- Best overall: OpenProject
- Best for ease of use: GanttProject
- Best low-cost alternative to Microsoft Project: ProjectLibre
- Best for kanban boards: WeKan
- Best for small businesses: Taiga
- Best for enterprises: Orangescrum
- Best for small teams and startups: Leantime
- Best for DevOps team: Tuleap
While many proprietary project management tools are available on the market, open-source project management software provides an alternative for those who prefer to use free, customizable and community-driven software solutions.
We analyzed our picks for the top eight open-source project management software of 2024, including their features, costs, pros and cons. We also outline the steps to follow when shopping for open-source project management tools.
Top open-source project management software comparison
Here is a head-to-head comparison of the top eight open-source project management tools.
| Best for | Free plan | Versions | Budgeting and expense tracking | Pricing | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenProject | Best overall | Yes | On-premises and cloud options | Yes | $7.25 per user per month |
| GanttProject | Ease of use | Yes | On-premises Limited cloud functionality | Limited | Free |
| ProjectLibre | Low-cost alternative to Microsoft Project | Yes | On-premises (cloud in beta) | No | Free |
| Wekan | Kanban board | Yes | On-premises | No | Free |
| Taiga | Small businesses | Yes | On-premises and cloud options | No | $70 per month |
| Orangescrum | Enterprise | Yes | On-premises and cloud options | No | $8 per user per month |
| Leantime | Startups and small teams | Yes | On-premises and cloud options | No | $4 per user per month |
| Tuleap | DevOps team | Limited | On-premises and cloud options | No | $14 per user per month |
OpenProject: Best overall
OpenProject is web-based, open-source project management software that helps location-independent teams organize and track unlimited projects. It offers many features on both its free and paid plans, such as project planning and scheduling, cost control and budget management, collaboration and communication tools, bug tracking and other project management features.
OpenProject can be used by teams of any size and is suitable for both traditional and Agile project management methodologies.
See how OpenProject compares to our list of the best project management tools.
Pricing
- Community: No cost for on-premises hosts.
- Basic: $7.25 per user per month billed annually (minimum five users) for on-premises and cloud hosts.
- Professional: $13.50 per user per month billed annually (minimum 25 users) for on-premises and cloud hosts.
- Premium: $19.50 per user per month billed annually (minimum 100 users) for on-premises and cloud hosts.
- Corporate: Supports on-premises hosts for a minimum of 250 users. Contact sales for a custom quote.
Features
- Native time tracking feature.
- Project views include cards, Agile boards, Gantt charts and timelines.
- Choose from automatic or manual scheduling modes.
- Track costs over time to keep projects on budget.
- Supported BIM features, including IFC 3D model upload and viewer, BCF management and Revit integration.
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
Integrations
OpenProject integrates with GitLab, Jira, Microsoft Project, Toggl and Slack. App integrations are limited depending on your plan. All paid plans integrate with OneDrive, Nextcloud and GitHub.
Why I chose OpenProject
I picked OpenProject because of its abundance of advanced features, active community and versatility. The free plan also offers a pretty extensive feature set, and you’ll also get a 14-day free trial to test out the paid plans. The tradeoff is that support is limited, and you must upgrade to the more expensive plans if you think your team will need more customer service.
GanttProject: Best for ease of use
Although the GanttProject interface looks a bit like an old-school Excel spreadsheet, the open-source project management application is a powerful tool for scheduling and tracking projects. The more traditional style design may also be easier for certain team members to navigate.
GanttProject allows users to break down multiple projects into tasks, assign resources, set dependencies between tasks and track progress. It is available for Windows, Mac and Linux operating systems and is licensed under the GNU GPL.
See how GanttProject compares to our list of the best Gantt chart software.
Pricing
GanttProject is completely free to download and use. However, upon download, users can optionally contribute $5 or more to the project development.
Features
- Available for Windows, Linux and macOS.
- Users can edit their project offline, then sync when they’re back online.
- Resource allocation available.
- Milestone tracking and ​​project progress tracking included.
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
Integrations
GanttProject does not currently offer any integrations.
Why I chose GanttProject
I chose GanttProject because of its simple learning curve, which makes it a good choice for beginners who are new to open-source project management software. I also like that GanttProject is free forever to download, with no limits on the number of users or projects, making it a great choice for teams on a budget.
ProjectLibre: Best low-cost alternative to Microsoft Project
With over 7 million downloads in 193 countries, ProjectLibre is distributed under the Common Public Attribution License (CPAL), which allows users to use, modify and distribute the software freely. This desktop-based project management tool describes itself as the #1 alternative to Microsoft Project and is a cross-platform application that works on Windows, Linux and macOS.
ProjectLibre allows users to create and manage tasks, schedules, budgets and resources for their projects and includes Gantt charts, network diagrams (PERT charts), resource allocation, critical path analysis and many other project management tools.
See how ProjectLibre compares to our list of the best Microsoft Project alternatives.
Pricing
Available to download for free.
Features
- Resource histograms help with workload allocation.
- Network diagrams visualize roadmaps.
- Resource breakdown structure and work breakdown structure charts.
- Gantt charts included for free.
