What is Leantime?

Leantime is an open-source project management system built for non-project managers, combining strategy, planning, and execution with a focus on neurodivergent-friendly design. It provides task management through Kanban boards, Gantt charts, table views, lists, and calendars; project planning with dashboards, goals and metrics, Lean Canvas, SWOT analysis, and risk tracking; knowledge management via wikis, idea boards, retrospectives, and file storage (local or S3); and administration features including multiple user roles, per-project permissions, two-factor authentication, LDAP and OIDC integration, plugin extensibility, and a JSON-RPC API. The software runs on PHP 8.2+ with MySQL 8.0+ or MariaDB 10.6+, deployed via Docker Compose (recommended) or standard PHP installation. A mobile beta app for iOS and Android connects to self-hosted instances via the Advanced Auth plugin. Licensed under AGPL-3.0 with a plugin directory exception.

Should you self-host Leantime?

Leantime scores 56/100 on selfhost.directory (how scoring works) and ranks #22 of 45 in Project Management. It has 345 GitHub stars.

There was no stable release in the past 12 months, so check the repository's recent activity before you rely on it.

Setup is moderate: expect some configuration beyond a single command. An official Docker image is available. It is AGPL-3.0-licensed and written mostly in Dockerfile.

Its closest alternative on selfhost.directory is Plane (86/100, 61 601 stars). It scores higher overall, so compare the two before you pick. See Leantime vs Plane side by side.

Features

File storage (S3/local)
Gantt Charts
Kanban Boards
LDAP Authentication
Multiple user roles
OIDC Authentication
Per-project permissions
Plugin System
REST/JSON-RPC API
Time Tracking
Two-factor authentication
Wikis/Docs

