Kanri is a free, open-source Kanban board app for Windows, macOS, and Linux that works fully offline and stores your boards locally. It serves individuals and small teams who want to organize projects and daily life on simple boards of columns and cards, without creating an account or paying a subscription.[1][2]
Quick verdict
Kanri suits individuals and small teams who want a private, offline Kanban board on their desktop. Its strength is fully local boards with unlimited cards, Trello import, and JSON export at zero cost and without an account. The constraint is the absence of collaboration, cloud sync, and mobile apps, so larger or distributed teams should look elsewhere. If your work lives on one computer and you dislike accounts, choose Kanri; if you need shared boards or a phone app, choose Trello.[1][2]
Key features
Fully offline boards with local JSON storage: create and use boards with no internet connection, and everything is saved on your device with optional backups.[1][2]
Unlimited boards, columns, cards, and WIP limits: no caps on how much you track, with work-in-progress limits and custom fields, due dates, and labels for structure.[1]
Trello import plus board and workspace export: bring existing Trello boards in via JSON, and export any single board or your entire workspace the same way.[1]
Themes and per-board backgrounds: pre-made and custom themes with light, dark, and system modes, plus custom backgrounds for individual boards.[1]
Keyboard-first navigation: a full shortcut set with vim-style movement and an in-app overlay, so heavy users can run boards without the mouse.[1]
Rich Markdown task descriptions: format card details with Markdown including math expressions, and break work down with subtasks.[1]
Native desktop builds for three platforms: dedicated Windows, macOS, and Linux apps with drag-and-drop cards and columns.[1]
Free with no account: every feature is available without sign-up, login screens, or a paid tier anywhere in the app.[1][2]
Who will love it
Privacy-minded individuals: boards are stored on your own device, there is no account to create, and offline use keeps your data off vendor servers.[1][2]
People organizing personal or side projects: unlimited boards with labels, due dates, and WIP limits cover task tracking without per-seat pricing.[1][2]
Open-source supporters who tinker: GPL-3.0 code in Tauri and Nuxt with documented local development invites inspection and contribution.[1][2]
Who should avoid it
Large or distributed teams: the hands-on review notes rough edges for big teams, and there is no collaboration, sharing, or cloud sync to coordinate on.[1]
People who need their boards on a phone: only Windows, macOS, and Linux desktop builds are documented, with no mobile app or web access.[1]
Teams wanting automation and integrations: no public API, power-ups, or third-party integrations are documented, so connected workflows have nowhere to plug in.[1][2]
How people experience it
One inspected firsthand hands-on account: a July 2025 XDA-Developers review by Yash after setting up boards, customizing themes, and testing import/export on Kanri.
1 cited community source. Single inspected firsthand press report; managed-team, non-technical, and long-term experiences are not represented. No Reddit or G2 reports were found, so no quote boxes are included; the press account is summarized with a link in the readable draft.
Setup speed stands out: the reviewer had a first board ready with projects and tasks within minutes of installing, which matches the no-account design.[1]
The minimalist interface earns the warmest praise: a clean look with custom themes made daily use enjoyable rather than merely functional.[1]
Team scale is the stated boundary: the same review scopes its recommendation to individuals or small teams and flags limits for larger or advanced needs.[1]
Questions worth asking
What is the best Kanri alternative for non-technical users?
Is Kanri really no-code?
How much does Kanri cost per month?
Kanri costs 0 dollars: the official site states it is 100 percent free with no paid tier, login, or paywalled feature. Because boards live on your own device, there is no hosting bill either. Prices checked October 11, 2026.[1]
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.
One inspected firsthand hands-on account: a July 2025 XDA-Developers review by Yash after setting up boards, customizing themes, and testing import/export on Kanri. Single inspected firsthand press report; managed-team, non-technical, and long-term experiences are not represented. No Reddit or G2 reports were found, so no quote boxes are included; the press account is summarized with a link in the readable draft.
- Kanri official site (homepage)
official · Observed October 11, 2026
Product identity, platforms, features, pricing, import/export, themes, shortcuts, languages, and offline positioning.
- kanriapp/kanri repository (GitHub)
official · Observed October 11, 2026
Repository identity, GPL-3.0 license declaration, star/fork/contributor counts, Tauri and Nuxt stack, release v0.5.1, build tooling.
- kanriapp/kanri LICENSE (GPL-3.0)
official · Observed October 11, 2026
License identification: GPL version 3 Vista previa text confirming the declared GPL-3.0 license.
- XDA-Developers hands-on Kanri review
community · Observed October 11, 2026 · Published July 26, 2025
Firsthand hands-on experience: setup speed, interface impression, Trello comparison, and team-scale limits. Summarized with a link; no verbatim quotes persisted (testimonials require Reddit/G2 sources).