TaskPaper – Plain text to-dos App Reviews
Minimalist nimble thinking tool. Deceptively simple but super useful for articulating thoughts and collecting information. Another great tool by Jesse GrosJean
Very easy to start a project, increase complexity, break down more complex tasks into subtasks, add notes, etc. Tags, due dates make it full flagged to-do manager. Even having many other to-do apps on both Mac and iOS devices, I find it very appealing to do a project in TaskPaper. There are many iOS apps that work with plain text .taskpaper format. Highly recommend this app - it is a pleasure to use.
Plain text file (you’ll never lose your stuff) - Files editable with any text editor just in case - available on your iOS devices - Tags - Projects - Indentation A must have !!
TaskPaper 3 is the program I always hoped Taskpaper would be - syncing via Dropbox/iCloud (instead of its own service), folding outlines, scriptable - all while retaining the great looks and the portability of plain text of the original. It’s simple to use, but there’s a boat-load of power here if you dig into it. If you love outlining (and who doesn’t!?!) this is the best of the lightweight list makers.
I’ve used Taskpaper for years and loved it. I’ve tried other programs and they all had more bells and whistles than I needed/wanted and generally because of that were a PITA to use. Taskpaper is visually elegant and simple and quite simply just gets the job done, which in turn helps me get my work done. I’ve waited patiently for about 2 years for this version to be released and I’m thrilled to finally have the todo list program I’ve been waiting for. Thank you!
I’ve spent years hunting for the perfect task management system, trying my best to make OmniFocus, 2Do, and plenty of others work for me instead of against me. But I’ve finally found my home in TaskPaper because it’s deceptively simple, just as powerful as it needs to be, and doesn’t impose any rigid or nonsensical systems. It’s basically the perfect combination of a minimalist task management app and an outliner, and that’s perfect for what I need. I use it to outline my entire workweek on Sunday nights, then throughout the week the document is constantly updated with new information, tasks are crossed off and moved around, and tags and saved searches keep it all organized and focused. It’s a system that helps me stay on top of my weekly goals, get new ideas and tasks out of my brain quickly, and actually get things done. Nothing more, nothing less. If you’re worried about syncing and the lack of a dedicated TaskPaper mobile app, don’t. I’ve had perfect success syncing with DropBox and using the excellent iOS app Editorial for the mobile version. But since the files are plain text, there are tons of other ways you can view and edit them. Seriously, if you’re disillisioned with the wide world of productivity apps that are seemingly getting more complicated and less useful, you owe it to yourself to try TaskPaper. There’s even a free trial on their website if you’re unsure. Just do it already.
Update - Problems fixed
I’m back to rating this five stars. Jesse is very, very responsive if you have issues.
This FREE update has so many great new feature and refinements, that Im at a loss to say which I love the most. Taskpaper is faster, the updated UI is *beautiful,* the changes to the Sidebar and to the Palettes really increase ease of use...I could go on and on. This update makes an already very useful program even more appealing and easy to use. Hats off to Jesse Grosjean and Hog Bay software. Great program, terrific update!
It seems pricey at first for an app, that seems like a glorified text editor with some hacky approach to tasks management but just try it (there is a free trial on a developers website). It became not just my main task management tool, but also awesome for plannig, structuring stuff, basic note taking and more, this approach is super flexible.
I need a highlight.
Thanks, TaskPaper 3 is good app. I need that highlight or colored line for this/past week or this/past month.
Great!
Simple way to keep all your thoughts organized.
Really great. Needs a companion phone app.
This is lightweight GTD at its finest. I have zero complaints about this app and have been quite pleased with it. I would dearly love to see a real TaskPaper app for iPhone that does some sort of buffering or sync to keep the text files in the same state on different devices. Great job on this software - it allows me to keep getting things done.
Simplicity perfected . . . with the ability to customize to you heart's content
I have been playing around with various To-Do apps for several years. Only recently did I get rid of several overwhelming projects that pressed on me so hard that I could hardly choose what to do, but could only do what was necessary--usually at the last moment. In the last month I tried several To-Do apps. The SECRET to using this app is (1) that it is simply a text file which can be edited in any text editor, BUT (2) the Menu provides a ton of options for managing your list. I haven't tried it yet, but it appears that there are options for making changes to your heart's content thru stylesheets and scripts. This is my new "very mostest favoritest"* app. * Comes from hanging around with grandchildren!
Still the fastest and lightest
I've tried scores of to-do and project management tools, from the simple to the insanely complex. Taskpaper is the one I always come back to. It's super easy to use and edit, and makes it easy for me to see everything I've got going at a glance.
simple but amazing app
love this app! so simple to use! so many uses! perfect TO DO lists, with tags! perfect for outlining writing assignments! perfect for structuring projects (like a remodel). Oh, and so simple to use!
Excelent and Simple
I like the flexibility of the app. The simple todo list written on a piece of scratch paper.
LOVE this app
I've had TaskPaper for years and use it for brainstorming and organizing schedule-free projects. I don't use tags or the strikethrough completion feature. It's great for other use cases. I would love numbered lists so I could cut and paste existing or new items and have the numbers automatically adjust. A messageboard thread from early 2019 indicated the feature was on the way. Is it here and I just don't know how to use it? If not, here's one more vote for numbered lists.
Get the job done!
Looks and feels rudimentary - however, behind the simplicity lies more than enough to improve one's efficiency as compared many other widely touted tools! Amazing to say the least and a big Thank You!