How to configure Leantime

LEAN_APP_DIRBase of application without trailing slash (used for cookies), e.g, /leantime
Base of application without trailing slash (used for cookies), e.g, /leantime
LEAN_APP_URLBase URL, needed for subfolder or proxy installs (including http:// or https://)
Base URL, needed for subfolder or proxy installs (including http:// or https://)
LEAN_DB_DATABASEleantimeDatabase name
Database name
LEAN_DB_HOSTmysql_leantimeDatabase host
Database host
LEAN_DB_PASSWORDchangeme123Database password
Database password
LEAN_DB_PORT3306Database port
Database port
LEAN_DB_USERleanDatabase username
Database username
LEAN_DEBUG0Debug flag
Debug flag
LEAN_DEFAULT_TIMEZONEAmerica/Los_AngelesSet default timezone
Set default timezone
LEAN_DISABLE_LOGIN_FORMfalseIf true then don't show the login form
If true then don't show the login form
values: true,false
LEAN_EMAIL_RETURNReturn email address
Return email address
LEAN_EMAIL_SMTP_AUTHtrueSMTP authentication required
SMTP authentication required
values: true,false
LEAN_EMAIL_SMTP_HOSTSSMTP host
SMTP host
LEAN_EMAIL_SMTP_PASSWORDSMTP password
SMTP password
LEAN_EMAIL_SMTP_PORTSMTP Port
SMTP Port
values: 25,465,587,2526
LEAN_EMAIL_SMTP_SECURESMTP Security protocol
SMTP Security protocol
values: TLS,SSL,STARTTLS
LEAN_EMAIL_SMTP_USERNAMESMTP username
SMTP username
LEAN_EMAIL_USE_SMTPfalseUse SMTP
Use SMTP
values: true,false
LEAN_LANGUAGEen-USDefault language
Default language
LEAN_LDAP_DNLocation of users
Location of users
LEAN_LDAP_HOSTLDAP server hostname (FQDN)
LDAP server hostname (FQDN)
LEAN_LDAP_LDAP_TYPEOLDirectory type: OL (OpenLDAP) or AD (Active Directory)
Directory type: OL (OpenLDAP) or AD (Active Directory)
values: OL,AD
LEAN_LDAP_PORT389LDAP port
LDAP port
LEAN_LDAP_USE_LDAPfalseSet to true if you want to use LDAP
Set to true if you want to use LDAP
values: true,false
LEAN_LOGO_PATH/dist/images/logo.svgDefault logo path
Default logo path
LEAN_LOG_PATHDefault Log Path (including filename)
Default Log Path (including filename)
LEAN_OIDC_CLIENT_IDClient ID from your provider
Client ID from your provider
LEAN_OIDC_CLIENT_SECRETClient secret from your provider
Client secret from your provider
LEAN_OIDC_ENABLEfalseEnable OIDC authentication
Enable OIDC authentication
values: true,false
LEAN_OIDC_PROVIDER_URLProvider's base URL
Provider's base URL
LEAN_PORT8080The port to expose and access Leantime
The port to expose and access Leantime
LEAN_PRIMARY_COLOR#006d9fPrimary Theme color
Primary Theme color
LEAN_REDIS_HOSTRedis host
Redis host
LEAN_REDIS_PASSWORDRedis password
Redis password
LEAN_REDIS_PORT6379Redis port
Redis port
LEAN_REDIS_URLRedis URL path
Redis URL path
LEAN_S3_BUCKETYour S3 bucket
Your S3 bucket
LEAN_S3_END_POINTS3 EndPoint S3 Compatible
S3 EndPoint S3 Compatible
LEAN_S3_KEYS3 Key
S3 Key
LEAN_S3_REGIONS3 region
S3 region
LEAN_S3_SECRETS3 Secret
S3 Secret
LEAN_SECONDARY_COLOR#00a886Secondary Theme Color
Secondary Theme Color
LEAN_SESSION_EXPIRATION28800How many seconds after inactivity should we logout
How many seconds after inactivity should we logout
LEAN_SESSION_PASSWORD3evBlq9zdUEuzKvVJHWWx3QzsQhturBApxwcws2mSalting sessions, replace with a strong password
Salting sessions, replace with a strong password
LEAN_SESSION_SECUREfalseServe cookies via https only
Serve cookies via https only
values: true,false
LEAN_SITENAMELeantimeName of your site
Name of your site
LEAN_USE_REDISfalseSet to true to use redis as session cache
Set to true to use redis as session cache
values: true,false
LEAN_USER_FILE_PATHuserfiles/Local relative path to store uploaded files
Local relative path to store uploaded files
LEAN_USE_S3falseSet to true if you want to use S3 instead of local files
Set to true if you want to use S3 instead of local files
values: true,false

FAQ

Does Leantime offer paid support?

Yes, Leantime offers managed hosting, installation services, and support plans via leantime.io.

How do I access the Leantime API?

Create an API key in Company Settings → API, then use the JSON-RPC endpoint at https://yourdomain.com/api/jsonrpc with your API key.

Where are the log files?

Standard installation: /var/www/html/storage/logs/error.log. Docker: check the logs volume or run docker logs leantime.

How do I update Leantime?

Docker: docker-compose pull && docker-compose down && docker-compose up -d. Standard: backup, download latest release, replace files (keep config), visit /update if migrations needed.

Can I set different permissions per project?

Yes, users can have different roles on different projects. When adding a user to a project, you can set their project-specific role.

What user roles are available in Leantime?

Six roles: Owner (full access), Admin (full except cannot delete owners), Company Manager (manage projects/tasks), Editor (create/edit/delete tasks), Commenter (view/comment/upload), Read-Only (view only).

Does Leantime support Single Sign-On?

Yes, Leantime supports LDAP (OpenLDAP and Active Directory), OIDC (OpenID Connect) with providers like Keycloak and Authentik, and Google SSO.

What are the system requirements for Leantime?

Leantime requires PHP 8.1+, MySQL 5.7+ or MariaDB 10.2+, a web server (Apache, Nginx, or IIS), and minimum 512MB RAM (1GB recommended). For Docker, you need Docker and Docker Compose.