Best Self Hosted Alternatives to Zoho Projects

Plane is an open-source project management platform for planning, tracking, and organizing work across teams. It combines issue/work-item tracking, planning cycles, and an integrated knowledge/wiki system in a single product. (github.com)

Key Features

• Work items with rich text editor, file uploads, sub-properties and relations for detailed issue tracking.
• Cycles (sprints) with burn-down charts and progress tracking.
• Pages and wiki-style knowledge management with AI-assisted content features.
• Custom views, saved filters, modules, and timeline/dependency planning for flexible workflows.
• Analytics and dashboards to visualize trends and team performance.
• Native importers and integrations (GitHub, GitLab, Slack, Sentry, CSV, Jira, Linear, Notion and others).
• Cloud offering (Plane Cloud) plus self-hosted options with Docker/Kubernetes deployment manifests.

(docs.plane.so)

Use Cases

• Product and engineering teams managing feature work, bugs, epics and release cycles.
• Organizations combining project planning with internal documentation and knowledge bases.
• Teams that need flexible views and analytics to track velocity, blockers, and timelines.

(docs.plane.so)

Limitations and Considerations

• Plane is licensed under AGPL-3.0; this copyleft license can have implications for how modified versions are redistributed or offered as a service. (github.com)
• Some advanced features (for example Plane AI and AI credit mechanics) are surfaced via Plane Cloud and may depend on the cloud offering rather than core on-prem capabilities. (docs.plane.so)
• Production deployments require standard infrastructure components (PostgreSQL, Redis, etc.) and appropriate scaling/configuration for larger teams; plan for those operational needs when self-hosting. (github.com)

Plane provides a modern, integrated approach to project and knowledge management with both cloud and self-hosted deployment choices. It is suitable for teams that want an open-source alternative to commercial PM tools while retaining extensibility and integration options. (github.com)

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.

Planka is an open-source Kanban-style project management tool designed for teams to collaborate in real time. It provides collaborative boards with drag-and-drop tasks, rich Markdown notes, and configurable notifications, while being self-hostable and extensible.

Key Features

• Collaborative Kanban Boards: Create projects, boards, lists, cards, and manage tasks with a drag-and-drop interface
• Real-Time Updates: Instant syncing across all users, no page refresh required
• Rich Markdown Support: Formatted card descriptions with a markdown editor
• Flexible Notifications: Alerts via 100+ providers, customizable to your workflow
• Seamless Authentication: Single sign-on with OpenID Connect
• Multilingual & Easy to Translate: Full internationalization support

Use Cases

• Software development teams track backlogs and sprint work with shared boards
• Cross-functional teams coordinate tasks across design, product, and engineering
• Distributed teams collaborate in real time with task assignment and updates

Conclusion: Planka emphasizes open-source cooperation and self-hosting, with an active community and regular releases. It is well-suited for teams seeking a fast, real-time Kanban board that adapts to their workflows.

Grist is a modern relational spreadsheet that combines the flexibility of spreadsheets with the structure and robustness of a database. It’s designed for building collaborative, spreadsheet-like data apps with strong data modeling, views, and access controls.

Key Features

• Relational tables with typed columns and references between records
• Spreadsheet-style formulas with full Python syntax and access to the Python standard library
• Multiple views and dashboards, including charts, card views, calendar widgets, and linked widgets
• Import/export tools (including CSV and Excel formats) and incremental imports for updating existing datasets
• Built-in forms that write directly into tables
• REST API, outgoing webhooks, and support for external/custom widgets
• Granular sharing and access control, including rules for rows, columns, and tables
• Portable document format based on SQLite for easy backup and migration

Use Cases

• Replace complex spreadsheets with a structured, collaborative system for operational data
• Build lightweight internal tools (CRMs, inventory trackers, project trackers) with no-code layouts
• Collect data via forms and produce dashboards and reports for teams

Grist is a strong fit for teams that want spreadsheet familiarity while gaining relational modeling, safer collaboration, and integration-friendly workflows. It can be self-managed for tighter control and supports a broad range of data-driven workflows without requiring a full custom app build.

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.

