Kanboard vs Trac (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Kanboard grades higher than Trac: 2.6 against 2.2 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. They get the same grade on the free plan, 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 Trac if
- Fits if you want a plain ticket and wiki system on your own server
- Works for software teams already comfortable running their own tools
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want hosted software, as the project site offers no hosted service
- Too light for boards, sprints or Gantt charts, which its pages do not list
- Not for you if you want paid support, since help comes from lists and a wiki
- Skip it if you do not run servers, as you install and maintain it
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAKanboardGood | 2.2GPATracFair | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 to download, but it only works once you host it on your own server, so it is a C under the ladder. |
| 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. | ANothing to pay at all. The project site lists no paid edition. |
| 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. | CWiki, tickets, timeline, roadmap and source browser. No boards, sprints or Gantt on the project's pages. |
| 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 run it yourself, and support is mailing lists, IRC and the project wiki. |
| 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, linking to Subversion and Git. |
| Best for | a kanban board on your own server | a free wiki and issue tracker you host yourself |
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 Trac. 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. Trac 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 Trac 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 and time tracking.
- Trac also covers wiki and issue tracking.
In commonFree planWebOpen sourceSelf-hostableReports
At a glance
| Kanboard | Trac | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Edgewall Software |
| Price read from | kanboard.org | trac.edgewall.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.
Trac
- You install and run it yourself; the project site offers no hosted service.
- It has no boards, sprints or Gantt charts on the project's pages; it is a ticket and wiki system.
- Support comes from mailing lists, an IRC channel and the project wiki, not from a paid vendor.
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.
Trac
- Integrated wiki
- Wiki markup works in pages, ticket descriptions and commit messages, creating links between bugs, tasks, changesets, files and wiki pages.
- Ticket tracking
- Tickets record bugs and tasks, with convenient reporting facilities to list and filter them.
- Source browsing
- A repository interface works with Subversion and Git, or other version control systems through plugins.
- Timeline
- A chronological view shows current and past project events, which gives a quick overview of progress.
- Roadmap
- The roadmap lists upcoming milestones so the team can see what is planned next.
Plans
Kanboard
Kanboard$0
The complete application, installed on your own Linux, FreeBSD or Windows server with SQLite, MySQL, MariaDB or PostgreSQL.
Trac
Open source$0
Free to download and install yourself under the modified BSD license. No hosted edition is listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Kanboard or Trac?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Kanboard and Trac are free to use.
Which has a free plan, Kanboard or Trac?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Kanboard and Trac 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.