Open-source project management software compared: which tool fits which team
If your team wants to leave Jira or Asana and host the tool itself, choose OpenProject when you need a full project suite with a paid Enterprise path, choose Redmine when you want a classic GPL tracker with no paid edition, and choose Plane when you want a modern issue and agile tracker with a Community and Commercial split. Each choice carries a condition. OpenProject's Enterprise features, including SAML and OpenID Connect single sign-on, LDAP group sync and portfolio management, are the reason to pay. Redmine suits teams that will accept the cost of maintaining plugins, upgrades and hosting themselves. Plane's paid plans and its Jira importer depend on running the Commercial Edition, so the migration source and your appetite for that edition matter as much as the feature list.
Do not assume one license covers everything. OpenProject is GPL-3.0 and Redmine is GPL-2.0-or-later, but Plane's Community Edition is AGPL-3.0 while its Commercial and Airgapped editions are proprietary. Confirm the license of each edition you will actually deploy, and check with each vendor whether the open-source label applies to the exact build, plugins and add-ons on your shortlist. Ask your legal or procurement team to review the terms in writing before the pilot, not after the data is loaded.
Before you choose, run a short test with your own backlog. Confirm which edition holds the SSO and directory features you require, test the importer against a copy of your Jira or Asana export, and ask each vendor what a production install needs in databases, caches and object storage. The quote you get should separate one-time migration work from recurring hosting, upgrades and support, and it should name who performs each task, your staff or a partner.
Which project tool fits which scenario
This table maps five common scenarios to the platform that fits best, with the condition that makes each fit hold and the researched fact behind it. Read each row against your own constraints, since a fit that depends on a paid tier or a beta importer changes the cost and effort picture.
| Scenario | Best fit | Why, and the condition that holds it |
|---|---|---|
| A Jira Data Center team moving off the platform | OpenProject or Plane (Commercial Edition) | OpenProject's Jira Migrator reads Jira Data Center 10.x and 11.x, but it is in beta and documented for test setups only, so plan a rehearsal. Plane's Jira importer covers Jira Cloud, Server and Data Center on the self-hosted Commercial Edition. Confirm the exact source version with each vendor before you commit. |
| A team that needs SSO and LDAP group sync | OpenProject Enterprise | OpenProject lists SAML, OIDC, CAS, Kerberos and LDAP group synchronization as Enterprise features. On self-hosted Plane, SAML and OIDC start at Pro, while LDAP sits in Enterprise. Redmine supports multiple LDAP authentication sources but does not list group sync, so confirm it with the maintainers if group mapping is a hard requirement. |
| A no-fee classic tracker with Git integration | Redmine | Redmine is GPL-2.0-or-later with no paid edition, and includes Git, Subversion and Mercurial repository integration. The cost is the hosting, plugins, upgrades and internal staff who maintain it, and built-in importers for Jira are not tested or supported. |
| A small agile team running Scrum or Kanban | Plane Community or OpenProject Community | Plane Community is AGPL-3.0 and matches the Free cloud tier, suited to lightweight issue tracking. OpenProject Community includes agile boards and Gantt charts with community support. Choose Plane if a modern issue-first interface matters most, and OpenProject if you also need Gantt planning and dashboards. |
| An air-gapped environment | OpenProject (Docker or packages) or Plane Airgapped | OpenProject supports Docker, .deb and .rpm installs and Kubernetes with Helm, so it can be mirrored into an isolated network. Plane publishes an Airgapped edition that is proprietary and separate from Community. Confirm the update path and license terms for offline mirrors with each vendor before deployment. |
What the paid editions change for OpenProject and Plane
The paid edition question for OpenProject is mostly about identity and governance. The Community edition is free and includes work packages, Gantt charts, agile boards, time tracking and dashboards. Single sign-on through SAML, OpenID Connect, CAS, Kerberos or Okta, LDAP group synchronization, full baseline comparison, portfolio and resource management, and custom branding sit in the Enterprise plans. OpenProject prices Enterprise on-premises per named user per month: Basic at 5.95 euros and Professional at 10.95 euros with a 25-user minimum, Premium at 15.95 euros with a 100-user minimum, and Corporate on request for 250 or more users. If your directory-based access model depends on LDAP group sync or SSO, price that requirement first, because it decides the tier before feature lists do. Confirm current prices and terms directly with OpenProject, since these figures may change.
