Small businesses often outgrow basic task lists and spreadsheets but aren’t always ready to commit to the cost and complexity of mainstream project management platforms. Todoyu is a self-hosted project management app designed to streamline task coordination, time tracking, and team communication without unnecessary overhead.
Originally developed as a lightweight, modular solution, Todoyu is now undergoing significant improvements to bring it in line with today’s development standards. The latest version is already updated to support PHP 8.1, with additional upgrades underway. Our team has replaced the legacy template engine, cleaned up the codebase, and is in the final stages of completing essential JavaScript fixes.
Looking ahead, we plan to refresh Todoyu’s interface with a more modern, responsive UI and extend its capabilities with new addons and plugin support. These enhancements aim to make Todoyu a more compelling project management alternative for businesses that want full control over their systems without being locked into a subscription model.
What is Todoyu?
Todoyu was initially built as a modular, web-based project management application aimed at small to mid-sized teams. Designed to be self-hosted, it provided essential tools for task management, time tracking, and team collaboration—all within a streamlined interface.
Unlike many software-as-a-service (SaaS) project management tools, Todoyu emphasized flexibility. Developers and businesses could customize it to fit their own workflows, host it on their own servers, and avoid vendor lock-in or recurring subscription fees. Its architecture supported modular extensions, making it easier to adapt and scale with evolving business needs.
Over time, Todoyu’s original development stalled. However, recognizing the value of its core architecture, our team adopted the project and began actively modernizing the codebase to restore its usability for today’s PHP environments.
Recent work has brought Todoyu back into relevance as a project management alternative for businesses that want simplicity, control, and the freedom to host their own tools.
Current Status and Improvements:
- Updated to support PHP 8.1
- Completed major code cleanup and debugging for improved stability
- Ongoing JavaScript compatibility fixes (near completion)
- Preliminary work on a modern responsive UI redesign
- Future plans for a plugin repository and auto-updater system
- Clean foundation for integrating widely used business APIs
Why Small Businesses Might Consider Todoyu
For small businesses looking for an affordable and flexible project management alternative, Todoyu offers a practical solution. It removes the limitations of subscription-based tools and provides full control over how and where the software is deployed.
Lightweight and Easy to Host
Todoyu is intentionally lean. It doesn’t come with the overhead of larger enterprise systems, making it a great fit for smaller teams who want reliable project tracking without needing a high-end server or complex setup.
- Self-hostable with minimal system requirements
- Ideal for shared or VPS hosting environments
- No monthly licensing or user-based fees
- Works well even for teams without in-house IT departments
Modular and Customizable
Todoyu’s architecture is designed with extensibility in mind. Businesses can start with core functionality and gradually expand using custom modules or plugins that match their specific workflow.
- Add or remove features as needed
- Tailor project flows to your business processes
- Integrate with internal tools or APIs
- Open-source foundation allows for deeper customization
Ongoing Development and Cleanup Efforts
After years of limited activity, Todoyu is now back in active development. Our team has been modernizing the codebase and preparing the platform for long-term usability in modern environments.
We’ve addressed stability issues, upgraded core functionality, and are building out new features to make Todoyu more relevant for today’s small businesses.
Features Currently in Development:
- Fully responsive modern user interface
- Support for additional business APIs
- New plugin repository for easier feature extension
- Built-in auto-updater for future maintenance
- Additional user roles and permission settings
- Enhanced task views and calendar integrations
Todoyu vs Other Project Management Tools
Many small businesses turn to popular project management platforms like Asana, Trello, or Basecamp because of their polished interfaces and ease of use. However, these platforms come with limitations that can be challenging for growing teams—especially those who value control, customization, or need to manage costs over time.
Todoyu stands apart as a self-hosted alternative with a different philosophy. Instead of locking users into monthly subscriptions or predefined workflows, it offers a flexible, open-ended approach that can be adapted to your team’s needs.
- Self-hosted
Host Todoyu on your own server or VPS and retain full ownership of your data. - No ongoing fees
Avoid per-user or monthly licensing costs—ideal for growing teams on a budget. - Modular by design
Add only the features your business needs and remove unnecessary complexity. - Open source
Customize Todoyu’s core or extend functionality with plugins and internal integrations. - API control
Directly access and modify backend functions to integrate with other tools or business systems. - No vendor lock-in
You're not dependent on a third-party service provider for updates, uptime, or access.
While tools like Trello and Asana may be faster to get started with, Todoyu is built for teams who want full control of their workflows and technology stack—without recurring costs or platform constraints.
Technical Improvements and Roadmap
Todoyu has undergone significant technical improvements over the past few years, with an active focus on modernizing its architecture, cleaning up legacy code, and preparing for long-term use in updated environments. This work ensures that Todoyu remains a viable, secure, and future-ready project management alternative for small businesses and developers alike.
