Focalboard vs Kanboard
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted project management & tasks options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Focalboard
Open-source project and task management boards
VS
Kanboard
Minimalist kanban project management
| Feature | Focalboard | Kanboard |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 69 · Good | 93 · Excellent |
| Category | Project Management & Tasks | Project Management & Tasks |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | TypeScript | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 26,483 | ★ 9,881 |
| First released | 2021 | 2014 |
| Replaces | Trello, Asana, Notion | Trello |
What are Focalboard and Kanboard?
Focalboard
Focalboard is an open-source project management tool with kanban boards, tables, and calendar views for organizing work. It targets teams wanting a self-hosted Trello-style board. It is deployed via Docker or as part of Mattermost.
- Kanban, table and calendar views
- Personal and team boards
- Integrates with Mattermost
- Templates for common workflows
Kanboard
Kanboard is a minimalist, free kanban project management tool focused on simplicity and a clear visual workflow. It targets individuals and small teams wanting a no-frills board. It is deployed via Docker or a PHP stack.
- Simple kanban boards
- WIP limits and automation
- Plugin ecosystem
- Lightweight PHP app
Focalboard vs Kanboard: key differences
Focalboard is written in TypeScript, while Kanboard is built with PHP. Kanboard is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Focalboard. Kanboard is the more established project (first released 2014), while Focalboard arrived in 2021. Focalboard has the considerably larger community, at 26,483 GitHub stars versus 9,881.
Why pick each one
Choose Focalboard if…
- Clean Trello-like UI
- Lightweight
- Mattermost integration
Watch out for
- Development has slowed
- Fewer power features
Choose Kanboard if…
- Very lightweight
- Easy to learn
- Stable
Watch out for
- Minimal feature set
- Dated look
Frequently asked questions
Is Focalboard or Kanboard 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 Kanboard free and open-source?
Yes. Focalboard is licensed under MIT and Kanboard under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Focalboard and Kanboard with Docker?
Focalboard: yes. Kanboard: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Focalboard or Kanboard?
Kanboard has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Focalboard. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.