Tasks.md vs TaskTrove
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
TaskTrove
Self-hosted task manager with list, kanban and calendar views
Where they differ
- Tasks.md is free. TaskTrove starts at $129 one-time (Pro) or $4 per user / month (Hosted); both waitlist-only.
- Tasks.md is open source, according to its own site.
- Tasks.md also covers Markdown.
- TaskTrove also covers natural-language input and calendar.
At a glance
| Tasks.md | TaskTrove | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $129 one-time (Pro) or $4 per user / month (Hosted); both waitlist-only |
| Free plan | 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 (Self-hosted): unlimited tasks, projects and tags, natural-language quick add, list, kanban and calendar views, recurring tasks, a focus timer and API access. Collaboration and mobile apps are Pro. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Matheus Baldissara (BaldissaraMatheus) | Mushroom Theory Inc. |
| Price read from | github.com | tasktrove.io |
| Checked | Oct 9, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 |
Who each one suits
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
TaskTrove
- Individuals who want a task manager on their own server
- Typing tasks with dates and recurrence in plain language
- Switching between list, kanban and calendar views
- Keeping all task data in one JSON file that is easy to back up
Worth knowing
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.
TaskTrove
- Pro and Hosted cannot be bought yet: the pricing page offers a waitlist for each, and Hosted is marked coming soon.
- The free edition has no multi-user collaboration, mobile apps, custom themes or external calendar sync. Desktop apps are listed as coming soon.
- The code is published under the Sustainable Use License, which the vendor labels fair-code.
- The latest public release on GitHub, v0.12.4, is dated January 9, 2026.
Key features
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.
TaskTrove
- Natural-language quick add
- Phrases such as "tomorrow at 2pm", "next Friday" or "every Monday" are parsed into due dates and recurrence as a task is typed, and tasks can hold unlimited subtasks.
- List, kanban and calendar views
- Tasks are grouped into projects with sections and color-coded labels, and each project can be viewed as a list, a kanban board or a calendar, with filtering, sorting and search.
- Recurring tasks and a focus timer
- Tasks repeat on daily, weekly, monthly or custom patterns, and a built-in focus timer is part of the free edition.
- Simple self-hosting
- The app starts from one Docker command and stores its data in a JSON file that can be copied as a backup. It needs no login by default, and a password can be turned on with a setting.
- API access
- The feature table lists API access in every edition, including the free one, and the documentation has an API reference.
- Pro collaboration and rewards
- The Pro documentation describes task owners and assignees, shared projects with permission controls, @assignee parsing in quick add, and a points, badges and leaderboard system.
Plans
Tasks.md
Free$0
The full board, self-hosted from the project's Docker image or run from the source code.
TaskTrove
Free (Self-hosted)$0
Unlimited tasks, projects and tags, natural-language quick add, three views, recurring tasks, a focus timer and API access on your own server.
Pro (Self-hosted)$129
one-time for 1 user; $199 for 2 users, $299 for 5 users
Perpetual license with 1 year of updates, adding multi-user collaboration, mobile apps, custom themes and external calendar sync. Waitlist only for now.
Hosted$5
per user / month, or $4 per user / month billed annually
All Pro features on managed hosting, with no server to run. Marked coming soon on the pricing page, with a waitlist.
Ways to pay less
Tasks.md
No public discounts listed.
TaskTrove
- Lifetime license
Perpetual Pro license from $129
Pro is priced as a one-time perpetual license with 1 year of updates: $129 for 1 user, $199 for 2 or $299 for 5. Renewing updates costs roughly a quarter of the license price.
- Annual discount
20% off Hosted with annual billing
The pricing page lists Hosted at $5 per user a month, or $4 per user a month on annual billing, labelled as a 20% saving. Hosted has not launched yet.
- Other savings
Early-bird discount for the Pro waitlist
The vendor says people who join the Pro mailing list will receive an early-bird discount code when the Pro plan comes out. No amount is stated.
