There are three kinds of "free" kanban board: hosted tools with a free tier (you sign up), open-source boards you self-host (you run a server), and no-signup tools you just open by URL. This is an honest comparison of the popular options in each group — including where each one wins and where it doesn't.
| Tool | Free tier | Signup | Hosting | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| cnvs.app | Free forever, unlimited boards | None | Hosted | Instant shared boards, AI/MCP, sketch + track on one link |
| Trello | Free plan, 10 boards/Workspace | Required | Hosted | Mature kanban, Power-Ups, automation |
| Notion | Generous free tier | Required | Hosted | Docs + kanban database views together |
| Asana | Free up to 10 users | Required | Hosted | Task management with board + list views |
| ClickUp | Free Forever plan | Required | Hosted | Feature-dense all-in-one workspace |
| Jira | Free up to 10 users | Required | Hosted | Software teams, agile sprints & backlogs |
| Planka | Free, open source | Self-managed | Self-host | Trello-like board you fully control |
| Wekan | Free, open source | Self-managed | Self-host | Privacy-first self-hosted kanban |
| Vikunja | Free, open source | Self-managed | Self-host | To-do + kanban with multiple views |
Free-tier limits change often — check each vendor's current pricing. Figures above reflect commonly-documented plans as of mid-2026.
Switch a board to todo mode and you get columns, lanes and cards (due date, priority, assignee), drag-and-drop, real-time sync, and a public MCP endpoint so Claude or GPT can move cards too. No account, no project setup. Trade-off: intentionally minimal — no integrations, automation or extra views. How it works →
The reference kanban product. Power-Ups, Butler automation, calendar/timeline views, account permissions. Free plan caps boards per Workspace. Best when a board lives for months. cnvs.app vs Trello →
Kanban is one view of a Notion database, so cards live next to your docs and wikis. Generous free tier; everyone needs an account. Heavier than a dedicated board.
Both offer strong free tiers with board, list and other views, assignees, due dates and subtasks. More setup and a steeper UI than a quick shared board.
Free for up to 10 users, built around agile boards, backlogs and sprints. Overkill for a simple task list; ideal for engineering teams.
Self-host for full data ownership and no per-seat cost. You run and maintain a server. Great when privacy or control matters more than zero setup.
cnvs.app is the main no-signup option: open a board, switch to todo mode, share the URL. The big hosted tools (Trello, Notion, Asana, ClickUp, Jira) all require an account per member; open-source boards are free but you host them yourself.
Yes — Planka, Wekan, Vikunja and Kanboard are free and open source. The cost is running and maintaining a server, plus handling updates and backups yourself.
cnvs.app exposes a public MCP endpoint so Claude or any MCP client can create and move cards on the same live board. Other tools have REST APIs but generally no open MCP endpoint for arbitrary agents.
cnvs.app does both: the same shareable board is either a drawing canvas (draw mode) or a kanban (todo mode). Most kanban-only tools don't include a freeform whiteboard.