OpenProject vs Redmine
Both are free/open-source alternatives to Jira. Here's how they stack up — verified facts, no spin.
OpenProject
TOP PICKGPL-3.0 self-hosted project management with Gantt, agile boards, and portfolio features in the free Community Edition.
OpenProject is a mature, GPL-3.0 open-source project management platform developed by OpenProject GmbH in Germany. Its free, self-hosted Community Edition covers a broad feature set — work packages, Scrum and Kanban boards, Gantt-based scheduling, time tracking and cost reporting, wikis, and portfolio management — with unlimited users and projects. A separate Enterprise edition (cloud or on-premises) adds premium and security add-ons such as SSO and certain admin features under a paid subscription. It is a strong fit for teams that want a comprehensive, Jira-style tool they run and own themselves, particularly where EU data residency and GDPR alignment matter.
Redmine
GPL-2.0 veteran project management and issue tracker — lightweight, extensible, and runs on modest hardware.
Redmine is a long-established, GPL-2.0-or-later open-source project management and issue-tracking web application built on Ruby on Rails. It provides flexible issue tracking, role-based access control, Gantt charts and calendars, per-project wikis and forums, time tracking, custom fields, and integration with source-control systems, extended by a broad plugin ecosystem. It is fully self-hosted, database-agnostic, and light enough to run on modest hardware. Redmine is a solid choice for technical teams that want a stable, no-subscription tracker they fully control, and that don't mind a more utilitarian interface and some configuration to reach modern conveniences.
Side by side
| OpenProject | Redmine | |
|---|---|---|
| Sovereignty Score | 95 | 90 |
| Open source | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hostable | Yes | Yes |
| Local-first | Yes | Yes |
| License | GPL-3.0 (Community Edition); Enterprise add-ons under a separate commercial subscription | GPL-2.0-or-later |
| Pricing | Free to self-host (Community Edition, GPL-3.0); paid Enterprise cloud/on-premises tiers from about €5.95/user/month for premium and security add-ons | Free / self-host (GPL-2.0-or-later); costs are hosting, maintenance, and optional third-party support only |
OpenProject is Macrostack's recommended Jira alternative, so it's our pick here.
OpenProject
Strengths
- +GPL-3.0 Community Edition is genuinely open-source and free for unlimited users and projects
- +Broad, mature feature set including Gantt scheduling, agile boards, time tracking, cost reporting, and portfolio management
- +Fully self-hosted via Docker or native packages, so your project data stays on infrastructure you control
- +EU-based vendor with GDPR-aligned self-hosting; the GPL-3.0 license reduces the risk of a restrictive relicense
- +REST API and active, regular release cadence from a dedicated core team
Trade-offs
- −SSO/2FA and some advanced admin and security features are reserved for the paid Enterprise edition
- −Runs on a Ruby on Rails + PostgreSQL stack that needs a real server and ongoing maintenance, not a one-click app
- −You are responsible for backups, updates, database migrations, and SSL when self-hosting
- −Heavier to deploy and operate than lightweight tools, which can be more than a small team needs
Redmine
Strengths
- +Fully GPL-2.0-or-later open-source with no paid tier gating core features
- +Lightweight and cross-database; runs comfortably on modest hardware, including small VPS or homelab setups
- +Long track record, very stable, with a large plugin ecosystem and REST API
- +Self-hosted with your data in a standard SQL database you control
Trade-offs
- −Interface is more utilitarian and dated than Jira or the newer alternatives here
- −Advanced planning (e.g. richer agile boards, portfolio views) often depends on third-party plugins of varying quality
- −Release cadence is steady but slower than fast-moving projects like Plane
- −You handle installation, upgrades, backups, and plugin compatibility yourself
More Jira head-to-heads
Facts verified 2026-07-07. Licenses and pricing change — spotted something out of date? That's a correction we want.