Skip to content

Focalboard

[!WARNING] The standalone Focalboard project (Personal Server/Desktop) is currently in community maintenance mode. Mattermost focus has shifted to the integrated "Boards" plugin for the Mattermost platform. Users seeking an actively developed standalone project management tool should consider Vikunja.

What it is

Focalboard is a dedicated task management system that provides a Kanban-style interface for organizing work. It is designed to be a lightweight, self-hosted alternative to centralized services like Trello, Notion, and Asana. It is an open-source, multilingual, self-hosted project management tool.

What problem it solves

It provides a structured way to track tasks, projects, and goals without relying on third-party cloud providers. It addresses the need for privacy-conscious team collaboration and personal organization within a self-hosted infrastructure.

Where it fits in the stack

Focalboard fits into the Project Management and Productivity layer. It is often used alongside communication tools (like Element or Mattermost) and document storage (like Nextcloud) to provide a complete collaborative environment.

Typical use cases

  • Personal Task Tracking: Managing "to-do" lists and personal projects using a Kanban board.
  • Software Development: Tracking bugs, features, and sprint progress for small teams.
  • Content Calendars: Planning and scheduling blog posts or social media content.
  • Inventory Management: Using custom properties to track physical assets.

Strengths

  • Simple UI: Familiar Kanban interface that is easy to adopt.
  • Customizable: Add custom properties (dates, selects, text) to cards.
  • Multiple Views: Switch between Board, Table, and Gallery views of the same data.
  • Self-Hosted: Full control over data and user permissions.

Limitations

  • Maintenance Status: Currently unmaintained (see warning), which may lead to security vulnerabilities or lack of new features.
  • Feature Set: Lacks the deep "all-in-one" database capabilities of Notion or the advanced automation of Jira.

When to use it

  • When you need a simple, self-hosted Kanban board for personal or small team use.
  • To manage projects that require custom properties (e.g., "Priority", "Estimated Hours") on tasks.
  • When you prefer a standalone tool for project tracking rather than one integrated into a larger suite.

When not to use it

  • For mission-critical production environments where active security maintenance is required (consider actively maintained alternatives like Vikunja).
  • When you need deep integration with version control systems (consider Gitea boards).
  • If your projects require complex Gantt charts or advanced resource allocation features.

Getting started

Docker

To run the Focalboard Personal Server locally using the official Docker image:

docker run -d --name focalboard -p 8000:8000 mattermost/focalboard

Hello World

  1. Access the web interface at http://localhost:8000.
  2. Follow the on-screen prompts to create your first user account (this account will be the admin).
  3. Click Add Board in the sidebar.
  4. Select a template like "Project Tasks" or start with an "Empty Board".
  5. Drag and drop cards between columns (e.g., "To Do" to "In Progress") to see the Kanban flow in action.

CLI examples

The focalboard-server binary handles imports and administrative tasks:

# Import a Trello archive into Focalboard
./focalboard-server import trello trello_export.json

# Reset the password for a specific user
./focalboard-server reset-password <username>

# Check the version of the Focalboard server
./focalboard-server version

API examples

The Boards API allows for programmatic task and board management. Authentication requires a session token.

Python Example

import requests

# Fetch all boards for the authenticated user
url = "http://localhost:8000/api/v1/boards"
headers = {"Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_SESSION_TOKEN"}

response = requests.get(url, headers=headers)
if response.ok:
    boards = response.json()
    for board in boards:
        print(f"Board: {board['title']} (ID: {board['id']})")

Curl Example

# Get the current user's information
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer <your_session_token>" \
     "http://localhost:8000/api/v1/users/me"

Nextcloud Task Sync

To sync Focalboard with Nextcloud Tasks (using CalDAV or community bridges): 1. CalDAV Bridge: Use a tool like caldav-2-focalboard to sync cards to a CalDAV calendar. 2. Setup: - Provide your Focalboard API token and Nextcloud App Password. - Map Focalboard boards to Nextcloud Task lists. 3. Automated Sync: Run the bridge as a cron job or a sidecar container to keep deadlines in sync across both platforms.

  • Vikunja — A modern, actively maintained task management alternative.
  • Kanboard — A minimalist self-hosted Kanban board.
  • Nextcloud — Offers a "Deck" app with similar Kanban functionality.
  • Gitea — Provides built-in issue boards for code projects.
  • Trilium — For deep personal knowledge management and notes.
  • Trello — The cloud-based inspiration for Kanban boards.
  • Mattermost — The parent project for Focalboard.
  • Obsidian — For complementary note-taking.
  • Authentik — For managing SSO access to the Focalboard interface.

Backlog

  • [x] Perform quarterly technical freshness audit (May 2026).
  • [x] Sync with Nextcloud Tasks.

Contribution Metadata

  • Confidence: high
  • Last reviewed: 2026-05-26

Sources / References