> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://itsfoss.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # We Ditched ClickUp for Fizzy, An "Open Source" Kanban Board App - URL: https://itsfoss.com/fizzy-self-hostable-kanban-solution/ - Published: 2026-02-07T13:31:39.000Z - Updated: 2026-07-14T11:21:51.000Z - Description: If you're juggling multiple tasks and want something simpler than Jira or ClickUp, this is worth trying. - Author: Sourav Rudra - Tags: First Look, Applications Being able to maintain 100% productivity is fiction that's best reserved for comic books. But there are certain tools and resources that genuinely help. If you asked me, listening to music (*without disturbing others*), using [a Pomodoro timer](https://itsfoss.com/koncentro-app/), and having [solid window tiling](https://itsfoss.com/rise-of-window-tiling/) are some of the essentials. Then there are [Kanban boards](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanban%5Fboard?ref=itsfoss.com), which act as visual tools to help you track tasks as they progress through various states, the most elementary of them being from "*to-do*" to being "*done*." ## Not Our First Rodeo Over the past several years, we tried a number of project management tools. There was [Trello](https://trello.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) in the play ten years ago. Then we had a self-hosted [Nextcloud](https://nextcloud.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) instance for everything. And then we switched to [ClickUp](https://clickup.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) as it provided plenty for free and was suitable for our needs. It had everything that we needed for our collaboration with internal and external contributors. Last year, we made a brief switch to [Huly](https://huly.io/?ref=itsfoss.com), a new open source project management tool, but it was more geared towards software development, so we moved back to ClickUp. Things were comfortable until [Abhishek](https://itsfoss.com/author/abhishek/) was bit by the '*we got to try new things*' bug again. And hence we are trying some new services that help us manage the work related to It's FOSS and [Linux Handbook](https://linuxhandbook.com/?ref=itsfoss.com). This is where [Fizzy](https://www.fizzy.do/?ref=itsfoss.com) comes in. The new tool we are using for task management these days. 🚧 Fizzy is not fully open source, more like source available. They use O'Saasy license that gives you all kinds of permission except offering the product as your own service. ## Fizzy: Kanban for Everyone It is a Rails-based Kanban tracker built by [37signals](https://37signals.com/?ref=itsfoss.com), the folks behind [Basecamp](https://basecamp.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) and [HEY](https://www.hey.com/?ref=itsfoss.com). Designed to be fast, colorful, and devoid of the bloat found on most [mainstream project management tools](https://zapier.com/blog/free-project-management-software/?ref=itsfoss.com), Fizzy just clicked with us. With this, you get boards, cards, columns, a few handy options, and that's about it. There are **no complicated features**, **no AI bloat**, or analytics dashboards that you will never look at. Though it does feature **a custom license that will rub many the wrong way**. Called the [O'Saasy License Agreement](https://osaasy.dev/?ref=itsfoss.com), it lets you download, modify, and **self-host Fizzy for free**. You can use it for your personal projects, your company, or even tweak the code to fit your needs. What you can't do is **turn around and sell Fizzy as a hosted service to other people**. That right stays with 37signals. ## And We Switched to it From ClickUp While I still check [ClickUp](https://clickup.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) occasionally, as many of my earlier pending tasks are still over there, we at It's FOSS have switched to Fizzy since the beginning of this month. Abhishek was trying it personally for most of January. ### What Works? ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/fizzy-task-dialog-1.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/fizzy-task-dialog-2.png) **This is how the tasks page looks in Fizzy.* For starters, **creating new tasks and boards is easy**; you just have to click a few well-placed buttons, and you will be set. Access control to these is simple, with an auto-close timer moving any unattended tasks to the "*Not Now*" status when the set time frame is reached. The top menu bar, which is accessible by clicking on the Fizzy logo, **does a good job in presenting all the commonly accessed options** like boards, tasks, and people on the team. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/fizzy-board-settings.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/fizzy-profile-settings.png) **The board and user profile settings on Fizzy.* Browser notifications work well too, at least on the Linux version of [Vivaldi](https://vivaldi.com/?ref=itsfoss.com), where I use it. The **search functionality is a good one too**; it is quick, doesn't mess about, and provides relevant results. ### What Doesn't Work? ![this is a screenshot of a fizzy instance showing the it's foss articles board with many task cards below](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/fizzy-board-view.png) **You could fit two Boeing 747s in the wasted space. /s* The *Home* page and the overall interface **have plenty of wasted space** that could've been used better. Maybe a quick-access sidebar that could house notes, a pomodoro timer, and other productivity-focused niceties. Toward the bottom, the three options to access pinned tasks, the search, and notifications feel tacky at best. While these work, the way they are laid out feels very limited/closed off. Another quirk is whenever I go into the "*Assigned to Me*" page, open a task, and then close it, I am taken back into the board the task was on. **Why is this an issue, you ask?** We usually have many tasks up on the board, and having to retrace my steps to return to the tasks assigned to me is just plain annoying. Then there's **the absence of the ability to set deadlines for tasks**. This is something any Kanban board worth its salt should have. That said, **Fizzy is still evolving**. The good news is that 37signals tends to listen to feedback, so there's room for improvement as the project matures. ## Explore Fizzy You can either [self-host Fizzy on your own server](https://github.com/basecamp/fizzy?ref=itsfoss.com) or opt for [their managed service](https://www.fizzy.do/?ref=itsfoss.com#pricing), which offers everything for free anyways. [Fizzy](https://www.fizzy.do/?ref=itsfoss.com#pricing) Sadly, **there's no importing feature**, so you will have to manually move over data from other services. I intend to do this for my existing tasks over on ClickUp. This is also one of the factors you should weigh in if you want to make the switch for your team and project. If it doesn't fit your need, you can check out [our list of open source alternatives to Trello](https://itsfoss.com/open-source-trello-alternatives/). --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*This Local, Offline Tool is Good for Personal Project Management*](https://itsfoss.com/schedule-kanban-board/) [Away from Cloud: This Local, Offline Tool is Perfect for Personal Project Management on Linux DesktopWe have all been there. You start the week with a massive to-do list, only to feel overwhelmed by Tuesday afternoon. While heavy-duty project management tools exist, sometimes you just need a digital version of “sticky notes on a wall”.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-270.png)It's FOSSNeville Ondara![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/schedule-offline-kanban-board-app-2.png)](https://itsfoss.com/schedule-kanban-board/)