Our rating: 3/5 for this setup

A self-hosted Todoist alternative with AI brain-dump to tasks

A homelabber had their AI assistant build a web to-do app, then grew it into nia-todo. It has projects, recurring tasks, reminders, sharing, an Android app and offline mode. Its BrainDump feature turns speech into text with Whisper, and a small AI agent turns that text into tasks filed under existing projects.

New Added Oct 25, 2026 · ✓ Last checked Oct 25, 2026

It broke for meBroke?

Diagram drawn by AppToBot from this recipe's source. It shows the flow, not a screenshot of the product.

Setup steps

Install nia-todo from its Docker image or Debian package
Create users and shared projects (for example, a household list)
Set up Whisper for speech-to-text
Connect a small AI agent that turns a brain dump into tasks
Use BrainDump: speak, then review the tasks it filed

Steps summarized from the original Blog source ↗. Use “Copy” to grab them with the tools and source link, or copy an AI prompt.

How it went

With the BrainDump feature, the writer replaced Todoist for good and cancelled Pro. They share to-dos and shopping lists with someone in their household in the same app.

Worth knowing

It began as a one-evening vibe-coding request and grew over weeks into a project that 'has taken quite a bit of my time'.

Only what the original source ↗ says, re-read Oct 25, 2026. How we write these

Try it with AI

Paste this into ChatGPT, Claude or your own agent for step-by-step help. Prompt written by AppToBot from this recipe's data, not by the original author. It keeps drafts for your review and asks before anything is sent or paid.

Help me set up this automation using nia-todo (open source) + Whisper + an OpenClaw AI agent: "A self-hosted Todoist alternative with AI brain-dump to tasks".
Goal: replace Todoist.

How it should work:
- Trigger: You speak a brain dump
- Then: Whisper turns speech into text
- Then: An AI agent splits it into tasks
- Then: Files them into existing projects
- Result: Tasks with projects and due dates

Setup steps (summarized from the original source):
1. Install nia-todo from its Docker image or Debian package
2. Create users and shared projects (for example, a household list)
3. Set up Whisper for speech-to-text
4. Connect a small AI agent that turns a brain dump into tasks
5. Use BrainDump: speak, then review the tasks it filed

Guide me one step at a time. Ask me for anything you need (accounts, sheet or channel names) before you start.

Safety rules:
- Build and test with sample data first, and show me a sample result before anything goes live.
- Keep anything that goes to other people (emails, posts, replies, record updates) as drafts for my review until I say otherwise.
- Never send, post, buy, pay, delete or change records without my approval.
- Tell me about any cost (paid plans, API usage) before I'd incur it, and help me set a spending limit.
- Keep API keys and passwords out of shared docs and chats.
- Privacy: Runs on your own server; where speech and text go depends on the Whisper setup and AI model you use.

Based on: https://homelabdiary.dev/en/blog/2026-may-june-homelab-recap/

From the source

The nia-todo dashboard in dark mode with task counts, focus list and active projects (source screenshot, demo user) — Image from homelabdiary.dev, the source of this recipe, shown as a reference. It belongs to its owner. Downloaded Oct 25, 2026.

Todoistnia-todo (open source) + Whisper + an OpenClaw AI agent

Tool names link to each official site (opens in a new tab).

Cost afterNot reported

SetupHard · Not reported

Time savedNot reported

SkillAdvanced

Running cost: Not reported Free open-source app; the writer doesn't say which model runs BrainDump or what it costs. Self-hosted How we sort costs
Replace an app: AI bots that replace Todoist

App vs bot, side by side

Old app vs bot
	Old app / habit	Bot
Tool	Todoist	Self-hosted nia-todo + Whisper speech-to-text + an AI agent that files tasks
Monthly cost	Todoist Pro (amount not reported)	Not reported
Setup	None (already in use)	Not reported · Advanced
Your time	Baseline	Not reported
Maintenance	Handled by vendor/you as before	Self-host updates from the project's releases; version 3.0 was in progress when written.
Privacy	Data stays with the app vendor	Runs on your own server; where speech and text go depends on the Whisper setup and AI model you use.

Full comparison

Replaces	Todoist
Bot / agent stack	Self-hosted nia-todo + Whisper speech-to-text + an AI agent that files tasks
Monthly cost before	Todoist Pro (amount not reported)
Monthly cost after	Not reported
Setup time	Not reported
Time saved	Not reported
Skill level	Advanced
Reliability	3/5: firsthand switch with a published, working app; no usage period or figures, and it is a one-person project.
Maintenance	Self-host updates from the project's releases; version 3.0 was in progress when written.
Privacy & data	Runs on your own server; where speech and text go depends on the Whisper setup and AI model you use.
Best for	Self-hosters who want shared to-dos and voice capture
Not for	People who want a polished, supported task app

Pros and cons

Pros

Talk, and get tasks filed in the right projects
Shared projects and lists for a household
PWA, Android and Windows apps; OIDC and passkeys

Cons

Vibe-coded, one-person project
You host and secure it yourself

Source and evidence

First-person homelab diary (Jul 2026): the writer says BrainDump is what let them replace Todoist for good and cancel Pro. It is a vibe-coded project, now at version 2.12.2. No usage figures.

Read the original Blog source ↗

“Not reported” means the source doesn't say. We never fill gaps with guesses. Numbers marked “per author” or “vendor claim” are the source's own and weren't independently tested. Source last checked Oct 25, 2026.

Our rating is an editorial opinion based on the public source above, not lab testing. Spot an error? Request a correction.

Plain-text summary (for search and AI assistants)

A self-hosted Todoist alternative with AI brain-dump to tasks. Replaces Todoist with Self-hosted nia-todo + Whisper speech-to-text + an AI agent that files tasks. Cost before: Todoist Pro (amount not reported). Cost after: Not reported. Setup: Not reported, Advanced. Time saved: Not reported. Reliability 3/5: 3/5: firsthand switch with a published, working app; no usage period or figures, and it is a one-person project. Best for: Self-hosters who want shared to-dos and voice capture. Not for: People who want a polished, supported task app. How it went (per source): With the BrainDump feature, the writer replaced Todoist for good and cancelled Pro. They share to-dos and shopping lists with someone in their household in the same app. Worth knowing: It began as a one-evening vibe-coding request and grew over weeks into a project that 'has taken quite a bit of my time'. Source: https://homelabdiary.dev/en/blog/2026-may-june-homelab-recap/

Compare with another recipe ← All recipes

Questions, corrections or ideas?

Spotted an error, want a recipe covered, or have a partnership idea? Send us a message and we'll get back to you.

Starting your own newsletter? Try beehiiv ↗

What is beehiiv?

beehiiv is a newsletter platform: you write and send emails, host a newsletter website, and grow and monetize a list from one place. We've used it for our own newsletter.

beehiiv says (vendor claims, not tested by us):

Free plan with up to 2,500 subscribers and unlimited sends
Built-in website, recommendation network and analytics
0% cut of paid subscription revenue (Stripe fees apply)

Good for: starting or growing an email newsletter. Not ideal for: email automations or removing beehiiv branding on a $0 budget (those need Lite or Pro).

Free plan: $0, no card needed. Paid plans from $49/mo billed annually (Lite, up to 1,000 subscribers). People who sign up through our link get a 14-day trial plus 20% off their first 3 months, per beehiiv's partner page. Facts as of Oct 2026, from beehiiv's own website. More about beehiiv →