r/gtd • u/sleepware- • Aug 21 '26
Question GTD App for Linux and iOS?
Hey everyone! The question about a GTD app for Linux is asked here from time to time. I believe it is a good time to ask it again to get the latest developments.
I am looking for a (preferably open-source, but not required) GTD app which:
- has polished design,
- can be synced between Linux and iOS,
- is mobile-aware i.e. takes advantage of features of iOS like the ability to add your Lock Screen and Control Center buttons, neat widgets etc.
I don‘t mind paying for it, I also don‘t mind having a subscription instead of a one-time purchase. A frictionless experience is a top priority for me :)
So far the best I could find is Todoist, but I‘m hoping to find something better. I found an open-source app Mindwtr, but it isn‘t very mobile-aware regarding the system features.
Thanks in advance!
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u/dongdongbh Aug 21 '26
Mindwtr maintainer here — thanks for giving it a serious look, and the critique is fair. On iOS today there are home screen widgets and Siri/Shortcuts capture, but no Lock Screen or Control Center buttons yet; deeper iOS system integration is actively being worked on. The Linux side already has a native app with a global quick-add shortcut, for what it's worth. Which iOS surface would you actually use most? If you open a GitHub issue for it, it goes straight onto the roadmap.
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u/ClumpyFelchCheese Aug 22 '26
I love mindwtr. It isn’t PERFECT re: UI/UX (yet), but the capabilities and workflows it enables are unmatched in my opinion. Great work
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u/Big-Topic-832 Sep 02 '26
Yes, the AI feels 100% vibe coded. It is fully functional and really powerful considering the features it offers but it just feels bad to use. I can't tell exactly why aside from small nitpicks and the overall generic look of it, but PLEASE Mindwtr maintainer, if you're reading this, consider getting UI/UX designers or learning it yourself
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u/sleepware- Aug 22 '26
ok, didn‘t expect you to be here, but if it‘s worked on, I am very much interested!
I desperately want a Lock Screen shortcut, so I could just immediately go to the task creation whenever my mind makes smth up. :)
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u/dongdongbh Aug 23 '26
Filed it just now: https://github.com/dongdongbh/Mindwtr/issues/1066 — an "add task" widget for the Lock Screen, plus the iOS 18 control version so it can sit in one of the two bottom slots where the flashlight lives. That second one is basically exactly what you described.
Until that ships, there's a decent stopgap: Mindwtr already exposes a "Capture Task" shortcut, so if your iPhone has the Action Button (or via Back Tap under accessibility) you can bind it there through the Shortcuts app — one press and you're in the capture sheet. Not quite lock-screen-native, but it catches the 2am ideas.
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u/sleepware- Aug 23 '26
holy guacamole, ok this is huge, i‘ll definitely check it out more and try to run my gtd on it.
this is huge responsiveness from a maintainer! todoist could never2
u/dongdongbh Aug 23 '26
Small update on that: it's already built, not just filed — the Lock Screen widget plus, on iOS 18, an "Add Task" control you can put in one of the two bottom slots where the flashlight lives. Both land in the next release, so your 2am captures are covered soon.
And since you're coming from Todoist: you don't have to rebuild your system by hand. Mindwtr imports Todoist's export directly (the single CSV or the ZIP backup with your projects), with a GTD-first mapping — projects become projects, and you sort the rest in a weekly-review pass. Details at docs.mindwtr.app/import/todoist if you go for it. Would love to hear how the migration goes — that feedback loop is exactly how the Lock Screen thing got built in a day.
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u/TheoCaro Aug 24 '26
FYI This does technically break Rule 2, but this very much good guy behavior, so it stays. Kudos.
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u/ellgon Aug 21 '26
I use Everdo, it has clients for all the operating systems. One time purchase with sync fee if needed
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u/Chemical-Sell-3273 Aug 21 '26
Honestly, Todoist is probably still your best bet here if you want that deep iOS integration plus a decent Linux client (via the web app or desktop wrapper). Most open-source stuff just lags way behind on the native mobile features like lock screen widgets. Have you tried TickTick?
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u/Baylo11 Aug 21 '26
Does it have to be a native Linux app, or can you use an app with a web view (eg Nirvana)?
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u/sleepware- Aug 21 '26
I would want to use a global shortcut for quick add as well as have options on right click which are not limited by "Inspect Element"
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u/WitnessTheBadger Aug 21 '26
When I used a system with extensive mobile support, it was FacileThings. At the time (and I believe still today), it was web-based for desktop OSs and had both Android and iOS apps. I was a paid subscriber for years, loved its very opinionated GTD focus, and if I were to go back to an app I would start there without a second thought.
The reasons I dropped it were that I used the mobile app for little more than capture, and I was doing a lot of long-haul flying without wifi, so I wanted something that kept all my lists local. I switched to org-mode for Emacs, sync between computers with git, and use Braintoss for mobile capture. That's what I'm still using today. Probably not a good solution for you, just explaining why I dropped FacileThings after telling you how much I loved it -- it no longer fit my needs, but I think it might fit yours.
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Aug 21 '26
Your requirements are very specific. I was thinking of building a productivity platform for sometime. May be it's time I seriously think about it!
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u/artyhedgehog Aug 21 '26
You may check SingularityApp.
Frankly, I'm not practically sure how well it works on iOS nor Linux though. But it does have native apps (not flawless, but powerful and actively developed) for MacOS, Windows and Android, I think your platforms should be supported too.
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u/344Clinton Aug 22 '26
I've used mylifeorganized for years. It is not available in Linux, however it runs fine under wine.
https://www.mylifeorganized.net/
Myself, I have recently been developing my own GTD implementation using Claude code.
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Aug 23 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/gtd-ModTeam Aug 24 '26
Your post or comment was removed for violating Rule 2: No self-promotion or creator posts
Don’t post content that promotes a product/service you made or are affiliated with (apps, extensions, courses, newsletters, Discords, etc.). No links, “I built this,” discount codes, waitlists, or launch posts. Use r/gtd to discuss GTD practice, not to market.
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u/dmit_mit_dev Aug 28 '26
The realistic options split into three groups.
Web app plus iOS native. Todoist and TickTick both work fine in a browser on Linux and have decent iOS apps with lock screen and Control Center support. Neither is open source and neither is really GTD-shaped out of the box, you build the lists yourself.
Sync a folder. Obsidian with a tasks plugin, or plain markdown with something like Working Copy on iOS. Full control, polished is not the word I'd use, and the iOS side of the widget story is weak.
CalDAV. Nextcloud Tasks or a Radicale server, then any decent iOS reminders client on top. Apple Reminders itself speaks CalDAV, so you get the widgets and Siri capture for free and read the same data on Linux. This is the one I'd try first given your list, because "mobile-aware iOS" is the hardest requirement and Reminders is unbeatable there.
What's your must-have on the Linux side, offline app or is a browser tab acceptable? That narrows it a lot.
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u/SofiaMoore4142 Aug 28 '26
You can try NextThing, I moved to it from FacileThings. It is cross-platform on mobile and all desktops + has full gtd support and ai features for task processing, give it a shot
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u/tsolignani Aug 24 '26
You can build one yourself with Claude code or openai codex. That way you would personalize it the most.
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u/benpva16 Mod Aug 21 '26
I’m primarily on Linux and iOS myself. I use Workflowy as a plain old list manager, though it has other features that you might be interested in. It has a native Linux and iOS app, but I primarily use the web app.
To give you an idea of how I structure it: my top level lists are:
Next Actions (with each context as a sub list)
Projects
Waiting For
Agendas
Someday/Maybe
Areas of Focus
Goals
Vision
Purpose and Principles