Kanboard vs MantisBT (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Kanboard grades higher than MantisBT: 2.6 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 9, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Kanboard grades higher on value for money and the free plan. They get the same grade on features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Which one is for you
Pick Kanboard if
- Fits if you want a kanban board on a server you control and can maintain it
- Works for organizations that sign in through LDAP, Active Directory or OAuth2
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you don't want to run a server, as there's no hosted version and it needs PHP 8.1, a web server and a database
- Not for you if you want new features, because the project is in maintenance mode with only small fixes
- Too light for anyone working from a phone, since there's no official mobile app and the board isn't practical on small screens
- Watch out: Gantt charts, a calendar and Slack or GitHub links come from plugins the project doesn't review
Pick MantisBT if
- Fits if your team can host its own server and wants a free issue tracker
- Works for teams that only track issues
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want a hosted version: that is MantisHub, a separate paid service by a different team
- Too light for project planning, as the site mentions no boards, sprints or Gantt
- Watch out: on the 1.3 legacy line only security fixes are made
- Tight if you need support: nothing on the page offers a support plan
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAKanboardGood | 2.0GPAMantisBTFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree and open source under the MIT License, where the cheapest quarter of this category starts at $5.10 a user a month. There's no paid plan at all, just a request that companies using it donate. The bill is a server and your own time. | CFree under the GPL, but only if you host it yourself, which needs a server. |
| Free plan and trial | AFree outright: the complete application, nothing held back, no seats counted. There's no hosted version to be upsold from, so free here means download it and run it on your own Linux, FreeBSD or Windows server. | BFree to download with no caps, no trial and no account. You supply the server. |
| Features | CThe board has columns with WIP limits, Markdown tasks, subtasks with time estimates, a query language for search, automatic actions, a subtask timer and per-project cumulative flow and burndown charts. But that's a deliberately small job, Gantt and calendar need plugins, and the project is in maintenance mode. | CEmail notifications, per-project access, custom fields and workflow, add-ons. It does issue tracking fully, but that is a smaller job than project management. |
| Ease of use | DYou host it yourself: PHP 8.1 or later, a web server and a database, then the upkeep. There's no hosted version to fall back on. Fine if you already run servers, a wall if you don't. | DYou install and maintain it yourself, and the 1.3 legacy line only gets security fixes. |
| Platforms and integrations | CA web app on your own server and nothing else. There's no official mobile app, and the docs admit the board isn't practical on small screens. There's an API, but Slack, GitHub and the rest arrive as separately installed plugins the project doesn't review. | CWeb only, with add-ons but no integrations list. |
| Best for | a kanban board on your own server | tracking issues on your own server |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Kanboard and MantisBT. How we grade
Price against what you get
Kanboard has no paid plan and scores 1.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. MantisBT has no paid plan and scores 1.7.
On this chart the two sit in the same place: the same score for the same starting price. Of the other project management tools on the chart, none scores higher than Kanboard for less, and none scores higher than MantisBT for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Kanboard also covers kanban boards, workflow automation, time tracking and reports.
- MantisBT also covers issue tracking.
In commonFree planWebOpen sourceSelf-hostable
At a glance
| Kanboard | MantisBT | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Free and open source under the MIT License. The software is downloaded and run on your own server; the site lists no hosted version and no paid plan, and asks companies that use it for donations. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Frédéric Guillot and contributors | MantisBT Team |
| Price read from | kanboard.org | mantisbt.org |
| Checked | Oct 9, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Kanboard
- There is no hosted version: you install and maintain it yourself, which needs PHP 8.1 or later, a web server and a database.
- The project is in maintenance mode; the main developer makes only small fixes, and releases depend on community contributions.
- There is no official mobile app. The web interface is responsive, but the docs say the board is not practical on small screens.
- Gantt charts, a calendar and Slack or GitHub connections come from separately installed plugins, which the project does not review.
MantisBT
- You install and maintain it yourself; the download page offers a stable 2.x release and a legacy 1.3 line that gets security fixes only.
- The project site describes issue tracking only, with no mention of boards, sprints or Gantt charts.
- Hosted MantisBT is a separate paid service, MantisHub, run by a different team; its prices are not on the MantisBT site.
Key features
Kanboard
- Kanban board with WIP limits
- Tasks are dragged between columns that can be added, renamed or removed at any time. A column that goes over its task limit is highlighted.
- Tasks and subtasks
- Tasks are described in Markdown and carry comments, attachments, a category, a color, an assignee and a due date. Subtasks hold time or complexity estimates.
- Search and filters
- A query language finds tasks by assignee, description, category or due date, and custom filters can be applied to the board.
- Automatic actions
- Per-project rules react to events such as a task moving to a column, then close the task or change its assignee, color or category.
- Time tracking
- Tasks and subtasks record estimated and spent hours. A subtask timer logs the time between status changes and adds it to the task's total.
- Project analytics
- Each project has a cumulative flow diagram, a burndown chart based on story points, and reports on average lead and cycle time.
MantisBT
- Email notifications
- Team members and clients are notified by email when an issue is updated, resolved or commented on.
- Per-project access control
- Role-based access is set per project, so each user sees and changes only the projects they are given.
- Customizable fields and workflow
- Issue fields, notifications and the workflow can be adjusted to fit how a team handles its issues.
- Add-ons
- The project site lists add-ons that extend the core tracker with extra behavior.
Plans
Kanboard
Kanboard$0
The complete application, installed on your own Linux, FreeBSD or Windows server with SQLite, MySQL, MariaDB or PostgreSQL.
MantisBT
Open source$0
Free to download and run on your own server under the GNU General Public License.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Kanboard or MantisBT?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Kanboard and MantisBT are free to use.
Which has a free plan, Kanboard or MantisBT?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Kanboard and MantisBT have a free plan.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.