Things 3 MCP servers: local and remote options
Things 3 has community MCP servers for Mac and remote access. Compare local integrations, unofficial Things Cloud bridges, and Done Bear’s hosted MCP.
Short answer: Things 3 has no official MCP server, and Cultured Code offers no direct AI integration. Community MCP servers exist, including some with remote access. Choose one by how it reaches your tasks, who maintains it, and what has to stay running. For Windows, web, shared lists, and a server maintained by the task app’s developer, Done Bear is another option.
Cultured Code has no official MCP server
Cultured Code’s guidance on third-party AI tools says it does not offer direct integrations with Claude, ChatGPT or coding agents. It acknowledges community MCP servers and identifies the URL scheme, Apple Shortcuts, AppleScript and Mail to Things as supported integration methods.
An assistant can still use Things. Community projects provide the connection, and they read and change your list in different ways.
Matching a Things MCP server to your setup
| Approach | Where it runs | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Local Mac integration | On the Mac with Things | Read and write methods, macOS permissions, supported fields |
| Mac integration with HTTP transport | On a reachable Mac | Authentication, client compatibility, and whether the Mac stays available |
| Unofficial Things Cloud bridge | On a server you operate | Unsupported sync access and Cultured Code’s warning about Cloud credentials |
| Done Bear hosted MCP | On Done Bear’s service | Uses a Done Bear account and task list; moving from Things requires an import |
Remote access is possible in more than one way. It does not by itself establish that a server uses a supported Things integration.
Local servers for Claude Desktop and coding agents
than/things-mcp is one example. It reads the Things database read-only, falls back to AppleScript when it can’t, and writes only through the Things URL scheme. It runs on macOS, on the same Mac as Things. Its README explains the permissions each backend needs and which fields the fallback can read.
Check the backend before connecting. Reading a local database and writing to it are different operations, and Cultured Code warns that writing directly to the Things database isn’t safe. Its list of supported methods is the place to start when you judge an integration.
A local server suits you if your assistant runs on the same Mac as Things. Check the project’s install steps and limits against the client you use.
Remote Things MCP servers
A Things MCP server can work remotely. piersdd/things-3-mcp documents HTTP transport with authentication around a Mac-based integration. That repository was archived on April 5, 2026, so treat it as an example of the approach and not a maintained install. The Mac and the server still need to be running.
There are also projects that bypass the Mac. things-cloud-mcp describes a server that connects to Things Cloud through a reverse-engineered SDK and exposes an MCP endpoint. That’s what the project documents. We haven’t tested it.
Cultured Code warns against tools that request Things Cloud credentials because unsupported access can cause data loss. A remote bridge existing doesn’t make it an official or recommended connection. Check that your assistant supports its transport and authentication, too.
When Done Bear’s hosted MCP makes sense
Done Bear hosts an MCP server at https://mcp.donebear.com/mcp. Follow the setup guide for Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, or Claude Code to connect your account with OAuth.
The assistant can read tasks, add tasks, triage the inbox and complete work in Done Bear. Review the tool permissions in your client, because approval behaviour depends on that client’s settings. No Mac has to stay awake to run a bridge.
Done Bear maintains this server for its own task list. It doesn’t sync back to Things. The MCP documentation describes the available tools.
Keep Things if its Apple apps and personal workflow meet your needs. Consider Done Bear if you also need Windows, the web app, or a list shared with other people and agents. The Things 3 alternative comparison sets the two apps side by side.
Moving your tasks from Things
Start free and open the Things importer. On the Mac with Things, make a copy of its main.sqlite database, then upload that copy. Review the import preview before confirming.
If you prefer the command line, the Things import guide covers donebear import things, including its dry-run option. Keep your original Things list while you check the imported tasks.
Done Bear is free up to 250 tasks with no credit card. Try the import and one real task before deciding whether to move the rest of your workflow.
Start free with agent access
The same list your CLI and Claude already use. Free up to 250 tasks. No credit card.
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