Obviously, in this fast-paced market, you are never going to perform all of these different processes by hand, and you need an incredibly effective project management software that takes care of these processes and activities for you and your team members.
So, if you are in the market for information about the best tool for the job, then you came to the right place, because, in this article, we are going to talk about the best Linux project management software that you can use right now in 2021.
Best Open Source Project Management Software for Ubuntu
Here is a list of the project management tools and applications that we are going to talk about in this article.
Let’s take a look at all these project management applications for Linux in detail, and find out how they can help the managers and the team members in their workdays.
1. nTask
One of the best applications that you can use as a project manager or a project development team member is nTask.
The application is an incredible Linux project management software that can be accessed through a web browser and can help you track and manage all of the different tasks and processes related to the project development process.
There is a lot of different functionalities being offered by the application like task management, project management, time management, risk management, bug tracking, and much more. All of this makes it a perfect choice for all those project managers using Linux-based systems.
Key Features
- Activity tracking to make sure that every single task and process is tracked and managed, and nothing is missed during the final review of the project development process
- Risk management to track and eradicate every single risk and scope creeps that are associated with the elements of the project development process
- Time tracking to track the time spent on every single task and process that is being worked on in the project development process, so that the managers can track the productivity of the employees and make better staffing decisions in the future
- Gantt charting
- Kanban boarding
- Calendar integration to sync up all of the different events and activities according to their specific dates
- Project management
- Zoom integration to improve collaboration among all the different team members involved in the project development process
- Custom statuses
Pricing
- The application has an incredible free trial that lets you get an idea of how immersive the project management experience is when you use the tool, but if you want to purchase the premium subscription of the application straight away, you need to pay $3/user/month
2. OpenProject
Another great example of a Linux project management software is OpenProject.
Developed in 2012, the software is an open-source web-based project management application that is perfect for you if you want location independent team collaboration among your team members, especially in the time of Covid-19.
Key Features
- The application lets you analyze status, priority, assigned person
- Compare estimated time and actual time so that you can get an idea about employee productivity
- Daily up to the yearly timeline of all of the activities that you have to perform regarding the project development process
- Integrated task management
- Follows-precedes relationships
- Multi-project roadmap
- Scoped based on user permissions
- Document key information in the wiki
- Real-time updates of everything that happens within the boundaries of the project development process
Pricing
- There is a free version and a free trial of the software available for use, if you want to check out the features that the tool has to offer, before spending $8.50/month on a paid subscription
3. Taiga
Taiga is another amazing Linux project management tool that can help you in your project development process. The application is amazing when it comes to startups, designers, and agile developers taking control of their projects.
The application can handle all sorts of projects either simple or complex, and has different front and back features that can help developers manage their code. Some other features that this incredible Linux project management software has to offer are as follows.
Key Features
- A clean and elegant interface that is intuitive and easy-to-use
- Backlog management to keep track of every single activity that goes on in the project development process
- Task management to keep track of the tasks that are being performed by the project development team members as part of the project development process
- Issue tracking and management that makes sure that all of the issues, risks, and scope creeps associated with the project are tracked and eradicated in time
- A customizable and adaptable interface so that the user can modify it according to their needs and requirements
- Kanban boarding
Pricing
- The application offers a free version that contains all the basic functionality that the tool has to offer, but if you want the good stuff that is all the premium features that the software has to offer, then you have to pay $5/month/user
4. ProjectLibre
The next item on the list is ProjectLibre. The application is an incredible Linux project management software that is free and open source. This means that the software can be customized according to the needs and requirements of the clients, and it is free to use.
Key Features
- Ribbon user interface
- Resource histograms
- PERT graphs
- Microsoft Project 2010 compatibility
- Earned value costing
- Gantt chart functionality
- Resource breakdown structure (RBS) chart
Pricing
- The application is free to use, which means that you can use the application according to how you please without paying anything to the company
5. Odoo
Odoo is an incredible Linux project management tool that helps you to manage leads, generate requests, scope out the bugs, and much more.
The tool also ensures that you can send automatic reminders, trigger specific methods when it comes to project management, and also escalate the requests.
Key Features
- Distributed server
- Object database
- Automatic incoming and outgoing email processing allows the users to use the email gateway and not worry about emails getting missed
- Configuration wizard
- The application can be integrated with sales, purchases, and after-sales services so that all of the transactional details are present when you want to review them
- Dynamic Graphical User Interface
- Flexible workflows
- Customizable reports
- Generic and fully customizable system
- Integrated with the enterprise calendars
- Enterprise processes running through workflows
Pricing
- The application provides an excellent trial version that allows you to take a peek at all of the features that the tool has to offer, but if you want those premium features in your workday for regular use, you need to pay $20/month
6. MyCollab
MyCollab is an incredible open-source collaboration software that allows the team members of the project development team to easily communicate with each other when it comes to the project development process.
