Leantime vs Planka
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted project management & tasks options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Leantime | Planka |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 93 · Excellent | 94 · Excellent |
| Category | Project Management & Tasks | Project Management & Tasks |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | PHP | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 11,645 | ★ 12,576 |
| First released | 2019 | 2019 |
| Replaces | Asana, Trello, Notion | Trello |
What are Leantime and Planka?
Leantime
Leantime is an open-source project management system designed around goals, strategy, and accessibility for non-technical teams. It targets small businesses and creatives. It is deployed via Docker or a PHP stack.
- Goals and strategy boards
- Idea management and research
- Kanban and gantt views
- Designed for non-technical users
Planka
Planka is an open-source kanban board for workgroups with real-time updates, labels, and a clean Trello-like interface. It targets small teams wanting fast, simple boards. It is deployed via Docker.
- Real-time collaborative boards
- Cards, labels and due dates
- Markdown descriptions
- Clean Trello-like UI
Leantime vs Planka: key differences
Leantime is written in PHP, while Planka is built with JavaScript. Planka is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Leantime.
Why pick each one
Choose Leantime if…
- Goal-focused approach
- Accessible to non-techies
- Active development
Watch out for
- Less known
- Some features still evolving
Choose Planka if…
- Fast real-time updates
- Familiar interface
- Lightweight
Watch out for
- Fewer features than rivals
- Requires Postgres
Frequently asked questions
Is Leantime or Planka better?
Planka is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Leantime if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Leantime and Planka free and open-source?
Yes. Leantime is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Planka under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Leantime and Planka with Docker?
Leantime: yes. Planka: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Leantime or Planka?
Planka has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Leantime. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.