Kanboard 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.
| Feature | Kanboard | Wekan |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 93 · Excellent | 96 · Excellent |
| Category | Project Management & Tasks | Project Management & Tasks |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | PHP | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, snap |
| GitHub stars | ★ 9,881 | ★ 21,094 |
| First released | 2014 | 2015 |
| Replaces | Trello | Trello |
What are Kanboard and Wekan?
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
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
Kanboard vs Wekan: key differences
Kanboard is written in PHP, while Wekan is built with JavaScript. Kanboard is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Wekan. Wekan has the considerably larger community, at 21,094 GitHub stars versus 9,881.
Why pick each one
Choose Kanboard if…
- Very lightweight
- Easy to learn
- Stable
Watch out for
- Minimal feature set
- Dated look
Choose Wekan if…
- Mature kanban tool
- Self-hostable
- Good permissions
Watch out for
- Can feel heavy
- UI is dated
Frequently asked questions
Is Kanboard or Wekan better?
Neither is universally better. Wekan has the larger community, while Kanboard is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Kanboard and Wekan free and open-source?
Yes. Kanboard is licensed under MIT and Wekan under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Kanboard and Wekan with Docker?
Kanboard: yes. Wekan: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Kanboard or Wekan?
Kanboard has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Wekan. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.