Vikunja — Vikunja — an open-source, self-hostable to-do and project tool: lists, Kanban boards, Gantt charts, and table views over
What it is
Vikunja is an open-source, self-hostable to-do and project tool: lists, Kanban boards, Gantt charts, and table views over the same tasks, licensed AGPLv3 and free to run on your own server.
Editor's review
Long-form introduction by the BetterPicker editors · checked against the official site · Nov 2, 2026
Vikunja is an open-source, self-hostable to-do and project tool: lists, Kanban boards, Gantt charts, and table views over the same tasks, licensed AGPLv3 and free to run on your own server. Projects carry dates and milestones, user management comes with two-factor authentication, and data export is built in. If running a server sounds like a chore, a paid hosted option exists with the maintenance handled for you. It does not try to be a team chat or a wiki; it is tasks and projects, done thoroughly, and self-hosting roundups keep circling back to it for a reason. Reviewers who deploy it once tend to keep it, which is the quiet endorsement that matters. Reviewers who deploy it describe a familiar pattern: a few minutes with Docker and an external database, then a capable project tool that answers to nobody but you.
What it does well
Your data stays yours: self-hosting keeps tasks and projects on infrastructure you control, which is the entire reason this category exists. The AGPLv3 license means the code can be read and modified on known terms, and the developer sustains the project through the cloud tier, so the free path has a visible funding story.
Views for every working style: the same project renders as a list, a Kanban board, a Gantt timeline, or a table, so planning and doing can use different lenses without exporting anything. Switching views does not reorganize the data; the project is one object seen four ways.
It is a real project tool, not a toy: milestones, per-user permissions, 2FA, and export put it in the same functional conversation as commercial trackers. Deployment patterns are well documented: Docker with an external database is the reviewers' route, and Kubernetes charts exist for bigger setups.
Who it's for
Vikunja suits self-hosters, small teams with privacy requirements, and anyone who wants project management without a subscription or a data trail through someone else's cloud. Families and hobby groups get surprising value here; a shared board with per-user logins covers most household logistics.
Where it falls short
Self-hosting is the real cost: Docker, a database, updates, and backups are yours now, and reviewers show the setup rather than hide it. Budget an evening for the first deployment and a little more for the backup script.
The managed option is paid: the cloud tier exists precisely because maintenance has value, so the free path and the easy path are different paths. Compare the cloud price against your own time honestly; both are real costs.
You are the administrator: uptime, upgrades, and recovery belong to you, which is freedom on good weeks and homework on bad ones. If that trade loses its charm, the export button is the exit.
Specs at a glance
Facts from the official site · not editorial opinion
| License | AGPLv3, free to self-host |
|---|---|
| Views | List, Kanban, Gantt, and table |
| Install | Docker, native binaries, or hosted cloud |
| Projects | Dates, milestones, and permissions |
| Security | User management with 2FA |
| Data | Export included |
| Managed option | Vikunja Cloud, paid |
Frequently asked questions
▸Is Vikunja free?
Yes. It is AGPLv3 licensed and completely free to self-host; the paid product is the managed cloud.
▸Do I have to self-host?
No. Vikunja Cloud offers a managed instance with updates and backups handled for you.
▸How do I install it?
Docker is the common route, often with an external database; native binaries and a guided install wizard also exist.
▸Can I get my data out?
Yes. Data export is built in, which matters for anyone who has been locked in before.
Video reviews
8 review videos aggregated · praise and criticism included alike · click through to the original video
25 Self-Hosted Projects on GitHub: RefRef, Vikunja, Swing Music, Domain Watchdog, Glance, BookLore
Channels that covered it
Channels are aggregated as sources only — we don’t rate creators
Related tools
Where to go next
External links open in a new tab; external content is independent of this site.
Link down? Every object page is re-checked monthly.