Comparison

IvyTask vs Next Thing

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

IvyTask

This app helps you focus on your most important tasks with a priority-first approach and a distraction-free design. It features a Live Activity widget to keep your top priority visible and connects daily actions to larger goals.

Highlights
  • Priority-first task organization
  • Live Activity widget for lock screen
  • Smart goal tracking
  • Distraction-free design
  • Daily focus system
Features
Read full description

Stop drowning in endless to-do lists. IvyTask helps you focus on what truly matters by keeping your highest priority task visible throughout your day. Unlike other task apps that overwhelm you with features and endless lists, IvyTask embraces simplicity. Based on proven productivity principles, it encourages you to identify your most important tasks and actually complete them, rather than getting lost in busy work. Why choose IvyTask? IvyTask is a focused productivity tool that cuts through the noise and keeps you on track with your priorities. - Priority-first approach – Organize tasks by importance, not just urgency, so you're always working on what moves the needle forward - Live Activity widget – Your current highest priority task stays visible on your lock screen and Dynamic Island, so you never lose sight of what matters most - Smart goal tracking – Connect daily tasks to bigger objectives and watch your progress unfold over time - Distraction-free design – Clean, intuitive interface that encourages action over endless organization and tweaking - Daily focus system – Start each day knowing exactly what to tackle first, eliminating decision fatigue before it starts Perfect for: - Professionals who want to move beyond busy work to meaningful progress - Anyone tired of complex productivity apps that become a chore to maintain - People who struggle with prioritization and focus in our distraction-filled world - Goal-oriented individuals who want to see their daily actions connect to bigger achievements Transform scattered productivity into focused achievement. Download IvyTask and discover the power of working on the right things, not just more things.

About

Next Thing

This app helps you focus on one task at a time using the simple Ivy Lee Method. Prioritize your top tasks each evening and tackle them sequentially the next day, reducing stress and boosting effectiveness. Ideal for those who find traditional to-do lists overwhelming.

Highlights
  • Ivy Lee Method task prioritization
  • Single-task focus
  • Evening task selection
  • Daily habit building
  • Lock screen widgets
  • Home screen widgets
  • Focus bell reminders
Features
Read full description

Most productivity apps make you more stressed, not less. Endless lists, complex systems, notifications pulling you in every direction. Next Thing is different: one list, one task at a time. Built on the Ivy Lee Method, a century-old system famously used by Charles Schwab, Next Thing strips productivity down to its most powerful form. Each evening, choose your most important tasks and rank them in order of priority. The next day, focus on one thing at a time. That's it. We've heard from users with ADHD that this single-task approach is a game changer. No overwhelming lists, just the next thing in front of you. How it works: - Add tasks to your list anytime a thought crosses your mind - Each evening, pick your top 6 and rank them by priority - The next day, focus on one task at a time. Done or skip. Nothing else. - Build the habit with streaks and satisfying completion moments - Optional morning and evening reminders, off unless you turn them on NEW: Projects Some work is bigger than a day. Tap the pill in the corner to switch to Projects mode, with the same calm, one-thing-at-a-time focus. - Break projects into tasks and subtasks - Add owners, start dates, and due dates - Progress rings fill as you check off subtasks - Rank your projects and see each one's next step on your focus screen - Check off the next step with one tap, right from the focus screen - Archive finished projects and restore them anytime Free to use, including one active project. Upgrades are one-time purchases. No subscription, ever. Ivy Lee Pro: - Live Activity and Dynamic Island - your current task, always in view - Lock screen widgets - see your #1 task without unlocking your phone - Home screen widget - see your #1 task without opening the app - Focus bell - set a reminder to check in on your current task - Streaks heatmap - track your consistency over time - Recurring tasks - daily habits auto-return to your list - Custom app icons and focus screen themes - Unlimited task list Projects Pro: - Unlimited active projects Complete: - Everything in Ivy Lee Pro and Projects Pro, for less than buying both Already own Pro from an earlier version? Thank you. Projects Pro is included, free. Your privacy matters. No account required, no login, no data sharing. Your tasks live on your device and nowhere else. Stop managing your productivity system. Start doing your next thing.

Screenshots

IvyTask4 screens
Next Thing4 screens

Verdict

The call

IvyTask and Next Thing both sit at 5.0 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of Next Thing's written reviews are positive against 50% of IvyTask's. Next Thing also leads on price (Free vs $1.99) and ratings volume (4 vs 1). IvyTask's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and update cadence (daily vs every 3 weeks). On rating, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Next Thing is free to download; IvyTask costs $1.99 up front. Next Thing sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. IvyTask asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for IvyTask against 5.0 for Next Thing. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 4 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 50% of IvyTask's written reviews are positive against 100% of Next Thing's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

IvyTask ships an update daily, Next Thing every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
IvyTask versus Next Thing: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterIvyTaskNext Thing
Price$1.99Free — better
Rating5.0 (1 ratings)5.0 (4 ratings)
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings14 — better
Update frequencyDaily — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFreemium — better
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS17.2 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size5 MB8 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJohn MockJEREMIAH DANIEL ROBERTS

Customer experience

IvyTask

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

Next Thing

All ratings4 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

IvyTask

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Next Thing

One-time3
  • Ivy Lee Pro$3.99
  • Projects Pro$5.99
  • Next Thing Complete$7.99

Questions

Is IvyTask free?
IvyTask costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Next Thing free?
Next Thing is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, IvyTask or Next Thing?
IvyTask and Next Thing are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 4 ratings respectively.
Do IvyTask or Next Thing have ads?
Neither IvyTask nor Next Thing shows ads.
Which is updated more often, IvyTask or Next Thing?
IvyTask ships an update daily, and Next Thing every 3 weeks. Most recently, IvyTask was updated on October 30, 2026 and Next Thing on October 31, 2026.

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