Todoist alternatives: 4 open-source picks
Todoist costs $7/mo — $84 a year. These 4 alternatives replace it for $0, led by Super Productivity, Vikunja and Focalboard. All 4 are open source. License, stars and last commit checked by hand on 2026-08-29. No trials, no crippled tiers.
A local task manager with timeboxing, Pomodoro, and no account begging to be created
licenseMIT
runson your machine
installUse the browser/PWA or install a packaged desktop or mobile build
dataTasks, projects, time records, and settings are local-first in browser or app storage; optional synchronization and backups use the user's chosen WebDAV or Dropbox account
setup✓ installs clean
the catch vs TodoistSuper Productivity is primarily a local personal tool and is weaker than Todoist for shared projects, mobile capture, recurring-date language, and integrations.
facts verified 2026-08-10
A capable Todoist replacement once you accept becoming its hosting department
licenseAGPL-3.0+
runsyour machine or their cloud
installUse the paid hosted service or deploy the free server with Docker Compose, a package, or the standalone binary
dataTasks, projects, users, and settings live in SQLite, MySQL/MariaDB, or PostgreSQL, with attachments in a persistent files directory, on the selected host
the catch vs TodoistVikunja adds hosting administration and has less polished native mobile, offline, natural-language, and integration support than Todoist.
setupThe free path requires a server or Docker, persistent volumes, secrets, and normally a reverse proxy with TLS
facts verified 2026-08-10
Kanban and project boards, a Trello/Notion-boards alternative from Mattermost
licenseMIT/AGPL dual
runsyour server
setupnot verified by us yet — check the repo README
facts verified 2026-08-29
Realtime kanban board that feels exactly like Trello, on your own server.
licenseFair Use (source available)
runsyour server
setupnot verified by us yet — check the repo README
facts verified 2026-08-29
What each one is, in full: Vikunja · Focalboard · Planka
last updated 2026-08-29 · no votes, no pay-to-list · just what's real
how to choose a Todoist alternative
Easiest to get running
Super Productivity — a one-click install, no server to maintain.
Most proven
Focalboard, with 26,000 GitHub stars — the largest community of the 4, which usually means more answers when something breaks.
Runs on your own machine, no server
Super Productivity — nothing to host, your data stays on your disk.
Works on your phone
Super Productivity has a mobile app on iOS and Android.
what you give up by leaving Todoist
- native apps
- offline sync
- collaboration
- reminders reliability
- integrations
- years of UX polish
None of the picks above covers all of it. The full verdict says which gaps matter.
Todoist alternatives at a glance
| tool | license | running it | platforms | stars | active |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Super Productivity | MIT | one-click install | web, macos, windows, linux, ios, android | 21,156 | 2026-08 |
| Vikunja | AGPL-3.0+ | docker to self-host | web, macos, windows, linux, self-hosted | 5,000 | 2026-08 |
| Focalboard | MIT/AGPL dual | one-click install | self-hosted, web | 26,000 | 2026-08 |
| Planka | Fair Use (source available) | one-click install | self-hosted, web | 10,000 | 2026-08 |
why people still pay for Todoist
They pay because task capture must be fast everywhere and reminders cannot miss. If none of that applies to you, any pick above saves $84 a year.
questions about switching from Todoist
Is there an open-source alternative to Todoist?
Yes: Super Productivity, Vikunja, Focalboard and 1 more. Every tool on this page is open source: no trials, no crippled tiers.
Can open source really replace Todoist?
Our verdict is YES. Focalboard (26k stars), Super Productivity (21k stars), Planka (10k stars) are mature open-source replacements for Todoist — self-host in one command and stop paying $7/mo. The full verdict, and what you give up by switching, is at caniopensourceit.online/todoist.
What is the easiest open-source Todoist alternative to set up?
Super Productivity — a one-click install, no server to maintain.
What is the most popular open-source Todoist alternative?
By GitHub stars, Focalboard (26,000). Super Productivity is next with 21,156.
