Ellie is a clean, friendly daily planner. You brain dump your tasks, then drag the ones you want onto today and into time boxes on your calendar. For people who like to plan their day visually, it is a solid choice.
Both tools start with a brain dump. The difference is what happens next. In Ellie, you decide what goes where. In Next Moves Lab, it decides what you do next, tells you why, and gives you a small first step.
The short version
- Ellie is a solid pick if you like planning your day visually and want to timebox.
- Next Moves Lab is the better fit if you do the brain dump and then stall, because the choosing is the hard part.
Side by side
Price
- Ellie
- Free plan; Pro $9.99 a month; lifetime option
- Next Moves Lab
- $9.99 a month, 30-day money-back guarantee
Brain dump
- Ellie
- Yes
- Next Moves Lab
- Yes, by typing, speaking, pasting or a photo of your notes
Who decides the order
- Ellie
- You, by dragging tasks into your day
- Next Moves Lab
- It does, and shows you the reason
Time planning
- Ellie
- Timeboxing on your calendar (Pro)
- Next Moves Lab
- Sizes the day to the time and energy you tell it
What you see
- Ellie
- Your day as a list and timeline
- Next Moves Lab
- One task and a small first step; the rest waits in Later
Follow-ups
- Ellie
- You add them
- Next Moves Lab
- Suggested from what you finished; tap Yes or No
When Ellie is a solid choice
- You like timeboxing. Placing each task in a time slot is what Ellie is designed for.
- You enjoy a visual plan. Dragging tasks into your day keeps you in full control of how it looks.
Where Next Moves Lab wins
- You freeze after the dump. If you write it all down and then cannot pick, a tool that picks for you fixes the actual problem. The first task is waiting, with a first step you can do in a couple of minutes.
- You get the reason. Each pick explains why it won, such as a deadline, your goal for the week, or a client waiting. You can swap it.
- Your week has a point. Set one goal for the week, and tasks that move it rank first.
- Your rules are followed. Tell it "no calls before 10" or "admin on Fridays" once, and every plan respects it.
- Days that break do not break the plan. There are no time boxes to rearrange. Nothing turns red; unfinished work waits in Later and comes back when it makes sense.
- Follow-ups come to you. Finish a quote or an invoice and it suggests the follow-up. You tap Yes or No.
Switching from Ellie
Copy your Ellie brain dump and paste it into Next Moves Lab. It turns it into tasks, ranks them, and gives you a first pick.
Common questions
Both cost $9.99. What am I paying for in each?
In Ellie Pro you pay for timeboxing, calendar features and more. In Next Moves Lab you pay for the decision: one task, the reason, and the next one when you finish.
Does Next Moves Lab timebox?
No. It tells you what to do next and fits the day to the time and energy you have.