SHSelfHostIndex

Kanboard vs Taskcafe

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?
Kanboard Minimalist kanban project management VS TA Taskcafe Open-source project management with kanban boards
FeatureKanboardTaskcafe
Deploy effortUnder-an-hour setupUnder-an-hour setup
Health score93 · Excellent21 · At risk
CategoryProject Management & TasksProject Management & Tasks
LicenseMITMIT
LanguagePHPTypeScript
Setup difficultyEasyMedium
Min. RAM256 MB256 MB
Deploymentdocker, bare-metaldocker, source
GitHub stars★ 9,881★ 5,214
First released20142020
ReplacesTrelloTrello, Asana

What are Kanboard and Taskcafe?

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

Read the full Kanboard guide →

Taskcafe

Taskcafe is an open-source project management tool inspired by Trello and Asana. It offers kanban boards, task assignment, due dates, and a clean interface.

  • Kanban project boards
  • Task assignment and labels
  • Due dates and checklists
  • GraphQL API

Kanboard vs Taskcafe: key differences

Kanboard is written in PHP, while Taskcafe is built with TypeScript. Kanboard is the more established project (first released 2014), while Taskcafe arrived in 2020.

Why pick each one

Choose Kanboard if…

  • Very lightweight
  • Easy to learn
  • Stable

Watch out for

  • Minimal feature set
  • Dated look
Kanboard details

Choose Taskcafe if…

  • Released under the MIT license
  • First-class Docker support for quick deployment
  • Mature project with 5.2k GitHub stars
  • Written in TypeScript
Taskcafe details

Frequently asked questions

Is Kanboard or Taskcafe better?

Kanboard is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Taskcafe if its specific feature set fits your needs better.

Are Kanboard and Taskcafe free and open-source?

Yes. Kanboard is licensed under MIT and Taskcafe under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Kanboard and Taskcafe with Docker?

Kanboard: yes. Taskcafe: yes.

Related comparisons