Gnome Planner as a Linux alternative to Microsoft To Do
Updated
Our verdict
Gnome Planner can serve as a replacement for Microsoft To Do for users who are comfortable with a local‑only workflow and don’t rely on cloud sync or deep Microsoft ecosystem integration. It covers basic list creation, due dates, priorities and simple tagging, making it suitable for personal task tracking or lightweight work lists. Power users who need cross‑device syncing, subtasks, or tight Outlook/Calendar integration will find it lacking, but anyone who values privacy, offline access and a GNOME‑native UI will be happy with it.
- License
- GPL-3.0
- Price
- Free
- Latest version
- 0.14.91
- Rating
- —
What works the same
- Create and manage multiple task lists
- Set due dates and priorities
- Mark tasks as complete or incomplete
- Simple list view with optional calendar view
- Offline access to stored tasks
What is different
- No cloud sync; tasks stay only on the local machine
- No native integration with Microsoft services (Outlook, Teams, Calendar)
- No built‑in support for subtasks or nested lists
- No cross‑device sharing or collaboration features
- Limited reminder functionality compared to To Do
Opening your Microsoft To Do files
Microsoft To Do stores data in a proprietary cloud format and does not provide an official export option that Gnome Planner can import directly. Exporting from To Do to a CSV or plain text file is possible via the web interface, but Gnome Planner only supports CSV import/export, so you would need to convert the data manually. In short, direct opening of To Do files is not supported; you must rely on CSV export as an intermediate step.
Switching from Microsoft To Do to Gnome Planner, step by step
- Export your Microsoft To Do tasks to CSV from the web app.
- Open Gnome Planner and choose the import option for CSV files.
- Map the CSV columns to Gnome Planner fields (title, due date, priority).
- Verify that all tasks appear correctly and adjust any tags or priorities.
- Delete the exported CSV file if it contains sensitive information.
Key features of Gnome Planner
- Local-only storage with no account required
- Simple list and calendar views
- Support for due dates and priorities
- Basic tagging for categorization
- Keyboard-driven workflow
- Integration with GNOME Shell extensions
- Export tasks to CSV format
- Dark and light theme support
How to install Gnome Planner on Linux
sudo apt install plannersudo apt install plannersudo pacman -S plannerFrequently asked questions
Can Gnome Planner sync tasks between my laptop and phone?
No, it stores data locally only. You would need to copy the data file manually or use a third‑party sync solution like Syncthing.
Does Gnome Planner support recurring tasks?
Recurring tasks are not a built‑in feature; you would have to recreate them manually each time.
Is there a way to integrate Gnome Planner with my Outlook calendar?
There is no direct integration. You can export tasks to CSV and import them into Outlook, but synchronization is not automatic.