Trello vs Kanba
Kanba is the stronger fit for solo developers and small teams that want a lightweight, MIT-licensed, self-hostable project-management application and can operate its Next.js/Supabase stack. Trello remains the safer choice for teams that depend on documented calendar and portfolio-style views, inbox capture, automation, templates, Power-Ups, or established integrations; none of those capabilities is confirmed for Kanb
Decision guide
The practical reasons to choose either option, based on documented capabilities.
Choose Kanba if
- Solo developers and small teams seeking a lightweight, self-hosted project-management tool
- Teams able to configure and maintain a Next.js application, Supabase services, environment variables, and authentication secrets
- Organizations that require MIT-licensed source code and control over application hosting
Stay with Trello if
- Workflows require Calendar, Timeline, Table, Dashboard, Map, or workspace-level views; equivalent Kanba views are not documented
- Teams rely on Trello Inbox, calendar time planning, rules, buttons, or command automation
- Processes depend on reusable templates, Power-Ups, or integrations such as Slack, Jira, Gmail, or Microsoft Teams
Deployment and operations
Kanba is MIT-licensed and self-hostable. The documented setup uses npm and a .env.local file, with required Supabase and site/authentication variables; Stripe variables and webhook setup are optional. Production instructions cover Vercel, while the README says any platform supporting Next.js can be used. No Docker or Kubernetes packaging is documented. Operators are responsible for dependency installation, Supabase configuration, secrets, deployment, and—if enabled—Stripe webhook maintenance.
Feature fit
What Kanba covers
- Project-based work organization
- Team collaboration
What’s different or missing
- No documented multiple work views
- No documented inbox capture
- No documented calendar planner
- No documented board automation
- No documented Power-Ups or app integrations
- No documented reusable templates
- No documented Trello import or compatibility path
Project snapshot
- GitHub stars
- 642
- Contributors
- 7
- Language
- TypeScript
- Last commit
- Aug 8, 2026
- Latest release
- Aug 11, 2025
Categories: Calendars & Scheduling, Workflow Automation, Project Management, Task Management
Sources and editorial review9 linked sources
Public documentation supports this comparison. Automation assists collection and classification; editorial standards and corrections remain the responsibility of Kris.
Kanba is an open-source project management tool for modern teams.
repository description · github.comSupports unlimited projects, team collaboration, dark/light mode, and seamless user experience.
readme · github.comInstall dependencies with npm install and run the development server with npm run dev.
readme · github.comDeploy to Vercel with npx vercel.
readme · github.com# Open-source, lightweight Trello alternative designed for makers and indie hackers.
verdict · github.comPerfect for solo devs and small teams who want full control without unnecessary complexity.
best for · github.comSupports unlimited projects, team collaboration, dark/light mode, and seamless user experience.
shared feature · github.com1. Install dependencies: ```bash npm install ``` 2. Set up your environment variables in `.env.local` 3. Run the development server: ```bash npm run dev ```
deployment · github.com5. **No Vendor Lock-in** - Can deploy to any platform that supports Next.js
deployment · github.com
