The 7 Best WeKan Alternatives for Smarter Project Management

Searching high and low, I'm determined to find that top-notch project management system. I've tried countless apps, read all the big-name books, and even dabbled in a few productivity hacks. But let's be real - most of them didn't make a lick of difference. That is, until I discovered the best WeKan alternatives.

These game-changing tools have revolutionized the way I work. Here we are exploring top-notch functions that feel natural to use while bringing me closer than ever to my teammates. And the best part? You don't need to be a tech wizard to use them.

What is WeKan and What Does It Do?

WeKan is a web-based, open-source project management tool that helps teams organize, track, and collaborate on their tasks and projects using the Kanban methodology. Kanban, a popular project management approach, focuses on visualizing work, limiting work-in-progress, and optimizing workflow efficiency. If you're looking at Wekan vs. Other tools, you need to know your preferred software features. 

At its core, WeKan provides users with a digital Kanban board that consists of lists and cards. Each list represents a stage in the workflow, such as "To Do," "Doing," and "Done." Cards, which represent individual tasks, can be added to these lists and moved from one list to another as work progresses.

Key features of WeKan include:

Multiple Boards: Users can create separate boards for different projects or teams, allowing for better organization and focus.

Customizable Lists: Lists can be added, renamed, and color-coded to suit the specific needs of a project or team.

Detailed Cards: Each card can contain a title, description, due date, labels, attachments, checklists, and comments, providing a comprehensive view of the task at hand.

Drag-and-Drop Interface: Cards can be easily moved between lists using a simple drag-and-drop action, making it intuitive to update the status of tasks.

Collaboration Tools: Team members can comment on cards, mention other users, and receive notifications, fostering communication and collaboration within the project.

Visual Metrics: WeKan offers visual metrics such as the number of cards in each list, helping teams identify bottlenecks and optimize their workflow.

By using WeKan, teams can:

• Visualize their workflow and easily track the progress of tasks
• Improve communication and collaboration among team members
• Identify and resolve bottlenecks in their process
• Customize their project management system to fit their unique needs
• Access their projects from anywhere with an internet connection

Whether you're managing a software development project, planning a marketing campaign, or organizing personal tasks, WeKan provides a flexible and user-friendly platform to help you stay organized and productive.

Top Wekan Alternatives for Project Management in 2024

If you're on the hunt for a WeKan alternative, you're in the right place. As someone who's been around the block a time or two when it comes to project management tools, I know firsthand how important it is to find the right fit for your team. And while Wekan is a solid choice for many, it's not the only game in town.

The Need for a WeKan Alternative

While WeKan is a powerful and flexible project management tool, some users may find themselves seeking alternatives for various reasons. Here are a few common factors that might lead people to consider other options:

Limited integrations

Although WeKan is a versatile tool, it may lack integrations with other popular apps and services that teams rely on, such as Slack, Google Drive, or Zapier. This limitation can make it challenging to incorporate WeKan into an existing workflow seamlessly.

Lack of advanced features

For teams with complex project management needs, WeKan's feature set may not be sufficient. Some users might require Gantt charts, time tracking, or more sophisticated reporting capabilities, which are not currently available in WeKan.

Scalability concerns

As teams and projects grow, some users may find that WeKan struggles to keep up with their expanding needs. Performance issues or difficulty managing large numbers of boards, lists, and cards can lead users to seek more scalable alternatives.

Learning curve

While WeKan's interface is generally intuitive, some users may find it challenging to adapt to the Kanban methodology or to navigate the tool's features effectively. This learning curve can be a barrier for teams looking for a more immediately accessible solution.

Aesthetic preferences

Some users may simply prefer the look and feel of other project management tools over WeKan's interface. Aesthetics can play a significant role in user adoption and satisfaction, and individuals may gravitate towards alternatives that align more closely with their visual preferences.

As one verified user points out on G2: 

The only downside(s) I have are basic aesthetics of the UI. I feel like things could easily be spruced up to look more grand. It's a little too utilitarian right now. 

Cost considerations

Although WeKan is open-source and can be self-hosted for free, some teams may prefer the convenience and support offered by paid, hosted alternatives. For organizations with limited technical resources, managed solutions might be more appealing.

