Focalboard
Saleor
| Feature | Focalboard | Saleor |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free only | Free / from $300/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4 / 5 | 4.2 / 5 |
| Best For | self-hosters, mattermost-users, small-teams, open-source-advocates | developer-teams, enterprise-ecommerce, multi-channel-retailers, graphql-enthusiasts |
| Founded | 2021 | 2018 |
| Kanban Boards | ✓ | ✗ |
| Table View | ✓ | ✗ |
| Calendar View | ✓ | ✗ |
| Templates | ✓ | ✗ |
| Filters | ✓ | ✗ |
| Self Hosting | ✓ | ✗ |
| Graphql Api | ✗ | ✓ |
| Multi Channel | ✗ | ✓ |
| Dashboard | ✗ | ✓ |
| Webhooks | ✗ | ✓ |
| Apps System | ✗ | ✓ |
| Warehouse Management | ✗ | ✓ |
| Promotions Engine | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ 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
✓ Saleor Pros
- GraphQL API-first architecture for modern frontends
- Enterprise features in free open-source edition
- Strong multi-channel commerce capabilities
- Built-in dashboard with excellent UX
✗ Saleor Cons
- Cloud hosting is expensive for startups
- Smaller community than Shopify/WooCommerce
- Self-hosting requires Python/Django expertise
The Verdict
Focalboard is built for self hosters and mattermost users, with a focus on kanban-boards and table-view. Saleor targets developer teams and enterprise ecommerce and leads with graphql-api and multi-channel.
Focalboard uses custom enterprise pricing, while Saleor starts at $300/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, Saleor offers broader built-in capabilities (7 features vs 6), while Focalboard takes a more focused approach — which can mean a simpler, faster onboarding experience.
This is a genuinely close comparison. If you can, sign up for both free trials (where available) and run a one-week test with your actual team tasks before deciding.