TL;DR
Plane is the most-starred OSS project-management tool — 46k+ stars, AGPL-3.0, Jira/Linear/Monday alternative. Two-codebase architecture (Community Edition is a separate repo) means continuity even if the company disappears.
- Free tier is genuinely usable but caps at 12 users; integrations + custom fields + dashboards are the upgrade triggers.
- Pro at $6/seat/month — a 10-person team pays $720/year vs. $1,200 on Linear (40% savings).
- Business at $13/seat adds RBAC, templates, recurring work items, workflows.
- Strategic positioning: integrations are gated as a deliberate growth lever — most teams hit that wall before the seat cap.
- Self-hosted editions mirror cloud tiers feature-for-feature.
What is Plane
Open-source project management software serving as a Jira/Linear/Monday alternative you can self-host. The platform features issues, sprints (called "cycles"), modules, pages, and multiple view options (kanban/gantt/calendar). Built with React + TypeScript frontend and Django + Python backend.
- 46,100+ GitHub stars
- AGPL-3.0 license
- Raised $4M from OSS Capital and Sherpalo Ventures
- Achieved #1 ranking in GitHub's project management category within one year
The Licensing Approach
The Community Edition uses AGPL-3.0 licensing — fully open with no hidden code or dependency on commercial versions. Two separate codebases ensure continuity if the company disappears.
Feature gating strategy: Community Edition matches the cloud Free tier, providing projects, work items, cycles, modules, views, pages, estimates, and intake functionality.
The Free tier is limited to 12 users. Integrations and marketplace access require Pro subscription ($6/seat). Additional paid features include:
- Custom fields (Work Item Types and Properties)
- Workspace Wiki
- Time Tracking
- Dashboards
- Epics and Initiatives
- Teamspaces
Business plan ($13/seat) adds project templates, recurring work items, workflows/approvals, customers, advanced dashboards, and RBAC.
Pricing Structure
Per-seat pricing with included AI credits:
- Free: $0, core PM, 12 user max, 500 AI credits/seat
- Pro: $6/seat/month, custom fields, time tracking, dashboards, integrations, 1000 AI credits/seat
- Business: $13/seat/month, RBAC, templates, workflows, 2000 AI credits/seat
- Enterprise Grid: Custom quote with airgapped deployment, LDAP, audit logs
Self-hosted editions mirror cloud tiers.
Value Assessment
A 10-person Pro team costs $720 annually versus $1,200 on Linear — 40% savings. The free tier genuinely serves small teams without project limitations or crippled features.
The upgrade trigger occurs when integration needs emerge, custom fields become necessary, or team size exceeds 12 users. For a 20-person team, $1,440 annually provides integrations, epics, dashboards, and time tracking — less expensive than engineering effort to build workarounds.
Strategic positioning: While the free tier remains legitimately functional, treating integrations as a premium feature represents deliberate growth leverage, compelling expansion once external workflow connections become essential.
How Plane pricing scales
Plane bills per seat. Pro ($6/seat) is the entry; Business ($13/seat) roughly doubles it for RBAC and workflows.
Monthly cost as Plane scales by seat.
FAQ
Is Plane open source?
Yes — Community Edition is AGPL-3.0. The Community Edition matches the cloud Free tier feature-for-feature: projects, work items, cycles, modules, views, pages, estimates, intake.
When does the Plane Free tier stop being enough?
Three triggers: you hit 12 users, you need integrations or custom fields, or you want dashboards/time tracking. Until then Free is a real product, not a teaser.
How does Plane Pro compare to Linear on price?
$6/seat/month vs. Linear's $10/seat — 40% cheaper. For a 10-person team that's $720/year on Plane vs. $1,200 on Linear.
Should I self-host Plane?
Yes if you want AGPL guarantees and have ops capacity — self-hosted editions mirror the cloud tiers. AGPL is fine for internal use; if you embed Plane into a product you sell, you'll need a commercial license.
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