Kaneo: The Free, Open Source Project Management Tool That Actually Stays Out of Your Way (2026 Guide)
Kaneo is a free, open source project management platform. Self-hosted, fast, clean interface, MCP server for AI agents. Jira and Linear alternative. One-click deploy, Docker, Kubernetes Helm chart. 7.9K stars.
Project management tools are bloated. Jira has so many fields, workflows, and notification settings that teams spend more time configuring the tool than doing work. Linear is fast but locked to their cloud, costs $8-14 per user per month, and has no self-hosting option. Notion is flexible but not a real project management tool. For small teams and indie developers who just want a kanban board that works, the options are either too complex or too expensive.
Kaneo is a free, open source project management platform built on the principle that less is more. Every feature exists because it solves a real problem, not because it looks impressive in a demo. Clean interface, self-hosted, actually fast, MCP server for AI agent integration, one-click deployment, Docker and Kubernetes support. 7,900+ stars on GitHub, 93 contributors.
In this guide, you'll learn what Kaneo is, who it's for, and how to deploy it in under five minutes.
What is Kaneo?
Kaneo is an open source project management platform that focuses on the essentials: projects, tasks, labels, and a kanban board. It was built by Andrej (andrejsshell) after years of using bloated, overcomplicated platforms that distracted from actual work.
The philosophy is simple: the best tools are invisible. They should amplify your team's natural workflow, not force you to adapt to theirs. Kaneo is built on the principle that less is more. Every feature exists because it solves a real problem, not because it looks impressive in a demo.
Kaneo is self-hosted, so your data stays yours. It is actually fast because the team cares about performance. It is open source with a permissive MIT license. And it includes an official MCP server so AI tools like Claude, Cursor, and other MCP clients can manage your tasks, projects, and labels directly.
Who is it for?
- Small teams and indie developers: Teams who want a kanban board without the overhead of Jira's workflow engine or Linear's per-seat pricing. If you just need to track tasks and move them across columns, Kaneo does exactly that.
- Privacy-conscious teams: Self-host on your own infrastructure. Your project data, task descriptions, and team conversations never leave your server. No cloud vendor has access.
- AI-powered teams: The built-in MCP server lets your AI agents (Claude Code, Cursor) create tasks, update statuses, manage labels, and query project state directly. Your AI agent can triage issues and create tickets autonomously.
- Homelab and self-hosting enthusiasts: Kaneo fits perfectly into a self-hosted stack alongside tools like CasaOS, Nextcloud, and Gitea. One Docker container, one PostgreSQL database, done.
What makes Kaneo different from Jira or Linear?
- Clean interface that focuses on your work, not the tool: No custom fields, no workflow schemes, no notification schemes, no permission schemes. Just projects, tasks, labels, and a kanban board.
- Self-hosted, your data stays yours: Deploy on Docker, Kubernetes (Helm chart included), or use the one-click drim installer. No cloud vendor lock-in, no per-seat pricing, no data leaving your infrastructure.
- Actually fast: The team cares about performance. The interface is responsive, the API is quick, and the Docker image is optimized. No 10-second page loads like some enterprise tools.
- MCP server built in: Every instance ships a built-in HTTP MCP endpoint at
/api/mcp. For stdio clients, there is the official@kaneo/mcppackage on npm. Your AI agents can manage tasks, projects, and labels directly through the Model Context Protocol. - One-click deployment: Use drim (Kaneo's CLI installer) for automatic HTTPS, database setup, and all services configured in one command. Or use Docker Compose for a simple two-container setup.
- Free and open source: MIT license. 7,900+ stars, 93 contributors, 125 releases. No subscription, no per-seat pricing, no feature gates.
What you need before you start
- Docker and Docker Compose: For the standard deployment (Kaneo container + PostgreSQL container).
- Or Kubernetes: For production deployments, a Helm chart is provided with TLS setup, production configuration, and scaling options.
- Or just curl: For the one-click drim installer, you only need curl and a Linux server.
Step-by-step installation
Option A: One-click deployment with drim (easiest)
curl -fsSL https://assets.kaneo.app/install.sh | sh
drim setup
That is it. Your Kaneo instance will be running with automatic HTTPS, database setup, and all services configured.
