20+ Best Free & Paid Kanban Software of 2023

Kanban (signboard in Japanese) is hands-down the best visualization methodology within project management.

Kanban is a card-based interface organized in columns creating a visual workflow management system that prioritizes important tasks and streamlines work processes.

Like sticky notes on a whiteboard, Kanban boards, with their intuitive design and visual organization, have become a go-to tool for teams looking to manage their projects effectively.

Here’s a list of the kanban software we are covering in this article:

1. Paymo – best Kanban for project management
2. Trello – best for multiple workspaces
3. Kanban Zone – best for Agile
4. Jira – best for Scrum
5. KanbanFlow — simple Kanban with WIP
6. Kanban Tool — customizable Kanban with integrations
7. Kanbanize by Businessmap – best for technical Kanban
8. Wrike – best for enterprise
9. ProjectManager.com – best for collaboration
10. Smartsheet – best for automation
11. Easy Project – a versatile tool with Kanban features
12. Airtable – a spreadsheet-like tool with Kanban
13. Hubstaff Tasks – lightweight solution with Kanban
14. MeisterTask – light project management with Kanban
15. ZenHub – Sprint Planning with Kanban features
16. Podio – flexible Kanban with CRM features
17. Asana – best for workflow visualization
18. Taiga – an open-source Kanban tool
19. Monday.com – project management tool with Kanban visualization
20. Planio – a project management platform with basic Kanban
21. Kanboard – a simple open-source Kanban tool

Kanban boards explained

Every Kanban is built around these core concepts: boards, lists, and cards.

Boards are digital workspaces containing the big picture of your project. Anything can be visualized on a Kanban, from building a spacecraft to organizing an event, planning a trip, or hiring employees.

Lists are the workflows inside your Kanban board. Lists are the columns on the board – these could be actual stages of your production line, the stages of your project, or all the information organized around teams. Here’s what that might look like:

• Time-driven Kanban list: This week, Tomorrow, Today/Doing
• Workflow Kanban list: To Do, Doing, Done
• Team-oriented Kanban list: Development, Support, Marketing or Dev A, Dev B, Dev C.

Cards are tasks within your lists, which are moved from left to right until complete. Each card is a task that includes all relevant information: due dates, priority, assignees, attachments, and feedback loops—card comments, notifications, email integration, and mentions.

This is just the gist. Read this explanatory article on Kanban boards and how to set up workflows for a quick intro to Kanban.

I’ll focus on the main features that set Kanban apart so you know what to look for in a Kanban tool:

Main Features of Kanban software

• Visualization. Does it have a clear and intuitive visual representation of work items and workflow status?
• Collaboration. Does it allow real-time collaboration and communication between team members?
• Customization. Is it flexible to fit specific team processes and workflows?
• Card manipulation. Can users easily add, edit, move, and delete cards within the board?
• Integration. Does it integrate with other tools and systems like project management, time tracking, and source control?
• Reporting and analytics. Does it have built-in reporting and analytics features to track performance, identify bottlenecks, and measure progress?
• Mobile access. Is the software available on mobile devices for remote team members?
• User management. Does it give the ability to manage user access, roles, and permissions within the software?
• Notification and alerts. Are there automated notifications and alerts for important changes or updates to tasks or projects?
• Scalability. Does it offer support for scaling to accommodate growing teams and projects?

Most project management software already have Kanban as part of their many features and functionalities. If you need to track your work progress visually, a task management tool is probably good enough, and it’s not worth switching to a dedicated Kanban.

The hassle of adopting yet another tool can be taxing on your team; plus, there are financial considerations that small teams must keep in mind.

Conversely, if your team is fully agile, organizing work in sprints with the whole gamut of Kanban metrics, then opt for a dedicated tool.

Ultimately, you must ask yourself whether you need a dedicated Kanban or a project management tool with Kanban features. Let’s review some of the best Kanban software on the market.

1. Paymo

Paymo is a robust project management software with Kanban features best suited for freelancers and small & medium-sized teams. Its customizable boards, time tracking, reporting, and collaboration features make it a good option for teams that value flexibility, real-time data visualization, and teamwork.

