Asana
Web and mobile work management platform to organize and track team projects and tasks
Taskcafe
Self-hosted Kanban project management with personal task views
A self-hosted project management tool featuring Kanban boards, task assignments, due dates, labels, checklists, and a unified My Tasks view for tracking personal work.
Overview
Overview
Taskcafe is a self-hosted project management platform built for teams and individuals who want full control over their workflow tools. Designed around a familiar Kanban board interface, it combines task organization with personal productivity features.
Core Capabilities
Manage projects through drag-and-drop Kanban boards with support for due dates, labels, checklists, and task comments. The My Tasks view aggregates all assigned work across projects into a single dashboard, helping users prioritize without switching contexts. Personal projects enable individual workspace management alongside team collaboration.
Deployment & Technology
Built with Go, TypeScript, React, and GraphQL (gqlgen), Taskcafe ships as a single binary with an embedded frontend or runs via Docker Compose with PostgreSQL. Database migrations are handled through built-in tooling. The project is currently in alpha under the MIT license, with active development focused on core Kanban functionality before expanding to differentiated features.
Audience
Ideal for development teams, small businesses, and solo creators seeking a lightweight, privacy-focused alternative to cloud-based project management platforms without vendor lock-in.
Highlights
Kanban boards with due dates, labels, checklists, and task comments
My Tasks view consolidating all assigned work across projects
Personal projects for individual workspace management
Self-hosted deployment via Docker or single compiled binary
Pros
- Single binary deployment with embedded frontend simplifies installation
- MIT license provides full ownership and modification rights
- My Tasks view offers unified cross-project task visibility
- Docker Compose setup includes PostgreSQL for quick starts
Considerations
- Alpha stage means features are incomplete and APIs may change
- Limited differentiation from established tools during alpha phase
- Requires self-hosting infrastructure and database management
- Smaller community and ecosystem compared to mature alternatives
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Fit guide
Great for
- Teams requiring on-premises data control and privacy
- Organizations wanting customizable project management without SaaS fees
- Developers comfortable with Go/TypeScript stack for contributions
- Small teams needing straightforward Kanban workflow without complexity
Not ideal when
- Enterprises needing production-ready stability and vendor support
- Users seeking advanced features like time tracking or resource planning
- Teams without technical resources for self-hosted maintenance
- Projects requiring mobile apps or offline-first capabilities
How teams use it
Software Development Sprint Tracking
Engineering teams organize user stories on Kanban boards with checklists for acceptance criteria, while developers use My Tasks to prioritize daily work across multiple sprints.
Freelancer Project Portfolio
Independent contractors manage client projects in separate boards and track all deliverables through the My Tasks dashboard, maintaining clear boundaries between engagements.
Internal IT Request Management
IT departments create boards for support tickets, feature requests, and infrastructure tasks, assigning work with due dates and tracking resolution through comments and activity logs.
Content Production Pipeline
Marketing teams move content pieces through ideation, drafting, review, and publication stages using labels for content types and checklists for editorial standards.
Tech snapshot
TypeScript83%
Go16%
JavaScript1%
PLpgSQL1%
HTML1%
Dockerfile1%
Frequently asked questions
What database does Taskcafe require?
Taskcafe uses PostgreSQL. The Docker Compose setup includes a pre-configured PostgreSQL instance, or you can connect to an existing database by configuring the database section in conf/app.toml.
Is Taskcafe ready for production use?
No, Taskcafe is currently in alpha development. Features are still being implemented and APIs may change. It's suitable for testing and personal projects but not recommended for mission-critical production environments yet.
Can I migrate data from Trello or other tools?
The README does not mention import functionality. As an alpha project, data migration tools are likely not yet implemented. Check the project roadmap or Discord community for planned features.
How do I update Taskcafe to a newer version?
For Docker deployments, pull the latest image and restart containers. For binary installations, download the new release, run database migrations with 'taskcafe migrate', then restart the web service. Always backup your database before upgrading.
Does Taskcafe support team permissions or roles?
The README mentions creating a system user during installation but does not detail role-based access control. Permission features may be limited or under development during the alpha phase.
Project at a glance
Dormant- Stars
- 5,154
- Watchers
- 5,154
- Forks
- 461
LicenseMIT
Repo age5 years old
Last commit3 years ago
Self-hostingSupported
Primary languageTypeScript
Last synced 12 hours ago