The Kan Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Kan in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Kan
The Insider’s Guide
Open-source kanban boards, built as an alternative to Trello
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among project management tools, read from Kan’s own pages.
Made by Open Engineering · checked Oct 9, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Kan’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Kan’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 9, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.4
GPA, above 20 of the 79 other project management tools we grade
Kan is an open-source kanban app positioned as an alternative to Trello. Boards hold lists and cards with labels, checklists, comments and an activity log, and existing Trello boards can be imported. The hosted cloud version is free for one user and charges per seat for teams, while the AGPL-licensed code can be self-hosted with Docker Compose at no charge.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Kan, taken from its own pages and our grades.
- 1
Best for a minimal, open-source Trello alternative
Kan is a kanban board built as an open-source alternative to Trello, with unlimited boards and cards and Trello import on the free plan.
- 2
Paid plans start at $8 a month for each person
As its pricing page puts it: $8 per user / month, billed yearly.
- 3
There is a free plan
Free cloud plan: 1 user with unlimited boards and cards, checklists, labels, board templates and Trello import. File uploads are capped at 10 MB and API access is limited.
- 4
It runs on Web
Web.
- 5
Kanban boards
Drag-and-drop boards made of lists and cards. Boards, lists and cards are unlimited on every plan, including the free one.
- 6
Card details
Cards carry labels, checklists and a comment thread, and an activity log records every change. Filters and search help find cards on a board.
- 7
Board visibility and templates
Each board has a visibility setting that controls who can view and edit it, and custom board templates can be saved for reuse.
- 8
A 2.4 GPA, above 20 of 79
That is against the other project management tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Your call
A project tool at its plainest is tasks on a board with an owner and a date.
Kan at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $8 per user / month, billed yearly
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- 14-day free trial on paid plans
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- Open Engineering
- Category
- Project Management
- Our grade
- 2.4 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for a minimal, open-source Trello alternative
Kan is a kanban board built as an open-source alternative to Trello, with unlimited boards and cards and Trello import on the free plan. But the free cloud plan is for one person, so a teammate means $8 a user a month or hosting it yourself. It runs in the browser only, has no dates, timeline or reporting, and caps free uploads at 10 MB.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | Teams is $8 a user a month billed yearly, $10 monthly, which is exactly the middle price in this category, for a tool that deliberately does less than the rest of it. The way round that is self-hosting, which the FAQ says costs nothing if you'll run it. |
| Free plan and trial | B | The free cloud plan gives one person unlimited boards and cards, checklists, labels, templates and Trello import. Add a teammate and you're paying: members, assignees and mentions are Teams-only, uploads stop at 10 MB and the API is limited. |
| Features | C | Kanban and nothing else: drag-and-drop lists and cards with labels, checklists, comments, filters, an activity log of every change and saved board templates. No dates to speak of, no timeline, no reporting. It does that smaller job fully. |
| Ease of use | C | No store rating on record. The cloud version opens in a browser and a board is a board, but you're still the one laying out lists and cards, and self-hosting means Docker Compose and PostgreSQL or a Railway template. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | It lives in the browser, with no mobile or desktop apps listed, so no phone app to glance at. It does connect, though: a REST API covering boards, lists, cards and workspaces, Trello import, and an MCP server so Claude Desktop can work your boards. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Kan is for
- Fits if you want a free kanban board just for yourself
- Works for teams leaving Trello that want to bring their boards along, or self-host open-source software
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you want a phone app, as Kan runs in the browser and lists no mobile or desktop apps
- Tight if you're staying free with a teammate, because the free cloud plan is for one user
- Too light for projects that need dates, a timeline or reports on top of boards, lists and cards
- Watch out: free uploads stop at 10 MB and API access is limited until Teams at $8 a user
- Pricey if you need single sign-on, an SLA or an account manager, which are Enterprise only at a custom price
Good to know
Good for
- Individuals who want a free, minimal kanban board
- Teams leaving Trello that want to bring their boards along
- Organizations that prefer to self-host open-source software
Worth knowing
- The free cloud plan is for one user; workspace members, assignees and mentions need Teams at $8 per user / month billed yearly.
- Free cloud workspaces are limited to 10 MB file uploads and limited API access.
- No mobile or desktop apps are listed; Kan runs in the browser.
- SAML SSO, an SLA and an account manager are Enterprise only.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$8
A month to start, for each person. There is a free plan too
Kan has a free plan. Paid plans start at $8 per user / month, billed yearly.
The way round that is self-hosting, which the FAQ says costs nothing if you'll run it.
Free
$0
1 user with unlimited boards and cards, checklists, labels and filters, board templates and Trello import. 10 MB file uploads.
Teams
$8
per user / month, billed yearly; $10 billed monthly
Adds workspace members, assignees, mentions with email notifications, invite links, a custom workspace URL, unlimited file uploads and full API access.
Enterprise
Custom
Adds SAML SSO, advanced admin controls, a dedicated account manager, a custom SLA and an on-premise deployment option.
The free plan
Free cloud plan: 1 user with unlimited boards and cards, checklists, labels, board templates and Trello import. File uploads are capped at 10 MB and API access is limited.
Trying it first
14-day free trial on paid plans
Read from kan.bn on Oct 9, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Annual discount
20% less with yearly billing
Teams costs $8 per user a month on yearly billing against $10 per user billed monthly, which works out to a 20% saving.
Stated on kan.bnOther savings
Free to self-host
Kan's FAQ says the software can be self-hosted on your own infrastructure free of charge; the paid cloud plans fund the project.
