Those who work according to project management standards, such as PM² or PMflex, rely on very specific requirements when creating new projects. A new project initiation request is therefore often time-consuming and prone to errors: Which version of the spreadsheet actually contains the up-to-date data? And what information do I need to submit the request? In many organizations, this project initiation request serves as the formal basis for approval, budgeting, and prioritization.
As a project portfolio manager, you want to enable project initiators to easily create and process project initiation requests in one platform for project and portfolio management. That’s why we want to significantly simplify the project initiation process with OpenProject: we are currently developing a wizard that guides users step by step through the project initiation workflow.
In this blog article, you can find out exactly how this workflow will simplify the work of portfolio managers and everyone involved in creating new projects. Please keep in mind that this is a preview of a feature still in development and therefore subject to change.
Important
This feature is currently planned to be released with version 17.1 in February 2026, as Enterprise add-on in the Premium plan. Please see our Pricing page to learn more about the different OpenProject plans.
Automated guidance for complex processes
Every month, we release new features and Enterprise add-ons for OpenProject. On the one hand, this means the software is becoming more powerful. Project managers can work faster, more effectively, and in a more targeted way. On the other hand, we are aware that users need clear guidance from the software — especially when underlying processes are complex, whether based on PM², PMflex, or other project management standards.
Particularly when starting projects, a step-by-step workflow can be extremely helpful. The idea: project portfolio managers define specific steps and attributes in a template. Anyone who then creates a new project simply follows the predefined steps. At the end, a work package is created that contains all the necessary information and is assigned directly to the responsible person or group reviewing the request.
This ensures that standards are met, everything is documented centrally, and users can focus on their actual work instead of on the tool.
Benefit of a workflow for project initiation requests
Does the following sound familiar? To create a project initiation request according to PM² or PMflex, you have to search through scattered Excel spreadsheets — or, even worse, emails — and in the end, you’re still not sure whether you have the latest and correct data. And even if all the data is there, it still needs to be checked by a portfolio or program manager. But how and when?
These unclear processes cost time and causes frustration, resulting in incomplete project initiation requests.
So let’s:
Predefine clear processes and required attributes in a template.
Enable a feature that guides the user step by step.
Complete the workflow with automation that bundles all information and initiates the next step.
Our vision is to make this possible for users of PM² and PMflex in particular and to enable it as Enterprise add-on. At the same time, we also want teams using other methods – such as PRINCE2, SAFe, OKR – to benefit from predefined standards and guided project creation.
The planned Enterprise add-on will enable project initiators to navigate through the process in four steps.
1. Select a template to create a project
Choose the right project, program, or portfolio template defined by your portfolio manager to ensure that all required attributes and steps are included.
Image: Preview mockup showing interface to select different templates to begin the project initiation request in OpenProject.
2. Fill out the predefined requirements
Enter the necessary information in a clear and guided form. The fields shown depend on the chosen template and ensure that all mandatory data is collected.
Image: Preview mockup showing interface to fill out several requirements for the project initiation request, such as Dates, Technical information or legal basis.
3. Submit the project initiation request to trigger automations
Once all required fields are filled out, submit the initiation request. The workflow automatically bundles all information and sends it to the responsible reviewer.
Image: Preview mockup showing interface to submit a project initiation request in OpenProject.
4. Check the status and exported artifact on the work package
After submission, OpenProject automatically creates a work package in addition to the project you just created. With this work package, you can track the status of the initiation request. Additionally, OpenProject will generate an artifact from your information in the form of a PDF and add it to the newly created work package.
For this step, we don’t have a mockup to show yet, but the created work package could look something like this:
Image: Demo work package of a project initiation request in OpenProject, with automatically written description, uploaded PDF file (the artifact) and comment by ‘System’.
Example from practice: How this wizard will improve daily work
Imagine Anna, a project coordinator in the IT department of a medium-sized German city administration. Until now, her workday often started the same way: searching for the correct version of a project initiation file. One version was saved on a shared drive, another was attached to an email, and a third one was updated by a colleague “just last week” — but nobody remembered where.
When she finally found the right file, the next challenge was figuring out which fields were mandatory. Some projects required additional information, others didn’t. And if something was missing, the portfolio manager would send the request back days later with comments like “Please update section 3.2” or “Missing justification for budget planning.”
With the new project initiation workflow in OpenProject, this process is expected to become much easier. Anna selects the correct template, follows the predefined steps, and fills out only the fields relevant to the project type. No guessing, no version confusion, no back-and-forth.
When she submits the request, all information is automatically bundled and assigned to the responsible reviewer — making the process transparent, structured, and significantly faster. And because the workflow aligns with the PMflex project initiation phase, her organization can ensure that every new project starts with complete and standardized documentation.
Outlook
The project initiation workflow is the first step toward a series of guided processes in OpenProject. After completing this feature, we plan to support additional PMflex-aligned wizards to make structured project, program, and portfolio management even easier — especially for public administration and large organizations with standardized processes.
We look forward to sharing more insights as development progresses.
Talks, digital sovereignty, and Community at FOSDEM ’26 in Brussels
On 31 January and 1 February 2026, FOSDEM returns to Brussels. For more than 25 years, FOSDEM has been one of the world’s largest and most respected conferences for free and open source software, bringing together developers, maintainers, public sector practitioners, and open source communities from around the globe.
We are excited to be part of FOSDEM 2026 with two talks and to once again connect with the wider open source ecosystem.
In this fast-paced session, Wieland Lindenthal will walk through the most impactful OpenProject updates of the past year. From powerful portfolio management improvements to long-requested service management features such as internal work package notes, the talk offers a comprehensive overview of where OpenProject is today.
Beyond new features, the session also looks ahead. Wieland will share our long-term technical strategy to bring real-time text collaboration to every corner of the platform. The goal is to enable teams to co-create work packages, meeting notes, and other project management artifacts seamlessly.
A key part of this journey is our work with BlockNote, the rich-text editor already powering applications such as openDesk’s Notes and Mijn Bureau’s Docs. You will learn how we are integrating BlockNote to bridge the gap between quick text sketches and fully-fledged project plans, and how developers can leverage our BlockNote extensions to integrate work and task management into their own platforms.
The talk will also give an outlook on our migration strategy for teams moving from Atlassian Jira Data Center to OpenProject and from Confluence to XWiki, supporting organizations on their path toward open and sovereign collaboration.
Whether you are a user, contributor, or developer, this session invites you to rethink collaboration in open source project management.
As European public sector organizations pursue digital sovereignty, the technical migration from proprietary software to open source solutions is often only half the challenge. Technology is rarely the hardest part. The real complexity lies in changing mindsets, workflows, and institutional culture.
In this talk, Rosanna Sibora shares proven change management strategies drawn from leading IT transformations and guiding public sector clients through transitions from Jira to OpenProject. The focus is on how to build sustainable and resilient digital ecosystems that serve citizens rather than vendors.
Participants will learn how to:
Co-create change through proven leadership best practices
Create ownership for the open source solutions within public sector
Build the business case and frame the open source narrative that resonates with public sector stakeholders and decision-makers
Drive the mindset shift to FOSS
Identify your use cases and foster transition to open source products
Build internal champions who drive adoption across departments
Drawing on real-world public sector experience, this session highlights the human factors that can make or break digital sovereignty initiatives. Whether you are planning your first migration or refining your change management approach, you will leave with actionable frameworks for leading successful transitions to independent and interoperable digital workspaces.
FOSDEM weekends are intense. Talks all day, devrooms to jump between, and hallway conversations that somehow turn into deep discussions about documentation, governance, or that one bug that still exists.
Once the laptops close, we do what open source communities do best. We meet. We talk. We grab a drink.
We are happy to co-sponsor a FOSDEM community meetup:
On Friday, 31 January 2026, we invite you to an informal open source meetup in Brussels together with our friends from XWiki, Nextcloud, and Passbolt.
No talks. No slides. Just people.
When and where:
Date: Saturday, 31 January 2026
Time: From 20:00 until late
Location: Scott’s Bar & Kitchen, Rue Montagne aux Herbes Potagères 2, 1000 Brussels
FOSDEM is about connections. We are also having quite a few remote open source jobs in our luggage. If you want to contribute to a thriving open source project and foster Europe’s digital sovereignty, let’s talk.
We have released version 2.11.0 of the OpenProject integration app for Nextcloud! ✨ This update brings several usability improvements and fixes to make your project collaboration experience even smoother.
We recommend updating to the latest version via your Nextcloud app center to benefit from the newest enhancements.
Changes of the release 2.11.0:
Simplified warning message for OIDC identification
Improved work package creation process
Clearer messaging in the select field during work package creation
Smoother UI in the “Create work package” modal (stable Subject field behavior)
Thanks to Nextcloud for the continued partnership!
Teams collaborate on ideas, strategies, and texts every day, but when this happens outside the project tool, context gets lost and coordination takes more time than necessary. With OpenProject 17.0, real-time collaboration is now built directly into the Documents module (Cloud and Containerized installations) — but only if the module is activated in your project.
In this article, you will learn why enabling the Documents module is worth it, how live collaboration works in OpenProject, and how to get started in just a few minutes.
Get started with live collaboration
Enabling the Documents module is a small step that can have an immediate impact on how your project team collaborates. Instead of using separate tools or exchanging document versions, teams can create and edit documents together directly in OpenProject.
Typical use cases include:
Brainstorming ideas together in real time.
Aligning on strategies, concepts, or project goals.
Drafting guidelines, proposals, or internal documentation.
Collecting input and feedback from multiple stakeholders.
Important
Real-time documents collaboration is available starting with version 17.0 and is automatically enabled for Containerized and Cloud-hosted installations. Packaged installations (DEB/RPM) require additional manual setup. Please see our system administration guide for more details.
Watch this video to understand how to benefit from OpenProject Documents with live collaboration:
How to use the OpenProject Documents module for real-time editing
Imagine a marketing team that wants to align on its strategy for the year. Several people need to contribute ideas, refine wording, and agree on priorities — ideally without exchanging files or switching between tools. The Meetings module helps collect ideas and align on topics in a structured way, but sometimes teams simply need a shared document to brainstorm collaboratively, without organizing everything as a meeting.
With the Documents module enabled, the team can create a shared document in their project and start working on it together in real time. Everyone sees changes instantly, comments can be addressed on the spot, and the document evolves collaboratively instead of through multiple versions.
Below is a simple example of how project admins can get started and introduce live collaboration in just a few steps.
1. Activate the Documents module in your project
As a project admin, open the project settings and activate the Documents module. This is the only required step to make live collaboration available to your project members. Once activated, all users with the appropriate permissions can create and edit documents together in real time.
2. Create types to structure your documents
To keep documents organized, you can define document types such as Strategy, Concepts, or Internal documentation. This is especially helpful when multiple teams or topics are involved. Types make it easier for project members to find and reuse documents later on and can be adjusted as your project grows.
3. Create your first document
Create a new document and give it a clear title, for example Marketing strategy 2026. The document opens directly in the editor, and changes are saved automatically while you work. From this point on, multiple users can edit the document at the same time without any additional setup.
4. Share the document with your team
Simply share the document link with your project members. Everyone with access to the project can open the document and start contributing immediately. No separate invitations or external sharing settings are required — project permissions apply automatically.
5. Explore the editor and link work packages in the text
Use the editor to structure your content, add lists or headings, and reference relevant work packages directly in the document text. This helps connect ideas and decisions with the tasks they relate to. For more advanced editing options, you can learn more about the underlying editor technology in the BlockNote documentation.
Tip
Use the news module to spread the word and encourage project members to try out live collaboration in Documents as well.
Activate live collaboration in your team
You are already taking the time to read about live collaboration — enabling the Documents module in your project takes less than a minute. Activate the Documents module, create a first document, and invite your team to work on it together.
