Taskhold vs Backlog.md
Backlog.md is a free, MIT-licensed task manager where every task is a markdown file in the repo, with a terminal board, a local web UI and an MCP server. It's actively maintained and it's good. If you want tasks versioned with your code, use it.
Side by side
| Backlog.md | Taskhold | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free (MIT) | $12/month or $120/year per person |
| Where tasks live | Markdown files in the repo, versioned with git | Hosted list |
| Human view | Terminal board and local web UI | Web app on any device |
| Across repos | One backlog per repo (one MCP server can serve them all) | One list, grouped by project |
| Offline | Yes | No |
| History | Git history, comment authors | Every change, marked human or agent |
| Acceptance criteria, milestones, dependencies | Yes | No (description and priority only) |
| Setup | Install the CLI, backlog init per repo | Paste a setup URL |
Backlog.md facts from its GitHub README, checked 2026-10-08.
Pick Backlog.md if
- You want tasks in git next to the code they describe.
- You work offline or don't want a third party holding task data.
- You want acceptance criteria and dependencies.
Pick Taskhold if
- Your tasks span several repos, or aren't tied to a repo.
- You want to queue and review work from a phone or another machine without running a local server.
- You don't want task files committed alongside code.
Give your agents a list you can both see.
$12 a month or $120 a year per person, every agent included. 7-day trial with a card; cancel before it ends and nothing is charged.
Start your 7-day trialQuestions
- Can I import my Backlog.md tasks?
- There's no importer. An agent connected to Taskhold can read the markdown files and create each task with taskhold_create.
Related
Updated 2026-10-08