I'm constantly seeking more open-source and self-hostable solutions to address my productivity challenges, while also avoiding overly complex or subscription-based apps. I recently set up a self-hosted tasks platform to help me with my chores, but I was also curious about an open-source solution for general tasks management.

After exploring a variety of open-source task solutions, I decided to go with Vikunja. Since setting up the service, I've been impressed with its user-friendliness, as well as its ability to replicate complex features of mainstream apps like Todoist and TickTick.

What is Vikunja?

A cross-platform open-source tasks app

Vikunja is an open-source task management app that you can make as simple or as complex as you like, making it an appealing alternative to mainstream to-do list apps. You can choose between a hosted solution, with plans starting at 4 euros per month, or choose to self-host the software on your own server or NAS.

If you opt for self-hosting, Vikunja is quite simple to set up if you're familiar with the practice. I have only been self-hosting since the beginning of the year and have no coding experience, but I was able to get the software up and running on Docker Desktop as well as on my Synology NAS. At the same time, I understand why people choose cloud options over self-hosting.

Once you set the software up, you need to sign up with a username, email address, and password. As soon as this is done, you can get started with creating tasks. A few things that appealed to me about the software include its cross-platform support and ability to access its features, including syncing and notifications, for free when you self-host.

What can you do with Vikunja?

Powerful task scheduling that's user-friendly

Vikunja shares many features with Todoist, such as the ability to set reminders for tasks, set filters, labels, and assignees, and switch views between different layouts. However, I find Vikunja's different views to be more powerful since they don't just switch up the appearance, but also the way you sort tasks.

For example, in Vikunja, you can switch from a list view to a Gantt, table, or Kanban view. This allows you to choose the view that works best with your own productivity style. Like Todoist, you can set the priority level for tasks, assign them to certain users, and use different filters. In the Projects tab, you can set up different filters for tasks.

Todoist limits the number of filters you can use on the free plan, but since I self-hosted Vikunja, I could create plenty of filters for free. I created a filter for specific tasks that were assigned to me and had not been completed. But you can set up a series of powerful filters by using the filter syntax (with Vikunja providing an explanation of the values you can use).

Meanwhile, the scheduling for tasks is pretty flexible. You can set tasks to repeat daily, weekly, or monthly. You can also set the follow-up task to schedule from the original due date or the date of completion. Since I'm someone who often adjusts my schedule according to my energy levels, this is useful for monthly chores and tasks that I don't get to by the original due date. It saves me from having to manually reschedule the follow-up task.

Both Todoist and Vikunja allow you to import tasks from other apps by using a CSV file. However, I decided to start with a clean slate since importing my tasks from TickTick included many of my previously completed tasks.

A notable difference between Todoist and Vikunja is that Todoist allows you to use templates for tasks. Currently, this isn't available in Vikunja.

Receiving Android notifications from Vikunja

There are a variety of solutions available

One of my concerns about self-hosting a tasks app is the ability to receive notifications on my Android device. I'm incredibly forgetful, so I need to set reminders to do tasks; otherwise, they will remain perpetually in limbo.

Vikunja supports a few ways to receive notifications. You can receive email notifications for tasks, but since I already find my email inbox overwhelming, I skipped this method. You can also sync your server with an app that supports CalDAV. But many of these solutions require a subscription or purchase, including Tasks.org and DAV5x.

So what's the simplest solution? I found that Vikunja's Android app, available on GitHub, was the best solution for me. It requires you to sideload the app onto your device since it's not yet listed on the Google Play Store. Despite the disclaimer on the app's GitHub page that it's still in its early stages, the setup and notification on my Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 review device worked perfectly.

If push notifications aren't an essential feature, you can still access Vikunja on your smartphone by saving it as a progressive web app from your browser. This allows you to easily access your instance with a shortcut on your home screen.

Vikunja is my new favorite tasks app

While Donetick provides a useful dashboard to keep track of my household chores (which are usually not urgent), Vikunja's powerful features and Android push notifications make it a compelling alternative to other task software.

At the same time, it is simple to get started with and there's not a steep learning curve, so it avoids some of the drawbacks of productivity apps that I often encounter. If it sounds like an appealing solution to you, I encourage you to try it out.