Best Open Source Project Management Software for Developers

OpenProject is the most complete open source project tool in this guide. The free community edition includes Gantt charts, work packages, time tracking, agile boards, and calendars, so a dev team can plan a release, track hours, and run sprints without a licence fee. Work packages link tasks to milestones and budgets, which suits a team that manages fixed scope work or client projects alongside product development.

The community edition is free to self-host, while the vendor sells hosted plans and enterprise add-ons for teams that want support. A dev team should check its server skills first, because OpenProject runs in Docker or on a Linux server, and updates need someone who can manage the install. The interface is dense, with many menus and settings, so a new team should expect a learning curve before the tool feels fast.

Price: $0 per user/month (self-hosted, open source)

Free plan: Yes

Website: openproject.org

Redmine is the most proven open source tracker in this guide, used by development teams for well over a decade. The free edition includes issue tracking, Gantt charts, calendars, time tracking, and wikis, so a dev team can track bugs, tasks, and hours from one install. A large plugin library adds features such as agile boards, help desk views, and extra reports, which means a team can shape Redmine to fit its workflow.

The interface looks dated next to modern tools, with plain tables and simple forms, and a new team may find it less inviting than Taiga or Plane. Setup needs Ruby and server admin skills, and upgrades need care when plugins are in use. A dev team that values stability and a huge plugin library over a modern look will find Redmine a fair fit, while a team that wants a clean interface should look elsewhere.

Price: $0 per user/month (self-hosted, open source)

Free plan: Yes

Website: redmine.org

Plane suits a dev team that wants a modern open source tracker. The free self-hosted edition includes issues, cycles, modules, and views for Kanban, list, and calendar, so a team can plan a cycle, track issues, and see progress in a clean interface. The design feels current, with keyboard shortcuts and a fast search, which suits developers who live in the tool all day.

Plane is a newer project than Redmine or OpenProject, so its plugin library is smaller and its community is still growing. Some advanced features, such as more automation and analytics, sit on the vendor hosted plans, so a self-hosted team should check which features are free before it commits. A dev team that wants a modern agile tracker will find Plane a strong fit, while a team that needs Gantt charts should look at OpenProject.

Price: $0 per user/month (self-hosted, open source)

Free plan: Yes

Website: plane.so

GitLab suits a dev team that wants issues, code, and delivery in one platform. The free tier includes issues, boards, merge requests, and pipelines, so a team can track a bug, open a merge request, and run a pipeline without leaving GitLab. Issues link to code changes, which means a developer can see the full story of a fix from the issue to the merge, and a team lead can track progress from one board.

The first step up is Premium at $29 per user per month billed annually, which is the highest first step up in this guide, and it adds more planning, security, and support features. The platform can feel large for a small team, because it covers the full software lifecycle, not just project tracking. A dev team that already hosts code on GitLab will find the project features a natural fit, while a team that only needs task tracking should look at Taiga or Plane.

Price: $29 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Yes

Website: about.gitlab.com

Leantime suits a dev team that works with lean methods and wants ideas linked to delivery. The free self-hosted edition includes idea boards, goals, milestones, tasks, and timesheets, so a team can capture an idea, turn it into a goal, and track the work that delivers it. The interface is simple and focused, which suits a team that does not want a dense project tool.

Leantime has a smaller community than Redmine or OpenProject, so a team may find fewer plugins and fewer forum answers when it hits a problem. Integrations are fewer than on larger tools, and some advanced reporting sits on the vendor hosted plans. A dev team that likes lean methods and wants a simple tool will find Leantime a good fit, while a team that needs many integrations should check OpenProject first.

Price: $0 per user/month (self-hosted, open source)

Free plan: Yes

Website: leantime.io

Kanboard suits a dev team that wants the lightest possible project tool. The free edition includes boards, tasks, subtasks, swimlanes, and a calendar view, and it runs on almost any server with PHP, which means setup takes minutes for a team with basic server skills. The interface is plain and fast, with no clutter, so a team can start tracking work on day one.

Kanboard is very basic, with no Gantt view, no native time tracking, and minimal reporting, so a team that needs timelines or billable hours should look elsewhere. The plugin library adds some features, but the core stays simple by design. A dev team that only needs a board and a task list will find Kanboard a clean fit, while a team that needs sprints and backlogs should pick Taiga or Plane.

Price: $0 per user/month (self-hosted, open source)

Free plan: Yes

Website: kanboard.org

Wekan suits a dev team that wants Trello style boards without a per person fee. The free self-hosted edition includes boards, lists, cards, checklists, labels, and due dates, so a team can track tasks on a board that anyone learns in minutes. The install is light and runs on a small server or in Docker, which keeps hosting costs low for a team that runs its own stack.

Wekan covers Kanban boards only, with no Gantt view and no native time tracking, so a team that needs timelines or billable hours should look at OpenProject or Redmine. Reporting is limited, and the tool has no built-in docs or wiki. A dev team that only needs boards will find Wekan a clean and cheap fit, while a team that needs sprints should pick Taiga or Plane.

Price: $0 per user/month (self-hosted, open source)

Free plan: Yes

Website: wekan.github.io