Best Self Hosted Alternatives to Shortcut

Focalboard is an open source project management and work-tracking tool designed around boards, cards, and customizable properties. It helps individuals and teams organize tasks, plan projects, and collaborate in a shared workspace.

Key Features

• Kanban-style boards with cards for tasks and projects
• Multiple views such as board, table, gallery, and calendar views
• Filters, grouping, sorting, and saved views for focused workflows
• Comments and @mentions for collaboration on cards
• Board permissions for controlling who can view or edit
• Templates and custom attributes/properties for structured planning
• File sharing on cards for centralizing project context
• Archiving and backup snapshots for preserving historical work

Use Cases

• Team project tracking with kanban workflows and task assignments
• Personal task management and planning using a local or small server setup
• Managing roadmaps, OKRs, content calendars, and meeting agendas with templates

Limitations and Considerations

• The standalone Focalboard repository is currently not maintained, which may affect future updates, security fixes, and long-term support.

Focalboard fits teams that want a Trello/Notion-style workflow with flexible views and collaboration features. It is particularly useful when you need customizable boards and permissions without relying on a proprietary SaaS service.

WeKan is an open-source, Trello-like Kanban board application for organizing personal and team work. It provides a real-time, collaborative interface for managing boards, lists, and cards while keeping data under your control.

Key Features

• Kanban boards with lists and cards for visual task tracking
• Real-time collaboration and live updates
• Access controls and permissions to restrict board and user access
• Internationalization support with extensive community translations
• Multiple packaging/deployment options (including container images)

Use Cases

• Team project management and lightweight agile workflows
• Personal task tracking and planning (to-do lists, trips, side projects)
• Replacing hosted Kanban tools for privacy, compliance, or cost reasons

Limitations and Considerations

• Uses MongoDB; insufficient disk space can risk database corruption, so monitoring and backups are important
• Upgrades are important for security due to upstream dependency updates (for example Node.js/Meteor stack)

WeKan is a solid option for organizations and individuals who want a familiar Kanban workflow with real-time collaboration and self-managed data. Its broad platform support and mature feature set make it suitable from small teams to larger deployments.

OpenProject is a web-based, open source project management platform for planning, tracking, and collaborating on projects. It supports classic, agile, and hybrid methodologies, combining task management, scheduling, and team collaboration in one system.

Key Features

• Work packages for tasks, issues, and project tracking with flexible workflows
• Gantt charts and timelines for project planning, scheduling, and dependencies
• Agile boards supporting Scrum and Kanban-style processes
• Roadmaps and release planning for product and delivery management
• Time tracking and cost reporting/budgeting for project controlling
• Built-in collaboration modules such as wikis, forums, and meeting agendas/minutes
• Integrations such as linking work items to GitHub pull requests

Use Cases

• Running agile delivery with boards, backlogs, and sprint planning
• Managing project schedules and milestones with Gantt-based planning
• Coordinating cross-functional teams with centralized tasks, meetings, and documentation

OpenProject is a strong fit for organizations that want a transparent, extensible project management system with both planning and collaboration features. It scales from small teams to larger organizations needing consistent workflows and reporting.

Kanboard is an open source project management application focused on the Kanban methodology. It provides a simple, minimal interface for visualizing work, managing tasks, and improving flow using WIP limits.

Key Features

• Kanban boards with configurable columns and drag-and-drop task movement
• Work-in-progress (WIP) limits per column with visual highlighting when exceeded
• Tasks with subtasks, comments, attachments, categories, colors, assignees, and due dates
• Markdown support for task descriptions
• Search and filtering with a simple query language and custom board filters
• Automatic actions to trigger workflow automation based on events
• Multiple authentication backends, including LDAP/Active Directory and OAuth2 providers
• Multilingual interface with extensive community translations

Use Cases

• Managing software or ops work with a lightweight Kanban board and clear WIP controls
• Tracking personal or small-team projects with tasks, due dates, and attachments
• Automating repetitive workflow steps such as assignments or metadata changes

Limitations and Considerations

• The project is in maintenance mode: major new features are not actively developed, with releases depending largely on community contributions

Kanboard is a pragmatic choice for teams that want a straightforward Kanban workflow without a complex UI. It emphasizes clarity, basic automation, and flexible task organization while remaining easy to deploy and operate.

