🩺 Vitals
- 📦 Version: v3.9.5 (Released 2026-06-18)
- 🚀 Velocity: Active (Last commit 2026-06-18)
- 🌟 Community: 10.1k Stars · 992 Forks
- 🐞 Backlog: 321 Open Issues
🏗️ Profile
- Official: leantime.io
- Source: github.com/Leantime/leantime
- License: AGPL-3.0 (Open Core)
- Deployment: Docker | SaaS
- Data Model: MySQL
- Jurisdiction: USA 🇺🇸 (Leantime, Inc. — VC-Backed / Techstars)
- Compliance (SaaS): N/A (Undisclosed)
- Compliance (Self-Hosted): HIPAA Eligible | GDPR Ready
- Complexity: Low (2/5) - Standard PHP/MySQL, Docker Compose
- Maintenance: Low (2/5) - Standard web app update cycle
- Enterprise Ready: Medium (3/5) - LDAP, 2FA, RBAC in core — Program Management and Strategy gated behind paid plugins
1. The Executive Summary
What is it? Leantime is a project management platform designed explicitly for teams that lack a dedicated project manager. Built on strategic frameworks (OKR, Lean Canvas, SWOT) and a neurodiversity-informed UX, it provides an accessible entry point for non-technical teams to run structured project portfolios. The core engine is AGPL-3.0-licensed with an Open Core commercial model: critical enterprise scaling features — program management, strategy boards, custom fields — are proprietary marketplace plugins sold by Leantime, Inc.
The Strategic Verdict:
- 🔴 For Scaling Enterprises Needing Cross-Project Coordination: Caution. Program management, strategy boards, and custom fields require purchasing proprietary marketplace plugins from a single vendor. AGPL-3.0 copyleft also triggers source-sharing obligations if you modify and expose the code over a network.
- 🟢 For SME Teams Without Dedicated PMs: Strong Buy. The core platform delivers OKR tracking, Lean Canvas, Kanban, and time tracking at zero license cost, with a PHP/MySQL stack that any sysadmin can deploy and maintain.
2. The "Hidden" Costs (TCO Analysis)
| Cost Component | Monday.com (SaaS) | Leantime (Self-Hosted) |
|---|---|---|
| License Fee | Per-seat SaaS pricing (min 3 seats) | $0 (AGPL-3.0 Core) |
| Program Management | Included (Enterprise tier) | Proprietary Plugin (Paid Add-on) |
| Strategy Frameworks | Third-party integrations | Built-in Core (Advanced features paid) |
| Data Sovereignty | Cloud-Hosted (US jurisdiction) | 100% Self-Owned |
3. The "Day 2" Reality Check
🚀 Deployment & Operations
- Installation: Standard PHP/MySQL stack with official Docker Compose support. No compiled dependencies, no polyglot build chains. A single
docker-compose upgets a working instance. - Scalability: Scales vertically on standard web hosting infrastructure. PHP + MySQL is battle-tested — the bottleneck will be the database before the application. Horizontal scaling requires external load balancing and session management outside the default deployment.
🛡️ Security & Governance (Risk Assessment)
- Jurisdiction & The CLOUD Act: Leantime, Inc. is a US-incorporated, VC-backed entity (Techstars). Any SaaS or cloud-hosted data is subject to the US CLOUD Act, exposing EU and international buyers to compelled government disclosure. Self-hosting on EU infrastructure eliminates this exposure entirely — the standard PHP/MySQL architecture makes jurisdiction-shifting straightforward.
- The Compliance Shift: Leantime does not disclose compliance certifications for its SaaS tier. Self-hosting transfers the full security burden to the operator — HIPAA and GDPR readiness depend entirely on your infrastructure team securing MySQL encryption at rest, network isolation, and backup retention. The application provides RBAC, LDAP integration, and 2FA as building blocks, but these are enablers, not a compliance guarantee.
- License Risk (The Open Core Trap): The AGPL-3.0 core carries a network copyleft clause: modifying the source and exposing it over a network triggers mandatory source-code release under AGPL-3.0. More critically, the features that scaling enterprises require — Program Management, Strategy Boards, Custom Fields, Advanced Whiteboards — are proprietary marketplace plugins, not AGPL-3.0. This creates a hard lock-in ceiling: accessibility and strategic frameworks are free, but cross-project coordination requires purchasing from a single vendor with no open-source alternative for those specific modules.
4. Market Landscape
🏢 Proprietary Incumbents
- Monday.com: The dominant visual PM platform for non-technical teams. Organizations evaluate Leantime to eliminate per-seat SaaS fees and regain data sovereignty, while preserving accessible UX for teams without PM training.
- Asana: The established task coordination platform. Teams migrate when Asana's pricing scales past budget and they need embedded strategic frameworks (OKR, Lean Canvas) rather than bolt-on integrations.
🤝 Open Source Ecosystem
- OpenProject: The enterprise-grade PM platform for regulated industries. Better suited for organizations with dedicated project managers and Gantt-heavy waterfall or hybrid workflows.
- Plane: The high-velocity alternative targeting developer teams with a Linear-like experience. Lighter operational footprint but lacks Leantime's strategic PM frameworks and accessibility focus.