Onboarding

The onboarding process at Paymo is designed to be quick and easy, with users able to create an account and start using the software within minutes.

Once you create an account, you are greeted with a clean and intuitive interface that is easy to navigate. The software provides a step-by-step guide to help you get started quickly, which includes creating your first project, adding team members, and setting up your first tasks.

Paymo’s interface is well-designed and user-friendly, with a modern look and feel. The dashboard provides users with a comprehensive overview of all their projects, tasks, and time entries, making it easy to stay on top of their work.

Like all the great project management tools with Kanban functionalities, Paymo allows for a high level of workflow and board customization, task and card management, and automation. Plus, there’s a range of reports, including time-tracking reports, task reports, and project summaries.

Evolution

Paymo was founded in 2007 when a small web agency saw the need for a reliable time-tracking app. Since then, Paymo has developed into a full-scale project management solution. In 2016, Paymo underwent a major user interface redesign, focusing on simplifying the user experience and making the software more intuitive, adding Kanban boards to its project management toolset.

This significant development allowed teams to manage their work using more agile methodologies. In 2023, Paymo revamped its time tracking powerhouse, Paymo Track, a 3-in-1 automatic time tracker, stopwatch, and Pomodoro.

Feature highlight

Paymo’s ‘Team Tasks’ is like a Meta Kanban board, providing users with a high-level view of their project progress across multiple boards. The Board view allows users to see all their active projects and tasks in one place. Having said that, the dynamic filters help you sift through the deluge of tasks.

The Meta Kanban is perfect for project managers or owners:

The dashboard displays data from all the projects you’re working on, making it easy to identify bottlenecks and areas where progress is lagging. You may customize what’s shown on the board, lists, and cards.

The verdict

Paymo offers a great balance of features, usability, and affordability for teams looking for a project management solution with a Kanban view. Its customizable boards, card management, and time-tracking features give teams the tools to manage their projects effectively.

The Meta Kanban board is a standout feature that provides users with a comprehensive overview of their project progress and team performance. Users generally find Paymo user-friendly and affordable, with a good balance of features and pricing compared to other project management tools.

Pricing

• Free plan available.
• If paid annually, pricing starts at $4.95 for a solo user or $9.95/user/month.

2. Trello

Trello is a project management tool that’s iconic to Kanban boards. Its default interface is card-based, making it easy for first-time adopters to acquaint themselves with the Kanban methodology.

Onboarding

The onboarding is smooth: as soon as you create an account—depending on your industry and role—your setup includes a template, resources, useful links, and tutorials.

Once you’ve decided on a template or created your own, you can elevate the execution of your task with Power-Ups (‘Card Repeater’ aka recurrent tasks) and integrations (Slack, Google, etc.) or further automate processes with the help of Trello’s Butler (to create rules and conditions, to set WIPs, and so on).

Trello is a user-friendly and visually appealing Kanban product that provides a simple and intuitive way to manage tasks and projects.

One of the strengths of Trello is its collaboration features, which allow teams to stay informed and up-to-date on the status of projects in real time by attaching files, sharing updates, and commenting on tasks, making it easy for teams to work together.

However, Trello is not as customizable as some other Kanban products on the market. While it provides a set of templates and boards (most of which are created by other users) that can be adjusted to meet specific needs, the level of customization is limited compared to other tools.

Trello does provide basic reporting and analytics, but it may not be sufficient for teams looking for more robust performance-tracking capabilities.

Evolution

The original concept of Trello was developed in 2011 with simplicity in mind. Joel Spolsky, the founder of Fog Creek Software, and his team were looking for a way to manage their own projects and found that existing project management tools were too complicated and rigid. They wanted a tool that was simple, visual, and flexible.

Trello was eventually acquired by Atlassian in 2017 for $425 million, thanks to its widespread popularity. Since then, it has added new features and integrations to make it more versatile and powerful.

Feature highlight

Trello’s drag-and-drop card interface is great for first-time adopters of Kanban and visual project management. However, what truly shines about Trello lies in its automation: Power-Ups and Trello Butler.

The Verdict

Trello is an excellent choice for teams seeking a simple, user-friendly Kanban solution. Still, there may be better choices for teams with more complex needs or those looking for a high level of customization.

