The PLANKA Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about PLANKA 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.
PLANKA
The Insider’s Guide
Self-hosted kanban boards with a free Community edition
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among project management tools, read from PLANKA’s own pages.
Made by PLANKA Software GmbH · 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 PLANKA’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on PLANKA’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
PLANKA is a kanban board tool from PLANKA Software GmbH in Germany, designed to run on your own server. The free Community edition covers projects, boards, lists and cards with real-time sync, and its source code is published under a Fair Use License. The paid Pro edition, self-hosted or hosted in Germany, adds worker and guest roles, single sign-on, templates, and calendar, timeline and map views.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about PLANKA, taken from its own pages and our grades.
Note that moving Community to Pro is one-way unless you kept a backup.
- 1
Best for kanban boards on your own server
PLANKA is a kanban board you run on your own server, with a free Community edition of boards, lists, cards and live updates.
- 2
Paid plans start at about $8.07 a month for each person
As its pricing page puts it: €7.20 per user / month, billed yearly (self-hosted Pro).
- 3
There is a free plan
Community edition: free to self-host under a Fair Use License, with boards, lists, cards, comments, attachments, real-time sync and 3 board views. There is no free hosted plan.
- 4
It runs on Web
Web.
- 5
Projects, boards, lists and cards
Cards are dragged between lists and hold Markdown descriptions, checklists with assignable tasks, labels, custom fields, due dates, attachments and a stopwatch.
- 6
Real-time sync
Changes reach every connected user over WebSockets without a page refresh. Pro adds live presence and collaborative editing of card descriptions.
- 7
Board views
The Community edition has 3 board views and Pro has 6, adding calendar, timeline and map views plus views across every board of a project.
- 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
Keep it
The plain part of PLANKA you could make: kanban boards, time tracking and templates. What surrounds it you could not. The 3 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
PLANKA at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from €7.20 per user / month, billed yearly (self-hosted Pro)
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- 30-day free trial of self-hosted Pro with 10 users and 50 guests, no credit card
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- PLANKA Software GmbH, since 2019
- Category
- Project Management
- Our grade
- 2.4 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for kanban boards on your own server
PLANKA is a kanban board you run on your own server, with a free Community edition of boards, lists, cards and live updates. Pro adds guest roles, single sign-on and calendar and map views from €7.20 a user. But there's no free hosted plan, hosted Pro needs 5 users and isn't sold to individuals, there are no phone apps, and upgrading from Community can't be undone.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | Self-hosted Pro is €7.20 per user a month billed yearly, €7.90 monthly, which is the middle of this category's prices for a tool where you still run the server. Having PLANKA host it in Germany is €8.50 with a 5-user minimum. The Community edition is the free way in. |
| Free plan and trial | B | The Community edition is free to self-host with boards, lists, cards, custom fields, a stopwatch, webhooks and a REST API. It's only free if someone can run a server, though, and there's no free hosted plan at all. |
| Features | C | Kanban only: cards with Markdown, checklists, labels, custom fields, due dates, attachments and a stopwatch, syncing live over WebSockets. That is the whole job it sets out to do, and a small one. Community gets 3 board views to Pro 6, and automated workflows are marked coming soon. |
| Ease of use | C | No store rating on record. Hosted Pro spares you the server but starts at 5 users and isn't sold to private individuals, and the free edition is yours to install and maintain. Note that moving Community to Pro is one-way unless you kept a backup. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Browser only, with no phone apps: the apps page lists just a community-built quick-add tool, and full phone and tablet support is itself a Pro feature. Both editions do include a REST API, webhooks for 50-plus events and notifications through 100-plus providers. |
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 PLANKA is for
- Fits if your project data has to stay on your own servers
- Works for organizations of 5 or more that want their boards hosted in Germany
Who it is not for
- Skip it if nobody on the team can run a server, because the free edition is self-hosted only
- Not for you if you're a team of two wanting it hosted, since hosted Pro has a 5-user minimum and isn't sold to private individuals
- Tight if you're staying free and want a calendar view, templates, guest access or single sign-on, which are all Pro
- Skip it if you work from a phone, as there are no phone apps and full phone and tablet support is a Pro feature
- Watch out: upgrading Community to Pro is one-way unless you kept a backup, and prices are euros before VAT
Good to know
Good for
- Teams that must keep project data on their own servers
- Organizations that want a kanban tool hosted in Germany
- Home labs and clubs, which the free Community edition is aimed at
Worth knowing
- The Community edition is source-available under a Fair Use License and has no single sign-on, guest roles, templates or calendar view.
