Open source project management software lets you run the tool on your own server and read the code, but the licence decides what you can change and resell. Check whether a tool is GPL, AGPL, MIT or open core before you install it, and plan for the upkeep, because you host, patch and back it up yourself.
The mistake people make most with open source project management software is treating the label as one promise. It isn't. On this list alone there are four different licence deals, and one tool that sits on its own licence with commercial editions alongside it.
So I've started where most lists finish: with the licence, and with who keeps the server running. The eight tools below come from the vendors' own sites and public repositories, they're in no particular order, and none of them is crowned, because the right one depends on your team and on what you plan to do with the code.
Licence and setup at a glance
| Tool | Licence and shape | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Kanboard | MIT, minimal Kanban board | A small Kanban board with work-in-progress limits |
| Leantime | AGPL-3.0, neurodiversity-minded | Project work planned with ADHD, dyslexia and autism in mind |
| OpenProject | GPL v3, full suite in editions | Larger programmes run with methods such as PRINCE2 or SAFe |
| Plane | AGPL-3.0, modern workspace | Projects and docs together, including air-gapped installs |
| Planka | Own licence, open core Kanban | Real-time Kanban boards from a Community edition |
| Redmine | GPL v2, issue tracker | Several projects with issues, roles and a wiki |
| Vikunja | AGPL-3.0, task manager | Tasks seen as a list, board, Gantt chart or table |
| Worklenz | AGPL-3.0, PM with time tracking | Tasks, timesheets and resource planning in one place |
Four licence deals hiding under one label
Older GPL and permissive tools
Redmine is published under the GNU GPL v2, and its overview page shows releases dated 1 Nov 2026, so it's still moving. Kanboard sits under the MIT licence, the most relaxed of the lot: you can modify it, bundle it and run it for others with very few strings beyond keeping the licence notice.
AGPL apps built more recently
Vikunja, Leantime and Worklenz each publish their code under AGPL-3.0, and so does Plane. That's strong copyleft. If you only install and use the tool, it barely touches you. If you change the code and let people outside your organisation use your changed version over a network, you're expected to share your changes under the same licence. Agencies that want to customise a tool and host it for clients should read that clause twice.
Open core editions
OpenProject's code is under the GNU GPL v3, with a separate Enterprise edition alongside the Community one. Planka goes further from the usual model. It's open core under its own PLANKA Community License, a fair-use style licence rather than a standard open source one. Files marked Pro or Enterprise need a commercial licence, and you're not allowed to run it as a commercial hosted service for other people. It's a good tool to run for your own team; it's the wrong base for a hosting business.
You're the one keeping the server alive
Free to download never means free of effort. Every tool here asks you to run a server, apply updates, keep backups and deal with security patches yourself, unless you move to the vendor's own cloud where one exists. Think about who on your team does that work when the person who set it up goes on holiday.
If nobody wants that job, a hosted tool may serve you better. Our guides to free task management tools and hosted alternatives to Asana cover options where someone else runs the infrastructure.
The eight tools, in no particular order
Kanboard
Best for: Teams who want a minimal Kanban board on their own server, with work-in-progress limits, plugins and what the vendor calls a very simple installation.
Leantime
Best for: People who think differently: the vendor pitches it as work management built with ADHD, dyslexia and autism in mind, and its mobile app is in beta.
OpenProject
Best for: Organisations wanting a full project suite in a Community edition, with Nextcloud, GitHub and GitLab integrations and support for PRINCE2 and SAFe.
Plane
Best for: Software teams after projects and docs in one workspace, run in the cloud, self-hosted or air-gapped; its repository calls it an open source Jira or Linear alternative.
Planka
Best for: Small teams wanting a real-time collaborative Kanban board, self-hosted or fully managed, with the repository spelling out which features are Community and which are Pro.
Redmine
Best for: Groups running several projects at once who need issue tracking, flexible role-based access and a wiki in one self-hosted web app you can configure to your way of working.
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Vikunja
Best for: Anyone wanting one set of tasks in four views (list, Kanban, Gantt and table), self-hosted or on the managed cloud, with a demo that needs no sign-up.
Worklenz
Best for: Teams that plan around people's hours and want tasks, time tracking, timesheets, resource management and project templates together in one open source tool.
A licence checklist before you install
- Read the licence file in the repository, not only the website headline. Those two can tell slightly different stories.
- Decide now whether you'll modify the code. Using an AGPL tool as it comes is simple. Changing it and offering it to outsiders brings sharing duties.
- Check which features sit in the community edition. Open core tools keep some features in editions with a commercial licence, so match your must-haves against the free edition's list.
- Ask who patches the server, how often, and where the backups live.
- Plan your exit. Find out how to export projects and tasks before your team fills the thing with a year of work.
My advice for small teams going self-hosted
If you just want your team's work off spreadsheets and you've got someone happy to run a small server, pick a tool whose shape matches how you already work: a board for flow, an issue tracker for lots of parallel projects, a suite for formal programmes. Licence matters less when you're only using the software in-house, so don't let it scare you off a strong AGPL tool.
If you plan to change the code, host it for clients or build a product on it, the licence is the first thing to settle, not the last. Get someone who reads licences for a living to look at it before you commit. And whichever route you take, run a two-week pilot with real projects before you move everything over.
Do you make self-hosted or open source project management software? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
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Frequently asked questions
Is open source project management software really free?
The code is free to download and use under its licence, but running it takes time. You'll host the server, apply updates and keep backups, or use the vendor's own cloud where one exists. Some tools also keep extra features in commercial editions.
What's the difference between GPL and AGPL for a project tool?
Both are copyleft licences. The AGPL adds a network clause: if you modify the software and let outside users reach your modified version over a network, you're expected to share your changes. For a team using the tool as it comes, the difference rarely matters.
What does open core mean?
It means the base edition is published openly while some features sit in separate editions under a commercial licence. Check the edition comparison before you choose, so a feature you need isn't in the part you can't use freely.
Can I host open source project management software for my clients?
Often yes, but read the licence first. Permissive licences such as MIT allow it with few conditions, AGPL brings sharing duties if you change the code, and some own-brand licences forbid running the tool as a hosted service for third parties.
Do I need a developer to self-host a project management tool?
You need someone comfortable running a web server, a database and updates. Many projects ship container images that make the first install quicker, but the ongoing upkeep is the part to plan for.
Can I move from a hosted tool to a self-hosted one later?
Usually, through exports and imports, though comments, attachments and custom fields don't always come across cleanly. Test a migration with one project before you plan the full move.
