Focalboard
Proton VPN
| Feature | Focalboard | Proton VPN |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free only | Free / from $9.99/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4 / 5 | 4.5 / 5 |
| Best For | self-hosters, mattermost-users, small-teams, open-source-advocates | privacy-advocates, journalists, remote-workers, travelers |
| Founded | 2021 | 2017 |
| Kanban Boards | ✓ | ✗ |
| Table View | ✓ | ✗ |
| Calendar View | ✓ | ✗ |
| Templates | ✓ | ✗ |
| Filters | ✓ | ✗ |
| Self Hosting | ✓ | ✗ |
| No Logs Vpn | ✗ | ✓ |
| Kill Switch | ✗ | ✓ |
| Split Tunneling | ✗ | ✓ |
| Secure Core | ✗ | ✓ |
| Tor Over Vpn | ✗ | ✓ |
| Netshield | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ 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
✓ Proton VPN Pros
- Strong no-logs policy
- Swiss jurisdiction
- Open-source apps
- Free tier available
✗ Proton VPN Cons
- Free plan limited servers
- Slower than some competitors
- Fewer server locations
The Verdict
Focalboard is built for self hosters and mattermost users, with a focus on kanban-boards and table-view. Proton VPN targets privacy advocates and journalists and leads with no-logs-vpn and kill-switch.
Focalboard uses custom enterprise pricing, while Proton VPN starts at $9.99/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.
Proton VPN edges out on user ratings (4.5 vs 4). While both are well-regarded, that gap reflects real differences in user satisfaction worth considering.
Bottom line: Proton VPN has a slight overall edge — but if completely free and open-source matters most to you, Focalboard may still be the right call.