will-be-done

About will-be-done

Modern offline-first self-hosted TickTick/Todoist alternative. Weekly timeline with day columns, kanban boards, drag & drop, vim keybindings. Self-hosted, local-first, open source.

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Note on AI ussage: I’ve been developing this project for a year+, and this is my third attempt in three yeas; the first two failed because the technology for fast, offline-first apps wasn't ready. This time, I created my own method for local-first development and built a database that works for both the frontend and backend, so I can write one code for both of them. Also, I have over 10 years of experience as a developer and 4 years specializing in offline-first apps. Building these reliably requires specific expertise. I use Claude Code to help, but I review every line of code manually to ensure quality.

Download & installation

Download for Windows
Download for macOS
Download for Linux
For now, mobile users can install the PWA as a bookmark. Native mobile clients are coming soon.

You should also run the Docker server. Here is the easiest way:

docker run -d \
  -p 3000:3000 \
  -v will_be_done_storage:/var/lib/will-be-done \
  --restart unless-stopped \
  ghcr.io/will-be-done/will-be-done:latest

Why build another task manager?

My core idea is to build a task manager that will stay with me for the rest of my life. Because of that, one of my main requirements is that it stays fast even with a massive database. If I have 10k+ tasks saved over the years, it should still load quickly and feel instant.

Another requirement is that it must be offline-first. I live in a country where the internet goes down pretty often, and I need my tasks to be available regardless of server status.

I also don't want to share sensitive data with companies that build task managers. A self-hosted, local-first app gives me much more control over where my data lives.

Also, I wanted a clean API so I could connect things like an MCP server or create tasks via Telegram.

Finally, I am building this to be a highly opinionated tool focused on ergonomics. I’ve found that mainstream solutions, including paid apps like TickTick and Todoist - don't quite fit my workflow. I wanted to experiment with features that are often missing elsewhere: native Vim keybindings, a week-view timeline that maximizes vertical space, and a "task suggestion" panel.

I need "Stash" feature - a persistent, focused task list accessible from any page. Just the focus list on what I plan to work this week/month.

Despite these power-user features, the goal is to keep the interface minimal and deeply visual customizable, allowing for project-specific backgrounds and color schemes.

After comparing several options from the Awesome Selfhosted list, I found that Super Productivity came the closest to meeting my needs. However, it still lacks the specific ergonomic features and visual flexibility I want for my "rest of my life" task manager.

	Will be done	Super Productivity	Donetick	Tududi	Vikunja	TaskTrove
Open-Source & Self Hosted	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅
Able to open when fully offline, functional offline	✅	✅	🟥	🟥	🟥	🟥
DnD tasks, projects. Tasks/projects reordering	✅	✅	🟥	🟥	✅	✅
Real time refresh, no need to refresh page when new task appear	✅	✅ (with SuperSync)	✅	🟥	🟥	🟥
Multi tab support	✅	🟥	✅	🟨	🟨	🟨
API	🟨 WIP	✅ (with SuperSync)	✅	✅	✅	✅
Mobile version	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅
Keybinds(vim preferred)	✅	✅ even vim!	✅ keybinds highlight are smart!	✅	✅ even vim!	🟨
Weekly planner	✅	✅	🟥	🟥	🟥	🟥
Categories/columns inside projects	✅	✅	🟥	🟥	✅ kanban!	✅ kanban!
Desktop version with quick add global shortcut	✅	✅	🟥	🟥	🟥	🟥
Local first	✅	✅	🟥	🟥	🟥	🟥

Will Be Done - modern offline-first self-hosted TickTick/Todoist alternative

Most task managers are great at collecting tasks - and terrible at helping you plan your week. Will Be Done gives you a visual weekly timeline where each day is a column. Drag tasks between days. See what's realistic. Always know what to focus on.

This is my third attempt in 3 years to build the task manager I actually want to use. I already use it daily. Things pushed me to build it: own my data (self-hosted), a weekly planning view, instant sync, offline support and vim keybinds.

Try the live demo (no sign-up) at demo.will-be-done.app or the cloud version at will-be-done.app before installing.

Project	Timeline

Today	Mobile

Installation

Run with Docker:

docker run -d \
  -p 3000:3000 \
  -v will_be_done_storage:/var/lib/will-be-done \
  --restart unless-stopped \
  ghcr.io/will-be-done/will-be-done:latest

Then open http://localhost:3000 in your browser.

Features

Plan your week, not just your tasks

Weekly timeline view - each day is a column, drag tasks between days to rebalance
No angry "OVERDUE" badges - missed tasks get a gentle nudge, not a guilt trip
One bad day doesn't snowball - weekly planning means skipping a day keeps your list clean
Kanban boards per project with categories you define (Week/Month/Ideas/Someday)
Multiple spaces - separate workspaces for work/personal/side projects

Fast enough that you forget it's a web app

Local-first - full database in the browser, every action is instant, zero network round trips
True offline mode - full read/write with no server, not a cached skeleton
Real-time sync - changes propagate instantly across all tabs and devices

Built for people who live in their keyboard

Vim keybindings - j/k navigation, drag with ctrl, quick-add with o/O
Everything drag & drop - tasks, days, projects, categories
Mobile ready - first-class mobile UI for when you're away from the keyboard

It's your data

Self-hosted - one Docker command, SQLite, no external dependencies
Open source - AGPL license

Vim keybinds

Global:

\ - toggle stash
v - toggle task details panel
p - toggle project view
z - zen mode: close stash, task details, and project view

When you focused on task

i, enter - insert mode. You can edit the task. esc - exit insert mode.
j, k - move between tasks up and down
h, l - move between columns left and right
ctrl-j, ctrl-k, ctrl-down, ctrl-up - move task up and down
ctrl-h, ctrl-l, ctrl-left, ctrl-right - move task left and right
o - create new task below focused task
O - create new task above focused task
space - toggle task state
m - move task to other project
S - stash task
s - schedule date
t - schedule task to today
r - reset schedule
d, x, backspace - delete task
e - edit task description
c - add checklist item
a - open action menu

When you focused on project

i - edit project
j, k - move between projects up and down
d, x, backspace - delete project

Reserved/WIP:

u, cmd-z, ctrl-z - undo action
ctrl-r, cmd-shift-z, ctrl-shift-z - redo action

Current Roadmap, v1.0 release

From tasks perspective:

[x] Repeating tasks
[x] Task details
[x] Checklist inside task

From api perspective:

[ ] Open API integration
[ ] CLI app

UI/UX:

[ ] Undo/redo action

Others:

[x] Migrator from popular task managers: Todoist / TickTick

Separate apps:

[x] Desktop app with global quick add

Next possible features