Apple Notes is already on your iPhone, iPad and Mac. Open it, add a checklist, and you have a to-do list in seconds. Many people's task lists started there. For notes, ideas and short checklists, it is a solid choice.
Next Moves Lab does a different job. You write down everything on your mind, and it hands back one task to do now, the reason it was picked, and a small first step. You stop scrolling the same note each morning and deciding again.
The short version
- Apple Notes is a solid pick if you want a quick, familiar place for notes, ideas and short checklists.
- Next Moves Lab is the better fit if you work for yourself, your to-do note keeps getting longer, and you want something to pick what comes first.
Side by side
Price
- Apple Notes
- Free; comes with Apple devices
- Next Moves Lab
- $9.99 a month, 30-day money-back guarantee
Who decides the order
- Apple Notes
- You, each time you open the note
- Next Moves Lab
- It does, and shows you the reason
What you see
- Apple Notes
- Your notes, in folders
- Next Moves Lab
- One task and a small first step; the rest waits in Later
Rules for your day
- Apple Notes
- Kept in your head
- Next Moves Lab
- Set once, like "no calls before 10", and followed every day
Follow-ups
- Apple Notes
- You add them
- Next Moves Lab
- Suggested from what you finished; tap Yes or No
Unfinished tasks
- Apple Notes
- Stay in the note until you sort them
- Next Moves Lab
- Wait in Later until they make sense; only you remove one
When Apple Notes is a solid choice
- You want to write things down fast. It is right there on your devices, quick and familiar.
- Your notes go beyond tasks. Meeting notes, ideas and lists for home all live in one place.
Where Next Moves Lab wins
- Your checklist is long and you stall. Next Moves Lab ranks your tasks and hands you one, with the reason it won and a first step of a couple of minutes. If you disagree, you can swap the pick.
- Your week has a point. Set one goal for the week, and tasks that move it rank first. The note called "this week" stops being a list of everything.
- Your rules are followed every day. Set "no calls before 10" or "admin on Fridays" once, and every plan respects it.
- Today fits the day you have. Tell it your time and energy, and it sizes today to fit. At most three tasks are in play; the rest wait in Later, which has no limit.
- Follow-ups come to you. Finish an invoice or a quote and it suggests the follow-up. You tap Yes or No. It never sends anything for you.
- Getting tasks in is easy. Type, speak, paste a note, or add a photo of a handwritten list.
Using both
Keep Apple Notes for what it does well: notes, ideas, and lists for home. Use Next Moves Lab for your work day. When your to-do note grows, copy it and paste it in. It turns each line into a task, ranks them, and gives you a first pick.
Common questions
Can I move my Apple Notes checklist into Next Moves Lab?
Yes. Copy the checklist and paste it in, and each line becomes a task. You can also add a photo of a handwritten list.
Does Next Moves Lab work on my iPhone?
It runs in the browser on your iPhone, iPad or Mac; a phone app is not out yet.