Most project management solutions offer a frustrating trade-off: powerful features versus intuitive design. Plane breaks that mold. This rapidly growing open-source platform delivers sophisticated project tracking with an interface so simple that managing the tool never becomes its own project. Whether you're coordinating a small team or scaling complex product development, Plane gives you exactly what you need without the bloat—and keeps your data where it belongs: under your control.
Website: https://plane.so/
makeplane
Why Choose Plane?
In a world where project management tools often become more complex than the work they're meant to organize, Plane stands apart:
- Truly Open Source
Every component is available on GitHub under AGPL-3.0. Inspect the code, modify it for your needs, or contribute back to the community. - No Feature Tax
Unlike mainstream alternatives that hide crucial features behind expensive tiers, Plane gives you everything—cycles, modules, custom views, analytics—without artificial limits. - Delightfully Intuitive
The thoughtfully designed interface eliminates excessive clicks and confusion. Create issues, track cycles, and visualize progress with minimal training. - Flexible Deployment
Choose between Plane Cloud for instant setup or self-host on your own infrastructure using Docker or Kubernetes for complete data sovereignty. - Built for Modern Teams
Whether you follow agile methodologies or prefer your own workflow, Plane adapts to you with customizable project templates and flexible views. - Privacy by Design
Keep sensitive project data on your servers with robust self-hosting options that don't compromise on features or performance.
Spotlight on Key Features
1. Streamlined Issue Management
• Rich text editor with file uploads and inline images
• Custom properties, labels, and priority levels
• Issue relationships and dependencies
• Multiple assignees and watchers
• Powerful filtering and sorting options
2. Cycles (Not Just Sprints)
• Flexible time-boxed work management
• Real-time burndown charts
• Scope tracking with added/removed issues
• Dynamic progress indicators
• Cycle templates for recurring workflows
3. Modules for Complex Projects
• Group related issues across multiple projects
• Track initiative progress from a unified view
• Dedicated module dashboard with completion metrics
• Separate stakeholder access controls
4. Customizable Views
• Kanban boards with customizable states
• List views for quick scanning and bulk actions
• Calendar view for timeline visualization
• Gantt-style views for dependency mapping
• Save and share custom filtered views with the team
5. Pages & Documentation
• Built-in documentation with rich formatting
• AI-assisted content creation
• Convert notes to actionable issues
• Embed images, files, and issue references
• Organize with hierarchical structure
6. Real-Time Analytics
• Customizable dashboards with key metrics
• Issue distribution by assignee, state, priority
• Cycle performance tracking
• Cumulative flow diagrams
• Export capabilities for reporting
Getting Started in Minutes
Plane offers multiple paths to get up and running quickly:
☁️ Plane Cloud
The fastest way to start—create an account at plane.so and invite your team.
• No infrastructure to manage
• Always up-to-date with latest features
• Generous free tier for small teams
🐳 Self-Hosted Docker
Take control with Docker Compose:
# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/makeplane/plane.git
cd plane
# Copy and customize environment variables
cp .env.example .env
# Start Plane
docker-compose up -d
☸️ Enterprise Kubernetes
For large organizations, deploy on your Kubernetes cluster:
# Add Plane Helm repository
helm repo add plane https://plane-helm.plane.so
helm repo update
# Install Plane
helm install plane plane/plane -f values.yaml
From Chaos to Clarity: Practical Use Cases
Software Development Teams
Track feature development from ideation to deployment using cycles for sprints, modules for epic management, and custom views to visualize burndown and velocity.
Product Management
Coordinate cross-functional work, collect feedback via forms, prioritize effectively with custom fields, and generate roadmap views for stakeholder alignment.
Agency Client Work
Create separate workspaces for each client, use modules to organize deliverables, and leverage Plane's clean interface for client-facing updates without overwhelming them.
IT Operations
Track incidents, manage change requests, and visualize system dependencies while integrating with existing DevOps tools through Plane's API.
Join the Plane Community
With over 35.6K GitHub stars and a rapidly growing contributor base, Plane is one of the fastest-rising stars in open-source project management:
- Contribute Code: Help build new features or squash bugs
- Suggest Improvements: Share your ideas on GitHub Discussions
- Join the Conversation: Connect with users and creators on Discord
- Share Your Setup: Inspire others with your Plane workflow
Get involved by checking out the contribution guidelines.
Final Thoughts
Project management tools should accelerate your work, not become another full-time job to manage. Plane strikes the perfect balance—powerful enough for complex projects, simple enough to stay out of your way, and open-source to ensure you're never locked in or limited.
Whether you're escaping the complexity of JIRA, the pricing limitations of Linear, or the closed ecosystems of Monday and Asana, Plane offers a refreshing alternative that puts you back in control of your projects and your data.
Ready to simplify your project management? Explore plane.so or dive into the code on GitHub.
