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Best Open-Source Jira Alternatives (2026)

13 self-hostable, open-source projects that replace Jira — without Atlassian licensing and complexity. Each is scored for how hard it is to self-host, with one-click deploy options where they exist.

Teams leave Jira when Atlassian's per-seat Cloud pricing scales painfully with headcount and the configuration overhead (workflows, schemes, permissions) starts costing more admin time than it saves. The 2024 deprecation of Server licensing also pushed self-hosters either to expensive Data Center tiers or out the door entirely.

Our picks at a glance

Easiest to self-host
Plane

Difficulty 3/5 with Docker Compose and Kubernetes paths, and it ships an official managed option if you want to skip ops entirely.

Most powerful
OpenProject

Enterprise-grade with Gantt, agile boards, and budgeting, covering more Jira-adjacent territory than the lighter trackers.

Most active
Plane

At ~50k stars it has by far the most momentum of any option here, well ahead of Huly's 26k.

Best managed option
Plane

Offers official managed hosting alongside self-host, so you get Jira-style SaaS convenience without per-seat lock-in.

Compare all 13 alternatives

ProjectDeployManagedLicense
Plane
Sponsored
TypeScript
52k ★
3/5
Moderate
Docker
Docker Compose
+2
AGPL-3.02 days agoRepo
Gitea
Go
56k ★
2/5
Easy
Docker
Docker Compose
+2
MIT2 days agoRepo
Gogs
Go
48k ★
2/5
Easy
Docker
Manual
MIT4 days agoRepo
Huly
TypeScript
26k ★
4/5
Involved
Docker
Docker Compose
+2
EPL-2.02 days agoRepo
OpenProject
Ruby
15k ★
3/5
Moderate
One-Click
Docker
+3
GPL-3.02 days agoRepo
gitbucket
Scala
9.4k ★
3/5
Moderate
Docker
Manual
Apache-2.05 days agoRepo
Redmine
Ruby
6k ★
4/5
Involved
Docker
Docker Compose
+1
GPL-2.03 days agoRepo
Octobox
Ruby
4.5k ★
3/5
Moderate
Docker
Docker Compose
+1
AGPL-3.04 days agoRepo
Ever Gauzy
Docker
3.7k ★
4/5
Involved
Docker
Docker Compose
+2
AGPL-3.02 days agoRepo
Peppermint
TypeScript
3.1k ★
3/5
Moderate
Docker
Docker Compose
+1
AGPL-3.09 months agoRepo
Review Board
Python
1.7k ★
4/5
Involved
Docker
Manual
MIT5 days agoRepo
ZenTao
PHP
1.6k ★
3/5
Moderate
Docker
Docker Compose
+1
AGPL-3.017 days agoRepo
Taiga
Python
563 ★
4/5
Involved
Docker
Docker Compose
+1
MPL-2.02 years agoRepo

What to look for: Match the workflow depth you actually use: if you rely on sprints, story points, and roadmaps, you need a real agile tool rather than a generic tracker, and you'll want a database (Postgres) you can back up. Check whether the project models per-issue custom fields and bulk operations, since those are the Jira features hardest to live without.

Head-to-head:Plane vs JiraGitea vs JiraGogs vs JiraHuly vs JiraOpenProject vs Jira

The alternatives, reviewed

  1. #1
    Plane
    Sponsored
    Self-host: Moderate

    Open-source issue tracking, sprints, and roadmaps - a Jira and Linear alternative

    52k TypeScript AGPL-3.0 2 days ago
    How it compares to Jira
    • Some advanced features (e.g. certain enterprise workflows, intake, advanced analytics) are gated behind the paid Pro/Enterprise tiers
    • Self-hosted community edition lags behind the cloud version on newer features
    • Automation rules are far less mature than Jira's
    • Mobile apps are less polished than Linear's
    RepoDetails & deploy →
  2. #2
    Gitea
    Self-host: Easy

