dotpm — Manage projects, tasks, and timelines directly within Obsidian using plain Markdown notes.
Analyzed by Sai Pavan Gopularam · Productivity · Project Management · View on GitHub
- Stars: 742
- Forks: 82
- Commits last 30 days: 100
- Health: Active (100 commits this month)
- Language: TypeScript
- License: MIT
What It Is
Imagine your project plan isn't stuck in a separate app, but lives right alongside your research notes and daily thoughts in Obsidian. dotpm is an Obsidian plugin that turns your plain Markdown notes into interactive project management tools, offering Gantt charts, Kanban boards, and tables. It's like having Trello, Asana, and a timeline tool all integrated directly into your personal knowledge base.
This matters because it eliminates the friction of switching between tools and keeps your project data in an open, future-proof format. Instead of proprietary databases, your tasks are just Markdown files, making them searchable, linkable, and easily version-controlled. It solves the problem of scattered project information and vendor lock-in, enabling a more integrated and flexible workflow.
License Verdict
MIT License — Build and Sell Freely — Commercial Use Approved • No Copyleft Restrictions
The MIT license permits you to use, modify, and distribute this software for any purpose, including commercial use, without needing to open-source your own product. You can integrate this into proprietary applications or offer it as part of a paid service. Just ensure you include the original license notice.
How to Use It
To get started, install dotpm directly from the Obsidian community plugins browser. Once enabled, click the timeline icon or run 'dotpm: Open projects pane' to create your first project and add tasks, visualizing them immediately as tables, timelines, or Kanban boards.
Prerequisites:
- Obsidian 1.13+
Estimated setup time: 3 minutes.
npm install -g @dotpm/cli
dotpm projects
dotpm create my-project --title "Review Q4 goals" --due 2026-12-15What I'd Build With This
Obsidian Project Template Marketplace (micro-saas)
Create a marketplace offering specialized dotpm project templates for specific niches, like 'Startup Launch Plan,' 'Book Writing Workflow,' or 'Academic Research Project.' Users pay for pre-configured projects with custom fields, statuses, and pre-populated task structures, saving them setup time. Market to knowledge workers and indie hackers using Obsidian.
Effort: 1 Week Build Time · Target: Obsidian Users, Freelancers, Researchers · Pricing: $15-$49 per template
AI-Powered Project Assistant for Obsidian (saas)
Build a SaaS that leverages dotpm's local API to offer AI-powered project management. Users connect their Obsidian vault (via the local API) to your service. Your AI can then suggest task breakdowns, identify dependencies, flag overdue items, or even generate daily summaries based on their dotpm projects. Charge a monthly subscription for AI analysis and automation features.
Effort: 3 Months Build Time · Target: Teams using Obsidian, Consultants · Pricing: $29-$99/month per user
Secure, Self-Hosted Project Management for Regulated Industries (enterprise)
Offer a self-hosted, compliance-focused project management solution built around dotpm for enterprises in regulated sectors (e.g., finance, healthcare). Provide enhanced security, auditing, and integration with existing enterprise systems (e.g., SSO, document management) leveraging dotpm's open Markdown format and local API. Charge a high annual license fee plus consulting for setup and customization.
Effort: 6 Months+ Build Time · Target: Large Enterprises, Government Agencies · Pricing: $5,000-$50,000+ annual license
Sai Pavan Gopularam's Take
This project is brilliant because it turns an open-source knowledge base into a powerful, extensible project manager. The local API for agents is a game-changer for custom automation. I could definitely see a business selling specialized AI automation services around this, helping teams manage complex projects for $500-$2000 per month.
Watch Out For
- Obsidian Dependent: This is an Obsidian plugin, meaning it only works within the Obsidian ecosystem. It's not a standalone application or web service, limiting its appeal to users outside Obsidian.
- No Real-time Collaboration: While projects sync via standard Obsidian vault sync methods (Git, iCloud, etc.), there's no built-in real-time collaborative editing. Simultaneous edits by multiple users will result in merge conflicts.
- Local API Security: The local API runs on `127.0.0.1` and uses a bearer token. While secure for local use, exposing it to a network or relying on it for high-security external integrations would require careful setup and additional security measures.
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