Find your fit
Who it is for
A developer or command-line user can capture a task quickly and filter it by project, tags or due date while working in a terminal. The reporting system can be adjusted as the task collection grows, but it expects some comfort with command syntax and configuration.
Someone moving from Taskwarrior 2 can keep a familiar command-line workflow while importing old task data. The sync backend is different: an older taskd server does not serve version 3, and copying the local database through generic file sync is unsupported.
The work it supports
Core capabilities
Create a task from a short description. Project, priority, due date, tags and recurrence can be added on the same command. Start with a few harmless tasks to see whether the syntax is comfortable before configuring a complex system.
Use the list report to view pending work and configure its columns, sort order and filter. The default list report already filters to pending tasks, so combining it with a completed-only filter can yield no results; use a suitable report when reviewing completed work.
Filter tasks by the presence or absence of a tag. Tags only help when tasks are labeled consistently; check a small sample of your preferred project and tag structure before importing a large backlog.
Modify one task or a filtered group, including descriptions, tags and projects. A default confirmation threshold appears above three tasks to guard against an overly broad modification. Read the match list before applying a bulk command.
Set a due date and recurrence interval to create repeated work. Taskwarrior keeps a hidden recurring template and presents separate pending instances; inspect both before editing a series so a one-off correction does not accidentally change every future instance.
Export a selected set of tasks as JSON. The exported ID and urgency values are derived rather than stored task fields, and a filter may omit records. Check export scope and a trial import into a separate environment before treating the file as a complete migration.
Sync between devices with a configured provider or TaskChampion server. A device sends changes with task sync and another receives them with its own sync call. Do not synchronize Taskwarrior 3’s database file with generic file-sharing tools; the project warns this can corrupt it.
For a version-2 upgrade, import the old task files into Taskwarrior 3.3.0 or higher with hooks disabled for that operation. The old taskd server cannot serve the new sync implementation; plan a separate replacement for cross-device use.
Understand the offer
Pricing and getting started
Taskwarrior itself is free and open-source under the MIT license. The official site shows current releases and volunteer support. A local single-device task list does not require a subscription to the project.
Cross-device sync is a separate operating choice. The official guide points to commercial cloud storage or a TaskChampion server that you or someone else hosts; cloud storage can have a small cost and requires configuration expertise. Price and support depend on the external service or server you choose.
Local Taskwarrior and cross-device service costs are separate. Check a chosen storage provider or hosted server’s price, retention and support terms before relying on it for daily work.
Look a little closer
Before you choose
Try a small task set with the add, list, filter, modify and complete workflow. Terminal-first design is useful when you already work at a command line, but the syntax and report defaults deserve a trial with real daily tasks.
If migrating, save an untouched copy of the version-2 files, test the official import path and verify task counts, recurrence and tags. Plan a new sync arrangement before retiring taskd.
If using more than one device, budget the provider or server work and test send/receive behavior on a harmless task. Keep a separate JSON export and avoid ordinary file sync of the version-3 database.
10 distinct sources behind this profile. Research observed Oct 20, 2026. Features and offers can change.
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