Truly Simple Kanban is a minimalist task board for makers and students, featuring local-first storage and custom columns on iOS and Mac.
The App DNA
What makes this app unique?
The app removes the cognitive load of complex project management tools by focusing on a physical-paper-inspired interface and complete data privacy.
For Makers, students, and creatives seeking a minimalist, privacy-focused task management tool without subscription overhead.
What does it look like?
Key features
Visual task management interface allowing movement of items between To Do, In Progress, and Done columns.
Ability to rename or add new workflow stages beyond the default three-column layout.
Data persistence handled entirely on-device with no external server tracking or permissions.
How much does it cost?
The $4.99 lifetime unlock removes recurring subscription friction, positioning Truly Simple Kanban as a low-barrier alternative to subscription-heavy productivity software.
Velocity
Maintenance developmentperformancemonetizationUX improvementsShow more...
Truly Simple Kanban maintains a low-frequency release cadence, with only two updates shipped over the last 75 days. The latest release addresses technical stability, specifically targeting iCloud synchronization and purchase restoration logic. Development appears focused on infrastructure and bug resolution rather than new feature expansion. At the current pace of approximately 0.18 releases per week, the app remains in a maintenance state.
Who built it?
Colin Wright
4 apps tracked · Productivity
Truly Simple Envelopes
Karting Wright
Truly Simple Slide DeckUser Sentiment
What do users think recently?
The recent review mood reads excited. Users appreciate minimalist design aesthetic provides a calm experience without the overwhelming clutter found in other task managers.
How are ratings & reviews evolving?
What users say, by theme
- Minimalist design aesthetic provides a calm experience without the overwhelming clutter found in other task managers
- Lack of persistent board saving functionality forces users to re-enter data, causing significant frustration during daily usage
3 of 3 recent reviews analyzed · limited sample
Read the full review analysisUnlock 2 user requests, each backed by review evidence.
Access the full report for freeCompetition
Competitive landscape for Truly Simple Kanban
How's the Productivity market?
Truly Simple Kanban targets the privacy-conscious productivity segment, positioning itself as a one-time purchase alternative to subscription-heavy tools. The $4.99 lifetime unlock removes recurring friction, though the current lack of persistent board saving functionality creates a high churn risk for daily users.
The rivals identified
The Analyst's Read
Key takeaways for Truly Simple Kanban
Where is it heading?
Users report: The productivity market is shifting toward cross-device synchronization as a standard requirement, leaving Truly Simple Kanban exposed if local-only storage continues to cause data-loss frustration. Addressing session persistence is critical to maintaining the current positive sentiment before the lack of reliability forces users toward cloud-native alternatives.
- Persistent board-state failures during sessions erode the daily habit, which compounds the churn risk for new users.
- The one-time $4.99 lifetime unlock provides a clear value proposition against subscription-heavy rivals, attracting users who reject recurring costs.
The SWOT
- Local-first storage architecture functions as a privacy-focused barrier against data-harvesting rivals
- Display density toggles for landscape mode would address the primary usability gap for power users
Next best moves
Ship persistent board-state saving because users report data loss between sessions → stabilize daily retention
+ 1 more prioritized moveThe counter-intuitive read
The privacy-first, local-only architecture is a retention risk rather than a feature…
Read the full takeSince the last report: The competitive narrative shifted from highlighting local-first storage as a privacy advantage to identifying it as a primary churn risk due to ongoing board-state persistence failures. This pivot reflects a growing market expectation for reliable cross-device synchronization that the current local-only architecture fails to meet.
Bottom line
Fixing the board-state persistence failure is the immediate priority, as the current data-loss bug invalidates the app's utility for daily task management and threatens the retention of the privacy-focused user base.
Unlock 1 critical friction, 1 market threat, 1 more prioritized move and the analyst’s take.
Access the full report for freeFAQ
Is Truly Simple Kanban suitable for users who need to sync tasks across multiple devices?
How does Truly Simple Kanban compare to subscription-based task managers?
Does Truly Simple Kanban collect my task data for advertising?
Sources
- [1] App Store, source
Report last updated