Planka 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 | Planka | Wekan |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 94 · Excellent | 96 · Excellent |
| Category | Project Management & Tasks | Project Management & Tasks |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | JavaScript | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker, snap |
| GitHub stars | ★ 12,575 | ★ 21,094 |
| First released | 2019 | 2015 |
| Replaces | Trello | Trello |
What are Planka and Wekan?
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
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
Planka vs Wekan: key differences
Both projects are written in JavaScript. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Planka versus MIT for Wekan. Planka is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Wekan. Wekan is the more established project (first released 2015), while Planka arrived in 2019.
Why pick each one
Choose Planka if…
- Fast real-time updates
- Familiar interface
- Lightweight
Watch out for
- Fewer features than rivals
- Requires Postgres
Choose Wekan if…
- Mature kanban tool
- Self-hostable
- Good permissions
Watch out for
- Can feel heavy
- UI is dated
Frequently asked questions
Is Planka or Wekan better?
Neither is universally better. Wekan has the larger community, while Planka is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Planka and Wekan free and open-source?
Yes. Planka is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Wekan under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Planka and Wekan with Docker?
Planka: yes. Wekan: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Planka or Wekan?
Planka 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.