Collaboration limitations

While WeKan does offer basic collaboration features, such as comments and mentions, some teams may require more robust tools for communication and teamwork. Alternatives with built-in chat, video conferencing, or more advanced permission settings might better suit their needs.

It's important to note that these factors are highly dependent on individual teams and their specific requirements. What some teams see as a drawback may be irrelevant for another. Ultimately, the decision to seek an alternative to WeKan should be based on a careful evaluation of the team's needs and priorities, along with a thorough exploration of the available options in the project management tool landscape.

Essential Features to Look for in a Wekan Alternative

When you're evaluating Wekan alternatives, it's important to keep in mind the specific needs of your team and projects. After all, what works for one team might not be the best fit for another.

That said, there are a few key features that I think are essential for any project management tool worth its salt. Here are a few of the most important ones to look for:

Kanban Boards

If you're coming from Wekan, chances are you're already familiar with the kanban board system. And for good reason - it's a simple, visual way to track your tasks and projects as they move through different stages of completion.

When evaluating Wekan alternatives, make sure to look for tools that offer robust kanban features, like customizable columns, WIP limits, and the ability to assign tasks to specific team members. Bonus points if the tool also includes other views like calendars or Gantt charts for even more flexibility.

Task Management

At its core, project management is all about getting things done. And that means having a reliable way to create, assign, and track tasks from start to finish.

Look for Wekan alternatives that make task management a breeze, with features like subtasks, dependencies, and the ability to attach files and comments to individual tasks. The more context you can provide around each task, the easier it will be for your team to stay on the same page and get things done efficiently.

Time Tracking

If you bill clients by the hour or just want to keep a closer eye on how your team is spending their time, built-in time tracking is a must-have feature.

The best Wekan alternatives will make it easy to start and stop timers right from your task list, with the ability to generate detailed reports on where your team's time is going. This can be a game-changer for identifying bottlenecks and optimizing your processes over time.

To-Do Lists

Sometimes the simplest solutions are the most effective. And when it comes to staying organized and on top of your daily tasks, nothing beats a good old-fashioned to-do list.

Look for Wekan alternatives that include robust to-do list features, like the ability to create multiple lists, set due dates and reminders, and even share lists with other team members. The more you can break down your big-picture goals into bite-sized tasks, the more likely you are to actually get them done.

Real-Time Collaboration

In today's fast-paced, remote-first world, real-time collaboration is more important than ever. And when it comes to project management, that means being able to work together seamlessly, no matter where your team is located.

The best Wekan alternatives will include built-in collaboration features like chat, commenting, and even video conferencing, so you can stay connected and aligned every step of the way. Bonus points for tools that integrate with other collaboration apps like Slack or Microsoft Teams.

Advanced Features

Depending on the complexity of your projects and the size of your team, you may need more than just the basics when it comes to project management. That's where advanced features come in.

Some Wekan alternatives offer things like custom fields, automation, and even AI-powered insights to help you work smarter, not harder. While these features may not be necessary for every team, they can be a lifesaver for those managing large, complex projects with lots of moving parts.

Offline Access

In an ideal world, we'd all have reliable internet access 24/7. But in reality, that's not always the case - especially if you're working on the go or in a remote location.

That's why it's important to look for Wekan alternatives that offer offline access, so you can keep working even when you're not connected to the internet. Look for tools that automatically sync your changes when you're back online, so you never have to worry about losing your work.

Privacy and Security

Last but certainly not least, privacy and security should be top of mind when evaluating any new software tool - especially one that will be housing sensitive project data.

Make sure to choose a Wekan alternative that takes privacy and security seriously, with features like two-factor authentication, encryption, and regular backups. And don't be afraid to ask questions about how your data will be stored and protected before making a final decision.