Pricing

• Free plan available.
• Pricing starts at $6/user/month for basic Kanban functionalities.

3. Kanban Zone

Kanban Zone is a cloud-based Kanban software that provides a visual and intuitive way to manage tasks and projects. With its card-based interface, Kanban Zone allows users to quickly prioritize and track their work items, making it an effective tool for Agile project management.

Onboarding

The onboarding is practical: once you create your account, you get a quick tour explaining Kanban terminology.

The interface is intuitive: My Zone is your user dashboard with all the boards, focused work, and statistics. It has quick links to the Knowledge Base, training videos, and other resources.

However, Kanban Zone has a steep learning curve for first-time adopters who aren’t familiar with the technical aspects of Kanban and Lean.

Here are a few technical Kanban terms explained briefly:

• Arrival Rate: determines how much work you are receiving (tasks/day)
• Throughput: tracks how much work you are completing (tasks/day)
• Abandoned Effort: tracks how many cards you started but abandoned (tasks/day)
• Lead Time: tracks how long it takes for a backlogged task to get completed
• Blocked Time: tracks how long a card has been blocked
• Cycle Time: tracks how long it takes for an in-progress task to get completed
• Flow Efficiency: measures whether cards flow efficiently to completion (%)

The reporting and analytics capabilities of Kanban Zone are robust, allowing teams to track performance, measure progress, and identify areas for improvement. Users can view Cycle Time, Lead Time, and Throughput metrics and export data to Excel or CSV files.

Besides the many templates readily available, Kanban Zone allows users to create customized boards that reflect their unique workflows. Each Kanban list can be further segmented for more detailed processes.

Kanban Zone’s Summary Tab aggregates all cards from all boards you are working on.

One area for improvement is its limited mobile functionality compared to the desktop version of the software.

Evolution

Kanban Zone was founded in 2017 in Scottsdale, Arizona, offering basic Kanban functionalities, along with card customization and color coding. The mobile app was released in 2018. Kanban Zone released its workflow automation feature in 2021.

Feature highlight

What’s cool about Kanban Zone is its integrated Metrics within each card, tracking the card’s life cycle, Lead Time, Arrival Rate, Flow Efficiency, Throughput, Blocked Time, Cycle Time, and so on.

The Verdict

I’d say Kanban Zone may be suitable for small and medium-sized businesses that multitask on a regular basis. Kanban Zone is great for marketing, consulting, and education.

Pricing

• No free plan available.
• Pricing starts at $6.25/user/month, with up to 5 free guests to view and comment.

4. Jira

Jira Software and Jira Work Management are project management tools part of the Atlassian Corporation built around Agile methodologies, using Scrum, Kanban boards, and custom workflows to aid agile teams in their software development or related business operations.

Onboarding

Jira’s onboarding process was smooth thanks to its quick guide (‘Quickstart’) around the modules and brief explanations. Users can choose whether to populate their boards with templates from particular industries or create their own projects.

I must say that Jira’s learning curve can be steep, especially for new users unfamiliar with Agile or Kanban. For instance, it took me a while to find the swimlanes (the horizontal lanes separating different activities or teams) and WIP limit as I customized my board.

Indeed, the interface can feel overwhelming at first, but the interface is user-friendly and feels super slick. There’s a board summary, as seen in the picture below, with all your statuses, priorities, and workload. On top of that, you may add your boards to a dedicated Dashboard view.

The Atlassian marketplace offers over 1,000 apps and integrations for Jira; however, only a third are ‘cloud fortified’ (i.e., reliable and cloud secure). Others may be in beta version or supported by partner apps. Still, a good number of apps are free for small teams (up to 10 members) or all teams.

Jira’s robust plugin architecture allows third-party developers to create add-ons and extensions to add new functionality. However, if you need simple integrations, this might feel too much, especially if, like me, you’re not a developer.

Evolution

Atlassian Corporation developed Jira as a bug and issue tracker in 2002. As Jira evolved, it introduced customizable workflows and fields, sub-tasks, and a plugin architecture that allowed for third-party extensions by 2005.

Jira introduced Agile functionality, such as Scrum and Kanban, in 2008. Jira’s latest version, 8.0, launched in 2019, introduced next-gen projects that offer more flexibility and control in project management.