Kan is an open-source project management app focused on Trello-style kanban boards for organizing work, tracking progress, and collaborating with a team. It aims to stay minimal and familiar while adding modern collaboration and administration features.

Key Features

• Kanban boards with drag-and-drop cards
• Workspaces and member invitations for team collaboration
• Board visibility controls for viewing and editing
• Labels and filters to organize and find cards quickly
• Comments on cards for discussion
• Activity log to track changes and history
• Reusable board templates
• Trello board import

Use Cases

• Replacing Trello with a self-managed kanban board for teams
• Managing personal or small-team projects with a minimal interface
• Importing existing Trello workflows and continuing them in an open-source tool

Kan provides a clean, focused kanban experience with core collaboration features and practical migration support. It is well-suited for teams that want a simple Trello-like workflow without unnecessary complexity.

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.

Vikunja is an open-source to-do and task management application designed to help individuals and teams organize work in projects. It provides collaborative task tracking with multiple ways to visualize and plan your workload.

Key Features

• Project-based organization with hierarchical projects and subprojects
• Task assignment and project sharing for team collaboration
• Multiple task views including list, Kanban, Gantt, and table
• Web-based UI backed by an API for integrations and automation

Use Cases

• Personal task tracking and daily planning with project structure
• Team task coordination with shared projects and assigned responsibilities
• Project planning and timeline overview using Gantt and board views

Vikunja is a flexible, privacy-friendly alternative to proprietary task managers, combining a clean UI with collaboration and planning features for a wide range of workflows.

Worklenz is an open-source project management platform that combines task management, time tracking, resource planning and basic client/finance features in a single product. It provides a web application suitable for teams that need project planning, collaboration and time-based reporting.

Key Features

• Task management with subtasks, dependencies, attachments and activity logs
• Kanban board and phase-based project views for visual workflow tracking
• Built-in time tracking and timesheets with time reports and per-user/project summaries
• Resource and workload views to monitor team allocation and utilization
• Project templates and reusable task templates for standardizing projects
• Client portal and basic project finance tracking for billing visibility
• Dashboard analytics and project health/estimated vs actual reporting
• Files and comments attached to tasks for team collaboration
• Deployable via Docker with recommended stack components (PostgreSQL, Redis, MinIO, nginx)

Use Cases

• Agencies and consultancies managing client projects, deliverables and billing
• Software and IT teams organizing work with kanban, time tracking and roadmap views
• Small-to-medium organizations needing resource planning, workload balancing and project analytics

Limitations and Considerations

• The free tier limits active projects (site notes a three-active-project limit for the free plan)
• Several features (CRM, HR) are listed as "coming soon" on the product site and roadmap
• Import/migration tools from other PM platforms appear limited or pending enhancements

Worklenz targets teams that want an integrated, open-source PM tool they can run themselves or use as a hosted service. It emphasizes a combined feature set (tasks, time, resources, analytics) and provides Docker-based deployment and documented setup for self-hosting.

tududi is an open-source, self-hosted web application for task and project management. It combines a simple personal to-do workflow with project-level organization, focused on privacy, control, and lightweight deployment.

Key Features

• Hierarchical organization: Areas → Projects → Tasks with support for notes and tags for structured GTD-style workflows.
• Advanced recurring tasks: multiple recurrence patterns, completion-based recurrence, parent-child linking, and series editing.
• Subtasks and progress tracking: break down tasks into subtasks with visible progress and navigation between parent/child tasks.
• Flexible tagging and smart filtering: tag-based organization, multi-criteria filters, and quick search to locate items rapidly.
• Project documentation: rich-text notes attached to projects with full search capabilities.
• Collaboration controls: share projects with granular read/write permissions for team collaboration.
• Integrations and API: versioned REST API with Swagger docs and personal access tokens for automation and integrations.
• Telegram integration: create tasks via Telegram messages and receive daily task digests (requires a Telegram bot/token).
• Responsive UI and localization: modern responsive interface with dark/light themes and multi-language support (24 languages).
• Docker-first deployment: distributed as a container image for simple, local or server deployment.