If you are looking for more details on specific settings or permissions, our documentation is the best place to start. The User Guide explains how to work with documents, while the System admin guide covers technical setup and configuration options.
OpenProject 17.0 has been released and introduces several major improvements across the platform. In this article, we highlight the most important changes and what they mean for your daily work.
As this is a major release with many updates, we focus on the key highlights here. For a complete overview of all features, changes, and bug fixes, please see our release notes.
Project ideas, decisions, and agreements are often formed together. At the same time, they tend to be spread across different tools and files. This makes it harder to keep context, align as a team, and connect written content to actual project work.
With OpenProject 17.0, teams can collaborate on documents in real time, directly in OpenProject. What does that mean? – Multiple users can edit a document at the same time and see each other’s changes instantly. This helps teams develop ideas together, align on content, and keep everything centrally available.
That central approach works especially well because most documents are closely connected to your tasks and projects. You can reference milestones and link work packages, making it easier to move from a shared text draft to an actionable project plan. This is especially useful for project-related documents such as concepts, contracts, specifications, or planning documents, where collaboration and traceability matter.
Good to know: The redesigned Documents module is built on BlockNote, a modern, open source text editor that is also used in other European open source projects such as LaSuite and openDesk. This creates a strong foundation for future collaboration features across OpenProject.
Important
Real-time collaboration in Documents is available out of the box for all plans using OpenProject Cloud or on-premises installations with Docker Compose, Kubernetes, or Helm. For package-based installations, real-time communication needs to be set up separately. Also relevant for on-premises installations using packages: The package source has been changed to packages.openproject.com.
If you want to learn more about the design decisions, technical background, and what’s planned next, read this blog article.
Better meetings, less overhead: Draft and presentation modes, outcomes, and iCal
Meetings are essential for coordination and decision-making — but preparing agendas, guiding discussions, and documenting results often require extra manual effort. This can make meetings feel fragmented and outcomes hard to follow up on.
With draft mode, agendas can be created and refined collaboratively without notifying participants too early. This allows moderators to align internally before opening the meeting and sharing it with the full group.
Running a meeting: Presentation mode
Once the meeting starts, keeping discussions focused can be challenging. Presentation mode helps moderators guide participants through the agenda step by step, making it easier to stay on topic and ensure that all items are addressed in order.
Documenting results: Multiple outcomes
Capturing results is just as important as running the meeting itself. Meetings can now include multiple text-based outcomes, making it easier to document decisions, agreements, or next steps directly where they belong. These outcomes remain part of the meeting documentation and can be reviewed later.
Staying informed: iCal subscription
To support follow-up and planning, meetings can also be subscribed to via iCal, allowing participants to stay informed about schedules and updates in their personal calendar tools.
Together, these improvements help teams run meetings more efficiently, keep discussions structured, and ensure that results are clearly documented and accessible.
Structure projects consistently: Redesigned project home and improved template selection
Creating projects in a consistent way is essential, especially for organizations working with defined project standards such as PM² or PMflex. In practice, project information is often spread across different views, and project setup can be error-prone, particularly for non-technical administrators.
OpenProject 17.0 introduces a redesigned project home, now split into two dedicated tabs. This makes it easier to distinguish between high-level project information and operational details and helps teams understand a project’s structure at a glance. Please note that in addition to the redesign, the project overview page has been renamed to project home.
Project creation has also been improved. A clearer template selection guides users through the setup process and helps avoid common mistakes, even when projects are created by users without deep technical knowledge.
Note
These improvements lay the foundation for a planned multi-step project creation wizard in one of the next releases. The upcoming wizard aims to support the creation and processing of PM² / PMflex artifacts in a guided and user-friendly way. We plan to publish a preview article about this feature on our blog soon.
Manage projects at a strategic level: Programs and portfolios (Enterprise add-on)
As organizations grow, managing projects individually is often no longer enough. Strategic goals, dependencies, and priorities need to be visible across multiple projects — not just within them.
With programs and portfolios, OpenProject 17.0 helps organizations structure projects at a higher level. Related projects can be grouped into programs and portfolios to provide an overview of all ongoing initiatives. This makes it easier to align work with strategic goals, track progress across projects, and support informed decision-making.
This is particularly helpful for organizations working with PM² or PMflex, where projects are embedded in a broader strategic context and need to be managed consistently across portfolios and programs. PMOs, management teams, and public sector organizations benefit from increased transparency without adding complexity to day-to-day project work.
More control when connecting SharePoint: Updated SharePoint integration (Enterprise add-on)
Sharing and collaborating on documents across systems is common in many organizations — but it also raises questions around access control and data protection. Especially in regulated environments, it is important to clearly define who can see and edit which content.
With OpenProject 17.0, the existing SharePoint/OneDrive integration has been split into two separate integrations. This allows for more restrictive and clearer permission handling when connecting SharePoint content to OpenProject.
The updated SharePoint and OneDrive integrations are available as Enterprise add-ons in the Professional plan, just like before version 17.0. See our system admin guide to learn more about the SharePoint integration and now separate OneDrive integration for OpenProject.
Other great improvements
OpenProject 17.0 is a packed release. To keep this article concise, here is a quick look at some additional improvements worth highlighting:
You will find more information about all new features and changes in our Release notes or in the OpenProject Documentation.
If you need support, you can post your questions in the Community Forum, or if you are eligible for Enterprise support, please contact us and we will be happy to support you personally.
New to OpenProject? To test all features of OpenProject 17.0 right away, create a 14 days free trial instance for our OpenProject Enterprise cloud.
Prefer to run OpenProject 17.0 in your own infrastructure? Here you can find the Installation guidelines for OpenProject.
A very special thank you goes to Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin, City of Cologne, Deutsche Bahn and ZenDiS for sponsoring released or upcoming features. Your support, alongside the efforts of our amazing Community, helps drive these innovations. Also a big thanks to our Community members for reporting bugs and helping us identify and provide fixes. Special thanks for reporting and finding bugs go to Alexander Aleschenko, Stefan Weiberg, and Markus Preisinger.
Last but not least, we are very grateful for our very engaged translation contributors on Crowdin, who translated quite a few OpenProject strings! This release we would like to particularly thank the following users:
stenberg.thomas, for a great number of translations into Swedish.
Sharmin, for a great number of translations into Persian.
Would you like to help out with translations yourself? Then take a look at our translation guide and find out exactly how you can contribute. It is very much appreciated!
As always, we welcome any feedback on this release.
Open source security is a shared responsibility. OpenProject is proud to take this responsibility seriously. As part of an initiative funded by the European Commission, we at OpenProject have partnered with the YesWeHack bug bounty platform to make our open source project management software even more secure.
Security researchers are invited to test the latest stable version and report any vulnerabilities – with financial rewards for valid reports.
What is the bug bounty about?
OpenProject is currently listed as a public program on YesWeHack. Security researchers can analyze the latest stable release of OpenProject as published on our GitHub repository, and report any findings through the platform.
The program is sponsored by the European Commission, under its initiative to strengthen the digital security of open source tools used by public institutions. It’s part of a broader strategy to foster digital sovereignty and secure open infrastructure in Europe.
Note
About YesWeHack: The bug bounty and vulnerability management platform is “built by hackers for hackers”, connecting organizations and ethical hackers worldwide to uncover and patch vulnerabilities. Read more on their website.
Submit valid vulnerabilities through the platform.
Receive your reward if your report is accepted and in scope.
FAQ
Who can participate?
Anyone with a YesWeHack account and a passion for security can participate. You don’t need to be part of an organization — individual researchers are welcome.
The rewards range from €100 to €5,000, depending on the severity of the vulnerability. Rewards are based on the CVSS severity score and follow a structured grid.
How do I submit a report?
You can submit a report through the YesWeHack platform. Reports must include clear reproduction steps and follow the responsible disclosure policy.
What happens after submission?
Submissions are reviewed by OpenProject and triaged based on impact. Eligible reports will be rewarded and fixed as appropriate.
Join the effort — hack for the public good
Help us make OpenProject even more secure. Whether you’re a seasoned researcher or just starting out, your contributions make a difference.
What a year of contrasts 2025 was! Full of growth, progress and meaningful impact. But at the same time, full of threats, uncertainties, and alarming announcements.
How can we remain positive with all the challenges we face every day? We believe that this is precisely why optimism matters more than ever. It is a choice to see opportunity where others see obstacles, to focus on solutions rather than problems. We should roll up our sleeves and be the change we want to see in this world, not waiting for someone else to act. Every small effort, every thoughtful decision, and every collaboration contributes to a larger impact. By staying hopeful, committed, and proactive, we turn uncertainty into possibility and challenges into milestones for progress. And we are proud of everything we have achieved together over the past year.
As we close another chapter, we want to pause, look back, and celebrate together: with our team, our Community, our partners, and our users — with you!
This year, OpenProject continued to live up to its mission: delivering open source, sovereign, and powerful project management to organizations of any kind: Empowering teams to achieve great things together for the good of society. And we did that not just by adding features but by thinking deeply about why open source matters today more than ever.
🚀 What we shipped in 2025
Continued regular releases, real improvements
In 2025, we shipped a total of 28 releases, each bringing meaningful, visible improvements to our users. Among the most important enhancements were:
Major UI and accessibility upgrades, along with improved filtering, usability refinements, and new configuration options for dark and high contrast modes.
Significant enhancements to the Meetings module, including meeting backlogs, recurring meetings, agenda item outcomes, PDF exports, and improved invitation flows.
Improved scheduling with automatic “as soon as possible” scheduling mode, better progress calculations, and support for entering lags.
Portfolio management improvements, incl. project life-cycle management and calculated values for project evaluation and scoring.
Time-tracking improvements, including a dedicated calendar view and PDF exports for timesheets.
Enhanced file-storage integrations for Nextcloud and SharePoint.
Additional collaboration features such as internal comments (Enterprise add-on), automatically generated work package titles, work package reminders to notify users at a later point in time, and numerous refinements to support more flexible and efficient teamwork.
These updates reflect our commitment to continuous meaningful improvements instead of bells and whistles, but making the tool more helpful, more accessible, and more reliable for everyday work. Our release notes provide an overview of all updates. You can even view the fantastic new release videos we introduced in 2025.
Industry recognition: OpenProject as a top-rated PM solution
In March 2025, we were honored to be recognized by Gartner Digital Markets (via Capterra, GetApp, Software Advice) as one of the leading project management solutions 2025 worldwide. This recognition is not just a badge but a tribute to our users, our Community, and our persistent dedication to quality and open source values.
Reinforcing our strategic roadmap: our vision meets execution in 2026 and beyond
At the start of 2025, we published our roadmap, spotlighting key themes like portfolio management, team collaboration, integrations & API, usability & accessibility — and even a mobile app on the horizon. It’s inspiring for us to see so many of those planned items take shape throughout the year and not least because they align with real needs of organizations scaling sustainably.
In 2026 and beyond, OpenProject is expanding its capabilities across key strategic areas to empower organizations with even more robust, secure, and future-ready collaboration. The 2026 roadmap focuses on advancing the migration from Atlassian Jira, strengthening IT Service Management (ITSM), and deepening support for agile project management. It further enhances test management, portfolio management, and resource and capacity planning to improve cross-team efficiency and transparency.
In addition, OpenProject is investing in powerful AI integrations to automate workflows and provide actionable insights, while also extending real-time collaboration in text editors. Together, these focus areas shape a comprehensive strategy to support digital transformation and agile administration in the years ahead.
💙 Why 2025 mattered — beyond features
Because open source and digital sovereignty matter more than ever
We live in a world where digital infrastructure shapes power, autonomy, and trust. With rising geopolitical tensions, shifting regulations and increasing attention to data sovereignty, it’s no longer optional to ask where your data is stored, but it becomes fundamental.
