SceneTasks vs goblin.tools: complements, honestly
goblin.tools deserves its reputation. The magic todo's task breakdown, the tone judge, the "formalizer": small, free, kind tools that do one thing beautifully for neurodivergent brains. If you're comparing it with SceneTasks, the honest answer is that they're barely competitors, and this page mostly explains where each belongs.
The core difference
goblin.tools is a set of moments: you bring a scary task, it breaks it into steps, you leave with the list. It deliberately isn't a task manager; there's no place your tasks live, no due dates pulling at you, no memory of last week. SceneTasks is the place: your tasks exist as bubbles day after day, sized by priority, fading when ignored, repeating when routine, syncing with Google and Microsoft.
They chain together naturally: break something down wherever you like, then keep the steps somewhere that won't lose them.
Side by side
| SceneTasks | goblin.tools | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A full task manager (canvas, board, list) | A toolbox of single-purpose helpers |
| Task breakdown | Built in: AI subtask suggestions on any bubble | The famous magic todo, excellent |
| Tasks persist | Yes, with deadlines, repeats, decay, reminders | Lists exist per-session, exportable |
| Estimation | Estimates per task + focus timer measuring reality | Time estimates on breakdowns |
| Sync | Two-way Google Tasks + Microsoft To Do | None by design |
| Price | Free plan, unlimited tasks; paid adds sync + uncapped AI | Free (apps cost about a dollar) |
Use goblin.tools when
A single task is too scary to start and you want it shattered into steps right now, with zero commitment. Keep it bookmarked forever; it's wonderful.
Use SceneTasks when
The problem isn't one scary task but the whole shifting pile: what to do first, what's slipping, what repeats, what's due. Our own breakdown button lives on every bubble (a few AI uses free monthly), so the goblin.tools moment exists here too, inside the place your tasks actually live. The live demo is on the front page, no account needed.