OpenProject
The enterprise project suite; free in money, expensive in menus
Technical Profile & Specs
verified 2026-08-10
- Cost
- $0 / forever (Open Source)
- License
- GPL-3.0
- Hosting Model
- Local or hosted (your machine or their cloud)
- Platforms
- webself-hosteddocker to self-host
- Installation
- Hosted Enterprise Cloud signup, or Community Edition via Docker Compose/all-in-one Docker or supported Linux packages
- Operational Setup
- The free Community Edition needs a Linux server; the recommended Docker setup still requires persistent database/file volumes, a hostname, TLS, and mail configuration.
- Where Your Data Lives
- Self-hosted application data lives in PostgreSQL; uploaded attachments live on a persistent filesystem volume or configured S3-compatible object storage, while configuration and any linked repositories must be backed up separately. Cloud data lives in OpenProject's hosted infrastructure.
- The Catch / Trade-off
- OpenProject can model more formal project plans, but its denser interface and weaker no-code automation make ordinary team coordination slower than Asana.
Replaces 6 paid apps
up to $66.40/mo ($797/yr) in subscriptions
OpenProject FAQ
Common questions
Is OpenProject free and open source?+
OpenProject is an open-source tool licensed under GPL-3.0 that runs on local or hosted. The enterprise project suite; free in money, expensive in menus
What paid software does OpenProject replace?+
OpenProject serves as a free replacement for 6 paid SaaS applications: Asana, Basecamp, Jira, Linear, Shortcut, Wrike, saving up to $66.40/month ($797/year) in subscription bills.
How do you install and set up OpenProject?+
Installation: Hosted Enterprise Cloud signup, or Community Edition via Docker Compose/all-in-one Docker or supported Linux packages. Setup notes: The free Community Edition needs a Linux server; the recommended Docker setup still requires persistent database/file volumes, a hostname, TLS, and mail configuration.
What is the catch or trade-off with OpenProject?+
OpenProject can model more formal project plans, but its denser interface and weaker no-code automation make ordinary team coordination slower than Asana.