    Painless self-hosted Git service with code review, CI/CD, and package registry

    56k Go MIT 2 days ago
    How it compares to Jira
    • Advanced Jira-style sprint planning, roadmaps, and velocity charts are absent
    • No native real-time pair-programming or live collaboration tools
    • Gitea Actions ecosystem is smaller than GitHub Actions; fewer third-party action integrations
    • Enterprise SSO (SAML, advanced LDAP group sync) requires extra configuration effort
    RepoDetails & deploy →
  3. #3
    Gogs
    Self-host: Easy

    Minimal painless self-hosted Git service written in Go

    48k Go MIT 4 days ago
    How it compares to Jira
    • No built-in CI/CD pipeline; relies on webhooks to external systems
    • Code review and pull-request functionality is basic compared to GitHub or Gitea
    • Plugin/extension ecosystem is very limited
    • Development pace is slower than Gitea; some features lag behind by years
    RepoDetails & deploy →
  4. #4
    Huly
    Self-host: Involved

    All-in-one project management, tracker, and team collaboration - a Linear/Jira alternative

    26k TypeScript EPL-2.0 2 days ago
    How it compares to Jira
    • Self-hosting the full multi-service architecture (MongoDB, MinIO, Elastic, transactors) is complex
    • Documentation for self-hosting is sparse relative to its breadth
    • Breadth over depth: individual modules are less mature than dedicated tools like Linear or Slack
    • Self-hosted edition trails the managed cloud on some features
    RepoDetails & deploy →
  5. #5
    OpenProject
    Self-host: Moderate

    Enterprise-grade open-source project management with Gantt, agile boards, and budgeting

    15k Ruby GPL-3.0 2 days ago
    How it compares to Jira
    • Many premium modules (team planner, baselines, SSO, custom fields beyond limits) require the paid Enterprise edition
    • UI feels heavier and less modern than Linear or Notion
    • Ruby/PostgreSQL stack is resource-hungry for small teams
    • No native mobile apps
    RepoDetails & deploy →
  6. #6
    gitbucket
    Self-host: Moderate

    GitHub-compatible self-hosted Git platform with easy install and high extensibility

    9.4k Scala Apache-2.0 5 days ago
    How it compares to Jira
    • No native CI/CD system; requires external integration
    • JVM runtime adds memory overhead compared to Go-based alternatives
    • Package/container registry is not built in
    • Advanced project management views (kanban, roadmaps) require plugins
    RepoDetails & deploy →
  7. #7
    Redmine
    Self-host: Involved

    Veteran open-source project management and issue tracking with Gantt and wiki

    6k Ruby GPL-2.0 3 days ago
    How it compares to Jira
    • Dated UI compared to modern tools like Linear or Jira
    • Many capabilities require third-party plugins of varying quality
    • Manual setup (Ruby, database, web server) is non-trivial
    • No official mobile apps or managed hosting
    RepoDetails & deploy →
  8. #8
    Octobox
    Self-host: Moderate

    Take back control of your GitHub notifications with a self-hosted inbox

    4.5k Ruby AGPL-3.0 4 days ago
    How it compares to Jira
    • Scoped exclusively to GitHub notifications; no GitLab or Bitbucket support
    • Not a full project management tool — no task creation, boards, or planning views
    • Requires a GitHub OAuth app setup; adding team members requires individual GitHub auth
    • Development activity has slowed; some GitHub API changes may not be promptly reflected
    RepoDetails & deploy →
  9. #9
    Ever Gauzy
    Self-host: Involved

    Open business management platform: ERP, CRM, HRM, ATS, and project management

    3.7k Docker AGPL-3.0 2 days ago
    How it compares to Jira
    • High setup complexity; the full stack requires multiple services and significant configuration
    • Documentation and onboarding guides are incomplete in areas
    • UI polish and UX refinement lag behind mature SaaS tools like Jira or Monday
    • Community and plugin ecosystem are small relative to the breadth of features promised
    RepoDetails & deploy →
  10. #10
    Peppermint
    Self-host: Moderate

