head to head · open source
Backlog.md vs itsaplan
Backlog.md has 6,787 GitHub stars, 427 forks, 55 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. itsaplan has 770 stars, 117 forks, 29 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Backlog.md leads on adoption by 781% (6,787 vs 770 stars). Backlog.md is written in TypeScript under MIT; itsaplan is written in TypeScript under AGPL-3.0. Backlog.md has attracted 6% as many forks as stars, itsaplan 15%. itsaplan was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| Backlog.md | itsaplan | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 6.8K | ★ 770 |
| License | MIT | AGPL-3.0 |
| Written in | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-18 | 2026-09-19 |
| Forks | ⑂ 427 | ⑂ 117 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Backlog.md if
- You weight community size — 6.8K stars and counting
- You want the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick itsaplan if
- You want the itsaplan feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the AGPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and itsaplan fits your workflow better
About Backlog.md
Backlog.md is a Markdown native task manager and Kanban visualizer that turns any folder into a self contained project board. It lives in the Git ecosystem, written in TypeScript and released under the MIT license, and it is distributed as a zero config CLI alongside a terminal board and a local web interface. Every task is stored as a plain .md file inside the repository, so the project ledger travels with the code and remains readable to humans, teams, and AI agents alike.
read the full Backlog.md overview →
About itsaplan
It's a Plan (itsaplan) is an open source, self hosted project management and issue tracking application written in TypeScript under the AGPL 3.0 licence, built for teams that want Linear style planning on their own servers and for teams that want AI agents working alongside people on the same board.
read the full itsaplan overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Backlog.md or itsaplan more popular?
Backlog.md has 6,787 GitHub stars and itsaplan has 770. Backlog.md has the larger community by that measure.
Are Backlog.md and itsaplan free?
Both are open source. Backlog.md is licensed under MIT and itsaplan under AGPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Backlog.md and itsaplan?
Backlog.md is written in TypeScript and itsaplan in TypeScript. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, Backlog.md or itsaplan?
Choose Backlog.md if you want the larger community (6,787 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose itsaplan if its feature set, stack or AGPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.