Feature highlight

Besides the customizable workflows, Jira offers advanced reporting and analytics, from burndown charts for sprints and releases to velocity charts to plan and estimate future workloads, control charts to identify areas for improvement, and other custom reports.

The verdict

Overall, Jira has come a long way from a simple issue tracker to a comprehensive project management tool that supports Agile methodologies, customizable workflows, and third-party extensions. I’d say it’s a good choice for software development teams looking to improve their Kanban processes.

Pricing

• Free plan available for teams of up to 10 members.
• Paid plans start at $7.75/user/month.

5. KanbanFlow

KanbanFlow is a web-based Kanban software that helps teams visualize their work and improve productivity. At first glance, it leans closer to Trello than to other dedicated Kanban solutions.

Onboarding

After you create an account, you’re prompted to watch a quick video tutorial to get started. As you look around the interface, you’ll get pop-ups and bubbles to help you onboard.

There’s really not much to say about KanbanFlow. The interface is relatively minimal, looking a bit clunky and old-fashioned. It has basic Kanban functionalities like task filtering and commenting.

You may customize your board by adding columns to your lists and, even better, swimlanes (if you’re on the Premium plan).

Each column can be customized regarding WIP limit and other card-related properties, like showing unfinished subtasks or overdue activities. Even so, the options are somewhat limited.

Cards have basic task management functionalities

Custom roles, integrations, and analytics & reporting (everything from cumulative flow all the way to forecasting) are reserved for the Premium plan.

KanbanFlow integrates with Calendar, Zapier, Dropbox, Google Drive, and OneDrive.

Evolution

CodeKick launched KanbanFlow in 2011 as a simple Kanban tool. Since then, it has launched a mobile app in 2012, included Kanban-specific analytics in 2015, and released team collaboration features in 2019.

Feature Highlight

There’s an integrated stopwatch and Pomodoro to track time while working on a specific card. However, manipulating the time entries is limited. You may print out the time logs or save the document as PDF.

The verdict

To be fair, KanbanFlow is too simplistic; it even looks old-fashioned. Other cloud-based solutions on the market offer more bang for your buck, especially if you need time-tracking capabilities.

Pricing

• Free plan available.
• There’s one paid plan, Premium, for $5/user/month.

6. Kanban Tool

Kanban Tool is a cloud-based project management software that provides Kanban boards, analytics, and customizable workflows.

Onboarding

Once you create your account, you can opt for Kanban Tool’s AI Assistant (based on OpenAI technology—think ChatGPT) to help you build the board. The AI will suggest board layouts (workflows) and card types (labels) based on your input and how you plan to use your board. You may edit each list and card type later if you go for the AI’s suggestions.

Kanban Tool integrates with Slack, Zapier, Dropbox, Google Drive, and more, and has a small collection of widgets (interactive checklists, recurring tasks, calendar, pinboard, etc.).

As for analytics and reporting, Kanban Tool provides a Breakdown chart, Lead and Cycle Time, and a Cumulative Flow that users can print or export to Excel (.csv).

There’s a simple time tracker that creates basic summary reports of time worked, though a bit clunky at times. You can’t add time entries or edit them later on, so it’s a bit cumbersome.

Evolution

Founded in 2010 as a web-based project management tool that utilized Kanban boards, Kanban Tool added features such as time tracking, mobile apps, integrations, and analytics over time.

In 2015, it underwent a major redesign, which included card templates and swimlanes. In 2018, it added a new time-tracking system, and in 2020, Kanban Tool introduced “Automations,” which allowed for automated repetitive tasks and actions.

Feature highlight

Kanban Tool is highly customizable: from creating your own card types, card templates (15 extra custom fields besides the classic task management inputs) to customizing your boards, adding swimlanes, and setting WIP limits in terms of tasks, difficulty points, or hours estimated.

The verdict

Overall, Kanban Tool is quite user-friendly, providing high customization and automation. However, Kanban Tool is in need of a redesign. I find the interface a little too old school—it sure doesn’t convey reliability.

Pricing

• Free plan available with two boards and two users, but no file attachments.
• Plans start at €5/user/month. The Enterprise plan for €9/user/month is for time tracking, reporting, and process automation.

