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Tasks.org
GPL-3.0Tasks.org is an open-source Android task manager replacing Todoist with local storage, CalDAV and Nextcloud sync, geofenced alerts, and zero tracking.
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Overview
Developer Alex Baker created Tasks.org to revive Astrid Tasks after Yahoo shuttered the service in 2013. The project modernized Astrid into an independent, privacy-respecting to-do manager. Today, Tasks.org gives phone users complete custody of their daily agendas without commercial tracking profiles.
Why Tasks.org instead of Todoist
Todoist routes task lists, deadlines, and notes through proprietary servers, requiring an account and locking automated reminders behind subscriptions. For people tracking personal errands or family chores, that model trades personal data for convenience. Tasks.org matches the core checklist workflows of Todoist while granting complete authority over data storage. Tasks can stay strictly offline in Android storage, or synchronize through open CalDAV standards, personal Nextcloud instances, or encrypted EteSync accounts.
The trade-off centers on platform reach. Todoist provides synchronized desktop, web, and iOS apps with inline natural language scheduling. Tasks.org focuses on Android, offering home screen widgets, geofenced alerts, and deep system controls, while desktop access requires alpha builds or third-party calendar software. For users seeking to keep personal schedules off corporate servers, Tasks.org eliminates vendor lock-in and reminder fees.
What it does well
- Flexible reminder rules: sets time-based alerts, repeating snooze cycles, and persistent alarms that ring until a chore is finished.
- Location-aware notifications: triggers geofenced alerts when arriving at or leaving designated places to remind users of nearby errands.
- Granular task hierarchies: supports nested subtasks with individual notes, deadlines, and priorities, avoiding flat checklist limits.
- Sovereign synchronization backends: connects to self-hosted Nextcloud accounts, CalDAV servers, local DecSync directories, or Google Tasks.
- Configurable Android widgets: displays interactive task lists, overdue filters, and quick-add buttons directly on the home screen.
- Independent local backups: exports and restores complete databases via standard iCalendar files and local storage without internet access.
Limitations
- Android-centric platform scope: Tasks.org has no iOS application or web interface, requiring iPhone users to use separate CalDAV clients.
