Focalboard
- Open-source personal desktop apps and a personal multi-user server
- Kanban boards designed as a Trello, Notion, and Asana alternative
- A project whose official repository currently seeks maintainers
Kanera vs Focalboard
Focalboard remains an open-source personal and team board project, but its official repository says it is not currently maintained. Kanera is an actively developed team product with reporting, integrations, and a supported deployment shape.
Two capable tools.
Different priorities.
Kanera
- Modern boards with shared workspace structure when projects connect
- Five planning and execution views, reporting, nested notes, and automation
- REST API, managed webhooks, native MCP, and source availability
Feature comparisonKanera vs Focalboard
Kanera vs Focalboard
at a glance
Maintenance status is part of the product decision here, not a footnote. Verify Focalboard before any new deployment.
| Feature |  Kanera | Focalboard Unmaintained standalone project |
|---|---|---|
| Views & Planning | ||
| Board view | Kanban boards with drag-and-drop cards, list limits, collapse controls, and per-list sorting. | Kanban board views are the central Focalboard planning surface. |
| List view | A structured table across a board or workspace with filters, grouping, calculations, and Excel export. | Table and gallery-style views have been part of Focalboard, alongside board views. |
| Calendar view | A calendar for dated cards with month navigation, filtering, and drag-to-reschedule. | Calendar view has been part of the project's multi-view model. |
| Cross-project overview | Assigned Work gathers cards and checklist items; Work Done shows 60 days of completed activity. | The standalone project focuses on boards rather than Kanera-style Assigned Work and Work Done rollups. |
| Cards & Work | ||
| Work item detail | Cards include descriptions, dates, assignees, priority, labels, attachments, comments, checklists, and activity. | Cards and properties model tasks with descriptions, comments, files, assignees, and dates. |
| Custom fields | Text, number, date, checkbox, select, and multi-select fields can belong to one board or a shared workspace. | Board properties provide configurable fields for card data. |
| Checklists | Reusable checklist templates with item assignees, due dates, and Assigned Work visibility. Each item can also act like a subtask with its own description and sub-checklists. | Card descriptions can hold checklist-style content; the project does not document Kanera-style assigned checklist templates. |
| Bulk editing | Selected cards can change dates, labels, assignees, fields, completion, location, copies, or archive state together. | The repository does not document a broad multi-card bulk editor comparable to Kanera. |
| Structure & Workflow | ||
| Independent projects | Standalone boards keep their own lists, labels, fields, templates, automations, permissions, and settings. | Boards are independently structured in the personal desktop and server editions. |
| Shared structure | Workspace boards can reuse lists, labels, fields, checklist templates, automations, and reporting. | Templates and board properties help repeat structure, but shared cross-board fields and lists are not documented like Kanera workspaces. |
| Automation | Rules combine card triggers, conditions, and actions at board or workspace level. | The standalone repository does not present a native rule builder comparable to Kanera automation. |
| Reporting | List calculations, grouped results, Work Done history, Assigned Work counts, and Excel export cover operational reporting. | The public repository does not document Kanera-style list calculations, assigned-work rollups, or completion history. |
| One-way board syncing | Selected source lists can feed linked copies on another board, keeping shared card content and mapped workflow context current one way. | The standalone repository does not document native one-way card or list syncing between boards. |
| Collaboration & Access | ||
| Collaboration | Comments, mentions, attachments, realtime updates, presence, and an attributed activity history sit beside the work. | The multi-user server supports realtime collaboration, comments, mentions, and permissions. |
| External access | Pro keeps guests board-scoped: the first board is free, while a second or later board uses one purchased seat in total. | Team collaboration and board sharing exist, though current support expectations are limited by maintenance status. |
| Notes and context | Personal and shared notes use a nested tree with attachments, search, and backlinks to cards. | Card descriptions and board content hold context; there is no documented nested personal and shared notes system. |
| Notifications | An in-app drawer, email preferences, browser push, mentions, assignments, due dates, and automation events. | Notification behavior exists in the collaboration product, but operators should verify the current release before relying on it. |
| Data & Migration | ||
| API and webhooks | Scoped API keys, a REST API, event-selective webhooks, delivery history, retries, pausing, and secret rotation. | The project has had API and integration surfaces, but an unmaintained repository is a material risk for new integrations. |
| AI integration | A native MCP server gives compatible AI clients scoped access to live Kanera context; AI is not built into the app. | The standalone repository does not document a native MCP server or built-in AI layer. |
| Deployment | Hosted plans or a source-available Docker Compose deployment with no Kanera per-seat self-hosting fee. | The personal server is self-hostable and open source; official maintenance has stopped for now. |
| Import and export | Reviewable Trello JSON import, Excel and JSON export, plus assisted planning and APIs for custom migrations. | The repository documents imports in older releases, but Kanera has no native Focalboard importer. |
Competitor details checked July 16, 2026. Focalboard repository. Features and packaging can change.
Where Kanera
takes a different path.
Review progress without building dashboards
Work Done shows a 60-day daily history of created, moved, and completed cards plus finished checklist items.
Keep assigned work from getting buried
Review assigned cards and checklist items across boards, with filters, grouping, priorities, and overdue counts.
Keep notes beside the work
Store personal and team notes in a nested tree, attach files, link cards, and search notes with the rest of the workspace.
Choose independent or shared boards
Keep boards fully independent, or reuse lists, labels, fields, checklist templates, and automations across a workspace.
Change many cards at once
Update dates, labels, assignees, fields, completion, location, copies, and archives across selected cards.
Connect the stack and keep control
Use personal or workspace API keys, managed webhooks, and MCP. Self-host when deployment control matters.
Best fit
Treat maintenance as a first-order requirement.
Focalboard is currently unmaintained
Its open-source desktop and personal-server editions remain available, but the official repository currently seeks maintainers.
Kanera is built for active teams
Kanera provides active development, polished collaboration, reporting, automation, API access, webhooks, MCP, and a documented Docker Compose topology.
Bring a real project into the evaluation.
There is no native Focalboard importer today. We can assess available exports and decide which boards, properties, users, and files should move.
Frequently asked
questions
Is standalone Focalboard still maintained?
Its official GitHub repository says it is currently not maintained and is looking for maintainers. The latest listed standalone release is from June 2024. Check the repository before choosing it for a new deployment.
What Focalboard editions remain available?
Focalboard remains open source and offers single-user desktop apps plus a personal multi-user server. Its official repository says the standalone project is currently not maintained and is looking for maintainers.
Where does Kanera differ?
Kanera is an actively developed team product with realtime collaboration, reporting, notes, automation, notifications, API, webhooks, MCP, and a supported Docker Compose deployment shape.
Can Kanera import Focalboard boards?
Not directly. Kanera does not currently include a Focalboard importer. Plan a custom migration using available APIs or exports.
See whether Kanera
fits your team.
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