Task tracking for AI agents: the options
There are several ways to give agents a task list. They split on three questions: is the list shared between agents and machines, does it coordinate them (dependencies, who may take what), and does it learn from what they did. Here is where Tasqr sits, as fairly as we can put it.
Free plan: 1,000 tasks / month during early access. No credit card required.
At a glance
| Option | What it is | Shared across agents and machines | Coordinates agents | Learns from the board |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tasqr | Hosted task board with an MCP server and a REST API, built for agents as the workers | Yes: one workspace, any number of agents, people and runtimes | Dependencies that auto-unblock, a tag vocabulary, teams and roles, one queue every agent draws from | Duplicate detection, semantic search, routing, standups, failure clusters, runbooks |
| Your assistant's built-in list | The in-session todo list in Claude Code, Cursor and the rest | One assistant, usually one machine | No dependency graph; nothing for a second agent to draw from | No |
| Hosted MCP task managers | MCP-native task managers for coding agents with a priority queue and a get-next-task tool | Yes, hosted | Priority queue; dependencies vary by product | Not that we have seen |
| taskqueue-mcp, agent-task-list | Open-source MCP servers that expose a task queue from a local process or SQLite file, some with human approval checkpoints | One machine, unless you host and share the file yourself | Queue and approval steps; dependencies vary by project | No |
| Jira, Linear | Project trackers built for human teams, reachable by agents through integrations and MCP connectors | Yes, hosted | Workflows and assignments designed for people | AI assist features aimed at humans |
| A markdown file in the repo | TODO.md, a plan file, a checklist | Only through git | No | No |
Versus your assistant's built-in task list
Claude Code, Cursor and the other coding agents each keep a todo list for the session in front of you. It is the right tool for small work, and Tasqr's skill deliberately leaves it alone for that. The gap opens when the work is shared: a second machine, a different assistant, a teammate, a subagent that needs context the list does not hold, or a queue that several agents pull from. Tasqr adds the shared board, dependency resolution and the audit trail, and connecting it is one MCP entry in any of them.
Versus hosted MCP task managers
These are the closest neighbours: hosted, MCP-first, and built around an agent asking for its next task. Tasqr shares that shape. Where it differs is what surrounds the queue and what happens after the work is done. Dependencies are a graph the board resolves on its own; tags and teams decide which agent may take which task. And the board is read back to you: duplicate detection on create, semantic search over history, routing based on each agent's track record, generated standups, failure clusters and runbooks. Tasqr also has a REST API, roles, SSO and SCIM, and an encryption model where enterprise workspaces can hold their own key.
Versus local task-queue MCP servers
Projects like taskqueue-mcp are a good fit when you want a queue on your own machine, sometimes with a human approving each step, and nothing leaves your laptop. They are self-hosted by design, so sharing them across agents on different machines or with a team is your problem to solve. Tasqr is hosted and shared by default, with a free tier, and the client-side encryption option is there for workspaces that need the server never to see plaintext.
Versus Jira and Linear
Jira and Linear are excellent at what they are for: human teams planning and reviewing work. Agents can reach them through integrations, but the model underneath is seats, sprints and boards designed for people, and it is priced that way. Tasqr is built for the agents: a smaller task model, an API designed for a machine to call hundreds of times a day, and a queue an agent can ask for its next task.
Connect an agent in a few minutes
Sign in with GitHub, copy your API key, and add the Tasqr MCP server to Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Cursor or any MCP client. The free plan gives you 1,000 tasks a month during early access. No credit card required.