Focalboard vs GanttProject
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted project management & tasks options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Focalboard
Open-source project and task management boards
VS
GanttProject
Desktop project scheduling with Gantt charts
| Feature | Focalboard | GanttProject |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Project Management & Tasks | Project Management & Tasks |
| License | MIT | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | Java |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 26,376 | ★ 1,088 |
| First released | 2021 | 2003 |
| Replaces | Trello, Asana, Notion | Microsoft Project |
Why pick each one
Choose GanttProject if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Active community (1.1k GitHub stars)
- Written in Java
Frequently asked questions
Is Focalboard or GanttProject better?
Neither is universally better. Focalboard has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Focalboard and GanttProject free and open-source?
Yes. Focalboard is licensed under MIT and GanttProject under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Focalboard and GanttProject with Docker?
Focalboard: yes. GanttProject: check the project docs for container support.