Carry vs Apple Reminders when a checklist is not enough
The iOS app for households sharing the mental load: the invisible work of remembering what needs doing at home. Tasks, shopping and events synced in real time for up to six people.
Apple Reminders is already on your iPhone and fine for a simple shared list. Carry is for when you need more than a checklist: voice into the right list, aisle-grouped shopping, aging, a Weekly Wrap and a Mental Load Score.
Who it's for
Households (usually couples) where one person remembers what needs doing. Up to six people, and it works solo until others join.
Couples whose shared Reminders list works as a checklist, but hasn’t moved the remembering off one person.
Who it isn't for
Work project management, solo GTD / Todoist-style projects, or Android-only households.
Anyone happy with a simple shared checklist — Reminders is already on your phone.
Price and limits
- Free: 10 open items, 5 shopping items, 2 household members, 5 voice captures
- Carry Plus: $7.99/month, $29.99/year, or $149.99 once for Lifetime
- 7-day free trial on monthly and annual, no payment upfront
- One purchase covers the household, Lifetime included. People who join never pay and never see a paywall
What Carry adds on top of a checklist
Voice into the right list
Say what you noticed and Carry files it as a task, a shopping item or an event, in the right list.
Aisle-grouped shopping
The shopping list groups itself by aisle category — Dairy, Produce, Bakery and more — so it follows the shop.
Aging urgency
Items visibly age: Fresh (0–2 days), Warming (3–5), Warm (6–9), Urgent (10+). What’s been waiting is obvious at a glance.
A Weekly Wrap and a score
The Weekly Wrap recaps what the household got through. The Mental Load Score gives you a number for how much of the remembering sits with one person.
Carry and Apple Reminders, side by side
Apple Reminders is already on your phone and fine for a simple shared list. If a checklist is all you need, use it. Carry is for when you need the list to carry some of the load.
| Compared on | Carry | Apple Reminders |
|---|---|---|
| Best at | Sharing the remembering in a home | A simple shared list |
| Setup | Download Carry, share a 6-character invite | Already on your iPhone |
| Voice into the right list, aisle shopping, aging, Weekly Wrap, Mental Load Score | Built in | Not what it’s built around |
| Price | Free tier, then Carry Plus at $7.99/month, $29.99/year or $149.99 lifetime. Any plan covers the whole household. | Comes with your iPhone |
| Platforms | iOS only today; Android is planned | Apple devices |
Carry is iOS only today. Android is planned, but it isn't shipping yet.
Get it out of one person’s head.
Free to download, up to six people. Not sure where your household stands? Start with the Mental Load Score.
Common questions
Why not just use Apple Reminders?
If a simple shared list is working, keep using it — it’s already on your phone. Carry is for when you need voice into the right list, aisle-grouped shopping, items that age, a Weekly Wrap and a Mental Load Score.
What is aging urgency?
Every item in Carry shows how long it has been waiting: Fresh (0–2 days), Warming (3–5), Warm (6–9) and Urgent (10+). It makes what’s been sitting visible, without anyone having to bring it up.
Is Carry iOS only too?
Yes. Carry is iOS only today. Android is planned, but it isn’t shipping yet.
How much does Carry cost?
Carry is free to download. The free tier covers 10 open items, 5 shopping items, 2 household members and 5 voice captures. Carry Plus is $7.99/month, $29.99/year, or $149.99 once for Lifetime, and monthly and annual start with a 7-day free trial with no payment upfront. Every plan, Lifetime included, covers the whole household.