Leantime is an open-source project management system designed to combine strategy, planning and execution into a single workspace. It emphasizes personal dashboards and cognitive-friendly UX, with features aimed at helping teams and individuals align tasks to goals and milestones.

Key Features

• Personal "My Work" dashboard with time-blocking, notes and cross-project task visibility
• Multiple task views: Kanban, table, list and calendar; unlimited subtasks and dependencies
• Milestones and timeline (Gantt) views with program-level planning and milestone grouping
• Strategy and goal management (vision, focus areas, project-goal linking, blueprints)
• Built-in wikis/docs for project knowledge and idea/validation boards (Lean Canvas, SWOT)
• Time tracking, timesheets and basic reports/dashboards for progress and billing
• Plugin system and JSON-RPC API for extensions, plus integrations with chat platforms
• Official Docker image and a development docker-compose environment; configurable via .env
• AI-assisted features (task prioritization, task breakdowns, status reports) available in paid/hosted tiers

Use Cases

• Small to mid-size teams that need a combined strategy-to-execution workspace with goals and milestones
• Consultants or agencies who want client-facing project dashboards, idea boards and documentation in one place
• Organizations that require self-hosting, data ownership and extensibility via plugins or the API

Limitations and Considerations

• Official system requirements target PHP 8.2+ and MySQL/MariaDB; PostgreSQL is not listed as supported
• Some advanced AI features and managed hosting capabilities are available only in the commercial/hosted offering or via paid plugins
• Requires several PHP extensions (bcmath, mbstring, pdo_mysql, gd, openssl, etc.) and attention to webserver configuration when self-hosting

Leantime provides a full open-source core focused on linking strategy and execution while offering paid hosting and plugin options for additional features. It is suitable for teams that want a self-hosted, extensible PM platform with an emphasis on accessible UX and goal alignment.

Kaneo is an open-source project management platform that emphasizes minimalism, speed, and privacy. It provides focused task workflows (kanban and list views), workspace/team management, and options to run self-hosted or use the project's cloud offering.

Key Features

• Fast, minimalist UI with Kanban board and list (table) views
• GitHub integration: import issues and sync pull requests
• Authentication: password, magic-link, and OAuth social providers (e.g., GitHub, Google)
• Self-hosting-first: Docker Compose images and a Helm chart for Kubernetes deployments
• PostgreSQL-backed data storage with documented environment configuration
• Workspace, teams, labels, priorities, due dates and saved views/filters
• Privacy-minded defaults (minimal analytics, granular access controls)
• Deployment helper (drim CLI) for one-click installs and automated HTTPS

Use Cases

• Small to mid-sized engineering teams tracking work with lightweight Kanban or list workflows
• Teams that want to import or sync GitHub issues and PRs into a dedicated project board
• Organizations seeking a privacy-focused, self-hosted alternative to hosted PM SaaS

Limitations and Considerations

• Native third-party integrations are currently limited compared with large commercial PM platforms; primary integrations focus on GitHub and standard OAuth providers
• No official first-party mobile apps are documented; mobile access depends on the web UI responsiveness

Kaneo is suited for teams that prefer a streamlined, developer-friendly project tool they can host and extend. It prioritizes performance and simplicity over a broad set of built-in integrations or extensive enterprise feature bloat.

Taiga is an open source project management platform focused on agile workflows, designed to help teams plan, track, and deliver work using Scrum or Kanban. It provides a web UI plus an API, making it suitable for product teams that need both collaboration features and integrations.

Key Features

• Scrum and Kanban project templates with backlog and sprint planning
• Issue tracking with custom workflows, statuses, and fields
• Team collaboration features such as comments, watchers, and notifications
• Real-time updates via events and websockets
• REST API for integrations and automation
• Optional authentication integrations such as GitHub and GitLab OAuth
• Email notifications via SMTP configuration

Use Cases

• Managing software development with sprints, user stories, and epics
• Tracking bugs and support work alongside product tasks
• Coordinating cross-functional teams with a shared backlog and boards

Taiga is a solid choice for teams that want an agile-focused alternative to proprietary tools, with the flexibility to run it on their own infrastructure and integrate it with existing systems.

MantisBT is a web-based issue tracking and bug tracking system designed to help teams record, track, and resolve issues across projects. It balances a straightforward UI with configurable workflows and permissions suitable for both internal teams and client-facing collaboration.

