Task Coach vs Todo.txt (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Task Coach grades higher than Todo.txt: 3.0 against 2.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 5, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Task Coach grades higher on ease of use. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, features and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Todo.txt
Plain-text to-do list format with an open-source command-line tool
Free
Which one is for you
Pick Task Coach if
- Fits if you want a free desktop to-do list that also tracks effort
- Works for people who like nested tasks and categories
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want phone apps or sync, as only a Funambol server option is listed
- Watch out: the site names version 1.4.6, released April 2019, as the latest
- Not for you if you work in a team, as no built-in sharing is described
- Skip it if you want a web version, as it is a desktop program only
Pick Todo.txt if
- Fits if you want your task list in a file you control and can open in any editor
- Works for people in a shell all day who want to add a task without leaving it
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want an official phone app, as the project's Android and iOS apps are archived
- Not for you if you expect sync built in, because the README just suggests a cloud drive
- Too light for people who plan by due date, since due dates depend on each tool's own convention
- Skip it if you've never used a command line, as the official tool is a shell script
- Watch out: on Windows it's only listed as tested under Cygwin, and install steps cover macOS and Linux
How we grade them
| 3.0GPATask CoachVery good | 2.6GPATodo.txtGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree under the GPL, the whole application, against a to-do middle of $3.99 a month. | AThe todo.sh script and the format are free and open source under the GNU General Public License v3.0, downloadable by anyone. There's no paid version of either. Your whole outlay is a text file. |
| Free plan and trial | AFree outright, with donations accepted and no paid plans. | AAll of it is free: the full command-line script and the open format. With no paid version, nothing is fenced off. And since the list is a plain file, you can walk away with it any time. |
| Features | CTasks, subtasks, categories, effort tracking and export do the job; there is no built-in sharing. | COne task per line, with (A) for priority, +Project and @context. The script adds, completes, sorts and archives to done.txt, and takes add-ons. The basics, and the listing names the gaps: the format has no due dates of its own, they rest on conventions each tool sets, and no sync is built in. |
| Ease of use | BNo store rating on record, but it is a program you install and start using with nothing to set up. | DThe official tool is a shell script, so you add and finish tasks by typing commands like add and do, and anything needing a command line sits at a D here. The README gives install steps only for macOS and Linux. You can edit the file by hand instead, but then you do all the work. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWindows, Mac and Linux programs only; the Android version is separate and not supported by the project. | CThe script runs on Mac and Linux, and on Windows under Cygwin, so computers only. Editor plugins cover Vim, Visual Studio Code and Sublime Text. The project's own Android and iOS apps were archived in December 2020, so phone and web apps come from other people. |
| Best for | a free desktop to-do list with effort tracking | a to-do list that's just a text file |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Task Coach and Todo.txt. How we grade
Price against what you get
Task Coach has no paid plan and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Todo.txt has no paid plan and scores 1.7.
Task Coach scores higher for the same starting price. Of the other to-do list apps on the chart, none scores higher than Task Coach for less, and none scores higher than Todo.txt for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Task Coach also covers time tracking.
In commonFree planWindowsmacOSLinuxOpen sourceTasks
At a glance
| Task Coach | Todo.txt | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Everything is free: the site says Task Coach is completely free and it is released under the GNU GPL version 3. | The todo.sh script and the todo.txt format are free and open source under the GNU General Public License v3.0, with no paid version. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | Task Coach developers | Gina Trapani and the Todo.txt community |
| Price read from | taskcoach.org | github.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Task Coach
- Desktop only: the site lists Windows, Mac, Linux and BSD downloads, and says the Android version is developed separately and not supported by the project.
- The site names version 1.4.6, released April 27, 2019, as the latest release.
- The site's sync option is a Funambol server, rather than a built-in cloud service.
- No built-in team sharing is described on the features page.
Todo.txt
- The official tool is a command-line script. The project's own Android and iOS apps were archived on GitHub in December 2020.
- The core format covers priority, dates, projects and contexts only. Due dates and other fields rely on key:value conventions set by each tool.
- No sync is built in; the README suggests placing the todo.txt directory on a cloud drive.
- On Windows the script is listed as tested under Cygwin, and the README gives install steps only for macOS and Linux.
Key features
Task Coach
- Tasks and subtasks
- Tasks have a subject, description, priority, start and due dates, completion date and an optional reminder, and can recur daily, weekly or monthly.
- List and tree views
- View tasks as a flat list or a tree, sort by any attribute, and filter out completed tasks or show only those due today.
- Effort tracking
- Track time spent on tasks, set budgets, and view time by effort period, day, week or month.
- Categories and notes
- Assign tasks and notes to user-defined categories.
- Attachments and email drag-in
- Attach files, URLs or email messages by dragging them onto a task; dragging an email from Outlook, Thunderbird, Claws Mail or Apple Mail creates a task.
- Export and print
- Export tasks, notes, effort and categories to HTML and CSV, effort to iCalendar, and print the current view.
Todo.txt
- One task per line of plain text
- A todo.txt file holds a single task on each line, so it can be read, searched, sorted and edited in any text editor on any operating system.
- Priorities, projects and contexts
- A leading (A) to (Z) sets priority, and +Project and @context markers can sit anywhere in the line. Tools may add key:value pairs such as due:2010-01-02.
- todo.sh command-line script
- Actions such as add, do, pri, append and replace change the file from a shell, and list shows the tasks matching your terms sorted by priority.
- Archiving and reports
- The archive action moves completed tasks from todo.txt to done.txt, and report records the number of open and done tasks in report.txt.
- Add-ons and custom actions
- The script loads custom actions from an actions directory, and the project wiki keeps a directory of add-ons and filters written by community members.
- Community apps and editor plugins
- The project site lists community-built apps for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and the web, plus editor plugins, that all read the same file.
Plans
Task Coach
Free$0
The full application, open source under the GPL; the site accepts donations.
Todo.txt
Free$0
The full todo.sh command-line script and the open todo.txt format, under the GNU General Public License v3.0.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Task Coach or Todo.txt?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Task Coach and Todo.txt are free to use.
Which has a free plan, Task Coach or Todo.txt?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Task Coach and Todo.txt have a free plan.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.