Why Cosplayers Want a Better Progress Tracker App
A lightweight Android task tracker with unlimited nested subtasks, per-task progress bars, and deadline-based pacing built for maker projects like cosplay.
Apps for cosplay progress tracking?
(Only Android apps, please) I'm a cosplayer and I've been using Progress Tracker (by Progress Tracker in Google Play) for almost a year now to keep track of the costumes I make. But lately it's been pissing me off everyday by lagging; making me turn on notifications when I open it and after then not opening at all, making me reinstall it every time; not showing completed tasks even when the filter shows 'all'. I've been looking at alternatives but by now I haven't found any that would have the things I like while still being free. In Progress Tracker I liked that: * it had unlimited task hierarchy (I could create sub-tasks for main tasks, and then sub-tasks for those initial sub-tasks, etc. etc.); * it would show me a progress with percentage according to the amound of tasks/sub-tasks I ticked off (the progress bar was for every single task if it had sub-tasks but the alternative can have just an overall progress bar); * I could pick a deadline and a starting date; * it would show me how many days are left, and how many tasks i need to complete a day to make it in time (though the latter it's not that neccessary, just a nice bonus). I'm not using MS Office/Google products for that purpose because they take up much more storage and, honestly, are not comfortable to view and especially use from a phone. The app doesn't have to be cosplay-related, it just needs to have most of the features listed above. Anyone got recommendations of the apps they use? Thanks in advance 🙏
The problem, in the searcher’s words
A cosplayer has been relying on a free Android app called Progress Tracker to manage costume builds — breaking each costume into unlimited nested sub-tasks, seeing a percentage progress bar per task, and setting a start date and deadline so the app can tell them how many tasks they need to finish per day to make a convention date. Lately the app has started lagging, forcing notifications on, crashing on open (requiring reinstall), and failing to show completed tasks even with the 'all' filter selected.
They've searched for alternatives but haven't found a free app that replicates the same feature set — especially the unlimited task hierarchy and automatic percentage-based progress tracking. They've ruled out Google/Microsoft Office tools as too heavy and awkward to use on a phone. The request isn't cosplay-specific software, just something with the same structure applied to any kind of multi-step maker project.
What the thread shows
One user has a detailed, specific feature wishlist born from a buggy free app, but the two commenters don't validate those specific needs — they just point to generic project-management tools instead.
“it had unlimited task hierarchy (I could create sub-tasks for main tasks, and then sub-tasks for those initial sub-tasks, etc. etc.)”
“it would show me a progress with percentage according to the amound of tasks/sub-tasks I ticked off”
“I could pick a deadline and a starting date”
“not showing completed tasks even when the filter shows 'all'”
Target customer
Who
Cosplayers and costume/prop makers tracking multi-step build projects on Android
Context
When managing a costume build with many interdependent sub-tasks (pattern, sew, paint, prop, wig) ahead of a convention deadline, and their current free tracker becomes unreliable or doesn't visualize progress the way they need
What to build
- Unlimited nested subtask hierarchy per project
- Per-task and per-subtask progress percentage bars, not just one overall bar
- Start date and deadline picker per project
- Auto-calculated tasks-per-day-needed pacing based on deadline
- Reliable filter/view toggle for completed vs incomplete tasks
Build note — Android-only per the request; must be lightweight/low-storage compared to Google/Office apps; given the lag and reinstall complaints, a local-first, low-overhead architecture is likely preferred over a heavy cloud-synced app.
Later, if it lands
Who’s already out there
Free Android app the OP used for nearly a year to track hierarchical task progress with percentage bars, deadlines, and start dates.
Gap: Currently unreliable: lags, forces notifications on, fails to reopen without reinstalling, and doesn't correctly filter completed tasks.
General-purpose task and project management app with subtasks, due dates, and reminders.
Gap: No per-task percentage progress visualization or deadline-based daily pacing calculation as described by the OP.
Kanban board tool for organizing project stages as cards in lists (e.g., to buy, to make, in progress, done).
Gap: No unlimited nested subtask hierarchy or automatic percentage progress bar; checklists inside cards are shallow compared to what OP wants.
Demand read
The thread shows a specific, well-articulated feature gap from one active user, but the complaint centers on wanting a free replacement rather than any stated willingness to pay, so durable paid demand beyond this individual is unproven.
Worth digging into before you build
5 to considerNo idea is a sure thing at this stage — these are open questions worth checking yourself, not a verdict against building it.
Thin Source
Only one post and two short comments; not enough material to strongly validate a page.
Single Voice
Only the OP describes the specific feature pain (nested subtasks, per-task progress bars, pacing); commenters don't corroborate these exact needs.
Already Solved
Commenters suggest Todoist and Trello as existing solutions, though they may not fully match OP's hierarchy/progress-bar requirements — reviewer should judge if the gap is real.
Generic Idea
Core ask is a hierarchical task tracker with progress bars and deadlines — a saturated task/project-management app category.
Weak Demand
No willingness-to-pay statements in the thread; OP explicitly wants a free alternative.