WeKan
The open-source kanban board for teams
About WeKan
WeKan is a fully open-source, self-hostable kanban board application built with Meteor and licensed under MIT. It provides teams with visual task management through boards, lists, swimlanes, and cards, supporting real-time collaboration with instant updates. Organizations can deploy it on their own servers for complete data ownership, or use third-party hosted options via PikaPods or Cloudron.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Completely free and open source under MIT license with no licensing costs
- Full data ownership via self-hosting with no vendor lock-in
- Rich card functionality with checklists, custom fields, due dates, attachments, and swimlanes
- Real-time collaboration with instant board updates for all members
- Extensive language support covering approximately 105 languages
- Comprehensive REST API and webhook integrations with popular tools
Cons
- Requires technical skill to self-host and maintain including server setup and updates
- Interface is less polished than commercial alternatives like Trello or Linear
- Limited built-in automation with no native rule-based workflows
- No native time tracking requiring external tools
- Basic reporting and analytics with no burndown charts or advanced dashboards
Key Features
Kanban Boards
Create unlimited boards with customizable lists and drag-and-drop card management
Swimlanes
Divide boards into horizontal bands representing people, groups, or workflow stages
Rich Card Details
Cards support descriptions, labels, checklists, due dates, file attachments, and comments
WIP Limits
Set Work In Progress limits per list to enforce lean workflow discipline
Real-Time Collaboration
Instant updates for all members when cards are moved or edited
REST API
Comprehensive API allowing integration with Java, Python, PHP, Go, Ruby, and more
Webhooks & Integrations
Built-in webhook support for Slack, Mattermost, Rocket.Chat, Discord, and GitHub
Custom Fields
Add custom metadata fields to cards for domain-specific workflows
Multi-Language Support
Translated into approximately 105 languages via community translations
Flexible Deployment
Deploy via Snap, Docker, Sandstorm, Helm, or managed hosting providers
Pricing
- All features included
- Self-hosted
- No user or board limits
- MIT license
- Community support
- Enterprise support contracts
- Priority bug fixes
- Custom development
- Available via wekan.fi
Best For
Software Development Teams
Manage sprints and backlogs using kanban boards with WIP limits and GitHub integration
Remote & Distributed Teams
Coordinate async work across time zones with real-time board updates and self-hosted privacy
Privacy-Conscious Organizations
NGOs, legal firms, and regulated industries manage projects entirely on-premises
Manufacturing & Operations
Visualize production stages, manage inventory workflows, and flag bottlenecks
Small Team Task Management
Free kanban solution for startups and small teams that need Trello-like functionality without costs
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