Kanba is an open-source project management tool aimed at makers and indie hackers who want Trello-style boards without a per-seat subscription. It gathers kanban projects, tasks, notes, a calendar, deployment tracking, and integrations in one workspace, and teams can either pay once for the hosted service or self-host the MIT-licensed codebase on their own infrastructure.[1][2]
Quick verdict
Solo makers, indie hackers, and small teams that live on kanban boards and resent subscriptions benefit most from Kanba. Its decisive capability is breadth without lock-in: boards, notes, calendar, and deployments in one workspace, backed by an MIT codebase teams can self-host on Supabase with full data ownership. The material constraint is youth and operational load: the project dates to 2025, independent reviews are thin, and self-hosting means operating Supabase, Stripe keys, and a Next.js host. If you can self-host or accept a young project's rough edges, shortlist Kanba against Trello; if you need a finished managed service with SSO and a public API, choose an established hosted tracker instead.[1][2][3]
Key features
Kanban projects and tasks Projects break into tasks on boards in the Trello shape of lists and cards. The README allows unlimited projects, so a maker juggling several side projects keeps each on its own board without hitting a project cap.[1][2]
Notes beside the work Notes live in the same workspace as boards and tasks, so meeting records and reference material sit next to the work they describe instead of in a second app.[1]
Calendar view A calendar shows dated work across the workspace, giving deadlines and scheduled items one shared surface next to the boards.[1]
Deployment tracking Deployments are tracked inside the project workspace, which suits solo developers and small teams who ship from the same place they plan.[1]
Integrations including Stripe billing The workspace connects to outside services, and the hosted service runs its checkout and billing through Stripe with local Next.js API routes for checkout sessions and webhooks.[1][2]
Team collaboration Boards support team use rather than solo use only, so a small team can plan together in one workspace instead of splitting across personal boards.[1]
Dark and light modes The interface ships with dark and light themes, a small but real comfort feature for people who live in the app all day.[1]
Self-hosting on Supabase with full data ownership Teams can run the MIT-licensed code on their own infrastructure with their own Supabase project, keeping every record in their own Postgres database. Deployment uses environment-file configuration with Vercel as the documented host, plus local development from the same files.[1][2][3]
Who will love it
Solo makers and indie hackers: the product is explicitly designed for them, with unlimited projects, simple boards, and a one-time payment instead of another monthly seat charge.[1][2]
Small subscription-averse teams: a team that wants Trello-style planning without per-seat billing gets boards, notes, and calendar in one workspace for a single lifetime payment or free self-hosting.[1][2]
Technically operated teams wanting data ownership: a team comfortable running Supabase and a Next.js host keeps its tracker data in its own Postgres database under an MIT licence, with no vendor lock-in.[1][2]
Who should avoid it
Teams needing a finished managed service: a young 2025 project with thin independent review coverage cannot promise the polish, uptime history, or support apparatus of an established hosted tracker.[1][2][3]
Organisations requiring SSO or a public API: no single sign-on and no public developer API are documented, so identity-managed or integration-heavy buyers should verify these before committing.[1][2]
Non-technical teams planning to self-host: self-hosting means provisioning Supabase, managing Stripe keys, and configuring environment files, which assumes an operator the team may not have.[1]
Alternatives and compatibility
Against Trello, Kanba is the vendor-positioned open-source replacement: the README calls it a lightweight Trello alternative and the site carries a direct comparison, trading Trello's finished managed service for self-hosting and a one-time price.[1][2]
Against Focalboard, both are open-source self-hosted kanban boards; Kanba adds notes, calendar, and deployments on Supabase, while Focalboard offers an offline desktop edition Kanba does not document.[1][2]
Choose Kanba when the team can self-host and values open-source boards with full data ownership; choose an established hosted tracker when the team needs managed operations with SSO, a public API, and a long support history.[1][2][3]
Questions worth asking
What is the best Kanba alternative for non-technical users?
Trello suits non-technical users better, because it is a finished managed service with no infrastructure to operate, while Kanba's self-hosted path assumes Supabase and hosting skills. A non-technical team that still wants Kanba should use the hosted lifetime-deal service rather than self-hosting.[1][2]
Is Kanba really no-code?
How much does Kanba cost per month?
Can you self-host Kanba?
Sources and editorial review
Source research. Reviewed on October 11, 2026. Written by Sanjib Sah. AI assisted; reviewed by a human editor.
We have not run or tested this product.
- Kanba official homepage
official · Observed October 11, 2026
Official homepage: open-source flexible project management for startups; Projects, Tasks, Notes, Calendar, Deployments, Integrations; no credit card, subscription, or vendor lock-in; lifetime deal $59/$149/$299 one-time; MIT, self-hosted, Supabase/Postgres, full data ownership; versus Trello, Notion, Linear, Asana, Monday.
- Kanba-co/kanba repository
official · Observed October 11, 2026
Repository Kanba-co/kanba: open-source project management tool for modern teams; 662 stars; MIT license; topics kanban-board, lists, notes, notion, project-management, task-management, trello; website kanba.co.
- Kanba README
official · Observed October 11, 2026
README: open-source lightweight Trello alternative for makers and indie hackers; Tailwind CSS, shadcn/ui, Supabase, Stripe; unlimited projects, team collaboration, dark/light mode; solo devs and small teams; Vercel OSS member; Vercel deployment and local Next.js API routes for Stripe.
- Kanba license text
official · Observed October 11, 2026
LICENSE file: MIT License text, copyright 2025 Abbas Aga, granting use, copy, modification, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and sale with notice included.