Planka — Self-Hosted Trello-Like Project Management

What it is

Planka is a self-hosted project management tool that provides real-time kanban boards inspired by Trello. It features drag-and-drop cards, file attachments, checklists, labels, due dates, and per-board access control. All data stays on your own server, giving teams full control over their project information.

Planka targets small to mid-sized teams who want Trello-like functionality without subscription fees or third-party data storage. It runs as a Docker Compose stack with a Node.js backend (Sails.js), React frontend, and PostgreSQL database.

How it saves time or tokens

Planka deploys in minutes with a single Docker Compose command. Real-time WebSocket updates mean all team members see board changes instantly without refreshing. The built-in user management eliminates the need for a separate authentication service, and email notifications keep team members informed about assignments and due dates automatically.

How to use

1. Download the official docker-compose.yml from the Planka repository.
2. Run docker compose up -d to start Planka with PostgreSQL.
3. Open http://localhost:1337 and log in with the default credentials (demo@demo.demo / demo).

Example

# docker-compose.yml for Planka
version: '3'
services:
  planka:
    image: ghcr.io/plankanban/planka:latest
    ports:
      - '1337:1337'
    environment:
      BASE_URL: http://localhost:1337
      SECRET_KEY: your-secret-key-here
      DATABASE_URL: postgresql://planka:planka@db:5432/planka
    depends_on:
      - db
  db:
    image: postgres:16-alpine
    environment:
      POSTGRES_DB: planka
      POSTGRES_USER: planka
      POSTGRES_PASSWORD: planka
    volumes:
      - db-data:/var/lib/postgresql/data
volumes:
  db-data:

Related on TokRepo

• AI Tools for Task Management -- explore task management tools that integrate with AI workflows
• AI Tools for Self-Hosted -- discover self-hosted applications for team productivity

Common pitfalls

• The default credentials must be changed immediately after first login; leaving demo accounts active is a security risk.
• Planka stores file attachments on the local filesystem by default; configure external storage for production deployments to avoid data loss.
• PostgreSQL backups are not configured out of the box; set up pg_dump schedules to protect project data.