The Tracks Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Tracks 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.
Tracks
The Insider’s Guide
Free, self-hosted web app for Getting Things Done
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among to-do list apps, read from Tracks’s own pages.
Made by TracksApp · 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 Tracks’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Tracks’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
2.6
GPA, above 48 of the 123 other to-do list apps we grade
Tracks is a free, open-source web application for following David Allen's Getting Things Done method. Next actions are organized by context and project, with tags, stars, due dates and a tickler that keeps an action off the home page until a chosen date. It is written in Ruby on Rails and meant to be installed on your own computer or server, where one instance can hold separate private accounts for several users.
To get you started, here are 8 things to know about Tracks, taken from its own pages and our grades.
That means a server with Ruby and a MySQL, PostgreSQL or SQLite database, or a Docker setup, and only the admin can add accounts.
- 1
Best for Getting Things Done on your own server
Tracks is a free, open-source web app built around Getting Things Done: next actions sorted by context and project, with a tickler that hides an action until the date you pick.
- 2
It is free
Tracks has no paid plan at all. The software is free and open source under the GNU GPL. You download the source or use Docker and run it on your own computer or server; the project itself sells no plans.
- 3
It runs on Web
Web.
- 4
Contexts and projects
The home page lists next actions sorted by context, and separate pages show one context or one project. Projects and contexts can be reordered by dragging and hidden from the home page.
- 5
Tags and stars
Actions take free-form tags, each with its own page of matching actions, and a star icon marks actions to pull onto a starred page.
- 6
Due dates and a tickler
Optional due dates are shown on a traffic-light colored background by how close they are. The tickler schedules an action to appear on the home page only after a future date.
- 7
A 2.6 GPA, above 48 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
Tracks is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
Tracks at a glance
- Pricing
- Free
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- TracksApp
- Category
- To-Do List Apps
- Our grade
- 2.6 GPA, good
The report card
Best for Getting Things Done on your own server
Tracks is a free, open-source web app built around Getting Things Done: next actions sorted by context and project, with a tickler that hides an action until the date you pick. But you have to host it yourself with Ruby and a database or Docker, there are no native phone apps, only a mobile web page, and the latest stable release is from July 2024. The hosted option, TaskItIn, is €3 a month.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | Free and open source under the GNU GPL, and the project sells no plans at all. But the only way to have it is on a server you run, and software that's free only if you host it isn't free in practice. TaskItIn, a hosted instance from the maintainer's company, is €3 a month. |
| Free plan and trial | A | The complete application is free, for as many users as the admin adds. There's no paid edition, so nothing is locked and no cap waits for you. Download the source or use Docker and it's all yours. |
| Features | B | GTD throughout: contexts, projects, free-form tags, stars, due dates on a traffic-light background and a tickler that hides an action until its date. A statistics page shows your most productive days. Nothing in the listing names a gap in the core work. |
| Ease of use | D | You host it yourself. That means a server with Ruby and a MySQL, PostgreSQL or SQLite database, or a Docker setup, and only the admin can add accounts. The way round it is TaskItIn, a hosted instance run by the principal maintainer's company. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | A web app with an API that lets scripts read and write tasks, plus text, iCal and RSS feeds and exports to YAML, CSV or XML. That API is what lifts it above web-only. There are no native phone apps: phones get a lightweight mobile web interface. |
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 Tracks is for
- Fits if you practice GTD and want contexts, projects and a tickler, with no extras
- Works for households or small groups on one server they run, each with a private account
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you've never run a server, since Tracks needs Ruby and a database, or Docker
- Not for you if you want a native phone app, as phones only get a mobile web interface
- Not for you if you want frequent updates, because the latest stable release, 2.7.1, is from July 2024 and was mainly a security fix
- Watch out: only the admin can add accounts, and the hosted TaskItIn is €3 a month after a 30-day trial
Good to know
Good for
- GTD practitioners who want contexts, projects and a tickler
- People comfortable running a Rails app or a Docker container
- Households or small groups wanting private accounts on one server
- Getting task data out through feeds, exports and an API
Worth knowing
- Running Tracks yourself takes a server with Ruby and a MySQL, PostgreSQL or SQLite database, or a Docker setup.
- The latest stable release, 2.7.1, is dated July 25, 2024 and was primarily a security release.
- There are no native phone apps. Phones use a lightweight mobile web interface, and the only client listed is for SailfishOS.
- A hosted instance, TaskItIn, is run by the principal maintainer's company at €3 a month after a 30-day free trial.
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
Tracks is free to use.
Free and open source under the GNU GPL, and the project sells no plans at all.
