Quick Answer
Pick by the job: Todoist, Things 3 or TickTick to manage tasks, Apple Notes, Bear or Notion to keep notes, and NoteWall, our app, to keep a few notes in sight on your Lock Screen. Most people need one app from the first two groups. NoteWall does not replace them; it sits on top as a reminder layer. Every app below was checked against its US App Store listing on October 29, 2026.
A note on bias: NoteWall is our app, made by Karol Billik, and it is in this comparison. It does a narrower job than the other six, so this page says where it does not fit. What it says about the other apps comes from their own App Store listings, quoted where it matters, not from our opinion of them.
Which iPhone productivity app should you pick?
Start from the problem, not the app. If tasks slip because they live in your head, you need a task manager. If ideas and lists get lost, you need a notes app. If you already wrote things down and still forget them, the gap is visibility, and that is the only job NoteWall does. Picking one app per problem beats stacking five apps that overlap.
How do the seven apps compare at a glance?
| App (maker, per its listing) | Best at | What its listing highlights | How it is paid for (listing, Oct 29, 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| NoteWall (Karol Billik) | Keeping a few notes in sight | "Add notes, reminders, goals, habits, or quotes, and they appear right on your lock screen" | Subscription required |
| Todoist (Todoist Inc.) | Tasks across work and life | Quick Add turns a typed line like "Submit report every Friday at 4pm #Work" into a dated task | Free to download |
| Things 3 (Cultured Code) | A personal to-do list with projects | Today and Upcoming lists; widgets for the Home and Lock Screens | Paid download |
| TickTick (Appest Limited) | Tasks, habits and a focus timer in one app | Pomo Timer, habit goals, reminders by time or location | Free to download, optional Premium |
| Apple Notes (Apple) | Quick notes and checklists | Checklists, document scanner, locked notes, iCloud sync | Comes with the iPhone |
| Bear (Shiny Frog) | Writing in Markdown | Markdown notes and tags, "no signup and no account" to start | Free to download, some features need Bear Pro |
| Notion (Notion Labs) | Notes, docs and projects with a team | "AI-powered all-in-one workspace" for individuals and teams | Free for personal use, per its listing |
Todoist's App Store listing says 50 million+ people and teams use it (checked October 29, 2026). Popular is not the same as right for you, which is why the table sorts apps by job.
Which task manager fits you: Todoist, Things 3 or TickTick?
All three handle due dates, lists and reminders, so the choice comes down to how you work. Todoist suits people who type tasks in plain sentences and use more than one device. Things 3 suits people who want a calm personal planner and are happy to pay once. TickTick suits people who want habits and a focus timer in the same app.
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Todoist: its listing calls it "the task manager that bridges personal and professional productivity" and says it syncs across iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Mac and other devices. Quick Add reads dates, labels and projects out of what you type.
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Things 3: built around to-dos, projects and areas of life, with Today and Upcoming lists that also show calendar events. It is a paid download, per its listing, which also mentions widgets for the Home and Lock Screens.
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TickTick: the widest feature list of the three, per its listing: a Pomo Timer, habit goals, countdowns, an AI assistant and reminders based on time or location. The listing says "TickTick is always free", with a Premium upgrade for more lists and views.
If you are weighing TickTick against the reminders app already on your phone, our TickTick vs Apple Reminders comparison goes through that choice feature by feature.
Which notes app fits you: Apple Notes, Bear or Notion?
Apple Notes covers most people, because it is already on the iPhone and syncs through iCloud. Bear is for people who write a lot and like Markdown. Notion is for people who want notes, documents and project boards in one place, often shared with a team. The more an app does, the more setup it asks of you.
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Apple Notes: its listing names checklists, attachments, a built-in document scanner, locked notes for private information, and iCloud sync across your devices.
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Bear: "a beautiful, powerfully simple Markdown app", per its listing, with tags and linked notes. You can start without an account; some exports, themes and search features need Bear Pro.
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Notion: its listing describes an "AI-powered all-in-one workspace" where individuals and teams write notes, manage tasks and organize projects. Flexible, which also means more to set up before it pays off.
Where does NoteWall fit, and where does it not?
NoteWall writes the notes you type into your Lock Screen wallpaper, so they are there every time you pick up the phone. It is not a full task manager, and its App Store listing says "No widgets. No notifications." It also has reminders, habits and streaks. It suits people whose problem is forgetting what they already wrote down.
The wallpaper is set by an Apple Shortcut called Set NoteWall Wallpaper, because iOS does not let apps change the wallpaper themselves. Per the app's own FAQ, setup takes about 2 minutes and updating the wallpaper after an edit takes about 5 seconds. Many people find the Shortcut step fiddly the first time; if the wallpaper does not change, our guide to a Shortcut that won't change the wallpaper goes through the usual causes. NoteWall needs iOS 17.0 or later.
If your task app already offers a Lock Screen widget, that may be all you need. Apple's Add, edit, and remove widgets page says widgets "give you an easy way to view current information from an app at a glance". For apps built around short notes rather than tasks, see our sticky-note apps compared.
Tip: if you pair NoteWall with a task manager, keep only today's one or two most important tasks on the Lock Screen and leave the full list in the task app. A short note is easier to read in a glance than a whole list.
How do you choose without wasting a week?
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Step 1:
Name the one problem: tasks you lose track of, notes you cannot find, or things you wrote down and still forget.
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Step 2:
Pick one app from that row of the table and read its App Store listing for what it costs before you commit.
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Step 3:
Use it for a full week before you add a second app. Most of the value comes from the habit, not the feature list.
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Step 4:
Add a reminder layer only if you still forget: a Lock Screen widget from your task app if it has one, or your own notes on the wallpaper.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is NoteWall free?
No. NoteWall requires a subscription; the App Store shows the terms before you pay. Several apps in this comparison are free to download, per their listings: Todoist, TickTick, Bear and Notion (free for personal use), and Apple Notes comes with the iPhone. Things 3 is a paid download.
Can one app handle both tasks and notes?
Yes, to a point. Notion's listing covers notes, tasks and projects in one workspace, and TickTick's listing mentions taking notes alongside tasks. If you want one app, start with one of those two; if you want each job done well, pair a task manager with a notes app.
Does NoteWall replace a task manager?
No. NoteWall shows what you wrote on the Lock Screen rather than managing a task list, and its listing says "No notifications." Keep your task manager for dates and alerts, and use NoteWall for the few things you want in front of you all day.
Keep Reading: If you found this helpful, check out these related guides:
Apple Notes vs Google Keep on iPhone (2026): Pick by Ecosystem
For every comparison in one place, visit our App Comparisons guide.
Keep your top notes in sight
NoteWall writes the notes you type into your Lock Screen wallpaper through an Apple Shortcut. iPhone only, iOS 17.0 or later. A subscription is required.
Download NoteWall
Founder of NoteWall. Building tools that turn your lock screen into a productivity system. About →
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