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
Integrations
ProjectLibre currently integrates with OpenProject only.
Why I chose ProjectLibre
I chose ProjectLibre because it provides a completely free, open-source alternative to Microsoft Project. While the desktop version is more traditionally designed, the ProjectLibre team is also working on releasing a cloud-based version, and you can add yourself to the waitlist for a free trial.
WeKan: Best for kanban boards
WeKan is an open-source kanban board tool licensed under MIT, meaning that it’s free to use, modify and distribute. In addition to customizable boards and cards, WeKan offers lists, task management, collaboration tools, task assignments, due dates and notifications.
As an open-source tool, WeKan has a growing community of contributors and users who constantly improve and add new features to the project. It also offers a self-hosted version if you want more control and security.
See how WeKan compares to our list of the best kanban software.
Pricing
WeKan is free to use.
Features
- Allows users to customize their own project details.
- Includes a real-time user interface.
- Easy-to-use kanban interface with board, list and card views.
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
Integrations
WeKan supports integrations with popular tools like Slack, Google Drive and GitHub.
Why I chose WeKan
I chose WeKan because it offers an open-source kanban software alternative as well as the option to self-host. Its project management features aren’t as robust as some of the other alternatives on this list, but that also lowers the learning curve and makes it less intimidating for beginners to master.
Taiga: Best for small businesses
Initially released in 2014 and licensed under the GNU Affero General Public License, Taiga is a desktop-based open-source project management platform that allows small teams to manage multiple projects, tasks and workflows. It is designed to be lightweight and easy to use, making it a great choice for Agile project management. Taiga offers numerous features to support Agile methodologies, including sprints, backlogs, kanban boards and Gantt charts.
See how Taiga compares to our list of the best project management software for small businesses.
Pricing
Taiga has both free and paid plans.
- Taiga Cloud Basic: Free.
- Taiga Cloud with Premium Support: $70 per month or $600 per year.
- Self-hosted: Free and open source.
- Automated Hosting: Starts at $10; run through a partnership with Elestio.
- Managed for You: Contact sales team for a quote.
Features
- Project views include kanban boards and Gantt charts.
- Views multiple workflows at a time with the swimlanes feature.
- Dive deep with burndown charts on project and sprint levels.
- Includes backlog and sprint planning.
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
Integrations
The app integrates with popular development tools such as GitHub and GitLab. It also integrates with Slack, and you can connect it to even more apps via Zapier.
Why I chose Taiga
I chose Taiga because its cloud-hosted version supports unlimited projects and users, making it an excellent option for small businesses, even if they aren’t able to self-host. If your team has Linux and Docker experience, the free self-hosted version is a great alternative to explore as well.
Orangescrum: Best for enterprises
Licensed under GNU General Public License v3, Orangescrum offers an open-source enterprise edition as well as cloud and on-premises versions to choose from. Orangescrum’s features include task management, project tracking, time tracking, resource management, team collaboration and reporting.
The Orangescrum dashboard provides a bird’s eye view of multiple projects with the capability to drill down and analyze the progress of individual tasks and projects.
See how Orangescrum compares to our list of the best enterprise project management software.
Pricing
Orangescrum has a free open-source community edition that users can download. For the enterprise edition, prospective buyers can purchase Orangescrum as an on-premises solution or use it via the cloud. Orangescrum discloses the pricing for its cloud plans, but you must contact the sales team to get a quote for the self-hosted plans.
Orangescrum cloud plans:
- Personal: No cost for one user.
- Startup: $8 per month billed annually, or $9 billed monthly, for 10 users.
- Professional: $40 per month billed annually, or $44 billed monthly, for 11 users. Pricing varies by number of users.
- Enterprise: Contact sales for a custom quote.
Features
- View project analytics for task, hour and weekly usage reports.
- Choose from multiple project views like kanban, scrum and Gantt charts.
- Includes resource management capabilities such as resource utilization, resource availability and user role management.
- Secures users’ data with SSO, LDAP and role-based access control features.
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
Integrations
App integrations include Slack, Google Drive, Dropbox, Google Calendar, GitHub, Zapier, LDAP and Outlook. Users can sync and automate data between integrations.
Why I chose Orangescrum
I chose Orangescrum because its many advanced features make it a great choice for enterprises with lots of complex project management. I also like that Orangescrum supports six different languages (Danish, English, French, German, Portuguese and Spanish), a perk for international enterprises with global teams.
Leantime: Best for small teams and startups
Leantime is an open-source project management system that combines design thinking, lean methodology and Agile practices into an all-in-one system. It is designed to help startup-minded teams ideate, plan and execute projects effectively from start to finish. While Leantime limits the number of tasks available on its free plan, its affordable pricing plans are on par with other project management software apps.
See how Leantime compares to our list of the best project management software for time tracking.
Pricing
Leantime offers several pricing plans:
- Free: No cost for up to 150 tasks and milestones.
- Essentials: $4 per user per month.
- Premium: $8 per user per month.
- Ultimate: $10 per user per month.
- Enterprise: Contact sales team for a quote.
Features
- Project views include kanban boards, lists and Gantt charts.