Stated on kan.bn
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Web
Open-source kanban boards, built as an alternative to Trello. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: open source, self-hostable, public API, templates, tasks, kanban boards.
No dates to speak of, no timeline, no reporting.
- Kanban boards
- Drag-and-drop boards made of lists and cards. Boards, lists and cards are unlimited on every plan, including the free one.
- Card details
- Cards carry labels, checklists and a comment thread, and an activity log records every change. Filters and search help find cards on a board.
- Board visibility and templates
- Each board has a visibility setting that controls who can view and edit it, and custom board templates can be saved for reuse.
- Trello import
- Existing Trello boards can be imported on every plan, following a step-by-step guide in the documentation.
- REST API and MCP server
- A REST API covers boards, lists, cards and workspaces. An MCP server lets AI clients such as Claude Desktop control boards; its hosted endpoint needs a paid workspace.
- Self-hosting
- The AGPL-3.0 code can be run on your own infrastructure with Docker Compose and PostgreSQL, or deployed from an official Railway template.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- Trello
- Claude Desktop
- Codex
Kan is made by Open Engineering.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
20/79
Other project management tools it is graded above
Kan's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 20 of the 79 other project management tools we grade, and level with 21.
It stands best on free plan and trial (B, above 53 of 79) and worst on features (C, above 1).
Its paid plans start at $8 a month for each person, against a middle price of $8 for the category: 35 of the 74 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. 22 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 80 project management tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Kan’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 16 of 79
- BFree plan and trialAbove 53 of 79
- CFeaturesAbove 1 of 79
- CEase of useAbove 2 of 79
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 6 of 79
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 78 project management tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Kan is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Your call
A project tool at its plainest is tasks on a board with an owner and a date.
You could make the core of Kan for yourself: kanban boards, tasks and templates. What you would give up is listed below. Whether that is worth the price is your call. It costs $96 a year. Kan is open source, so there is a third way: take its code and run it yourself.
What you could make
- Kanban boards, tasks and templates: an app builder makes these well.
- It runs in a browser, which is where something home-made would run too.
What you could not
- It is priced for each person, which means accounts and billing for a team.
- It plugs into other products, Trello, Claude Desktop and Codex among them, and has an API.
What this rests on. Kan’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Trello, PLANKA, WeKan, Kanboard and Fizzy
The 5 tools Kan is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.8GPA
Trello
Free plan · from $5/mo
Kanban boards with an inbox, planner and built-in automation.
- Only Trello lists macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps.
- Kan is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Kan also covers templates.
- 2.4GPA
PLANKA
Free plan · from €7.20/mo
Self-hosted kanban boards with a free Community edition.
- Kan is open source, according to its own site.
- Kan also covers tasks.
- PLANKA also covers time tracking.
- 3.2GPA
WeKan
Free plan · from €50/yr
Open-source kanban boards with swimlanes, self-hosted or hosted.
- Only WeKan lists Windows and Android apps.
- Kan also covers templates and tasks.
- WeKan also covers Gantt & timelines and workflow automation.
- 2.6GPA
Kanboard
Free
Free, self-hosted kanban board software under the MIT License.
- Kan also covers templates and tasks.
- Kanboard also covers workflow automation, time tracking and reports.
- 3.0GPA
Fizzy
Free
Free kanban tracker for bugs, issues and ideas from 37signals.
- Only Fizzy lists iOS and Android apps.
- Kan also covers templates and tasks.
- Fizzy also covers issue tracking.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
15
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Kan free?
Kan has a free plan. Free cloud plan: 1 user with unlimited boards and cards, checklists, labels, board templates and Trello import.
How much does Kan cost?
Kan lists 3 plans. Free: $0.
What platforms does Kan work on?
Kan is available on Web.
Does Kan offer any discounts?
Kan publicly lists the following: 20% less with yearly billing; Free to self-host.
Does Kan have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 9, 2026. Kan is listed for Web.
Does Kan have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 9, 2026. Kan is listed for Web.
Is Kan open source?
Yes. Kan is open source, according to its own site.
Does Kan have an API?
Yes. Kan offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does Kan integrate with?
Kan's listing names Trello, Claude Desktop and Codex. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Does Kan have a free trial?
Yes. 14-day free trial on paid plans.
Who makes Kan?
Kan is made by Open Engineering.
What are the alternatives to Kan?
The closest alternatives to Kan in our directory are Trello, PLANKA, WeKan, Kanboard and Fizzy.
How does Kan compare with other project management tools?
Kan's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 20 of the 79 other project management tools we grade, and level with 21.
Is Kan good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Kan C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $8 a month for each person, against a middle price of $8 for the category: 35 of the 74 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Kan?
A project tool at its plainest is tasks on a board with an owner and a date.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Kan’s own pages on Oct 9, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Kan's own pages on 9 October 2026. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-03-28.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Open Engineering. Prices change, so check kan.bn before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Kan, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/kan
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Kan: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 9, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/kan
Know someone choosing between project management tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/kan/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded project management tools after Kan, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Project Management Insider's GuideEvery one of the 80 project management tools we grade, compared
- GitHub Issues Insider's GuideIssue tracking and project planning built into GitHub3.4 GPA
- Freedcamp Insider's GuideProject management suite with a free plan for unlimited users3.2 GPA
- Huly Insider's GuideOpen-source project management with chat, docs and video calls3.2 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Kan’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Kan is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Open Engineering. Prices and plans change: check kan.bn before you buy.