Best Open Source Project Management Tools in 2026
Ten tools you can actually self-host, with real open licenses and no vendor lock-in.
OpenProject is the deepest open source pick for classic Gantt-chart project management, self-hosted under GPLv3. Plane is the modern AGPL-licensed alternative to Jira and Linear for teams that want a clean interface and a real API. Huly replaces Linear, Notion, and Slack in one self-hosted platform under the EPL-2.0 license. Vikunja is the lightest pick if you just need self-hosted task and project tracking, not a full PM suite.
Most "project management tools" run on someone else's server, bill per seat, and can raise prices or cut off access whenever the vendor decides to. From the 10,000+ tools Toolradar tracks, these are the open-source project management tools you can self-host, no per-seat SaaS bill. Each one ships its full source code under an OSI-approved or equivalent open license, so you can audit it, modify it, and run it on your own infrastructure without asking anyone's permission.
We started from Toolradar's project management category, then verified every pick by hand: pulling the current license file from its GitHub repository (not a blog post that might be outdated), confirming a working self-hosted deployment path (Docker, Docker Compose, or a documented package install), and checking that the project is still actively maintained in 2026. Tools that only publish partial source code, cap self-hosting behind a paid tier, or quietly relicensed away from open source were dropped, even when older articles still call them open source. Planka is a real example: it was AGPL-licensed until its 2.0 release, then moved to a proprietary, non-OSI "PLANKA Community License" that restricts commercial hosting, so it does not appear on this list.
Top Picks
Based on features, user feedback, and value for money.
| Tool | Starting price | Rating | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| OpenProject | Free plan | 4.3(215) | Teams that want classic PMO-style planning (Gantt charts, dependencies, time tracking)... |
| Plane | Free plan | 4.4(15) | Engineering teams that want a fast, modern interface comparable to Linear but fully sel... |
| Huly | From $19.99/mo | n/a | Teams that want to replace Linear, Notion, and Slack with one self-hosted tool instead... |
| Vikunja | Free plan | n/a | Individuals and small teams that want a lightweight, self-hosted alternative to Todoist... |
| Taiga | Free | n/a | Small dev teams that want a lightweight, strict Scrum and Kanban tool with a low resour... |
| Kanboard | Free | 3.9(6) | Teams that want the lightest possible self-hosted Kanban tool with no per-user fees and... |
| Focalboard | Free | n/a | Teams already using Mattermost chat, or anyone who wants a free self-hosted Trello and... |
| Leantime | From $8/mo | 4.3(10) | Small teams and neurodivergent-friendly workflows that want project management tied to... |
| Odoo | From $31.1/mo | 4.2(2,589) | Companies that already run, or plan to run, CRM, invoicing, or inventory on Odoo and wa... |
| Bodhiorchard | From $4/mo | n/a | Engineering teams using AI coding agents that want specs, tickets, and cycle forecasts... |
Teams that want classic PMO-style planning (Gantt charts, dependencies, time tracking) without a per-seat bill.
OpenProject offers a generous free Community tier, making it accessible for individuals and small teams.
Watch out
No annual discount mentioned
Engineering teams that want a fast, modern interface comparable to Linear but fully self-hostable.
Plane offers a very generous Free tier for up to 12 users, making it highly accessible for small teams.
Watch out
Self-hosting requires IT resources
Teams that want to replace Linear, Notion, and Slack with one self-hosted tool instead of stitching together three SaaS subscriptions.
Huly's pricing is quite generous, especially with its robust free 'Common' tier offering unlimited users and Huly Objects.
Watch out
AI features are 'TBD', potentially extra cost.
Individuals and small teams that want a lightweight, self-hosted alternative to Todoist or ClickUp without a full PM suite.
Vikunja's pricing is extremely generous, offering a fully functional self-hosted version for free.
Watch out
Self-hosting requires technical expertise and infrastructure.
Small dev teams that want a lightweight, strict Scrum and Kanban tool with a low resource footprint.
Taiga's pricing is incredibly generous, offering a fully-featured open-source solution for free with a self-hosted option.
Watch out
Self-hosting requires internal IT resources.
Teams that want the lightest possible self-hosted Kanban tool with no per-user fees and no vendor lock-in.
Kanboard offers an incredibly generous pricing model, as it is entirely free and open-source.
Watch out
Requires technical expertise for self-hosting.
Teams already using Mattermost chat, or anyone who wants a free self-hosted Trello and Notion-style board without a subscription.
Small teams and neurodivergent-friendly workflows that want project management tied to strategic goals, not just task lists.
Leantime's pricing is quite fair, especially with the robust free Community Edition.
Watch out
AI credits limited to 500/month, potential overage costs
Companies that already run, or plan to run, CRM, invoicing, or inventory on Odoo and want project management in the same system.
Odoo offers exceptional value for ERP.
Watch out
Implementation costs ($2K-50K)
Engineering teams using AI coding agents that want specs, tickets, and cycle forecasts generated from their actual repositories instead of a manually maintained board.
Bodhiorchard's pricing, starting with a generous Free tier and a $4/user/month Team tier, appears fair and competitive for its comprehensive AI-driven SDLC management.
Watch out
CI/CD minutes overages beyond included amounts
Other Project Management worth considering
Beyond the editorial top picks, these are also strong choices we evaluated.
What Is an Open Source Project Management Tool?
An open source project management tool publishes its source code under a license like GPL, AGPL, MPL, MIT, or EPL, so anyone can read it, modify it, and run their own copy. That is different from a "free plan" on a closed SaaS product: with genuine open source, the code itself belongs to you to inspect and host, and no vendor can revoke access or force a price increase later.
