Focalboard vs Trello: The Open Source Alternative That Costs $0 Forever
Trello made Kanban mainstream. Paying $5-17.50/user/month for colored cards is expensive.
Focalboard does the same. Free. Self-hostable. You own your data.
What Focalboard Is
Open-source project management tool built by Mattermost. 13,000+ GitHub stars. Alternative to Trello, Asana, Notion.
Kanban-style boards. Organize tasks, track projects, collaborate. Completely free. Self-hostable.
Pricing Comparison
| Feature | Focalboard | Trello Free | Trello Standard | Trello Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $0 | $0 | $5/user/mo | $17.50/user/mo |
| Unlimited Boards | ✅ | ❌ (10 max) | ✅ | ✅ |
| Unlimited Cards | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| File Attachments | ✅ Unlimited | 10MB max | 250MB | Unlimited |
| Custom Fields | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Calendar View | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Self-Hosting | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Data Ownership | ✅ You own it | Atlassian owns it | Atlassian owns it | Atlassian owns it |
10-person team:
- Trello Standard: $600/year
- Trello Premium: $2,100/year
- Focalboard: $0
Features
Board Views
Trello locks multiple views behind Premium. Focalboard gives Kanban, Table, Gallery, Calendar—no upsell.
Custom Properties
Trello custom fields = paid. Focalboard: unlimited custom attributes—dates, numbers, text, checkboxes, selects.
Templates
Focalboard includes:
- Project Tasks
- Content Calendar
- Goals & OKRs
- Roadmaps
- Meeting Agendas
Trello has more templates. Focalboard covers essentials. You can create your own.
Collaboration
Trello wins on integrations. Atlassian ecosystem—Jira, Confluence, Power-Ups. Focalboard is simpler: comments, @mentions, board permissions. Enough for most small teams.
Self-Hosting
Focalboard’s differentiator. Run on your own server:
# Docker deployment
docker run -it -p 80:8000 mattermost/focalboard
Or DigitalOcean, AWS, homelab. Your data stays on your infrastructure. No vendor lock-in. No price hikes.
For privacy-conscious teams, GDPR compliance, data residency requirements—self-hosting matters.
Where Trello Wins
Power-Ups Trello’s marketplace has hundreds of integrations. Focalboard’s integration story is weaker—custom connections or webhooks needed.
Mobile Apps Trello’s iOS and Android apps are polished. Focalboard has mobile, but it’s less refined.
Enterprise Trello Enterprise: SSO, admin controls, compliance certifications. Focalboard doesn’t match (yet).
Ease of Use Trello is plug-and-play. Focalboard requires setup—especially self-hosting. Learning curve exists.
Who Should Use What
Focalboard if:
- Bootstrapped startups
- Privacy-focused teams
- Technical teams comfortable with self-hosting
- Subscription fatigue
- Need unlimited boards
Trello if:
- You need extensive third-party integrations
- Your team lives on mobile
- Deep in Atlassian ecosystem
- Zero setup friction required
Migration
Focalboard imports from Trello, Jira, GitHub, Asana. Boards transfer with cards, descriptions, due dates.
The Verdict
Trello pioneered Kanban. In 2026, subscription fees for basic project management feel dated. Focalboard delivers most Trello functionality free.
Individuals and small teams: Focalboard gives unlimited boards, multiple views, custom fields, data ownership—free.
Larger organizations: If you need enterprise features, mobile excellence, deep integrations, Trello Premium might justify the price. Try Focalboard first. You might not miss much.
Verdict: Focalboard respects time, privacy, budget. Notable in a world of SaaS subscriptions.
Pricing verified April 2026.