Plane works differently. Its self-hosted Community Edition is AGPL-3.0 and matches the feature set of the Free cloud tier. Moving to a paid plan means switching the install to the Commercial Edition, which is proprietary and uses a license key. Seats are counted by users holding paid roles, so the seat count depends on role assignments, not on total accounts. On self-hosted Plane, SAML and OIDC are available from Pro upward, while LDAP support and API-enabled audit logs are Enterprise features. Ask Plane how it counts seats for guests, viewers and service accounts, and plan a migration step from Community to Commercial as part of the rollout, not as an afterthought.
Redmine has no paid edition. It is GPL-2.0-or-later, so the software itself costs nothing to license, and its LDAP authentication is part of the core product. The recurring cost is therefore hosting, plugin selection and maintenance, plus the internal or contracted people who apply upgrades. Budget for plugin compatibility checks at each upgrade, since the upgrade procedure requires migrating third-party plugins. Whether you then need paid implementation or support is a separate decision, and any quote should list those items explicitly. Compare the total cost of the three options on the same basis: licenses or subscriptions, seats, hosting, implementation, and ongoing upkeep.
What each tool needs to run in your own infrastructure
OpenProject offers several install paths, and the choice shapes who does the work. Docker is the recommended method, while packaged installs cover 64-bit Linux through .deb and .rpm files, and Kubernetes with Helm charts supports horizontal scaling. The database must be PostgreSQL 16 or later, and the instance needs the pg_trgm, btree_gist and unaccent extensions enabled.
- Install method: Docker is recommended. Packaged installs support Ubuntu 22.04, Debian 12, CentOS or RHEL 9.x and SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15.
- Database: PostgreSQL 16 or later, with pg_trgm, btree_gist and unaccent. A platform or database team usually provisions and backs up this server.
- Sizing tiers: The sizing guide suggests 4 cores and 4 GB RAM for up to 200 users, 8 cores and 8 GB for about 500 users, and 16 cores and 16 GB for about 1,500 users.
- Scaling: Kubernetes with Helm charts is the documented route for horizontal scaling, which adds cluster skills to the team's load.
- Upgrades: Minor releases arrive roughly monthly, so assign someone to read release notes and schedule each update.
Confirm with your team which install path your platform group already operates, and ask DeployOpen or OpenProject how the database extensions are handled in your managed PostgreSQL service.
Redmine is a Ruby on Rails application, so the stack is the Ruby runtime, the Rails framework and one of its supported databases. Redmine 7.0 runs on Rails 8.1 and supports Ruby 3.2, 3.3, 3.4 and 4.0, but it does not support JRuby. Teams without Ruby experience usually need an outside engineer for installs, plugin work and upgrades, because nothing in the product manages these pieces for them.
- Runtime: Rails 8.1 on Ruby 3.2, 3.3, 3.4 or 4.0. Plugin compatibility with the chosen Ruby version must be checked before upgrades.
- Database: PostgreSQL, MySQL 8.0 to 8.4 with transaction isolation set to READ COMMITTED, SQL Server 2012 or higher, or SQLite. The installation guide says SQLite is not suited to multi-user production use.
- Upgrade procedure: Back up the database and uploaded files, copy configuration, uploads and third-party plugins to the new installation, then run db:migrate and redmine:plugins:migrate before clearing the cache and restarting.
- Supported lines: 7.0.x receives new features, bug fixes and security updates. 6.1.x gets only bug fixes and security updates, 6.0.x gets only important security fixes, and 5.1.x and older are unsupported.
- Ownership: The application team or an external partner usually owns plugin testing, while the platform team owns the database and backups.
Check which release line your security policy accepts, and whether each plugin you need is maintained for the Rails and Ruby versions you plan to run.
Plane runs as a set of services rather than a single application. A self-hosted deployment uses PostgreSQL, Redis or Valkey, RabbitMQ and S3-compatible object storage such as MinIO. Docker Compose suits small and mid-size teams, while Kubernetes with Helm is the documented route for high availability. Each dependency can be pointed at an external managed service, which moves some work to the cloud or database team.
