Trello is simple and easy to like. You make a board, add lists like To do, Doing and Done, and drag cards across as work moves. It is visual and quick to learn. For people who think in boards, it is a solid choice.
Next Moves Lab does the part a board leaves to you: choosing. 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
- Trello is a solid pick if you like seeing your work as cards on a board, you share boards with clients, and you are happy to set your own order.
- Next Moves Lab is the better fit if your To do column keeps growing, you look at it and do not know where to start, and you want something to pick for you.
Side by side
Price
- Trello
- Free plan; Standard $5 per user a month billed yearly, or $6 billed monthly
- Next Moves Lab
- $9.99 a month, 30-day money-back guarantee
Setup
- Trello
- You create boards, lists and labels
- Next Moves Lab
- None; you start by writing down what is on your mind
Who decides the order
- Trello
- You, by dragging cards
- Next Moves Lab
- It does, and shows you the reason
What you see
- Trello
- Every card on the board
- Next Moves Lab
- One task and a small first step; the rest waits in Later
How the morning starts
- Trello
- You look over the board and choose
- Next Moves Lab
- The first task is already waiting
Rules for your day
- Trello
- You keep them in mind as you choose
- Next Moves Lab
- Set once, like "no calls before 10", and followed every time it plans
Follow-ups
- Trello
- You add a card for them
- Next Moves Lab
- Suggested from what you finished; tap Yes or No
When Trello is a solid choice
- You think in boards. If dragging a card to Done helps you, Trello does it very well.
- You share work. Boards are easy to share with clients and teammates, so everyone sees progress in one place.
Where Next Moves Lab wins
- A full board, one clear start. A To do list with forty cards does not say which comes first. Next Moves Lab picks one task, says why it won, and gives you a first step of a couple of minutes. You can swap the pick.
- Less on screen. At most three tasks are in play in a day. The rest wait in Later, out of sight until they matter. Later has no limit, and only you remove a task.
- A day sized to you. Tell it your time and energy, and it sizes today to fit.
- Your week adds up. Set one goal for the week, and tasks that move it rank first.
- Your rules are kept. Set "admin on Fridays" once, and every plan respects it.
- Follow-ups noticed. When you finish something like a quote or an invoice, it suggests the follow-up. Tap Yes or No. It never sends anything for you.
Using both
If you share boards with clients, keep them in Trello. That is where the client sees progress. For your own working day, copy the cards that matter this week into Next Moves Lab and let it choose the order. Plain words are fine.
Common questions
Does it have a board view?
No. It shows you one task at a time, with the rest waiting in Later. That is the whole idea: you see what to do now, not everything you could do.