Super Productivity is not coasting as a 19,731-star todo app. ToolVitals sees 11 release events in 30 days, 19 GitHub releases in 90 days, a 96 shipping score, and a 93 ToolVitals score. The latest GitHub release, v18.8.0, adds OneDrive sync, improves project archiving, adds a Start break action, and fixes a long list of Android, iOS, macOS, recurrence, sync, and board-loading edge cases.
That mix matters. This is not just content marketing around productivity. The project is shipping the boring platform work that keeps a local-first task manager usable across desktop, web, and mobile.
The signal: local-first planning with developer-grade maintenance
The official site positions Super Productivity as an open-source deep-work task manager with tasks, time tracking, focus tools, offline use, privacy, plugins, calendar integration, boards, Pomodoro, GitHub, GitLab, Jira, and OpenProject integrations. The GitHub README says the same thing in developer language: an advanced todo list app with timeboxing, time tracking, calendar task imports, and issue-tracker support.
The release notes back that positioning. v18.8.0 is not a shiny rewrite. It is the kind of release that says users are hitting real cross-platform edges: Android WebView startup recovery, iOS notification timing, macOS quit behavior, encrypted sync retry handling, malformed board payloads, recurring task cases, and imported issue-number prefixes.
That is a good sign for a productivity tool. Daily-use apps earn trust by not losing state, not breaking sync, and not making mobile feel like an afterthought.
The recent blog feed points at the audience Super Productivity wants. The May posts focus on visual task management for ADHD, hyperfocus at work, personal Kanban for developers, dopamine menus, AI-assisted codebase onboarding, and Sunsama alternatives. The through-line is clear: private planning for people whose work is fragmented, technical, or attention-sensitive.
What the team seems to be betting on
Super Productivity is betting that many people do not want another account-based planning cockpit. They want a local-first control panel for tasks, time, focus, and issue tracker work.
The Sunsama alternatives post says the quiet part plainly: Super Productivity is the free, open-source, local-first option for people who want timeboxing, timers, developer integrations, and private data, but not a paid guided ritual. The website reinforces that with claims around offline use, zero accounts, no tracking, JSON or CSV export, WebDAV and Dropbox sync, and plugin extensibility.
The ADHD and developer articles are not random SEO filler. They map onto product primitives that already exist: Kanban, Eisenhower-style views, calendar scheduling, focus mode, Pomodoro, time tracking, issue imports, and work logs. The content is trying to teach the workflow, not just describe buttons.
What ToolVitals cannot infer
ToolVitals can say Super Productivity looks healthy from public signals: 19,731 GitHub stars, 11 release events in 30 days, 19 GitHub releases in 90 days, 91 health score, 96 shipping score, and 87 data confidence. It can also classify the project as OSI-approved open-source software under the MIT license, based on the payload and the repository license page.
ToolVitals cannot tell you whether the app fits your brain, whether sync is painless in your setup, whether the mobile experience feels polished, or whether the plugin system is pleasant to build against. It does not measure code quality, support responsiveness, revenue, retention, or user satisfaction.
So the conservative read is this: the project is active, widely starred, and aligned with its stated local-first productivity story. That is not the same as proof that it will replace your current planner without friction.
Comparisons that sharpen the picture
Against SiYuan, Super Productivity has fewer stars but a stronger recent shipping signal in this payload. SiYuan has 44,193 stars, a 61 shipping score, and 0 release events in 30 days. Super Productivity has 19,731 stars, a 96 shipping score, and 11 release events in 30 days.
Against OpenLoaf, Super Productivity looks much more established. OpenLoaf has 62 stars, 7 release events in 30 days, and an 87 shipping score. Super Productivity has 19,731 stars, 11 release events in 30 days, and a 96 shipping score. OpenLoaf may be moving, but Super Productivity combines motion with a much larger public footprint.
The broader related set shows how active Super Productivity is even outside productivity. LangChain has 9 release events in 30 days and a 100 shipping score. n8n has 15 release events in 30 days and a 100 shipping score, but ToolVitals classifies n8n as fair-code, not OSI-approved open source. Super Productivity is not shipping at ClickHouse pace, 40 release events in 30 days, but for a personal productivity app, 11 events is real movement.
Recommendation
If your team lives in GitHub, GitLab, Jira, or OpenProject and individuals need a private execution layer for daily work, evaluate Super Productivity. The reason is specific: it combines issue-tracker intake, timeboxing, time tracking, focus tools, offline use, and active MIT-licensed development.
Do a hands-on trial before standardizing on it. Test sync, mobile notifications, issue imports, export, and recurring tasks with your actual workflow. The public data says Super Productivity is alive and serious. Your trial should answer the only question ToolVitals cannot: whether it makes your day easier.
Sources
- https://super-productivity.com
- https://github.com/super-productivity/super-productivity
- https://github.com/super-productivity/super-productivity/releases
- https://github.com/super-productivity/super-productivity/releases/tag/v18.8.0
- https://github.com/super-productivity/super-productivity/blob/master/README.md
- https://github.com/super-productivity/super-productivity/blob/master/LICENSE
- https://super-productivity.com/blog/visual-task-management-adhd/
- https://super-productivity.com/blog/adhd-hyperfocus-at-work/