- Install method: Docker Compose for small and mid-size teams. Kubernetes with Helm for high availability. Podman and air-gapped installs are also documented.
- Data services: PostgreSQL, Redis or Valkey, RabbitMQ and S3-compatible object storage. Each one needs backup, patching and monitoring.
- External services: The Helm chart can connect each dependency to a managed service, which reduces in-cluster operations but adds network and credential configuration.
- Edition for Kubernetes: The Kubernetes guide installs the Commercial Edition. The Free plan includes 12 seats and the Free feature set with no license key.
- Ownership: The platform team usually runs the cluster and data services, and an application owner handles configuration, seats and upgrades.
Ask Plane which edition and deployment method match your plan, and confirm the RabbitMQ and object storage sizing with your platform team before committing to a stack.
How hard is the move off Jira or Asana
Moving off Jira or Asana is less a single import than a set of separate decisions: which importer exists for your Jira version, what it cannot carry across, and what your people must relearn afterward. Confirm each importer with its vendor against your own Jira version before you plan the cutover.
OpenProject's Jira Migrator
The OpenProject Jira Migrator imports from Jira Data Center 10.x and 11.x, not Jira Cloud. It is still in beta, and the documentation advises using it only in test setups. For a Jira Cloud source, plan a manual or scripted export and treat the Migrator as a rehearsal tool, not a production cutover path. Ask OpenProject which Data Center version your instance runs and whether the Migrator covers the fields and workflows you depend on.
Plane's Jira importer
Plane's Jira importer is available on Plane Cloud and on all plans of the self-hosted Commercial Edition. It supports Jira Cloud as well as Jira Server and Data Center. Because it sits in the Commercial Edition, a self-hosted Community install must switch editions before the importer is available. Confirm with Plane which Jira deployment type and which issue fields, attachments and sprint data the importer carries across.
Redmine without a maintained importer
Redmine has no maintained Jira importer. Its built-in importers cover Trac and Mantis, and those are marked obsolete and not working. The third-party migration scripts listed for systems such as Jira are described as neither tested nor supported. Budget for a scripted export, a test migration against a copy of your data, and someone who can repair mapping errors in issue statuses, custom fields and attachments.
Asana as a source
No importer for Asana is supplied in the research for any of the three platforms. Asana projects, sections, custom fields and task dependencies usually need an export to CSV or JSON followed by a mapping step into each target's work package or issue model. Ask each vendor whether it offers an Asana path or a supported import format, and test with one representative project before committing to a full move.
Retraining users and rebuilding workflows
Imported data is rarely the largest cost. Status workflows, permission schemes, notification rules and reports built in Jira or Asana must be rebuilt in the new tool, and users must relearn views, shortcuts and board conventions. This effort is recurring in the sense that every new team onboarding repeats it. Ask any implementation partner to price workflow mapping, admin training and a parallel-run period as separate line items in the written scope.
Confirm version and scope early
Each importer depends on the exact source version, deployment type and data volume, so a single vendor claim is not enough. Record your Jira deployment type, version and plugins, plus your Asana plan and export options, before selecting a platform. Ask each vendor to state in writing which objects, attachments, history and user mappings its importer migrates, and which must be recreated by hand.
How to choose and pilot the right tool
This sequence turns a shortlist of OpenProject, Redmine and Plane into a documented decision, so that a production migration only starts once licensing, identity, data import, sizing and team fit have been tested against your own environment.
Confirm license and edition needs in writing
Start by listing the features you cannot work without, such as single sign-on, LDAP group sync, audit logs, portfolio views or Jira import, and map each one to the edition that includes it. OpenProject gates SSO, LDAP group sync and custom branding behind Enterprise, Plane places SAML and OIDC on Pro and above with LDAP and API audit logs on Enterprise, and Redmine has no paid edition at all. Ask each vendor, in writing, which edition includes each requirement, which license terms apply to your deployment model, and what the paid tier costs per user or seat. The step is complete when a signed-off matrix states which edition you would buy and why, and the procurement team holds the vendor's written answers.