Key Features

• Issue reporting, triage, assignment, and resolution tracking
• Per-project role-based access control and permissions
• Configurable workflows, custom fields, and notifications
• Email notifications for issue updates, comments, and resolutions
• Works with multiple database backends (commonly MySQL and PostgreSQL)

Use Cases

• Software teams tracking bugs, regressions, and release blockers
• Internal IT teams managing incident and request tickets
• Client-visible issue reporting and status tracking for delivered projects

Limitations and Considerations

• Requires a PHP-compatible web server and a supported relational database
• Feature set and integrations may rely on configuration and extensions depending on deployment needs

MantisBT is a solid choice for teams that want a mature, lightweight issue tracker with strong access control and customization options. It is well-suited for organizations that prefer a classic web app with flexible configuration over heavier ALM platforms.

Bugzilla is an open source, web-based bug and issue tracking system used to plan, organize, and release software across teams. It provides structured tracking for products and components and supports large, long-lived projects.

Key Features

• Issue/bug tracking with configurable fields and workflows
• Products and components to categorize issues across multiple projects
• Milestones and release tracking to plan and monitor delivery
• Advanced search for filtering and finding issues quickly
• Web-based UI designed for scalability and long-term project use

Use Cases

• Tracking software defects, feature requests, and tasks across teams
• Managing release planning with milestones and product/component ownership
• Running a central issue tracker for open source or enterprise projects

Bugzilla is a mature, widely used tracker that emphasizes structured issue management and powerful search. It fits teams that want a proven, self-managed system for coordinating development and releases.

Kanba is an open-source project management tool focused on a Trello-style Kanban workflow for makers and small teams. It emphasizes simplicity, speed, and a lightweight experience while supporting collaborative work across projects.

Key Features

• Kanban boards with lists and cards for task tracking
• Unlimited projects and team collaboration
• Notes-oriented workflow inspired by modern productivity tools
• Dark and light mode interface
• Built-in API routes for optional Stripe billing/subscriptions integration
• Supabase-backed authentication and data storage

Use Cases

• Personal task management for solo developers and indie hackers
• Small-team project tracking with a simple Kanban workflow
• Lightweight Trello alternative for self-managed environments

Limitations and Considerations

• Some functionality (such as billing) depends on optional third-party integrations like Stripe and Supabase configuration

Kanba is a practical choice if you want a modern, minimalist Kanban tool with collaboration features and a straightforward deployment model. It fits best for users who value a clean Trello-like experience without heavy enterprise complexity.

4ga Boards is an open-source, realtime Kanban-style board system for team project and task management. It provides a minimal, wide-screen web interface with realtime updates, multitasking tools, and an advanced Markdown editor for card descriptions.

Key Features

• Realtime board updates and collaborative editing with WebSocket-based sync
• Kanban-style boards: projects → boards → lists → cards → tasks hierarchy
• Advanced Markdown editor for rich card descriptions and notes
• Import/export of boards and Trello import support
• SSO support (Google, GitHub, Microsoft) and user management
• Dark mode, collapsible lists and sidebar, keyboard shortcuts for productivity
• Docker Compose and Kubernetes deployment options; PostgreSQL database backend

Use Cases

• Managing software development sprints, issues, and backlog with Kanban workflows
• Coordinating marketing or operations projects with shared boards and templates
• HR onboarding and task pipelines where visibility and task assignments matter

Limitations and Considerations

• Mobile-first native apps are not provided; primary interface is a responsive web app
• Some language translations are partial; English, Polish, French, and Portuguese are fully supported
• Planned features such as two-way GitHub sync are listed on the roadmap but not yet available

4ga Boards is designed for teams that need a simple, extensible Kanban tool with realtime collaboration and easy self-hosted deployment. It is suitable for small to medium teams seeking a lightweight alternative to heavier project management platforms.

Ticky is a web-based Kanban-style task and project management system built with ASP.NET Core Blazor. It provides project grouping, customizable boards and columns, and a focused feature set for managing tasks, deadlines and time tracking.