The application also provides its users with valuable features like project management, document management, and CRM. Here are some other amazing features that the application has to offer to its clientele.
Key Features
- Project Management
- Activity stream and audit logging so that all the necessary task information is there when you need to review it later in the project development process
- Roadmap view of all the goals and milestones that you have to complete or you have already completed regarding the project development process
- Time tracking
- Document Management
- Online Document Editor
- Kanban board to give the users a different view of all of the information related to the project development process
- Issues Management
- Risk management to track and manage all the risks and scope creeps associated with the project development process
Pricing
- The application is free to use and can be customized according to the needs and requirements of the client
Free project management software
1. VPS.NET
Another UK VPS provider is VPS.NET with a price point that starts at $20 for a VPS with 376MB RAM and 10GB of storage. They have UK and US datacentres, and their cloud storage allows automatic failover and scaling.
2. Prgmr
Prgmr is a VPS provider that doesn’t “assume you are stupid,” implying that their services are geared towards developers that know what they are doing (or have the desire to learn on their own). Their 64MB instances start at $5 a month, and a 256MB instance will only set you back $8. Debian, Ubuntu or CentOS are the only officially supported OSs, but they’ll let you install your own, if you want. They even let you build your own kernel, which isn’t something you can do with most of the other VPS providers.
3. Linode
Linode is a popular VPS provider, and they’ve recently added a UK-based datacentre so users now have the option of a US or European-situated server. The cheapest plan starts at just under $20 a month and includes 360MB of RAM and 16GB storage. There are no setup fees, no contracts, and a slew of 32 and 64-bit Linux operating systems are offered.
4. Slicehost
Built for developers, Slicehost has no contract period or setup fees. “Slices” start from $20 with 256MB of RAM and 10GB of storage. You can upgrade or downgrade your hardware at any point with minimal downtime.
They currently only offer US datacentres.
5. RIMU Hosting
A truly global VPS provider with datacentres in the US, UK, Australia and New Zealand is RIMU Hosting. Prices start at around $20, and you can opt for billing in the local currency of the datacentre you chose. If you’re an open source developer, RIMU Hosting will discount your subscription as a way of giving back to the community.
They also offer a discount of 10% if you require multiple servers.
6. Bytemark
Bytemark is a UK-based VPS provider with datacentres in London. Prices start at £15 (around $22, American) for 256MB and 10GB of storage. Bytemark boast some impressive features that come as standard, such as redundant disks for fault tolerance, free server monitoring and IPv6 connectivity.
7. XLS hosting
A cloud VPS provider, XLS hosting is based in the Netherlands. They have an extremely good value with their entry level VPS offering that starts at about $15 a month for 128MB RAM and 10GB storage.
8. Gandi
Self-described as “hosting for geeks”, Gandi gives you great bang for your buck, and even offers a free trial. Prices start at $13 for 256MB RAM and 8GB storage. Hardware upgrades are automatic, and they provide emergency support services.
open source agile project management
MyCollab
MyCollab is a suite of three collaboration modules for small and midsize businesses: project management, customer relationship management (CRM), and document creation and editing software. There are two licensing options: a commercial “ultimate” edition, which is faster and can be run on-premises or in the cloud, and the open source “community edition,” which is the version we’re interested in here.
The community edition doesn’t have a cloud option and is slower, due to not using query cache, but provides essential project management features, including tasks, issues management, activity stream, roadmap view, and a Kanban board for agile teams. While it doesn’t have a separate mobile app, it works on mobile devices as well as Linux, Unix, Windows, and MacOS.
The source code for the latest version of MyCollab is available on GitHub. It is licensed under AGPLv3 and requires a Java runtime and MySQL stack to operate. It’s available for download for Linux, Unix, Windows, and MacOS.
OpenProject
opensource.com
OpenProject is a powerful open source project management tool that is notable for its ease of use and rich project management and team collaboration features.
Its modules support project planning, scheduling, roadmap and release planning, time tracking, cost reporting, budgeting, bug tracking, and agile and Scrum. Its agile features, including creating stories, prioritizing sprints, and tracking tasks, are integrated with OpenProject’s other modules. OpenProject also offers options for paid hosting and support with an enterprise edition that adds features such as custom branding, easy Single Sign-On (SSO), additional metadata, and several UX conveniences.
OpenProject is licensed under GPLv3 with source code available on GitHub. Helpful documentation is available for developers at OpenProject.org/development, or you can learn more about installing and configuring it in Birthe Lindenthal’s article “Getting started with OpenProject.”
Phabricator
Phabricator is a collection of web apps by Phacility, and it contains far more tasks than the project advertises in its sales pitch. It’s unusual for a company to intentionally under sell their product, but that’s Phacility’s model, but don’t be fooled by their modesty. There’s Manifest for bug and issue tracking, Projects for Kanban workboards, Diffusion for Git hosting, Phame for blogging, the Phriction wiki, Harbormaster for CI/CD, Conpherence for team chat, and much much more. Everything is intregrated, so there’s no “rewiring” required to make your Kanban board affect your bug tracker. There’s a dashboard for all of the data, too, so tracking progress can happen at every level.