7. Kanbanize by Businessmap

Kanbanize by Businessmap is a cloud-based, enterprise-level Kanban software designed to help teams increase efficiency and productivity. What I mean by enterprise level is that the minimum license seats start at 15 users, so it’s designed for larger teams.

The platform has some advanced reporting and analytics, leaning toward the more technical side of Kanban and Scrum: Monte Carlo Simulations, monitoring Flow Efficiency, Cumulative Flow Diagrams, and more.

Onboarding

However, if you’re a first-time adopter of Kanban, you’ll find the interface too dry and hard to navigate. The whole UX feels lacking yet overwhelming—adding a simple card to the list takes significantly longer to figure out. For example, filling the fields out can be confusing if you’re unfamiliar with dependencies, hierarchies, sizes, etc.

As I mentioned, Kanbanize by Businessmap leans more on the technical side, and you can detail every card and list to fit your team’s needs. You can set Swimlanes, Commitment Points (when a work item is ready to be moved), and Delivery Points (when a work item is considered finished).

Evolution

Founded in 2015 by Dimitar Karaivanov, Bisser Ivanov, and Christo Stalev, Kanbanize first offered basic Kanban functionalities, custom fields, and automation rules. In 2020 it launched its workflow analytics module, followed by an AI-powered risk management module in 2021.

Feature highlight

Though the design could use an update, the Boards are highly customizable—you may configure everything from Initiatives (i.e., objectives) to Cards (i.e., tasks), set rules, create swimlanes, set WIP, and more.

The verdict

Kanbanize by Businessmap has a steep learning curve, so I advise booking a consultation if you opt for it as your enterprise-level solution.

Pricing

• No free plan available.
• Pricing starts at $179/month for 15 users (roughly $12/user/month). For a batch of ten business rules and SSO + 2FA, pricing starts at $239.

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Here’s a quick rundown of # project management software with Kanban features, in no particular order:

8. Wrike

Wrike is a full-fledged project management software that includes Kanban boards as one of its many features. As a Kanban, Wrike has customizable boards to fit users’ specific needs, with options for adding columns, renaming or hiding columns, and adjusting the layout of cards.

Wrike is also a collaboration tool, so the Kanban boards are designed to encourage team collaboration and communication, with options for assigning tasks, adding comments, and sharing files.

However, some users have noted that Wrike’s Kanban boards can be limited in customization options and may not be as user-friendly as some dedicated Kanban tools.

Wrike’s pricing is considered high, especially for small teams or individuals, starting at $9.80/user/month (maximum 25 users) or $24.80/user/month (up to 200 users). Free plan available.

9. ProjectManager.com

ProjectManager.com is a project management tool offering various features, including Kanban boards, Gantt charts, time tracking, and reporting, which can help manage complex projects.

From a Kanban standpoint, ProjectManager.com offers customizable boards (fields, tags, and colors to match specific workflows and preferences) and collaboration features such as task assignments, team chats, and file sharing, which can help team members communicate and work together more efficiently.

However, the boards can be limited in customization options and may not be as user-friendly as some dedicated Kanban tools. I’d say it may not be the best choice for users who primarily want to use Kanban for project management.

The pricing can also be high, especially for small teams or individuals, starting at $16/user/month. No free plan available.

10. Smartsheet

Smartsheet is a project management platform that also includes Kanban workflow visualization with strong automation and reporting features, such as completion rates and card counts.

It focuses on its customizable boards, with the ability to add custom fields, card colors, and swimlanes. This flexibility allows users to tailor their boards to their needs and workflows.

Plus, Smartsheet’s Kanban boards encourage collaboration among team members, with the ability to assign tasks, add comments, and attach files, along with a proofing feature, which allows team members to review and provide feedback on various types of files, including images, videos, and documents.

However, the app can be a bit complicated to set up and may not be as user-friendly as other project management tools with Kanban.

Price-wise, Smartsheet can be considered expensive, especially for small teams or individuals, starting at $9/user/month (up to 10 users) or $32/user/month (unlimited users).