Key Features

• Projects and Kanban boards with customizable, collapsible columns and per-column settings (limits, auto-order, auto-complete)
• Cards with drag-and-drop, subtasks, labels, priorities, attachments and comments
• Time tracking with per-card timers and aggregated column time stats
• Deadlines, email reminders/notifications and configurable SMTP support
• Card linking (Jira-like), activity tracking, board templates and Trello import
• User and role management (board/project-level Members and Admins) and an admin panel for account administration
• App-wide search, filtering, responsive UI and dark mode
• Offline-capable configuration (disable avatar/email services) and Docker-based deployment

Use Cases

• Personal productivity and lightweight project boards for individuals
• Small teams coordinating work with boards, comments, activity tracking and shared attachments
• Recurring tasks and operational workflows using repeat cards and built-in time tracking

Limitations and Considerations

• Primary deployment examples and official Docker artifacts target MySQL; other databases may require additional configuration
• No built-in SSO/OIDC or enterprise identity integrations documented; authentication is primarily local account based
• Real-time collaborative editing (live presence or CRDT-style sync) is not described in the core features

Ticky is focused on providing a simple, opinionated Kanban experience with essential team features and easy Docker deployment. It is well-suited for users who want a lightweight, self-hosted alternative to hosted Kanban services with built-in time tracking and Trello import.

Traq is a web-based project management and issue tracking system built with PHP and a TypeScript frontend. It provides multi-project issue tracking, milestones/sprints, granular permissions, and an integrated Markdown wiki for team documentation.

Key Features

• Multi-project issue tracking with support for multiple milestones and sprints
• Granular per-project permissions and role-based access controls (RBAC)
• Custom fields for tickets, features, and tasks to capture project-specific data
• Built-in Markdown-powered wiki for internal documentation
• Extensible via a REST API and plugin system for integrations and automation
• Web UI built with TypeScript/JavaScript and server-side PHP backend
• Uses MariaDB/MySQL as the data store and supports typical PHP hosting setups
• Development and build tooling uses Composer and Node.js-based package tooling

Use Cases

• Self-hosted issue tracker and project management for small to medium development teams
• Organizing work into milestones or sprints and tracking progress across multiple projects
• Centralized internal documentation using the integrated Markdown wiki

Limitations and Considerations

• Requires PHP 8.3+ and a MariaDB/MySQL database; webserver should support rewriting (Apache mod_rewrite recommended)
• Installation expects a typical LAMP-style environment and uses Composer and Node.js tooling for building the UI

Traq is suitable for teams that want a lightweight, self-hosted project management and issue-tracking platform with built-in documentation and extensibility. It focuses on core issue tracking and project features and is configurable through custom fields and plugins.

Roundup is a Python-based issue-tracking system designed for flexible workflows and multiple interfaces. It provides web, email, REST, XML-RPC and command-line access and ships with predefined tracker templates that are meant to be customized for different use cases.

Key Features

• Multiple user interfaces: web UI, email-based interaction, REST and XML-RPC APIs, and CLI/local Python scripting
• Customizable tracker model: schema, templates, detectors and extensions to implement bespoke workflows and fields
• Multi-database support: works with SQLite, PostgreSQL, MySQL and other supported backends
• Built-in demo mode for quick evaluation and a demo tracker shipped with the distribution
• REST endpoints that can return binary content (attachments, images, PDFs) and programmatic access for integrations
• Permission model with optional database-level filters to improve performance for index pages
• Internationalization support and tools to extract translatable strings from extensions and detectors
• Lightweight deployment: runs on standard Python runtime and can be packaged with Docker for production

Use Cases

• Bug tracking and agile development boards with customizable issue types and workflows
• Customer support and help-desk ticketing with email inbound/outbound integration and phone-answerer wizards
• Workflow and task tracking for research groups, events (paper submission and review), asset/fleet maintenance

Limitations and Considerations

• The web UI is traditional server-rendered templates rather than a modern single-page application; significant UI rework requires template customization
• Smaller community and ecosystem compared to large commercial trackers; fewer third-party plugins and integrations available out of the box
• Some advanced production features (scaling, full-text indexing, advanced UI themes) may require additional configuration or external components

Roundup is best suited for teams that need a lightweight, extensible tracker they can adapt to varied workflows. Its multiple interfaces and scriptable internals make it a practical choice for administrators who want deep customization and programmatic control.

Trac is an enhanced wiki and issue tracking system designed for managing software development projects with a lightweight, process-neutral approach. It combines tickets, wiki pages, and version control references into a single web interface to help teams track work and project history.

