The HamsterBase Tasks Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about HamsterBase Tasks in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
HamsterBase Tasks
The Insider’s Guide
Open-source, local-first task manager with encrypted sync
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among to-do list apps, read from HamsterBase Tasks’s own pages.
Made by HamsterBase · checked Oct 9, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from HamsterBase Tasks’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on HamsterBase Tasks’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 9, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
3.2
GPA, above 113 of the 123 other to-do list apps we grade
HamsterBase Tasks is an open-source, local-first task manager built around planning projects. Tasks are organized into areas, projects and headings, with start dates that keep future work out of sight until it becomes relevant. Data is stored on the device and works offline, with apps for macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android and the web. The core features are free; end-to-end encrypted cloud sync is the paid part, and a Docker image lets you run a sync server yourself.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about HamsterBase Tasks, taken from its own pages and our grades.
- 1
Best for planning projects privately on every device
HamsterBase Tasks is an open-source to-do app that keeps your data on your device, with areas, projects, headings and start dates, and the core features are free.
- 2
Paid plans start at $1.67 a month when paid by the year
As its pricing page puts it: $20 per year (Pro).
- 3
There is a free plan
Unlimited tasks with web and mobile app access. The vendor says all core features are free and only cloud sync is paid; a self-hosted sync server is also free.
- 4
It runs on 6 platforms
Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android.
- 5
Areas, projects and headings
Projects are grouped into areas such as Work or Personal and broken into tasks under collapsible headings. Finished projects hide automatically to keep the list short.
- 6
Start dates and reminders
A task with a future start date stays out of sight until that date arrives. Tasks can also have due dates, and the mobile release notes list reminder support.
- 7
Local-first with encrypted sync
Data lives on the device and the app works offline. Sync between devices is end-to-end encrypted, and the vendor says it cannot read the data.
- 8
A 3.2 GPA, above 113 of 123
That is against the other to-do list apps we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Your call
A to-do list at its plainest is tasks with dates, repeats and a box to tick.
HamsterBase Tasks at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $20 per year (Pro)
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android
- Made by
- HamsterBase, since 2025
- Category
- To-Do List Apps
- Our grade
- 3.2 GPA, very good
The report card
Best for planning projects privately on every device
HamsterBase Tasks is an open-source to-do app that keeps your data on your device, with areas, projects, headings and start dates, and the core features are free. Cloud sync is the paid part, $20 a year for 3 databases with no refunds, unless you run the sync server yourself. There's no sharing or assigning, attachments need your own S3 bucket, and Cloud Inbox content sits unencrypted on the server until pulled in.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A | The app itself is free to download and run on six platforms, and the vendor says every core feature is in it. Sync is the only thing for sale: $20 a year, about $1.67 a month, where the middle to-do subscription is $3.99. Lifetime is $60 once, and no refunds. |
| Free plan and trial | B | Unlimited tasks and the core features for nothing, with your data on the device. The wall is sync: moving one list between your phone and your laptop means Pro, or running the Docker sync server yourself. That covers one person on one machine. |
| Features | C | It does the planning job, with areas, projects, headings, start dates, repeats and rule-based views on desktop. But it's a smaller job on purpose: no sharing or assigning, no calendar or app integrations, and habit tracking and timers are left out deliberately. |
| Ease of use | B | No store rating on record, so we go on the listing: you install it, make an area and start typing, with nothing to connect and no templates to build. The fiddly parts, an S3 bucket for attachments and a self-hosted sync server, are both optional. |
| Platforms and integrations | A | Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone, Android and the web. Cloud Inbox takes tasks in over an HTTP API, and attachments plug into Amazon S3, Cloudflare R2, Backblaze B2 or MinIO. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who HamsterBase Tasks is for
- Fits if you plan in areas and projects on your own
- Works for people who host their own software, as the sync server comes as a Docker image
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you share lists with other people, since there's no assigning or commenting here
- Not for you if you expect free sync between devices without running a server yourself
- Tight if you attach lots of files, as you bring your own S3 bucket, files aren't end-to-end encrypted and the settings don't sync
- Watch out: Cloud Inbox content is stored unencrypted on the server until it's pulled into a database
- Watch out: Pro covers 3 cloud-synced databases, the store page says no refunds, and habit tracking and timers are left out on purpose
Good to know
Good for
- People who plan in areas and projects and want little else
- Privacy-minded users who want end-to-end encrypted sync
- Using one task list across desktop, phone and browser
- Self-hosters who want to run their own sync server
Worth knowing
- Cloud sync is paid: Pro at $20 a year covers 3 cloud-synced databases, and the store page says no refunds are offered.
- Cloud Inbox content is stored unencrypted on the server until it is pulled into a database, unlike the rest of the data.
- Attachments need an S3-compatible bucket you supply; the files are not end-to-end encrypted and the S3 settings do not sync between devices.
- The vendor says it deliberately leaves out features such as habit tracking and Pomodoro timers.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$1.67
A month to start, paid by the year. There is a free plan too
HamsterBase Tasks has a free plan. Paid plans start at $20 per year (Pro).
