Trello trello.comFree alternatives to Trello
Trello costs $12.50/mo on the Premium plan, or $150 a year. Here are 4 free and open-source options, what each one does, and what you give up compared with paying.
01At a glance
| Alternative | Type | Where it runs | Works on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wekan | Open source | You host it | Web, Your server |
| PLANKA | Free | Hosted or self-hosted | Web, Your server |
| Kanboard | Open source | You host it | Web, Your server |
| Taiga | Open source | Hosted or self-hosted | Web, Your server |
02Each alternative, in detail
Trello's boards without Butler, upsells, or anyone else holding the database
Versus paying: Wekan reproduces boards and cards but gives up Trello's Butler automation, Power-Ups, polished mobile apps, integrations, and managed reliability.
Setup: Install with Docker Compose or the official Snap package; many other platform packages are community-supported
Watch for: The app starts easily compared with larger suites, but a non-expert still needs an always-on host, persistent MongoDB storage, backups, an external URL, TLS, and mail configuration.
21,000 GitHub stars (checked Aug 6, 2026)
wekan.fi →A polished self-hosted Trello clone; the free edition keeps the core board-and-card job intact
Versus paying: PLANKA is visually close to Trello, but it has no comparable Butler automation or Power-Up ecosystem and its free code is under a restrictive fair-use license rather than an open-source one.
Setup: Hosted PLANKA signup, or the recommended official Docker Compose deployment
Watch for: The free self-hosted Community build still needs Docker Compose, PostgreSQL, a generated secret, base URL, admin creation, persistent storage, TLS, and careful attention to the custom license's permitted-use limits.
planka.app →Spartan kanban that is finished, not fashionable; maintenance mode means only fixes
Versus paying: Kanboard is stable and lightweight, but its maintenance-mode pace, dated interface, limited mobile experience, and sparse integrations are a clear downgrade from Trello.
Setup: Docker Compose, or unzip the PHP application into a web server and make its data directory writable
Watch for: It is simple by self-hosting standards, but the operator must still secure the default admin account and writable data directory, configure email and backups, and accept that the project is in maintenance mode.
9,800 GitHub stars (checked Aug 6, 2026)
kanboard.org →Scrum baggage aside, its kanban boards comfortably replace Trello's core job
Versus paying: Taiga's kanban works, but Scrum concepts and project structure make it heavier than Trello while still lacking Trello's automation, Power-Ups, templates, and casual sharing polish.
Setup: Hosted Taiga signup, or the official multi-container Docker Compose production stack
Watch for: Production self-hosting is not one container: it needs Docker/Compose familiarity, several Taiga services, PostgreSQL, RabbitMQ, environment files, a reverse proxy, TLS, and email settings.
844 GitHub stars (checked Aug 6, 2026)
taiga.io →03What you give up by leaving Trello
- Atlassian ecosystem, Power-Ups, mobile apps, automation, and reliable collaboration
- deep integrations
- enterprise permissions
- large-scale reporting
- battle-tested notifications and mobile apps
People still pay for Trello because teams pay because project state has to remain authoritative through staff changes, outages, and years of accumulated workflow exceptions. The recurring cost buys auth, permissions, notifications, search, migrations, audit history, integrations, backups, and uptime, not just the visible interface.
04Questions
Is there a free alternative to Trello?
Yes. This page compares 4: Wekan, PLANKA, Kanboard and Taiga. 3 of them are open source, so you can run them yourself.
How much does Trello cost?
$12.50/mo on the Premium plan (monthly per user), which is $150 a year. Prices checked Aug 14, 2026.
What do you give up with a free alternative to Trello?
Most often: Atlassian ecosystem, Power-Ups, mobile apps, automation, and reliable collaboration, deep integrations, enterprise permissions and large-scale reporting. Each alternative on this page lists its own gap under “Versus paying.”
Can AI build me my own version of Trello?
Half-bot. The core loop is buildable, but a dependable replacement becomes a real weekend or multi-day project. For Trello, run kanban boards with cards, checklists, labels, dates, and simple automation. The hard boundary is atlassian ecosystem, power-ups, mobile apps, automation, and reliable collaboration, plus collaboration, integrations, and organizational trust.
Prices change; confirm on the vendor's site before you decide.
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