Use Cases

• Personal productivity: manage daily tasks, recurring routines, and long-term projects using Areas and Projects.
• Small team project tracking: share projects with team members, delegate tasks, and track completion metrics.
• Automation and integrations: connect tududi data to other tools via the provided REST API and personal access tokens.

Limitations and Considerations

• Storage and scale: the default persistence is a file-based SQLite database and filesystem uploads, which is suitable for individuals and small teams but may limit performance or concurrency for very large deployments.
• Mobile availability: there is no official native mobile application; access is via the responsive web UI or third-party hosting/deployments.
• Operational requirements: production use requires running behind HTTPS and managing session secrets and bot tokens securely; administrators must handle backups and file-permission management.

In summary, tududi is a compact, privacy-oriented task and project manager aimed at users who prefer self-hosting and simple deployment. It emphasizes hierarchical organization, rich recurring-task support, Telegram connectivity, and an extensible API surface for automations.

Tasks.md is a self-hosted task management board that uses your filesystem as the source of truth. Lanes are directories and tasks are Markdown files, giving you a simple, portable structure that works well with typical note-taking and file-sync workflows.

Key Features

• Kanban-style board with lanes, cards, and tags in a modern responsive UI
• Tasks stored as Markdown files on disk (folders represent lanes)
• Supports opening subdirectories as separate projects via URL path
• Light/dark mode that follows operating system settings
• CSS customization via a user-editable stylesheet and built-in color themes
• Supports subpath reverse-proxy deployments via a configurable base path
• Simple deployment using a single Docker image; can also run from source
• Optional install as a Progressive Web App (PWA)

Use Cases

• Personal task tracking with plain-text Markdown files you can version or sync
• Lightweight project boards for small teams or homelabs without a database
• Organizing tasks alongside a folder-based knowledge base or notes workflow

Limitations and Considerations

• PWA functionality does not work when the base path is set to anything other than "/"
• Feature scope is intentionally kept narrow, so advanced project management features may be out of scope

Tasks.md is a practical choice if you want a kanban board without a database and prefer human-readable files. Its folder-and-Markdown approach keeps your tasks easy to back up, migrate, and edit outside the UI when needed.

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.

Donetick is an open-source application for managing tasks and chores for individuals, families, and small groups. It combines natural-language task creation with flexible recurrence rules, assignment/rotation strategies, and history/analytics to simplify recurring work.

Key Features

• Natural-language task creation and parsing (dates, times, recurrence, priorities, labels).
• Advanced recurring scheduling: schedule by due-date or completion-date, adaptive suggestions from history, and fine-grained frequency options.
• Assignee management: assign tasks to people, automatic rotation strategies (least-completed, round-robin, random).
• "Things": track non-task state (numeric, boolean, text) and trigger task state changes when things meet conditions.
• NFC tag support for physical task completion triggers and mount-friendly dashboard mode for shared displays.
• Notifications and integrations: multi-channel reminders (Telegram, Discord, Pushover), webhooks, and a REST API with long-lived access token support.
• Storage options for attachments: local or S3-compatible object storage (e.g., MinIO), plus image/photo attachments support.
• Security & auth: TOTP-based MFA and OpenID Connect / OAuth2 provider support for SSO.
• Realtime sync between clients and a documented configuration system for self-hosted deployments.

Use Cases

• Household or shared-living chore management with rotating assignments and persistent completion history.
• Small teams or volunteer groups that need recurring maintenance scheduling, reminders, and audit history.
• Integrations/automations that mark tasks done from external sensors or systems (via Things, webhooks, or NFC triggers).

Limitations and Considerations

• Mobile apps are early/alpha: Android and iOS clients are available in early builds and may show compatibility or connectivity issues; setup often requires proper HTTPS and CORS configuration for reliable mobile behavior.
• Offline support is limited: some UI areas work offline but full functionality relies on backend connectivity and realtime sync.
• Some features are noted as WIP in docs (for example certain local storage paths and UI behaviors); administrators should review configuration options and test uploads/attachments in their deployment.

