Vikunja vs Todoist
Your to-do list, your server.
Todoist is a good task manager. Millions of people use it. But it's closed-source, hosted in the US, and increasingly aggressive about what it locks behind a paywall.
Reminders? Paid. More than 5 projects? Paid. More than 300 tasks in a project? Paid. File attachments? Paid. And your data sits on Doist's servers in San Francisco whether you like it or not.
Vikunja gives you the same workflow you already know from Todoist: lists, labels, due dates, reminders, quick add with natural language. But it runs on your server. You can read every line of the code. And the free self-hosted version has no limits on projects, tasks, or features.
If you don't want to manage a server, Vikunja Cloud runs it for you on EU infrastructure. Either way, your team's project planning doesn't depend on a service you have zero control over.
What you get that Todoist doesn't offer
Beyond the self-hosting, there are a few things Vikunja does that Todoist simply can't.
Four views, not one
Todoist is a list app. Vikunja shows the same tasks as a list, Kanban board, Gantt chart, or table. Your project manager can use Gantt while your developers use Kanban. Same data, different lens.
CalDAV built in
Vikunja speaks CalDAV, so it works with the calendar and to-do apps you already use. Todoist has no CalDAV support at all.
Side by side
| Vikunja | Todoist | |
|---|---|---|
| Self-hostable | Yes | No |
| Open source | AGPLv3 | No |
| Views | List, Kanban, Gantt, Table | List, Board (Calendar is paid) |
| Reminders | All plans | Paid only |
| Projects (free tier) | Unlimited | 5 |
| Tasks per project (free tier) | Unlimited | 300 |
| Saved filters | Unlimited | 3 on free, 150 on paid |
| File attachments | Yes | Paid only |
| Quick add (natural language) | Yes | Yes |
| Repeating tasks | Yes | Yes |
| CalDAV | Yes | No |
| EU data residency | Self-host anywhere, or Cloud (EU) | No |
| Vendor lock-in | None (open source, export anytime) | CSV export only |
Pricing
Self-hosted Vikunja is free and always will be. If you'd rather not manage a server, Vikunja Cloud starts at 4 €/month (40 €/year) for personal use and 5 €/user/month for teams.
For reference, Todoist Pro is $5/month and Business is $8/user/month (billed yearly). But the real difference isn't the price tag. It's that Vikunja doesn't paywall basic features like reminders, attachments, and filters behind a paid plan.
Todoist prices from todoist.com as of April 2026. See Vikunja pricing for details.
How to switch
Vikunja has a built-in Todoist importer. The whole process takes about 10 minutes:
- Set up Vikunja (Docker, binary, or Cloud trial)
- Go to Settings, connect your Todoist account, and pick the projects you want
- Your tasks, labels, and due dates come over automatically
Try it for a week with your real tasks. If it works, cancel Todoist.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I import my Todoist tasks into Vikunja?
Yes. Vikunja has a built-in Todoist importer. Connect your account, pick the projects you want, and your tasks, labels, and due dates come over automatically.
Does Vikunja have Quick Add like Todoist?
Yes. Quick Add Magic lets you type a task with a due date, labels, assignees, and priority inline, similar to Todoist's natural language input.
Does Vikunja have reminders?
Yes, on all plans, including the free self-hosted version. Check out how reminders work. Todoist paywalls reminders behind the Pro plan.
What about mobile apps?
Vikunja works as a progressive web app on any device. Native apps are on the roadmap.
Try it out
Use the open-source version on your own server
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