The Best WeKan Alternatives for 2024

1. Trello

Key Features:

• Intuitive and user-friendly interface
• Extensive integrations with third-party apps and services
• Powerful automation tools with Butler

As user Dick says on a G2 review:

 Its user interface is simple, to memorize and navigate in it. I like it because it is heterogeneous and can be used with different mobile devices and PCs.  I am pleased with this software for its irreplaceable dashboards, lists and cards where I can arrange the general and implicit activities of systems software. These boards allow to divide and distribute the pertinent information of each work process. Through these boards, the team members have a distributed perspective of the occupations, their course and everything that may be pending. It is adaptable and simple to specify in mutual agreement in relationships and records in operative points of work tasks, structure of activities, how to carry them out, their ordering, synchronization, fluency and verification of task fulfillment.  It is favorable to move the team components in this way to assign tasks, or activities so that everyone knows what to do and help on their boards.

2. Asana

Key Features:

• Versatile task management with lists, boards, calendars, and timelines
• Robust team collaboration features, including comments and assignees
• Goal tracking and portfolio management for high-level planning

As John says in a Capterra review: 

Asana allows teams to collaborate on projects and schedule tasks with deadlines similar to Microsoft Planner.

3. Jira

Key Features:

• Customizable workflows and issue types for software development teams
• Agile project management features, including scrum and kanban boards
• Extensive reporting and analytics capabilities

As Luciana says in a Capterra review: 

Easy to implement and to onboard new employees on the platform. Customizable solutions for many needs. Used always to file tech and legal tickets and manage them remotely.

4. Monday.com

Key Features:

• Highly customizable boards with a variety of column types
• Automations and integrations for streamlining workflows
• Workload management and capacity planning features

As one user says on G2:

The integrations and automated notifications are a great feature, as well as different viewing options and permissions to access. 

5. Notion

Key Features:

• Flexible, all-in-one workspace for notes, tasks, and databases
• Customizable templates for various use cases and industries
• Collaborative editing and commenting in real-time

As user Vikas says on G2: 

Ability of Notion to turn into what it needs to be, for the specific use case, with pre-created templates, that I can create/customise. For my sales discussions, for internal research, internal meetings, personal notes, each of these are different use cases, where I want to capture specific information, which templates allow. Notion AI added a great feature, to be able to create and summarise my meeting mintues, and then came the update with ability to search through all the notes, and get a key understanding, 'when did i speak with this prospect'. This is very valuable.

6. ClickUp

Key Features:

• Hierarchical task management with lists, tasks, and subtasks
• Customizable views, including boards, lists, and Gantt charts
• Built-in time tracking and productivity reporting

As Lynnsey says on G2: 

It's so versatile and customizable for various projects that come with owning a small business. I'm a wedding photographer and I love strategizing new ways to drum up business so their templates are super helpful to keep me on track and give me ideas for how I should be measuring success. It's also super great for communicating with my team and delegating tasks.

I would love to have more functionality in formulas within documents. For instance, to track my booking rate, the formula works but I want to format it as a percentage. A bit more flexbility in that regard would be great. It would be really cool to have social media scheduling as well. We do our content calendar and file sharing within Clickup but then have to export everything to a different platform. Something that attracts me to a platform like Motion for instance, is the ability to have AI organize my tasks or push deadlines. I want to be able to bulk delete tasks on the dashboard. If I don't stay on top of every task, they build up there and I have to delete them one by one.

7. Airtable

Key Features:

• Customizable databases with a spreadsheet-like interface
• Pre-built templates for various industries and use cases
• Automations and integrations for streamlining workflows

As one user points out on G2: 

Very familiar spreadsheet layout and very easy to use and navigate user interface ,the search feature works well and very flexible when in comes to having different views to the same database the calendar view is especially very helpful when we need to keep track of clients orders, invoices and relationships. Other than the complexity of managing multiple views I honestly can't think of anything to complain about. 

Which Alternative Will You Choose?

So, there you have it - the best Wekan alternatives for smarter project management. These tools are the real deal, folks. They're not just about making your to-do list look pretty; they're about getting things done and keeping your sanity intact.

Whether you're a solopreneur or part of a big team, these alternatives to Wekan can help you stay organized, collaborate effectively, and crush your goals. And the best part? They're all user-friendly and easy to get started with.

If you want to really make these tools even more productive, try the free Magical Chrome extension. Magical integrates with every tool on this list and can eliminate your repetitive tasks like data entry, auto filling forms, and messaging. Find out how 40,000 teams across more than 20,000 companies are saving 7 hours a week. Try it yourself today!