Huly and Kanboard are both open source and self-hostable, but Huly bundles issue tracking with docs, chat, and video into one connected workspace while…
Smaller company and community than Linear, Jira, or Notion
Hosted cloud availability has been in flux as the company shifts focus toward self-hosting
UI and feature depth in each module (docs, chat, video) can lag best-in-class single-purpose tools
Documentation and third-party integration ecosystem are less mature than larger competitors
Kanboard
Pros
Completely free and open source with no feature paywalls
Lightweight PHP/SQLite stack is cheap and easy to self-host on modest hardware
Simple, distraction-free interface with a low learning curve
Full data ownership since nothing is stored on a vendor's servers
Extensible via a public API and community plugin ecosystem
Cons
No official cloud-hosted version from the maintainer, so self-hosting is required for zero cost
Development pace has slowed as the project sits in maintenance mode
Lacks built-in real-time collaboration features like chat or video calls
Mobile experience is a responsive web view rather than dedicated native apps
Requires basic server administration knowledge to install, secure, and back up
Shortcut
Pros
Purpose-built for software engineering teams rather than general project management
Simpler, faster interface than heavier tools like Jira
Generous free tier for teams up to 10 users
Transparent per-user pricing with no hidden enterprise-only paywalls at the Team/Business level
Strong native integrations with GitHub, GitLab, and Slack
Cons
Less suited to non-engineering teams than general-purpose PM tools like Asana
Fewer deep workflow customizations than enterprise-grade tools like Jira
Mobile app is less mature than the web application
Reporting depth trails some larger, more established competitors
Enterprise pricing is not published and requires a sales conversation
Use Cases
Choose Huly: Teams wanting a self-hosted, all-in-one alternative that replaces separate issue tracking, docs, chat, and video tools.
Choose Kanboard: Developers and sysadmins who want the lightest possible self-hosted kanban board with no paid tiers.
Choose Shortcut: Software teams that want a polished managed SaaS tool with sprint planning and native GitHub or GitLab workflows.
Huly
Software development project management — Engineering teams track issues, sprints, and pull requests in one tool tied directly to docs and chat.
Startup all-in-one workspace — Small teams replace several separate SaaS subscriptions (issue tracker, docs, chat, video) with one connected platform.
Self-hosted, privacy-conscious deployments — Organizations that must keep data on their own infrastructure self-host the full open-source stack.
Kanboard
Solo developer task tracking — A developer self-hosts Kanboard on a home server or VPS to track personal coding projects without paying for a SaaS subscription.
Small technical team workflow — A small engineering or IT team runs Kanboard behind their VPN to manage sprints and support tickets with LDAP-based single sign-on.
Privacy-conscious project management — Organizations with strict data residency or compliance requirements self-host Kanboard to keep all task data on infrastructure they control.
Shortcut
Agile sprint planning — Plan and track sprint-based work using Iterations and Kanban Workflows.
Cross-team roadmap and OKR tracking — Connect engineering execution to company-level objectives and roadmaps.
Developer-centric bug and issue tracking — Track bugs and technical work with native GitHub and GitLab integration.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can all three of these be self-hosted?
Huly and Kanboard can both be self-hosted for free using Docker. Shortcut is SaaS only and does not offer a self-hosted deployment option.
Which of the three is the lightest weight to run?
Kanboard, since it runs on a simple PHP and SQLite stack with minimal server requirements compared to Huly's multi-service architecture.
Does Huly include built-in video calls?
Yes. Huly includes native audio and video conferencing rooms as part of its all-in-one workspace, alongside chat and docs.
Which tool is built specifically for software teams' sprints?
Shortcut, through its Iterations feature, which provides sprint-style planning cycles with velocity and progress tracking.
Is there a free option for each tool?
Yes. Huly offers a free hosted plan and free self-hosting, Kanboard is entirely free to self-host, and Shortcut has a free plan for teams up to 10 users.
Which tools integrate natively with GitHub for two-way issue sync?
Huly and Shortcut both document native two-way GitHub issue and pull request synchronization; Kanboard offers GitHub login but not issue sync.