Wekan
- MIT-licensed open-source collaborative kanban
- Self-hosting with a long-running community and about 105 languages
- Operator-led deployment with explicit backup and upgrade guidance
Kanera vs Wekan
Wekan is a long-running MIT-licensed self-hosted kanban project with broad translation coverage. Kanera is source-available and adds connected workspace structure, execution reporting, notes, webhooks, and MCP.
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 Wekan
Kanera vs Wekan
at a glance
Kanera adds a complete connected project layer around the boards: shared structure, execution reporting, nested notes, automation, webhooks, and MCP.
| Feature |  Kanera | Wekan Open-source kanban |
|---|---|---|
| Views & Planning | ||
| Board view | Kanban boards with drag-and-drop cards, list limits, collapse controls, and per-list sorting. | Realtime kanban boards, lists, cards, drag and drop, swimlanes, and access controls are the core. |
| List view | A structured table across a board or workspace with filters, grouping, calculations, and Excel export. | Wekan is board-led and does not document a Kanera-style cross-card reporting table. |
| Calendar view | A calendar for dated cards with month navigation, filtering, and drag-to-reschedule. | Calendar capabilities are available through Wekan's board and card date features, with exact behavior depending on release. |
| Cross-project overview | Assigned Work gathers cards and checklist items; Work Done shows 60 days of completed activity. | The official repository does not present Assigned Work and 60-day Work Done views comparable to Kanera. |
| Cards & Work | ||
| Work item detail | Cards include descriptions, dates, assignees, priority, labels, attachments, comments, checklists, and activity. | Cards support members, labels, dates, descriptions, attachments, checklists, comments, and activity. |
| Custom fields | Text, number, date, checkbox, select, and multi-select fields can belong to one board or a shared workspace. | Wekan supports custom fields on cards. |
| 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. | Cards support checklists and checklist items as part of kanban work. |
| Bulk editing | Selected cards can change dates, labels, assignees, fields, completion, location, copies, or archive state together. | The official README 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 keep their own lists, members, labels, rules, and access. |
| Shared structure | Workspace boards can reuse lists, labels, fields, checklist templates, automations, and reporting. | Wekan organises independent boards rather than documenting a shared cross-board schema like Kanera workspaces. |
| Automation | Rules combine card triggers, conditions, and actions at board or workspace level. | Wekan includes rules and integrations, with capabilities tied to the current release. |
| Reporting | List calculations, grouped results, Work Done history, Assigned Work counts, and Excel export cover operational reporting. | The repository centres on kanban operations rather than Kanera-style list calculations and completion reporting. |
| 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 official 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. | Realtime board collaboration, comments, attachments, members, and activity are mature parts of the project. |
| External access | Pro keeps guests board-scoped: the first board is free, while a second or later board uses one purchased seat in total. | Board visibility, users, and permissions are controlled by the self-hosted operator. |
| Notes and context | Personal and shared notes use a nested tree with attachments, search, and backlinks to cards. | Descriptions and comments hold card context; no separate nested personal and shared notes tree is documented. |
| Notifications | An in-app drawer, email preferences, browser push, mentions, assignments, due dates, and automation events. | Email and integration notifications depend on operator configuration and the current release. |
| Data & Migration | ||
| API and webhooks | Scoped API keys, a REST API, event-selective webhooks, delivery history, retries, pausing, and secret rotation. | Wekan provides APIs and integration hooks for self-hosted extensions. |
| AI integration | A native MCP server gives compatible AI clients scoped access to live Kanera context; AI is not built into the app. | The official repository does not document a native MCP server or built-in AI integration. |
| Deployment | Hosted plans or a source-available Docker Compose deployment with no Kanera per-seat self-hosting fee. | Self-hosting is central and the code is MIT licensed. The README recommends at least 4 GB total RAM for production. |
| Import and export | Reviewable Trello JSON import, Excel and JSON export, plus assisted planning and APIs for custom migrations. | Wekan has import and export paths, but Kanera has no native Wekan importer. |
Competitor details checked July 16, 2026. Wekan repository and operations guidance. 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
Compare kanban with a complete project workspace.
Wekan centres open-source kanban
Wekan provides MIT licensing, broad translation coverage, and a long-running self-hosted kanban community.
Kanera powers richer team operations
Kanera adds cross-board assigned work, completion reporting, shared fields, nested notes, automation, managed webhooks, and MCP.
Bring a real project into the evaluation.
There is no native Wekan importer today. We can review export and API options, map the board structure, and scope a controlled pilot.
Frequently asked
questions
How are Kanera and Wekan similar?
Both are self-hostable, collaborative kanban systems with real-time updates. Wekan is MIT-licensed open source; Kanera is source-available under Elastic License 2.0.
How does Wekan differ?
Wekan is MIT licensed, translated into about 105 languages, and has a long-running self-hosted community. Kanera adds shared cross-board structure, five connected views, reporting, nested notes, managed webhooks, and MCP.
What operational warning does Wekan publish?
Wekan warns operators to update frequently, keep daily database backups, monitor disk space, and notes that there is no undo. Its README recommends at least 4 GB total RAM for production.
Can Kanera import Wekan boards?
Not directly. Kanera does not currently include a Wekan importer. Use exports and APIs to plan a custom migration.
See whether Kanera
fits your team.
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