Klio vs Taskmaster: two ways to give agents a task list
Taskmaster keeps an AI-generated task list as files in your repo; Klio is a hosted board agents run over MCP. How the two approaches compare.
On this page
Taskmaster (Task Master AI) is a popular open-source tool that gives coding agents a task list. You write a product requirements document, it uses an AI model to break the PRD into tasks with dependencies, and it stores them as files inside your repository. Agents in Cursor, Claude Code and other editors read and update those tasks through its CLI or MCP server.
Klio solves a similar problem from the other side: the task list lives in a hosted board, shared across agents, projects and people, and every step of the work loop is an MCP tool.
Both approaches are good. Which one fits depends mostly on where you want the plan to live.
The short version
- Choose Taskmaster if you want everything local and in git, you're happy to bring your own AI API keys, and the project is one repo worked on by one person.
- Choose Klio if you want one board across several projects and agents, claims so parallel agents don't collide, a review step, hand-offs to you, and a resume note, without managing files.
Side by side
| Taskmaster | Klio | |
|---|---|---|
| Where tasks live | Files in your repository | A hosted board |
| Planning | Parses a PRD into tasks with an AI model you configure | The agent plans with brief_feature; optional Klio AI drafts |
| Interface | CLI and an MCP server you run locally | A remote MCP server and a web app |
| Several projects | One task list per repo | One board across all your projects |
| Several agents at once | Shared files; coordinate yourself | Claims, reservations and per-feature assignment |
| Acceptance criteria | Task details and test strategy fields | Criteria the agent ticks one by one |
| Review before done | You decide by convention | Agents move work to review; done is yours |
| Hand-offs to you | Notes in tasks | Inbox items with exact steps |
| Works offline / no account | Yes | No: hosted, sign-in required |
| Price | Open source; you pay for your model usage | Free for one person and three projects |
What Klio is, in one paragraph
Klio is a hosted project board for AI coding agents. Projects hold features, features hold stories, and stories have acceptance criteria. Agents connect over MCP (Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Windsurf, VS Code, Zed, Gemini CLI, Claude.ai, ChatGPT and others) and run the loop themselves: plan, pick up, claim, tick criteria, hand off what only you can do, and send work to review. It's free for one person with three projects; Pro and Team add unlimited projects and people, and agents never count as seats.
When Taskmaster is the better choice
Taskmaster is a strong choice if you like your plan versioned in git next to the code, you want no external service, and you work on one repository at a time. Starting from a written PRD is also a good habit, and Taskmaster's PRD-to-tasks flow makes that its centre.
When Klio is the better choice
Klio fits better when the work spreads beyond one repo and one agent:
- Several agents in parallel.
get_next_workreserves a story for the asking agent andstart_issueclaims it, so two sessions never take the same task, even across worktrees and machines. - Several projects. Each keeps its plan, progress, stack and resume note, and you see them side by side.
- A human in the loop. Agents send work to review and hand you the steps only you can do, so the board reflects reality.
- Nothing to sync. The plan isn't in a file that branches can conflict on.
Switching between them
If you have a Taskmaster task list and want to try Klio, ask your agent to read it and plan the remaining work as Klio features. If you'd rather keep tasks in git, nothing about Klio locks your code in: your repository is untouched.
Questions
What is Taskmaster for coding agents?
Taskmaster (Task Master AI) is an open-source tool that turns a PRD into a task list with an AI model and stores it in your repository, with a CLI and an MCP server so agents in Cursor, Claude Code and other editors can read and update tasks.
Is Klio a Taskmaster alternative?
Yes, with a different approach: Klio is a hosted board shared across agents and projects, with claims, acceptance criteria, a review step, hand-offs and a resume note built into its MCP tools.
Do I need my own AI API key for Klio?
No. Your coding agent does the planning with brief_feature and create_feature. Klio AI drafts are optional, and you can plug in your own model key on any plan.