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Self-hosting

A self-hosted Trello alternative with a wiki

The Kanroo core is open source under AGPL-3.0. Run it on your own server with Docker Compose, bring your Trello boards along, and keep boards and wiki pages on hardware you control. Without plan limits.

Self-host from GitHubStart free on Kanroo Cloud

Kanroo Cloud is the same core, run by us in the EU. Start for free, no card required.

Docker Compose

Start Kanroo on your server

One Docker Compose file starts Caddy, the app, a worker, PostgreSQL and the migrations. You need a server with Docker and an SMTP account.

  1. Get the code

    Clone the repository. The Compose file and its template live in deploy/. Create your configuration from the template.

    Terminal
    git clone https://github.com/kanrooHQ/kanroo.git
cd kanroo/deploy
cp .env.example .env

  2. Write your environment file

    Replace every random placeholder in .env with a secret. Then set the release image (KANROO_IMAGE), your domain (APP_DOMAIN), the sender address (MAIL_FROM) and SMTP. SMTP is required, because sign-in uses email codes.

    Terminal
    perl -pi -e 's/replace-with-a-random-\S+/qx(openssl rand -hex 32) =~ s|\s||gr/e' .env

  3. Start the stack

    Start PostgreSQL, set up its roles, run the migrations, then start the app, the worker and Caddy. Caddy gets the TLS certificate for your domain.

    Terminal
    docker compose up -d --wait postgres
sh postgres/provision.sh
docker compose run --rm kanroo-migrate
docker compose up -d

  4. Then open your domain and sign in with the code we email you.

What the core includes

Boards, views, the wiki, forms, public boards, imports, exports, search, the API and MCP. These server features come with the Enterprise Edition:

  • Not included: Live updates and presence
  • Not included: Single sign-on (SSO) with OIDC
  • Not included: Webhooks
  • Not included: Audit log
  • Not included: Web push notifications
  • Not included: Email Intakes and Reply by Email
Core and Enterprise Edition compared

Bring your Trello boards

  1. Export from Trello

    In Trello, export your board as a JSON file.

  2. Import into Kanroo

    On Kanroo’s board overview, choose Import (or press ShiftI) and pick the file. The import guide shows each screen.

  3. Check the preview

    See what arrives before anything is saved. Then start the import.

Lists, tasks, labels and checklists come across. Comments and attachments do not.

Why teams leave Trello

Other self-hosted Trello alternatives

Boards you can also run yourself, checked on October 13, 2026. We make Kanroo, so read this with that in mind. Some projects use a license that limits use; we call those source-available.

Self-hostable Kanban tools: license, maintenance status and best fit
ProjectLicenseMaintenanceBest fit
KanrooSources:GitHub (Kanroo)Pricing (Kanroo)AGPL-3.0 (Core; Enterprise Edition under a commercial license)OSI open sourceActiveActively developed, Cloud run in GermanyTeams that want Kanban with a built-in wiki and EU hosting
PLANKASources:GitHub (PLANKA)License (PLANKA)Pricing (PLANKA)PLANKA Community License (fair use)Source-availableActiveCompany-backedTeams that want a mature board with hosting in Germany
WeKanSources:GitHub (WeKan)WeKan Cloud (WeKan)MITOSI open sourceActiveFrequent releases, one lead maintainerSelf-hosters who need many importers and database choices
KanSources:GitHub (Kan)Pricing (Kan)AGPL-3.0OSI open sourceActiveSmall teamTeams that want a close Trello replacement with Trello import
KaneoSources:GitHub (Kaneo)Pricing (Kaneo)MITOSI open sourceActiveNear-daily releasesTeams that want Gantt, Git sync and free SSO when self-hosting
KanboardSources:GitHub (Kanboard)Website (Kanboard)MITOSI open sourceMaintenance modeSmall fixes only (README)Self-hosters who want a light PHP board with plugins
FocalboardSources:GitHub (Focalboard)Mattermost: Boards plugin in maintenance mode (Focalboard)AGPL-3.0 / MIT (source code / compiled versions, Mattermost dual license)OSI open sourceNot maintainedStated in the README; last commit June 2025Existing users only; plan a move
All open-source Kanban tools, with hosted offers and releases

Run it yourself, or let us run it.

Self-host the open-source core without plan limits. Or start on Kanroo Cloud, with updates, backups and monitoring handled by us.

Start freeSelf-host from GitHub