OpenProject stands for a different path: open source, transparent, self-hostable, privacy-conscious. In 2025, we saw more organizations, especially in public administration and regulated environments, look for exactly that kind of sovereignty, control, and independence, rather than signing up for closed SaaS tools. This is not just about software, it’s about preserving freedom, democracy and trust in digital collaboration.
All the happier we are that also openDesk, the sovereign workplace by Zentrum Digitale Souveränität (ZenDiS), is gaining traction and organizations such as German State Premiers and the International Criminal Court chose openDesk in 2025. We are happy that we are part of this, contributing Portfolio and Project Management as well as collaboration functionalities.
Because our team and Community outshine everything
Our success this year would not have been possible without the vibrant and engaged team. In May this year, we gathered for our company offsite in Brandenburg. Spinning new ideas, fostering team spirit and spending fun time together. Watch our team video to get an impression.
We want to thank our team, who showed up with passion, patience and persistence throughout the year. You make it happen!
“When the wind turns wild, set your sails with intention. Storms reveal the strongest navigators. In these times of uncertainty, it is more important than ever to collaborate with our friends. Digital sovereignty is a joint task for Europe in order to stand up for our values and thus for our democracy.” – Birthe Lindenthal, CMO and Co-founder
And all of this would not have been possible without the Community around OpenProject. From bug reports and feature requests to translations, documentation contributions, testing, feedback and support: every single contribution matters. The 2025 Gartner recognition, the smooth releases, the roadmap follow-through, all of it stands on the shoulders of our Community.
And finally, we thank our close partners and sponsors once again. i.e. City of Cologne, Deutsche Bahn, Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin, and ZenDiS. Of course, it’s great to release software for free. But developers want to be paid, open source or not. That’s why we would like to express our heartfelt thank you to our loyal partners who support us with feature sponsorship. All these upstream contributions benefit other users.
Because we stand up as a serious alternative to proprietary PM stacks
With the announced discontinuation of Atlassian Data Center, 2025 has become a crucial year for companies evaluating their future tools. We were aware of this and worked to position OpenProject not just as “another project management tool”, but as a standalone, mature alternative and a reliable partner for an immediate switch. In doing so, we have made a small but important contribution to digital independence on a large scale.
Because we build a strong ecosystem with our partners
2025 also marked an important year for strengthening the open source ecosystem around OpenProject.
We know that digital sovereignty cannot be achieved alone. It is a team effort — in Germany, across Europe, and with strong partners who share our vision. In 2025, we were proud to strengthen international collaboration, from our participation in the DINUM Hackathon in Paris, where we explored cross-border solutions for open, privacy-first collaboration, to participating in the Franco-German Digital Sovereignty Summit in Berlin, reaffirming the importance of sovereign solutions for public administration.
Together with our partners, we deepened a network of powerful, privacy-respecting alternatives to proprietary platforms. Our long-standing partnership with Nextcloud continued to grow, enabling seamless content collaboration through our Nextcloud integration and offering organizations a secure, sovereign alternative to Microsoft 365. We were excited to participate as sponsors in many Nextcloud Enterprise Days, such as in Copenhagen, The Hague, and Paris, as well as at the Nextcloud Summit in Munich.
At the same time, we intensified our collaboration with XWiki to build an open, extensible alternative to Atlassian Confluence — and we are already working on the first integration. This is where open source truly shows its strength: when independent projects unite their communities, their knowledge, and their innovations. Because in this ecosystem, 1+1 becomes 3 — and organizations gain real freedom of choice.
🧱 The challenges and what still needs attention
Of course, not everything is done. As we grow and evolve, we see areas where improvement is still needed:
Ensuring smooth migration paths for larger organizations switching from legacy tools, especially for those coming from proprietary stacks.
Continuing to build integrations and interoperability because tools don’t live in isolation.
Enhancing UX and accessibility further, especially with more diverse users, platforms, and needs.
Preparing for global uncertainties: security, data protection, and sovereignty, and ensuring OpenProject remains a safe, stable and trustworthy place for organizations to collaborate.
We accept these challenges, and we are committed to working on them together with you.
❤️ Thank you to our Community, our users, our team
We started 2025 with a lot of energy. Today, at the end of 2025, we look back with pride, gratitude and optimism. Thank you for your trust, your feedback, your engagement and your contributions.
Whether you are a long-time user, a newcomer, a contributor, a supporter, or just someone curious: you make OpenProject what it is.
Let’s carry this spirit into 2026!
Let’s continue building software that empowers teams — not locks them in.
Let’s continue our support for digital sovereignty, open collaboration and transparent infrastructure.
Let’s stay open, inclusive, quality-driven and always ready to listen to our Community.
Together, we make OpenProject not just a any tool, but a shared foundation for collaboration, trust and freedom.
Starting version 17.0 – currently planned for January 2026, OpenProject introduces a completely redesigned Documents module with real-time collaboration capabilities. This marks a significant step forward in how teams can work together within OpenProject, enabling multiple users to edit documents simultaneously while seeing each other’s changes as they happen.
Why we needed this change
Project teams work in increasingly distributed and asynchronous ways. Whether you are brainstorming ideas, drafting project requirements, writing status reports or planning the next phase of work, collaboration is at the heart of what makes projects successful. However, traditional document editing workflows often create friction: files are duplicated, versions become out of sync, and team members struggle to know which version is the most current. Parallel editing leads to conflicts, data loss and frustration.
At OpenProject, we’re always trying to find ways to help our users communicate and collaborate in better ways. We believe teams want to work together in real time, see who else is contributing and have confidence that their edits won’t be lost or overwritten. This is precisely why we worked on upgrades to the Documents module.
Important
Please note that the changes outlined in this article are planned for release in version 17.0, which is currently scheduled for January 14, 2026.
Real-time collaboration in OpenProject
The redesigned Documents module brings true real-time collaboration to OpenProject. When you open a document, you can see who else is actively editing it. Their cursors appear on the page, showing exactly where they are and what changes they are making, as they type.
Real-time collaboration is not simply about being able to see other users’ changes. It’s also about removing the barriers that slow teams down: no more waiting for someone to finish editing before you can make your contribution, no more merging conflicting versions, no more hunting through email attachments or shared drives to find the latest version of a document. The most current document is always in one place, and everyone works from the same source of truth.
What’s new in Documents
The new Documents module represents both a significant user experience improvement and a fundamental technological shift:
Real-time collaborative editing: Multiple users can edit the same document simultaneously. You see who’s online, where their cursors are, and what they’re changing in real time. Complex conflict management happens automatically in the background, ensuring that no one’s edits are lost.
Modern rich text editor: Documents now uses BlockNote, a modern open source rich text editor that makes writing and formatting simple and intuitive. Adding rich content like images, videos, audio files, or code blocks is straightforward.
Dynamic work package references: You can now include references to work packages directly within documents using the /op or /workpackage commands. These references update dynamically, so if the name, status or type of a work package changes, these are reflected automatically in the document. This also makes it easy to link to features or reference bugs without manually copying and pasting information that might become outdated.
File attachments: Attach files to any document to provide additional context, supporting materials, or related resources. Everything stays organized in one place.
Improved design and usability: The entire interface has been redesigned with a focus on clarity and ease of use, with a particular focus on providing a distraction-free editing experience.
Take a look at this short preview Gif that shows the features listed above:
Preview for OpenProject 17.0: Four active editors in the Documents module, adding a heart image to the document, linking work packages and collaboratively writing and editing text.
Technical foundations
Making real-time collaboration possible required substantial work on the technical foundation of the Documents module. We’ve adopted two powerful open source technologies: BlockNote as our rich text editor and Hocuspocus as our real-time collaboration toolkit.
BlockNote provides the editing experience users interact with directly. It’s extensible, modern and designed with collaboration in mind. One particularly exciting aspect of using BlockNote is that our new work package reference components are built to be generic and reusable, such that other tools that use BlockNote can also benefit from these same components. For example, Docs, part of France’s LaSuite and Germany’s openDesk, is based on BlockNote. XWiki is also testing an integration with BlockNote, which will allow users of these tools to call our BlockNote extension add dynamic links to OpenProject work packages in their text. The combination of XWiki’s knowledge management platform and OpenProject’s work management capabilities is especially potent as a replacement for Atlassian’s Jira-Confluence package. Such integrations create a more consistent experience for users working across different tools in their digital workspace.
Hocuspocus handles the complex real-time synchronization and conflict resolution that happens behind the scenes. When multiple users are editing simultaneously, Hocuspocus ensures that changes are merged correctly, no edits are lost and that the editing experience remains smooth.
These technologies form a solid foundation for collaborative editing in the Documentions module today, and potentially across other areas of OpenProject in the future.
Looking ahead
The new Documents module is the first step in a larger vision for real-time collaboration in OpenProject. However, it’s also a test bed. We’re using Documents to refine our technology, test our infrastructure and learn how our users collaborate in practice.
Once the technology is stable and we’ve gathered real-world experience, we plan to introduce real-time collaboration in other areas of OpenProject where it can bring value. Work packages are an obvious next candidate. Our goal is to make it possible for you to see your colleagues editing work package descriptions or updating custom fields in real time, with the same experience you now have in Documents.
How to access the new Documents module
For Cloud users: If have an OpenProject Cloud subscription, the new Documents module is available starting with version 17.0. You don’t need to do anything. Hocuspocus and all other dependencies are already installed and configured. Simply ensure the Documents module is enabled for each project where you want to use it, and you can start collaborating immediately.
For on-premises users: How you access the new Documents depends on your installation type:
Containerized installations (Kubernetes, Docker, or Helm charts): Everything works out of the box. Hocuspocus is automatically installed and configured for you and real-time collaboration is enabled by default.
Package-based installations (DEB/RPM packages): You’ll need to manually install dependencies such as Hocuspocus and configure them to enable real-time collaboration.
All documents created before version 17.0 remain accessible exactly as they were, using the CKEditor-based text editor. These documents do not support real-time collaboration, but they’re fully functional and unchanged. You can continue to use them as you always have.
Starting with version 17.0, all newly created documents use BlockNote and support real-time collaboration (if real-time collaboration is properly configured and enabled). This means you’ll have both old-style and new-style documents coexisting in your OpenProject instance. Older documents will have a ‘Legacy’ label on them for easy identification.
Important
If real-time collaboration is enabled and users create new documents, but real-time collaboration is subsequently disabled (either manually or due to issues reaching the Hocuspocus server), those documents will no longer be accessible. We are aware this can lead to loss of access to data, so we strongly recommend that you not disable real-time collaboration after it has been enabled.
If real-time collaboration is not enabled—for example, because Hocuspocus is not available—new documents will continue to use the old style with CKEditor, without real-time collaboration features.
Your feedback
There is of course still a lot of work to do before we have real-time collaboration across all of OpenProject. We would really appreciate your help in getting us there.
Your feedback will help us understand what we’re doing right, what we can improve and what we should focus on. Does having real-time editing in OpenProject change the way you work? Will you use this in your own projects? What are ways we can improve it?
As an open source company, we develop in the open and value input from our user Community. If you have thoughts about the new Documents module, questions about how it works, or ideas for how we can make it even better, we’d love to hear from you. Join our Community instance and share your feedback.
Credits
We would like to thank the team behind BlockNote — Yousef El-Dardiry, Nick Perez, and Matthew Lipski — for creating such an excellent open source rich text editor. Thanks as well to the team behind Hocuspocus for providing the robust real-time collaboration infrastructure that makes this possible.
We’d also like to thank the design, development and QA teams at OpenProject for their hard work in making all this possible.
Europe needs open, interoperable tools to collaborate across borders. Especially in the public sector. This vision was reaffirmed at the Summit on European Digital Sovereignty in Berlin, where leaders committed to strengthening open source infrastructures like openDesk OpenProject was invited on site as part of openDesk.
Summit on European Digital Sovereignty
This week, the Summit on European Digital Sovereignty took place in Berlin, hosted by the German government and attended by high-level political leaders and open source innovators from across the continent. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron laid out a joint vision for a sovereign digital Europe.
