A paid-once, local-first planner for people who live in text files. macOS now, with Windows, iOS, and Android coming soon. Capture in plaintext, plan by day or time, focus on today, and review what got done β all in one readabletodo file you own.
No reviews yetBe the first to leave a review for Plainlist
Maker
π
Hey Product Hunt π
I built Plainlist because every planner I tried wanted my data in its cloud, its account, its format. I just wanted to plan my day in a text file I actually own.
So Plainlist is one .todo file. Plain TaskPaper syntax. Open it in any editor, keep it in whatever folder you already sync (iCloud, Dropbox, Git). But the app gives that file real structure:
β’ Day β capture in natural language ("call sam 3pm 30m"), then a week plan + a focus view for today. β’ Habits β fixed @every(mon/wed/fri) or flexible @quota(3/week), with streaks + history. β’ Goals β mark an outcome with π―, give it a timeframe, nest tasks under it.
The point isn't another task database β it's a real planner UI over a file that stays useful even when Plainlist is closed.
No account, no cloud lock-in, no subscription β pay once ($19.99). There's a free trial on the site. macOS today; Windows and a mobile version are in progress (I've been building the phone UI this week).
It's the tool I use to run my own day. Would genuinely love your feedback on the format and the flow. AMA.
Report
Been using Plainlist for a few days and the fact that everything just lives in one text file I can open anywhere is genuinely refreshing. The daily focus view keeps me from getting lost in my own lists.
Report
Maker
@doruk314591Β Thanks , really glad for the feedback. I am using at daily basis, and thinking to keep improve the app, and mobile apps will be launching soon. (Got quite a few minor features updates, but i need to make sure its minimal yet make sense.)
v1.4.0 β task stages (todo β doing β waiting β blocked β done) right in the file, subtasks that carry into Focus, a habit history grid, and βF to find text in the editor.
v1.4.1 β a command-line companion. New `plainlist` CLI to list, add, search, and complete tasks (plus habits/goals) from the terminal β built so scripts and AI agents can work with your .todo file directly.
Hey Product Hunt π
I built Plainlist because every planner I tried wanted my data in its cloud, its account, its format. I just wanted to plan my day
in a text file I actually own.
So Plainlist is one .todo file. Plain TaskPaper syntax. Open it in any editor, keep it in whatever folder you already sync
(iCloud, Dropbox, Git). But the app gives that file real structure:
β’ Day β capture in natural language ("call sam 3pm 30m"), then a week plan + a focus view for today.
β’ Habits β fixed @every(mon/wed/fri) or flexible @quota(3/week), with streaks + history.
β’ Goals β mark an outcome with π―, give it a timeframe, nest tasks under it.
The point isn't another task database β it's a real planner UI over a file that stays useful even when Plainlist is closed.
No account, no cloud lock-in, no subscription β pay once ($19.99). There's a free trial on the site. macOS today; Windows and a
mobile version are in progress (I've been building the phone UI this week).
It's the tool I use to run my own day. Would genuinely love your feedback on the format and the flow. AMA.
Been using Plainlist for a few days and the fact that everything just lives in one text file I can open anywhere is genuinely refreshing. The daily focus view keeps me from getting lost in my own lists.
@doruk314591Β Thanks , really glad for the feedback. I am using at daily basis, and thinking to keep improve the app, and mobile apps will be launching soon. (Got quite a few minor features updates, but i need to make sure its minimal yet make sense.)
Feel free to let me know if any issues and any improvement, feel free to request here (https://plainlist.featurebase.app/)
Update from the maker π
Shipped two releases since launch:
v1.4.0 β task stages (todo β doing β waiting β blocked β done) right in the file, subtasks that carry into Focus, a habit history grid, and βF to find text in the editor.
v1.4.1 β a command-line companion. New `plainlist` CLI to list, add, search, and complete tasks (plus habits/goals) from the terminal β built so scripts and AI agents can work with your .todo file directly.
Full changelog: getplainlist.com/updates