Best Open-Source Project Management Platforms for SMEs

 Plan smarter. Deliver faster. Save costs.

For small and medium enterprises (SMEs), managing multiple projects, tasks, and teams can be challenging—especially when commercial tools like Asana, Monday, or Jira come with high subscription costs.
The good news? There are powerful open-source project management platforms that deliver enterprise-grade functionality at zero cost.

Here are the top 5 open-source project management tools you can start using today.

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1. OpenProject

Best for: Construction, engineering, and manufacturing projects

OpenProject is one of the most mature and widely used open-source PM tools. It supports everything from Gantt charts to time tracking, agile boards, and document management.

Key features:

• Task tracking with progress indicators

• Gantt charts and project timelines

• Cost and time reporting

• Integrated Wiki and team collaboration

Why it’s great:
Runs smoothly on your own server (Linux or Windows), gives full control over your data, and works perfectly for industrial project tracking.

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2. Taiga

Best for: Agile and software development teams

Taiga combines a clean interface with agile features such as Kanban boards, sprints, user stories, and issue tracking.

Key features:

• Scrum and Kanban support

• Milestones and backlog planning

• REST API for automation

• Free cloud version available

Why it’s great:
Ideal for IT teams, startups, and product design workflows. Easy to set up and requires minimal training.

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3. Redmine

Best for: Classic task and issue management

Redmine has been around for more than a decade and remains a stable, extensible platform for multi-project management.

Key features:

• Issue tracking and version control

• Gantt charts and calendar

• Multi-language support

• Plugin ecosystem for custom needs

Why it’s great:
Lightweight and reliable for long-term projects. Works well even on low-resource servers.

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4. ProjectLibre

Best for: Teams familiar with Microsoft Project

ProjectLibre is an open-source alternative to MS Project, with a familiar ribbon interface and features like dependencies, baselines, and resource management.

Key features:

• Gantt and PERT charts

• Resource allocation and costing

• MS Project file compatibility

Why it’s great:
Perfect for project managers transitioning from Microsoft Project who want to avoid license fees.

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5. Kanboard

Best for: Simple task management and personal productivity

Kanboard focuses on minimalism. It’s a Kanban-only board system that’s easy to install and great for tracking daily or weekly tasks.

Key features:

• Drag-and-drop Kanban boards

• Subtasks and file attachments

• Automation via plugins

• Extremely lightweight

Why it’s great:
Ideal for startups or small teams that want simplicity over complexity.

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💡 Final Thoughts

For SMEs, open-source project management software provides freedom, flexibility, and cost efficiency.
Whether you manage construction projects, service contracts, or software releases, these tools can be customized to match your exact workflow.

Try OpenProject if you need structure, or Taiga for agile flexibility. The best part — you own your data and avoid recurring fees.