head to head · open source
Backlog.md vs KaibanJS
Backlog.md has 6,787 GitHub stars, 427 forks, 55 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. KaibanJS has 1,479 stars, 158 forks, 78 open issues and last shipped 4 months ago. Backlog.md leads on adoption by 359% (6,787 vs 1,479 stars). Backlog.md is written in TypeScript under MIT; KaibanJS is written in TypeScript under MIT. Backlog.md has attracted 6% 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 | ★ 6.8K | ★ 1.5K |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Written in | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-18 | 2026-05-15 |
| Forks | ⑂ 427 | ⑂ 158 |
| 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 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 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 KaibanJS
KaibanJS is an MIT licensed, TypeScript written JavaScript native framework for building and managing multi agent systems with a Kanban inspired approach. It lives in the JavaScript ecosystem and provides a way to create, visualize, and coordinate 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 6,787 GitHub stars and KaibanJS has 1,479. 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 (6,787 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose KaibanJS if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.