Asana alternatives: 8 open-source picks
Asana costs $13.49/mo — $161.88 a year. These 8 alternatives replace it for $0, led by Plane, OpenProject and Leantime. All 8 are open source. License, stars and last commit checked by hand on 2026-08-29. No trials, no crippled tiers.
Linear-and-Jira-shaped work tracking without the subscription; the stack behind it is not small
licenseAGPL-3.0
runsyour machine or their cloud
installHosted signup, or the official Docker/Kubernetes self-hosting stack
dataSelf-hosted Plane keeps workspaces, projects, work items, users, comments, and settings in PostgreSQL; attachments, images, and exports live in MinIO or another S3-compatible object store, with RabbitMQ and optional OpenSearch alongside them. Plane Cloud stores the equivalent data in Plane's infrastructure.
the catch vs AsanaPlane is built around software-style work items and lacks Asana's mature goals, portfolios, workload planning, forms, rules, and broad cross-functional template ecosystem.
setupSelf-hosting is a multi-service deployment: Docker or Kubernetes plus PostgreSQL, RabbitMQ, object storage, a domain, TLS, and usually email configuration.
facts verified 2026-08-10
The enterprise project suite; free in money, expensive in menus
licenseGPL-3.0
runsyour machine or their cloud
installHosted Enterprise Cloud signup, or Community Edition via Docker Compose/all-in-one Docker or supported Linux packages
dataSelf-hosted application data lives in PostgreSQL; uploaded attachments live on a persistent filesystem volume or configured S3-compatible object storage, while configuration and any linked repositories must be backed up separately. Cloud data lives in OpenProject's hosted infrastructure.
the catch vs AsanaOpenProject can model more formal project plans, but its denser interface and weaker no-code automation make ordinary team coordination slower than Asana.
setupThe free Community Edition needs a Linux server; the recommended Docker setup still requires persistent database/file volumes, a hostname, TLS, and mail configuration.
facts verified 2026-08-10
A small-team project suite that remembers goals and timesheets, not just tickets
licenseAGPL-3.0+
runsyour machine or their cloud
installPaid hosted signup, or the free open-source edition via Docker Compose/official image or a PHP release archive plus MySQL/MariaDB
dataSelf-hosted project data lives in MySQL 8 or MariaDB 10.6+, while uploaded files use the local filesystem or configured S3-compatible storage; hosted-account data lives in Leantime's cloud.
the catch vs AsanaLeantime covers projects and goals but has fewer polished integrations, rules, mobile workflows, dashboards, and enterprise controls than Asana.
setupThere is no longer a permanent free hosted tier: the free route means operating PHP, MySQL/MariaDB, persistent storage, backups, and a web-facing Docker or LAMP stack.
facts verified 2026-08-10
Project tracking, time sheets, Gantt, and wikis from the era when software admitted it needed configuration
licenseGPL-2.0+
runsyour server
installInstall the Ruby on Rails application against PostgreSQL, MySQL/MariaDB, or SQLite; packaged containers/appliances are third-party conveniences
dataIssues, users, projects, time entries, and configuration live in the configured SQL database; uploaded attachments live as files in Redmine's `files` directory.
the catch vs AsanaRedmine gives up Asana's modern collaboration, mobile experience, forms, automation, portfolio reporting, and real-time polish in exchange for a highly configurable server.
setupThe official install is a real Rails deployment, Ruby and gem versions, database creation, migrations, a production web server, email, backups, and upgrades are all the operator's job.
facts verified 2026-08-10
Kanban and project boards, a Trello/Notion-boards alternative from Mattermost
licenseMIT/AGPL dual
runsyour server
setupnot verified by us yet — check the repo README
facts verified 2026-08-29
All-in-one platform replacing Linear, Jira, Slack, and Notion in one app
licenseEPL-2.0
runsyour server
setupnot verified by us yet — check the repo README
facts verified 2026-08-29
Realtime kanban board that feels exactly like Trello, on your own server.
licenseFair Use (source available)
runsyour server
setupnot verified by us yet — check the repo README
facts verified 2026-08-29
Self-hosted to-do and task management with lists, gantt, and kanban views
licenseAGPL-3.0
runsyour server
setupnot verified by us yet — check the repo README
facts verified 2026-08-29
What each one is, in full: Plane · OpenProject · Leantime · Focalboard · Huly
last updated 2026-08-29 · no votes, no pay-to-list · just what's real
the usual suspects · recommended everywhere, rejected here
FocalboardStill recommended everywhere; Mattermost stopped maintaining it and the last standalone release was April 2023
how to choose a Asana alternative
Easiest to get running
Focalboard — a one-click install, no server to maintain.
Most proven
Plane, with 55,600 GitHub stars — the largest community of the 8, which usually means more answers when something breaks.
Needs real ops to self-host
Plane, Redmine and Huly are capable but expect someone to run a server, updates and backups. Budget for that before choosing one.
what you give up by leaving Asana
- large integration ecosystem, automation, reporting, permissions, and organizational trust
- deep integrations
- enterprise permissions
- large-scale reporting
- battle-tested notifications and mobile apps
None of the picks above covers all of it. The full verdict says which gaps matter.
Asana alternatives at a glance
| tool | license | running it | platforms | stars | active |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plane | AGPL-3.0 | self-host, real ops | web, self-hosted | 55,600 | 2026-08 |
| OpenProject | GPL-3.0 | docker to self-host | web, self-hosted | 15,200 | 2026-08 |
| Leantime | AGPL-3.0+ | docker to self-host | web, self-hosted | 10,000 | 2026-08 |
| Redmine | GPL-2.0+ | self-host, real ops | web, self-hosted | 6,000 | 2026-08 |
| Focalboard | MIT/AGPL dual | one-click install | self-hosted, web | 26,000 | 2026-08 |
| Huly | EPL-2.0 | self-host, real ops | self-hosted, web | 23,000 | 2026-08 |
| Planka | Fair Use (source available) | one-click install | self-hosted, web | 10,000 | 2026-08 |
| Vikunja | AGPL-3.0 | one-click install | self-hosted, web | 5,000 | 2026-08 |
why people still pay for Asana
People still pay for Asana because teams pay because project state has to remain authoritative through staff changes, outages, and years of accumulated workflow exceptions. The recurring cost buys auth, permissions, notifications, search, migrations, audit history, integrations, backups, and uptime, not just the visible interface. If none of that applies to you, any pick above saves $161.88 a year.
questions about switching from Asana
Is there an open-source alternative to Asana?
Yes: Plane, OpenProject, Leantime and 5 more. Every tool on this page is open source: no trials, no crippled tiers.
Can open source really replace Asana?
Our verdict is YES. Plane (56k stars), Focalboard (26k stars), Huly (23k stars) are mature open-source replacements for Asana — self-host with real ops work and stop paying $13.49/mo. The full verdict, and what you give up by switching, is at caniopensourceit.online/asana.
What is the easiest open-source Asana alternative to set up?
Focalboard — a one-click install, no server to maintain.
What is the most popular open-source Asana alternative?
By GitHub stars, Plane (55,600). Focalboard is next with 26,000.
