Looking for OmniFocus for Linux?
There isn’t one. OmniFocus runs on Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Apple Vision Pro; on Linux, Windows, or Android your only option is OmniFocus for the Web, a paid subscription add-on that needs a connection and Omni’s sync server. Mindwtr is a free, open-source GTD task manager with native apps for Linux, Windows, and Android as well as macOS and iOS — the same system everywhere, offline by default, and it reads your OmniFocus export. This page is about that gap; OmniFocus is a deep, well-built tool, and the table below says where it still wins.
Mindwtr vs OmniFocus
Platform reach first, then the things a long-time OmniFocus user will ask about. Based on each product’s current public documentation.
Yes Partial No
| Capability | Mindwtr | OmniFocus |
|---|---|---|
| Native Linux app | ||
| Native Windows app | ||
| Native Android app | ||
| Native Mac, iPhone, and iPad apps | ||
| Apple Watch and Vision Pro apps | ||
| Browser access at no extra cost | ||
| Works offline | ||
| Usable without an account | ||
| Sync to a folder or server you control | ||
| Full GTD method out of the box | ||
| Custom perspectives and saved views | ||
| Open source | ||
| Completely free |
Method. Checked against official Omni Group product, store, and documentation pages. Platforms: Omni lists OmniFocus 4 for Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Apple Vision Pro, and directs Android and PC users to OmniFocus for the Web. Price: OmniFocus 4 is $74.99 (Standard) or $149.99 (Pro) as a one-time license, or $99.99 per year by subscription; web access is bundled with the subscription or sold separately at $4.99 per month / $49.99 per year. Mindwtr is free with no paid tier, so a yes/no cell would misstate both — the numbers belong here. Account: OmniFocus apps run on your device, but Omni’s sync service and OmniFocus for the Web require an Omni Account, hence “Partial”. Your own server: OmniFocus syncs to your own WebDAV server, but Omni documents that “customers who sync OmniFocus using their own server can’t currently view or edit their data in OmniFocus for the Web”. Perspectives: custom perspectives are an OmniFocus Pro feature and have no direct Mindwtr equivalent; Mindwtr offers saved searches with operators such as “status:”, “context:”, and “due:<=7d”, which is narrower — hence “Partial”. Offline: both native app sets work offline; OmniFocus for the Web requires a connection. Sources: Mindwtr, OmniFocus, the Omni Store, OmniFocus features, the OmniFocus for the Web manual, and Omni’s note on the Web app and WebDAV.
The same system on the machine you use
You built a trusted system in OmniFocus, then your work moved to a Linux workstation, a Windows laptop, or an Android phone, and the system stayed behind on the Mac. The web app closes part of that gap, but it is a subscription add-on, it needs a live connection, and Omni’s own manual lists Review, notifications, and repeat editing as things it does not support. Mindwtr takes the other route: one native app, built once, shipped for Linux, macOS, Windows, iOS, and Android, with the same Inbox processing, Next/Waiting/Someday lists, Areas, sequential projects, and guided Weekly Review on each of them. There is also a browser app you can self-host if you want one, at no extra cost.
No account, and sync you pick
Mindwtr never asks you to sign up or log in. Your tasks live in a local SQLite database on the device, with JSON export built in. Sync is opt-in and you choose the route: iCloud, Dropbox, WebDAV, a folder watched by Syncthing, or a small server you host yourself. File-based targets can be protected with a passphrase that encrypts the files before they leave the device. Nothing routes through a Mindwtr server, because there isn’t one — and turning sync off leaves you with a purely on-device app rather than a broken one.
What OmniFocus does better
OmniFocus has been refined for close to two decades and it shows. Its custom perspective editor is more powerful than anything Mindwtr offers: Mindwtr has saved searches with query operators, not a rule-based perspective builder with its own icons. OmniFocus Pro’s Omni Automation and AppleScript support is a mature scripting story with a real plug-in community; Mindwtr’s automation is a local REST API, a CLI, and an MCP server, which is capable but younger and smaller. OmniFocus ships an Apple Watch app and a Vision Pro app; Mindwtr ships neither. Its Forecast view, defer dates, and review interval controls are worked out in detail, and end-to-end encrypted sync on Omni’s free sync service is a well-tested path for Apple-only users. If every device you own has an Apple logo on it and you are happy paying for the polish, staying put is a sound decision.
Moving your OmniFocus database over
Mindwtr has a first-class OmniFocus importer. Export from OmniFocus — CSV works, but an Omni Automation / Shortcuts export preserves the most, so prefer a JSON file, or a ZIP containing OmniFocus.json and metadata.json together. Then, in Mindwtr, open Settings → Data → Import from OmniFocus, pick the file, check the preview summary, and confirm. Folders become Areas, projects stay projects, tags and contexts carry over, notes land in the description, defer dates become start dates, due dates and completion state are preserved, and flags become a high-priority hint. Repeat rules come across from the JSON path; a rule Mindwtr can’t represent exactly is kept verbatim as a note rather than converted into a different one behind your back. Mindwtr saves a recovery snapshot first, so you can roll back. Full details, including what CSV loses, are in the OmniFocus import guide.
Common questions
Is Mindwtr really free, or is this a trial?
Free. Mindwtr is free software under the AGPL-3.0 license — no trial period, no subscription, no premium tier, no feature paywall. Development is funded by donations.
Can I run it on Linux without a Mac anywhere in the picture?
Yes. The Linux desktop app is a first-class build, not a port of an Apple app, and nothing in Mindwtr depends on an Apple device or an Apple service. See the desktop install guide.
Where does my data live?
On your device, in a local SQLite database, with JSON export and backup you control. If you enable sync, it goes only to the target you configured. See data & sync.
Will sync work between my Linux desktop and my Android phone?
Yes — that combination needs no Apple service. Point both at the same WebDAV server, Dropbox account, Syncthing folder, or self-hosted sync server, and each device merges changes locally using a documented conflict-resolution algorithm.
What if I want to go back to OmniFocus?
Your data is already on your disk in a documented format, and CSV/JSON export is built in. Keep your original OmniFocus database and license until you’re sure; nothing about trying Mindwtr is one-way.
Comparing something else?
The full table, covering seven apps at once, is on how Mindwtr compares. If you’re weighing other options, there are focused pages for the Todoist alternative and the TickTick alternative too.