11. Easy Project

Easy Project is an agile project management software suite that includes Kanban boards as one of its diverse features, from WBS to B2B CRM to Agile Resource Management.

Though not a dedicated Kanban tool, Easy Project has a visually-appealing interface, versatile card customization, swimlanes, and templates with pre-populated fields, tags, and checklists.

Having said this, Easy Project’s Kanban boards can be complicated to set up and may not be as intuitive as some other dedicated Kanban tools. Since it’s a suite of tools, it might feel overwhelming for first-time adopters, especially if they are unfamiliar with Agile and Scrum.

The pricing starts at $5.90/user/month for basic functionalities—they do include Kanban.

12. Airtable

Airtable is a project management tool that looks like an elevated Excel spreadsheet. Airtable has eight views: List, Timeline, Kanban, Gantt, Calendar, Grid, Gallery, and Form view.

Ergo, Airtable is not much of a Kanban tool with all its technical aspects. Still, it is great for visualizing workflows and automating work through rules, conditional triggers, and email notifications.

You may create custom fields, collaborate, monitor your work—with the help of due dates, priority levels, and progress—and filter & sort tasks based on specific criteria, much like you would in a spreadsheet.

The learning curve for using the software’s more advanced features can be steep initially; however, the interface is somewhat intuitive and has a nice design.

Pricing is costly, starting at $12/user/month for limited use or $24/user/month for the more popular plan. There’s a free plan available that includes the Kanban view.

13. Hubstaff Tasks

Part of the Hubstaff suite, Hubstaff Tasks is a lightweight task management solution with Kanban features. Built with Agile and Scrum in mind, Hubstaff Tasks markets itself as a simple Kanban software that intertwines Agile methodology with team collaboration.

Having said this, some users have noted that the software’s interface feels cluttered and that the learning curve for using some of the more advanced features can be steep.

Hubstaff Tasks has a highly customizable board view, where users can create their unique workflows by smooth drag-and-drop, manage complex projects with multiple tasks through dependencies, and automate their work with rule-based triggers and recurring tasks.

As for the pricing, Hubstaff Tasks leans on the affordable side: $5/user/month. There’s a free plan available that includes Kanban features.

14. MeisterTask

MeisterTask is a rather light project management software with Kanban functionalities. It’s great for agile-minded teams that don’t need all that bloat in their task management.

MeisterTask’s Kanban includes customizable boards, WIP limits, and multiple checklists. It’s strong on automation, such as rule-based triggers and recurring tasks, which can be used to automate repetitive tasks and reduce the workload for teams. Automation rules are based on specific criteria, such as due date, priority, or status.

Price-wise, MeisterTask is not cheap—you’re also paying in Euro since it’s a German-based PM solution—at €12.49/user/month if billed annually. There’s a free plan available; however, Kanban features are not included.

15. ZenHub

ZenHub is an agile project management software that integrates with GitHub and provides several Kanban features, such as custom workflows, swimlanes, and cross-team collaboration across multiple boards.

Since ZenHub is mostly agile, it offers Sprint Planning, where teams can use the Kanban board to plan and track their progress during the sprint and monitor their velocity and capacity.

It’s great for product or development teams working in an agile setting, thanks to its Release management, allowing teams to plan and track releases. Also, teams can use the Kanban board to track the status of features and bugs.

Managing releases is particularly helpful for software development teams. If that’s neither you nor your team, choose project management alternatives.

As for pricing, paid plans start at $12.50/user/month, which can be steep for larger teams compared to similar tools. There’s a free plan available that includes Kanban features.

16. Podio

Podio is a cloud-based project management and collaboration software that offers several Kanban-specific features, such as customizable workflows and rule-setting for moving tasks across lists.

Podio leans more on the collaborative side of task management, enabling teams to manage tasks collaboratively, including assigning tasks, setting due dates, and adding comments and files.

Overall, Podio is best for teams that need a flexible and customizable tool for project management and visual organization, with the added benefit of CRM features.

However, the user interface of Podio can be complex and challenging to navigate, which may require additional training or support to get the most out of the software.

Price-wise, paid plans start at $14/user/month; for advanced workflow automation and enhanced security, the premium plan costs $24/user/month. A free plan supports up to five users and a limited set of features.

