5 Best OpenProject Alternatives in 2025
Last updated: February 2026 • 17 min read
OpenProject is a popular tool for organizations needing open-source pm with strong privacy. While it offers a free tier (Community edition (self-hosted)), its paid plans start at €5.95/user/mo. Whether you're looking for a cheaper option, better features, or an open-source solution, we've compiled the 5 best OpenProject alternatives to help you find the right fit.
📋 Quick Summary
- Total alternatives: 5
- Free alternatives: 5 (Jira, Asana, Plane)
- Open-source options: Plane, Taiga
- Best overall: Jira
- Best free: Jira
Why Look for OpenProject Alternatives?
People commonly look for OpenProject alternatives for several reasons:
- Cost: While OpenProject has a free tier, its paid plans starting at €5.95/user/mo can add up quickly for growing teams.
- Feature gaps: Dated interface and complex setup are common complaints.
- Simplicity: Some users find OpenProject overly complex for their needs and prefer simpler solutions.
- Better fit: Different tools excel at different use cases — you may find a tool that's specifically built for your workflow.
📊 Quick Comparison Table
| Tool | Free Tier | Starting Price | Rating | Open Source | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenProject | ✓ Community edition (self-hosted) | €5.95/user/mo | ⭐ 3.9 | ✓ Yes | Organizations needing open-source PM with strong privacy |
| Jira | ✓ Up to 10 users | $8.15/user/mo | ⭐ 4 | No | Large software development teams |
| Asana | ✓ Up to 10 users | $10.99/user/mo | ⭐ 4.3 | No | Mid-size teams managing complex projects |
| Plane | ✓ Free (self-hosted) | $4/user/mo | ⭐ 4.2 | ✓ Yes | Teams wanting open-source Jira alternative |
| Taiga | ✓ Free (self-hosted) | Free cloud | ⭐ 4 | ✓ Yes | Agile teams wanting a free, open-source solution |
| Wrike | ✓ Up to 5 users | $9.80/user/mo | ⭐ 4 | No | Enterprise teams with complex workflows |
Detailed Reviews of Each Alternative
Jira
Industry-standard issue and project tracking for software teams.
Jira by Atlassian is the most widely used project tracking tool for software development. With powerful features for agile development including Scrum and Kanban boards, sprint planning, and advanced reporting, Jira is the default choice for many engineering teams. While powerful, its complexity is often cited as a drawback.
Pros
- ✓ Industry standard
- ✓ Powerful for dev teams
- ✓ Deep customization
- ✓ Extensive marketplace
Cons
- ✗ Complex and overwhelming
- ✗ Slow performance
- ✗ Expensive at scale
- ✗ Steep learning curve
Asana
Work management platform for teams to organize, track, and manage work.
Asana is a leading work management platform that helps teams orchestrate their work, from daily tasks to strategic initiatives. Founded in 2008 by Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz, Asana has grown to serve over 100,000 organizations worldwide. The platform offers multiple project views including lists, boards, timelines, and calendars, making it versatile for different work styles and project types.
Pros
- ✓ Intuitive interface
- ✓ Powerful automation
- ✓ Great for cross-team projects
- ✓ Excellent mobile app
Cons
- ✗ Expensive for large teams
- ✗ Can be overwhelming for simple projects
- ✗ Limited free tier
- ✗ No built-in time tracking
Plane
Open-source project planning tool as an alternative to Jira.
Plane is an open-source project management tool that aims to be a simpler, more accessible alternative to Jira. It supports issues, cycles, modules, and pages, with a clean modern interface. Being open-source, teams can self-host it for complete data control.
Pros
- ✓ Open source
- ✓ Self-hostable
- ✓ Modern UI
- ✓ Active development
- ✓ Free to self-host
Cons
- ✗ Young product
- ✗ Fewer integrations
- ✗ Limited documentation
- ✗ Smaller community
Taiga
Free open-source project management for agile teams.
Taiga is a free, open-source project management platform for agile developers and designers. It supports Scrum and Kanban methodologies and offers a clean, intuitive interface that makes agile project management accessible.
Pros
- ✓ Completely free
- ✓ Open source
- ✓ Good agile support
- ✓ Self-hostable
Cons
- ✗ Limited integrations
- ✗ Smaller community
- ✗ Basic reporting
- ✗ Less polished UI
Wrike
Versatile work management platform for enterprise teams.
Wrike is an enterprise-grade project management platform that helps teams plan, manage, and complete work at scale. With features like cross-tagging, custom workflows, and advanced reporting, Wrike is designed for organizations that need robust project management capabilities.
Pros
- ✓ Enterprise-grade features
- ✓ Excellent reporting
- ✓ Strong security
- ✓ Good for large teams
Cons
- ✗ Complex setup
- ✗ Expensive
- ✗ Steep learning curve
- ✗ Outdated interface
🏆 Our Recommendations
❓ FAQ
What is the best free alternative to OpenProject?
The best free alternative to OpenProject is Jira, which offers Up to 10 users.
Is there an open-source alternative to OpenProject?
Yes! Plane, Taiga are open-source alternatives to OpenProject that you can self-host for free.
What is the cheapest alternative to OpenProject?
The cheapest alternatives are the free options: Jira, Asana, Plane. For paid alternatives, prices start from as low as $4/mo.
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