Wekan Review (2026): Pricing, Features & Honest Verdict

TLDR

Wekan is a feature-rich, open-source Kanban board with 19K+ GitHub stars and enterprise touches like LDAP and swimlanes. Best for: small to mid-size teams wanting a self-hosted Trello replacement. Price: Free (open source). Rating: 7.4/10

What is Wekan?

Wekan is one of the oldest and most established open-source Kanban board projects. Originally launched as LibreBoard back in 2014, it has grown into a full-featured project management tool with over 19,000 GitHub stars. It gives you boards, lists, cards, swimlanes, checklists, and a REST API, all running on your own server.

The project positions itself as the “open-source Trello alternative,” and it delivers on that promise with a feature set that actually exceeds Trello in some areas. Swimlanes, WIP limits, custom fields, and LDAP authentication are all included out of the box, features that cost money on commercial platforms.

Key Features

Kanban Boards with Swimlanes

Wekan goes beyond basic Kanban with horizontal swimlanes that let you create parallel workflows on a single board. This is genuinely useful for separating work by team, priority, or project phase. Cards support descriptions, checklists, due dates, labels, members, attachments, and comments.

REST API

Wekan includes a comprehensive REST API that lets you programmatically create boards, lists, cards, and manage users. This opens up automation possibilities and integration with other tools in your stack. The API documentation is thorough and actively maintained.

LDAP and Authentication

For teams with existing directory services, Wekan supports LDAP authentication out of the box. It also supports OAuth2 and OIDC, making it easy to integrate with corporate single sign-on systems. This is a significant advantage for organizations with security requirements.

Custom Fields

You can add custom fields to cards, extending the basic Kanban model to track whatever metadata matters to your workflow. Text fields, number fields, date fields, and dropdown selectors are all supported.

Multi-Platform Deployment

Wekan runs on virtually anything. Docker, Snap, Sandstorm, or manual installation on Linux. The Snap package makes updates automatic, which is a nice convenience for smaller teams without dedicated DevOps.

Pricing

Wekan is completely free and open source under the MIT license. There are no paid plans, no user limits, and no feature gates. Commercial support is available from the maintainer for organizations that need it, but the software itself costs nothing.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Extremely feature-rich for a free tool, including swimlanes and WIP limits
• LDAP and OAuth2 support makes enterprise adoption straightforward
• REST API enables automation and custom integrations
• 19K+ GitHub stars and 10+ years of development history
• Multiple deployment options including Snap for easy updates

Cons

• UI feels dated compared to modern tools like Planka or Trello
• Can be resource-heavy, especially with many concurrent users
• Documentation is extensive but sometimes disorganized
• Single maintainer model raises long-term sustainability questions

Who Should Use Wekan?

Wekan is a strong fit for small to mid-size teams (5-30 people) that need more than basic Kanban. If your workflow benefits from swimlanes, WIP limits, or custom fields, Wekan delivers those without any cost. Teams with LDAP or SSO requirements will appreciate the built-in authentication options.

If visual polish matters to your team, or if you want a tool that feels effortless on day one, Wekan might frustrate you. The learning curve is steeper than Trello or Planka, and the interface shows its age in places. But for power users who prioritize features over aesthetics, it is one of the most capable free options available.

Alternatives

Trello

Trello is the benchmark for Kanban simplicity. Its free tier covers basic needs, and the paid plans ($5-17.50/user/month) add Power-Ups and advanced features. Trello wins on polish and ecosystem, but Wekan wins on self-hosting, privacy, and advanced features like swimlanes at zero cost.

Planka

Planka is a newer open-source Kanban tool with a much cleaner UI and real-time collaboration. It has fewer features than Wekan (no swimlanes, no API, no LDAP) but offers a more pleasant daily experience. Choose Planka for simplicity, Wekan for power.

Focalboard

Focalboard by Mattermost provides multiple views (board, table, calendar) and integrates with the Mattermost chat platform. It is more versatile than pure Kanban tools but requires more setup. Good if you already use Mattermost, otherwise Wekan offers more Kanban-specific depth.

Verdict

Wekan is the Swiss Army knife of open-source Kanban boards. It packs more features than most paid tools, and the LDAP support and REST API make it viable for professional environments. The dated UI and steeper learning curve hold it back from a higher score, but the sheer capability per dollar (zero dollars) is impressive. If you need power over polish, Wekan delivers.

FAQ

Is Wekan still actively maintained?

Yes. Wekan receives regular updates and the main maintainer is active on GitHub. The project has been continuously developed since 2014, making it one of the longest-running open-source Kanban tools.

How does Wekan compare to Trello?

Wekan offers more built-in features (swimlanes, WIP limits, custom fields, LDAP) but lacks Trello polish, mobile apps, and Power-Up ecosystem. Wekan is free and self-hosted; Trello is cloud-based with paid tiers.

Can I migrate from Trello to Wekan?

Yes. Wekan supports importing Trello boards via JSON export. Export your Trello board, then import it into Wekan through the board settings menu.

What are the server requirements?

Wekan needs at least 1GB RAM for small teams. For 20+ concurrent users, 2-4GB RAM is recommended. It runs on MongoDB, so disk I/O performance matters for larger installations.

Does Wekan support multiple languages?

Yes. Wekan is translated into 50+ languages via community contributions. The interface language can be set per user.