyboard capture. Support projects, tags, due dates, start dates, priorities, notes, subtasks, and attachments. Implement robust daily, weekly, monthly, and custom recurring rules with tests. Add a focus view with one active task, timer, and optional desktop notification. Provide search, saved filters, undo, and a completed-task archive. Export and import a documented JSON format and make automatic local backups. Include clear empty, loading, success, and recoverable error states. Add input validation, safe filenames, and graceful handling of unavailable APIs. Write focused tests for the core transformation and one end-to-end happy path. Create a README with setup, architecture, permissions, data location, and backup steps. Do not add accounts, billing, telemetry, analytics, or a hosted control plane. Deliberately leave out team assignment and comments. Deliberately leave out two-way calendar or email synchronization. Deliberately leave out native mobile apps and cloud accounts. Finish by running the tests and listing the exact commands used. ## Boundaries Separate the product into replaceable modules for interface, application logic, persistence, external integrations, and operational concerns. Keep domain logic independent from delivery frameworks and vendors. ## Production baseline - Configuration: validated at startup with safe local defaults where possible. - Security: least privilege, input validation, secret redaction, rate limits on abuse-prone paths, and no invented security primitives. - Data: explicit schema and migrations, transactional writes where integrity matters, backup and restore instructions. - Integrations: adapters around third-party providers, idempotent webhook or job processing, bounded retries, and timeouts. - Observability: structured logs with request or operation IDs, an error-tracking hook, and health/readiness checks where a server exists. - Quality: unit tests for domain rules, integration tests at module boundaries, and one end-to-end critical-path test. ## Decision records For each major dependency, document why it was chosen, its failure mode, and how it can be replaced. Do not introduce infrastructure until a requirement justifies it.
AGENTS.md
# Agent instructions - Read `PRODUCT.md` and `ARCHITECTURE.md` before changing code. - Implement milestone by milestone; keep each change reviewable and leave the application runnable. - Treat authentication, payments, encryption, imports, webhooks, and destructive actions as high-risk boundaries when present. - Never invent cryptography or silently weaken a requirement to make a test pass. - Use provider interfaces for external services and deterministic fakes in tests. - Add migrations and rollback or recovery notes for persistent data changes. - Log useful operational context without credentials, tokens, passwords, or personal data. - Update documentation and run all checks before completing a milestone.
MILESTONES.md
# Delivery milestones ## M0 — Decisions and scaffold - Confirm the runtime, persistence model, threat boundaries, and deployment target. - Create a reproducible local environment and continuous checks. ## M1 — Core workflow - Implement the smallest end-to-end product path with validation and tests. - Keep integrations behind interfaces. ## M2 — Trust layer - Add secure failure behavior, recovery paths, audit-relevant events, and data safeguards. - Test abuse cases and destructive operations. ## M3 — Operability - Add structured logs, error reporting hooks, health signals, backup/restore documentation, and deployment configuration. ## M4 — Release gate - Run a clean-install test, critical-path end-to-end test, dependency review, and documented rollback exercise. - Compare the shipped behavior with `PRODUCT.md` and publish remaining limitations.
OPERATIONS.md
# Operations ## Before release - Validate configuration and secrets at startup. - Define backup, restore, and rollback procedures and test them. - Document logs, error tracking, health signals, and alert ownership. - Set dependency update and vulnerability review expectations. ## Incident checklist 1. Contain the issue without destroying evidence or user data. 2. Record the timeline and affected scope. 3. Rotate exposed secrets and revoke compromised sessions or credentials. 4. Restore from a verified source when needed. 5. Document the root cause, remediation, and regression test. ## Launch constraint Do not market omitted Things 3 capabilities as implemented. The v1 non-goals in `PRODUCT.md` remain user-visible limitations until they are deliberately delivered.
$ choose a build depth, inspect the files, then open the complete pack in your agent · this prompt is generated from the build plan · improve it via PR
People still pay for Things 3 because task software is sticky because trust, speed, and ubiquitous capture matter more than the database schema. The recurring cost buys recurrence edge cases, notifications, sync conflicts, calendar APIs, mobile capture, and backups, not just the visible interface.
xexceptional native design, Apple-device sync, shortcuts, and long-term maintenance
xperfect mobile sync
xcalendar and email integrations
xshared workspaces
xbehavioral coaching polish
share on X ↗"I just replaced Things 3 with one prompt"
Don't feel like building it? These folks already made it free.
Super ProductivityA local task manager with timeboxing, Pomodoro, and no account begging to be createdopen source↗
VikunjaA capable Todoist replacement once you accept becoming its hosting departmentopen source↗
Apple RemindersThings minus the polish tax, provided every device in sight has an Apple logofree↗all 4 free alternatives to Things 3 →· no votes, no pay-to-list · just what's real
Things 3 pricing
| plan | monthly | annual (per mo) | what you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| things for mac | custom | — | 1 Mac App Store license; 15-day direct-download trial. |
| things for iphone & apple watch | custom | — | 1 iPhone/Apple Watch App Store purchase. |
| things for ipad | custom | — | 1 iPad App Store purchase. |
| things for apple vision | custom | — | 1 Apple Vision App Store purchase. |
free tierno free tier
billingone-time purchase per Apple platform; no subscription or annual plan
hidden costsMac, iPhone/Watch, iPad, and Vision are separate purchases; there is no cross-platform bundle, though Things Cloud sync is free.
verified 2026-08-14 · source ↗
Vibecode Things 3
Yes. A competent AI coding agent (Claude Code, Codex, Cursor) can build a usable personal Things 3 replacement in one session with the prompt on this page. It runs on your own machine or server with no subscription.
How much does Things 3 cost?
Things 3's pricing is usage-based or varies by plan · Sold as separate one-time app purchases; canonical monthly price is null..
What do I lose by replacing Things 3?
Honestly: exceptional native design, Apple-device sync, shortcuts, and long-term maintenance; perfect mobile sync; calendar and email integrations; shared workspaces; behavioral coaching polish. If any of those are load-bearing for you, keep paying.
Is there an open-source alternative to Things 3?
Yes: Super Productivity (A local task manager with timeboxing, Pomodoro, and no account begging to be created) Vikunja (A capable Todoist replacement once you accept becoming its hosting department) Apple Reminders (Things minus the polish tax, provided every device in sight has an Apple logo) All 4 curated free alternatives are at vibecodeit.com/things-3/alternatives. The prompt is for when you want it exactly your way.