Free
$0
The complete application, installed from source or with Docker on a machine you run, for as many users as the admin adds.
The free plan
The software is free and open source under the GNU GPL. You download the source or use Docker and run it on your own computer or server; the project itself sells no plans.
Read from getontracks.org on Oct 9, 2026.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Web
Free, self-hosted web app for Getting Things Done. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: open source, self-hostable, public API, tasks.
A statistics page shows your most productive days.
- Contexts and projects
- The home page lists next actions sorted by context, and separate pages show one context or one project. Projects and contexts can be reordered by dragging and hidden from the home page.
- Tags and stars
- Actions take free-form tags, each with its own page of matching actions, and a star icon marks actions to pull onto a starred page.
- Due dates and a tickler
- Optional due dates are shown on a traffic-light colored background by how close they are. The tickler schedules an action to appear on the home page only after a future date.
- Multiple private users
- Each user has their own contexts, projects, actions and preferences behind a login. Only the admin can add or delete accounts, so visitors cannot sign themselves up.
- Statistics
- A statistics page shows the average time taken to complete actions, how many were completed in the past month or year, and which days of the week are the most productive.
- Feeds, exports and API
- Next actions are available as text, iCal and RSS feeds, data exports to YAML, CSV or XML, and an API lets scripts read and write tasks. A lightweight mobile web interface is included.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
Its own pages name no integrations.
Tracks is made by TracksApp.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
48/123
Other to-do list apps it is graded above
Tracks's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 48 of the 123 other to-do list apps we grade, and level with 43.
It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 87 of 123) and worst on ease of use (D, above 0).
Tracks 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. Tracks’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 13 of 123
- AFree plan and trialAbove 87 of 123
- BFeaturesAbove 81 of 123
- DEase of useAbove 0 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. Tracks 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
Tracks is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
What you could make
- Tasks: an app builder makes this well.
What you could not
- An API that other software can build on.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. Tracks’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
Mindwtr, Nirvana, Everdo, Vikunja and tududi
The 5 tools Tracks is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 3.2GPA
Mindwtr
Free
Free, open-source GTD task manager for desktop and mobile.
- Only Tracks lists a web app.
- Only Mindwtr lists macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android apps.
- Tracks is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- 2.4GPA
Nirvana
Free plan · from $3/mo
To-do list app built around the Getting Things Done method.
- Only Nirvana lists macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps.
- Tracks is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- 2.2GPA
Everdo
Free plan · from $39.99 one-time
Offline-first GTD task manager sold as a one-time purchase.
- Only Tracks lists a web app.
- Only Everdo lists macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android apps.
- Only Everdo lists a browser extension.
- 2.4GPA
Vikunja
Free plan · from €4/mo
Open-source task manager to self-host or use as a paid cloud.
- Only Vikunja lists macOS, Windows, Linux and Android apps.
- Vikunja also covers natural-language input, kanban boards and Gantt & timelines.
- 2.6GPA
tududi
Free plan · from €5/mo
Open-source task and life organizer to self-host or use hosted.
- tududi also covers natural-language input and habit tracking.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
12
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 Tracks free?
Yes. Tracks is free to use.
How much does Tracks cost?
Tracks lists one plan. Free: $0.
What platforms does Tracks work on?
Tracks is available on Web.
Does Tracks have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 9, 2026. Tracks is listed for Web.
Does Tracks have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 9, 2026. Tracks is listed for Web.
Is Tracks open source?
Yes. Tracks is open source, according to its own site.
Does Tracks have an API?
Yes. Tracks offers a public API, according to its own site.
Who makes Tracks?
Tracks is made by TracksApp.
What are the alternatives to Tracks?
The closest alternatives to Tracks in our directory are Mindwtr, Nirvana, Everdo, Vikunja and tududi.
How does Tracks compare with other to-do list apps?
Tracks's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 48 of the 123 other to-do list apps we grade, and level with 43.
Is Tracks good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Tracks C for value for money. Tracks has no paid plan.
Could I make my own version of Tracks?
Tracks is free, so making your own would save you nothing. What you could not make: An API that other software can build on.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Tracks’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 Tracks' own pages on 9 October 2026. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-06-09.
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 TracksApp. Prices change, so check getontracks.org before you buy.
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
- Tracks, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/tracks
- 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, "Tracks: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 9, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/tracks
Know someone choosing between to-do list apps?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/tracks/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded to-do list apps after Tracks, 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 Tracks’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. Tracks is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by TracksApp. Prices and plans change: check getontracks.org before you buy.