Kanban Tool

Kanban Tool is visual management software for mapping workflows, following project progress, and reviewing business processes. Boards use task cards, horizontal swimlanes, drag-and-drop, configurable workflows, and work-in-progress limits. Teams can assign tasks, comment, receive email notifications, view real-time board updates, and control access to boards or folders. Analytics include cumulative flow diagrams, cycle time comparisons, breakdown charts, and time reports, with Excel or CSV export. A built-in timer follows workflow start and pause stages. Integrations include Zapier, Google Drive, Box, Dropbox, OneDrive, Outlook and Google Calendar, Chromecast, email task creation, and an API. Android and iOS apps are available, alongside web, extension, API, and self-hosted options. Kanban Tool supports kanban, backlog management, agile reporting, and a roadmap view, but not Scrum or sprint planning. Pricing includes a free plan for 2 users and 2 boards, Team at $6 per user/month, and Enterprise at $11 per user/month. A 14-day trial is offered. The company was founded in 2008 and is headquartered in Katowice, Poland.

Kanban Tool focuses on visual kanban workflows, with analytics, collaboration, and mobile apps. Its listed limits include no Scrum or sprint planning, while the free plan is capped at two boards and two users.

It suits individuals, teams, and organizations that want visual workflow management and progress reporting. It may be less suitable for teams that require Scrum support or sprint planning.

Kanban Tool is a visual work-management service for teams that want to manage tasks as they move through a workflow. It suits organizations focused on continuous flow and process improvement more than teams organized around Scrum sprints. Its mix of configurable boards and analytics is compelling, but key capabilities and board limits vary by plan.

Overview

Founded in 2008 and based in Katowice, Poland, Kanban Tool combines task boards with tools for tracking project progress and assessing business processes. It supports backlog management, agile reporting and roadmap views, but not Scrum or sprint planning. That distinction makes it a better fit for teams managing ongoing work than for teams that need sprint planning built into their project workflow.

Key features

Boards and collaboration

Task cards, horizontal swimlanes, configurable workflows, drag-and-drop and work-in-progress limits help teams make stages and overloaded queues visible. Real-time updates, assignments, comments and email notifications keep shared tasks coordinated, while board and folder access controls help govern who can access work. These features support teams sharing an operational process without imposing a sprint structure.

Analytics and time tracking

Cumulative flow diagrams, cycle-time comparisons, breakdown charts and time reports give teams several ways to examine how work moves. Excel and CSV export lets them use that data elsewhere. The built-in timer follows workflow start and pause stages, with reports on time spent by project and task; however, time tracking and reporting are reserved for Enterprise, so Team subscribers cannot use that capability.

Integrations, security and reliability

Integrations include Zapier, Google Drive, Box, Dropbox, OneDrive, Outlook and Google Calendar, plus Chromecast, email task creation and an API. On-Site does not include internet-based integrations such as Zapier or cloud file hosting, a meaningful trade-off for organizations choosing self-hosting. Security features include HTTPS encryption, SAML 2.0 single sign-on and optional two-factor authentication. Kanban Tool reports 99.99% uptime over the past year and daily full off-site backups.

Pricing

The Free plan costs nothing, billed per user / month, and is limited to two boards and two users with no file attachments. It is a practical way for a very small team to start, but the caps make it a poor fit once more people or workstreams need access. Kanban Tool offers a 14-day trial.

Team removes the Free plan's board cap and adds attachments, but does not include the time reporting, user-group management or process automation reserved for Enterprise. At $11 a month per user, Enterprise is the relevant tier for teams that need those capabilities. On-Site starts at $720 per year for annual 10-user license packs; it suits organizations seeking a self-hosted option, provided they can accept the absence of internet-based integrations and cloud file hosting.

Platforms

Kanban Tool is available on web, Android and iOS, as well as through an API and an extension. Its iOS apps support iPhone and iPad, and On-Site provides a self-hosted deployment option.

Who it's for

Kanban Tool is aimed at individuals, teams and organizations using software in a business-to-business model. It is most suitable for teams that want configurable Kanban flow controls, shared boards and process analytics. Teams that rely on Scrum or sprint planning should look elsewhere; smaller teams should also consider whether the Free plan's two-board and two-user caps will quickly become restrictive.

Pros and cons

Pros

• Work-in-progress limits, swimlanes and configurable workflows make it possible to model and monitor a team's process.
• Flow analytics, export and time reports provide several ways to review progress and effort, although time tracking and reporting require Enterprise.
• Board and folder access controls, SAML single sign-on and optional two-factor authentication support teams with access-management needs.
• Web, mobile, API and self-hosted options accommodate different ways of working and deployment preferences.

Cons

• There is no Scrum support or sprint planning, which rules it out for teams that need those workflows.
• The Free plan allows only two boards and two users and excludes file attachments, limiting its usefulness as a team grows.
• Time tracking and reporting, user groups management and process automation are confined to Enterprise.
• On-Site excludes internet-based integrations and cloud file hosting, narrowing its fit for teams that rely on those services.

Alternatives

• Agile Project Management Software is a directory of options for comparing tools in that category.
• Kanban Software is a directory of Kanban-focused options.
• Linear may suit teams seeking a free plan with unlimited members; its Free tier is capped at two teams and 250 issues.
• Plane is another freemium option, with a Free plan for 12 users and a Pro tier that includes time tracking and work logs.
• YouTrack may fit teams that need a free cloud plan for up to 10 users, with 30 GB of storage.
• Ora is a freemium alternative whose Basic plan includes 10 users, unlimited projects, tasks and comments, and a 10 MB maximum file size.
• Yodiz offers a free Starter plan for three users with unlimited projects.
• Planview AdaptiveWork has custom pricing.
• Sandglaz is a paid alternative with a $5 a month plan and unlimited projects and tasks.
• Businessmap is a paid alternative with Standard and Enterprise plans.

Verdict

Choose Kanban Tool if your team wants configurable Kanban workflows, flow analytics and collaboration in one system, and does not depend on Scrum or sprint planning. Its main draw is the focus on visualizing and improving ongoing work; its main drawbacks are restrictive Free-plan caps and the need for Enterprise to access time reporting and process automation.