Comparison
Bystep vs Backlog.md
A free, open-source, git-native markdown task backlog with a CLI and a local terminal/web kanban board.
What Backlog.md is
A free, open-source, git-native markdown task backlog with a CLI and a local terminal/web kanban board.
- Pricing
- Free, open source.
Feature matrix
Where the two actually differ
Every Bystep item here is live in the product today — not a roadmap promise. Competitor claims we couldn't verify first-hand are marked “as far as we know.”
| Bystep | Backlog.md | |
|---|---|---|
| PRD generation | Yes | NoStarts from tasks, not an idea-to-PRD flow |
| Acceptance criteria per task | Yesids like AC-checkout-1, derived from the PRD, editable by hand | PartialTask files carry an acceptance-criteria checklist section, as far as we know, but nothing runs it |
| Verification gate | Yes`task complete` returns 409 without passing evidence or a recorded override | No |
| Evidence panel | Yestest output, diff stat, files touched, optional screenshot — stored, not just claimed | No |
| Works with any coding agent | YesClaude Code, Cursor, Codex, Copilot, OpenCode, Gemini CLI via CLI + MCP | YesPlain markdown files + CLI, designed to be read/edited by any AI agent |
| Import / export formats | YesSpec Kit, OpenSpec, Backlog.md, Task Master, Kiro, Claude Code Tasks, GitHub Issues, Linear | PartialOne of the formats Bystep imports/exports for its own task files |
| Client mode / proposal | Yesclient-viewer share page + proposal for the Studio tier | No |
| Cost per feature | Yesper feature, not just per session | No |
| Indonesian language & payments | Yesen/id UI, IDR pricing, QRIS/VA | No |
| Open-source CLI | Yes`@bystep/cli` + `@bystep/mcp`, MIT | Yes |
Honest answer
When to choose Backlog.md instead
- You just want a fast, local, git-committed task backlog — no PRD step, no hosted account, no verification gate.
- Your project is small enough that a markdown kanban in the terminal is genuinely faster than any web UI.
- You don’t need acceptance criteria enforced, cost telemetry, or a page to show a client or teammate.
Bring what you've got, add the gate
Import your existing spec or backlog, let Bystep add acceptance criteria and a verification gate, and keep working with the agent you already use.