The app itself is free to download and run on six platforms, and the vendor says every core feature is in it.
Free
$0
Unlimited tasks with web access and mobile app access, and data kept on the device. Cloud-synced databases are not included.
Pro
$20
per year
Everything in Free, plus 3 cloud-synced databases and Cloud Inbox. The US App Store lists the same year of Cloud Pro at $19.99.
Lifetime
$60
one-time payment
Everything in Pro with lifetime access for a single payment.
The free plan
Unlimited tasks with web and mobile app access. The vendor says all core features are free and only cloud sync is paid; a self-hosted sync server is also free.
Read from tasks.hamsterbase.com on Oct 9, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Lifetime license
Lifetime access for $60
The pricing section lists a Lifetime plan at $60 as a one-time payment with everything in Pro, which equals three years of the $20-a-year Pro plan.
Stated on tasks.hamsterbase.com
What the app costs elsewhere
Each country’s App Store price for “HamsterBase Cloud Pro 1 Year”, against $19.99 in the United States, in dollars at the day’s rate. The four cheapest and the four dearest of 11.
| Country | Price there | In dollars | Against the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | $24.99 | $17.57 | 12% less |
| Turkey | ₺999,99 | $20.34 | about the same |
| Philippines | ₱ 1,290.00 | $20.53 | about the same |
| India | ₹ 1,999 | $20.67 | about the same |
| South Africa | R399.99 | $24.19 | 21% more |
| Germany | 22,99 € | $25.76 | 29% more |
| Brazil | R$ 129,90 | $25.95 | 30% more |
| United Kingdom | £19.99 | $26.43 | 32% more |
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
6
Places it runs: Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android
Open-source, local-first task manager with encrypted sync. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: open source, self-hostable, works offline, local-first, end-to-end encrypted, one-time purchase, tasks.
It does the planning job, with areas, projects, headings, start dates, repeats and rule-based views on desktop.
- Areas, projects and headings
- Projects are grouped into areas such as Work or Personal and broken into tasks under collapsible headings. Finished projects hide automatically to keep the list short.
- Start dates and reminders
- A task with a future start date stays out of sight until that date arrives. Tasks can also have due dates, and the mobile release notes list reminder support.
- Local-first with encrypted sync
- Data lives on the device and the app works offline. Sync between devices is end-to-end encrypted, and the vendor says it cannot read the data.
- Rule-based custom views
- On desktop, a view is a saved list defined by a rule over fields such as status, tags, start date and due date, so matching tasks appear in it automatically.
- Recurring tasks
- When a recurring task is completed, the next one is created from short rules such as 1w or 1m, with separate rules for the start date and the due date.
- Cloud Inbox and attachments
- Cloud Inbox, a paid feature, appends tasks to a database's Inbox through an HTTP API. File attachments are stored in an S3-compatible bucket that you provide.
Where it runs
- Web
- macOS
- Windows
- Linux
- iOS
- Android
What it works with
- Amazon S3
- Cloudflare R2
- Backblaze B2
- MinIO
Who makes HamsterBase Tasks
HamsterBase Tasks is a task manager published under the HamsterBase name and operated, its privacy policy says, by Xiamen Kangdatong Technology Co., Ltd. The code is on GitHub and the money comes from a paid cloud plan: $20 a year, or $60 once for lifetime access.
- Based
- Shanghai, China; the operating company is registered in Xiamenhamsterbase.com
- Lately
- Desktop 2026.05.27: sidebar tag editor styling, task move fix · May 27, 2026
- Desktop 2026.05.26: support for custom filter views · May 26, 2026
- Mobile 2026.05.24: iOS maintenance update · May 24, 2026
- Desktop 2026.05.23: S3-compatible attachment storage, Create Heading menu · May 23, 2026
Read on Oct 18, 2026 from the company’s own pages and from news reports. What is not stated there is left out.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
113/123
Other to-do list apps it is graded above
HamsterBase Tasks's GPA of 3.2 is higher than 113 of the 123 other to-do list apps we grade, and level with 3.
It stands best on platforms and integrations (A, above 108 of 123) and worst on features (C, above 8).
Its paid plans start at $1.67 a month when paid by the year, against a middle price of $3 for the category: 10 of the 68 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 3.0 out of 4. 3 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 124 to-do list apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. HamsterBase Tasks’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 69 of 123
- BFree plan and trialAbove 68 of 123
- CFeaturesAbove 8 of 123
- BEase of useAbove 56 of 123
- APlatforms and integrationsAbove 108 of 123
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 99 to-do list apps. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. HamsterBase Tasks is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Your call
A to-do list at its plainest is tasks with dates, repeats and a box to tick.
You could make the core of HamsterBase Tasks for yourself: tasks. What you would give up is listed below. Whether that is worth the price is your call. At $20 a year it costs less than the weekend it would take to replace, which is the argument for keeping it. HamsterBase Tasks is open source, so there is a third way: take its code and run it yourself.
