Focalboard vs osem
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
osem
Event management tailored to free Software conferences
| Feature | Focalboard | osem |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Project Management & Tasks | Project Management & Tasks |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | TypeScript | Ruby |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 26,376 | ★ 924 |
| First released | 2021 | 2016 |
| Replaces | Trello, Asana, Notion | — |
Why pick each one
Choose osem if…
- Released under the MIT license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Ruby
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Focalboard or osem better?
Focalboard is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider osem if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Focalboard and osem free and open-source?
Yes. Focalboard is licensed under MIT and osem under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Focalboard and osem with Docker?
Focalboard: yes. osem: yes.