OpenProject participated as part of openDesk
When we talk about digital sovereignty in Germany and Europe, we talk about openDesk. openDesk is the secure all in one office and collaboration suite, for the public sector and everyone else. OpenProject is proud to be a core component, powering project and task management in a secure, privacy-first environment.
In his speech, Merz mentioned ZenDiS’s OpenDesk as an alternative that is already being used at the Robert Koch Institute and is also in use, at least selectively, in the Chancellery and the Ministry of Digital Affairs. We reported on this in our blog a few weeks ago.
The significance of digital sovereignty is evident
It is a positive sign that all 27 EU member states have signed the “Declaration on European Digital Sovereignty” initiated by Austria, thereby establishing a framework for action on digital sovereignty.
Another strong signal is the increasing presence of openDesk and the topic of digital sovereignty in general in the press. After the summit, the official German news programs Tagesschau and Tagesthemen have reported on the importance of digital sovereignty.
As Adriana Groh, CEO of Sovereign Tech Agency, summarizes at her speach on the Berlin summit this week: “Open source has proven itself to be a winning strategy — not recently, but for decades.”
Conclusion: Attention is great, but the work continues
Europe has the talent, the tools, and the momentum to shape its digital future, openly and collaboratively. The Berlin summit was a powerful reminder that open source is no longer a niche solution, but a strategic choice at the highest levels of government.
OpenProject is proud to be part of this movement. Together with the openDesk ecosystem and partners across Europe, we are committed to creating digital tools that serve the public good.
Still, we share the feeling expressed by ZenDiS on LinkedIn, that we miss even clearer commitments to open source solutions. Because even though the importance of digital sovereignty is becoming increasingly apparent, there is still a lack of clear communication, decisions, and speed.
Managing goals in form of Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) is a proven framework used by companies of all sizes to align strategy and execution. To successfully work with OKRs, teams need a flexible and transparent OKR software that supports both high-level strategic planning and day-to-day task management. OpenProject is perfectly suited as an OKR software to meet this goal.
Read the following guide to learn how you and your organization can use the OpenProject software to manage your OKRs in three steps.
Insights: Our experience with OpenProject as OKR software
OpenProject is known as top project management and task software. What many people don’t yet realize is that the tool can also be used wonderfully for the OKR methodology. In other words, for strategic goal setting with Objectives and Key Results. The OpenProject team is a good example of how OpenProject works in practice as OKR software. Since Q1 2025, we have been using OpenProject to plan and track our corporate Strategic Initiatives, Objectives, and corresponding Key Results.
Today, we share our experience and learnings, so that you can benefit from our test runs and use these instructions to get started with your own OKRs right away.
Note
We will show some screenshots in this article. Please note that some of them actually show our real company OKR project while others are based on demo data. Nevertheless, the process and structure reflects the way we work with Objectives and Key Results internally.
Learning 1: OKR masters and regular check-ins
To start with OKRs in our company, we selected and trained two so-called OKR masters. They are experts in the OKR framework and know best how to handle Objectives and Key Results, e.g. when it comes to phrasing or questions like “What do I do with OKRs that we didn’t finish in this quarter?”.
To do so, they also attend our regular OKR check-ins – to answer questions and stay informed on how the different OKR teams proceed. In the first quarters, we scheduled these check-ins weekly. Now that everyone is more experienced in working with OKRs, some teams changed the frequency to bi-weekly or even monthly check-in meetings.
Learning 2: Dedicated OKR teams in a dedicated project
As we use the OpenProject software for many different projects, it was quite clear that we needed a dedicated OKR project for all our Objectives and Key Results. Nevertheless, this OKR project is not time-limited. New OKRs are added every quarter, and at the same time, we can view past quarters at any time.
What we have learned: Creating dedicated OKR teams is very helpful. Not only because the composition of OKR teams can differ from our usual team structure, but also because OKR teams may require different permissions.
In addition, we created an OKR wiki right at the beginning, which the OKR masters keep up to date. In it, employees can find all the information they need for internal work with OKRs.
Guide: How to use OpenProject as OKR software in 3 steps
These were our most important learnings after three quarters working with OKRs in OpenProject. Now, let’s see how exactly you can use the tool for OKRs, step by step.
For an OKR project, you’ll need specific work package types like:
Strategic Initiative
Objective
Key Result
Task
These are the work package types we use to manage our OKRs at OpenProject.
For statuses, we rely on the same ones we typically use, e.g. “new”, “in progress” or “closed”. Additionally we added the status “moved to next quarter”, which is very helpful if you want to continue on an Objective or Key Result in the following months. This way, accountables just need to update the status and change the version, e.g. from “Objectives 2025 Q3” to “Objectives 2025 Q4”.
As mentioned above, we advise to set up OKR groups for different teams so that everyone, e.g. the OKR master, can assign work packages to the specific teams. This allows individual teams to see at a glance which OKRs belong to them and decide among themselves who is accountable for which Objective or assigned to which task.
Tip
We’re still experimenting with custom fields for OKR work packages. One idea is to set up a custom field for the Confidence Level, on Objective and on Key Result level. Accountables can then update the Confidence Level regularly to track how certain they are that the Objective or Key Result will be achieved by the end of the quarter – for example, by setting it to 0.7 if they estimate the probability to be 70%.
Step 2: Start Strategic Initiatives, Objectives and Key Results for the next quarter
Now that everything is preset, step 2 can start: defining quarter-specific Strategic Initiatives, Objectives and Key Results. This step builds on the company’s vision, mission, and annual goals — ensuring that each new OKR directly contributes to the overall strategy. Typically, the Strategic Initiatives and Objectives are defined and approved at the management level, while the corresponding Key Results and related tasks are then discussed and refined collaboratively within each team.
Work package relations
Of course, these work packages should all be linked in a smart way. In OpenProject, simply use parent-child relations to display dependencies between a Strategic Initiative, its Objectives and Key Results:
Once you have created all relevant work packages for the quarter and have set up all relations, it might be helpful to bulk edit them to add more information:
Set the start and finish date to the start and end of the quarter.
Set the version e.g. to Q4 2025, so that you can filter for that.
Adjust priorities if necessary.
Apart from these general attributes, it is always helpful to add work package descriptions and if you work with estimates and progress, fill out the fields for Work – depending on your progress reporting mode (which is defined on an instance level).
Step 3: Monitor and schedule regular OKR meetings
Once everything is set up in OpenProject, the real work can start. To keep track of your OKR progress, you can filter and save Work package tables, Boards or Gantt charts.
Work package tables
Here’s a real screenshot of our internal OKR work package tables:
You can see saved work package tables for all teams for different quarters as well as team-specific tables. Helpful on a management level is a filtered view for all Strategic Initiatives across quarters.
Boards
Some teams prefer working with boards instead of table views. For OKRs, a parent-child board is helpful to display Objectives and their corresponding Key Results:
This type of board view works well for (bi)weekly OKR check-ins to monitor and discuss progress for each Objective.
Meetings
When it comes to OKR, regular check-ins are essential not only for the team but also on a management or OKR master level. Here’s where one of OpenProject’s most popular features comes into play: the Meetings module. Set up a recurring meeting series based on a template, and you’ll have a dedicated space to regularly review the progress of your Objectives and Key Results.
With just a few clicks, you can add them to the agenda, include comments, and record an outcome during the meeting. It couldn’t be more convenient — everything is presented at a glance, with direct links to the work packages and email invitations sent to participants. Done.
Overview and statistics
Use the project overview page to see at a glance which Key Results are at risk, closed or moved to the next quarter. Here’s an example of the OpenProject company OKR overview page:
Note
OpenProject is an OKR software that is frequently updated, with new releases every month. Looking ahead, we plan to improve our setup by experimenting with even more detailed dashboards and further automation. Take a look at our roadmap to see what we plan to release next!
Start a trial to test OpenProject for your OKRs
With everything set up, your team can now fully leverage OpenProject as OKR software to align goals, track results, and stay accountable.
OpenProject helps teams implement OKRs without switching tools. With flexible work package types and intuitive tracking, you can align strategy and execution in one place. Are you and your team working with OKRs as well? Try OpenProject now and see how OKR software built on open source can streamline your strategic alignment.
Digital collaboration in public administration is becoming increasingly important across Europe and beyond. Questions of data protection, interoperability, and digital sovereignty are now central to how governments organize their work.
In Germany, one initiative is setting a strong example: openDesk, an open source collaboration platform designed specifically for public institutions, developed by the Center for Digital Sovereignty of Public Administration (ZenDiS), a government-owned organization promoting open and secure IT infrastructures. openDesk integrates several trusted open source applications – including OpenProject for project management and task tracking – to enable secure, transparent, and independent collaboration within and between public organizations.
A milestone for openDesk: The German conference of Minister Presidents
At the October 2024 meeting in Leipzig, openDesk was used for the first time – only one week after the platform’s official launch. The organizing team from the State of Saxony wanted a secure, sovereign system for sharing documents, recording decisions, and collaborating on materials between all 16 states.
The result was a complete success. openDesk proved to be reliable, secure, and interoperable. The conference’s digital processes ran smoothly, and all participating offices could collaborate efficiently. This first real-world use case demonstrated that open source collaboration works even at the highest levels of government.
The technology behind openDesk
openDesk is a modular, fully open collaboration suite that combines several established open source solutions into one cohesive environment. It is developed and supported by a strong network of European and German partners who are committed to transparency, data protection, and digital sovereignty:
B1 Systems GmbH – consulting and infrastructure services for open source deployments.
Collabora Online – collaborative editing of office documents directly in the browser.
Element Software GmbH – secure chat and video communication based on the Matrix protocol.
Nextcloud GmbH – secure file storage, synchronization, and sharing.
Univention GmbH – identity and access management for public IT systems.
XWiki SAS – open knowledge management and documentation platform.
Together, these organizations deliver a sovereign, privacy-respecting digital workspace that meets the strict security and data protection standards of European public administrations.
Secure hosting within Germany
During the first deployment at the MPK in Saxony, openDesk was operated by Adfinis and hosted on the cloud infrastructure of IONOS, which is certified according to the C5 security standard of the German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI).
The more recent MPK meeting under the chairmanship of the state of Rhineland-Palatinate was hosted by STACKIT, the cloud provider of the Schwarz Group (known for Lidl and Kaufland), with technical support from B1 Systems.
This collaboration between public institutions, mid-sized IT service providers, and open source software vendors shows how digital sovereignty is becoming a practical reality in Europe – secure, independent, and future-proof.
Growing momentum: The International Criminal Court joins the movement
Digital sovereignty is not just a German or European topic anymore. The idea of using open, transparent, and locally controlled software is gaining international traction.
Recently, the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague announced its decision to replace Microsoft products with openDesk. This move by one of the world’s most important international justice institutions underlines a growing trend: organizations handling sensitive information are increasingly turning to open source solutions to ensure long-term independence and control over their data.
OpenProject as a key component of openDesk
As one of the core components of openDesk, OpenProject provides the backbone for structured project and task management. It enables transparency, accountability, and traceability of decisions – essential qualities for complex administrative environments.
OpenProject helps public sector teams coordinate their work effectively, stay aligned on responsibilities and timelines, and maintain full control over their data. Hosted on European infrastructure and fully open source, it meets the highest privacy and compliance standards.
By the end of 2025, openDesk aims to deploy around 160,000 licenses across German public institutions. The platform continues to expand – from large organizations like the Robert Koch Institute to smaller but strategically critical bodies such as the Conference of Minister Presidents.
openDesk and its components, including OpenProject, represent a shared vision: digital sovereignty as the new standard, not the exception.
OpenProject 16.6 has been released and this version introduces new features and improvements again. Please take a few minutes to learn what changes for you. We will summarize the most important changes in this blog article and, as always, please see our release notes that contain all changes, features and bug fixes.
