3 open source alternatives to Monday.com
Work OS with flexible boards and automations. 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 Monday.com
- Minimum-seat pricing inflates costs for small teams.
- Can feel bloated.
- No self-hosted option.
Current Monday.com pricing (for reference): Free trial; Basic from $9/user/month (3-seat minimum).
Quick comparison
| Alternative | Best for | License | Self-host | Hosted cloud? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
OpenProject Enterprise-ready open source project management. |
Enterprise Monday replacement with Gantt and budgets. | GPL-3.0 | ★★★☆☆ | Yes |
|
Plane Open source JIRA alternative with cycles and modules. |
Teams who like Monday but want self-host. | AGPL-3.0 | ★★★☆☆ | Yes |
|
Focalboard Open source Trello/Notion hybrid by Mattermost. |
If Monday felt bloated and you want something simpler. | MIT / AGPL-3.0 | ★★☆☆☆ | Yes |
1. OpenProject — Enterprise Monday replacement with Gantt and budgets.
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.
OpenProject homepage · Source on GitHub · Monday.com vs OpenProject →
2. Plane — Teams who like Monday but want self-host.
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.
3. Focalboard — If Monday felt bloated and you want something simpler.
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.
Focalboard homepage · Source on GitHub · Monday.com vs Focalboard →
Not what you're looking for?
Browse other tools in Project Management & Kanban, or check out open source projects by category on the full category index.
Other SaaS in Project Management & Kanban
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