Tasks.txt - Plain text task manager for macOS that stays out of your way.

What it does

Tasks.txt is a native macOS app that turns your plain text todo.txt file into a keyboard-driven task manager. It reads and writes a standard todo.txt file stored locally on your Mac, adding keyboard shortcuts for common actions like adding tasks, marking them done, moving them between sections, and filtering by project label. The app groups tasks into Done, Upcoming, and Backlog views based on attributes like upcoming:true. It also includes a built-in scratchpad for notes. No cloud, no account, no proprietary database — your data remains in a plain text file you own.

Who it is for

Tasks.txt is for people who have tried every task tracker (Jira, Linear, Trello, Asana, Things, OmniFocus) and keep coming back to a .txt file. It’s designed for users who want a tool that feels as fast as opening a text editor, with no loading spinners, notification badges, or vendor lock-in. It’s ideal for developers, writers, and anyone comfortable with plain text who wants keyboard-driven task management on macOS.

Why it matters

Most task managers store data in proprietary databases, making it hard to access or migrate. Tasks.txt stores everything in a standard todo.txt file that you can read, edit, search, and version-control with any tool — Sublime Text, grep, Git. The app is just a keyboard shortcut layer on top, so you get speed and convenience without sacrificing ownership or portability. It’s free, native Swift (no Electron), and requires no account or cloud sync.

Launch signal

Tasks.txt is available as a free download on the Mac App Store for macOS 13 Ventura or later. The app was built by Yevhen, a solo developer with 10+ years of software experience, after trying every task tracker and always returning to a .txt file. The website includes a demo video and detailed FAQ. The privacy policy states that the app collects no personal data, no telemetry, and no crash reports.

Brand and naming

The name "Tasks.txt" is straightforward and descriptive — it tells you exactly what the product is: a task manager built around a .txt file. The .txt extension in the name reinforces the plain-text, no-frills positioning. The branding is minimal and functional, matching the product’s philosophy of staying out of the user’s way. The tagline "Plain text task manager for macOS" and the website copy emphasize speed, ownership, and simplicity.