If you value transparency, control, and long-term reliability, open-source productivity tools offer serious alternatives to commercial services.
They let you keep ownership of your data, work offline, and adapt the software to your workflow — without ads or telemetry.
This article presents an overview of some of the most relevant open-source productivity apps in 2025 — including Super Productivity, Vikunja, Joplin, Taskwarrior, Trilium Next, OpenProject, and others.
✅ Evaluation Criteria
- Philosophy & Focus — individual vs team use; tasks vs notes
- Platform Support — Linux, macOS, Windows, Android, iOS, Web
- Privacy & Offline Capability — data storage model and telemetry
- Integrations & Extensibility — plug-ins, APIs, sync options
- Self-Hosting & Sync — WebDAV, CalDAV, dedicated servers
- Community & Maintenance — release frequency and sustainability
🔍 The Contenders (2025)
All projects listed are open source and have seen updates in 2024 or 2025.
| App | License | Platforms | Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|
| Super Productivity | MIT | Linux, macOS, Windows, Android, Web | Tasks, time-tracking, timeboxing, calendar & GitHub/GitLab/Jira integrations; plugin system and various optional productivity tools |
| Vikunja | GPL-3.0 | Web, Linux, macOS, Windows, Android, iOS | Self-hosted task and project manager; lists, Kanban boards, sharing, REST API, offline-first apps |
| Joplin | AGPL-3.0-or-later ¹ | Linux, macOS, Windows, Android, iOS, Terminal | Notes + tasks, plugin ecosystem, multiple sync back-ends |
| Taskwarrior | MIT | Linux, macOS, Windows (CLI) | Plain-text CLI task tracking with hooks |
| Trilium Notes | AGPLv3 | Desktop & Web | Hierarchical notes, encryption per note, community-maintained since 2024 |
| OpenProject | GPLv3 | Web | Team project management (Gantt, Agile, time tracking) |
| Nextcloud Tasks | AGPLv3 | Web + Mobile Clients | CalDAV-based task sync within Nextcloud |
| Planify | GPLv3 | Linux (GTK) | Simple desktop task app; optional Todoist/Nextcloud sync |
| Organice | AGPLv3 | Web | Org-mode-compatible; sync via WebDAV, Dropbox, GitLab |
| todo.txt CLI | GPL-3.0 | All (shell) | Minimal plain-text task manager |
¹ Joplin Server uses an additional “Personal Use License” restricting commercial hosting.
🧩 Detailed Comparison
🧠 Philosophy & Intended Use
- Super Productivity — Built for individuals and developers with a focus on deep work and easy task organization. Combines task management, time-tracking, timeboxing, and calendar integration. Integrates with GitHub, GitLab, and Jira.
- Vikunja — A self-hosted task and project manager positioned as an open-source alternative to Todoist or ClickUp. Supports lists, Kanban boards, subtasks, and team collaboration. Offline-capable mobile and desktop clients available.
- Joplin — A note-centric app supporting to-do checkboxes. Core clients under AGPL-3.0-or-later; the self-hosted sync server requires accepting its personal-use license. Offers Markdown editing and plugin extensions.
- Taskwarrior — CLI tool for GTD-style task management; fast, fully local and scriptable. Appeals to terminal-oriented users.
- Trilium Next — Community-maintained fork of Trilium Notes (since 2024). Focused on hierarchical note-taking and PKM (Personal Knowledge Management).
- OpenProject — Web application for collaborative project management; features Agile boards, Gantt charts, and time tracking.
- Nextcloud Tasks — Lightweight CalDAV task manager for users already hosting Nextcloud.
- Planify — Linux GTK app with optional sync to Todoist and Nextcloud; ideal for GNOME users.
-
Organice — Web front-end for Org-mode (
.org) files; bridges Emacs workflows and the browser. - todo.txt CLI — Plain-text task lists managed directly from the terminal; scriptable and versionable.
💻 Platform Support
- Super Productivity — Linux, macOS, Windows; Android version with timeboxing and calendar integration; web app available.
- Vikunja — Web app plus native clients for Android, iOS, and desktop (via PWA or community builds).
- Joplin — Desktop (Linux/macOS/Windows), mobile (Android/iOS), and terminal client.
- Taskwarrior — CLI for Linux, macOS, Windows; several unofficial GUIs.
- Trilium Next — Desktop and web versions; self-hostable Node.js server.
- OpenProject — Web-based; self-hosted or cloud.
- Nextcloud Tasks — Web interface; accessible through mobile CalDAV clients (DAVx⁵).
- Planify — Linux (GNOME/GTK); available via Flathub.
