Todo.txt vs topydo

Todo.txt

• People who want their task list in a file they fully control
• Command-line users who add and complete tasks from a shell
• Using several apps and editors against one shared text file

topydo

• People who keep tasks in a todo.txt file and work in a terminal
• todo.txt users who want dependencies and recurring items
• Keyboard users who want several filtered lists side by side

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.

topydo

• Console only: there is no graphical, web or mobile app. The docs say there is no native Android build and describe running it under Termux.
• Column mode does not work natively on Windows; the docs point Windows users to Cygwin for it.
• Dependencies, recurrence and start dates rely on tags that, the README says, other todo.txt tools may not interpret properly.
• The documentation describes no sync feature, and releases are infrequent: PyPI shows 0.14 in December 2020, 0.15 in April 2025 and 0.16 in February 2026.

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.

topydo

Command line, prompt and column modes

Runs as one-off shell commands, as a prompt with Tab auto-completion, or as a text interface of side-by-side columns with vim-like keys, where each column has its own filter and sort order.

Due dates, start dates and relative dates

Due and start dates are stored as tags on the todo.txt line. When adding items you can type relative dates such as tomorrow, 1w or fri, which are written to the file as absolute dates.

Dependencies between items

The dep subcommand links a parent item to child items that should be done first. A parent with open children is hidden from the default list, and a Graphviz Dot export can draw the dependency tree.

Recurring items

A rec tag such as rec:1w creates a new instance of an item when it is completed, counted from the completion date or, in strict mode, from the original due date.

Filtering, sorting and output formats

Filter expressions select items by text and by tag comparisons such as due:<today, and sort and group expressions order the result. The ls command can also output iCalendar, JSON and Graphviz Dot.

Backups and revert

After each change topydo stores a backup of the todo and archive files, 5 by default, and the revert subcommand undoes the last command or a numbered earlier one.

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.

topydo

• Free$0

  The full program with its command-line, prompt and column interfaces. Prompt mode, column mode and iCalendar output each need an extra pip dependency.