Live demo
21k

6 Best Open Source Alternatives to Jira

This article introduces 6 open-source Jira alternatives, comparing their features, use cases, and technical details to help you choose a lightweight, efficient, self-hosted project management solution.

Zhang Lu |

📝 Note: This article was last updated on Jan. 21, 2026. We regularly update the information to ensure you have the latest insights! 😊

“I don’t see anyone who actually likes Jira.”

Recently, a Reddit thread about Jira sparked heated discussions among developers. Many shared their frustrations and struggles when using the platform.

Launched by Atlassian in 2002, Jira started as a bug-tracking tool specifically designed for software development teams. Over the years, as agile methodologies gained popularity, Jira evolved into a full-fledged project management and collaboration platform — supporting Scrum, Kanban, task assignment, version control, reporting, and more. It gradually became the go-to choice for development teams worldwide.

jira.PNG

However, in the discussion, many developers raised recurring complaints:

  • Custom workflows spiral out of control
  • Slow performance
  • Search that requires sorcery
  • New team members struggle to onboard
  • The “tool tax”

reddit.PNG

These issues have prompted many teams to ask themselves:

“Is there a lighter, more flexible, and more controllable alternative?”

Especially for teams that want self-hosting, better customization, and reduced tool overhead, the search for open-source solutions has gained momentum.

In this article, we’ll introduce 6 excellent open-source project management tools that can serve as viable alternatives to Jira.

💬 Hey, you’re reading the NocoBase blog. NocoBase is the most extensible AI-powered no-code/low-code development platform for building enterprise applications, internal tools, and all kinds of systems. It’s fully self-hosted, plugin-based, and developer-friendly. → Explore NocoBase on GitHub

⭐ Looking for open-source alternatives to more SaaS platforms? Check out these articles:

NocoBase: Extensibility-first No-Code Platform

nocobase.png

Overview

NocoBase is an open-source, AI-driven low-code/no-code development platform focused on helping teams quickly build highly customized systems. The project has gained over 21K stars on GitHub.

Its biggest advantage over Jira lies in flexibility and extensibility: instead of forcing you to adapt to predefined workflows, NocoBase lets you design your own project management environment.

🎉 NocoBase has recently launched its Project Management Solution – feel free to try it out!

Core Features

  • Custom Data Models: Define fields, relationships, and data types via a visual interface. Quickly create databases aligned with your business logic without writing code.

数据源.png

  • Visual Workflow Engine: Build complex approval flows, automate task assignments, and set up multi-condition triggers for seamless cross-department collaboration.

Visual Workflow Engine.png

  • Multiple Project Views: Switch freely between Kanban, list, calendar, and Gantt views to track progress from different perspectives.

Multiple Project Views.png

  • Plugin Ecosystem & Extensibility: Leverage a rich official plugin marketplace or create custom plugins to extend system functionality for complex business needs.

Plugin Ecosystem & Extensibility.png

  • AI employees embedded in the system: Seamlessly integrate AI capabilities into user interfaces, business workflows, and data contexts, enabling AI to be practically applied in real enterprise scenarios.AI employees.png

Use Cases

  • Build internal project management platforms
  • Automate approval flows, reporting, and resource allocation
  • Enable cross-team collaboration with unified dashboards

Technical Details

  • Tech Stack: Node.js + React + TypeScript
  • Deployment: Docker, self-hosted
  • Database Support: PostgreSQL / MySQL / SQLite etc.

Summary

If you want Jira-level project management with far more customization and extensibility, NocoBase offers a highly flexible alternative that adapts to your workflows.

OpenProject: The Most Comprehensive Jira Alternative

openproject.png

Overview

OpenProject is a powerful open-source project management platform built for enterprise collaboration. Supporting both agile and traditional project methodologies, it’s one of the closest open-source alternatives to Jira. The project has 12K+ GitHub Stars and a highly active developer community.

Core Features

  • Project Planning & Scheduling: Use interactive Gantt charts to plan timelines, manage dependencies, and deliver projects on time.
  • Agile Boards: Built-in Scrum and Kanban support for backlog management, sprint tracking, and real-time collaboration.
  • Team Resource Planning: Use Team Planner to visualize task assignments, balance workloads, and optimize team productivity.

Use Cases

  • Large-scale cross-department project collaboration
  • Agile software development and product roadmaps
  • Managing enterprise-level project portfolios

Technical Details

  • Tech Stack: Ruby on Rails + Angular
  • Deployment: Docker, Docker-Compose

Summary

If your team needs Jira-grade functionality without license costs, OpenProject is the most comprehensive enterprise-ready alternative.

