Tasks.org review: keep a to-do list local

Tasks.org is a free open-source to-do list.¹² It suits people who want reminders without locking every list to one account. It runs on Android, and the F-Droid listing says it can be used entirely offline.⁵ The project also offers a desktop build it still labels alpha.¹

Last checked October 28, 2026.

At a glance

What it is: A free open-source to-do list and reminder app.¹

Works on: Android 8.0 or newer.⁵ A desktop build is marked alpha.¹

Price: Free offline. On Google Play, in-app features start at $0.99 a year, and Tasks.org Cloud is $2.99 a month or $29.99 a year.² The F-Droid build unlocks in-app features without a subscription.²

Licence: GNU GPLv3.¹ F-Droid lists it as GPL-3.0 only.⁵

Best for: Android users who want a local list, or a server they choose.

Official site: tasks.org

What Tasks.org does (and how it protects your privacy)

Tasks.org is a task manager. You keep lists, break a job into smaller steps, and get a reminder when something is due. The F-Droid listing describes nested subtasks with unlimited depth, repeating tasks, tags, filters and search.⁵ The homepage adds manual sorting, and says the lists can line up with Outlook, Thunderbird and Apple Reminders.¹

The privacy gain is about place. The homepage says you can use Tasks.org offline, self-host, or set up EteSync for end-to-end encryption.¹ End-to-end encryption means the server that stores the copy cannot read the task text. The sync table marks that protection for EteSync.³ Aside from Google Tasks and Microsoft To Do, sync follows the iCalendar standard.³

Sync is optional. One Google Tasks account does not need the in-app subscription. A second Google Tasks account does.³ CalDAV, DAVx⁵, EteSync, DecSync CC and Tasks.org Cloud ask for a Google Play subscription or a GitHub sponsorship.³ On F-Droid, in-app features do not need a subscription. Tasks.org Cloud still does.²

Key features

Offline lists: The F-Droid listing says the app can be used entirely offline.⁵
Deep subtasks: Nested subtasks have unlimited depth.⁵
Repeating work: Tasks can repeat, and a task can stay hidden until a later date.⁵
Tags, filters and search: You can tag, filter and search your tasks.⁵
A sync path you pick: Tasks.org Cloud, Google Tasks, DAVx⁵, CalDAV, EteSync, DecSync CC, and Microsoft To Do.¹³
End-to-end encryption with EteSync: The path the homepage names for that protection.¹
Place reminders and shared lists: Arrival and departure alerts need location access. List sharing is available with CalDAV or EteSync.⁴⁵

Pros and cons

Pros

The F-Droid listing says the app can be used entirely offline.⁵
The homepage says there are no ads, and that your data is never shared with anyone.¹
The subscribe page says the app does not sell your personal information.²
F-Droid builds and signs the suggested package so it matches the published source.⁵
The changelog dates version 15.13 to 13 October 2026.⁶
Tasks.org can add tasks to the phone’s calendar.⁵ Etar is a separate calendar app if you want the week on its own screen.

Cons

The current F-Droid build needs Android 8.0 or newer.⁵ The desktop app is still marked alpha.¹
F-Droid’s suggested build is 15.12, added on 17 September 2026.⁵
On Google Play, CalDAV, DAVx⁵, EteSync, DecSync CC and Tasks.org Cloud need a subscription or a GitHub sponsorship.³ The $0.99-a-year plan does not include Tasks.org Cloud.²
The sync guide says not all task information synchronizes. Google Tasks subtasks are single-level, and a Google Tasks description is limited to 8,192 characters.³
Some place-search calls are proxied through Tasks.org. With a Tasks.org account, that search uses Google Places. The location guide says your location is not sent to Tasks.org.⁴
Tasks.org Cloud is encrypted in transit and is not end-to-end encrypted.⁸

Is Tasks.org safe and private?

F-Droid names Alex Baker as the author, at [email protected], and lists the licence as GPL-3.0 only.⁵ Suggested version 15.12 was added on 17 September 2026, built and signed by F-Droid to match the source archive.⁵

On 30 December 2025 the developer wrote that nothing had changed about how Tasks.org handles data. Personal information is collected only if you use the Tasks.org sync service, and the data is not sold.⁷ The F-Droid listing says there is no ad or location tracking, that crash reporting and anonymous statistics can be switched off, and that the developer has no access to your data under any circumstances.⁵

Tasks.org Cloud is separate from the copy on the phone. On 25 May 2026, maintainer account abaker wrote that it is a CalDAV service on a VPS, a rented server. Data is encrypted in transit but is not end-to-end encrypted. The note says no third parties have access to the data, and that it is not used for any other purpose besides providing the service.⁸

Location reminders need the location permission.⁴ The location guide says your location is never transmitted to Tasks.org or shared with third parties, while some place-search and reverse-geocoding calls are proxied through Tasks.org. Place search uses Google Places if you have a Tasks.org account, and Mapbox if you do not. Reverse geocoding, which turns a map point into a place name, uses Mapbox on the Play build and Nominatim on the F-Droid build. Map tiles come from Google Maps when Play Services are available, and from OpenStreetMap when they are not.⁴

How to get started

Install it from F-Droid. Open the org.tasks package. F-Droid recommends its own client. The suggested build needs Android 8.0 or newer.⁵ Google Play subscriptions include a 7-day trial.²
Make a list before you sign in. The F-Droid description says the app can be used entirely offline.⁵
Add one real task. Set a due date, a reminder and a subtask. Repeating tasks and a hide-until date are in the same feature set.⁵
Add sync only if the list should leave the phone. The guide lists Google Tasks, Microsoft To Do, DAVx⁵, CalDAV, EteSync, DecSync CC and Tasks.org Cloud.³ On Play, CalDAV, DAVx⁵, EteSync, DecSync CC and Cloud need a subscription or a GitHub sponsorship.³ F-Droid users do not need a subscription for in-app features.²
Allow location only for place reminders. Arrival and departure alerts need that permission, and some place-search calls are proxied through Tasks.org.⁴
Treat the desktop app as an early copy. The homepage links tasks.org/download and labels it alpha.¹

Who should use Tasks.org (and who might prefer something else)

Tasks.org fits an Android phone when the list should work offline, with a later copy on EteSync, a CalDAV host, or through DAVx⁵.¹⁵

If you want a timer beside the tasks, Super Productivity puts tasks and time tracking in one workspace. Tasks.org’s F-Droid package is an Android app.⁵ The homepage says Tasks.org is compatible with Apple Reminders.¹ One Google Tasks account can connect without the in-app subscription, with the field limits in the sync table.³

Frequently asked questions

Is Tasks.org free?

It is free, open-source software, and it does not show advertisements.² On Google Play, in-app features start at $0.99 a year and do not include Cloud. Cloud is $2.99 a month or $29.99 a year, or a GitHub sponsorship of $3 a month or more. F-Droid unlocks in-app features without a subscription. Cloud still needs one of those paid options.²

Is Tasks.org safe?

The F-Droid listing says there is no ad tracking, and that the app can be used entirely offline.⁵ The developer wrote that personal information is collected only if you use the Tasks.org sync service, and that the data is not sold.⁷ EteSync is the end-to-end encrypted path.¹ Tasks.org Cloud is encrypted in transit and is not end-to-end encrypted.⁸

Does Tasks.org work on iPhone?

The F-Droid package is an Android app and needs Android 8.0 or newer.⁵ The homepage also offers a desktop build marked alpha, and says Tasks.org is compatible with Apple Reminders.¹

Does Tasks.org work offline?

Yes. The F-Droid listing says it can be used entirely offline, and the homepage says you can use it offline.⁵¹