Focalboard
Novu
| Feature | Focalboard | Novu |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free only | Free / from $0.0025/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4 / 5 | 4.3 / 5 |
| Best For | self-hosters, mattermost-users, small-teams, open-source-advocates | saas-developers, product-teams, startups, notification-heavy-apps |
| Founded | 2021 | 2021 |
| Kanban Boards | ✓ | ✗ |
| Table View | ✓ | ✗ |
| Calendar View | ✓ | ✗ |
| Templates | ✓ | ✓ |
| Filters | ✓ | ✗ |
| Self Hosting | ✓ | ✗ |
| Multi Channel Notifications | ✗ | ✓ |
| Notification Center | ✗ | ✓ |
| Subscriber Preferences | ✗ | ✓ |
| Workflow Editor | ✗ | ✓ |
| Digest | ✗ | ✓ |
| Self Hostable | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Focalboard Pros
- Completely free and open-source
- Self-hostable for data control
- Multiple view types (board, table, gallery)
- Integrates with Mattermost
✗ Focalboard Cons
- Limited to basic project tracking
- No built-in time tracking
- Smaller community than alternatives
✓ Novu Pros
- Single API for all notification channels
- Open-source with self-hosting option
- Built-in notification center UI component
- Subscriber preference management included
✗ Novu Cons
- Complex setup for advanced use cases
- Documentation has gaps for edge cases
- Self-hosted version requires maintenance
The Verdict
Focalboard is built for self hosters and mattermost users, with a focus on kanban-boards and table-view. Novu targets saas developers and product teams and leads with multi-channel-notifications and notification-center.
Focalboard uses custom enterprise pricing, while Novu starts at $0.0025/mo — a tangible advantage for teams with a fixed budget.
Both offer free plans, so you can test each with your real workflow before committing to a subscription.
Feature-wise, Novu offers broader built-in capabilities (7 features vs 6), while Focalboard takes a more focused approach — which can mean a simpler, faster onboarding experience.
Bottom line: Novu has a slight overall edge — but if completely free and open-source matters most to you, Focalboard may still be the right call.