Leantime — Open Source Project Management for Teams

Introduction

Leantime is an open-source project management system built for teams that need more than a simple task board but less than enterprise PM software. It combines strategy mapping, task management, timesheets, and idea boards into a single self-hosted application, with a focus on usability for people who are not full-time project managers.

What Leantime Does

• Provides Kanban boards, list views, and Gantt-style timeline views for task management
• Maps goals and milestones to daily tasks so teams can connect work to strategy
• Tracks time spent on tasks with built-in timesheet functionality
• Offers idea boards and a research repository for collecting and prioritizing concepts
• Supports multiple projects with role-based access control and team assignments

Architecture Overview

Leantime is a PHP application built on a custom MVC framework. It uses MySQL or MariaDB for data storage and serves a responsive front end with a mix of server-rendered views and JavaScript components. File uploads are stored on the local filesystem or S3-compatible storage. The application runs behind Apache or Nginx and can be deployed via Docker or traditional PHP hosting.

Self-Hosting & Configuration

• Requires PHP 8.1+, MySQL 5.7+ or MariaDB 10.4+, and a web server
• Configure database connection via environment variables or .env file
• Optional S3 configuration for file storage in cloud deployments
• Supports LDAP and OIDC for single sign-on integration
• Docker Compose files provided for quick deployment with a bundled database

Key Features

• Strategy-to-task mapping connecting OKRs and goals to actionable work items
• Built-in time tracking and timesheet reports per user and project
• Idea boards with voting and status workflows for product discovery
• Two-factor authentication and granular role-based permissions
• REST API for integrations with external tools and automation

Comparison with Similar Tools

• Plane — Modern UI and open source, but less focus on strategy and goal mapping
• Taiga — Agile-focused with Scrum/Kanban, but heavier and more complex to deploy
• Focalboard — Lightweight Notion-like boards by Mattermost, fewer PM-specific features
• OpenProject — Enterprise-grade with Gantt and BIM, but significantly heavier
• Vikunja — Minimal task management tool, lacks strategy and timesheet features

FAQ

Q: Does Leantime support Agile methodologies? A: Yes. Leantime supports Kanban boards, sprint-like milestones, and backlog management. It is flexible enough for Agile, Waterfall, or hybrid approaches.

Q: Can I integrate Leantime with other tools? A: Leantime has a REST API and supports integrations with Slack, Mattermost, and Zapier. OIDC support allows SSO with providers like Keycloak or Auth0.

Q: How does Leantime handle file storage? A: Files can be stored on the local filesystem or in S3-compatible object storage. Configure the storage backend via environment variables.

Q: Is Leantime suitable for large teams? A: Leantime works well for small to mid-size teams. It supports multiple projects, role-based access, and team management features appropriate for organizations up to a few hundred users.

Sources

• https://github.com/Leantime/leantime
• https://docs.leantime.io