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Leantime vs Focalboard

Side-by-side comparison of features, pricing, ratings, and alternatives.

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Leantime
LeantimeOpen-source project management for small teams and freelancers
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Focalboard
FocalboardOpen-source, self-hosted alternative to Trello, Asana, and Notion
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Overview
Description

Leantime is a lightweight, open-source project management platform designed to help small teams and freelancers plan, track, and deliver projects efficiently. It combines task management, time tracking, and collaboration tools in a single web‑based interface. Self‑hosted and free to use, Leantime integrates with popular services like GitHub and Slack, allowing teams to keep work organized without costly licenses. Its intuitive UI and extensive documentation make onboarding quick for any small group looking to streamline their workflow.

Focalboard is a project management and organization tool that allows users to create boards, lists, and cards to track their work. It's designed to be flexible and customizable, with features like drag-and-drop card movement and customizable workflows. Focalboard is built on top of the Mattermost platform, which means it integrates seamlessly with Mattermost's team messaging and collaboration features.

Pricing
Free
Free
Category
Project Management
Project Management
Best for
Small teams and freelancers
Development teams and organizations
Specifications
Spec source
AI-estimated
AI-estimated
deployment
Self-hosted
Self-hosted
open source
Yes
Yes
github stars
11,041
26,296+138%
api available
Yes
Yes
support options
Email, Documentation
Community support, Email support
key integrations
GitHub, Slack
Mattermost, GitHub, GitLab
primary language
PHP
TypeScript
Pros & Cons
Pros
  • Free and open-source, no licensing costs
  • Self‑hosted gives full data control
  • Integrates with GitHub and Slack for developer workflows
  • Simple UI suited for small teams
  • Highly customizable and flexible
  • Integrates well with Mattermost team messaging and collaboration platform
  • Self-hosted, so you have full control over your data
  • Open-source, so you can customize and extend the platform
Cons
  • Limited advanced reporting compared to paid tools
  • Requires own server or hosting setup
  • Community support only; no phone or live chat
  • Can be overwhelming for small teams or simple projects
  • Requires technical expertise to set up and customize
  • Limited mobile app support
Community & Metrics
Upvotes
0
1
User rating
Not enough data
Not enough data

More alternatives & similar tools

Alternatives to Leantime

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OpenProject
OpenProject

Free and open source project management software

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Kanboard
Kanboard

Free, self‑hosted Kanban board for small teams and individuals

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Focalboard
Focalboard

Open-source, self-hosted alternative to Trello, Asana, and Notion

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Wekan
Wekan

Open-source kanban board for small teams and freelancers

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Alternatives to Focalboard

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Trello
Trello

Simple, visual kanban boards for organizing anything.

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OpenProject
OpenProject

Free and open source project management software

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ClickUp
ClickUp

All-in-one work platform: tasks, docs, goals, and more.

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Monday.com
Monday.com

Visual work OS for teams and workflows.

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The Verdict

AI-generated from listing data

Both tools are free, open‑source, self‑hosted options, but Focalboard excels for development teams needing deep Mattermost integration and high customizability, while Leantime is better for small teams or freelancers wanting a simpler UI with built‑in time tracking and Slack notifications.

Key differences

  • •Focalboard integrates tightly with Mattermost; Leantime integrates with Slack.
  • •Leantime includes native time‑tracking and printable PDF reports; Focalboard does not.
  • •Focalboard is built in TypeScript and has a larger GitHub star count (26k vs 11k).
  • •Leantime offers built‑in issue tracking and road‑map/Gantt visualisation; Focalboard focuses on Kanban boards.
  • •Support channels differ: Focalboard offers community and email; Leantime offers email and documentation only.
DimensionWinner

Pricing & value

Both are free and open‑source, offering the same cost baseline.

Tie

Ease of use / learning curve

Leantime’s simple UI and built‑in time tracking make it easier for small teams; Focalboard can be overwhelming.

Leantime

Features & depth

Focalboard provides highly customizable workflows and extensive board flexibility, though lacks native time‑tracking.

Focalboard

Integrations & ecosystem

Focalboard integrates with Mattermost, GitHub, GitLab; Leantime only lists GitHub and Slack.

Focalboard

Collaboration

Focalboard’s @mentions, commenting, and Mattermost integration support richer team collaboration.

Focalboard

Scalability

Focalboard’s open‑source flexibility and larger community (26k stars) suggest better scalability for larger dev teams.

Focalboard

Support

Focalboard offers both community and email support; Leantime only community (email, docs).

Focalboard

Security & privacy

Both are self‑hosted, giving full data control; no differences specified.

Tie

Migration / lock‑in

Both are self‑hosted open‑source; migration effort not detailed.

Tie

Choose Leantime if…

Small teams or freelancers wanting simple UI, built‑in time tracking, and Slack notifications.

Choose Focalboard if…

Development teams needing deep Mattermost integration, extensive customization, and larger community support.

Common questions

Is there any cost to use either tool?

Both Focalboard and Leantime are free, open‑source products with no licensing fees.

Which tool is easier for a non‑technical small team to adopt?

Leantime is designed for small teams and freelancers with a simpler UI and built‑in time‑tracking, making adoption easier.

Do either of these provide native mobile apps?

Focalboard has limited mobile app support; Leantime’s mobile capabilities are not specified.