- Hosted Pro has a 5-user minimum. Prices are in euros, exclude VAT, and are offered to organizations rather than private individuals.
- Moving a Community installation to Pro is one-way: the vendor says the only route back is a backup made before the upgrade.
- The apps page lists only a community-built quick-add app. PLANKA runs in the browser, and full phone and tablet support is a Pro feature.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
~$8.07
A month to start, for each person. There is a free plan too
PLANKA has a free plan. Paid plans start at €7.20 per user / month, billed yearly (self-hosted Pro).
The Community edition is the free way in.
Community
€0
Free self-hosted edition under a Fair Use License: boards, lists, cards, custom fields, a stopwatch, webhooks, a REST API and two-factor authentication.
Pro Self-Hosted
€7.20
per user / month, billed yearly (€7.90 billed monthly)
Minimum 1 user, 5 guests per user. Adds worker and guest roles, OIDC single sign-on, templates, calendar and map views, and support replies within 24 hours on business days.
Pro Hosted
€8.50
per user / month, billed yearly (€9.40 billed monthly)
Minimum 5 users. A dedicated instance hosted in Germany with 5 GB of pooled storage and 5 guests per user; 10 GB per user costs €1.60 more.
Enterprise
Custom
From 500 users hosted or 1,000 self-hosted. Custom licensing, SLA agreements, dedicated servers, custom development and an included installation service.
The free plan
Community edition: free to self-host under a Fair Use License, with boards, lists, cards, comments, attachments, real-time sync and 3 board views. There is no free hosted plan.
Trying it first
30-day free trial of self-hosted Pro with 10 users and 50 guests, no credit card
Read from planka.app on Oct 9, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Annual discount
Lower per-user price with yearly billing
Self-hosted Pro is €7.20 per user / month billed yearly against €7.90 billed monthly, and hosted Pro is €8.50 against €9.40: about 9% to 10% less.
Stated on planka.appOther savings
Lower per-user price from 250 users
The pricing calculator charges €5.80 per user / month billed yearly from 250 self-hosted users and €5.10 from 500. Hosted Pro drops to €7.60 from 250 users.
Stated on planka.app
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
Self-hosted kanban boards with a free Community edition. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: self-hostable, public API, real-time collaboration, templates, kanban boards, time tracking.
Kanban only: cards with Markdown, checklists, labels, custom fields, due dates, attachments and a stopwatch, syncing live over WebSockets.
- Projects, boards, lists and cards
- Cards are dragged between lists and hold Markdown descriptions, checklists with assignable tasks, labels, custom fields, due dates, attachments and a stopwatch.
- Real-time sync
- Changes reach every connected user over WebSockets without a page refresh. Pro adds live presence and collaborative editing of card descriptions.
- Board views
- The Community edition has 3 board views and Pro has 6, adding calendar, timeline and map views plus views across every board of a project.
- Worker and guest roles
- Pro adds workers, who can edit only the cards they are assigned, and read-only guests who see what is shared with them. Each Pro user includes a quota of 5 guests.
- Templates and recurring cards
- Board templates, card templates and recurring cards are part of Pro. The comparison table marks automated workflows as coming soon.
