Kanboard vs Tasks.md
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted project management & tasks options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Kanboard
Minimalist kanban project management
VS
Tasks.md
Self-hosted Markdown file-based task management board
| Feature | Kanboard | Tasks.md |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 93 · Excellent | 66 · Good |
| Category | Project Management & Tasks | Project Management & Tasks |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | PHP | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 9,881 | ★ 2,200 |
| First released | 2014 | 2023 |
| Replaces | Trello | Trello |
What are Kanboard and Tasks.md?
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
Tasks.md
Tasks.md is a self-hosted, file-based task management tool where every card is a Markdown file. It provides a kanban interface backed entirely by plain text files.
- Cards stored as Markdown files
- No database required
- Drag-and-drop kanban board
- Easy to back up with git
Kanboard vs Tasks.md: key differences
Kanboard is written in PHP, while Tasks.md is built with JavaScript. Tasks.md is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Kanboard. Kanboard is the more established project (first released 2014), while Tasks.md arrived in 2023. Kanboard has the considerably larger community, at 9,881 GitHub stars versus 2,200.
Why pick each one
Choose Kanboard if…
- Very lightweight
- Easy to learn
- Stable
Watch out for
- Minimal feature set
- Dated look
Choose Tasks.md if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (2.2k GitHub stars)
Frequently asked questions
Is Kanboard or Tasks.md better?
Neither is universally better. Kanboard has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Kanboard and Tasks.md free and open-source?
Yes. Kanboard is licensed under MIT and Tasks.md under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Kanboard and Tasks.md with Docker?
Kanboard: yes. Tasks.md: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Kanboard or Tasks.md?
Tasks.md has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Kanboard. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.