Home / Project Management & Kanban / Alternatives to ClickUp

4 open source alternatives to ClickUp

One-app-to-replace-them-all workspace for tasks, docs and goals. Here are the open source projects real teams use instead — ranked by fit, with honest pros and cons for each.

What people don't love about ClickUp

  • Feature overload — steep learning curve for new users.
  • Performance can slow on large workspaces.
  • Frequent UI changes disrupt muscle memory.

Current ClickUp pricing (for reference): Free Forever; Unlimited from $7/user/month.

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Quick comparison

Alternative Best for License Self-host Hosted cloud?
Plane
Open source JIRA alternative with cycles and modules. 		Modern teams wanting cycles, modules and Linear-style ergonomics. AGPL-3.0 ★★★☆☆ Yes
OpenProject
Enterprise-ready open source project management. 		When you need Gantt, roadmaps and enterprise governance. GPL-3.0 ★★★☆☆ Yes
Vikunja
Open source task manager with Kanban, lists and Gantt. 		Individuals and small teams wanting multi-view task management. AGPL-3.0 ★★☆☆☆ Yes
Focalboard
Open source Trello/Notion hybrid by Mattermost. 		Notion-meets-Trello self-hosted without the ClickUp sprawl. MIT / AGPL-3.0 ★★☆☆☆ Yes

1. Plane — Modern teams wanting cycles, modules and Linear-style ergonomics.

Open source JIRA alternative with cycles and modules.

Strengths

  • Modern UI inspired by Linear/Jira.
  • Cycles, modules and views.
  • Active community and rapid updates.

Weaknesses

  • Still adding features at pace — occasional rough edges.
  • Self-hosted setup involves several services.
  • Fewer integrations than mature incumbents.
License: AGPL-3.0 Self-host difficulty: 3/5 Hosted cloud option

Plane homepage · Source on GitHub · ClickUp vs Plane →

2. OpenProject — When you need Gantt, roadmaps and enterprise governance.

Enterprise-ready open source project management.

Strengths

  • Strong Gantt, roadmaps and budget features.
  • BIM (Building Information Modeling) for construction industry.
  • Active enterprise adoption.

Weaknesses

  • Community edition lacks some premium features.
  • Setup has more moving parts than lightweight tools.
  • UI density can intimidate newcomers.
License: GPL-3.0 Self-host difficulty: 3/5 Hosted cloud option

OpenProject homepage · Source on GitHub · ClickUp vs OpenProject →

3. Vikunja — Individuals and small teams wanting multi-view task management.

Open source task manager with Kanban, lists and Gantt.

Strengths

  • Multi-view — list, kanban, gantt, calendar.
  • Single Go binary for self-host.
  • CalDAV support.

Weaknesses

  • iOS app is community-maintained.
  • Smaller ecosystem.
  • Team collaboration features still maturing.
License: AGPL-3.0 Self-host difficulty: 2/5 Hosted cloud optionDesktop: Windows, macOS, LinuxMobile: Android

Vikunja homepage · Source on GitHub · ClickUp vs Vikunja →

4. Focalboard — Notion-meets-Trello self-hosted without the ClickUp sprawl.

Open source Trello/Notion hybrid by Mattermost.

Strengths

  • Integrates tightly with Mattermost.
  • Personal desktop mode (no server required).
  • Multiple views — board, table, gallery.

Weaknesses

  • Development pace has slowed after Mattermost integration.
  • Smaller community.
  • Feature set is narrower than Notion.
License: MIT / AGPL-3.0 Self-host difficulty: 2/5 Hosted cloud optionDesktop: Windows, macOS, Linux

Focalboard homepage · Source on GitHub · ClickUp vs Focalboard →

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