TaskTrove vs Todoist
We give TaskTrove a 2.8 GPA and Todoist a 3.6, out of 4.0. TaskTrove grades higher on the free plan. Todoist grades higher on value for money, ease of use and platforms. They get the same grade on features.
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
Todoist
Cross-platform to-do list with natural-language task entry
How we grade them
| 2.8GPATaskTroveGood | 3.6GPATodoistExcellent | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BThe base edition is free. Pro is a one-time $129 for 1 user, with a year of updates, which is nearly three years of a typical to-do subscription. Hosted is priced at $4 a user a month billed annually, about typical. Neither can be bought yet: both are waitlist only. | AFive dollars a month if you pay for the year, eight for teams. Hard to find anything this good on this many devices for that. |
| Free plan and trial | AFree (Self-hosted) has no caps: unlimited tasks, projects and tags, plain-language quick add, list, kanban and calendar views, recurring tasks, a focus timer and API access. One person could stay on it for good. | BFree forever, and reminders are included now. But 5 projects is tight. Work, home, one side thing and you're done. |
| Features | BQuick add that reads "tomorrow at 2pm" or "every Monday", projects with sections and labels, three views, unlimited subtasks, search and a focus timer. Solid. But collaboration, mobile apps, custom themes and external calendar sync are all Pro, and Pro isn't on sale yet. | BTyping tasks in and repeating dates are brilliant. Filters are great if you like that sort of thing. No start dates though, and the calendar view is paid. |
| Ease of use | DYou host it yourself. It starts from one Docker command and keeps everything in a single JSON file, which is about as gentle as self-hosting gets. But it's still a server to run, and the hosted version is only marked coming soon. | A4.8 from around 129,000 App Store ratings. Open it, type a thing, done. Nobody needs a tutorial for this. |
| Platforms and integrations | BA web app on your own server, with API access in every edition, the free one included. No integrations are listed. Mobile apps are part of Pro, which is waitlist only, and desktop apps are listed as coming soon. | AMac, Windows, Linux (yes, really), iPhone, Android, web, watch and browser. There's an API too if you like wiring things together. |
| Best for | a self-hosted task manager with three views | all-round to-do lists |
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: TaskTrove and Todoist. How we grade
Where they differ
- TaskTrove starts at $129 one-time (Pro) or $4 per user / month (Hosted); both waitlist-only. Todoist starts at $5 per user / month, billed yearly.
- Only Todoist lists macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android apps.
- Only Todoist lists a browser extension.
- TaskTrove is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Todoist also covers templates.
At a glance
| TaskTrove | Todoist | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $129 one-time (Pro) or $4 per user / month (Hosted); both waitlist-only | $5 per user / month, billed yearly |
| Free plan | 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. | Beginner plan: 5 personal projects, task reminders, list and board layouts, 3 filter views and 1 week of activity history. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Mushroom Theory Inc. | Todoist Inc. |
| Price read from | tasktrove.io | todoist.com |
| Checked | Oct 9, 2026 | Oct 4, 2026 |
Who each one suits
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
Todoist
- People who want one task list on every device they own
- Fast capture: typing a task with its date in a single line
- Households and small teams sharing a few projects
Worth knowing
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.
Todoist
- The free plan stops at 5 personal projects and keeps only 1 week of activity history.
- Calendar layout, task durations and custom reminders all need Pro or Business.
- Personal projects are capped at 5 people, even on paid plans.
Key features
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.
Todoist
- Quick Add
- Capture tasks in natural language as they come to you, including recurring due dates and reminders.
- List, board and calendar layouts
- Switch any project between a list, a kanban board and a calendar. The calendar layout needs a paid plan.
- Filters, labels and priorities
- Saved filter views pull tasks from across projects: 3 on the free plan, 150 on Pro and Business.
- Shared projects
- Share a project to assign tasks and comment on them. Personal projects allow up to 5 people on every plan.
- Team workspace
- Business adds public and private team projects, folders, roles and permissions, and shared templates.
- Ramble and Task Assist
- Ramble turns spoken thoughts into tasks; free accounts get limited sessions. Task Assist is included from Pro.
Plans
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.
Todoist
Beginner$0
5 personal projects, task reminders, list and board layouts, and 3 filter views.
Pro$5
per user / month, billed yearly ($60)
300 projects, calendar layout, task durations, custom reminders, 150 filter views and Task Assist.
Business$8
per user / month, billed yearly ($96)
Everything in Pro, plus a shared team workspace with up to 500 team projects, roles and central billing.
Ways to pay less
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.
Todoist
- Annual discount
Save 20% with yearly billing
Todoist's pricing page lists a 20% saving on Pro and Business when billed yearly instead of monthly.