- Organice — Web application; self-hostable.
- todo.txt — Works on any platform with a shell.
🔐 Privacy & Offline Use
- Super Productivity — Offline by default; no telemetry. Sync via file, WebDAV (including Nextcloud), or Dropbox with optional encryption.
- Vikunja — Fully self-hosted with optional public sharing; offline-first clients. No tracking or external dependencies.
- Joplin — Offline-first; sync via WebDAV, Nextcloud, Dropbox, or filesystem.
- Taskwarrior — Local only unless using optional encrypted Taskserver.
- Trilium Next — Local and self-hosted; encryption per note.
- OpenProject — Web-based; privacy depends on hosting.
- Nextcloud Tasks — Privacy inherits Nextcloud’s configuration.
- Planify — Local or optional cloud sync.
- Organice — Privacy depends on chosen sync backend; self-hosting possible.
- todo.txt — Local files only.
⚙️ Integrations & Extensibility
- Super Productivity — Integrates with GitHub, GitLab, Jira, and OpenProject; supports CalDAV and WebDAV sync. Plugin API planned.
- Vikunja — REST API for integrations and automation; supports import from Todoist, Trello, and JSON.
- Joplin — Plugin architecture for Markdown extensions and integrations.
- Taskwarrior — Scriptable via hooks; supports data exports and reports.
- Trilium Next — JavaScript-based scripting; custom widgets and relationships.
- OpenProject — Integrates with GitHub, GitLab, LDAP, Jenkins, and calendar systems.
- Nextcloud Tasks — CalDAV interoperability.
- Planify — Integrates with Todoist/Nextcloud APIs; no extension system yet.
- Organice — Integrates through Org-mode files and WebDAV/Dropbox.
- todo.txt — Integrates through shell scripts and cron automation.
☁️ Sync & Self-Hosting
- Super Productivity — WebDAV, Nextcloud, Dropbox; no central server.
- Vikunja — Self-hosted server written in Go; Docker images and official mobile apps provided.
- Joplin — Sync via Joplin Cloud, WebDAV, Nextcloud, Dropbox, OneDrive, filesystem.
- Taskwarrior — Optional self-hosted Taskserver.
- Trilium Next — Node.js server for sync.
- OpenProject — Full web stack, packaged Docker images available.
- Nextcloud Tasks — Hosted inside Nextcloud; sync via CalDAV.
- Planify — Local or Todoist/Nextcloud sync.
- Organice — Uses WebDAV/Dropbox/GitLab for sync.
- todo.txt — Manual sync (e.g., via Git or cloud folder).
👥 Community & Maintenance (2024–2025)
- Super Productivity — Active development; regular releases.
- Vikunja — Active GitHub project with steady releases through 2025.
- Joplin — Large, active community and plugin ecosystem.
- Taskwarrior — Mature and stable; moderate activity.
- Trilium Next — Maintained by open community since 2024.
- OpenProject — Maintained by OpenProject GmbH with enterprise backing.
- Nextcloud Tasks — Part of the larger Nextcloud community.
- Planify — Regular updates via Flathub.
- Organice — Version 1.2 (2025) introduces Parcel build system.
- todo.txt — Stable; community forks remain active.
🧱 Security Notes for Self-Hosting
When self-hosting apps like Vikunja, Joplin Server, Trilium Next, or OpenProject:
- Enable HTTPS (TLS) and strong authentication.
- Keep Docker images and dependencies updated.
- Restrict WebDAV/CalDAV endpoints to authenticated users.
Poorly configured self-hosted instances are a common privacy risk.
🎯 Which Tool Fits Which User?
| Use Case | Recommended Apps |
|---|---|
| Developer tracking issues and time | Super Productivity |
| Team project and Kanban management | Vikunja or OpenProject |
| Note-heavy workflow | Joplin or Trilium Next |
| CLI-based workflow | Taskwarrior or todo.txt |
| Self-hosted Nextcloud setup | Nextcloud Tasks or Planify |
| Emacs/Org-mode ecosystem | Organice |
🧭 Conclusion
There is no universal “best” open-source productivity app — only the one that fits your workflow.
- Super Productivity excels for individuals needing task management and time tracking with developer integrations.
- Vikunja offers a self-hosted, full-featured task manager suitable for both personal and team use.
- Joplin and Trilium Next shine for note-driven workflows.
- OpenProject targets professional teams and organizations.
- todo.txt and Taskwarrior remain lightweight, scriptable classics.
Each project reflects a different philosophy — from simplicity to full-stack collaboration — proving that open source continues to deliver genuine choice and innovation in productivity software.
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