Kanri vs Tasks.md
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Where they differ
- Kanri is free. Tasks.md is free.
- Only Kanri lists Windows, macOS and Linux apps.
- Only Tasks.md lists a web app.
- Tasks.md is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Tasks.md also covers Markdown.
In commonFree planOpen sourceTasksKanban boards
At a glance
| Kanri | Tasks.md | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | The whole app is free and open source under GPL v3, with no paid version, no account and no usage tracking. The FAQ says the project generates no revenue. | Tasks.md is free, open-source software under the MIT license with no paid plans. The user supplies the server, and the maintainer accepts one-time sponsorship donations. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | Kanri Team | Matheus Baldissara (BaldissaraMatheus) |
| Price read from | kanriapp.com | github.com |
| Checked | Oct 9, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Kanri
- Personal kanban boards kept on one computer
- Solo developers who want boards without an account
- People moving a board off Trello to a local app
Tasks.md
- Self-hosters who want a task board on their own server
- People who keep tasks as plain Markdown files
- Homelab users who deploy apps with Docker
Worth knowing
Kanri
- Desktop only: downloads are offered for Windows, macOS and Linux, with no mobile or web version.
- There is no cloud sync or collaboration, and the FAQ says the data file's location cannot be changed yet, so boards cannot be placed in a synced folder.
- The app is not code-signed, so the operating system may flag it as unsafe; Apple Silicon Mac users may need to run a Terminal command if macOS reports the app as broken.
- The README says the project is still in active development, is provided as is, and that users should make regular backups.
Tasks.md
- There is no hosted version: someone has to run the Docker image or the source code on a server.
- The README mentions no user accounts or sign-in, so restricting access is left to the host.
- The maintainer calls it a low-maintenance project and keeps the scope of features narrow on purpose.
- Installing as a PWA does not work when BASE_PATH is set to anything other than the root path.
Key features
Kanri
- Boards, columns and cards
- Unlimited boards, each with customizable columns for the stages of a workflow and cards that move between them.
- Card details
- A card can carry a rich-text description written in a Markdown-like format, along with sub-tasks, a due date and tags.
- Local storage with no account
- All data is stored on the computer in a single JSON file. The app needs no internet connection or sign-up and does not track usage.
- Themes and backgrounds
- Light, dark and Catppuccin themes are included, and custom themes and board background images can be set.
- Keyboard and click shortcuts
- Keyboard shortcuts create, rename and delete columns, add cards and change column zoom. Double-clicking renames a card or edits a sub-task without opening the card.
- Import and export
- Boards exported from Trello as JSON can be imported with their columns, cards, descriptions, sub-tasks, due dates and tags. Single boards or all data can be exported as a backup.
Tasks.md
- Board of lanes, cards and tags
- Cards, lanes and tags are created in a responsive web interface, and the color settings cover tag colors and highlights for due dates that are today or past.
- Cards are Markdown files
- Every lane added in the app is a directory on disk and every task is a Markdown file inside it, so tasks can be edited outside the app.
- Single Docker image
- One docker run command or a short docker-compose file starts the app on port 8080, with one volume for tasks and one for configuration.
- Sub-directories as projects
- Opening the app under a sub-path, such as /backlog, treats that directory as a separate project with its own lanes and tasks.
- Themes and custom CSS
- Light and dark modes follow the operating system, three color themes ship by default (Adwaita, Nord and Catppuccin), and a custom.css file overrides the colors.
- PWA, languages and reverse proxy
- The app can be installed as a PWA, picks its language from the browser, and takes a BASE_PATH variable for running behind a sub-path reverse proxy.
Plans
Kanri
Free$0
The complete desktop app for Windows, macOS and Linux, with unlimited boards, columns and cards.
Tasks.md
Free$0
The full board, self-hosted from the project's Docker image or run from the source code.