What you could make
- Tasks: an app builder makes this well.
What you could not
- Apps for macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android that stay in step with each other.
- End-to-end encryption done properly.
What this rests on. HamsterBase Tasks’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Things 3, Super Productivity, Mindwtr, Todoist and Vikunja
The 5 tools HamsterBase Tasks is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.6GPA
Things 3
Free trial · from $9.99 one-time
Personal task manager for Apple devices, sold as a one-time purchase.
- HamsterBase Tasks has a free plan. Things 3 does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only HamsterBase Tasks lists a web app.
- Only HamsterBase Tasks lists Windows, Linux and Android apps.
- 3.4GPA
Super Productivity
Free
Free, open-source to-do app with time tracking and a Pomodoro timer.
- HamsterBase Tasks is self-hostable and end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- HamsterBase Tasks can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Super Productivity also covers kanban boards, Pomodoro timer and time tracking.
- 3.2GPA
Mindwtr
Free
Free, open-source GTD task manager for desktop and mobile.
- Only HamsterBase Tasks lists a web app.
- HamsterBase Tasks is self-hostable and end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- HamsterBase Tasks can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- 2.8GPA
Todoist
Free plan · from $5/mo
Cross-platform to-do list with natural-language task entry.
- Only Todoist lists a browser extension.
- HamsterBase Tasks is open source, self-hostable and end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- HamsterBase Tasks can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- 2.4GPA
Vikunja
Free plan · from €4/mo
Open-source task manager to self-host or use as a paid cloud.
- Only HamsterBase Tasks lists an iOS app.
- HamsterBase Tasks is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- HamsterBase Tasks can be bought with a one-time purchase.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
13
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is HamsterBase Tasks free?
HamsterBase Tasks has a free plan. Unlimited tasks with web and mobile app access.
How much does HamsterBase Tasks cost?
HamsterBase Tasks lists 3 plans. Free: $0.
What platforms does HamsterBase Tasks work on?
HamsterBase Tasks is available on Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android.
Does HamsterBase Tasks offer any discounts?
HamsterBase Tasks publicly lists the following: Lifetime access for $60.
Is HamsterBase Tasks open source?
Yes. HamsterBase Tasks is open source, according to its own site.
Is HamsterBase Tasks end-to-end encrypted?
HamsterBase Tasks describes itself as end-to-end encrypted on its own site.
Does HamsterBase Tasks work offline?
Yes, according to its own site. What works without a connection differs by plan and platform, so check the vendor's page for the detail.
What does HamsterBase Tasks integrate with?
HamsterBase Tasks's listing names Amazon S3, Cloudflare R2, Backblaze B2 and MinIO.
Who makes HamsterBase Tasks?
HamsterBase Tasks is made by HamsterBase. It dates from 2025.
What are the alternatives to HamsterBase Tasks?
The closest alternatives to HamsterBase Tasks in our directory are Things 3, Super Productivity, Mindwtr, Todoist and Vikunja.
How does HamsterBase Tasks compare with other to-do list apps?
HamsterBase Tasks's GPA of 3.2 is higher than 113 of the 123 other to-do list apps we grade, and level with 3.
Is HamsterBase Tasks good value for money?
ToolGPA grades HamsterBase Tasks A for value for money. Its paid plans start at $1.67 a month when paid by the year, against a middle price of $3 for the category: 10 of the 68 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of HamsterBase Tasks?
A to-do list at its plainest is tasks with dates, repeats and a box to tick.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from HamsterBase Tasks’s own pages on Oct 9, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from HamsterBase's own pages on 9 October 2026. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-09-15.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by HamsterBase. Prices change, so check tasks.hamsterbase.com before you buy.
- tasks.hamsterbase.com/
- hamsterbase.com/store/?product=cloud
- apps.apple.com/us/app/hamsterbase-tasks/id6743664725
- tasks.hamsterbase.com/guide/cloud-inbox.html
- tasks.hamsterbase.com/guide/views.html
- tasks.hamsterbase.com/guide/attachments.html
- tasks.hamsterbase.com/guide/recurring.html
- tasks.hamsterbase.com/guide/download/selfhosted.html
- github.com/hamsterbase/tasks
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- HamsterBase Tasks, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/hamsterbase-tasks
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "HamsterBase Tasks: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 9, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/hamsterbase-tasks
Know someone choosing between to-do list apps?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/hamsterbase-tasks/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded to-do list apps after HamsterBase Tasks, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- To-Do List Apps Insider's GuideEvery one of the 124 to-do list apps we grade, compared
- Apple Reminders Insider's GuideApple's free to-do app for iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch3.6 GPA
- Microsoft To Do Insider's GuideFree to-do list from Microsoft that syncs with Outlook tasks3.6 GPA
- Google Tasks Insider's GuideGoogle's to-do list, built into Gmail, Calendar, Chat and Docs3.4 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what HamsterBase Tasks’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. HamsterBase Tasks is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by HamsterBase. Prices and plans change: check tasks.hamsterbase.com before you buy.