Key Features

• Issue tracking with wiki-style markup in ticket descriptions
• Integrated wiki for project documentation and collaboration
• Integration with version control systems such as Subversion and Git
• Automatic cross-linking between tickets, changesets, files, and wiki pages
• Timeline view aggregating project events for quick historical context
• Roadmap and milestones for planning upcoming work
• Reporting and query capabilities for tracking progress and status

Use Cases

• Manage bugs, tasks, and feature requests for software projects
• Maintain project documentation alongside development activity
• Provide traceability between code changes and the tickets they address

Limitations and Considerations

• User interface and workflow model are intentionally minimal and may feel dated compared to newer “all-in-one” dev platforms
• Some advanced features are commonly added via plugins, which can increase maintenance complexity

Trac is well-suited to teams that want a straightforward, self-managed environment for tickets and documentation with strong cross-referencing to source control activity. Its minimalism and extensibility make it a practical choice for organizations that prefer adapting tools to existing processes rather than adopting rigid workflows.

GitLab is a web-based DevOps platform that combines Git repository hosting with tools for planning, code review, CI/CD, and software delivery. It provides a single application for managing the software lifecycle from idea to production.

Key Features

• Git repository hosting with access controls and protected branches
• Merge requests for code review, discussions, and approvals
• Integrated CI/CD pipelines defined as code, including runners integration
• Issue tracking, boards, milestones, and labels for project planning
• Built-in package and container registries for distributing artifacts
• Security and compliance capabilities such as SAST/DAST (availability varies by edition)
• Webhooks and APIs for integrations and automation

Use Cases

• Hosting private Git repositories for teams with review workflows
• Building and deploying applications using integrated CI/CD pipelines
• Managing end-to-end software projects with issues, epics, and boards

Limitations and Considerations

• Some advanced security, governance, and portfolio features are limited to paid editions
• Resource usage can be significant for larger installations, especially with CI/CD and registries

GitLab is well-suited for organizations that want an integrated, end-to-end DevOps workflow in a single product. It can replace a collection of separate tools for source control, CI/CD, and project tracking while keeping workflows closely connected.

Redmine is a flexible project management web application focused on issue tracking and team collaboration. Built with Ruby on Rails, it supports multiple projects and works with several database backends.

Key Features

• Multiple projects with per-project configuration
• Flexible issue tracking with custom fields and workflows
• Role-based access control (RBAC)
• Gantt chart and calendar views
• Time tracking and reporting
• Wiki and forums per project
• Documents and file management
• Email notifications, feeds, and issue creation via email
• Source control integration (including Git and Subversion)
• Authentication options including LDAP and self-registration

Use Cases

• Managing software development projects with issues, milestones, and timelines
• Running internal IT/helpdesk-style ticketing with roles and custom workflows
• Coordinating documentation and discussions using per-project wiki and forums

Limitations and Considerations

• Plugin and theme compatibility can depend on the specific Redmine version
• The official shared demo referenced by the community is operated by a third party

Redmine is well-suited to teams that need a proven, extensible tracker with strong project structure and permissions. Its cross-database support and mature ecosystem make it a common choice for long-running, process-oriented projects.

Tuleap is an Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) platform that brings together Agile project management and software development collaboration in a single web application. It is designed for teams that need traceability from requirements to delivery across multiple projects and tools.

Key Features

• Agile planning tools (Scrum/Kanban) with backlog management and sprint planning
• Issue/bug tracking with customizable workflows and fields
• Built-in documentation via wiki and project knowledge areas
• Source code management integration (notably Git; also integrates with external VCS tooling)
• Code review workflows (via integrated components and/or plugin ecosystem)
• Cross-project traceability (link requirements, tasks, commits, and releases)
• CI/CD integrations (commonly used with Jenkins) and webhook-style automation via plugins
• Role-based access control and project-level permissions

Use Cases

• Manage an end-to-end Agile software lifecycle (from requirements to releases) for engineering teams
• Centralize project tracking and audit/traceability for regulated or complex environments
• Replace a set of separate tools (tracker + wiki + planning + integrations) with one ALM hub

Limitations and Considerations

• Feature breadth relies on configuration and the plugin ecosystem; some advanced workflows may require administration effort.
• The “stable” codebase is hosted on Tuleap’s own forge; community visibility differs from typical GitHub-centric projects.

Tuleap fits organizations that want a unified, configurable platform to plan work, track delivery, and keep development artifacts connected. It is especially useful when traceability and governance matter as much as day-to-day Agile execution.