Open-source Nifty alternatives

Plane is an open-source project management tool for tracking issues, running sprints and managing product roadmaps. It is positioned as an alternative to Jira, Linear, Monday and ClickUp, and aims to keep the tool itself from getting in the way of the work.

The platform covers task and issue tracking, cycles for sprints, product roadmaps, documentation and a triage flow for incoming work, and topics also mention kanban boards and product management. It is built with a React and TypeScript front end and a Django and Python back end, using PostgreSQL and Redis, and it is packaged for Docker deployments.

You can start with a free account on Plane Cloud, the hosted option, or self-host Plane on your own servers using the deployment guides for full control over data and infrastructure. The code is AGPL-3.0 licensed. It suits teams moving off Jira or Linear who want an open codebase and the choice between a managed service and their own hardware.

Huly is an open-source platform meant to replace several tools at once, including Linear, Jira, Slack, Notion and Motion. Under the hood the Huly Platform is a framework for developing business applications such as CRM systems, and this repository includes applications for chat, project management, CRM, HR management and applicant tracking, with team and issue management covered too.

There are two important notices. First, the repository is frozen and no longer actively maintained, with development continuing in the Platform-Collective/platform repository. Second, the managed Huly service was shut down since nobody is funding its hosting any more. The remaining option is to self-host Huly or use another hosted provider, and the README points to a backup and restore guide and a community for migration help.

The code is written in TypeScript and licensed under EPL-2.0. Other teams have built products on top of the platform. Anyone interested in Huly today should look at the successor repository for current source code, issues and releases rather than relying on this one.

OpenProject is a web-based project management application for teams and organizations that value transparency, flexibility and control over their data. It covers projects, portfolios, products, tasks, bugs, agile workflows, roadmaps and team collaboration in one platform, and it is built with Ruby and Angular under the GPL-3.0 license.

Key capabilities include agile boards with Kanban and Scrum, project planning and scheduling with Gantt charts, product and release planning, bug tracking, and time tracking with cost reporting and budgeting. Collaboration tools cover wikis, forums, news, and meeting agendas and minutes. Integrations are listed for Nextcloud, XWiki, GitHub and GitLab, among others.

The project presents itself as an open-source alternative to Jira and Asana, along with tools such as MS Project, Monday and YouTrack. It can be self-hosted, which suits organizations with data sovereignty requirements. A free Community Edition is available to download, a 14-day free trial exists, and an Enterprise Edition adds support and add-ons in the cloud or on-premises.

Leantime is an open-source project management system designed for teams where most members are not trained project managers. It joins strategy, planning and execution in one tool and is built with neurodivergent users in mind, including people with ADHD, dyslexia and autism. The README pitches it as simple like Trello yet as capable as Jira.

Task management covers kanban boards, Gantt, table, list and calendar views, unlimited subtasks and dependencies, milestones, sprints and timesheets. Planning and strategy tools include goal and metrics tracking, idea boards, retrospectives, lean and business model canvases, SWOT and risk analysis. There are also wikis and documents, project dashboards, comments on everything, two-factor authentication, LDAP and OIDC, S3 or local file storage, plugins and an API, in over 20 languages.

Leantime is written in PHP, licensed under AGPL-3.0 and installs on your own server, with all of the listed features included in the open-source version. It is positioned as an alternative to Asana, ClickUp, Monday and Notion-style tools, and integrates with Slack, Mattermost and Discord. A hosted option is available at leantime.io.

DooTask is an open-source project and task management tool for teams. The project description lists task distribution and project management alongside online document collaboration, online mind maps, online flowcharts, instant messaging and file management, so teams can plan work and talk about it in one place. Messages use asymmetric encryption for added privacy.

Installation is done with Docker: the README requires Docker 20.10 or newer and Docker Compose v2, on Linux or Unix-like systems such as CentOS, Debian, Ubuntu and macOS, or on Windows via WSL2. It recommends at least two CPU cores and 4 GB of memory, and uses MariaDB provided by the default Compose setup. A one-line install script can set up or upgrade an installation, and a demo site and QQ group are linked.

DooTask is written in PHP and licensed under AGPL-3.0. It is designed to be self-hosted and suits small and mid-sized teams, especially Chinese-speaking ones, who want an all-in-one workspace on their own servers.

Worklenz is a project management application intended to help organizations plan work, track progress, and collaborate in one place. Teams can create projects, break them into tasks with due dates and priorities, assign people, and follow status through reports. The code is released under the AGPL-3.0 license.

Beyond task tracking, it offers time tracking on tasks and projects for resource allocation and billing, resource management, project templates, file sharing and comments for collaboration, and reports on project status, team workload, and performance. Analytics and an integration with MinIO for file storage are also part of the repository.

The frontend is built with React and Ant Design, and the backend uses TypeScript, Express.js, and PostgreSQL. You need Node.js 18 or newer and PostgreSQL 15 or newer, or you can use the Docker Compose quick start. It suits agencies and small to mid-sized teams who want a project and time-tracking tool they can run on their own servers.