The OpenTodoList Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about OpenTodoList 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.
OpenTodoList
The Insider’s Guide
Open-source to-do list and notes app that stores plain files
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among to-do list apps, read from OpenTodoList’s own pages.
Made by Martin Höher · 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 OpenTodoList’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on OpenTodoList’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
3.0
GPA, above 103 of the 123 other to-do list apps we grade
OpenTodoList is a free, open-source app for todo lists, notes, images and recipes, grouped into libraries. A library is an ordinary folder of files that can stay on one device or sync through Nextcloud, ownCloud, another WebDAV server or Dropbox; the project runs no service of its own and no account is needed for local use. It is available for Android, iOS, Linux, macOS and Windows.
To get you started, here are 8 things to know about OpenTodoList, taken from its own pages and our grades.
It's free and open source on Android, iPhone, Linux, Mac and Windows.
- 1
Best for lists and notes kept as files you control
OpenTodoList keeps to-do lists, notes, images and recipes in libraries, and each library is a folder of files on your disk.
- 2
It is free
OpenTodoList has no paid plan at all. The app is free and open source under the GNU GPL on every platform, with no paid version. The developer accepts optional donations through Buy Me a Coffee and PayPal.
- 3
It runs on 5 platforms
Android, iOS, Linux, macOS and Windows.
- 4
Libraries
A library is a container for todo lists, notes, images and recipes, so related items stay together. Each library can be given its own color.
- 5
Todo lists, todos and tasks
A todo list holds todos, and each todo can be broken into tasks. Items can have due dates and recurrence, and a schedule view shows what is due across all libraries.
- 6
Notes with pages
A note is a text container that can take additional pages, which turns it into a small notebook. Images are separate items with a title and description.
- 7
A 3.0 GPA, above 103 of 123
That is against the other to-do list apps we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 8
Keep it
OpenTodoList is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
OpenTodoList at a glance
- Pricing
- Free
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android
- Made by
- Martin Höher
- Category
- To-Do List Apps
- Our grade
- 3.0 GPA, very good
The report card
Best for lists and notes kept as files you control
OpenTodoList keeps to-do lists, notes, images and recipes in libraries, and each library is a folder of files on your disk. It's free and open source on Android, iPhone, Linux, Mac and Windows. There's no sync service, though: to use a library on two devices you bring your own Nextcloud, WebDAV or Dropbox, there's no web version, and nothing on record covers sharing or assigning tasks.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A | A full app you download for nothing on five platforms, open source under the GPL, with no paid version and only a donations link. The rest of this category charges $2.42 to $5.00 a month. |
| Free plan and trial | A | Everything is free, on every platform, and local use needs no account at all. Sync runs through storage you already own, so there is never anything to pay the project for. |
| Features | C | The basics are here: todo lists holding todos, each todo splitting into tasks, due dates, recurrence and a schedule view across libraries, plus notes with extra pages, images and recipes. The gaps the listing names are real, with no sync service of its own, no sharing, and the AI action limited to importing recipes. |
| Ease of use | C | No store rating on record, and the thing most people want, one library on a phone and a laptop, starts with an account to connect: Nextcloud, ownCloud, a WebDAV server or Dropbox. On a single device it's install and go. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Android, iPhone, Linux, Mac and Windows, so phone and computer are both covered, and it talks to Nextcloud, ownCloud, any WebDAV server and Dropbox. No web version is listed, so it's always an installed app. |
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 OpenTodoList is for
- Fits if you want tasks and notes kept as plain files you can back up yourself
- Works for Nextcloud or ownCloud users who want lists on phone and desktop
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you want sync that works the moment you sign in, as there's no hosted service
- Not for you if you need your lists in a browser, since no web version is listed
- Too light for shared work, because nothing in the listing covers sharing or assigning a task
- Watch out: the AI feature only imports recipes, and an online provider needs your own API key, which may cost extra
Good to know
Good for
- People who want tasks and notes kept as files they control
- Nextcloud and ownCloud users on both phone and desktop
- Shopping lists, household tasks and recipes in one app
Worth knowing
- There is no hosted sync service: using a library on several devices needs a Nextcloud, ownCloud, WebDAV or Dropbox account, or an outside sync tool.
- No web version is listed; it runs as an installed app on Android, iOS, Linux, macOS and Windows.
- The AI integration currently covers recipe import only, and an online provider needs the user's own API key, which may carry separate costs.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
Free
No paid plan at all
OpenTodoList is free to use.
A full app you download for nothing on five platforms, open source under the GPL, with no paid version and only a donations link.
Free
$0
The complete app for Android, iOS, Linux, macOS and Windows, with local libraries and sync through the user's own storage.
The free plan
The app is free and open source under the GNU GPL on every platform, with no paid version. The developer accepts optional donations through Buy Me a Coffee and PayPal.
Read from opentodolist.rpdev.net on Oct 9, 2026.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
5
Places it runs: macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android
Open-source to-do list and notes app that stores plain files. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: open source, local-first, notes, tasks.
The gaps the listing names are real, with no sync service of its own, no sharing, and the AI action limited to importing recipes.
- Libraries
- A library is a container for todo lists, notes, images and recipes, so related items stay together. Each library can be given its own color.
- Todo lists, todos and tasks
- A todo list holds todos, and each todo can be broken into tasks. Items can have due dates and recurrence, and a schedule view shows what is due across all libraries.