List must-have identity and integration requirements
Document how users will sign in, which directory provides groups, and which tools the project data must connect to, such as source control, file storage, chat or an existing Jira instance. Redmine supports multiple LDAP authentication sources and SCM integration with Git, Subversion and Mercurial, while OpenProject documents a Nextcloud integration. Confirm each item against the current documentation for the version you plan to run, and note anything that depends on a paid edition or a plugin. The step closes with a requirements list that an identity engineer and a project lead have both reviewed, with each item marked as required, preferred or not needed.
Test the importer on a copy of real data
Take a sanitized copy of a representative project, including issues, custom fields, attachments and users, and run each candidate's import path against it in a non-production setup. OpenProject's Jira Migrator covers Jira Data Center 10.x and 11.x, not Jira Cloud, and its documentation advises test use only because the tool is in beta. Plane's Jira importer supports Jira Cloud as well as Server and Data Center on the Commercial Edition. Redmine's built-in importers for Trac and Mantis are marked obsolete, and the third-party scripts for systems such as Jira are described as neither tested nor supported. Record which fields survive, which are dropped, and how many manual fixes each import needs. The step is done when the team has a field-by-field loss report signed by the project lead.
Size the database and hosting from vendor guidance
Use each vendor's published requirements to build a hosting plan that your platform team can review. OpenProject supports PostgreSQL 16 or later and requires the pg_trgm, btree_gist and unaccent extensions, and its sizing guide lists 4 cores and 4 GB RAM for up to 200 users. Plane's self-hosted stack needs PostgreSQL, Redis or Valkey, RabbitMQ and S3-compatible storage, which means more components to back up and monitor. Redmine's installation guide says SQLite is not suited to multi-user production use. Ask the platform team to confirm the supported operating system, database versions and high availability design in the vendor documentation. The step closes with a hosting diagram and a list of components that your existing backup and monitoring tools must cover.
Run a pilot with two or three teams
Choose two or three teams with different working styles, for example one team running sprints, one running support-style boards and one tracking a fixed-scope delivery plan. Give each team the same realistic workflow to run for a fixed review period, and capture how they use Gantt views, agile boards, time tracking, wikis and notifications. Collect feedback on navigation, permissions, reporting and the number of workarounds needed. Confirm which features each team needed from the paid edition during the pilot so that the licensing matrix stays accurate. The step is complete when each team has returned a written assessment, and the project lead has a summary of gaps against the requirements list.
Test upgrades and recovery on the pilot
Before committing, rehearse an upgrade and a restore on the pilot instance. Redmine's upgrade guide calls for backing up the database and uploaded files, copying configuration, uploads and third-party plugins to the new installation, then running the migration tasks and restarting. OpenProject ships roughly monthly minor releases, so ask how often your team will apply them and who will test each one. Plane separates its Community and Commercial editions with distinct release cycles, so an edition change may itself require a migration. Your operations team should record the commands, the time each step took on the pilot host and any plugin breakage. The step closes with a tested runbook that the on-call team has reviewed.
Set a go or no-go decision with written scope
Bring the matrix, importer report, hosting plan, pilot assessments and upgrade runbook to a decision meeting with the CIO or head of IT, the security lead and the business sponsor. Define go criteria in advance, such as required edition features confirmed in writing, acceptable import loss, sign-in through the chosen identity provider and a successful restore test. If the decision is go, agree the migration scope, deliverables and acceptance tests in writing before any production work starts. If it is no-go, record the reasons so that the next candidate can be assessed against the same criteria. The step is done when a signed decision record and a written scope document exist, and no production migration begins without both.
Questions buyers ask before they hire help to deploy these tools
What drives the cost of self-hosting OpenProject, Redmine or Plane?
The license fee is zero for the Community or free editions of all three, so cost comes from hosting, implementation, people and any paid edition you choose. One-time costs include scoping, installation, data migration, identity and integration work, hardening and documentation. Recurring costs include servers and storage, backups, monitoring, upgrades, plugin maintenance, staff time and subscriptions. Paid tiers are priced per user. OpenProject Enterprise on-premises lists Basic at 5.95 euros and Professional at 10.95 euros per named user per month, with Professional requiring a 25-user minimum, and Premium at 15.95 euros with a 100-user minimum (OpenProject pricing). Plane's pricing page lists Pro at 6 to 8 US dollars and Business at 13 to 15 US dollars per user per month. Ask any quote to separate one-time and recurring lines and to state the user count it assumes.