Project evaluation and scoring (Enterprise add-on)
With OpenProject 16.6, project portfolio managers gain new ways to make their work more measurable and transparent. The release introduces three new project attribute types: Hierarchy, Weighted item lists, and Calculated value. They can be combined to evaluate and compare projects based on consistent criteria.
These attributes allow organizations to build their own evaluation models. Hierarchy project attributes let you organize information in a structured, nested way — for example, grouping initiatives by region, department, or program.
Weighted item lists extend this concept by assigning numeric scores to list options, such as effort levels or risk ratings. These values can then be used as input for automated calculations.
Calculated values enable automatic computations based on formulas using numeric project attributes, including scores from Weighted item lists or even other calculated values. The computed result is displayed directly on the project overview and in the project list. It automatically updates whenever one of its source attributes (e.g., Benefit or Effort in the example below) changes.
Here’s an example of a calculated value called ‘Overall score (calculated)’ with the following formula: (Strategic impact * 0.6) + ( Benefit * 0.3) - (Effort * 0.1)
These new attribute types open up flexible ways to work with project data. Scoring is just one typical example — the same structure can be used to represent strategic priorities, aggregate indicators, or define your own evaluation framework that fits your organization’s needs.
Working with large projects and complex portfolios can be challenging when pages take too long to load or filters lag behind. That’s why OpenProject 16.6 focuses on improving performance, ensuring that even large-scale installations with thousands of projects and millions of work packages remain fast and reliable.
To achieve this, several backend processes have been improved. Database queries and API responses have been refined to avoid unnecessary counting operations, and the autocompleter for adding work package relations now only retrieves the data it actually needs. These changes reduce query load and make the application more efficient overall.
As a result, users will notice faster response times, smoother navigation, and more responsive filtering — even in the largest environments.
New index page for Documents module
Managing project documents efficiently is key to keeping everyone aligned. But as projects grow, finding the right file can become a challenge. To make this easier, OpenProject 16.6 introduces the first step toward a more powerful and collaborative Documents module.
The new index page provides a structured overview of all project documents, showing each file’s Name, Type (the category), and Last edited date. The most recently updated items are always on top. A quick filter helps you search by title, and the navigation menu on the left lets you narrow the list by Type (previously called Category). Both terms are used synonymously in this first step, as Type will gradually replace Category in future updates.
A new + Document button makes adding content straightforward, and on mobile devices, the view adapts to show only the most relevant details.
While this is a smaller change on its own, it marks the beginning of a broader improvement to how teams will work with documents in OpenProject. We are excited about the upcoming changes that will make document management and live collaboration easier and more intuitive.
Small usability enhancements can make a big difference in everyday work. OpenProject 16.6 brings several refinements that make managing information smoother, meetings more efficient, and administration tasks easier to navigate.
Change parent of a custom field item or project attribute (Enterprise add-on)
Administrators can now rearrange items within hierarchical custom fields (Enterprise add-on) or project attributes without having to recreate them. A new Change parent option opens a dialog showing the hierarchy tree, allowing quick reorganization through search and selection.
Updated “More” menu in meetings
In the Meetings module, moderators can now move agenda items directly between sections using the new Move to section action. This saves time in meetings with multiple sections or longer agendas and helps keep discussions better structured.
Editing individual attributes even if other fields are invalid
Users can now edit visible fields even if other required fields are missing or invalid. This prevents unnecessary validation errors — for example, when a required field was added later — and lets users continue their work without interruption.
Sticky header and first column in workflows
In Administration → Work packages → Workflow, the table now has a sticky header and sticky first column. This makes it easier for administrators to keep an overview of transitions when scrolling through large workflow tables.
On mobile devices, the date picker once again includes a mini calendar view for selecting start and finish dates. This makes it easier to see weekdays and working days at a glance, improving usability when managing tasks on the go.
OpenProject 16.6: Migration, installation, updates and support
You will find more information about all new features and changes in our Release notes or in the OpenProject Documentation.
If you need support, you can post your questions in the Community Forum, or if you are eligible for Enterprise support, please contact us and we are happy to support you personally.
New to OpenProject? To test all features of OpenProject 16.6 right away, create a 14 days free trial instance for our OpenProject Enterprise cloud.
Prefer to run OpenProject 16.6 in your own infrastructure? Here you can find the Installation guidelines for OpenProject.
A very special thank you goes to Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin, City of Cologne, Deutsche Bahn and ZenDiS for sponsoring released or upcoming features. Your support, alongside the efforts of our amazing Community, helps drive these innovations. Also a big thanks to our Community members for reporting bugs and helping us identify and provide fixes. Special thanks for reporting and finding bugs go to Sven Kunze, Stefan Weiberg, Gábor Alexovics, Alexander Aleschenko, and Tobias Nowakow.
This release, we specifically want to thank Emon for reporting a security vulnerability on our website. Reports and feedback like this are one of the reasons we love OSS and appreciate being part of such an amazing community.
Last but not least, we are very grateful for our very engaged translation contributors on Crowdin, who translated quite a few OpenProject strings! This release we would like to particularly thank the following users:
William, for a great number of translations into Chinese Traditional.
Pickart, for a great number of translations into Catalan.
Maxime77, for a great number of translations into French.
Would you like to help out with translations yourself? Then take a look at our translation guide and find out exactly how you can contribute. It is very much appreciated!
As always, we welcome any feedback on this release. 💙
OpenProject as a secure web-based project management software supports many different use cases. At the beginning of each quarter, it is very convenient to follow the OKR process in OpenProject, set your strategic goals, derive smaller goals, and break them down into manageable and measurable smaller results.
What are OKRs?
After Agile, OKR is now arguably a well known buzzword in modern business management and people management. Not only does the company set goals from the top down anymore, but the employees are also involved in the formulation of the company’s goals in this management framework.
OKR stands for Objectives and Key Results. With OKRs, individual tasks of employees and/or teams are linked to the strategic corporate goals. Based on the corporate goals, the teams regularly (e.g., every quarter) derive their individual or team goals and define measurable results for those goals.
Objectives are qualitative goals: Where do I want to go or what do I want to achieve (always with regard to the corporate goal(s)). Key Results are quantitative smaller results (tasks) which count towards the Objective: What do I have to do to achieve the goal and how can I measure it?
We use OpenProject as OKR software ourselves to support our (slightly modified) form of OKRs. Among many other features, goals can be easily defined in OpenProject. Define, document and follow-up on (strategic) business goals. The work package module is very suitable for this. First, the work package types GOAL and KEY RESULT are added and activated in the project.
If required, additional custom fields, such as Goal Category and KPI can be added to the work package type. Collect and specify the (strategic) goals in this Goal Backlog. Here it is advisable to subdivide e.g. after different Goal categories. During your goal planning, prioritize the goals in OpenProject, assign them to an Accountable, and add them to a version (e.g. Goals Q1 2026).
For the planning of the next quarter, set a filter, e.g. to the version “Goals Q1 2026”. You can discuss these strategic goals with the team and each responsible person, then break them down into individual qualitative goals (Objectives) for the next period and add measurable Key Results for those.
This works very well in OpenProject via the relations feature. Either choose the relation “Includes” between the Objective and the respective Key Results or add Key Results as children for Objectives.
In the list you can then display which Key Results need to be completed in order to fulfil the Objective. Of course, all other features of the work packages, such as comments, status, priority, %Complete, custom fields, workflows, etc. work in addition to this.
If you set Key Results as children, you could create a “Part of” relation between tasks and Objective. Or, the other way round, add the “Includes” relation to the Objective.
This way, you are able to configure your OKR process to your needs. This enables transparent and efficient documentation and tracking of OKRs as well as direct integration with project management.
What else should be considered when working with OKRs?
It is best to start with only a few Objectives. You should clearly discuss within the company / team what you want to focus on in the next quarter.
Key Results should be broken down and documented in as much detail as possible. It should include a measurable result so that you know exactly when the goal was achieved. If necessary, you can work with the %Complete field in OpenProject to show how far along you are in achieving each Key Result and to visualize progress over time.
The team should agree on whether the goals are stretch or fix goals, i.e. goals that can be realistically completed at the end of the period. Either way they should be SMART. Read more about goal setting in this wikipedia article.
If a goal is not achievable within a period, we try to break it down into smaller iterations if possible. If this is not possible, we accept that a goal can be carried over into the next period, including new Key Results.
Evidently, OKR software can only support the process. It is important to discuss the goals and the results in detail with the team, to review them in regular meetings and to improve them if necessary. A review of the process and lessons learned with the team is especially recommended at the end of each completed planning period and before the next iteration.
We look forward to your feedback, suggestions, and ideas on how to best use OpenProject as OKR software.
With the end of Jira Data Center announced and prices rising year after year, vendor lock-in is no longer just an abstract risk, it has already become reality. Many organizations now face a costly migration to the cloud, whether they want it or not.
But there’s another way. Open source software gives you back control: over your data, your infrastructure, and your budget. It’s built on transparency, community, and long-term reliability, without locking you into a single company’s roadmap or pricing. And while Atlassian has been steadily raising prices, open source has grown into a powerful, future-ready alternative.
OpenProject is your secure, self-managed alternative to Jira, and it’s only one piece of the puzzle. Whether you also rely on Confluence, Bitbucket, or other parts of the Atlassian stack, there are strong open source options ready to support your team. You’re not stuck. You’ve got choices. And we’re here to help.
Migrating away from Atlassian: We know it’s not easy
Still, switching tools isn’t a decision you make lightly. You’ve built entire workflows around Jira and Confluence. You’ve got hundreds of users, complex integrations, and a mountain of project data to manage. The idea of replacing your Atlassian stack can feel overwhelming, and we understand that.
But here’s the good news: there is a way forward. With powerful, professional open source software, you can migrate from Atlassian on your own terms, without compromising on functionality, security, or support. Whether you’re seeking a Jira replacement, a Confluence alternative, or a complete open source stack, we’re here to support you during this journey.
Tip
Why open source? Open source software means no vendor lock-in, giving you full control over your infrastructure, updates, and data, with affordable pricing. It offers transparency, letting you inspect the source code and know exactly how your tools work. And with Community-driven development, features evolve based on real need, not shareholder interests. And these are just some of at least 8 reasons to choose an open source software.
The open source ecosystem is ready for you
You don’t have to give up powerful workflows just because you’re moving away from Atlassian. Today’s open source tools are mature, well-integrated, and ready to replace the full Atlassian stack, from project management and documentation to team chat and file sharing.
OpenProject as alternative to Jira
OpenProject provides issue tracking, agile boards, Gantt charts for project timelines, cost and time tracking, and much more — fully self-managed or hosted, with a strong focus on data sovereignty. You decide if you want to host your data in the cloud or on your own servers. So if you’re looking for a Jira Data Center alternative, OpenProject is built for you.
XWiki is a powerful and extensible open source wiki platform. It enables collaborative documentation, structured content management, and fine-grained access control, making it a flexible alternative to Atlassian Confluence. And: Since July 2025, XWiki and OpenProject are officially partners to offer a strong alternative to Confluence and Jira.
Element, based on the Matrix protocol, offers secure, end-to-end encrypted messaging and collaboration. It’s perfect for teams looking for a self-hosted alternative to Atlassian’s chat tools or Slack.
Nextcloud as alternative to Atlassian’s file management tools
Nextcloud is the most popular self-hosted open source platform for file sharing and collaboration. With advanced access control, integration options, and European data protection standards, it’s a strong alternative to proprietary cloud file systems. And: Nextcloud integrates with OpenProject and vice versa.
Collabora Online is a powerful open source office suite for editing documents, spreadsheets, and presentations in real time. It’s a great choice for teams looking to replace Confluence and Microsoft 365 with a self-hosted solution.
