I tried OpenProject and Vikunja. Then I built Agila.
In 2023 I started a secure-communications product with a small team: me (founder, product owner, business owner, sysadmin), one developer who needed clear specs and timelines, and two part-time QA specialists. That product is still private (to be released by eoy), so I won't name it here. What I will tell you is how we managed the work — and how that frustration became Agila . We started in a…
In 2023, a small team founded a secure-communications product with the founder, one developer, and two part-time QA specialists. The team struggled with managing work in a spreadsheet, as ownership became fuzzy and status information was unreliable. Seeking a more effective project tool, they explored OpenProject, which offered a Kanban view but felt heavy and cumbersome.
They then tried Vikunja, finding it more approachable but not meeting their needs. Fed up with subpar tools, the founder began building Agila, a Kanban-based agile project management tool, using AI-assisted coding to create the essential components for their workflow.
Agila started as a minimal Kanban workspace and evolved into an open-source, multi-view agile project management tool. It offers free self-hosting options or hosted plans for those who prefer it. The tool emphasizes collaboration with real-time updates, soft WIP limits, optional sprints, and SSO integrations with Google, GitHub, and Microsoft 365. Agila also features an optional AI agent that uses your API key.
Key features of Agila include Kanban-first functionality with list, Gantt, and calendar views when needed, in-place editing of cards to maintain context, soft WIP warnings to prevent column overload, per-board membership roles, and a full product available on GitHub for free self-hosting or hosted plans. The tool is still maturing in terms of integrations and native mobile support, but it provides an honest comparison to other project management tools.
Agila was built to solve the specific pain points faced by the small team, who needed a lightweight tool that didn't sacrifice structure or QA. The team emphasizes the importance of drag-and-drop functionality, urging users to stress-test the board with numerous cards to ensure usability. Agila's interactive preview and compare page on agila.dev allow users to evaluate the tool before adoption. Feedback is welcome, and the development team encourages users to engage with them on X (@agila_app).
Written by urgent.news from Dev.to's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
