Plane vs Traq
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted project management & tasks options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Plane
Open-source project and issue tracking tool
VS
Traq
PHP project management and issue tracking suite
| Feature | Plane | Traq |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 100 · Excellent | 75 · Good |
| Category | Project Management & Tasks | Project Management & Tasks |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 59,805 | ★ 204 |
| First released | 2023 | 2009 |
| Replaces | Jira, Linear, Asana | Redmine, Jira |
What are Plane and Traq?
Plane
Plane is an open-source project management tool for tracking issues, sprints, and product roadmaps with multiple views. It targets software and product teams. It is deployed via Docker.
- Issues, cycles and modules
- List, kanban and gantt views
- Roadmaps and pages
- Modern fast UI
Traq
Traq is a self-hosted, open-source project management application focused on issue tracking, milestones, and wikis. It offers customizable ticket types, statuses, and roadmaps for development teams.
- Issue tracking
- Milestones and roadmaps
- Project wiki
- Customizable ticket types
Plane vs Traq: key differences
Plane is written in TypeScript, while Traq is built with PHP. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Plane versus GPL-3.0 for Traq. Traq is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 2,048 MB for Plane. Traq is the more established project (first released 2009), while Plane arrived in 2023. Plane has the considerably larger community, at 59,805 GitHub stars versus 204. Plane lists first-class Docker deployment; Traq does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Plane if…
- Polished modern interface
- Good for product teams
- Active development
Watch out for
- Resource heavy
- Some features still maturing
Choose Traq if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Written in PHP
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Plane or Traq better?
Neither is universally better. Plane has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Plane and Traq free and open-source?
Yes. Plane is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Traq under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Plane and Traq with Docker?
Plane: yes. Traq: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Plane or Traq?
Traq has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 2,048 MB for Plane. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.