\If you’re looking for a self-hosted, open-source project management and task tracking system, there are several excellent alternatives to OpenProject and Redmine, each with different strengths (UI, Agile support, extensibility, ease of deployment, etc.).
β Top Open Source Self-Hosted Project Management Tools
Tool Name | Best For | Key Tech | UI Quality | Agile/Kanban | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
π§ OpenProject | Enterprise-level PM, Gantt charts, teams | Ruby | β β β β β | π’ Good | GDPR-focused, strong WBS, timelines |
π Redmine | Bug tracking + project wiki | Ruby | β β β ββ | π‘ Plugin | Classic, reliable, plugin-rich |
β Taiga | Agile teams, Kanban + Scrum | Python | β β β β β | π’ Excellent | Beautiful UI, lightweight, API-first |
π§ Focalboard | Trello-style task boards (from Mattermost) | Go | β β β β β | π’ Excellent | Self-hostable Trello/Notion hybrid |
π Wekan | Simple Kanban boards | Node.js | β β β ββ | π’ Yes | Lightweight, Trello clone |
ποΈ Kanboard | Developer-oriented Kanban | PHP | β β β ββ | π’ Yes | Focused, minimalist, no DB required |
π Plane.so (new) | Startups & product teams | Next.js | β β β β β | π’ Excellent | Beautiful UI, modern, in active dev |
π Taskcafe | Task & project tracking (lightweight) | React+Go | β β β β β | π’ Kanban | Early stage but fast and clean UI |
π§© Phabricator (deprecated) | Code + task + wiki suite | PHP | β β β ββ | π‘ Minimal | Powerful but now discontinued |
π GitLab Issues | Git-native projects | Ruby | β β β β β | π’ Good | Part of full GitLab platform |
π Top Recommendations by Use Case
Use Case | Recommended Tool | Why? |
---|---|---|
π¨βπ» Agile (Scrum, Kanban) | Taiga, Plane.so | Beautiful UI, sprint tracking, backlog, API-first |
π Classic PM with Gantt/WBS | OpenProject | Strong project hierarchy, charts, timelines |
π οΈ Developer & bug tracking | Redmine, GitLab | Strong issue system, version control integration |
β Kanban-style task boards | Focalboard, Wekan, Kanboard | Lightweight, easy setup |
π§βπ€βπ§ Team collaboration (Wiki, Chat) | Mattermost + Focalboard, OpenProject | Built-in wikis, discussion tools |
π» Deployment Notes
Tool | Docker Support | Database Options | Deployment Difficulty |
---|---|---|---|
OpenProject | β Yes | PostgreSQL | π Moderate |
Redmine | β Yes | MySQL/PostgreSQL/SQLite | π‘ Easy |
Taiga | β Yes | PostgreSQL | π Moderate |
Focalboard | β Yes | SQLite, PostgreSQL | π’ Easy |
Plane.so | β Yes | PostgreSQL | π’ Easy (1-command) |
π₯ Best All-Around Choices (2025)
Priority | Tool | Why |
---|---|---|
ποΈ Modern UI + Agile | Plane.so | Fast, sleek, in active development |
π§ Wiki + PM + Gantt | OpenProject | Best for structured project planning |
π οΈ Developer-Centric | Redmine | Proven, extensible with plugins |
ποΈ Minimal + Fast | Kanboard | No DB needed, very efficient |
β Trello Alternative | Focalboard | Lightweight & open source Notion/Trello |
Great question β and critical for commercial projects. Here’s a filtered list of project/task management tools that are:
β
Self-hosted
β
100% open source
β
Permissively licensed (can be modified, rebranded, and resold commercially without fees)
β Best 100% Open Source, Self-Hosted Project Management Tools for Commercial Use (Resell-Friendly)
Tool | License | Commercial Use Allowed | Self-Hosted | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Redmine | GNU GPL v2 | β Yes (must retain license terms) | β Yes | Can rebrand/resell if you follow GPL rules |
OpenProject | GNU GPL v3 | β Yes (copyleft applies) | β Yes | Enterprise version exists β but community edition is fully open |
Taiga | AGPL v3 | β Yes (server code must remain open if redistributed) | β Yes | Powerful Agile tool, AGPL has strict conditions |
Focalboard | MIT | β Yes (fully permissive) | β Yes | You can rebrand, resell β no obligation to open source |
Kanboard | MIT | β Yes | β Yes | Very light, safe to rebrand/sell fully |
Wekan | MIT | β Yes | β Yes | Safe to use for SaaS or embedded use |
Taskcafe | MIT | β Yes | β Yes | Lightweight, early stage but 100% open |
Plane.so | AGPL v3 | β Yes with AGPL compliance | β Yes | UI is great; AGPL = must share source if hosting for clients |
π Summary: Licensing Types (Commercial Reselling Perspective)
License | Commercial Use | Rebranding Allowed | Closed-Source SaaS? |
---|---|---|---|
MIT | β Easy | β Yes | β Yes |
GPLv2/v3 | β Yes, but must provide source | β Yes | β Can’t hide code if distributed |
AGPLv3 | β Yes, but stricter | β Yes | β Must share code if hosted |
Apache 2.0 | β Yes | β Yes | β Yes (rare in PM tools) |
π Best Picks for Resale as Branded Commercial Product
Scenario | Best Tool | Why |
---|---|---|
βοΈ Want to fully rebrand & sell closed-source SaaS | Focalboard, Kanboard, Taskcafe, Wekan | MIT license = full freedom |
βοΈ Can follow AGPL (share source) | Taiga, Plane.so | Great modern UI, but AGPL needs compliance |
βοΈ Willing to contribute back (GPL-friendly) | Redmine, OpenProject | Trusted, enterprise-grade |
β οΈ Tools to Be Careful With (for Resale)
Tool | Why Be Cautious |
---|---|
Jira, ClickUp, Asana | Not open source at all β no resale allowed |
Trello (free version) | Proprietary, even if embeddable |
Phabricator | Abandoned + unclear future |
OpenProject Enterprise | Paid license (but Community Edition is fine) |
β Recommendation
If you want to resell a white-labeled project management solution, your safest choices are:
πΉ MIT-Licensed Tools (Full Commercial Freedom)
- β Focalboard (Notion-like)
- β Wekan (Trello-like)
- β Kanboard (Kanban with plugins)
- β Taskcafe (lightweight but modern)
You can:
- Host it for clients (SaaS)
- Customize UI/UX
- Sell it under your brand
- Keep your changes private (no need to open source)
Would you like:
- A ready-to-use
docker-compose.yml
for any of these? - Help customizing logos/branding?
- PDF list of all tools with licensing notes for legal review?
Let me know and Iβll generate it.
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