Focalboard vs WeKan: Which Kanban Board to Self-Host?
Quick Verdict
WeKan is the practical choice for self-hosted Kanban boards in 2026. Focalboard was a promising Notion-like tool, but Mattermost stopped actively developing it in June 2024. WeKan remains under active development with monthly releases, a richer feature set, and long-term viability. Unless you specifically need Focalboard’s multi-view layout, choose WeKan.
Overview
Focalboard started as Mattermost’s answer to Notion and Trello — a project management tool offering Kanban, table, calendar, and gallery views from a single interface. It runs on minimal resources (50 MB RAM with SQLite) and has a clean UI. The problem: Mattermost effectively abandoned standalone Focalboard development in mid-2024, folding its features into the Mattermost Boards product. The open-source standalone version still works but receives no new features.
WeKan has been the longest-running open-source Kanban board since 2015. Built on Meteor.js with MongoDB, it offers swimlanes, WIP limits, calendar views, card checklists, and import support for Trello, Jira, and CSV data. It consumes more resources than Focalboard but compensates with active development — the v8.x series receives weekly patches.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Focalboard | WeKan |
|---|---|---|
| Board Views | Kanban, Table, Calendar, Gallery | Kanban, Calendar, List |
| Swimlanes | No | Yes |
| WIP Limits | No | Yes |
| Card Templates | Yes | Yes |
| Subtasks/Checklists | Yes | Yes |
| File Attachments | Yes | Yes |
| Custom Fields | Yes (property types) | Yes |
| Trello Import | Via JSON | Direct JSON import |
| Jira Import | No | Yes |
| REST API | Yes | Yes |
| LDAP/SSO | Yes (via Mattermost) | Yes (standalone LDAP) |
| Development Status | Maintenance only (since June 2024) | Active (weekly updates) |
| Docker Image | mattermost/focalboard:7.11.4 | ghcr.io/wekan/wekan:v8.35 |
Installation Complexity
Focalboard is the simpler setup. A single container with embedded SQLite handles everything — no external database required. Add PostgreSQL only if you need multi-user concurrency. Configuration lives in environment variables. Two containers at most.
WeKan requires MongoDB as a mandatory dependency. The Docker Compose file always has at least two containers (WeKan + MongoDB). Configuration uses environment variables with dozens of options (ROOT_URL, MAIL_URL, and the MongoDB connection string being essential). More moving parts, but well-documented.
| Setup Aspect | Focalboard | WeKan |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Containers | 1 (SQLite) | 2 (app + MongoDB) |
| Database | SQLite or PostgreSQL | MongoDB (required) |
| Config Method | Environment variables | Environment variables |
| First-Run Setup | Immediate (registration page) | Immediate (registration page) |
| Time to First Board | 3-5 min | 5-10 min |
Performance and Resource Usage
| Resource | Focalboard | WeKan |
|---|---|---|
| RAM (idle, SQLite) | ~50 MB | N/A (MongoDB required) |
| RAM (idle, with DB) | ~120 MB | ~500 MB (app + MongoDB) |
| RAM (10 active users) | 200 MB | 800 MB - 1 GB |
| CPU (minimum) | 1 core | 1 core |
| CPU (recommended) | 1 core | 2 cores |
| Disk (application) | 200 MB | 2 GB |
Focalboard is dramatically lighter. Its Go binary with SQLite runs comfortably on a 512 MB VPS. WeKan’s Meteor.js framework plus MongoDB means 500 MB as a baseline, with memory growing as boards and cards accumulate. For resource-constrained environments, Focalboard has a clear edge — if you accept its unmaintained status.
Community and Support
| Metric | Focalboard | WeKan |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub Stars | ~22k | ~19k |
| License | AGPL-3.0 (standalone) | MIT |
| Active Development | No (maintenance since June 2024) | Yes (weekly releases) |
| Last Major Release | v7.11.4 (Sept 2023) | v8.35 (March 2026) |
| Commercial Backing | Mattermost (shifted focus) | Community-driven |
| Mobile Apps | Mattermost app (if integrated) | Responsive web |
Focalboard’s high star count is misleading — it reflects peak interest, not current activity. The standalone version’s GitHub issues accumulate without resolution. WeKan has fewer stars but steady community contribution and a maintainer (xet7) who pushes updates consistently.
Use Cases
Choose Focalboard If…
- You need the lightest possible Kanban tool (50 MB RAM with SQLite)
- You already use Mattermost and want integrated boards
- You need Notion-style multi-view layouts (table, calendar, gallery alongside Kanban)
- You accept that no new features are coming and the current feature set is sufficient
- You’re running on extremely constrained hardware (Raspberry Pi, 512 MB VPS)
Choose WeKan If…
- You want an actively maintained project with long-term viability
- You need swimlanes and WIP limits for structured Kanban workflows
- You need to import existing boards from Trello or Jira
- You run a team that needs LDAP authentication
- You want MIT licensing (more permissive than Focalboard’s AGPL)
- You need ongoing security patches and bug fixes
Final Verdict
If [your priority is] long-term reliability and active maintenance, WeKan is the right tool. Focalboard is technically lighter and has a slicker multi-view UI, but software that isn’t maintained is software that will eventually break — with an unpatched security vulnerability, an incompatible Docker update, or a database migration that nobody writes.
WeKan’s resource overhead is real (500 MB+ vs 50 MB), but on any modern VPS this is negligible. The MIT license, Trello/Jira import, swimlanes, and weekly updates make it the responsible choice.
For the narrowest use case — a single user who needs a personal task board on a Raspberry Pi — Focalboard still works fine today. For anything involving a team, go with WeKan or consider Planka for an even simpler Trello-style experience.
FAQ
Is Focalboard completely dead?
Not dead — the Docker image still works and the application is functional. But Mattermost stopped active standalone development in June 2024, folding Focalboard’s features into Mattermost Boards. No new features, and community PRs are rarely merged.
Can I migrate from Focalboard to WeKan?
There’s no direct migration tool. You’d need to export Focalboard data (JSON or CSV via the API) and import into WeKan. The data models differ significantly, so expect manual cleanup.
Which is better for Scrum workflows?
Neither is ideal for full Scrum. For sprints, story points, and burndown charts, consider Taiga. Both Focalboard and WeKan are Kanban-focused tools.
Does WeKan support multiple boards per user?
Yes. WeKan supports unlimited boards organized by teams, with per-board member permissions and role-based access control.
Related
Get self-hosting tips in your inbox
Get the Docker Compose configs, hardware picks, and setup shortcuts we don't put in articles. Weekly. No spam.
Comments