Open Source Jira Alternatives: Plane, OpenProject, Huly and More (2026)

The best open-source, self-hostable Jira alternatives compared: Plane, OpenProject, Huly, Vikunja and Taiga — features, licences, GitHub activity and who each one suits.

Short version: if Jira feels heavy or expensive, an open-source tracker can run on your own server for the cost of hosting. Plane is the modern default, OpenProject the most complete for formal project management. Stars and licences are from GitHub on 23 October 2026.

Open-source Jira alternatives by GitHub stars

The options

Tool	Best for	Licence	Stars
Plane	Modern issue tracking, Linear/Jira-style	AGPL-3.0	~61k
Huly	Tasks plus chat and docs in one	EPL-2.0	~28k
OpenProject	Classic + agile PM, Gantt, time tracking	GPL-3.0	~16.6k
Vikunja	Simple personal and small-team tasks	AGPL-3.0	~5.8k
Taiga	Scrum and Kanban for agile teams	MPL-2.0	~0.9k (backend)

Plane: the modern default

Plane pitches itself as an open-source alternative to Jira, Linear, Monday and ClickUp. It covers issues, cycles (sprints), modules and roadmaps with a fast, modern interface, and it is the most-starred project in this list by a distance. For software teams leaving Jira, start here.

OpenProject: for formal project management

OpenProject handles both classic and agile project management — work packages, Gantt charts, boards and time tracking. It suits organisations that need structured planning and reporting, not just a backlog. It has been developed for years and is actively maintained.

Huly: tracker, chat and docs together

Huly is an all-in-one platform positioned against Linear, Jira, Slack and Notion at once. If you want fewer tools rather than a better tracker, it is worth a pilot — though all-in-one tools trade depth in each area for breadth.

Vikunja and Taiga

Vikunja is a lightweight task manager — lists, Kanban, Gantt — that is easy to self-host and ideal for small teams. Taiga focuses on Scrum and Kanban for agile teams; check recent activity before committing, as its repositories move more slowly than the leaders.

Moving off Jira

Steps to migrate from Jira to an open-source tracker

Export from Jira as CSV or via its API.
Map fields — statuses, issue types and custom fields to the new tool.
Pilot one project before moving the rest.
Keep Jira read-only for a while as an archive.

Staying on Jira but want AI help with it? Our Jira MCP server guide connects it to Claude. Self-hosting team chat too? See self-hosted Slack alternatives and, for docs, open-source Notion alternatives.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best open-source alternative to Jira?+

Plane is the most popular open-source Jira alternative, with around 61,000 GitHub stars. It is licensed under AGPL-3.0, self-hostable, and covers issues, cycles, modules and roadmaps with a modern interface. Teams needing formal project management with Gantt charts and time tracking should also evaluate OpenProject, while teams wanting chat and documents in the same tool can pilot Huly.

Is Plane free to self-host?+

Plane's source code is open under the AGPL-3.0 licence, so you can self-host it on your own server without paying for software licences; your costs are hosting and maintenance. The project also offers a hosted cloud version and paid plans with additional features. Check which features you need are included in the self-hosted edition before migrating a large team from Jira.

Which open-source tool is closest to Jira?+

For software teams, Plane is closest in day-to-day use, with issues, sprints through cycles, and roadmaps. For organisations that use Jira alongside formal project planning, OpenProject is closer, because it adds work packages, Gantt charts and time tracking for classic as well as agile methods. The right choice depends on whether you use Jira mainly as a backlog or as a full project management system.

How do I migrate from Jira to an open-source tool?+

Export your issues from Jira as CSV or through its API, then map statuses, issue types and custom fields to the new tool's structure. Many tools, including Plane and OpenProject, offer import paths for Jira data. Migrate one project first as a pilot, fix any field mapping problems, then move the rest. Keep Jira read-only for a few months as an archive.

Is OpenProject better than Jira?+

It depends on how you work. OpenProject is open source under GPL-3.0 and self-hostable, and it handles both classic and agile project management with Gantt charts, boards and time tracking built in. That makes it strong for organisations with formal planning needs. Jira has a larger ecosystem of apps and integrations. If self-hosting, cost control and data ownership matter most, OpenProject is a serious alternative.