Can our team run OpenProject or Plane without outside help?
A team with container, Linux and PostgreSQL experience can run either tool, but the work is ongoing, not a one-time install. OpenProject recommends Docker, offers packages for Ubuntu 22.04, Debian 12, RHEL 9 and SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15, and requires PostgreSQL 16 or later with the pg_trgm, btree_gist and unaccent extensions. Its sizing guide suggests 4 cores and 4 GB RAM for up to 200 users. Plane supports Docker Compose for small and mid-size teams and Kubernetes with Helm for high availability. A self-hosted Plane deployment also depends on PostgreSQL, Redis or Valkey, RabbitMQ and S3-compatible object storage. Confirm which person will handle patching, backups, restores, certificate renewal and version upgrades before you decide whether to run it in-house.
How long does a project management migration take, and what sets it?
The facts available to this page do not give a migration duration, so ask for one in writing rather than relying on a general estimate. The main drivers are the source system and version, the volume of attachments and history to move, how much field and workflow mapping is needed, the number of users and permission groups, and the integrations that must be rebuilt. Source support also matters. OpenProject's Jira Migrator imports from Jira Data Center 10.x and 11.x, not Jira Cloud, and its documentation says it is in beta and should be used only in test setups. Plane's Jira importer supports Jira Cloud as well as Jira Server and Data Center. Redmine's third-party migration scripts for Jira are described as neither tested nor supported. Ask for the importer version, a test migration and a parallel-run period in the scope.
Does Redmine's free license mean there is no support cost?
No. Redmine's GPL-2.0 license removes the license fee, but it does not remove the cost of running the software. Redmine has no paid edition, and its development is carried by community volunteers, so support depends on your own staff, a contracted partner or community channels. Recurring costs include hosting, plugin compatibility checks, upgrades, security patching and the time spent maintaining customizations. Support windows also matter. Redmine 7.0.x receives new features, bug fixes and security updates, 6.1.x receives bug fixes and security updates, 6.0.x receives only important security updates, and 5.1.x and older are unsupported. Budget for the staff who will keep a supported line in place, and ask any implementation partner to state what post-go-live support is included.
Which edition should we ask for in a quote?
Ask for the edition that matches the identity, reporting and portfolio features you need, and list those features in the quote request. For OpenProject, Community includes work packages, Gantt charts, agile boards, time tracking and dashboards with community support. SAML, OIDC, CAS, Kerberos and Okta single sign-on, LDAP group synchronization, full baseline comparison, portfolio and resource management and custom branding are Enterprise features. For Plane, the Community edition matches the Free cloud tier, and moving to a paid plan requires switching a self-hosted install to the Commercial Edition with a license key. On self-hosted Plane, SAML and OIDC start at Pro, while LDAP and API-enabled audit logs are Enterprise features. Quotes should state the seat count, which users hold paid roles and whether the edition is deployed on premises.
How do upgrades differ across Redmine release lines?
The upgrade procedure is the same across lines, but the support status and compatibility checks differ. Redmine 7.0 runs on Rails 8.1 and supports Ruby 3.2, 3.3, 3.4 and 4.0, and it does not support JRuby, so confirm your Ruby runtime before choosing a target. The upgrade guide calls for backing up the database and uploaded files, copying configuration, uploads and third-party plugins to the new installation, running db:migrate and redmine:plugins:migrate, clearing the cache and restarting. Plugins are often the step that fails, so test each one against the target line in a staging copy. A team on 6.0.x or older should plan the move to a supported line before a security gap opens. Ask the implementer to document rollback steps for each change.
Is an air-gapped install possible for each of these tools?
Plane is the only one of the three whose facts mention an air-gapped path directly. Plane documents air-gapped installs and offers an Airgapped edition, which is proprietary and built on its own codebase, so confirm which edition and license terms apply to your network. For OpenProject and Redmine, the facts available here do not confirm an air-gapped installation method. Confirm with each vendor how container images, OS packages, gems or plugins and updates reach an isolated network, and whether licensing or telemetry needs outbound access. Test the offline update path, not only the first install. DeployOpen deploys self-hosted platforms inside a client's own infrastructure, including air-gapped networks, so the feasibility check belongs in the written scope.