- Goal and progress tracking and milestone management available.
- Document manager keeps everything centralized on one platform.
- LDAP integration and role management.
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
Integrations
Leantime connects with Slack, Discord, Mattermost or Zulip.
Why we chose Leantime
I chose Leantime because of its advanced project management features and its incorporation of AI capabilities. I also like that it includes document and file management capabilities and multiple project views to choose from. However, I wish the free version offered more capabilities instead of limiting users to 150 tasks only.
Tuleap: Best for DevOps team
Tuleap is a web-based, open-source software platform designed for project management and collaboration. It is primarily used for software development and is licensed under GNU GPL. Tuleap’s key capabilities include ticketing and bug-tracking, Agile planning, document management, version control, continuous integration and customizable workflow. It can be installed on-premises or used as a cloud-based service.
See how Tuleap compares to our list of the best project management software for developers.
Pricing
Tuleap can be deployed on-premises and in the cloud. Your fee depends on your selected plan and the number of users. Note that Tuleap is based in Europe and therefore lists its pricing in euros, so the pricing may fluctuate slightly for American customers due to currency exchange rates.
- Community: No cost.
- Expert: Approximately $35 per user per month billed annually (minimum 25 users) for on-premises hosts. Special pricing is available for 50 or more users — contact the sales team for details.
- myTuleap: Approximately $14 per user per month billed annually (up to 30 users) for cloud hosts.
- Premium Cloud: Approximately $27 per user per month billed annually (minimum 25 users) for cloud hosts.
Features
- Backlog management feature.
- Agile Release Train cross-team backlog and Program Increments planning.
- Choose from on-premises or cloud deployment.
- Suitable for application lifecycle management.
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
Integrations
Tuleap integrates with GitLab, Jira Software, Eclipse, Mattermost and Bugzilla. The Tuleap Git integration with Jenkins allows online code review with pull requests.
Why I chose Tuleap
I chose Tuleap because it offers both cloud and on-premise deployment options for the ultimate flexibility. Its specific set of features also makes it particularly well suited to software development teams that are trying to turn around projects with fast deadlines.
Key features of open-source project management software
Look out for the following key capabilities when shopping for an open-source project management tool.
Source code availability and community support
The source code for open-source software is usually available on GitHub, allowing users to contribute to the project and modify it to their specific needs. They can also submit bug fixes and request features. Before selecting a tool, check the project’s community to see how active it is, how often the software is updated, and how easily modifiable the source code is.
Project planning and task management
The best open-source project management software should provide planning tools to create project roadmaps, Gantt charts and resource allocation. It should offer task management capabilities so users can prioritize tasks, set deadlines and track progress. The software should also provide an easy-to-use interface for creating, assigning and tracking tasks.
Cost savings
Open-source project management software is often free or very low cost. This makes it an attractive option for businesses looking for a cost-effective solution for their project management needs. If you need completely free project management software, you’ll find multiple open-source options to choose from.
Collaboration
Open-source project management software should provide collaboration features such as team messaging, file sharing and real-time updates. The software should also allow for easy feedback and approval processes so your team doesn’t constantly have to switch between platforms to move the project forward.
Resource management and time tracking
The open-source project management software should provide tools for managing resources such as people, equipment and materials, as well as reporting options to increase efficiency. It should also provide time tracking so team members can track their time spent on tasks and view their usage reports.
Pros and cons of using open-source software for project management
Pros
Open-source software offers a high degree of customizability, so you can tailor the software to meet your team’s needs. This also means that open source project management is highly scalable, so it can grow with your business as it evolves from a startup to a larger company.
Open-source software is also incredibly affordable: Many open-source project management software offer a free version, and the ones that don’t keep their pricing plans at a low cost. Most open-source software also have a very active and robust community that contributes to suggestions and updates.
Cons
Many open-source software require technical knowledge to implement and customize, especially if you plan to self-host — open-source software doesn’t provide technical support since it’s all run by volunteers. This means you’ll need an IT expert who already has experience with open-source software.
Open-source software may also present hidden costs. Even though the software itself is often free, you might need to make other purchases to support it, such as investing in additional security measures and hiring a software expert who can implement and support the software.
How do I choose the best open-source project management software for my business?
Before choosing open-source project management software, talk with your IT team about the technical challenges of implementing open-source project management software and how you can address them. You should also survey your employees about what they need in project management software.
Once you’ve gathered all the responses, make a list of your must-have and nice-to-have features, as well as your overall budget. If the community editions won’t suffice for your needs, then you might need to upgrade to the enterprise editions, which tend to cost more.
Next, it’s time to engage the community members and, if possible, get on a call to discuss your needs. If you’re looking at a paid version, request a free trial so you can test the tool before committing to a paid plan.
Smaller teams may prefer a less complex tool than what many open-source options have to offer. If that’s the case, check out our list of the top free project management software instead.
Methodology
To choose the best open-source project management tools available on the market, we tested each tool ourselves to get firsthand experience. We evaluated the ease of use, user interface design, community activity and product documentation. We also investigated various project management features, such as project views, resource allocation and time tracking. We looked at user reviews and customer satisfaction ratings during the writing of this review.