Plane: A Modern Lightweight Agile Project Tool

plane.png

Overview

Plane is a modern, open-source project management platform designed for agile teams that want a lightweight, fast, and intuitive alternative to Jira. With 38.6K+ GitHub Stars, Plane focuses on delivering a clean, frictionless collaboration experience.

Core Features

  • Streamlined UX: No bloated configs or complex setup — get started instantly.
  • Flexible Controls: Customize statuses, labels, roles, and reports without unnecessary overhead.
  • Unified Workspace: Combine tasks, wikis, docs, reports, and even AI-powered assistance in one place.
  • Cross-Team Collaboration: Break down silos and unify marketing, engineering, and operations on a single platform.
  • Scalable by Design: Built to scale from startups to enterprises without sacrificing performance.

Use Cases

  • Agile development task tracking
  • Product roadmaps and release planning
  • Collaborative cross-department workflows

Technical Details

  • Tech Stack: Next.js + Node.js + Django
  • Deployment: Docker, Kubernetes

Summary

Plane is a lightweight, modern Jira alternative built for teams that value speed, simplicity, and scalability.

Planka: A Minimalist Kanban-Based Project Manager

planka.png

Overview

Planka is an open-source Kanban-focused project management tool that provides a clean, intuitive interface for task visualization. With 10K+ GitHub Stars, it serves as a lightweight replacement for Trello and Jira boards.

Core Features

  • Collaborative Kanban Boards: Create projects, boards, lists, and cards with drag-and-drop simplicity.
  • Real-Time Updates: Automatic syncing across all users — no manual refresh required.
  • Markdown-Ready Cards: Write richly formatted descriptions with built-in Markdown support.
  • Custom Notifications: Configure alerts across 100+ channels to match your team’s workflow.
  • Multilingual Support: Full internationalization for global teams.

Use Cases

  • Lightweight agile project tracking
  • Backlog management and task prioritization
  • Visualizing workflows for distributed teams

Technical Details

  • Tech Stack: React + PostgreSQL
  • Deployment: Docker, Kubernetes

Summary

Planka is a minimalist Kanban tool ideal for teams that want simple, visual project tracking without unnecessary complexity.

WeKan: A Lightweight Open-Source Kanban Tool

wekan.png

Overview

WeKan is a simple, open-source Kanban board platform designed for visual task tracking. With 20K+ GitHub Stars, it’s one of the best self-hosted alternatives to Trello and Jira boards.

Core Features

  • Multi-Board Support: Create multiple boards for different projects and track progress visually.
  • Customizable Lists: Represent different workflow stages and move tasks seamlessly with drag-and-drop.
  • Rich Task Cards: Add descriptions, labels, checklists, due dates, files, and comments for better collaboration.

Use Cases

  • Small development projects and team task tracking
  • Short-cycle agile sprints and backlog visualization
  • Visual, Kanban-driven workflows

Technical Details

  • Tech Stack: Meteor + Node.js + MongoDB
  • Deployment: Docker, one-click installers

Summary

WeKan is a lightweight, easy-to-deploy Kanban solution for teams that want a fast, self-hosted alternative to Jira boards.

Taiga: An Agile Project Management Tool for Scrum & Kanban

taiga.png

Overview

Taiga is an open-source project management tool focused on agile workflows, supporting both Scrum and Kanban boards. With an active GitHub community, it offers a clean UI and flexible task tracking for software development teams.

Core Features

  • Agile Boards: Manage EPICs, sub-tasks, WIP limits, and multiple workflows with visual Kanban tracking.
  • Scrum Management: Full support for sprint planning, backlog estimation, and burndown charts, with one-click switching between Scrum and Kanban modes.
  • Issue Tracking: Customize issue types, priorities, and severities, and promote issues to user stories when needed.
  • Dashboards & Reporting: Team performance dashboards, project timelines, and CSV export for in-depth reporting.

Use Cases

  • Managing Scrum or Kanban-based agile projects
  • Product planning and sprint tracking
  • Integrated task and issue management

Technical Details

  • Tech Stack: AngularJS + Python + Django
  • Deployment: Docker

Summary

Taiga is a flexible, agile-first Jira alternative ideal for teams adopting Scrum or Kanban methodologies.

Final Thoughts

Comparing these six open-source alternatives, each tool has its unique strengths:

  • NocoBase → Flexible workflows, custom data models, and plugin-driven extensibility
  • OpenProject → Full Gantt charts, agile boards, and enterprise-grade planning
  • Plane → Lightweight, intuitive, and scalable for fast-moving teams
  • Planka, WeKan, Taiga → From minimalist Kanban boards to full Scrum support, these tools cover diverse agile practices

If Jira feels too complex, too slow, or too costly, these open-source s olutions let you take back control, customize freely, and focus on building projects — not managing tools.

Related reading:

× View Image