Project management software can cost thousands per seat per year—but it doesn't have to. Open source project management tools give teams powerful planning, tracking, and collaboration capabilities without enterprise price tags. Whether you're running a startup, a nonprofit, or an internal IT team, there's a free solution that fits your workflow.
| Tool | Best For | Self-Hosted | Free Cloud | Gantt Charts | Kanban |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenProject | Enterprise-grade projects | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| TaskBoard | Simple Kanban teams | ✔ | ✗ | ✗ | ✔ |
| Redmine | Issue tracking & Agile | ✔ | ✗ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Wekan | Trello-like simplicity | ✔ | ✔ | ✗ | ✔ |
| Plane | Modern DevOps teams | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Metorikku | Data-driven teams | ✔ | ✗ | ✔ | ✔ |
OpenProject is the most full-featured open source PM platform available. It includes Gantt charts, Kanban boards, backlogs, time tracking, budgets, wikis, forums, and meeting agendas—all in one package. Both cloud-hosted and self-hosted options are available.
If your team just needs a visual Kanban board without the overhead of enterprise features, TaskBoard is a lightweight, no-frills option. It supports custom boards, columns, and items, with a clean drag-and-drop interface. It runs on PHP and SQLite, making it incredibly easy to deploy.
Redmine is a veteran in the open source PM space. Written in Ruby on Rails, it offers issue tracking, Gantt charts, calendars, document management, and per-project wikis. It also supports multiple projects, roles, and LDAP authentication integration.
Wekan is an open source Kanban board that looks and feels like Trello. It's built with Meteor.js and supports checklists, labels, due dates, and custom boards. You can self-host it or use their free cloud version.
Plane is a newer entrant that has quickly gained popularity. It positions itself as a Jira alternative with a modern UI. Features include epics, issues, cycles, projects, and views. It integrates well with GitHub, GitLab, and Slack.
| Team Size | Recommended Tool | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1–5 people | TaskBoard, Wekan | Simple Kanban, minimal setup |
| 5–30 people | OpenProject, Plane | Balanced features, collaboration |
| 30+ people | OpenProject, Redmine | Enterprise features, permissions |
Self-Hosted Pros: Full data control, no recurring fees, unlimited users.
Self-Hosted Cons: You manage updates, backups, security, and server costs.
Cloud-Hosted Pros: Up and running in minutes, vendor-managed infrastructure.
Cloud-Hosted Cons: Data leaves your server; some tools have user or storage limits.
sudo apt install openprojecthttp://your-server:60000Modern teams need their PM tool to connect with other software:
OpenProject earns our top recommendation as the best open source PM tool in 2026. It delivers the most complete feature set, offers both self-hosted and cloud options, and has a thriving community ensuring long-term viability. For smaller teams wanting pure Kanban simplicity, Wekan is an excellent Trello alternative.