Operately: Open Source Project & Work Management

What is Operately?

What it is

Operately is an open source company operating system, written in Elixir with a TypeScript and React front end, and distributed under the Apache 2.0 license according to its README. It is pitched as an opinionated operating system for running an organization rather than as another generic project management tool. The project lives in the open source business software and project management ecosystem, with a hosted home at operately.com and a self-hostable release archive on GitHub.

The concrete problem it addresses is that traditional work management tools offer infinite flexibility but no guidance on how to actually run an organization, which the README says creates chaos and drains energy. Instead of leaving teams to assemble their own workflows, Operately ships proven workflows for goal reviews, project check-ins, and accountability processes. It aims to let a company coordinate goals, projects, and teams without needing a chief operating officer, so that people spend their time building rather than inventing operating procedures.

Key capabilities

Goals and OKRs that track company-wide progress with clear targets linked directly to daily work.
Project management with task boards, milestones, and consistent check-ins.
Team Spaces that give each department its own organized home for goals, projects, and documents.
Message Boards that replace scattered email threads with organized discussions.
Documents and Files stored and shared in one centralized system with proper organization.
Team Management for onboarding members, managing permissions, and maintaining company structure.
Execution Cadence built from check-ins and automated progress updates, plus full programmatic access through a CLI and an API.
Agent Skills published for Codex and Claude Code, and for OpenClaw, so AI agents can create goals, update projects, and post check-ins.

Who uses it and how

Technology companies and startups that need structured goal tracking without enterprise complexity.
Nonprofits, consulting firms, and compliance-focused organizations that require documented goal tracking and project management.
Teams of roughly 5 to 100 people, which the README identifies as the size range where Operately works best.
Teams running recurring cadences such as goal reviews and project check-ins to create a consistent rhythm.
AI agents acting through the CLI or API to create goals, update projects, and post check-ins on a team's behalf.

Getting started

Download the latest single-host release archive with wget, extract it, run ./install.sh, then start the stack with docker compose up --wait --detach. A hosted option is available at operately.com, and a fuller installation guide is linked from the project site.

When to use it — and when not to

Operately is

project readme (upstream, from github) — read inline

Operately

Open source company operating system
Discord · Website

About Operately

hero

Operately helps you coordinate goals, projects, and teams without the need for a COO.

Traditional work management tools give you infinite flexibility but zero guidance on how to actually run an organization. This creates chaos and drains your energy.

Operately is different. Instead of being another generic project management tool, it's an opinionated operating system that provides the structure and discipline your company needs to get things done as your team grows.

Unlike Notion or ClickUp that let you build anything but leave you to figure out execution, Operately comes with proven workflows built in: from goal reviews and project check-ins to accountability processes.

Why switch? Focus on building something people want instead of figuring out how to run your organization.

Features

Goals / OKRs - Track company-wide progress with clear targets linked directly to daily work
Project Management - Keep projects on track with task boards, milestones, and consistent check-ins
Team Spaces - Give departments their own organized home for goals, projects, and documents
Message Boards - Replace scattered email threads with organized discussions that build shared understanding
Documents & Files - Create, store, and share content in one centralized system with proper organization
Team Management - Onboard members, manage permissions, and maintain company structure
Execution Cadence - Built-in check-ins and automated progress updates create a consistent rhythm that keeps teams moving forward
CLI & API - Full programmatic access. AI agents can create goals, update projects, and post check-ins via the CLI or API.
Agent Skills - Published skills for Codex and Claude Code, and for OpenClaw.

How it compares

	Operately	Monday.com	Asana	Notion
Open source	Yes (Apache 2.0)	No	No	No
Built-in goals	Yes, free	Paid add-on	Paid add-on	Manual setup
Self-hostable	Yes	No	No	No
SaaS pricing model	Flat rate, no per-seat	Per seat	Per seat	Per seat
Progress check-ins	Built in	No	No	No
AI agent access	CLI + API + skills	MCP server + API	API only	API only

Who uses Operately

Technology companies and startups, nonprofits, consulting firms, and compliance-focused organizations that need structured goal tracking and project management without enterprise complexity or per-seat pricing. Works best for teams of 5 to 100.

Quick start

wget -q https://github.com/operately/operately/releases/latest/download/operately-single-host.tar.gz
tar -xf operately-single-host.tar.gz
cd operately
./install.sh
docker compose up --wait --detach

For more details, see installation guide.

Development

Repo activity

Alt

Frequently asked questions

Is Operately free to use?

Operately is open source. There is no licence fee and no seat count — you can self-host it or, where the project offers one, pay a vendor for a managed version instead.

What does Operately do?

Open source company management for high-performance startups

What is Operately written in?

Operately is primarily written in Elixir. Its source is publicly available at https://github.com/operately/operately, and it has 554 GitHub stars.