Kan

Kan is an open-source, self-hosted web app that provides kanban-style project management. It allows users to organize tasks into boards, lists, and cards to track progress and manage workflows. The application is designed for teams that require a centralized location to coordinate tasks while maintaining complete control over their own data and infrastructure.

The software is deployed as a web application and can be hosted using Docker Compose or via a one-click deployment on Railway. It requires a PostgreSQL database for data storage and optionally uses Redis for rate limiting. Users can configure the environment through a set of variables to manage SMTP settings for email notifications and OIDC configurations for social logins.

Key features

• Board imports for migrating existing boards
• Board visibility controls to manage view and edit permissions
• Workspace member invitations for team collaboration
• Labels and filters for card organization
• Commenting system for team discussions
• Activity logs to track card changes and history
• Custom board templates for reusable structures

Kan is built with a modern TypeScript stack including Next.js, Tailwind CSS, and Turborepo. It utilizes tRPC and Zod for type-safe API communication and Drizzle ORM for database interactions. Authentication is handled through better-auth, with support for Google and Discord OAuth providers. The deployment process via Docker Compose includes a dedicated migration service that automatically updates the database schema before the web service starts, ensuring the environment is up to date.

For local development, the project supports pnpm for dependency management and provides a structured environment for developers to clone the repository and run the server locally. This architecture makes it suitable for both end users who want a private instance and developers who wish to contribute to the project.

This tool is a lightweight, self-hosted option for teams seeking full control over their project management data.