Add a todo without leaving the editor
Press Ctrl + T (Cmd + T on macOS) and the Cortex panel opens. Type the todo and press Enter.
You don’t switch to a browser tab or a notes app. The thought is out of your head and you’re back in the code.
VS Code todo extension
A todo list for VS Code that remembers the context.
Cortex adds a todo panel to VS Code. Every todo keeps its notes, linked code, time and changed files, and the list belongs to the project you have open.
Free for 14 days with every feature. Then $14.99 once.
TODO comments, a TODO.md file or a todo extension?
Most developers start with one of three options. Each one works until the list grows.
| TODO comments | TODO.md file | Cortex | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where it lives | In the code | One file in the repo | A panel in VS Code, stored per workspace |
| Notes per task | One line | Whatever you type | Markdown description plus separate notes |
| Links to code | Only the line it sits on | None | Select code and link it to the todo |
| Time and estimate | No | No | Timer and estimate per todo |
| Changed files | No | No | Files you changed while the timer ran |
TODO comments
- Where it lives
- In the code
- Notes per task
- One line
- Links to code
- Only the line it sits on
- Time and estimate
- No
- Changed files
- No
TODO.md file
- Where it lives
- One file in the repo
- Notes per task
- Whatever you type
- Links to code
- None
- Time and estimate
- No
- Changed files
- No
Cortex
- Where it lives
- A panel in VS Code, stored per workspace
- Notes per task
- Markdown description plus separate notes
- Links to code
- Select code and link it to the todo
- Time and estimate
- Timer and estimate per todo
- Changed files
- Files you changed while the timer ran
TODO comments are still the right tool for a note on one line of code. Cortex is for work that needs more than one line.
What a Cortex todo holds
- A title and a markdown description with headings, lists and checkboxes.
- Notes you add while you work, each saved as its own markdown file.
- Code links. Select code, link it, and one click jumps back to it.
- A timer and an estimate, so you see how long the task really took.
- The files you changed while the timer ran. This needs a Git repository.
One todo list per project
A global todo list mixes every project into one pile. Cortex stores workspace todos in a .cortex folder inside the project.
Open a different folder and you see that project’s todos. Global todos are there for tasks that don’t belong to one project, like “renew the domain”.
Your editor, your choice
Works in VS Code, Cursor and every fork
Cortex runs wherever VS Code extensions run. Install it from the Visual Studio Marketplace in VS Code, or from Open VSX in Cursor, Windsurf, VSCodium and other forks.
Questions about Cortex
Does VS Code have a built-in todo list?
No. VS Code has no todo list of its own. You add one with an extension. Cortex adds a todo panel that opens with Ctrl+T on Windows and Linux or Cmd+T on macOS.
Can I keep my TODO comments?
Yes. Cortex does not touch your code comments. Use comments for notes that belong to one line of code and Cortex for work that needs a description, notes or a timer.
Are my todos separate for each project?
Yes. Workspace todos belong to the folder you have open and live in a .cortex folder inside it. Global todos follow you into every workspace.
Is the Cortex todo extension free?
Every feature is free for 14 days. After that a licence costs $14.99 once, with no subscription.
Which editors does it work in?
VS Code from the Visual Studio Marketplace, and Cursor, Windsurf, VSCodium and other forks from Open VSX.
Now it's on you.
Start your next task with Cortex. Keep the context ready for tomorrow.
Free for 14 days with every feature. Then $14.99 once.