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Productivitydocker-ready1-click-deploypermissive-license100% FOSS🟢 Lightweight · ~256MB

Focalboard: Open Source alternative to Trello in 2026

Focalboard offers Kanban boards, tables and calendars in the style of Trello, and can run either as a standalone app or integrated into Mattermost.

Alternative to Trello
License MIT26.5k starsWebsite GitHub Repository

Audit Snapshot

View notes →

  • License — Not verifiable on GitHub

  • GitHub — Reduced maintenance

  • Latest release — v8.0.0 · 2 years ago

  • Docker Compose — Partial

  • Production — Not production-tested by AltFreeStack

Focalboard vs. Trello

Pros

  • Very permissive MIT license
  • Lightweight and easy to deploy

Things to consider

  • Fewer automation features than Trello with Power-Ups
  • Slower development pace since the Mattermost acquisition

Quick Docker installation guide

Copy this docker-compose.yml, adjust the example passwords and run docker compose up -d on your server. See the full step-by-step guide →

💡 Official SaaS or self-hosted with AltFreeStack?

  • On the official cloud: $5/mo per user on Trello.
  • On your own VPS: 100% free software on your own server, with no artificial row, project or user limits.
docker-compose.yml
version: "3.9"
services:
  focalboard:
    image: mattermost/focalboard:7.8.9
    restart: unless-stopped
    ports:
      - "8000:8000"
    volumes:
      - focalboard_data:/opt/focalboard/data
volumes:
  focalboard_data:

🚀 Deploy in 1 command

Recommended for beginners

Copy this single command and paste it into your freshly created VPS's console (Vultr, DigitalOcean...). It downloads the script, prints it to your screen so you can see exactly what it's about to do (never a blind direct pipe), and only then installs Docker if needed, writes the files with secrets already generated, and starts everything — no nano, no pasting code blocks.

curl -sSL ".../api/deploy?stack=focalboard" -o deploy.sh && cat deploy.sh && bash deploy.sh
See what this script does →

This docker-compose corresponds to an actively maintained project — last commit 4 months ago.

This docker-compose not working for you? Report it on GitHub →

Technical profile

License
MIT
Category
Productivity
Replaces
Trello
Tech stack
GoReactSQLite/PostgreSQL

Under the hood

Database

SQLite / PostgreSQL

Language

Go

Platforms

Web

Key features

  • Kanban, table, gallery and calendar boards
  • Ready-to-use templates
  • Standalone mode or Mattermost plugin

Frequently asked questions

What is Focalboard?

An open source Kanban board tool (MIT license) with table, gallery, and calendar views on top of Kanban — usable as a standalone app or as a Mattermost plugin. A lightweight alternative to Trello.

How do you deploy Focalboard with Docker?

With the official `mattermost/focalboard` image and a volume for its data — it supports SQLite or PostgreSQL. This page's docker-compose uses the minimal SQLite setup.

Is Focalboard still actively developed?

Development has slowed since Mattermost acquired it, with fewer automation features than Trello's Power-Ups. It's still a solid pick if you want something lightweight with a permissive license, but don't expect the release pace of a commercial tool.

💾 Backups in 3 steps (Day 2)

As long as the ./data folder (the "volume" mapped into the container) exists on your server, your data survives any restart or container update — that's the only thing you need to back up.

1. Create a compressed backup on the server

tar -czvf backup-$(date +%F).tar.gz ./data

2. Download it to your computer

From your computer's terminal (not your server's):

scp root@YOUR_IP:~/app/backup-*.tar.gz ./

3. Restore in case of emergency

tar -xzvf backup-file.tar.gz
🌐 Connect your domain with free SSL

Step 1 — Set up the DNS

In your domain registrar's dashboard (Cloudflare, Namecheap, GoDaddy...), create a record:

Type
A
Name/Host
@ (root domain) or a subdomain, e.g. app
Content/Value
Your server's public IP

Wait 5 to 15 minutes for the record to propagate across the internet.

Step 2 — Automatic reverse proxy with Caddy

One single file, no Nginx config or manual certificates — Caddy issues and renews Let's Encrypt HTTPS on its own.

Create a file called Caddyfile:

yourdomain.com {
    reverse_proxy localhost:8000
}

Start Caddy with this command (pulls the image and runs it in the background):

docker run -d -p 80:80 -p 443:443 --name caddy --restart always -v $PWD/Caddyfile:/etc/caddy/Caddyfile -v caddy_data:/data caddy