Frequently asked questions about Atlassian alternatives
Switching away from Atlassian isn’t just a technical decision, it’s a strategic one. If you’re considering alternatives to Jira, Confluence, or other Atlassian tools, you likely have questions about features, pricing, migration, and the open source ecosystem. Here are some answers to help you navigate the transition with confidence.
Why is open source software free and still costs money?
Open source doesn’t mean zero cost. It means freedom: to use, inspect, modify, and host the software yourself. Many open source vendors like OpenProject offer a free Community edition, alongside paid support and enterprise features. This ensures long-term sustainability and helps teams get professional assistance where needed. Still, open source software like OpenProject is often more affordable than proprietary tools like Atlassian. And if your budget ever becomes tight, your data stays safe, because OpenProject will always provide a cost-free Community edition.
I want one suite for all tools. Does that exist for open source?
Yes. In Europe, there is openDesk, your secure all in one office and collaboration suite. It brings together leading open source solutions — including OpenProject, XWiki, Nextcloud, and more — to create a fully sovereign digital workplace. The tools are interoperable, user-friendly, and developed with long-term public and enterprise use in mind.
Does OpenProject include the features I currently use in Jira, or do I need plugins?
OpenProject comes feature-rich out of the box. Unlike Jira, which often requires multiple plugins for core functionality, OpenProject includes agile boards, Gantt charts, cost tracking, time logging, custom workflows, and more — all in one system. This makes it especially attractive for teams moving away from Jira Data Center or self-managed Jira installations.
Of course, OpenProject is not exactly the same product as Jira, and users will need to adapt to some differences in workflows. However, OpenProject customers value its personalized and responsive support, as well as documentation available in English, German, French, Spanish and Portuguese.
How can I migrate my data from Atlassian / Jira or Confluence?
You have several options for migrating your data, whether you’re switching from Jira, Confluence, or both. Here’s what we recommend:
Export Confluence content using the Markdown Exporter app and paste it into OpenProject Wiki or other modules.
For a fully supported migration, we recommend contacting ALM Toolbox, an experienced migration partner that specializes in Atlassian to OpenProject transitions.
Students across Europe are building satellites in handy beverage can format – ESA calls the program CanSat, a competition for can satellites. At the forefront of participants from the USA, Germany, and India are Hungary, where a total of 84 teams are participating – and relying on OpenProject. The record participation in ESA’s student competition is a great success for the small country, which is now almost catching up with Germany.
Read this case study to learn more about this fascinating project.
ESA asks students to develop a simulation of a satellite that fits into a beverage can
The task is outstanding: Develop a simulation of a satellite that fits into a standard beverage can – the Student Spacelab Network (SSN) was created to support ESA’s CanSat Competition. The teams need OpenProject for the organization.
Image: In the CanSat Lab and Student Spacelab Network, over 80 groups use OpenProject to organize themselves to build satellites together. (Source: SSN)
And it sounds simple: The ESA project requires “the simulation of a real satellite”, including all common subsystems, all in the confined space of a small 0.33-liter soda can.
Hungarian students plan, build, and launch satellites
The can must contain a power supply, sensors, and a communication system. In the final test, the small unit must survive a rocket launch that carries it almost a kilometer high into the atmosphere, where a scientific experiment takes place. Alternatively, the cans may also be launched from a platform, drone, or balloon – but a safe landing is always a must so that the data from the experiment can be evaluated.
Image: “Challenge your students to build a can-sized satellite”: Under this motto, ESA is calling on students and scientists to nurture the next generation. (Source: ESA)
Required experiments for CanSat
As far as the experiments are concerned, one requirement is to measure the air temperature and air pressure once per second, including transmission via radio. However, the components of the second experiment are left entirely up to the student team and their imagination – they range from measuring data during descent to launching a mini rover from the can.
Image: Many students take part in national satellite construction competitions such as this one here in Hungary every year. (Source: CanSat)
At the same time, there is a great deal of pride in this first Hungarian non-profit laboratory network, which offers curious, motivated teenagers the opportunity to get involved in space travel and work with high-tech equipment. Dreams come true in a country with a long tradition of craftsmanship and technology – who would have thought they could simply get involved in a space project?
Successful competition for young talent – everyone wants to go into space
This works thanks to good planning: building mini-satellites requires laboratories such as those found at universities or well-equipped companies. The aim of the CSL is to provide the basic equipment that students need to build the satellites, such as 3D printers and soldering stations. But that’s not all: robot-controlled production lines, metal 3D printers, laser cutters, CNC milling machines, and much more are also available throughout Hungary. The photos from the CanSatLab Finals 2024 show the teams in the final competition with the rockets that launch the small satellites or how they glide safely back to the ground on parachutes.
Fourteen universities and twenty companies are on board in Hungary, and the infrastructure at over 40 locations is completely accessible remotely. The goal is to always have specialists on site who can provide support with their expertise on the machines and also with satellite construction. If the desired funding is secured (and as of October 2025, it looks like there will even be 80 locations), in addition to the mentors, there will also be online help and workshops, hybrid presentations, and further training for both students and mentors.
Image: Örs Hunor Detre, organizer of the Student Spacelab Network SSN, a project of ESA’s CanSat competition. Source: CanSatLab
Building on the experience of the James Webb Space Telescope
The mastermind behind the Hungarian CanSatLabs is Örs Hunor Detre, who himself worked for ESA for many years. Örs worked on the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope RST from the outset, having previously held a position of responsibility at the James Webb Space Telescope JWST and worked at the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Heidelberg from 2008 to 2023. For the JWST, he supervised the Mid-Infrared Instrument MIRI as European Electrical Lead and Mechanism Subject Matter Expert, and he enjoys showing photos from his work with NASA and ESA experts in Europe and the USA.
Image: The James Webb Space Telescope is the largest of its kind in space. Örs Hunor Detre had the opportunity to work on it and was responsible for MIRI, the Mid-Infrared Instrument. (Source: NASA, flickr)
“Space projects are just cool; they can motivate and inspire people, says Detre, “and that’s especially important with students.”
The Hungarian learned “how an institute should function” at ESA and NASA and has clear ideas about where the journey should take him. “Everyone wants the NASA badge, it’s cool, and telling kids that they can get it too is great.” Astronomy is a wonderful introduction to astrophysics, and that’s where you can really let your imagination run wild, “because all the sciences are represented there”, he enthuses.
Future plans for CanSat
Next year, the project is to be expanded even further, with a self-imposed goal of creating a Hungarian satellite constellation consisting of more than four CubeSats – if funding is secured.
The aim is then to overtake Germany, which currently ranks first in terms of participants. “Our goal is for our non-profit organization to use space research to get high school students excited about STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). To achieve this, we offer technical and environmental support and collaborate with universities, experts, and space research companies,” explains Detre.
Ten universities, 150 employees, over 40 locations networked with OpenProject
To make this plan a reality, ten universities with around 150 employees have joined forces and set up a professional project management system, OpenProject, of course. “We started with the Community version on one server for all aspects, across eight countries, until we realized we needed support.” Because funding was limited, OpenProject supported CanSatLab with the Enterprise version.
Image: The scientists at SSN / CanSatLab led by Detre now use many features in OpenProject, from documentation to in-depth project management.
Open source software is becoming more and more important, especially in the public sector in Europe. Open source implies providing access to its source code or segments of it, permitting utilization, modification, additions, and distribution. This means that the software is particularly transparent and therefore secure and reliable. By using an open source software in the public sector, you make sure to play it safe. You also stay independent by avoiding a vendor lock-in, which could save a lot of money.
OpenProject is a popular choice in the public sector when looking for task or project management software. But what about other software categories like file sharing, messaging or an office suite? There are several great software solutions on the market which are gaining more and more recognition in the European public sector.
OpenProject: The open source project management software
You are reading this article on the OpenProject blog: We provide an open source software for efficient task and project management – all in one system. OpenProject is suitable for various project management methodologies, including classic, agile and hybrid approaches. It facilitates collaboration between distributed teams throughout the project lifecycle. OpenProject is designed for organizations of all sizes and industries that manage their projects according to open source principles and value data control.
Manage your tasks and projects with various OpenProject highlight features like:
Nextcloud: The open source content collaboration platform
“Regain control over your data” – is what Nextcloud offers you. The open source software enables users to collaborate remotely and share data in an easy and secure way. This is particularly appreciated by customers from the public sector. Nextcloud works on-premises or as SaaS in a cloud version.
With the Nextcloud Hub, you can work and collaborate in – currently – six different areas:
Nextcloud Files: Universal file access and sync platform.
Nextcloud Talk: Private audio and video conferencing with text chat and screen sharing option.
Nextcloud Groupware: Calendar, contacts, mail and other productivity features.
Nextcloud Assistant: Local AI assistant that can generate content and more.
Nextcloud Flow: Set of intuitive components to automate workflows.
Tip
If you already use OpenProject, you have one more reason to manage your files via Nextcloud! There is a Nextcloud integration for OpenProject and an OpenProject app for Nextcloud – to provide the best user experience based on open source software.
Try out Nextcloud file management in a free 60 minutes trial and get access to Nextcloud Files, Nextcloud Groupware, and Nextcloud Office.
XWiki: The open source enterprise wiki
XWiki offers an open source generic platform for developing projects and collaborative applications. Customers use XWiki as an open source alternative to Confluence.
XWiki offers many features, for example:
Advanced collaborative editing: WYSIWYG and macro editors
Structured information: AppWithinMinutes, livetables, blog and more
Enterprise integration: Groups management, LDAP connection and more
Flexibility and extensibility: Over 600 extensions
Element is an open source and Matrix-based end-to-end encrypted messenger and secure collaboration app. In contrast to other messenger software products, your communication is end-to-end-encrypted, which makes chatting about confidential information feel much more relaxed. Especially when using a messenger, people quickly forget that they may be exchanging sensitive data.
The Element messenger offers group chats for individuals or teams, voice and video chat and also bridges between communication silos like WhatsApp or Signal.
Tip
At OpenProject, we are passionate about using open source software solutions for our work. So we use Element to chat between colleagues, discuss topics in channels, and organize socializing events like game nights. Always knowing that our data is secure and end-to-end-encrypted.
Get started with Element by contacting their sales team and choose between a self-hosted or the fully-managed cloud version.
Univention: The open source solution for identity and access management
Univention develops open source solutions for central identity and access management in large network infrastructures. Customers are enterprises, IT admins and especially educational and administrative organizations. Apart from the Univention Corporate Server (UCS), there is UCS@school, a platform particularly optimized for educational use cases.
UCS can be easily integrated into existing environments, and the integrated app center offers a multitude of enterprise solutions. Thanks to Univention, the open source and sovereign workplace solution openDesk is based on a reliable and secure IT infrastructure.
Take a look at Univention to see their products, read about use cases and start a demo.
Open-Xchange: The open source e-mail provider
Open-Xchange (OX) provides an e-mail platform for hosting, telcos and organizations, especially for the public sector. These are OX’s different products for secure e-mail communication:
OX Cloud: An e-mail and collaboration solution for e-mail providers
OX App Suite: A modular e-mail and productivity suite
PowerDNS: A provider of secure open source and commercial DNS software
Dovecot Pro: A full-service e-mail platform with compliant support for the IMAP, POP3, LMTP, and Manage Sieve protocols
Collabora Online is an open source office suite that supports all major document, spreadsheet and presentation file formats to integrate in your own infrastructure. It works both for organizations or enterprises and for hosting and cloud businesses. Available on desktop and mobile.
These are Collabora Online’s apps:
Writer: A WYSIWYG text editor that supports odt, .docx, .doc, .docm and .rtf
Calc: A spreadsheet app that supports .ods, .xlsx, .xls, .xlsm and .csv
Impress: A presentation editor that supports .odp, .pptx and .ppt
Draw: An app to draw shapes and diagrams that supports .odg and .vsd
Tip
Collabora is well integrated online with Nextcloud, so you can create documents directly in Nextcloud Office and edit them collaboratively.
