Leantime

Leantime is a self‑hosted, open‑source project management platform that blends lightweight Kanban workflows with the depth of enterprise tools such as Jira. From a developer’s standpoint, it is a full‑stack PHP application that exposes a RESTful API and a WebSocket layer for real‑time updates. The core goal is to provide an extensible architecture that can be deployed in a variety of environments—from a single Docker container on a Raspberry Pi to a clustered Kubernetes deployment behind an Ingress controller.

Key Features

• Task & Sprint Management – Kanban, Gantt, calendar and table views with unlimited subtasks and dependency chains.
• Planning & Metrics – Goal tracking, Lean canvas, SWOT analysis, risk dashboards, and customizable reports.
• Knowledge Base – Wikis, idea boards, file storage (S3 or local), and screen/webcam recordings.
• Security & Identity – Two‑factor auth, LDAP/OIDC integration, role‑based access per project.
• Developer Hooks – Webhooks for state changes, a plugin system built on Composer packages, and an open REST API.

• Language & Framework – PHP 8.2 with the Laravel‑like MVC pattern (custom routing, Eloquent‑style ORM).
• Database – MySQL/MariaDB (default) with optional PostgreSQL support; migrations are managed via a built‑in CLI.
• Front‑end – Vue 3 (Composition API) with Tailwind CSS for rapid UI iteration.
• Real‑time – Laravel Echo Server (Node.js) using Pusher‑compatible protocol for live updates.
• Containerization – Official Docker images on Docker Hub; Compose files ship with Redis, MariaDB, and optional MinIO for S3 compatibility.

Leantime follows a service‑oriented layout where each domain (tasks, projects, users) is encapsulated in a module exposing both HTTP endpoints and event hooks. The API surface is documented with Swagger/OpenAPI, allowing developers to auto‑generate SDKs in TypeScript or Go. Webhooks are configurable per project, enabling instant integration with CI/CD pipelines, Slack, or custom dashboards. The plugin system is a simple Composer autoload hook; third‑party modules can register new routes, views, or database tables without modifying core code.

The application is designed to run in any LAMP stack but ships with Docker Compose for quick spin‑up. For scalability, you can deploy multiple instances behind a load balancer and use a shared Redis cache for session state. The database can be horizontally scaled with read replicas; migrations are idempotent, so rolling updates are safe. For high‑availability file storage, the built‑in S3 connector supports any compliant service (AWS, DigitalOcean Spaces, MinIO).

• API – Full CRUD on tasks, projects, users; supports pagination, filtering, and bulk operations.
• Webhooks – Triggered on create/update/delete events; payloads are JSON and can be consumed by any HTTP endpoint.
• Plugins – Add new UI components, modify business logic, or replace storage backends.
• Custom Fields – Developers can inject arbitrary metadata into tasks via the UI or API, which is then persisted in a JSON column.

Configuration is managed through environment variables and an interactive settings page. The documentation includes a developer guide, API reference, and a contribution checklist. The community is active on Discord, GitHub Discussions, and a dedicated Slack channel, providing rapid support for integration questions. The AGPL license ensures that any improvements remain open source while allowing commercial deployment.

• Agile Teams – Deploy Leantime in a CI/CD pipeline to auto‑create sprint tasks from GitHub issues.
• Product Owners – Use the Lean canvas and goal dashboards to align stakeholder priorities with development velocity.
• Remote Workforces – Leverage the time‑blocking and calendar sync to reduce context switching.
• Open‑Source Projects – Host a public instance that integrates with GitHub or GitLab for issue mapping.

Leantime offers performance (lightweight PHP core), flexibility (plugin architecture, API hooks), and licensing freedom (AGPL). Compared to SaaS alternatives, it eliminates data‑ownership concerns and allows full control over authentication providers. Its focus on neurodivergent usability also means the UI is intentionally minimal, reducing cognitive load for developers who need to maintain or extend the system.