Company Overview
OpenProject was created by Niels Lindenthal in 2012 as an open-source enterprise-grade project management software. Headquartered in Berlin, Germany, OpenProject is released under the GPLv3 license. It is known for its powerful Gantt charts, Agile boards (Scrum/Kanban), time tracking, and BIM (Building Information Modeling) collaboration features, making it one of the most comprehensive open-source project management solutions available.
Products & Services
OpenProject offers a complete project management feature system:
| Product / Module | Description |
|---|---|
| OpenProject (PM) | Core project management platform with task assignment, progress tracking, milestone management, and document collaboration |
| OpenProject Gantt / Agile | Dual-mode view with Gantt chart and Agile board support for Scrum, Kanban, and hybrid methodologies |
| OpenProject BCF (BIM) | BIM collaboration with IFC model viewing and issue markup for the construction industry |
| OpenProject Nextcloud Integration | File synchronization and storage management through Nextcloud integration |
| OpenProject API | RESTful API for third-party tool integration and custom development |
Core Strengths
| Strength | Details |
|---|---|
| Comprehensive Features | Covers all core PM needs: Gantt charts, Agile boards, time tracking, Wiki documents, and more |
| Open Source & Customizable | GPLv3 open-source license, enterprises can self-host and deeply customize |
| BIM Collaboration | One of the few open-source BIM collaboration solutions with IFC model review capabilities |
| Multi-View Mode | Seamless switching between Gantt charts and Agile boards to suit different management styles |
| Time & Cost Management | Built-in time tracking and budget management with project cost accounting |
| Plugin Ecosystem | Rich plugin extensions including Nextcloud integration, LDAP authentication, PDF export, and more |
Market Position
OpenProject competes in the open-source project management software market with:
| Competitor | Description |
|---|---|
| Redmine | Most classic open-source PM tool built on Ruby on Rails with rich plugin ecosystem |
| Jira (Atlassian) | Commercial market leader and standard Agile PM tool with enterprise plugin ecosystem |
| Basecamp | Lightweight team collaboration platform focused on simplicity and ease of use |
| Taiga | Open-source Agile PM platform focused on Scrum and Kanban methodologies |
| ProjectLibre | Open-source desktop PM tool compatible with Microsoft Project |
| Odoo Project | Project management module within Odoo ERP, closely integrated with accounting and CRM |
Key Milestones
- 2012 — Niels Lindenthal creates OpenProject as an open-source project management alternative
- 2014 — OpenProject 3.0 released with Gantt chart and Agile board views
- 2017 — OpenProject 7.0 released with BIM collaboration (BCF support)
- 2020 — OpenProject 11.0 released with redesigned interface and permission system
- Present — Continuous updates with active community and hundreds of enterprise customers
Related provider: OpenProject Services
