Elegant open source project tracking, Trello like but self-hosted

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

A new open-source, self-hosted Trello-style kanban tool called Planka is drawing attention for its smooth UI and lightweight feel, especially compared with incumbents like Trello, Wekan, and OpenProject. Commenters explore how it fits into the broader ecosystem of self-hosted project and task management tools, weighing factors such as ease of deployment (often via Docker), licensing choices like AGPL vs MIT, feature sets, and mobile or terminal-based alternatives. The thread also surfaces other popular options — including Kanboard, Plane, Vikunja, Taiga, Nextcloud Deck, and built-in boards in GitLab and Gitea — highlighting how teams trade off polish, extensibility, and integration with existing infrastructure.

Overall impressions of Planka

  • Many commenters praise the UI as modern, smooth, and “elegant,” sometimes snappier than Trello, Wekan, or OpenProject on slower machines.
  • Some attribute speed partly to the demo being a client-only app “without server features” and likely low data volume.
  • A few users report UX rough edges in the demo (e.g., unable to create a list on a new board, issues on Firefox Android).
  • One user migrated from Focalboard and is very satisfied for home use.

Licensing and forks

  • Planka switched from MIT to AGPL-3.
  • Wekan is MIT-licensed and actively developed with many features listed in its documentation.
  • There is an MIT-licensed Planka fork (4gaBoards).
  • Some mention Plane (AGPL) as another self-hosted alternative.

Comparisons and alternatives

  • Wekan: Trello-like, MIT, actively adding major features.
  • Kanboard: Frequently recommended; noted for simplicity, speed, easy PHP setup, Docker image, plugin system, but now in “maintenance mode” (no major new features, community-driven fixes).
  • Other mentioned tools: OpenProject, Nextcloud Deck (good mobile UX, CalDAV integration), Vikunja (subtasks, public views), Taiga, icescrum, Gitea/GitLab built-in boards, Kitemaker (hosted), Redmine, Asana alternatives.
  • Some see Planka and many suggestions (Kanboard, OpenProject) as different “beasts” in scope and complexity.

CLI and lightweight kanban

  • For terminal-based kanban: taskell and a Rust-based TUI kanban are suggested.
  • Taskwarrior + git syncing is mentioned for personal workflows.

Docker vs “simple PHP” debate

  • Extended subthread on whether Docker is overcomplication for simple apps, especially PHP.
  • Pro-Docker points: consistent environments, isolation, easier multi-app hosting, simpler backups, version pinning, avoiding host dependency hell.
  • Skeptical points: PHP already easy to deploy, Docker may encourage bloated/opaque setups, long-term maintenance and registry issues, perceived overuse for simple cases.

Design originality and cloning concerns

  • A few commenters are uneasy about open source projects closely copying Trello’s design and interaction patterns.
  • Others are unconcerned, especially when the original is commercial (e.g., Atlassian products).