Nordeck: Open source widgets for Element, Matrix and Jitsi
Nordeck offers support in the classic digitization steps in terms of connecting and networking prefabricated solutions, as well as development services in the open source area. It stands for sovereign and secure digital solutions.
Apart from offering individual software solutions and consulting, Nordeck has developed widgets for Element:
NeoBoard: A collaboration board with fixed stage size and division into individual slides
NeoBarCamp: A session planner for the workshop format “BarCamp”
NeoDateFix: A widget to have scheduled video meetings
NeoChoice: A voting widget to make quick decisions based on individual opinions
API Toolkit: A reusable framework for creating matrix widgets
What is better than one open source tool? Right - several open source tools, combined in one workplace solution. This is available with openDesk, as we explained in an initial blog post: “The rise of the Sovereign Workplace: Your open source alternative to Microsoft and Google”. With openDesk, you get access to multiple open source software products combined in a flexibly customizable workplace solution. Book a demo now on the official openDesk website.
The decisive factors for the choice of software in the public sector are data sovereignty, transparency and security without vendor lock-in. Therefore, we should increasingly rely on open source software in Europe. Let’s continue working together to realize a true open source alternative. This way, companies stay independent and at the same time know: My data is safe.
OpenProject 16.5 has been released and this version introduces new features and improvements again. Please take a few minutes to learn what changes for you. We will summarize the most important changes in this blog article and, as always, please see our release notes that contain all changes, features and bug fixes.
Add work packages to a meeting section in the Meetings tab
When preparing for a meeting, it’s often the small details that make a big difference. Until now, adding a work package to a meeting from the Meetings tab was already possible, but it always landed at the end of the agenda. Teams then had to manually move it to the right section — an extra step that sometimes led to confusion.
With 16.5, this process becomes much smoother. When you add a work package to a meeting, you can now add it directly to the right section or choose the backlog. The improved meeting selector also makes it easier to find the right meeting, whether it’s one of your upcoming appointments or part of a recurring series.
Choose color mode more conveniently with “Increase contrast” checkboxes
Over the last releases, we have steadily improved how you can adapt OpenProject’s appearance to your needs. In 16.4, we introduced the option to automatically sync the color mode with your operating system, as well as a dark high-contrast mode alongside the existing light one.
With 16.5, we are making these settings even more practical. Instead of switching between multiple predefined modes, you can now simply choose Light, Dark, or Automatic, and then enable an “Increase contrast” checkbox for the selected mode.
When you manage many projects, you often just want to see what changed recently. In 16.5, project lists include an “Updated on” filter and a sortable “Updated on” column. Sort by this column (newest first) or combine the filter with other criteria to focus on the projects that were modified most recently.
For integrations and automation, the API now supports an updated_at filter on the /api/v3/projects endpoint. This lets you request only projects changed since a given timestamp — useful for delta syncs that reduce waiting time and server load.
Note
Updated on reflects direct changes to the project itself (for example, a new custom field or a renamed project). Latest activity at is much broader and includes activity within the project, such as attribute changes to work packages.
Jump to highlighted target elements from deep links
Deep links are especially useful when you want to point colleagues directly to a specific item in OpenProject. With 16.5, these links now do more than just open the right page — they also scroll to the exact position and highlight the target element.
For example, when sharing a link to a comment in the Activity tab or to an item in a meeting agenda, the element is automatically displayed near the top of the page and temporarily marked with a blue outline. This makes it clear what the link refers to, helping teams save time and avoid misunderstandings.
Confirm critical actions with more accessible danger dialogs
Accessibility is an ongoing priority for us, and with 16.5 we have improved how danger dialogs work for users of assistive technologies. These dialogs are shown when potentially destructive actions require an extra confirmation step.
In this release, we added ARIA semantics so that screen readers announce the relationship between the confirmation checkbox and the action button. When the checkbox is checked, users hear that the button to proceed is now active; when it is unchecked, they are informed that the button is inactive and that they need to tick the checkbox to continue.
Better access to helpful information
Finding the right information quickly is essential, especially when you are just getting started or want to dive deeper into specific features. With 16.5, we have updated the help menu in the header navigation (the ? icon on the right). The entries have been restructured, links refreshed, and localizations added to make it easier to find what you are looking for.
We also included a new Getting started video right inside the menu, giving new users a simple introduction to OpenProject and offering a helpful refresher for experienced teams. These changes are also reflected in the Community widget that is displayed on the home page of every new instance, so guidance is available right from the start.
OpenProject 16.5: Migration, installation, updates and support
You will find more information about all new features and changes in our Release notes or in the OpenProject Documentation.
If you need support, you can post your questions in the Community Forum, or if you are eligible for Enterprise support, please contact us and we are happy to support you personally.
New to OpenProject? To test all features of OpenProject 16.5 right away, create a 14 days free trial instance for our OpenProject Enterprise cloud.
Prefer to run OpenProject 16.5 in your own infrastructure? Here you can find the Installation guidelines for OpenProject.
A very special thank you goes to Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin, City of Cologne, Deutsche Bahn and ZenDiS for sponsoring released or upcoming features. Your support, alongside the efforts of our amazing Community, helps drive these innovations. Also a big thanks to our Community members for reporting bugs and helping us identify and provide fixes. Special thanks for reporting and finding bugs go to Alexander Aleschenko, Lars Tiedemann, Akihiko Fujikawa, and Johannes Baumgarten.
Last but not least, we are very grateful for our very engaged translation contributors on Crowdin, who translated quite a few OpenProject strings! This release we would like to particularly thank the following users:
Samo, for a great number of translations into Turkish.
Kuma Yamashita, for a great number of translations into Japanese.
Would you like to help out with translations yourself? Then take a look at our translation guide and find out exactly how you can contribute. It is very much appreciated!
As always, we welcome any feedback on this release. 💙
We have released version 2.10.0 of the OpenProject integration app for Nextcloud! ✨ This update brings several usability improvements and fixes to make your project collaboration experience even smoother.
We recommend updating to the latest version via your Nextcloud app center to benefit from the newest enhancements.
Changes of the release 2.10.0:
Clearer error messages for missing or unsupported apps
Improved group handling to avoid user removal issues
Enhanced SSO support for external token exchange setups
Better translations and more user-friendly messages
Thanks to Nextcloud for the continued partnership!
After March 28, 2029, Jira Data Center licenses and apps will expire and become read-only, leaving cloud hosting as the only supported way to stay with Jira. But for many organizations, cloud hosting is not an option. On top of that, Atlassian recently burdened its customers with significant price increases for Jira Service Management (JSM) Cloud products.
The challenge: Finding a new self-hosted project management software within a short period of time, migrating existing data and onboarding the users so that your teams can switch over as effortlessly as possible.
Looking for: A feature-rich and affordable project management tool that also offers long-term on-premises solution. A solution where you have full ownership and control of your data within your own infrastructure.
Break free from Jira’s vendor lock-in and choose freedom with OpenProject
OpenProject offers exactly what many (still) Jira customers are looking for: a secure, powerful, and, above all, reliable solution for their projects, at attractive pricing models, or even completely free of charge in our Community version.
Next steps for your migration from Jira Data Center to OpenProject
If your organization depends on Jira Data Center, you have to act now.
Start your free OpenProject trial to get to know our product hands-on.
Map your use cases with OpenProjects features or ask us for help to understand your possibilities with OpenProject.
Choose a self-managed, long-term solution.
We will help you plan a migration path and the onboarding plan.
OpenProject is a powerful open source alternative to Jira
OpenProject is a highly developed, fully featured best-in-class project management software that offers a long-term on-premise solution. It supports both self-hosted and managed hosting options and gives you full control over your infrastructure without locking you into a specific vendor.
With advanced work package tracking – comparable to Jira issues – and comprehensive modules for agile boards, Gantt charts, and time and cost tracking, OpenProject covers a wide range of project requirements.
The software is available as a cost-free Community Edition, while the Enterprise Edition includes powerful add-ons for authentication, integrations, and custom workflows at fair prices.
OpenProject has been continuously developed for over ten years by a growing German company. It is based on a strong commitment to transparency, data sovereignty, and long-term reliability. We continuously develop the product based on our users’ needs.
Important
OpenProject will continue offering its on-premises solution — including new features and security updates — beyond 2029. You choose where to run your data.
Benefit from the open source alliance
Perhaps you’ve considered switching to open source before, but the timing never seemed right? Now is the perfect moment. Security and reliability is just one of at least 8 reasons to choose open source software whenever possible. It’s user-centric, offers fast developments and a high level of customization. And, of course, without vendor lock-in that Atlassian customers currently face.
OpenProject is part of a strong open source ecosystem that builds secure, sovereign alternatives to proprietary software — and actively works to improve interoperability. One example is our partnership with XWiki and CryptPad, officially launched in July 2025. So if you are looking for a Confluence alternative we can recommend checking out XWiki, which is optimized for shared use with OpenProject.
Image: Niels Lindenthal (CEO OpenProject) and Ludovic Dubost (CEO XWiki and CryptPad) at the OSXP in Paris.
Nice to know: OpenProject and XWiki are also part of openDesk, offering a fully sovereign workspace for the public sector in Europe. Stronger together is more than just a slogan for us.
Tip
Another advantage of transparent source code: the members of our open source Community share the same values, and some of them are very competent and proactive. This led to the creation of the OpenProject Jira Importer – a tool written and hosted by a Community member and available as open source as well.
No strings attached: Start your free trial now
Your next step doesn’t need to be complicated. Start a free OpenProject trial today or get in touch to discuss migration paths from Jira Data Center. Because at OpenProject, we are on our user’s side and let you decide where and how to host your data.
When managing complex projects, it is beneficial to use a project management methodology for guidance. PRINCE2 is one of the most popular and widely used methodologies available. OpenProject is a popular tool that supports PRINCE2, offering the advantages of open source software while also being cost-effective. Let’s learn how exactly project managers can implement PRINCE2 with OpenProject.
Note
Originally published in 2018, this article has been substantially revised to reflect the latest changes in both PRINCE2 and OpenProject. The PRINCE2 framework was updated to version 7 in September 2023, adding new priorities such as sustainability, people-centric management, and digital/data integration. At the same time, OpenProject has introduced key features — like meetings enhancements, baseline comparison, and new permissions — that make applying PRINCE2 workflows easier and more powerful.
Article navigation
If you are already familiar with the PRINCE2 framework, you can jump straight to the practical section on using OpenProject.
PRINCE2 (or Projects inControlled Environments) offers a structured process for projects & provides recommendations for each project phase. It is one of the leading project management methodologies (next to PMBOK (from the Project Management Institute)) and is used in over 150 countries.
PRINCE2 provides a clear structure for projects and is based on 7 principles, 7 practices (formerly known as themes) and 7 processesas described by PRINCE2.com. Let’s take a look at those basics before diving into the OpenProject software.
7 Principles
PRINCE2 is built on seven principles which represent guiding obligations and good practices.
The 7 Principles are:
Continued business justification: A project must make good business sense (justified use of time and resources, clear return on investment).
Learn from experience: Previous projects should be taken into account. Project teams use a lessons log for this purpose.
Define roles, responsibilities and relationships: The decision makers in the project are clearly defined. Everyone in the project knows what they and others are doing. The ‘relationships’ has been added later to PRINCE2 as dependencies are an important part of project management.
Manage by exception: The project board is only informed if there is or may be a problem. As long as the product is running well, there is not a lot intervention from managers.
Manage by stages: Difficult tasks are broken into manageable chunks, or management stages.
Focus on products: Everyone knows ahead of time what is expected of the product. Product requirements determine work activity.
Tailor to suit the project: The PRINCE2 methodology can be tailored and scaled. Projects which are adjusted based on the actual needs perform better in general than projects which use PRINCE2 dogmatically. Formerly known as ‘Tailor to the environment’.
