Overview

OpenProject is web-based software for managing classic, agile, and hybrid projects. It is a strong fit for organizations that need structured planning and collaboration while retaining control over where the software runs. Its most compelling advantage is the combination of a capable free edition and self-managed deployment; paid plans are a tougher fit for small teams because of their minimum seat counts.

Key features

Project plans and Gantt charts give teams a timeline view of work, while agile boards support Scrum and Kanban organization and progress tracking. The Community edition also brings together work packages, meetings, calendars, a project overview, and time tracking. That breadth makes the free tier useful for coordinating day-to-day project work, not just maintaining a schedule.

OpenProject lists integrations with Nextcloud, OneDrive, SharePoint, GitHub, GitLab, and XWiki. Community-built options add Excel synchronization, Slack notifications, a Thunderbird add-on, and time-tracking plugins. The range covers familiar collaboration and development tools, though teams with a specialized workflow may need to verify that an integration suits it.

Organizations can choose self-managed on-premises installation or hosted Enterprise Cloud. DEB and RPM packages, Docker, Kubernetes, and Helm charts offer technical teams several deployment routes. Security provisions include two-factor authentication, LDAP sync, salted bcrypt password storage, and role-based access controls. For cloud deployments, OpenProject says data is encrypted in transit with TLS/HTTPS and at rest with AES-256, with continuous backups. Its stated GDPR and German BDSG compliance and firewall-based on-premises option make it relevant to organizations with data-sovereignty concerns.

Automation rules, guest access, and time tracking round out the offering. OpenProject is published under the GNU GPL v3, a meaningful advantage for organizations that prioritize open-source software.

Pricing

The Community plan costs 0.00 EUR per free, has no minimum user count, and includes Community features and Community support. It is the natural starting point for teams that can manage their own deployment and do not need paid Enterprise add-ons or support.

Basic costs 5.95 EUR per month, billed per user per month, with a 25-user minimum. It adds Basic Enterprise add-ons and email support, so its per-user entry price still means a substantial commitment for a small organization. Professional costs 10.95 EUR per month, billed per user per month, also with a 25-user minimum; it adds Professional Enterprise add-ons and phone support. That tier is better suited to organizations that value direct phone assistance enough to justify the higher rate.

Premium costs 15.95 EUR per month, billed per user per month, and requires at least 100 users. It includes Premium Enterprise add-ons, remote hands, and installation and upgrade assistance, making it aimed at larger organizations that want operational help as well as the software. Corporate has custom pricing and a 250-user minimum. OpenProject also offers a 14-day trial.

Platforms

OpenProject is available as a web service and through self-hosted and Linux deployments; an API is also supported. The mix favors organizations with technical capacity to run their own installation or a preference for hosted access, rather than readers looking for native mobile apps.

Who it's for

OpenProject suits organizations coordinating projects across planning and agile workflows, particularly those that value open source, data sovereignty, or collaboration in security-sensitive settings. Its self-managed options can help teams keep deployment behind their firewall. Small teams seeking paid support should weigh the 25-user minimum carefully; larger organizations are better positioned to use the paid tiers’ support and operational services.

Pros and cons

Pro: The no-minimum Community plan includes Gantt charts, agile boards, meetings, calendars, work packages, and time tracking, giving teams a broad free starting point.
Pro: Self-managed installation choices and hosted Enterprise Cloud let organizations balance infrastructure control against running the service themselves.
Pro: Security controls and stated cloud encryption address concerns that can rule out less deployment-flexible tools.
Con: Basic and Professional require 25 users, while Premium starts at 100; the published per-user prices can therefore imply a high entry commitment.
Con: Paid support and setup assistance are tied to higher tiers, and Community support is the only support included in the free plan.

Alternatives

Choose ClickUp if a free plan with unlimited members and tasks is more important than OpenProject’s self-managed deployment options. Asana is a better fit for one or two people managing personal projects, with a free Personal plan capped at two users. Linear may suit teams that want a free plan with unlimited members, two teams, and a 250-issue cap. Wrike is worth considering when an unlimited-user free plan is the priority, though it caps active tasks at 200 per account. YouTrack offers a free cloud plan for up to 10 users with 30 GB of storage, making it a clearer fit for a small team within those limits.

Smartsheet, Teamwork.com, and GanttPRO are other options to compare.

For category browsing, see IT Project Management Software, Agile Project Management Software, Issue Tracking Software, Game Project Management Software, Work Management Software, and Project Management Software.

Verdict

OpenProject is a strong choice for organizations that want project planning, agile tracking, and collaboration in open-source software they can host themselves or use in the cloud. The substantial Community plan and deployment control are its clearest reasons to choose it. Look elsewhere if you need a paid plan for a small team: the 25-user minimum on the first two paid tiers makes the upgrade a costly step for many.

	Barvas	OpenProject
Free plan	No	Yes
Free trial	No	Yes
Paid from	—	€5.95/mo
Open source	No	No
Platforms	Web	api, Linux, self-hosted, Web
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Free-plan user limit	1 users	—
Automation rules	—	Yes
Time tracking	—	Yes
Guest access	—	Yes
Native integrations	—	6 integrations

Barvas vs OpenProject

Barvas

OpenProject