Phabricator is used by many active projects, including some big KDE applications, like Kdenlive and Krita, so its efficacy has been proven by teams distributed around the globe. It’s under constant development and tends to be open to feedback and enhancement requests.
You can run Phabricator on your own server and purchase paid support, or you can pay Phacility for hosting (with a Support Pact included). It’s licensed under the Apache 2.0 license and is available from the project’s Github mirror.
Gitlab
On the Internet, Gitlab is known as a website hosting open source projects in Git repositories. But within the walls of companies and organizations, Gitlab is possibly better known as an open source, locally installed web application for software development and project management. You can pay for hosting plans, or host it yourself, and if you’re running the community edition, then you’re running only open source components.
Gitlab’s community edition is distributed under the MIT license, and supports Agile development through scrum and kanban, sprint planning, epics, bug tracking, documentation, dashboards, charts, scheduling, automation, CI/CD, and more. There are many additional benefits, not the least of which is general developer familiarity with the platform. While many developers may have learned either Microsoft’s Github or just pure Git (the open source backend to Github, Gitlab, and many others), it’s fair to expect them to understand the workflow of using Git through a web interface.
For the project managers running the show, Gitlab’s interface is intuitive, consistent, and robust. A project manager doesn’t ever have to leave Gitlab. All tasks, from assigning tasks and planning sprints to accepting merge requests and deleting branches, can be done from within the Gitlab UI.
As Gitlab continues to develop, there’s every reason to believe that even more features for project management will be added. The Gitlab developers are happy to take feature requests and are quick to respond to feedback. You can download the Community Edition from Gitlab.com/install.
Odoo
opensource.com
Odoo is more than project management software; it’s a full, integrated business application suite that includes accounting, human resources, website and e-commerce, inventory, manufacturing, sales management (CRM), and other tools.
The free and open source community edition has limited features compared to the paid enterprise suite. Its project management application includes a Kanban-style task-tracking view for agile teams, which was updated in its latest release, Odoo 11.0, to include a progress bar and animation for tracking project status. The project management tool also includes Gantt charts, tasks, issues, graphs, and more. Odoo has a thriving community and provides user guides and other training resources.
It is licensed under GPLv3 and requires Python and PostgreSQL. It is available for download for Linux, Windows, and Red Hat Package Manager, as a Docker image, and as source on GitHub.
Taiga
opensource.com
Taiga is an open source project management platform that focuses on Scrum and Agile development, with features including a Kanban board, tasks, sprints, issues, backlog, and epics. Other features include ticket management, multi-project support, wiki pages, and third-party integrations.
It also offers a free mobile app for Android, iOS, and Windows devices, and provides import tools that make it easy to migrate from other popular project management applications.
Taiga is free for public projects, with no restrictions on either the number of projects or the number of users. For private projects, there is a wide range of paid plans but the software’s features are the same regardless of what plan you choose.
Taiga is licensed under GNU Affero GPLv3, and requires a stack that includes Nginx, Python, and PostgreSQL. The latest release is available from GitHub.
Tuleap
Tuleap is an application lifecycle management (ALM) platform that aims to manage projects for every type of team—small, midsize, large, waterfall, agile, or hybrid—but its support for agile teams is prominent. Notably, it offers support for Scrum, Kanban, sprints, tasks, reports, continuous integration, backlogs, and more.
Other features include issue tracking, document tracking, collaboration tools, and integration with Git, Jenkins, SVN, all of which make it an appealing choice for open source software development projects.
Tuleap is licensed under GPLv2 and is available on Github.
ZenTao
Kelsea Zhang, CC BY-SA 4.0
ZenTao is a professional project management tool based on the Scrum methodology and Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) philosophy. It has multiple features to cover the entire software development lifecycle. It clearly defines the concepts of program, project, product, and execution to help the production, development, and QA teams coordinate with each other while maintaining separate functionalities.
ZenTao provides three kinds of project management modules: Scrum, Waterfall, and Kanban. Teams can build customized processes through its powerful and flexible workflow. Its testing and bug tracking processes feature everything you need from product creation to release. ZenTao can be integrated with SVN, SonarQube, GitLab, and Jenkins for better code management.
ZenTao is licensed under dual licenses: ZPL and AGPL. It is available for Linux, Windows, and macOS. You can check out its docker image and the source code on GitHub. Download the Open Source Edition (Community Edition) from zentao.pmK/download or you can run it in the cloud.
Conclusion
These were our top picks when it comes to Linux project management software and if you think that you know about some other options that can help you better in your project management activities, then you can let us know and we will review them ASAP.