To-do list & life planning  ·  free  ·  Made in Germany 🇩🇪

Less app.
More life.

Elephouse is a minimalist, free to-do app from Germany, for you alone or with family and your partner in shared lists. One line is enough: Elephouse understands input like “tomorrow 3pm” and picks up the date, the time and the tag on its own.

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type, Elephouse understands

  • Pay invoice #finance
    overdue
  • Weekly groceries #home
    Today
  • Dentist #health
    Tomorrow, 3pm
  • Send proposal to Acme #work
    Tomorrow
  • Call mom #family
    Friday

You shouldn’t have to understand your app. It should understand you.

I tried all of them: Todoist, Notion, Apple Reminders, Obsidian. One app for tasks, one for notes, one for the calendar, one for money. And everything still felt scattered.

Most productivity apps are built to impress, not to be used. Feature after feature, dashboard after dashboard, until you spend more time managing your system than living your life.

  • Setup
  • Tutorials
  • Manuals
  • Settings labyrinths
  • One list that is simply there. this stays!

Elephants remember everything. And a house holds everything together. That is exactly what Elephouse is: your private list that remembers everything so you don’t have to.

Your private list is always there, under your name. It can’t be shared, left, deleted or renamed. It is your calm, personal place. To share, you create more lists: flat, with no owner, everyone equal. Invitations go to an exact email address and must be actively accepted; the only way out is leaving. And “Today” gathers due tasks across all your lists.

Built and run in Germany. The server infrastructure runs on Hetzner (ISO 27001 certified) and processing follows the GDPR. Details are in Security & Compliance and the privacy policy.

Elephouse will never get more complex than necessary. That’s not a promise. It’s a decision.

Everything you need. Nothing you don’t.

  • Tasks

    live

    Thought. Typed. Done. Natural language input, private and shared lists, “Today” across everything. Plus recurring tasks, push reminders, a calendar feed (iCal), offline mode, dark mode, in German and English. More on shared lists in the changelog.

  • Calendar

    in progress

    Tasks and appointments find each other, automatically, without your help.

  • Habits

    soon

    Small steps, big impact, no pressure, no perfectionism.

  • Notes & Journal

    soon

    Thoughts, ideas and moments in one place, never lost.

  • Finances

    soon

    Income, expenses, budgets: clear and simple, no spreadsheet chaos.

What people say

Elephouse is an absolute dream for minimalists. As fast, simple and uncomplicated as pen and paper.
Tim
Takes my self-management to a new level and couldn’t be more intuitive. The multifunctional input line is my highlight.
Adrian
I was skeptical whether one private list could handle my complex daily life. But Elephouse pulls it off: as fast and simple as pen and paper.
Uta

As simple as everything else

Free. For everyone. No subscription, no credit card.

Every tool, including calendar, habits and everything still to come.

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Like Elephouse? A coffee helps pay for the servers. ☕ Support Elephouse

Why I built this

I’m Daniel, and I’m not a startup. I’m one person with the same problem as you: too many apps, too much chaos, too little calm. Elephouse grew on the side, next to a part-time job, next to real life. First as my own private list, for me, and since 2024 for everyone.

That’s why it works as calmly as it does: no frills, no feature lists built to impress. If Elephouse works for you the way it works for me, that makes me happy. If not: tell me why. I read every message myself.

I use Elephouse every day myself. It is my own tool first and a product second. That is why it keeps going. And if you ever want something else: your tasks are yours. One export as todo.txt, an open text format, and you are done.

Daniel Schnee elephouse.de · Made in Germany

Open. Type. Live.

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Frequently asked questions

  • What is Elephouse?

    Elephouse is a minimalist, free to-do app from Germany, with private and shared lists. Elephouse understands input like “tomorrow 3pm”: you type one line in plain language, for example “Dentist tomorrow 3pm #health”, and Elephouse picks up the title, date, time and tag automatically. No setup, no tutorials, no manual.

  • How is Elephouse funded?

    Elephouse is built and run by one person from Halberstadt. Costs are deliberately small: one server setup at Hetzner and email delivery. Voluntary donations via Ko-fi cover them. There are no ads, no investors, and your data is never sold.

  • What does Elephouse cost?

    Nothing. Elephouse is free, for everyone, no subscription and no credit card. If you like, you can support Elephouse via Ko-fi and help cover server costs. There are no extras for it: everyone gets the same Elephouse.

  • How is Elephouse different from Todoist, Notion or Apple Reminders?

    Elephouse is a simple alternative to Todoist, Notion and Apple Reminders. Most task apps grow over time into features, settings and dashboards. Elephouse deliberately has a single input line and one private list that is always there. No projects, no boards, no views to configure first. If Todoist, Notion, Obsidian or Apple Reminders feel too complex, this is for you.

  • What is the difference between the private list and shared lists?

    Your private list runs permanently under your name and cannot be shared, left, deleted or renamed. Shared lists are created in addition: flat and without an owner, all members equal. Invitations go to an exact email address, must be actively accepted, and the only way out is leaving.

  • Can I share a list with family or my partner in the browser, without installing anything?

    Yes. Elephouse is a shared grocery and family list in the browser. Create a shared list, for example for groceries or the household, and invite family or your partner by email. Everyone simply opens Elephouse in the browser, on phone, tablet or computer, with nothing to install. In shared lists everyone is equal, and “Today” shows each person the due tasks from all their lists.

  • What does the “Today” view show?

    “Today” gathers every due and overdue task across your private list and all shared lists in one place. There is nothing to configure.

  • Where is my data stored? Is Elephouse GDPR compliant?

    Elephouse is built and run in Germany. The server infrastructure runs on Hetzner (ISO 27001 certified) and processing follows the GDPR. Details are on the Security & Compliance page and in the privacy policy.

  • Can I export my data?

    Yes, completely and at any time. Elephouse exports every task, open and completed, as todo.txt, an open plain-text format that opens in any editor and imports into many other apps. No proprietary format, no lock-in.

  • What happens to my data if Elephouse shuts down?

    If Elephouse is ever discontinued, you will hear about it by email well in advance. Until the last day you can export every task as todo.txt, an open text format you can keep using in any editor and many other apps. After that, all data is deleted, backups included.

  • Does Elephouse do recurring tasks, reminders and calendars?

    Yes. You create recurring tasks right in the input line, for example with “every:1w” for every week. Due tasks remind you with a push notification. A private calendar feed (iCal) shows your tasks in Apple Calendar, Google Calendar or Outlook. Elephouse also follows your device’s dark mode and is available in German and English.

  • What devices does Elephouse run on?

    Elephouse runs in the browser, on computer, tablet and phone. You can add it to your home screen like an app (iPhone, Android, desktop). It then reminds you with push notifications and also works offline. No app store install needed.

  • What features are still coming?

    Tasks are live. A calendar that brings tasks and appointments together automatically is in progress. Habits, Notes & Journal and Finances are planned. Elephouse will never get more complex than necessary along the way.

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