# Zanshin

> KDE desktop task manager built around Getting Things Done

Zanshin is a free, open-source task manager from the KDE community that follows the Getting Things Done method. Tasks are collected in an inbox, then filed into projects and contexts by drag and drop or from the keyboard. It is built on Akonadi and ties into other KDE software: tasks can be created from KMail, shown in KOrganizer and captured through KRunner on the Plasma desktop.

- **Category:** To-Do List Apps
- **Made by:** KDE
- **Website:** https://zanshin.kde.org
- **Runs on:** Linux
- **Facts last checked:** Oct 9, 2026

## Pricing

Zanshin is free to use.

- **Pricing model:** Free
- **Free plan:** Free and open source under the GPL-3.0-or-later license, with no paid version. It is installed from a Linux distribution's packages or an app store such as Discover. KDE accepts optional donations.
- **Free trial:** None listed.

| Plan | Price | What you get |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Free | $0 | The complete desktop app, installed from Linux distribution repositories or AppStream app stores such as Discover. |

Read from https://apps.kde.org/zanshin/ on Oct 9, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Zanshin before buying.

## Key features

- **Inbox for collecting tasks:** New tasks land in an inbox so they are written down first and sorted later, which is the collect step of Getting Things Done.
- **Projects and contexts:** Tasks are filed into projects and contexts by drag and drop. Focusing on one project or context, such as phone calls, shows only the tasks that belong to it.
- **Keyboard control:** The app can be driven entirely from the keyboard, with shortcuts to add tasks, move them to a project or a context, and navigate.
- **Due dates and recurring tasks:** A due date makes a task stand out from the rest. Version 0.5.0 added recurring tasks, with a simple recurrence model, and a filter that hides tasks scheduled in the future.
- **KMail, KOrganizer and KRunner:** A task can be created from an email in KMail, overdue and upcoming tasks appear in KOrganizer's calendar view, and typing "todo:" in KRunner adds a task even when Zanshin is closed.
- **Running task overlay and attachments:** One task can be marked as currently running, which puts an overlay at the top of the screen as a reminder of what to focus on. Tasks can also carry attachments.

## Good for

- KDE Plasma users who follow Getting Things Done
- People who already use KMail and KOrganizer
- Adding and filing tasks without leaving the keyboard

## Worth knowing

- KDE's app listing offers it for Linux only. The project's install page says there is no Mac version and that the team never tested the Windows build.
- The project pages list no mobile or web app.
- It depends on Akonadi and other KDE libraries, and the KMail, KOrganizer and KRunner features need those KDE applications.
- The project site's last announcement is version 0.5.71 from January 2020; later versions arrive with KDE's regular app releases, most recently 26.08.2 on October 8, 2026.

## Works with

KMail, KOrganizer, KRunner, Akonadi

**Tags:** Tasks, Open source, Keyboard-first

## Alternatives

- [KomoDo](https://toolgpa.com/tools/komodo): KDE to-do manager for Linux that works on todo.txt files. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/komodo-vs-zanshin)
- [Planify](https://toolgpa.com/tools/planify): Free, open-source task manager for the Linux desktop. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/planify-vs-zanshin)
- [Errands](https://toolgpa.com/tools/errands): Simple open-source to-do app for the GNOME desktop on Linux. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/errands-vs-zanshin)
- [Everdo](https://toolgpa.com/tools/everdo): Offline-first GTD task manager sold as a one-time purchase. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/everdo-vs-zanshin)
- [Super Productivity](https://toolgpa.com/tools/super-productivity): Free, open-source to-do app with time tracking and a Pomodoro timer. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/super-productivity-vs-zanshin)

## Sources

The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Oct 9, 2026:

- https://apps.kde.org/zanshin/
- https://zanshin.kde.org/
- https://zanshin.kde.org/features/
- https://zanshin.kde.org/install/
- https://zanshin.kde.org/news/
- https://zanshin.kde.org/2018/01/03/zanshin-0.5.0-is-out-2018-will-be-organized/
- https://zanshin.kde.org/2020/01/14/zanshin-0.5.71/
- https://invent.kde.org/pim/zanshin

Page: https://toolgpa.com/tools/zanshin
Listed by ToolGPA (toolgpa.com).