Plane vs OpenProject: Open Source Project Management Compared
·OSSAlt Team
planeopenprojectproject managementcomparison
Plane vs OpenProject: Open Source Project Management Compared
Two of the best open source PM tools, built for completely different audiences. Plane is the modern, developer-focused tool that feels like Linear. OpenProject is the enterprise powerhouse with Gantt charts, budgets, and time tracking. Here's how to decide.
Quick Verdict
Choose Plane if you're a software team that values speed and modern UX. Choose OpenProject if you need traditional project management with Gantt charts, time tracking, and budgets.
The Comparison
| Feature | Plane | OpenProject |
|---|---|---|
| Feel | Linear / Jira (modern) | MS Project (traditional) |
| Stack | Next.js, Django, PostgreSQL | Ruby on Rails, Angular |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| GitHub stars | 30K+ | 10K+ |
| Views | Board, List, Table, Timeline, Spreadsheet | Board, List, Gantt, Calendar |
| Gantt charts | Basic timeline | ✅ Full (with dependencies) |
| Time tracking | Coming soon | ✅ Built-in |
| Budgets | ❌ | ✅ Built-in |
| Sprints/Cycles | ✅ Cycles | ✅ Versions |
| Modules | ✅ Feature grouping | ✅ Work packages |
| Wiki/Docs | ✅ Pages | ✅ Wiki |
| Git integration | GitHub, GitLab | GitHub, GitLab, SVN |
| Meeting management | ❌ | ✅ Agendas + minutes |
| Custom fields | ✅ | ✅ |
| API | REST | REST |
| LDAP/SSO | OIDC | LDAP, SAML, OIDC |
| Deploy | Docker | Docker, packages, DEB/RPM |
| RAM needed | 2-4 GB | 2-4 GB |
When to Choose Plane
- Software teams building products
- Teams that love Linear's UX but want self-hosted
- Startups and small companies
- Agile teams using cycles (sprints)
- Teams needing GitHub/GitLab PR linking
When to Choose OpenProject
- Cross-functional teams (not just engineering)
- Organizations needing Gantt charts with dependencies
- Projects with budgets and cost tracking
- Teams that track time against projects
- Regulated industries needing LDAP/SAML
- Construction, engineering, or traditional PM
The Bottom Line
They're not really competing — they serve different audiences. Plane is a modern issue tracker. OpenProject is a full project management suite. Pick the one that matches your workflow.
Compare Plane, OpenProject, and more on OSSAlt — detailed feature breakdowns and community health metrics.