Donetick is designed for self-hosting with Docker, binaries, or source builds and emphasizes configurable scheduling, integrations, and privacy-friendly operation. It is suited for users who need more advanced recurrence and assignment features than typical to-do apps and who can run or manage a self-hosted service.

ZenTao is an open source project management platform originally developed in China that supports end-to-end software delivery workflows. It combines product and project planning with quality management, documentation, and reporting in one system, with built-in support for Scrum, Kanban, and Waterfall.

Key Features

• Product management for requirements/stories, releases, roadmaps, and traceability
• Project and execution tracking with Scrum sprints, Kanban boards, and task management
• QA tools including bug tracking, test case management, and test reporting
• Built-in dashboards and reporting for project visibility and metrics
• Extensible platform with additional modules and integrations depending on edition

Use Cases

• Replace separate tools for backlog, sprint planning, bugs, and test cases in one workspace
• Track delivery across mixed methodologies (Scrum/Kanban/Waterfall) for different teams
• Provide stakeholders with status dashboards, reports, and release tracking

Limitations and Considerations

• Some advanced capabilities are offered in paid editions (Biz/Max/IPD) rather than the community edition

ZenTao is well-suited for teams that want a single system to manage requirements, delivery execution, and QA activities. It can scale from small agile teams to larger organizations needing structured processes and reporting.

Nextcloud Deck is a Kanban-style organization and task management app that runs inside Nextcloud. It helps individuals and teams plan projects using boards, stacks, and cards, with collaboration features integrated into the Nextcloud ecosystem.

Key Features

• Kanban boards with stacks and sortable task cards
• Card details with Markdown notes and rich descriptions
• Labels for organizing and filtering work
• Comments for team discussion on cards
• File attachments with embedding into card descriptions
• Activity stream integration to track changes
• Sharing and collaboration, including integration with Nextcloud Circles

Use Cases

• Personal task planning and organizing work in Kanban boards
• Team project coordination with shared boards and comments
• Managing lightweight workflows tied to Nextcloud files and activity

Limitations and Considerations

• Can generate a high number of database queries with many boards, cards, and attachments, which may impact performance at scale

Nextcloud Deck is a practical choice if you want Trello-like Kanban workflows tightly integrated with Nextcloud users, sharing, files, and activity features. It fits especially well for small-to-medium team planning where data should remain inside your Nextcloud environment.

tillywork is a work management platform that unifies project management, sales CRM, and agile workflows for startups. It is open-source and self-hosted, offering three integrated apps in one platform.

Key Features

• Open-source and customizable
• Three integrated apps: Project Management, Sales CRM, and Agile Projects
• Modern UI built with Vuetify and TypeScript
• PostgreSQL backend with Docker/cloud deployment options
• Extensible architecture with easy customization and integration
• Active community and documentation

Use Cases

• Centralize planning and execution for product teams and sales across projects, CRM, and roadmaps
• Replace multiple tools with one integrated Work OS to reduce context switching
• Support agile workflows with sprint planning, backlogs, and issue tracking

Conclusion tillywork provides a single source of truth for startups by unifying PM, CRM, and agile workflows in a self-hosted, open-source platform.

Eigenfocus is a self-hosted project management and time tracking application focused on clarity, ownership, and flexible workflows. It combines issue tracking with multiple ways to visualize work and built-in focus timers.

Key Features

• Projects and issue tracking with markdown descriptions
• File attachments, labels, and comments for issue context
• Kanban board and table/list views for managing work
• Time tracking on projects and individual issues
• Time reports by project and date range
• Focus timers (including Pomodoro-style) and ambient sounds
• Light and dark themes
• Optional HTTP Basic Auth via environment variables

Use Cases

• Managing personal or small-team projects with kanban-based workflows
• Tracking time spent per project/issue for reporting and retrospectives
• Using focus timers alongside task execution for deep-work sessions

Limitations and Considerations

• The FREE Edition is free to self-host but is not open source, and external pull requests are not accepted.

Eigenfocus is a good fit for individuals and teams that want a fast, self-managed PM tool with integrated time tracking and focus features. It is designed to stay straightforward for small projects while offering an upgrade path for more complex workflows.