OpenProject is an open-source project management application for teams that have outgrown simple to-do boards. It combines classic planning tools like Gantt charts and timelines with agile boards, time tracking, budgets, and document collaboration in one system. Project managers in engineering, IT, construction, and public administration use it to plan work, assign responsibility, and report progress to stakeholders. The software is free to self-host under the GPLv3 license, with paid enterprise editions that add support and advanced features. This article explains what OpenProject is, what it is used for, and how to run it without building the server yourself.
What is OpenProject?
OpenProject is a web-based project management platform maintained by a Berlin-based company of the same name. Work is organized around work packages: tasks, milestones, phases, bugs, risks, or custom types you define yourself. Those work packages appear on Gantt timelines with dependencies, on Kanban and Scrum boards, and in filtered lists, all backed by the same underlying data. Calendars, a team planner, cost reports, wikis, and meeting modules sit on top. Roadmaps roll individual project timelines up into a portfolio view for management. Because the code is open, you can audit it and run it on your own infrastructure, which is why many public-sector and EU organizations pick it over cloud-only rivals.
What is OpenProject used for?
- Classic project planning. Build work breakdown structures with phases, milestones, and dependencies on an automatically scheduled Gantt timeline.
- Agile software delivery. Run Scrum or Kanban boards with backlogs, versions, and story points for development teams.
- Hybrid portfolios. Give management the timeline view while delivery teams work from boards, without duplicating data between tools.
- Budget and cost control. Track labor costs and budgets against planned effort and the hours people actually log on work packages.
- Cross-team coordination. Invite departments, clients, and contractors with role-based access that shows each party only what it needs to see.
- Documentation and meetings. Keep wikis, meeting agendas, and files attached to the work packages and projects they belong to.
Key features
- Gantt timelines. Auto-scheduled charts with dependencies, milestones, baselines, and non-working days.
- Agile boards. Kanban and status boards that reflect your workflow and update work packages in place.
- Work packages. Customizable records with custom fields, watchers, relations, and a full activity history.
- Time and cost tracking. Log hours on work packages and compare actuals with planned budgets.
- Team planner. A weekly drag-and-drop view that shows who is assigned to which work package.
- Access control and authentication. Project roles, groups, LDAP directory, and OpenID Connect sign-in for larger organizations.
OpenProject on OpenSysLab
Every OpenSysLab server is a private virtual machine in the region you chose at purchase. The app installs automatically in about ten minutes, and the Vibe-code agent inside Open WebUI can read, configure, and manage it for you — you just connect your own AI API key. Servers start at $6/month. See the OpenProject product page for plans and regions.
The bottom line
OpenProject is a serious tool with a learning curve, and small teams wanting a light checklist app will find it heavy. For structured projects with timelines, budgets, and multiple stakeholders, it delivers capabilities that usually require expensive commercial suites.