Just really well done
My favorite task management app. It just gets out of your way and lets you organize your tasks in whatever way is best for you. Since it's outline-based, you can add arbitrary levels of subtasks to any item. You can easily narrow your focus down to single projects, or quickly move and tag items with the keyboard. The file format is simple plain-text outlines, but the app provides so many powerful tools to manipulate your tasks and projects. You can create very powerful searches, you can create custom commands with JavaScript and can customize the way your tasks are presented with stylesheets. Lots of pre-written scripts and stylesheets are available on the Taskpaper forum. Because it's just plaintext, it's easy to view and manipulate your task lists with other applications.
Solid/Simple and Useful
TaskPaper is a go to app for me. It makes it simple to keep track of short/long term projects and tasks. It syncs with DropBox, so that my devices all have the same tasks that can be updated in multiple places and the notes, etc... are available where ever I need it.
$25.00 it doesn't have to Dropbox?
Hey developers... Could you put just a little more work in this overpriced app and allow us to save to Dropbox. This is pretty useless otherwise. Wishing I hadn't wasted the money.
Does what it says on the tin.
The one big thing I would want is easier styling though. But, that doesn't detract from this app being great.
Friction-free task management
So hard to encapsulate what a joy it is to use this app. It is fast. It is easy to learn. It is reliable. With fast search and tag filters, I am able to track dozens of projects and tasks and notes with ease. My list does not become overwhelming because I can quickly and intuitively filter it to zoom in on a set of tasks by context, by due date, etc. What really stands out for me is the way it adapts to the way I generally think about tasks and projects — it is usually a non-linear process where thinking about one task or project triggers a memory about another thing to do. From anywhere in the app I can immediately start adding a new project or task. I don’t need to click-click-click to get to a Project view or Inbox view and then proceed from there. It is that ease of capturing projects and tasks that gives me a sense of calm and “ninja-ness” in managing what I need to do.
Conceptually simple, infinitely featureful
What an elegant, mature app! Its wonderful design, polished down to the very small details, hides tremendous complexity. All of this care and thoughtfulness results in a flexible, powerful application that lets you build your own system for tracking ideas and breaking them down into actionable tasks. I spent years using a text editor to create my own ad hoc (off-the-cuff) plain-text to-do system, but it slowly grew out of hand. The collapsible navigation pane and projects feature of TaskPaper allowed me to tame and reorganize my unruly, overgrown text file and put a lot more structure back into my work. Now I can see where I am and where I am going. And I can jump around and drill down on small parts of the overall project a lot more easily, working non-linearly, without worrying that I will forget any details. And the whole time, I have a non-proprietary text file that can be synced with Dropbox and can easily be manipulated and processed with many community-provided tools. TaskPaper sets a high bar for software quality and design on all fronts. Kudos Jesse.
Love it, but miss the older and simpler version.
TaskPaper is the best, hands down. But when the old version ceased to be compatible with my MacOS and I was forced to upgrade I was sad. The new version has too many bells and whistles and has lost some of the simple pencil-and-paper feel. Personally, I would love to see the new version have a retro theme! Regardless, the app gets 5 stars from me because it’s that essential to my productivity flow.
Elegant and powerful ...
There’s no question that TaskPaper is the most clean-lined and elegant task management solution on the Mac … but the cool and surprising thing is, it’s also the most powerful. The app’s scripting and theming options give it a level of flexibility and customization that no other tastk manager can match, and the plain-text file format means that your data can also be accessed by a viarity of other programs. I can do as much or little of that customization as I like, depending on my needs, but the real beauty here is that the underlying fundamentals are so fast and unobtrusive. Listing and managing tasks becomes a quick and integral part of my overall process, rather than an end in itself. It does take a bit of a paradigm shift to think of task management that doesn’t involve filling in forms and checking endless boxes, but moving past all that quickly becomes a real breath of fresh air, and a far better way of actually getting things accomplished. And to top it off, the develiper is extraordinarily responsive and helpful.
Awesome tool for it's job
It seems pricey at first for an app, that seems like a glorified text editor with some hacky approach to tasks management but just try it (there is a free trial on a developer's website). It became not just my main task management tool, but also awesome for plannig, structuring stuff, basic note taking and more, this approach is super flexible.
TaskPaper 3.5 - So Many Great Improvements!
This FREE update has so many great new feature and refinements, that I'm at a loss to say which I love the most. Taskpaper is faster, the updated UI is *beautiful,* the changes to the Sidebar and to the Palettes really increase ease of use...I could go on and on. This update makes an already very useful program even more appealing and easy to use. Hats off to Jesse Grosjean and Hog Bay software. Great program, terrific update!
Update - Problems fixed
I’m back to rating this five stars. Jesse is very, very responsive if you have issues.
Finally, an app that gets out of the way and helps me get things done
I’ve spent years hunting for the perfect task management system, trying my best to make OmniFocus, 2Do, and plenty of others work for me instead of against me. But I’ve finally found my home in TaskPaper because it’s deceptively simple, just as powerful as it needs to be, and doesn’t impose any rigid or nonsensical systems. It’s basically the perfect combination of a minimalist task management app and an outliner, and that’s perfect for what I need. I use it to outline my entire workweek on Sunday nights, then throughout the week the document is constantly updated with new information, tasks are crossed off and moved around, and tags and saved searches keep it all organized and focused. It’s a system that helps me stay on top of my weekly goals, get new ideas and tasks out of my brain quickly, and actually get things done. Nothing more, nothing less. If you’re worried about syncing and the lack of a dedicated TaskPaper mobile app, don’t. I’ve had perfect success syncing with DropBox and using the excellent iOS app Editorial for the mobile version. But since the files are plain text, there are tons of other ways you can view and edit them. Seriously, if you’re disillisioned with the wide world of productivity apps that are seemingly getting more complicated and less useful, you owe it to yourself to try TaskPaper. There’s even a free trial on their website if you’re unsure. Just do it already.
I need a highlight.
Thanks, TaskPaper 3 is good app. I need that highlight or colored line for this/past week or this/past month.