← Back to home
Comparison · PM

Kanboard vs Plane

A side-by-side editorial comparison of Kanboard and Plane — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.

Shared themes:project-managementopen-source

Kanboard vs Plane: at a glance

FeatureKanboardPlane
SectorPMPM
Velocity score0.06.3
Sparks · 30d01
Top themesproject-management, security-hardening, open-source, self-hostedproject-management, jira-alternative, ai-authoring, mcp
Last editorial update1mo ago2d ago
WebsiteVisit →Visit →

What is Kanboard?

Kanboard is on a year-long security-hardening run, sweeping the codebase one attack class at a time.

Kanboard's last six releases read as a single sustained security audit: parameterized queries replacing raw SQL, SSRF protection for webhooks, LDAP injection escapes, timing-safe token comparisons, CSRF for project role changes, comment-visibility enforcement for unauthenticated users, and removal of unsafe deserialization paths (file cache driver, legacy serialized events). Feature work continues in parallel — RTL support, Arabic translation, sub-task counts, bulk tag operations — but is clearly secondary to the hardening arc.

Read the full Kanboard trajectory →

What is Plane?

Plane is bolting an AI layer and an app platform onto an enterprise-grade project tool.

Plane is an open-source project-management platform positioning against Jira, and its recent releases push on three fronts at once: AI authoring, an app and integration platform, and enterprise access control. The last stretch added AI content blocks in Pages, MCP app publishing, PQL querying in dashboards, and a redesigned permissions system with custom roles. The deepening Jira-import machinery underscores who Plane is trying to win over.

Read the full Plane trajectory →

Kanboard vs Plane: editorial side-by-side

K0.0

Kanboard is on a year-long security-hardening run, sweeping the codebase one attack class at a time.

◆ Current state

Kanboard's last six releases read as a single sustained security audit: parameterized queries replacing raw SQL, SSRF protection for webhooks, LDAP injection escapes, timing-safe token comparisons, CSRF for project role changes, comment-visibility enforcement for unauthenticated users, and removal of unsafe deserialization paths (file cache driver, legacy serialized events). Feature work continues in parallel — RTL support, Arabic translation, sub-task counts, bulk tag operations — but is clearly secondary to the hardening arc.

◆ Where it's heading

The team is methodically working through input surfaces (LDAP, headers, webhooks, file uploads, redirect targets) and output surfaces (comments, exports, API responses) to close authorization and injection gaps. This is mature-project hygiene, not pivot work — Kanboard is positioning itself as an audit-ready self-hostable kanban for organizations with security review checklists. PHP 8.1 is now the floor; the codebase is being modernized alongside the hardening.

◆ Prediction

Expect the security cadence to continue with one to two more releases focused on remaining trust boundaries, then a feature-weighted release picking up RTL/locale follow-ons and possibly the long-promised SQLite/Postgres parity work hinted at by recent Docker Compose additions.

Plane logo6.3

Plane is bolting an AI layer and an app platform onto an enterprise-grade project tool.

◆ Current state

Plane is an open-source project-management platform positioning against Jira, and its recent releases push on three fronts at once: AI authoring, an app and integration platform, and enterprise access control. The last stretch added AI content blocks in Pages, MCP app publishing, PQL querying in dashboards, and a redesigned permissions system with custom roles. The deepening Jira-import machinery underscores who Plane is trying to win over.

◆ Where it's heading

Plane is maturing along the classic enterprise checklist — granular permissions, custom roles, a Workspace Admin tier — while simultaneously opening up as a platform via MCP app publishing and a growing AI surface. The combination suggests Plane wants to be both the system of record and the place teams build on top of. The heavy investment in Jira migration signals the target customer is teams actively leaving Jira.

◆ Prediction

Expect the MCP app-publishing path and Plane AI to converge — AI features that act on work items through the same app and integration layer — alongside continued enterprise governance depth.

Alternatives to Kanboard and Plane

Other PM products tracked by Sparkpulse, ranked by recent ship velocity. Each card links to a full editorial trajectory and lets you pivot into a head-to-head comparison with either Kanboard or Plane.

See all Kanboard alternatives → · See all Plane alternatives →

Recent activity from Kanboard and Plane

Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.

  1. 12d agoPlaneAI Block in Pages | Jun 15, 2026
  2. 27d agoPlaneEpics become a work item type, publish MCP apps, and more | May 31, 2026
  3. 1mo agoPlaneEmbed media in the editor, PQL in Dashboards, and more | May 15, 2026
  4. 2mo agoPlaneCustom roles, granular access control, and a redesigned permissions system | Apr 25, 2026
  5. 2mo agoPlaneCustom roles, granular access control, and a redesigned permissions system | Apr 25, 2026
  6. 2mo agoPlaneGroup pages in Collections, view Initiatives as boards, and more
  7. 2mo agoKanboardKanboard 1.2.52
  8. 3mo agoKanboardKanboard 1.2.51
  9. 4mo agoKanboardKanboard 1.2.50
  10. 5mo agoKanboardKanboard 1.2.49
  11. 8mo agoKanboardKanboard 1.2.48
  12. 10mo agoKanboardKanboard 1.2.47

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Kanboard and Plane?

Both compete on the same themes — project-management, open-source — within PM. Plane is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 6.3 vs 0.0), with 1 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. See the at-a-glance table above for a side-by-side breakdown of velocity, recent sparks, and editorial themes.

Is Kanboard better than Plane?

Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. Plane is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 6.3 vs 0.0), with 1 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. For your specific use case, the alternatives sections above list other PM products to evaluate alongside.

What are the best alternatives to Kanboard?

Top Kanboard alternatives in PM are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Kanboard alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/kanboard for the full list with editorial commentary on each.

What are the best alternatives to Plane?

Top Plane alternatives in PM are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Plane alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/plane for the full list with editorial commentary on each.