OpenProject vs Plane: managed hosting, free capacity and delivery records
Compare OpenProject and Plane around hosting responsibility, a 12-seat cloud boundary, project schedules and the paid features required for delivery reporting.
Start with the required workflow.
Then select the retained package.
OpenProject is a useful starting point for teams whose brief centres on work packages, project schedules and cost records, particularly with internal hosting ownership. Plane is a useful shortlist for work items, cycles and project documentation with a small hosted Free option. Choose deployment responsibility first, then check which edition retains the critical workflow.
Seven differences that change the shortlist
| Buying question | OpenProject | Plane |
|---|---|---|
| Core work model | Work packages, Gantt schedules, agile boards and project records | Work items, cycles, modules and project pages |
| Permanent free access | Self-hosted Community; no permanent free vendor-hosted cloud identified | Hosted Free with a 12-seat boundary; self-hosting is also available |
| Capacity check | Community permits unlimited users and projects; infrastructure remains your responsibility | Free counts guests and pending invitations within its seat limit |
| Time and cost brief | User guide documents time, costs and budgets; verify required Enterprise add-ons | Pro adds time tracking and work logs; check any cost-reporting requirement separately |
| Documentation scope | Project wiki and collaboration modules sit alongside delivery records | Project pages in Free; workspace wiki in Pro |
| Managed service buying | Enterprise cloud; FAQ lists a five-user minimum | Paid cloud is per seat; paid guest slots are tied to seat count |
| Premium evaluation | 14-day Enterprise evaluation does not make cloud hosting permanently free | New cloud workspaces receive a 14-day Business trial before Free limits apply |
Four worked buying briefs
These are hypothetical scenarios with explicit assumptions. They do not establish equal capabilities, measured usability or a negotiated price.
| Buying brief | OpenProject | Plane |
|---|---|---|
| Eight people with no server owner | Budget for Enterprise cloud and verify its selected package. | Free capacity can fit eight people if guests and outstanding invitations keep the total within the limit. |
| Ten staff and three client guests | There is no permanent free vendor-hosted package to rely on. | Thirteen people exceed the standard Free allowance; price paid access or reduce the required access scope. |
| Thirty people with a named server administrator | Community is a candidate where internal operations and the required feature set are accepted. | Self-hosting is available; verify edition entitlements and installation responsibilities. |
| Delivery records must include hours and cost review | Use the documented time, costs and budgets workflow as the starting point. | Pro provides work logs; ask how the required cost review and downstream reporting will be produced. |
Eight people with no server owner
Can the team retain hosted access at no subscription cost?
OpenProject: Budget for Enterprise cloud and verify its selected package.
Plane: Free capacity can fit eight people if guests and outstanding invitations keep the total within the limit.
Use the retained package for acceptance checks; a premium trial can expose capabilities that disappear later.
Ten staff and three client guests
Does the proposed free cloud workspace fit?
OpenProject: There is no permanent free vendor-hosted package to rely on.
Plane: Thirteen people exceed the standard Free allowance; price paid access or reduce the required access scope.
Client access is a requirement, not an optional arithmetic adjustment. Include pending invitations in the count.
Thirty people with a named server administrator
Is a self-managed shortlist reasonable?
OpenProject: Community is a candidate where internal operations and the required feature set are accepted.
Plane: Self-hosting is available; verify edition entitlements and installation responsibilities.
Request a backup restoration demonstration and an upgrade ownership plan. Free software does not remove staff time or infrastructure cost.
Delivery records must include hours and cost review
Which workflow deserves the deeper evaluation?
OpenProject: Use the documented time, costs and budgets workflow as the starting point.
Plane: Pro provides work logs; ask how the required cost review and downstream reporting will be produced.
Use one sample project, one revised estimate and one exported report. Neither work-log availability nor a Gantt view proves the entire brief.
Assign responsibility for the running service
Before choosing an edition, name the person responsible for access, backups and recovery. A self-hosted installation can meet an ownership requirement, but it adds a continuing operational job. Include cover for that person’s absence and a process for applying updates.
For managed hosting, ask where the proposed workspace will run and what the supplier restores after accidental deletion. Keep the hosting commitment in the purchase record alongside support hours and export arrangements. These questions are especially useful when a team is attracted by a free download.
Evaluate the result the buyer needs
Give each product the same small delivery brief: related tasks, a delayed handover, a meeting note and recorded effort. Identify the specific report the sponsor expects at the end. A screen that displays work is only part of that acceptance exercise.
Add an external collaborator and then end or downgrade the evaluation. Recheck access, reporting and record visibility in the intended ongoing package. This makes seat limits and paid features visible before real project information depends on them.
Questions before you choose
Is OpenProject Community a free managed cloud account?
No. Its Community page describes a self-managed installation. Enterprise cloud is a commercial service with a 14-day evaluation.
Do Plane guests sit outside the Free seat limit?
No. Plane’s billing documentation says Free includes guests and pending invitations in its seat count. Paid-plan guest allowances work differently.
Is Plane time tracking part of Free?
The pricing page places time tracking and work logs in Pro. Check the ongoing package rather than relying on the opening Business trial.
Keep the assumptions with the figures
Use the date, billing cycle, units and limits with each example. Check current account terms before purchasing. Unverified prices and model costs stay unpriced.
Download the buying examples as JSON ↓Share the comparison
Use these examples when discussing the shortlist with your team.