Most of these tools offer both a self-hosted community edition and a paid, vendor-hosted cloud version for teams that would rather not manage servers. The self-hosted edition is where the open license actually matters: it is the version you can run on your own VPS, behind your own firewall, with your own backup policy, independent of whether the vendor's hosted plan even survives long term.
Why Self-Hosting Project Management Matters
Per-seat SaaS pricing on tools like Jira or Asana scales badly as a team grows: a 50-person team can end up paying thousands of dollars a month just to track tasks. Self-hosting an open source alternative turns that recurring bill into a one-time infrastructure cost, often a few dollars a month for a small VPS.
Data ownership is the other driver. Regulated industries, government contractors, and privacy-conscious teams often cannot put project data, code references, and client information on a third-party cloud. Open source tools keep that data inside a company's own network, and the open license means the software will not disappear if the vendor pivots, gets acquired, or shuts down its hosted plan, as recently happened with Huly's own cloud offering.
Key Features to Look For
A documented Docker or Docker Compose setup you can run on your own server, not just a hosted cloud plan with an 'open source' label attached to it.
GPL, AGPL, MPL, MIT, or EPL on the actual repository, not a source-available license that restricts commercial hosting or modification.
Regular commits and releases in 2026, not an abandoned repository behind a polished landing page.
A REST or GraphQL API plus data export, so you are never locked into one tool's database format if you switch later.
A public forum, Discord, or GitHub Discussions where self-hosters get real answers without paying for enterprise support.
An enterprise or cloud edition you can move to later for managed hosting or an SLA, without forking the open codebase.
Mistakes to Avoid
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Assuming 'source available' means open source. Planka, for example, was AGPL-licensed until its 2.0 release, then moved to a proprietary, non-OSI 'PLANKA Community License' that restricts hosting it commercially for third parties; always check the current license file, not what an old blog post says.
- ×
Picking a tool based on the cloud demo, then discovering the self-hosted edition is missing features gated behind an Enterprise license or a paid plugin marketplace.
- ×
Underestimating hosting overhead. Self-hosting removes the SaaS bill but adds server costs, backups, security patching, and upgrades that someone on the team has to own.
- ×
Choosing a heavyweight tool like Odoo or Huly for a simple task board when a lighter option like Kanboard or Vikunja would fit the team better.
- ×
Ignoring maintenance activity. An open source project with no commits in over a year, or one whose vendor just discontinued its hosted service, is a signal worth checking before you commit.
Expert Tips
- →
Check the GitHub commit history and release notes before committing to a tool. Kanboard, for instance, still shipped security fixes as recently as mid-2026 despite looking simple, which matters more than a flashy landing page.
- →
Start with Docker Compose on a small VPS (2 vCPU, 4GB RAM covers Plane, OpenProject, Huly, or Vikunja) before investing in Kubernetes; most teams under 50 people never need it.
- →
Export your data on day one and test the restore. Open source does not automatically guarantee an easy migration path if you later switch tools.
- →
Match the tool's scope to your team size. A five-person team rarely needs Odoo's full ERP or Huly's chat-plus-CRM stack; Kanboard, Vikunja, or Taiga will get the job done with a lighter install.
- →
Read the license before you self-host commercially. AGPL and EPL projects like Plane, Vikunja, and Huly require you to share modifications if you offer the modified tool as a service to others; that rarely matters for internal use but does for SaaS resellers.
The Bottom Line
If you want the deepest classic project management features, OpenProject is the strongest free, self-hosted option. If you want a modern all-in-one workspace instead, Huly replaces Linear, Notion, and Slack in one self-hosted stack, while Vikunja covers lighter task tracking if that is all you need. All ten picks come from the 10,000+ tools Toolradar tracks, and every one ships real, self-hostable source code, not a rebranded SaaS free tier.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best free open source project management tool?
OpenProject is the strongest all-around pick: its Community Edition is fully free and self-hosted under GPLv3, with no user limit, Gantt charts, agile boards, and time tracking included. Plane and Huly are the better choices if you want a more modern interface, with Huly also replacing chat and docs tools.
Is Plane really open source and free to self-host?
Yes. Plane's Community Edition is released under the AGPL-3.0 license and is free to self-host with unlimited projects, work items, and no user cap. You deploy it yourself via Docker Compose or Kubernetes; only the hosted cloud plan and some AI add-ons are paid.
What is the difference between open source and 'source available' project management software?
Open source software, like OpenProject, Plane, and Kanboard, ships under an OSI-approved license (GPL, AGPL, MIT) that lets you modify, redistribute, and self-host it without restriction. Source-available tools let you view the code but restrict commercial hosting or modification. Planka is a real example: it moved from AGPL to a proprietary 'Community License' in its 2.0 release, so always check the current license file before assuming a tool is open source.
Can I replace Jira with an open source tool?
OpenProject and Plane are the two most direct open source alternatives to Jira. OpenProject matches Jira's classic Gantt and work-package depth, Plane is closer to Jira's modern agile board experience, and Huly goes further by also replacing chat and docs. All three are free to self-host.
What is the best open source alternative to Trello?
Kanboard and Focalboard are the two solid open source options. Kanboard is MIT-licensed and extremely lightweight, while Focalboard's Personal Edition is also MIT-licensed and adds table, gallery, and calendar views on top of a Trello-style board. Planka looked like an open source Trello alternative through 2023, but its 2.0 release moved to a proprietary, non-OSI license that restricts commercial hosting, so it is not a safe pick for this comparison.
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