Todoist is a well-made to-do list. It is fast to add to, and projects, labels and filters let you organize everything the way you like. For keeping track of what you need to do, it is a solid choice.
Next Moves Lab solves a different problem. Todoist is built to hold your tasks. Next Moves Lab is built to choose between them. You write down what is 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
- Todoist is a solid pick if your list is under control and you mostly need a reliable place to capture and organize things.
- Next Moves Lab is the better fit if your list keeps growing, you look at it and do not know where to start, and you would like something to pick for you and explain why.
Side by side
Price
- Todoist
- Free plan; paid Pro plan
- Next Moves Lab
- $9.99 a month, 30-day money-back guarantee
Main job
- Todoist
- Capture and organize tasks
- Next Moves Lab
- Decide which task to do next
Who decides the order
- Todoist
- You, with priorities, dates and filters
- Next Moves Lab
- It does, and shows you the reason
How the morning starts
- Todoist
- You open your Today view and choose
- Next Moves Lab
- The first task is already waiting
What you see
- Todoist
- Your list, grouped by project or date
- Next Moves Lab
- One task and a small first step; the rest waits in Later
When a day goes wrong
- Todoist
- Missed tasks show as overdue
- Next Moves Lab
- Nothing turns red; unfinished work waits in Later
When Todoist is a solid choice
- You want a reliable place for everything. Quick add, voice capture and email make it easy to get tasks in from anywhere.
- You like organizing. Projects, labels, filters and sections give you full control. If building your system is part of the pleasure, Todoist is a great place for it.
Where Next Moves Lab wins
- You know what is on the list but not what to do first. That is the exact moment it is built for. It ranks everything and hands you one task, with a first step you can do in a couple of minutes.
- You get the reason. Every pick says why it won, such as a deadline, your goal for the week, or a client waiting. You can disagree and swap it.
- No overdue counts. There are no red dates, overdue badges or streaks. Unfinished work waits in Later and comes back when it is relevant.
- 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 it plans every day around that.
- Follow-ups come to you. Finish a quote or an invoice and it suggests the follow-up. You tap Yes or No.
Using both
You do not have to give up Todoist. Some people keep it as the long-term inbox for everything, and use Next Moves Lab for the working day. Copy across what matters this week, paste it in as plain words, and let it decide the order.
Common questions
Is it a replacement for Todoist?
For some people, yes. If your main problem is deciding rather than remembering, it can replace your list. If not, keep Todoist and use both.
What happens to the tasks I do not get to?
They wait in Later. Later has no limit, nothing is marked overdue, and only you remove a task.