- Notes with pages
- A note is a text container that can take additional pages, which turns it into a small notebook. Images are separate items with a title and description.
- File-based storage
- Each library is a normal directory of files on disk, so it can be backed up, inspected, or synced with an outside tool the user already trusts.
- Sync through your own storage
- Libraries sync through Nextcloud, ownCloud, generic WebDAV servers or Dropbox. Sync is chosen per library, and a local library is never copied to a server.
- Recipes with optional AI import
- Recipes hold ingredients, steps, notes and yield. An optional AI action turns pasted text or a web page into a recipe, using Apple's on-device model or an OpenAI-compatible provider.
Where it runs
- macOS
- Windows
- Linux
- iOS
- Android
What it works with
- Nextcloud
- ownCloud
- WebDAV
- Dropbox
OpenTodoList is made by Martin Höher.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
103/123
Other to-do list apps it is graded above
OpenTodoList's GPA of 3.0 is higher than 103 of the 123 other to-do list apps we grade, and level with 9.
It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 87 of 123) and worst on features (C, above 8).
OpenTodoList has no paid plan.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 124 to-do list apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. OpenTodoList’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 69 of 123
- AFree plan and trialAbove 87 of 123
- CFeaturesAbove 8 of 123
- CEase of useAbove 10 of 123
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 73 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. OpenTodoList 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.
Keep it
OpenTodoList is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 3.0 is higher than 103 of the 123 other to-do list apps we grade.
What you could make
- Tasks and notes: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- Apps for macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android that stay in step with each other.
What this rests on. OpenTodoList’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
Super Productivity, Tasks.org, jtx Board, Vikunja and Planify
The 5 tools OpenTodoList is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 3.4GPA
Super Productivity
Free
Free, open-source to-do app with time tracking and a Pomodoro timer.
- Only Super Productivity lists a web app.
- OpenTodoList also covers notes.
- Super Productivity also covers kanban boards, Pomodoro timer and time tracking.
- 3.4GPA
Tasks.org
Free plan · from $0.99/yr
Open-source Android to-do list with CalDAV and Google Tasks sync.
- Only OpenTodoList lists an iOS app.
- OpenTodoList also covers notes.
- 2.6GPA
jtx Board
Free plan · from $0.99
Android app for journals, notes and tasks with CalDAV sync.
- Only OpenTodoList lists iOS, Linux, macOS and Windows apps.
- jtx Board also covers daily notes.
- 2.4GPA
Vikunja
Free plan · from €4/mo
Open-source task manager to self-host or use as a paid cloud.
- Only OpenTodoList lists an iOS app.
- Only Vikunja lists a web app.
- Vikunja is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- 3.0GPA
Planify
Free
Free, open-source task manager for the Linux desktop.
- Only OpenTodoList lists Android, iOS, macOS and Windows apps.
- OpenTodoList also covers notes.
- Planify also covers Markdown, natural-language input and kanban boards.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
10
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 OpenTodoList free?
Yes. OpenTodoList is free to use.
How much does OpenTodoList cost?
OpenTodoList lists one plan. Free: $0.
What platforms does OpenTodoList work on?
OpenTodoList is available on Android, iOS, Linux, macOS and Windows.
Is OpenTodoList open source?
Yes. OpenTodoList is open source, according to its own site.
What does OpenTodoList integrate with?
OpenTodoList's listing names Nextcloud, ownCloud, WebDAV and Dropbox. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Who makes OpenTodoList?
OpenTodoList is made by Martin Höher.
What are the alternatives to OpenTodoList?
The closest alternatives to OpenTodoList in our directory are Super Productivity, Tasks.org, jtx Board, Vikunja and Planify.
How does OpenTodoList compare with other to-do list apps?
OpenTodoList's GPA of 3.0 is higher than 103 of the 123 other to-do list apps we grade, and level with 9.
Is OpenTodoList good value for money?
ToolGPA grades OpenTodoList A for value for money. OpenTodoList has no paid plan.
Could I make my own version of OpenTodoList?
OpenTodoList is free, so making your own would save you nothing. It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 3.0 is higher than 103 of the 123 other to-do list apps we grade.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from OpenTodoList’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 OpenTodoList's own pages on 9 October 2026. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-01-30.
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 Martin Höher. Prices change, so check opentodolist.rpdev.net before you buy.
- opentodolist.rpdev.net/project/contributing/
- opentodolist.rpdev.net/
- opentodolist.rpdev.net/home/download/
- opentodolist.rpdev.net/home/download/android/
- opentodolist.rpdev.net/home/download/ios/
- opentodolist.rpdev.net/home/download/macos/
- opentodolist.rpdev.net/help/faq/
- opentodolist.rpdev.net/help/privacy/
- opentodolist.rpdev.net/sync/
- opentodolist.rpdev.net/manual/data-model/
- opentodolist.rpdev.net/manual/ai-integration/
- apps.apple.com/us/app/opentodolist/id1490013766
- play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.rpdev.opentodolist&hl=en_US&gl=US
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
- OpenTodoList, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/opentodolist
- 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, "OpenTodoList: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 9, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/opentodolist
Know someone choosing between to-do list apps?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/opentodolist/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded to-do list apps after OpenTodoList, 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 OpenTodoList’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. OpenTodoList is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Martin Höher. Prices and plans change: check opentodolist.rpdev.net before you buy.