- REST API and webhooks
- Both editions include a documented REST API, personal API keys, webhooks for more than 50 events, and notifications through more than 100 providers.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- Trello
- Google Workspace
- Microsoft Entra ID
- Okta
PLANKA is made by PLANKA Software GmbH, and has been around since 2019.
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
PLANKA'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 about $8.07 a month for each person, against a middle price of $8 for the category: 39 of the 74 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. 24 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. PLANKA’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. PLANKA 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.
Keep it
The plain part of PLANKA you could make: kanban boards, time tracking and templates. What surrounds it you could not. The 3 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 38 of the 79 other project management tools grade higher. It costs $96.82 a year.
What you could make
- Kanban boards, time tracking and templates: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- Several people working in it at the same moment.
- It plugs into other products, Trello, Google Workspace and Microsoft Entra ID among them, and has an API.
- What a company asks for before it lets staff use something: single sign-on.
What this rests on. PLANKA’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, WeKan, Kanboard, Kan and Fizzy
The 5 tools PLANKA 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.
- PLANKA is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- PLANKA also covers templates and 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.
- WeKan is open source, according to its own site.
- PLANKA also covers templates and time tracking.
- 2.6GPA
Kanboard
Free
Free, self-hosted kanban board software under the MIT License.
- Kanboard is open source, according to its own site.
- PLANKA also covers templates.
- Kanboard also covers workflow automation and reports.
- 2.4GPA
Kan
Free plan · from $8/mo
Open-source kanban boards, built as an alternative to Trello.
- Kan is open source, according to its own site.
- PLANKA also covers time tracking.
- Kan also covers tasks.
- 3.0GPA
Fizzy
Free
Free kanban tracker for bugs, issues and ideas from 37signals.
- Only Fizzy lists iOS and Android apps.
- Fizzy is open source, according to its own site.
- PLANKA also covers templates and time tracking.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
16
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 PLANKA free?
PLANKA has a free plan. Community edition: free to self-host under a Fair Use License, with boards, lists, cards, comments, attachments, real-time sync and 3 board views.
How much does PLANKA cost?
PLANKA lists 4 plans. Community: €0.
What platforms does PLANKA work on?
PLANKA is available on Web.
Does PLANKA offer any discounts?
PLANKA publicly lists the following: Lower per-user price with yearly billing; Lower per-user price from 250 users.
Does PLANKA have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 9, 2026. PLANKA is listed for Web.
Does PLANKA have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 9, 2026. PLANKA is listed for Web.
Is PLANKA open source?
PLANKA is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 9, 2026.
Can PLANKA be self-hosted?
Yes. PLANKA's own site says it can be run on a server of your own.
Does PLANKA have an API?
Yes. PLANKA offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does PLANKA integrate with?
PLANKA's listing names Trello, Google Workspace, Microsoft Entra ID and Okta.
Does PLANKA have a free trial?
Yes. 30-day free trial of self-hosted Pro with 10 users and 50 guests, no credit card.
Who makes PLANKA?
PLANKA is made by PLANKA Software GmbH. It dates from 2019.
What are the alternatives to PLANKA?
The closest alternatives to PLANKA in our directory are Trello, WeKan, Kanboard, Kan and Fizzy.
How does PLANKA compare with other project management tools?
PLANKA's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 20 of the 79 other project management tools we grade, and level with 21.
Is PLANKA good value for money?
ToolGPA grades PLANKA C for value for money. Its paid plans start at about $8.07 a month for each person, against a middle price of $8 for the category: 39 of the 74 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of PLANKA?
The plain part of PLANKA you could make: kanban boards, time tracking and templates.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from PLANKA’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 PLANKA's own pages on 9 October 2026. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-05-06.
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 PLANKA Software GmbH. Prices change, so check planka.app 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
- PLANKA, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/planka
- 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, "PLANKA: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 9, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/planka
Know someone choosing between project management tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/planka/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded project management tools after PLANKA, 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 PLANKA’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. PLANKA is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by PLANKA Software GmbH. Prices and plans change: check planka.app before you buy.