    Open-source ticket management and helpdesk, a Zendesk/Jira alternative

    3.1k TypeScript AGPL-3.0 9 months ago
    How it compares to Jira
    • Younger project; feature set is narrower than mature incumbents
    • No native live chat or full omnichannel messaging
    • Limited automation, SLA, and reporting depth vs Zendesk
    • Smaller integration ecosystem and no official managed cloud
    RepoDetails & deploy →
  11. #11
    Review Board
    Self-host: Involved

    Extensible code review tool for teams and open-source projects

    1.7k Python MIT 5 days ago
    How it compares to Jira
    • No built-in issue/ticket tracker; must pair with a separate project-management tool
    • UI feels dated compared to GitHub PRs or modern code-review SaaS products
    • Limited built-in CI/CD pipeline integration vs. Jira's deep Atlassian ecosystem
    • Mobile experience is minimal
    RepoDetails & deploy →
  12. #12
    ZenTao
    Self-host: Moderate

    Open-source Agile/Scrum project management with built-in bug tracking

    1.6k PHP AGPL-3.0 17 days ago
    How it compares to Jira
    • UI/UX is noticeably less polished than Jira or Linear, with a steeper learning curve for Western users
    • English documentation is incomplete; the product is primarily Chinese-market focused
    • Integrations with third-party tools (Slack, GitHub, CI systems) are limited without the paid edition
    • Reporting and analytics are basic compared to Jira's advanced query language
    RepoDetails & deploy →
  13. #13
    Taiga
    Self-host: Involved

    Agile project management for cross-functional teams with Scrum and Kanban

    563 Python MPL-2.0 2 years ago
    How it compares to Jira
    • Self-hosting the full stack (Django backend, Angular frontend, events, async) is fairly involved
    • Newer rewrite has fewer features than the legacy taiga-back/front it replaces
    • Smaller community and slower releases than Plane or Jira
    • Limited reporting/dashboards compared to Jira
    RepoDetails & deploy →

The verdict

Plane is the default pick for most Jira refugees: highest momentum, a clean sprints-and-roadmaps model, and a managed tier if you don't want to run it. Reach for OpenProject instead when you need Gantt and budgeting, or Redmine if you want a battle-tested veteran.

Still deciding? Compare Plane vs Gitea side by side →

Jira alternatives — frequently asked questions

Is there a free open-source Jira alternative I can self-host?

Yes. Plane (AGPL-3.0), OpenProject (GPL-3.0), Redmine (GPL-2.0), Huly (EPL-2.0), and Taiga (MPL-2.0) are all free and self-hostable. Plane and Huly are the most Jira/Linear-like in feel.

Which Jira alternative is easiest to self-host?

Plane and OpenProject are both rated 3/5 difficulty. OpenProject even offers a One-Click deploy, while Plane has straightforward Docker Compose and Kubernetes paths. Redmine and Taiga are 4/5 and take more setup work.

Which has the most features for large or enterprise teams?

OpenProject is the most feature-complete here, with Gantt charts, agile boards, and budgeting built in. Huly is the strongest all-in-one if you also want chat and document collaboration in the same tool.

Can I get managed hosting instead of running it myself?

Yes for Plane, Huly, OpenProject, and Taiga, which all offer official managed/cloud options. Redmine and Peppermint are self-host only.

What's the best lightweight option if I just want tickets, not full agile?

Peppermint (3.3k stars, AGPL-3.0) focuses on ticket and helpdesk management as a Zendesk/Jira alternative, making it a good fit when you want issue intake without sprint ceremony.

Which alternative best supports Scrum and Kanban specifically?

Taiga is purpose-built for agile cross-functional teams with both Scrum and Kanban, and Plane covers sprints and roadmaps natively. Both map cleanly onto Jira-style agile workflows.

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