OpenProject vs Taiga
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.
Taiga
Open-source agile project management with clean Scrum and Kanban boards, self-hostable and free.
Taiga is an open-source project management platform focused on agile teams, with Scrum and Kanban boards, backlogs, sprints, epics, issue tracking, and a per-project wiki behind a clean, approachable interface. It is built as a Django/PostgreSQL backend with a separate frontend and is fully self-hostable via Docker, with importers from Jira, Trello, Asana, and others. Note the licensing split: the frontend was relicensed to AGPL-3.0 in 2024 while the backend remains MPL-2.0 — both OSI-approved open-source licenses. Taiga fits teams that want a visually pleasant, agile-first tool they can run themselves without per-seat cost.
Side by side
| OpenProject | Taiga | |
|---|---|---|
| Sovereignty Score | 95 | 88 |
| 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 | AGPL-3.0 (frontend, relicensed 2024); MPL-2.0 (backend) — both OSI-approved |
| 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 (open-source); optional paid hosted cloud plans available from Taiga |
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
Taiga
Strengths
- +Fully open-source (AGPL-3.0 frontend, MPL-2.0 backend) and free to self-host with unlimited users and projects
- +Clean, agile-first UI with Scrum and Kanban boards, backlogs, sprints, epics, and issue tracking
- +Self-hosted with your data in a PostgreSQL database you control; REST API for integration
- +Importers from Jira, Trello, Asana, and others help with migration
Trade-offs
- −Multi-service stack (Django, PostgreSQL, Redis, RabbitMQ, Celery) makes self-hosting operationally involved
- −Native SSO options are limited and some setups need plugins or extra configuration
- −Development cadence is steady rather than fast-moving
- −The split frontend/backend licensing is worth understanding if you plan to modify and redistribute it
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.