17. Asana

Asana is a popular project management software that uses Kanban for workflow visualization.

The Kanban board view is highly customizable – users can create columns to represent different stages of work and move tasks between them as they progress, which is fundamental to Kanban methodology. The cards allow custom fields to track additional details about tasks, such as priority level or estimated time to completion.

Asana is more of a collaborative task management tool, where teams manage tasks collaboratively, including assigning tasks, setting due dates, and adding comments and files.

Having read user reviews, some users have noted that Asana can be overwhelming for new adopters, particularly those unfamiliar with project management software. Some reported that the software can be slow to load or prone to crashes.

As for pricing, Asana’s paid plans start at $13.49/user/month. There’s a free plan that includes Kanban view, limited to a team of 15 users.

18. Taiga

Taiga is an open-source project management software that’s Scrum and Kanban-oriented.

Taiga is designed for agile project management, with features such as sprints, backlogs, and user stories, making it easy for teams to plan and track their work flexibly and collaboratively. Plus, users can create multiple boards that are highly customizable. I found Taiga to be flexible and adaptable to various workflows and styles.

Having said this, some users noted that it can be less user-friendly than other project management tools, which may require additional training or support—offered in their paid plan. Still, the onboarding was helpful, especially if unfamiliar with Scrum or Kanban.

The app integrates with various other tools, such as GitHub, Slack, Zapier, and more.

Since it’s an open-source solution, Taiga is free of charge, though it offers a (hefty!) paid plan for 24/7 support at $70/month.

19. Monday.com

Monday.com is a project management tool with Kanban visualization for improved collaboration.

Leaning on the collaborative side of project management, Monday.com enables teams to collaborate on tasks, including assigning tasks, setting due dates, and adding comments and files. Users can also use @mentions to notify team members about updates or changes to tasks. All these can be viewed on the Kanban board, which can be customized to fit user work style and flow.

Although it’s not focused on Kanban functionalities, it has a wide range of features around portfolio management, business operations, finance, HR, and many more. For this reason, it might feel like the platform can be overwhelming due to a large number of features and options available.

Pricing starts at $24/user/month if paid annually for a minimum of three users. Higher-tier plans include features such as automations, integrations, and enhanced security. There’s a free plan available for up to 2 users.

20. Planio

Planio is a project management platform with basic Kanban functionalities.

Teams can track tasks and projects on a Kanban-style board, which they can easily customize to tailor their workflows to their needs. Users can also integrate with email to receive updates and manage tasks directly from their inboxes.

Planio’s reporting and analytics features can be limited, which may make it difficult to track progress or identify areas for improvement. However, it compensates with collaboration and communication features, including task assignments, comments, and notifications.

Not going to lie; the user interface is beyond old-fashioned.

Price-wise, Planio’s Silver plan starts at €19/month for three active projects and five users. Higher-tier plans include integrations, advanced reporting, and enhanced security. The enterprise plan starts at €299/month. There’s no free plan available.

21. Kanboard

Kanboard is a simple and open-source Kanban software designed to be lightweight and easy to use, making it a great choice for small teams or individuals looking for a basic Kanban solution.

The platform is designed to be simple and intuitive, making it easy for users to start managing their tasks and projects. It lacks advanced collaboration features available in more advanced Kanban products.

Since it’s open-source, Kanboard is free to use, making it an affordable option for teams and individuals looking for a basic Kanban solution.

Conclusion

Kanban is an excellent methodology for any team looking to increase productivity and streamline their workflows. By implementing a visual system that prioritizes tasks and minimizes waste, teams can work together more efficiently and achieve better results.

So if you’re ready to take your project management to the next level, we recommend trying Kanban software. With so many great options available on the market, there’s sure to be a Kanban tool that fits your team’s unique needs and preferences. It’s why we’ve reviewed 21 of the best Kanban software out there.

In the spirit of “kaizen” (constant improvement), I’ll end this article with Rule #5 of Kanban:

Analyze your workflow and processes to determine how efficiently you work, and always strive to improve them. By implementing a visual system that prioritizes tasks and minimizes waste, you and your team can work together more efficiently and achieve better results.

Start with Paymo today.

First published on March 24, 2023.