Vikunja vs Kanboard: Task Management Compared

Quick Verdict

Want a full Todoist/Trello replacement with Gantt charts, CalDAV sync, and a modern UI? Choose Vikunja. Want a dead-simple Kanban board that runs on 50 MB RAM with zero frills? Choose Kanboard. They serve different audiences — Vikunja is a feature-rich task management platform, Kanboard is a minimalist board for people who find everything else too bloated.

Overview

Vikunja (v0.24.x) is a Go-based task management platform with a Vue.js frontend. Since v0.22, it ships as a single Docker container bundling the API and web UI. It supports four views (list, Kanban, Gantt, table), CalDAV sync for mobile apps, recurring tasks, reminders, file attachments, and team collaboration. SQLite by default, optionally PostgreSQL or MySQL.

Kanboard is a PHP-based Kanban board that prioritizes simplicity. Single container, SQLite or PostgreSQL, MIT license. It covers the basics — boards, columns, tasks, swimlanes, time tracking, Gantt charts, and a plugin system — without attempting to be a full project management suite. The UI is functional rather than polished.

Feature Comparison

Feature	Vikunja	Kanboard
Kanban boards	Yes	Yes
List view	Yes	No
Table view	Yes	No
Gantt chart	Yes	Yes (basic)
Calendar view	Yes	No (plugin available)
CalDAV sync	Yes (native)	No
Recurring tasks	Yes	Yes
Reminders	Yes (email + push)	Yes (email)
Due dates	Yes	Yes
Labels/tags	Yes	Yes (color categories)
Priorities	Yes (1-5 scale)	Yes
Assignees	Yes (multiple)	Yes (single)
File attachments	Yes	Yes
Subtasks	Yes (checklists)	Yes
Time tracking	No (planned)	Yes (built-in)
Swimlanes	No	Yes
Plugin system	No	Yes (70+ plugins)
API	Yes (REST + CalDAV)	Yes (REST + JSON-RPC)
Mobile apps	Via CalDAV (DAVx5, Apple Reminders)	None
Todoist import	Yes	No
Trello import	Yes	No
User management	Yes (admin panel)	Yes (admin panel)
LDAP	Yes	Yes
OAuth/SSO	Yes (OpenID Connect)	Yes (via plugin)
License	AGPL-3.0	MIT

Installation Complexity

Aspect	Vikunja	Kanboard
Docker containers	1 (single binary with SQLite)	1
External database	Optional (SQLite built-in)	Optional (SQLite built-in)
Setup time	5 minutes	5 minutes
Default port	3456	80
Config method	Environment variables / YAML	Environment variables
Pre-built images	Yes (vikunja/vikunja)	Yes (kanboard/kanboard)

Both are single-container deployments with SQLite defaults. Equally simple to set up:

Vikunja minimal:

services:
  vikunja:
    image: vikunja/vikunja:v2.1.0
    ports:
      - "3456:3456"
    volumes:
      - ./files:/app/vikunja/files
      - ./db:/db
    restart: unless-stopped

Kanboard minimal:

services:
  kanboard:
    image: kanboard/kanboard:v1.2.42
    ports:
      - "8080:80"
    volumes:
      - ./data:/var/www/app/data
      - ./plugins:/var/www/app/plugins
    restart: unless-stopped

Performance and Resource Usage

Metric	Vikunja	Kanboard
Idle RAM	~80 MB	~50 MB
CPU usage	Low	Minimal
Go binary size	~30 MB	N/A (PHP)
Disk footprint	Small	Tiny
Scales to	50+ users (with PostgreSQL)	20-30 users

Both are lightweight. Kanboard is marginally lighter due to PHP’s lower idle memory, but the difference is negligible on any modern VPS.

Community and Support

Aspect	Vikunja	Kanboard
GitHub stars	5,000+	9,000+
Release pace	Monthly	Every 2-3 months
Contributors	Core team + community	Primary maintainer + community
Documentation	Good (vikunja.io/docs)	Good (docs.kanboard.org)
Community	Matrix chat, forum	GitHub issues

Use Cases

Choose Vikunja If…

• You need multiple views (list, Kanban, Gantt, table)
• CalDAV sync with mobile apps is important
• You want to import from Todoist or Trello
• You prefer a modern, polished interface
• Multiple assignees per task matter
• You’re replacing Todoist, Microsoft To Do, or Trello

Choose Kanboard If…

• You want a no-frills Kanban board and nothing else
• Built-in time tracking is essential
• Swimlanes matter for your workflow
• You need a plugin ecosystem for customization
• You prefer the MIT license over AGPL
• Minimal resource usage is a priority

Final Verdict

For most self-hosters replacing a cloud task manager, Vikunja wins on flexibility — four views, CalDAV sync, import tools, and a modern UI cover more use cases. It’s what you want if you’re migrating from Todoist, Trello, or any SaaS task tool.

Kanboard wins on philosophy. It does Kanban well and deliberately doesn’t try to do more. The MIT license, plugin system, and time tracking make it a solid choice for teams that want a focused tool without feature creep. If swimlanes and time tracking are in your workflow, Kanboard has them and Vikunja doesn’t.

FAQ

Can I migrate between Vikunja and Kanboard?

Not directly. Vikunja supports Todoist and Trello import, and has a general JSON import. Kanboard has no import tools. You’d need to recreate boards manually or write a custom script.

Which handles more users?

Vikunja scales better — its Go backend and optional PostgreSQL support handle concurrent users more efficiently than Kanboard’s PHP with SQLite. For teams over 20 people, Vikunja with PostgreSQL is the safer choice.

Do either have mobile apps?

Vikunja syncs with any CalDAV client — DAVx5 on Android, Apple Reminders on iOS. Kanboard has no official mobile app and no CalDAV support; the web UI works on mobile browsers but isn’t optimized.

Related

• How to Self-Host Vikunja
• How to Self-Host Kanboard
• Vikunja vs Planka
• Vikunja vs Todoist
• Kanboard vs WeKan
• Self-Hosted Trello Alternatives
• Best Self-Hosted Task Management