Focalboard vs Wekan
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
Wekan
Open-source kanban board for collaboration
| Feature | Focalboard | Wekan |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 69 · Good | 96 · Excellent |
| Category | Project Management & Tasks | Project Management & Tasks |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | TypeScript | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, snap |
| GitHub stars | ★ 26,483 | ★ 21,094 |
| First released | 2021 | 2015 |
| Replaces | Trello, Asana, Notion | Trello |
What are Focalboard and Wekan?
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
Wekan
Wekan is an open-source kanban board application for collaborative task and project tracking with cards, swimlanes, and rules. It targets teams wanting a self-hosted kanban tool. It is deployed via Docker or Snap.
- Kanban boards with swimlanes
- Card automation rules
- Time tracking and checklists
- LDAP and OAuth support
Focalboard vs Wekan: key differences
Focalboard is written in TypeScript, while Wekan is built with JavaScript. Focalboard is the lighter option, starting around 512 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Wekan. Wekan is the more established project (first released 2015), while Focalboard arrived in 2021.
Why pick each one
Choose Focalboard if…
- Clean Trello-like UI
- Lightweight
- Mattermost integration
Watch out for
- Development has slowed
- Fewer power features
Choose Wekan if…
- Mature kanban tool
- Self-hostable
- Good permissions
Watch out for
- Can feel heavy
- UI is dated
Frequently asked questions
Is Focalboard or Wekan better?
Focalboard is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Wekan if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Focalboard and Wekan free and open-source?
Yes. Focalboard is licensed under MIT and Wekan under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Focalboard and Wekan with Docker?
Focalboard: yes. Wekan: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Focalboard or Wekan?
Focalboard has the smaller minimum footprint at 512 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Wekan. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.