A task manager is software which enables users to compile a list of tasks to be completed. This list is also known as a to-do list or things-to-do. For the purposes of this article, the term ‘task manager’ should not be confused with monitoring software which provides information about programs and processes running on a computer.
The list of activities that may form a to-do list include chores, grocery lists, reminders for important events (such as purchasing wedding presents or birthday gifts), self management, software development, project / business management, and so on. Task managers help to organise your day, ensuring that you know in an instant what you need to do.
Linux has a large range of open source task managers, in part because many of them have a limited feature set and hence are relatively quick to code. This feature selects our personal favorites, including both console based applications and software sporting an attractive graphical user interface.
To be productive, you may need more than a task manager. Our features on Productivity Tools and Personal Information Managers help to organize your day in other ways.
To provide an insight into the quality of software that is available, we have compiled a list of 10 useful terminal-based task managers. Hopefully, there will be something of interest here for anyone who wants to avoid that sinking feeling of remembering (albeit too late) something important that needs to be actioned. GUI task managers are covered in a separate roundup.
Here’s our verdict captured in a legendary LinuxLinks-style ratings chart. Only free and open source software is eligible for inclusion.
Click the links in the table below to learn more about each task manager.
| Terminal-Based Task Managers | |
|---|---|
| Taskwarrior | Manages your TODO list from the command line |
| Org Mode | Emacs major mode for keeping notes, maintaining to-do lists, and more |
| Todoman | Simple, cli, standards-based task manager |
| Taskell | Command-line Kanban board/task manager |
| dstask | Similar to Taskwarrior but uses git to synchronise instead of a special protocol |
| Dooit | Billed as a to-do manager that you didn’t ask for, but needed |
| Todoist | TODO list web application |
| Yokadi | SQLite powered TODO list tool |
| todo | Lightweight and fast CLI-based todo program |
| Tatuin | Task aggregation tool |
 Read our complete collection of recommended free and open source software. Our curated compilation covers all categories of software. Spotted a useful open source Linux program not covered on our site? Please let us know by completing this form. The software collection forms part of our series of informative articles for Linux enthusiasts. There are hundreds of in-depth reviews, open source alternatives to proprietary software from large corporations like Google, Microsoft, Apple, Adobe, IBM, Cisco, Oracle, and Autodesk. There are also fun things to try, hardware, free programming books and tutorials, and much more. |