A free GTD app for Android
Mindwtr is an open-source GTD app for Android, released under the AGPL-3.0 license. Free here does not mean a trial or a starter tier: there is no paid plan, no premium unlock, and nothing behind a paywall — the whole method ships in the app you install. It works offline, never asks for an account, and keeps your tasks in a local database on your phone. Install it from Google Play, F-Droid, or the signed APK.
What a GTD app has to do
Most Android to-do apps give you a list and a due date. GTD needs more than that, and the parts have to be connected: an Inbox you process rather than a pile you scroll; separate Next, Waiting, and Someday lists so a stalled item stops competing with an actionable one; contexts like @calls or @errands so you can filter to what is possible where you are standing; sequential projects that show only the one step you can take next; and a Weekly Review that walks the whole system instead of leaving you to remember it. Mindwtr ships all of that on Android — guided inbox processing with the two-minute rule, status lists, nested contexts and tags, areas, sequential projects, and daily and weekly review wizards. None of it is a paid add-on.
Mindwtr vs Todoist and TickTick on Android
The two apps most people weigh against an open-source option, on the rows that matter on a phone. Both have free plans; both free plans are tiers with documented limits. Rows where Mindwtr loses are included — see the full comparison for the rest.
Yes Partial No
| Capability | Mindwtr | Todoist | TickTick |
|---|---|---|---|
| Completely free — no paid tier at all | |||
| Open source | |||
| Available on F-Droid | |||
| Usable without an account | |||
| Tasks kept on the device, not on a company server | |||
| Works offline | |||
| No cap on projects or tasks | |||
| Home-screen widgets with quick add | |||
| Full GTD method out of the box | |||
| You choose where data syncs (Dropbox, WebDAV, your server) | |||
| Built-in habit tracker | |||
| Shared projects and task assignment |
Method. Checked against official product, pricing, download, and help pages. “Completely free” means no paid tier exists; Todoist’s free plan documents “5 personal projects”, “3 filter views”, and “1 week activity history”, and TickTick’s documents “9 Lists, 99 Tasks per list”, with Premium at “US$49.99/Year”. “Full GTD” requires first-class Inbox, Next, Waiting, Someday, Review, and sequential projects. Todoist works offline once you are signed in — its help states “Make sure you’re logged in to your Todoist account before going offline” — and the account requirement has its own row. “No” means official sources do not document the capability. Sources: Mindwtr and mobile guide, Todoist plans, features, offline mode and Android widgets, TickTick plans, features, apps and Android widgets.
Capture on Android, without opening the app
A GTD system only holds if capture is faster than the thought. Mindwtr puts several routes on the phone: a home-screen widget that shows today and overdue work, a Quick Settings tile for a one-swipe add, an optional silent notification that keeps capture reachable from the lock screen, and a capture action exposed to Android assistants. Audio capture transcribes a spoken task into the Inbox, using either an on-device model or a provider you configure. Task reminders fire from the device itself — there is no push server in the path, because there is no server. Automation apps such as Tasker can switch contexts through a broadcast or URL scheme, so @work can turn itself on when you arrive. The mobile guide documents each one.
An open-source Android app, from a store that checks
Mindwtr is on F-Droid, which builds apps from published source and admits only free and open-source software. Mindwtr is also on Google Play and at IzzyOnDroid, and every signed APK is on GitHub releases if you prefer to install directly. Your tasks stay in a local SQLite database with JSON export. Sync is opt-in and you choose the destination — Dropbox, WebDAV, a folder watched by Syncthing, or a small server you host — with an optional passphrase that encrypts file-based sync targets before they leave the phone.
What Todoist and TickTick do better
Both are good products, and a fair page says where they win. Todoist and TickTick are built for teams as well as individuals: shared projects, assigned tasks, and comments are core features, and Mindwtr has none of them — it is a single-person tool with no shared workspaces and no assignment. Both run large hosted integration catalogues; Mindwtr’s automation is local instead — a REST API on localhost, a CLI, and an MCP server. TickTick additionally bundles a habit tracker with statistics, which Mindwtr does not have. Both have had years and larger teams to polish their Android apps. If shared lists or a habit tracker are the reason you open the app, they will serve you better than we will.
Moving your tasks over
Export from your current app, then in Mindwtr open Settings → Data → Import, pick the file, check the preview, and confirm. Projects, dates, and recurrence come across wherever the source format records them. There are importers for Todoist, TickTick, OmniFocus, DGT GTD, and a documented generic CSV, so an app not on that list can usually be routed through a spreadsheet. The import guides cover each format, including what does not survive the trip. Import runs on the device — nothing is uploaded for processing.
Common questions
Is it really free, or is this a free tier?
Really free. Mindwtr is free software under the AGPL-3.0 license: no subscription, no premium plan, no in-app purchases, no locked features, no trial that ends. Everything described on this page is in the app you install. Development is funded by donations.
Do I need an account to use it on Android?
No. There is no sign-up, no login, and no email verification. Install the app and start capturing; your tasks live in a local database on the phone.
Does it work with no signal?
Yes — offline is the normal state, not a degraded mode. If you have configured sync, it catches up when a connection returns. If you have not, the app never needs one.
Can I use it on my laptop too?
Yes. There are native apps for Linux, macOS, Windows, and iOS as well as Android. Turn on sync and pick a route you already trust — iCloud on Apple builds, Dropbox, WebDAV, a synced folder, or a self-hosted server — and each device merges changes locally using a documented conflict-resolution algorithm.
Can I get my data back out?
At any time. The database is already on your phone, and JSON and CSV export are built in. Nothing to cancel, no account to close, no export fee.
Keep reading
The full sourced table, covering seven task managers, is on how Mindwtr compares. If you arrived here from one product in particular, the head-to-head pages go deeper: Todoist alternative and TickTick alternative.