head to head · open source
Backlog.md vs KaibanJS
Backlog.md has 7,273 GitHub stars, 480 forks, 55 open issues and last shipped 7 days ago. KaibanJS has 1,486 stars, 159 forks, 78 open issues and last shipped 6 months ago. Backlog.md leads on adoption by 389% (7,273 vs 1,486 stars). Backlog.md is written in TypeScript under MIT; KaibanJS is written in TypeScript under MIT. Backlog.md has attracted 7% as many forks as stars, KaibanJS 11%. Backlog.md 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 | KaibanJS | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 7.3K | ★ 1.5K |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Written in | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-10-29 | 2026-05-15 |
| Forks | ⑂ 480 | ⑂ 159 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Backlog.md if
- You weight community size — 7.3K stars and counting
- You want the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick KaibanJS if
- You want the KaibanJS feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and KaibanJS fits your workflow better
About Backlog.md
Backlog.md Markdown‑native Task Manager & Kanban visualizer for any Git repository AI agents write the code. You review the tasks: before, during, and after. npm i g backlog.md Backlog.md turns any folder into a self‑contained project board powered by plain Markdown files and a zero‑config CLI. Why Backlog.md in the AI era AI agents can now produce more plausible code in an hour than you can carefully read in a day. The bottleneck is no longer writing code. It's your attention. You can't meaningfully review 15,000 generated lines in one sitting, but you can read a screenful of task specs with acceptance criteria…
read the full Backlog.md overview →
About KaibanJS
KaibanJS The JavaScript Framework for Building Multi agent Systems. Kanban for AI Agents? 🤖📋 KaibanJS is inspired by the tried and true Kanban methodology, which is well known for helping teams organize and manage their work. We've adapted these concepts to meet the unique challenges of AI agent management . If you've used tools like Trello, Jira, or ClickUp, you'll be familiar with how Kanban helps manage tasks. Now, KaibanJS uses that same system to help you manage AI agents and their tasks in real time. With KaibanJS, you can: 🔨 Create, visualize, and manage AI agents, tasks, tools, and teams 🎯…
read the full KaibanJS overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Backlog.md or KaibanJS more popular?
Backlog.md has 7,273 GitHub stars and KaibanJS has 1,486. Backlog.md has the larger community by that measure.
Are Backlog.md and KaibanJS free?
Both are open source. Backlog.md is licensed under MIT and KaibanJS under MIT. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Backlog.md and KaibanJS?
Backlog.md is written in TypeScript and KaibanJS 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 KaibanJS?
Choose Backlog.md if you want the larger community (7,273 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose KaibanJS if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.