Manage is an open-source, TypeScript project management suite, licensed AGPL-3.0, built for teams that want Basecamp-style collaboration software running on infrastructure they control.
What it is
Manage is an open-source project management platform written in TypeScript. It presents itself as a collaboration-focused tool with an intuitive interface and customizable features, and it is designed to be self-hosted rather than consumed as a hosted service. The project lives in the Node.js and Bun ecosystem: the README states that Manage can be deployed on any platform that supports Node.js or Bun. Its licence is the GNU Affero General Public License, published in the repository root.
The concrete problem Manage solves is ownership of project management data. Teams that adopt hosted project management suites hand their project records to a vendor and pay subscription fees per seat; Manage instead runs on infrastructure the team already operates, backed by a PostgreSQL database. File uploads can be stored in S3-compatible object storage, and email notifications go out through an SMTP server the operator supplies, with configuration described in .env.example. It replaces the hosted project management subscription in the Basecamp category with software a team deploys and maintains itself.
Key capabilities
- Self-hosting on any platform that supports Node.js or Bun, per the README's manual deployment section.
- One-click deployment to Railway through the deploy button linked in the README.
- PostgreSQL as the required database backend for a self-hosted instance.
- Optional S3-compatible object storage for file uploads, marked optional in the README.
- SMTP server integration for outgoing email notifications.
- Environment-variable configuration for all required settings, documented in .env.example.
- AGPL-3.0 licensing with the full text shipped in the repository's LICENSE file.
Who uses it and how
- Small teams that want project collaboration tooling without handing project data to a hosted vendor.
- Operators who already run PostgreSQL and an SMTP server and can reuse that infrastructure.
- Teams on Railway that prefer the provided one-click deploy button over manual server setup.
- Self-hosters on Node.js or Bun platforms who must fill in the variables listed in .env.example before first run.
- Groups that need uploads persisted outside the application server, using S3-compatible storage.
Getting started
Deploy with the one-click Railway button linked in the README, or manually on any platform that supports Node.js or Bun with a PostgreSQL database available. Copy .env.example and supply the required variables, including SMTP and, optionally, S3-compatible storage settings.
How it compares
The tagline places Manage in the same category as Basecamp, describing it as open-source project management inspired by Basecamp. The difference the facts support is licensing and hosting model: Manage ships under AGPL-3.0 with its source in the repository and is deployed by the operator, while Basecamp is a hosted product rather than self-hosted code. Manage suits teams whose priority is controlling the running instance and its data, not teams that want a vendor to operate the service for them.
When to use it — and when not to
A self-hoster must operate a PostgreSQL database and provide an SMTP server, plus S3-compatible storage if file uploads are needed, before Manage is useful. With 71 stars, 3 forks and no repository topics, the project has a small footprint and a README that stays at a high level, so teams needing detailed operational documentation, a broad integration ecosystem or a managed service should look elsewhere. The AGPL-3.0 licence also matters to anyone planning to modify and redistribute the code as a network service.
