Task Coach vs ToDoList (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Task Coach grades higher than ToDoList: 3.0 against 2.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 9, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Task Coach grades higher on ease of use and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan and features.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
ToDoList
Free, open-source task outliner for Windows with Gantt and kanban
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 ToDoList if
- Fits if you're on Windows and want a free outliner with Gantt, kanban and workload views
- Works for keeping tasks in local files rather than an online account
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want your tasks on your phone or a Mac, as it's a Windows program, and Linux needs Wine
- Not for you if two people need to edit at once, because sharing works by check-out
- Not for you if you want a quick, simple list, since it's built around detailed attributes and many views
- Watch out: there's no installer, and five views need the Visual C++ 2015 runtime and .NET Framework 4.6.2
How we grade them
| 3.0GPATask CoachVery good | 2.6GPAToDoListGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree under the GPL, the whole application, against a to-do middle of $3.99 a month. | AFree and open source, with the source code and the built download both published on GitHub, so anyone can grab it and run it. Every view and plugin is in. The only money mentioned is an optional PayPal donation in the Help menu. |
| Free plan and trial | AFree outright, with donations accepted and no paid plans. | AThe whole program is free: the task tree, the kanban, Gantt, calendar, workload and burndown views, and the plugins. There's no paid edition to upgrade to, so nothing is held back. |
| Features | CTasks, subtasks, categories, effort tracking and export do the job; there is no built-in sharing. | CSubtasks inside subtasks, with attributes such as risk, time estimate, time spent, percent done and version. See the same list as a tree, kanban, Gantt, calendar or mind map. The gap its own notes name: a shared tasklist works by check-out, so only one person edits at a time. |
| Ease of use | BNo store rating on record, but it is a program you install and start using with nothing to set up. | CNo installer: you unzip it and run it, from a hard drive or even a USB stick. But several views need the Visual C++ 2015 runtime and .NET Framework 4.6.2 added by hand, and with this many attributes there's a lot to settle into. No rating on record either. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWindows, Mac and Linux programs only; the Android version is separate and not supported by the project. | DWindows only, a single operating system. The vendor's notes cover running it on Linux through Wine, which isn't a native build, and there's no phone or web version. It does trade files with Outlook, GanttProject, FreeMind and MyLifeOrganized, and exports to HTML, CSV and iCalendar. |
| Best for | a free desktop to-do list with effort tracking | a free, detailed task outliner on Windows |
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 ToDoList. 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. ToDoList 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 ToDoList 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
- ToDoList also covers kanban boards and Gantt & timelines.
In commonFree planWindowsOpen sourceTasksTime tracking
At a glance
| Task Coach | ToDoList | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 whole program is free and open source: the vendor's GitHub repositories publish the source code and the built download. The Help menu links to an optional PayPal donation. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | Task Coach developers | AbstractSpoon |
| Price read from | taskcoach.org | github.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Oct 9, 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.
ToDoList
- It is a Windows program. The vendor's install notes cover running it on Linux through Wine, not a native Linux build.
- Sharing works by check-out: only one person can edit a shared tasklist at any given time.
- The Evidence Board, Logged Time, Mind Map, Week Planner and Word Cloud views need the Visual C++ 2015 runtime and .NET Framework 4.6.2.
- There is no installer: it is unzipped by hand, and the vendor advises against placing it in Program Files (x86).
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.
ToDoList
- Nested tasks and subtasks
- Any task can hold subtasks, which can hold subtasks of their own, so a large project breaks down into smaller steps. Dragging one task onto another makes it a subtask.
- Detailed task attributes
- Tasks carry priority, risk, time estimate and time spent, percent done, start and due dates, categories, status, version and the people they are allocated to.
- Alternative task views
- Besides the task tree there are kanban board, Gantt chart, calendar, workload and burndown views, plus plugin views such as Mind Map, Week Planner, Evidence Board and Word Cloud.
- Comments and file links
- Each task has plain or rich text comments, which can embed images, and a file link field for local or network files, web and email addresses, Outlook folders or other tasks.
- Import and export
- Tasks import from Microsoft Outlook, GanttProject, FreeMind, MyLifeOrganized or a plain outline, and export to the same applications as well as HTML, CSV and iCalendar.
- Portable install and shared tasklists
- It ships as a zip that runs from a hard drive, USB stick, network share or synced cloud folder. A check-out system lets a team share one tasklist, one editor at a time.
Plans
Task Coach
Free$0
The full application, open source under the GPL; the site accepts donations.
ToDoList
Free$0
The full Windows program with every task view and plugin. The plugin source code carries the Eclipse Public License 1.0.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Task Coach or ToDoList?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Task Coach and ToDoList are free to use.
Which has a free plan, Task Coach or ToDoList?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Task Coach and ToDoList have a free plan.
Which platforms do Task Coach and ToDoList run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Task Coach lists macOS and Linux apps. Both list a Windows app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
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.