PHP 7 to PHP 8.1 Upgrade
One of the most critical updates has been Todoyu’s compatibility with newer versions of PHP. Many open-source tools fall behind on compatibility, but we’ve made the transition from PHP 7.x to PHP 8.1, addressing deprecated functionality, error handling, and core performance improvements along the way.
This upgrade required:
- A full replacement of the legacy template engine
- Refactoring legacy functions for forward compatibility
- Eliminating deprecated PHP constructs and warnings
- Ensuring Todoyu runs smoothly on modern hosting environments
UI Overhaul Plans
While the backend and core functionality have been stabilized, our focus is now shifting toward the front-end experience. The original interface is functional but dated, especially on mobile.
We’re currently planning a full UI overhaul with the following goals:
- Fully responsive layout
- Modern, clean design principles
- Improved accessibility and readability
- Streamlined navigation and task management views
- Better support for smaller screens and touch devices
The new UI will be introduced incrementally, starting with core views like the dashboard, tasks, and calendar.
Plugin Ecosystem Goals
Todoyu was originally built with a modular plugin system, but it lacked a central way to discover, install, or manage add-ons. A future release will introduce an organized plugin repository and simplified update mechanisms. This will allow teams to extend Todoyu based on their own workflows without bloating the core system.
Goals for the plugin ecosystem include:
- Central repository with vetted community and official plugins
- Auto-installation and upgrade support
- Improved documentation for plugin developers
- Seamless integration with internal and third-party tools
Who Todoyu is Best Suited For
While many project management tools aim for simplicity by offering standardized features, Todoyu is better suited for teams who value flexibility, control, and the ability to shape their tools around how they work—not the other way around.
Not every business wants to rely on third-party cloud services, especially when privacy, performance, or cost is a concern. Todoyu gives small teams the ability to host their own project management solution, ensuring full control over both data and system access.
It’s a strong fit for:
- Teams with strict data residency or compliance needs
- Organizations operating in environments with limited or unreliable internet access
- Businesses wanting to avoid subscription-based pricing models
- Companies that prefer a long-term tool they can fully own and maintain
Todoyu doesn’t require a large IT department to run, making it accessible even to smaller teams who want more autonomy without adding technical debt.
Developers or Agencies Customizing Workflows
Agencies and developers often find themselves bending tools to fit client-specific processes. Todoyu’s open-source framework and modular system allow for far more customization than most closed platforms.
Use cases include:
- White-label project dashboards for clients
- Workflow automation through custom plugins
- Internal tools integration via API
- Extending the system to manage clients, invoices, or time tracking in tailored ways
Because Todoyu doesn’t lock you into a fixed structure, it works well for agencies building custom solutions—or for developers who need a head start on a more advanced project management system.
Next Steps for the Project
Todoyu is already in a usable and stable state for small teams and developers, but there’s still work underway to fully realize its next version. These upcoming milestones aim to improve maintainability, encourage community involvement, and expand what teams can do with Todoyu out of the box.
With PHP 8.1 compatibility nearly complete and core functionality stable, only a few technical items remain before the next formal release:
- Finalize JavaScript compatibility fixes
- Complete UI enhancements for responsiveness and usability
- Expand documentation for both users and developers
- Refactor internal code for easier onboarding and plugin development
- Improve test coverage and error logging
As an open-source project, Todoyu is open to contributions from developers who want to help shape its future. Whether through reporting issues, submitting pull requests, or building custom plugins, there’s room for collaboration as the ecosystem matures.
Plugin Repository and Auto-Updater
A major focus for the future is improving how Todoyu handles extensions and updates. Right now, plugins must be installed manually and updates are applied through code changes. To simplify adoption and reduce maintenance, we’re working on two key additions:
- Plugin Repository
A centralized place for official and community-contributed plugins. Users will be able to browse, install, and update plugins from within the interface—no manual file handling required. - Auto-Updater
An in-app updater that checks for new releases, applies patches, and maintains version consistency. This will help keep installations current without requiring advanced technical knowledge.
These changes aim to make Todoyu more accessible for non-developers and easier to maintain for lean technical teams. Once complete, they will significantly lower the barrier to adoption for small businesses exploring self-hosted project management tools.
Looking Ahead with Todoyu
For small businesses and developers looking for a project management alternative that offers control, flexibility, and room to grow, Todoyu Project Management stands out as a strong contender. It’s not trying to compete with the slick interfaces or large marketing budgets of mainstream tools—instead, it focuses on providing a solid, open foundation that teams can shape around their real-world workflows.
The recent PHP 8.1 upgrade, full template engine replacement, and UI overhaul plans reflect a clear commitment to bringing Todoyu into the present while keeping it lightweight and practical. Transparent development updates and a clear roadmap offer confidence that this isn’t a dead project—it’s one that’s actively being maintained, cleaned up, and modernized with intention.
If you're looking for a self-hosted project management system that doesn't lock you into a narrow set of features or force you into monthly payments, Todoyu is worth a closer look. It offers a clean break from bloated SaaS platforms and a path forward for teams that want something they can truly make their own.
