an honest comparison · checked September 2026
Nuffo vs Pen & paper.
The Ivy Lee method, from 1918: each evening write down six things for tomorrow, do them in order. Still brilliant.
Pick Pen & paper if…
you like the feel of a pen, and you don't need reminders or sync. Honestly, paper is great.
Pick Nuffo if…
you lose the paper, or your ideas show up at 2am in the shower, on the bus, in an email.
Where Pen & paper is better.
- Free, private, offline, no login, no notifications.
- Writing things down by hand helps you remember them.
- It's been working for over a century.
Where Nuffo is different.
- Nuffo catches things wherever they show up: voice, email, a link, your AI.
- It sorts the pile, remembers the somedays, and suggests your three.
- Three instead of six. We're stricter than Ivy Lee.
Side by side.
yes. yes partly. partly, or paid only no. no not sure. we couldn’t confirm
| Feature | nuffo | Pen & paper |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | yes. everything, while we're young | yes. cost of a pen |
| Paid plan | partly. Pro planned at $9/mo, not on sale yet | no. |
| Native phone & desktop apps | no. installable web app; iOS app planned | no. |
| Works in a browser | yes. | no. |
| Caps your day | yes. 3 things a day, 3 projects | yes. 6 things (Ivy Lee) |
| Makes new ideas wait | yes. 7 days | no. |
| AI sorts a brain dump | yes. today / later / wishes | no. |
| Voice capture | yes. talk, it splits the ramble | no. |
| Repeating tasks | no. | no. |
| Reminders at a set time | partly. morning email, no push yet | no. |
| Calendar / time-blocking | no. | no. |
| Shared lists | no. | partly. hand it over |
| Streaks or points | no. on purpose | no. |
| Official MCP (Claude, ChatGPT) | yes. plus Claude Code & Cursor hooks | no. |
Sources: The Ivy Lee method. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
Or use both.
Write your three on a card if you like. Nuffo will still be holding everything else.
Quick answers
What is the Ivy Lee method?
At the end of each day, write down the six most important things for tomorrow, in order. Tomorrow, work through them one at a time. Move what's left to the next list.
What can't Nuffo do that Pen & paper can?
Free, private, offline, no login, no notifications. Writing things down by hand helps you remember them. It's been working for over a century.