How Mindwtr compares
Mindwtr is a free, open-source GTD task manager for Linux, macOS, Windows, iOS, and Android. It works offline, never asks for an account, keeps your tasks on your own devices, and syncs only where you tell it to. Here is how that stacks up against the well-known alternatives — sourced, dated, and kept honest.
Mindwtr vs Todoist, TickTick, Everdo, and Nirvana
A brief, respectful comparison based on each product’s current public capabilities. This table also appears on the home page; the two are updated together.
Yes Partial No
| Capability | Mindwtr | Todoist | TickTick | Everdo | Nirvana |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open source | |||||
| Full GTD method out of the box | |||||
| All platforms, including Linux | |||||
| Works offline | |||||
| No account required | |||||
| Your own AI API key or an on-device model | |||||
| You pick where data syncs (Dropbox, WebDAV, your server) | |||||
| Completely free |
Method. Checked against official product, pricing, download, and help pages. “Full GTD” requires first-class Inbox, Next, Waiting, Someday, Review, and sequential projects. “All platforms” requires native apps for Linux, macOS, Windows, iOS, and Android. “No” means official sources do not document the capability; “Partial” means only part is supported. Sources: Mindwtr, Todoist plans, apps and offline mode, TickTick plans and apps, Everdo, and Nirvana.
Looking for a GTD app that doesn’t require an account?
Mindwtr never asks you to sign up, log in, or verify an email. You install it, and your tasks live in a local database on your device — plain SQLite plus a documented JSON format you can export at any time. There is no server-side copy of your data unless you set up a sync target yourself, and no analytics account shadowing your usage. Most mainstream task managers (Todoist, TickTick, Nirvana) require an account because your data lives on their servers; Mindwtr doesn’t, because it doesn’t.
An open-source Todoist alternative
If you like Todoist’s capture-anywhere workflow but want open source and data you own, Mindwtr covers the same ground — quick capture with natural-language dates, projects and labels (contexts), recurring tasks, reminders, widgets, and calendar views — and adds the full GTD method: a real Inbox-processing flow, Next/Waiting/Someday lists, Areas, sequential projects, and a guided Weekly Review. The honest trade-off: Mindwtr is built for one person. It has no shared workspaces, task assignment, or team comments, and its integration ecosystem is smaller — automation runs through a local API, CLI, and MCP instead of a hosted integration marketplace. Migration is one import: Mindwtr reads Todoist exports directly.
Local-first, without giving up your other devices
Some privacy-focused task managers keep data on one device and stop there. Mindwtr is local-first and multi-device: pick a sync route you already trust — iCloud, Dropbox, WebDAV, a folder watched by Syncthing, or a small server you host yourself — and every device merges changes locally with a documented conflict-resolution algorithm. File-based sync targets (folder, WebDAV, Dropbox) can additionally be protected with an optional passphrase, so the files your sync provider stores are encrypted before they leave the device. Sync is opt-in; turn it off and Mindwtr is a purely on-device app.
What Mindwtr doesn’t try to be
A fair comparison includes what we don’t do. Mindwtr is not team or project-management software — no shared boards, assignees, or discussion threads. It is not a calendar app (it integrates with the calendars you already use) and not a note-taking app (notes attach to tasks and projects; long-form writing belongs in your editor, and an Obsidian integration bridges the two). If you need shared workspaces, a team tool will serve you better. If you want one trustworthy system for your own commitments, that focus is the point.
Common questions
Is Mindwtr really free?
Yes. Mindwtr is free software under the AGPL-3.0 license — no subscription, no premium tier, no in-app purchases, no feature paywall. Development is funded by donations.
Where is my data stored?
On your device, in a local SQLite database, with JSON export and backup you control. See data & sync for the on-disk format and backup guidance.
Does Mindwtr work offline?
Entirely. Offline is the default state, not a degraded mode — sync, when configured, catches up whenever a connection is available.
Can I move in from another task manager?
Mindwtr imports from Todoist, TickTick, OmniFocus, and CSV, keeping projects, dates, and recurrence where the source format records them. See the import guides.
Can I leave?
Any time. Your data is already on your disk in a documented format, and CSV/JSON export is built in. No export fee, no account to close, nothing to cancel.