7 Practices
In addition to these 7 Principles, there are 7 Practices – formerly called ‘Themes’ – which are addressed continually throughout the project. They provide guidance for how the project should be managed. They are set up at the beginning of the project and then monitored continually to keep the project on track:
Business Case: This practice is used to determine if a project is worthwhile and achievable. It is related to the principle of Continued Business Justification.
Organization: Project managers are required to keep a record of every team member’s roles and responsibilities. It is related to the Define Roles and Responsibilities principle.
Quality: At the beginning of the project, the project manager defines what constitutes the quality of the project. This is related to the Focus on Products principle.
Plans: A plan is set up which describes how objectives are going to be achieved. It is focused on cost, quality, benefits, timescale and products.
Risk: Uncertain events during the project are identified, assessed and controlled. They are recorded in a risk log. Positive risks are called opportunities, negative risks are called threats.
Issue: How to handle change requests and all types of project-related concerns that arise and require resolution. Issues shouldn’t be ignored, but changes should only be implemented once agreed upon. This practice was formerly called ‘Change’.
Progress: This principle is about tracking the project. This allows project managers to verify and control whether they are performing according to the project plan.
7 Processes
To structure the step-wise progression through a project, there are 7 Processes. Every one of the steps is overseen by the project manager and approved by the project board:
1. Starting up a project
Create a project mandate to answer logistical questions about the project. It covers the purpose of the project, who will carry it out and how to execute it.
From the project mandate a project brief is derived, as well as lessons log and discussions with project members.
A project team is assigned.
2. Directing a project
This is an ongoing process covering the entire life time of the project.
The project board manages activities such as initiation, stage boundaries, guidance, project closure.
3. Initiating a project
During this stage, the project manager determines what needs to be done to complete the project and outlines how the performance targets will be managed (cost, time, quality, benefits, risks, scope)
4. Controlling a stage
Project managers break the project into work packages / manageable activities and assign them to the project members.
The project manager oversees and reports the work package progress.
5. Managing product delivery
This manages how the communication between the team and the project manager is controlled.
The activities include accepting, executing and delivering work packages.
6. Managing stage boundaries
The project manager and the board review every stage. The board decides whether to continue the project. The project manager records lessons learned with the team for the next stage.
This process includes
Planning the next stage
Updating the project plan
Updating the business case
Reporting the stage end or producing an exception plan
7. Closing a project
In the final process, the project is closed. This includes decommissioning the project, identifying follow-on actions, preparing project evaluation and benefits reviews, freeing up leftover resources and handing over products to the customer.
Implementing PRINCE2 with OpenProject
OpenProject supports the seven processes, seven principles and seven practices laid out by the PRINCE2 methodology. Let’s see how exactly project managers can implement PRINCE2 with OpenProject in 7 steps:
Starting up a project: Create a project, activate modules, create project Mandate, add members.
Directing a project: Define roles and permissions, create decision checkpoints and track them.
Initiating a project: Define performance targets, set up budgets and assign them.
Controlling a stage: Create work packages and relations, estimate and assing work.
Before any work begins, PRINCE2 recommends clarifying whether the project is viable and worth pursuing. In OpenProject, this “starting up” step is fast and intuitive — you create a new project space, enable the modules you need, and prepare the foundation for structured collaboration, governance, and documentation.
Create a project
Starting up a project in OpenProject starts by simply creating a project. Simply click on the green + button in the header navigation and select + Project in the dropdown. Next, all you need is to provide a name and click on Create.
Activate the modules you need
Now the project is created and you can start with some basic settings. Navigate to project settings → Modules to make sure that the Wiki, Work packages, Time and costs, and — optionally — Meetings, Forums, Budgets, and News modules are activated. These modules support transparency, collaboration, and documentation, which are all central to a people-focused approach in PRINCE2 7.
The Wiki module is especially useful for documenting your Project Mandate, Lessons Log, and other artifacts like communication plans. This aligns with PRINCE2’s emphasis on accountability, people, and continual learning.
Create a Project Mandate in the Wiki module
Next, select Wiki from the side menu on the left side and use it to create the Project Mandate. Make sure to press the Save button at the end. If you like, you can already create more wiki pages, such as the Lessons log as well.
Add members to your project
Afterward, go back to your project and select Members from the side menu to add the project members and assign them roles.
If the project members do not yet have an OpenProject account, you can send an invite to them directly in your project.
Tip
If you’re a system admin, you can invite new members to your instance and add them to the project afterward. Click on your avatar on the top right and select Administration → Users and permissions. You can also assign entire groups to add multiple project members at once.
2. Directing a project
Once the project is set up and the team assigned, the project board’s role in PRINCE2 is to guide the project and approve important decisions. In OpenProject, you can reflect this setup through roles, permissions, and decision checkpoints.
Define roles and permissions
You can configure which roles have permissions to edit, approve, or only view information under Administration → Users and permissions → Roles and permissions.
This lets you ensure that:
Project managers can update plans and work packages.
Board members can review progress and approve major stages.
Team members see only what’s relevant to them.
If these permissions are set in the system administration, you can go back to your project, navigate to Members in the left menu and assign key roles like Project Manager and Board Member.
Create decision checkpoints with Milestones and Gantt charts
Use Milestones to mark stage boundaries that require approval. In OpenProject, milestones are a type of work package that has a target date, but no duration like other type of work packages. To display milestones and their connected work packages, use OpenProject’s Gantt charts.
Go to Gantt charts in the left side menu, click on the green + Create button and select Milestone in the dropdown. You can also add watchers (e.g. the group ‘board members’) to be notified when a milestone is reached.
Create several decision checkpoints (Milestones) along with phases, tasks and other work package types you need and create relations and hierarchies.
Track decisions and approvals
Use status fields to indicate when a stage or work package is waiting for board approval. For example, set the status to “Pending board decision” or use a custom field with dropdown options like “Pending”, “Approved”, or “Exception required”.
Board members can leave comments or change the status directly in the work package — no separate tool or email chain needed.
3. Initiating a project
Once the project board has authorized the start, PRINCE2 focuses on planning how the project will be executed, controlled, and completed. In OpenProject, this is where you lay the groundwork: define performance targets, plan project phases, and estimate resources.
Define performance targets
Use a Wiki page to summarize the project’s key targets — such as time, cost, scope, risk, quality, and benefits. This creates a shared understanding for everyone involved.
You can include the wiki as a custom text widget on the project overview page to make it visible at a glance. To do this, open the Overview, and click on + Widget, then select Custom text. On this page, you can also display other key performance targets to see all important information when accessing your project.
Set up budgets and assign them
Go to the Budgets module to create a new budget. Enter a name and define cost units, such as hourly labor rates or material costs. You can also set a base amount. This will help you track whether the PRINCE2 project remains within its financial boundaries throughout.
If you’ve created phases or milestones in the directing phase, you can now assign budgets to them. Click the info icon to open the Details view, then assign them to your budget under the Costs section. This ensures financial alignment across stages.
In PRINCE2, the project manager is responsible for monitoring progress within each stage and ensuring that work packages are delivered according to the plan. In OpenProject, you can break phases into smaller work packages, assign responsibilities, and track progress using the work package table.
Break down the work and create relations
After setting up the initial phases and milestones, continue by breaking the phases down into work packages. To do this, click on the three little dots next to a phase and select Create new child. Select type Task or Work package if you created a separate type for this. See the OpenProject user guide on how to create a new type.
To show dependencies between work packages and create logical links, users can create different types of relations between work packages, e.g. predecessor, successor, child, blocks, part of … or relations without logical effects on the related work package.
Estimate work
During the Controlling a stage process in PRINCE2, it’s crucial to track ongoing work and respond proactively to any risks of deviation. In OpenProject, the Estimates and progress section in each work package provides a clear overview of effort and status.
This section includes:
Work
Spent time
Remaining work
% Complete
To add work, you can either open a work package and add the information there. Or, if you want to edit several work packages right after each other, create a work package table that shows columns for progress. Add the column Estimated time to provide an effort estimate in hours.
Assign work
Afterward, continue by assigning the work packages to the project members by clicking on the cells in the Assignee column.
5. Managing product delivery
According to PRINCE2, this process focuses on the scheduled execution of work and the delivery of high-quality outcomes. OpenProject supports this through structured collaboration, time tracking, and transparent communication — all directly linked to each work package.
Log time on work packages
While working on the project, project members can log their time by opening the work package details view, selecting the More (three dots) menu and then the Log time entry. Alternatively, they can click the Time tracking button (clock icon) in the top bar. This starts a timer. Clicking it again stops the timer and opens the Log time modal with the duration pre-filled.
Communicate and document on work packages
To facilitate the communication within the project, OpenProject offers the forums, meetings and news module.
The Activity tab in each work package enables team members and project managers to collaborate and keep track of changes. Use @mentions, emoji reactions, and internal comments (available as Enterprise add-on) to stay aligned throughout the delivery phase. Read more about work package activity with OpenProject.
And then there is file management with OpenProject: Upload files with few clicks to your work package or use one of our integrations to link to and from Nextcloud, OneDrive (Enterprise add-on) or SharePoint (Enterprise add-on).
6. Managing stage boundaries
In PRINCE2, every stage should end with a review and approval before moving on. In OpenProject, you can support this by structuring your project into phases and milestones, tracking progress in the Estimates and progress section, and reviewing key outcomes with the team.
The progress of the phases is documented automatically in the Activity section of the phase. Additionally, the progress can be set directly, as we described in the section on how to control a stage.
Manage meetings
To review progress and make go/no-go decisions between stages, we strongly recommend using OpenProject’s Meetings module. It allows you to prepare structured agendas, assign work packages for discussion, and document decisions directly — all in one place.
You can use recurring meetings (e.g., after each stage) and apply templates to keep reviews consistent across projects. During the meeting, outcomes can be recorded directly in the agenda, and follow-up actions can be created as work packages right away. This ensures accountability and traceability for your stage boundary decisions.
Tip
Need to share meeting notes with external stakeholders? Simply export the meeting as a PDF to circulate a summary of key outcomes.
Project life cycle with stages and stage gates
Support stage transitions with approval gates: OpenProject’s project life cycle feature — originally designed for the PM² framework — lets you define phases and gates. In our Enterprise edition, you can edit them and create new ones. Use this feature to visually structure your PRINCE2 stages and introduce checkpoints for management approvals before continuing.
Baseline comparison
To assess how you’re performing against your original plan, use the Baseline comparison feature. With one click, you can quickly see what has changed in your work package tables since a previous snapshot—helpful for identifying deviations before moving to the next stage.
7. Closing the project
In PRINCE2, closing a project means formally completing all work, reviewing outcomes, and handing over deliverables. OpenProject provides the structure and documentation tools to support a smooth and transparent closure process.
PDF reports
When all the tasks, phases and milestones have been completed, you can document the final project report in a wiki page, add a news or create a new document. If you finish your project with a meeting, you can download this as a PDF to generate a final report as well.
Archive the project
As a last step, you can archive the project by selecting Project settings and then Archive. If you think you’ll work on a project with a similar structure in the future, you can also set this project as a template.
Tip
Archiving a project also helps keep your workspace clean and focused on active work. You can still access closed projects and filter them in your project list as needed.
Apply PRINCE2 to your free OpenProject test environment
Whether you’re certified in PRINCE2 or simply looking for a structured, flexible framework, OpenProject gives you the tools to manage projects with clarity, accountability, and transparency — all in a secure, open source environment.
More and more organizations are turning to open source alternatives to implement PRINCE2 and avoid vendor lock-in or rising license costs. With OpenProject, you can build workflows that match your organization’s needs, without compromising control.
Start your free OpenProject trial now and see for yourself how you can implement your company’s workflows with OpenProject. No credit card, no phone number, no strings attached. So there’s really no reason not to give OpenProject a try: https://start.openproject.com/
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