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Trello vs Planka

A side-by-side look at Trello (the paid SaaS) and Planka (the open source alternative). Use this page to decide if the switch fits your team and workflow.

Trello Planka
Tagline Simple kanban boards. Trello-style kanban you can self-host in minutes.
License Proprietary SaaS AGPL-3.0
Pricing Free tier; Standard from $5/user/month. Free to self-host
Self-host option No Yes — difficulty 2/5
Hosted cloud available Yes (only option) No
Desktop apps Varies by product Web only
Mobile apps Official apps typically available None official
Ad slot — between tables

Best for

The cleanest, lightest Trello replacement you can self-host.

Planka strengths

  • One-command Docker deploy.
  • Clean Trello-like UX.
  • Lightweight and fast.

Planka weaknesses

  • Fewer power-ups than Trello.
  • No official mobile app.
  • Small team — features land at moderate pace.

What's the catch with Trello?

  • Power-ups add up fast once you need automation.
  • Large boards get slow.
  • No self-hosted option.

Still unsure?

Check the full list of alternatives to Trello: see Trello alternatives, or learn more about Planka on its project page.

Other comparisons

Trello vs Focalboard

When you want a Trello/Notion hybrid and maybe Mattermost later.

Trello vs Wekan

Enterprises that want a long-proven kanban with SSO.

Recommended reading

When self-hosting goes wrong: seven failure modes and how to avoid them

An honest retrospective on the ways self-hosted setups break — not in theory, but in practice — and the small habits that prevent most of them.

Will the open source project you depend on still exist in three years?

Bus factor, maintainer burnout, funding models, and the signals that separate OSS projects that survive from those that quietly decay.

From SaaS to self-hosted: a 30-day migration playbook

A week-by-week plan to move one service off SaaS and onto your own server without breaking your team's workflow.