Focalboard
Trello
| Feature | Focalboard | Trello |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free only | Free / from $5/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4 / 5 | 4.3 / 5 |
| Best For | self-hosters, mattermost-users, small-teams, open-source-advocates | small-teams, individuals, beginners, simple-projects |
| Founded | 2021 | 2011 |
| Kanban Boards | ✓ | ✗ |
| Table View | ✓ | ✗ |
| Calendar View | ✓ | ✗ |
| Templates | ✓ | ✓ |
| Filters | ✓ | ✗ |
| Self Hosting | ✓ | ✗ |
| Kanban | ✗ | ✓ |
| Calendar | ✗ | ✓ |
| Power Ups | ✗ | ✓ |
| Automations | ✗ | ✓ |
| Due Dates And Labels | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ 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
✓ Trello Pros
- Dead simple to use
- Great free plan
- Power-Ups ecosystem
- Mobile friendly
✗ Trello Cons
- Limited views
- Not great for complex projects
- Basic reporting
The Verdict
Focalboard is built for self hosters and mattermost users, with a focus on kanban-boards and table-view. Trello targets small teams and individuals and leads with kanban and calendar.
Focalboard uses custom enterprise pricing, while Trello starts at $5/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.
Both tools are a solid fit for small teams — in those cases, the decision often comes down to workflow style and how your team prefers to organize work.
Bottom line: Trello has a slight overall edge — but if completely free and open-source matters most to you, Focalboard may still be the right call.
