Restyaboard vs Taskell
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted project management & tasks options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Restyaboard | Taskell |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 17 · At risk | 15 · At risk |
| Status | Actively maintained | Archived |
| Category | Project Management & Tasks | Project Management & Tasks |
| License | OSL-3.0 | BSD-3-Clause |
| Language | JavaScript | Haskell |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | docker | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,089 | ★ 1,783 |
| First released | 2014 | 2018 |
| Replaces | Trello | Trello, Things |
What are Restyaboard and Taskell?
Restyaboard
Restyaboard is an open-source kanban board similar to Trello, featuring offline sync, plugins, and import tools. It targets teams wanting a self-hosted, extensible board. It is deployed via Docker.
- Trello-like kanban boards
- Offline sync support
- Plugin and theme system
- Import from Trello
Taskell
Taskell is an open-source command-line kanban board application that stores boards as Markdown files. It offers a keyboard-driven terminal interface for managing personal task lists.
- Terminal kanban board
- Markdown file storage
- Keyboard-driven
- No database needed
Restyaboard vs Taskell: key differences
The biggest difference is maintenance: Taskell's repository is archived and no longer developed, while Restyaboard is actively maintained. Restyaboard is written in JavaScript, while Taskell is built with Haskell. Licensing differs — OSL-3.0 for Restyaboard versus BSD-3-Clause for Taskell. Taskell is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Restyaboard. Restyaboard is the more established project (first released 2014), while Taskell arrived in 2018. Restyaboard lists first-class Docker deployment; Taskell does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Restyaboard if…
- Trello-compatible imports
- Extensible
- Offline support
Watch out for
- Slower development
- Dated interface
Choose Taskell if…
- Released under the BSD-3-Clause license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Active community (1.8k GitHub stars)
- Written in Haskell
Frequently asked questions
Is Restyaboard or Taskell better?
Neither is universally better. Restyaboard has the larger community, while Taskell is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Restyaboard and Taskell free and open-source?
Yes. Restyaboard is licensed under OSL-3.0 and Taskell under BSD-3-Clause. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Restyaboard and Taskell with Docker?
Restyaboard: yes. Taskell: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Restyaboard or Taskell?
Taskell has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Restyaboard. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.