Option B: Docker Compose
Create a compose.yml file:
services:
postgres:
image: postgres:16-alpine
env_file:
- .env
ports:
- "5432:5432"
volumes:
- postgres_data:/var/lib/postgresql/data
restart: unless-stopped
healthcheck:
test: ["CMD-SHELL", "pg_isready -U kaneo -d kaneo"]
interval: 10s
timeout: 5s
retries: 5
kaneo:
image: ghcr.io/usekaneo/kaneo:latest
ports:
- "5173:5173"
env_file:
- .env
depends_on:
postgres:
condition: service_healthy
restart: unless-stopped
volumes:
postgres_data:
Copy .env.sample to .env, set your POSTGRES_PASSWORD and AUTH_SECRET:
cp .env.sample .env
# Edit .env:
# KANEO_CLIENT_URL=http://localhost:5173
# POSTGRES_PASSWORD=your_secure_password
# AUTH_SECRET=$(openssl rand -hex 32)
Start the containers:
docker compose up -d
Open http://localhost:5173 in your browser.
Option C: Connect your AI agent via MCP
Every Kaneo instance has a built-in MCP endpoint at /api/mcp. For stdio clients, install the npm package:
npx -y @kaneo/mcp
Add it to your Claude Code or Cursor MCP configuration, and your AI agent can now create tasks, update statuses, manage labels, and query project state directly.
Common errors and how to fix them
| Error | What it means | How to fix it |
|---|---|---|
| CORS errors in development | The API and web client are running on different ports and CORS is not configured. | Set KANEO_CLIENT_URL in your .env file to match the web client URL. See the Environment Setup Guide for detailed instructions. |
| Database connection failed | The Kaneo container cannot reach PostgreSQL. | In Docker Compose, the Kaneo container reaches PostgreSQL at the service hostname postgres. If running the API on your host, use localhost or set DATABASE_URL explicitly. |
| MCP server not responding | The MCP endpoint is not enabled or the agent configuration is wrong. | Ensure the Kaneo API is running. The MCP endpoint is at /api/mcp on your Kaneo instance URL. For stdio clients, ensure @kaneo/mcp is installed. |
| Port 5173 already in use | Another service is occupying the Kaneo web client port. | Change the port mapping in compose.yml (for example, "8080:5173") and update KANEO_CLIENT_URL accordingly. |
Kaneo vs Jira vs Linear
| Feature | Kaneo (open source) | Jira (commercial) | Linear (commercial) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free (MIT license) | Free for 10 users, then $7-14/user/month | $8-14/user/month |
| Self-hosting | Yes (Docker, Kubernetes) | No (cloud only, Data Center being deprecated) | No (cloud only) |
| Interface complexity | Minimal (projects, tasks, labels, kanban) | High (workflows, schemes, custom fields) | Medium (fast but opinionated) |
| MCP / AI agent integration | Built-in MCP server | No | No |
| Setup time | 1 minute (drim) or 5 minutes (Docker) | 30+ minutes (project setup, workflows, schemes) | 5 minutes (cloud signup) |
| Data ownership | 100% yours | Atlassian's servers | Linear's servers |
| Best for | Small teams who want a fast, clean, self-hosted kanban | Enterprise teams with complex workflow needs | Startups who want speed and cloud convenience |
Bottom line: Kaneo is the project management tool for teams who are tired of configuring Jira workflows and paying Linear per-seat fees. It does the essentials (projects, tasks, labels, kanban) exceptionally well, stays out of your way, and includes an MCP server so your AI agents can manage tasks directly. If you want a free, self-hosted, fast project management tool that you can deploy in one command, Kaneo is the best open source option available.
3 alternatives worth checking out
- Linear (linear.app): The fastest commercial project management tool. Linear is genuinely fast, has a beautiful interface, and excellent keyboard shortcuts. But it is cloud-only, costs $8-14 per user per month, and has no self-hosting option. If you want speed and do not mind cloud hosting, Linear is excellent. If you want self-hosting and free, Kaneo is your answer.
- Plane (github.com/makeplane/plane): Another open source project management tool that is more feature-rich than Kaneo. Plane includes cycles, modules, pages, and a more Jira-like feature set. If you need more than a kanban board (cycles, sprints, time tracking), Plane is the heavier open source alternative. If you want minimal, Kaneo is cleaner.
- Focalboard (github.com/mattermost/focalboard): An open source alternative to Trello and Notion boards, originally built by Mattermost. Focalboard is simpler than Kaneo (just boards and cards) and can be embedded in Mattermost. If you want a Trello replacement specifically, Focalboard is a good choice. If you want a full project management tool with MCP support, Kaneo is more capable.
Found this guide useful? Check out more free alternatives and open source projects on Sudo Scout.
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