ClickUp alternatives: 7 open-source picks
ClickUp costs $10/mo — $120 a year. These 7 alternatives replace it for $0, led by Leantime, Plane and Focalboard. All 7 are open source. License, stars and last commit checked by hand on 2026-08-29. No trials, no crippled tiers.
Tasks, documents, goals, dashboards, and planning in one community stack; automation is comparatively thin
Open-source project management with issues, cycles, and product roadmaps
licenseAGPL-3.0
runsyour server
setupnot verified by us yet — check the repo README
facts verified 2026-08-29
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
Full-featured classic and agile project management with gantt and cost tracking
licenseGPL-3.0
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: Leantime · Plane · Focalboard · Huly · OpenProject · Planka
last updated 2026-08-29 · no votes, no pay-to-list · just what's real
the usual suspects · recommended everywhere, rejected here
HulyTasks and documents are real, but goals and dashboards are missing and the hosted service is dead
PlaneTasks and pages are strong, but goals and general workflow automation do not clear the bar
YouTrackTasks, articles, dashboards, and automation are free for ten users; there is no real goals layer
how to choose a ClickUp alternative
Easiest to get running
Focalboard — a one-click install, no server to maintain.
Most proven
Plane, with 55,000 GitHub stars — the largest community of the 7, which usually means more answers when something breaks.
Needs real ops to self-host
Huly and OpenProject are capable but expect someone to run a server, updates and backups. Budget for that before choosing one.
what you give up by leaving ClickUp
- breadth, integrations, mobile apps, reporting, and a highly configurable workflow engine
- 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.
ClickUp alternatives at a glance
| tool | license | running it | platforms | stars | active |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leantime | open source | docker to self-host | web, self-hosted | 10,000 | 2026-08 |
| Plane | AGPL-3.0 | docker to self-host | self-hosted, web | 55,000 | 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 |
| OpenProject | GPL-3.0 | self-host, real ops | self-hosted, web | 11,000 | 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 ClickUp
People still pay for ClickUp 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 $120 a year.
questions about switching from ClickUp
Is there an open-source alternative to ClickUp?
Yes: Leantime, Plane, Focalboard and 4 more. Every tool on this page is open source: no trials, no crippled tiers.
Can open source really replace ClickUp?
Our verdict is YES. Plane (55k stars), Focalboard (26k stars), Huly (23k stars) are mature open-source replacements for ClickUp — self-host with docker and stop paying $10/mo. The full verdict, and what you give up by switching, is at caniopensourceit.online/clickup.
What is the easiest open-source ClickUp alternative to set up?
Focalboard — a one-click install, no server to maintain.
What is the most popular open-source ClickUp alternative?
By GitHub stars, Plane (55,000). Focalboard is next with 26,000.
