Apple Reminders comes with every iPhone, iPad and Mac. Ask Siri to remind you about something and it is saved. Set a time, a date or a place, and the app nudges you when it matters. For things tied to a moment, it is a solid choice.
Next Moves Lab answers a different question: not "when", but "what first". 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.
The short version
- Apple Reminders is a solid pick if you want a nudge at the right time or place, like a call at 3 or a bill on the 1st.
- Next Moves Lab is the better fit if you work for yourself, your lists have grown long, and the hard part is choosing what to do next.
Side by side
Price
- Apple Reminders
- Free; comes with Apple devices
- Next Moves Lab
- $9.99 a month, 30-day money-back guarantee
Who decides the order
- Apple Reminders
- You, with dates and lists
- Next Moves Lab
- It does, and shows you the reason
What you see
- Apple Reminders
- Your lists and what is due
- Next Moves Lab
- One task and a small first step; the rest waits in Later
Rules for your day
- Apple Reminders
- Kept in your head
- Next Moves Lab
- Set once, like "admin on Fridays", and followed every day
Follow-ups
- Apple Reminders
- You add them
- Next Moves Lab
- Suggested from what you finished; tap Yes or No
When a day goes wrong
- Apple Reminders
- You move the dates by hand
- Next Moves Lab
- Nothing turns red; get the next move from where you are
When Apple Reminders is a solid choice
- You need a nudge at the right moment. Reminders alerts you at a set time or when you arrive somewhere.
- You want to save things hands-free. Say it to Siri and it is on your list.
- You share lists at home. A shared grocery list with your family works well.
Where Next Moves Lab wins
- Your lists stop being a pile. Next Moves Lab ranks your tasks and hands you one, with the reason it won, such as a deadline, your goal for the week, or a client waiting. You can swap the pick.
- Starting is easy. Each pick comes with a first step of a couple of minutes, so you are moving before you have time to stall.
- No overdue counts. Nothing turns red, there are no overdue counts and no streaks. Unfinished work waits in Later and comes back when it makes sense. Only you remove a task.
- Your week has a point. Set one goal for the week, and tasks that move it rank first.
- 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 at once.
- 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.
Using both
They do different jobs, so they sit well together. Keep Reminders for things that must happen at a set time or place. Use Next Moves Lab for the rest of your work. Copy a long list out of Reminders and paste it in, and it turns each line into a task.
Common questions
Will Next Moves Lab remind me about tasks?
No, it does not send alerts at set times; it picks your next task when you open it.
How is this different from sorting by due date?
A due date says when something is due, not what matters most right now. Next Moves Lab weighs your goal for the week, your rules, and the time and energy you have, then picks one task and tells you why.