What does a fixed-scope implementation from DeployOpen cover?
A fixed-scope engagement covers the work agreed in writing before it starts, including scope, deliverables and timelines. DeployOpen plans, implements, customizes, integrates, hardens, backs up, upgrades, documents and supports self-hosted open-source platforms inside the client's own infrastructure, whether that is a cloud account, a data center or an air-gapped network. Typical written deliverables for a project tool include the chosen edition, the installation method, identity and LDAP or SSO integration, data migration scope, backup and restore procedures, and a runbook. Ongoing support, upgrades and continuous testing are available as retainers. DeployOpen does not publish a price list, so a quote follows from the written scope. DeployOpen prepares systems and evidence for compliance assessments but does not issue audit reports or certifications.
The three options in brief, with license
Each card covers one option, with its license terms and the condition under which it fits. Plane appears twice because its Community edition is AGPL-3.0 licensed, while its Commercial and Airgapped editions are proprietary and not OSI open source.
OpenProject under GPL-3.0
OpenProject is developed by OpenProject GmbH and licensed under GPL-3.0. Its free Community edition includes work packages, Gantt charts, agile boards and time tracking, with community support only. Fit condition: teams that need SSO, LDAP group sync or portfolio and resource management should plan for the Enterprise plan, because those features sit behind it. Watch-out: Enterprise on-premises pricing is per named user per month, so confirm your user count and minimums against the current pricing page before you size the deployment.
Redmine under GPL-2.0-or-later
Redmine is licensed under GPL-2.0-or-later, written in Ruby on Rails, and maintained by community volunteers with no paid edition. It suits teams that want a classic issue tracker with Gantt charts, per-project wikis, forums and Git, Subversion or Mercurial integration at no license cost. Watch-out: the total cost comes from hosting, plugins, upgrades and the people who maintain it. The built-in importers for Trac and Mantis are marked obsolete and not working, so confirm your migration path early.
Plane Community under AGPL-3.0
Plane Community Edition is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and matches the feature set of the Plane Cloud Free tier. It fits teams that want an open-source issue and project tracker with no license key and are ready to run PostgreSQL, Redis or Valkey, RabbitMQ and S3-compatible storage themselves. Watch-out: moving to a paid plan requires switching to the Commercial edition, which is a separate codebase with its own release cycle. Plan that path before you depend on paid features.
Plane Commercial and Airgapped
The Commercial and Airgapped editions of Plane are proprietary and not OSI open source, even though both are self-hosted. The Commercial edition unlocks paid plans through a license key and counts seats by users with paid roles, while the Airgapped edition is the option to evaluate for isolated networks. Watch-out: SAML and OIDC start at the Pro tier, LDAP and API-enabled audit logs are Enterprise features, and your vendor license terms, not the AGPL, govern these editions. Confirm install requirements with Plane before you commit.
When a neighboring tool fits better
If your main need is agile delivery rather than a general tracker, look at Taiga and Leantime before you commit. Taiga is covered in the sibling comparison of Scrum and agile tools, and Leantime is named there for teams without dedicated project managers. Neither is compared on this page, so confirm each one's license, editions and importers directly with its maintainers before you put it on the same shortlist as OpenProject, Redmine or Plane.
A project tool and a wiki or ITSM tool often need to be chosen together. Redmine ships per-project wikis and forums, but if your documentation needs structured page permissions or a larger knowledge base, read the separate wiki comparisons on this site, such as the self-hosted wiki software comparison. If your project work is driven by service requests, changes or a CMDB, the open-source ITSM comparison is the better next read. Decide early which system will be the record for tickets and which will hold requirements, because cross-links between a tracker and a wiki or ITSM tool are rarely automatic.
Treat each neighboring choice as its own evaluation. Ask each vendor or maintainer to confirm how a project tool, a helpdesk and a wiki would share identity through SSO or LDAP, who owns the integration work and what happens to links when records move. Those answers change the total effort more than the feature lists do, so put them in the written scope before you compare final quotes.
