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Wekan
MITWekan is an open-source, self-hosted alternative to Trello that gives teams unmetered kanban boards, swimlanes, and LDAP login on their own servers.
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Overview
Built on the Meteor full-stack framework with MongoDB, Wekan provides real-time collaborative kanban boards on self-hosted infrastructure. Originally started in 2014 as LibreBoard, the project has gathered over 21,000 GitHub stars and translations in over one hundred languages. It delivers visual card, list, and swimlane workflows without transmitting telemetry or task details to third-party cloud services.
Why Wekan instead of Trello
Trello relies on Atlassian's Power-Up marketplace to connect external tools, pairing boards with the Butler automation engine. Wekan approaches integrations through open protocols rather than a paid add-on directory. Instead of renting connector subscriptions, teams link Wekan via its REST API, board webhooks, and automation tools like n8n or IFTTT. Organizations running internal chat servers, private git repos, or local mail relays can stream board updates inside their firewall without exposing endpoints to public networks.
The operational divide centers on authentication and management effort. Trello charges per-seat subscription rates and requires Atlassian Guard for single sign-on, whereas Wekan includes LDAP, SAML, Keycloak, and OAuth2 support out of the box. Migrating from cloud boards is straightforward using Wekan's built-in Trello JSON importer, which brings over cards, checklists, labels, and attachments intact. However, setting up external calendar or CRM sync requires building custom webhooks or scripts, demanding technical effort that hosted SaaS platforms handle automatically.
What it does well
- Swimlanes and subtasks: Small teams can organize multi-phase client deliverables on a single board instead of splitting work across separate projects.
- Webhook dispatch: Operations leads can trigger event payloads into self-hosted n8n instances, internal scripts, or chat channels without action quotas.
- Directory integration: Administrators can link user logins to LDAP, Active Directory, SAML, or Keycloak without paying enterprise tier surcharges.
- Trello migration: Teams switching from cloud boards can import JSON archives directly, preserving cards, checklists, labels, and attachments.
- Custom fields: Project coordinators can track budgets, client codes, and billing milestones alongside visual color tags and deadlines.
- Data sovereignty: Organizations retain complete control over board content and files within a local MongoDB instance without telemetry leaks.
