The latest articles on DEV Community by RIT Services (@rit_services). https://dev.to/rit_services https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=90,height=90,fit=cover,gravity=auto,format=auto/https:%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fuser%2Fprofile_image%2F4050507%2Fbef98a66-d0c1-406c-85e2-7c0fd685676a.jpg https://dev.to/rit_services en RIT Services Tue, 28 Jul 2026 04:55:08 +0000 https://dev.to/rit_services/i-built-an-open-source-self-hostable-jira-alternative-heres-the-stack-4ijj https://dev.to/rit_services/i-built-an-open-source-self-hostable-jira-alternative-heres-the-stack-4ijj <p>For the last while I've been building <strong>Spirex</strong> — a free, open-source, self-hostable<br> alternative to Jira for agile engineering teams. It's now at a point where I'd love<br> eyes on it.</p> <p><strong>Live demo (no signup, nothing saved):</strong> <a href="https://spirex.rit.services/demo" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://spirex.rit.services/demo</a><br> <strong>Source (AGPL-3.0):</strong> <a href="https://github.com/Rit-Services/Spirex" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://github.com/Rit-Services/Spirex</a><br> <strong>Hosted + docs:</strong> <a href="https://spirex.rit.services" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://spirex.rit.services</a></p> <h2> Why another Jira alternative? </h2> <p>Most tools either lock the basics behind add-ons (time tracking, workflow editing)<br> or force their process on you. I wanted the workflow engineering teams actually<br> run — sprint boards, backlog, epics, custom columns — without the per-feature<br> upsell, and reporting that doesn't dress an estimate up as a fact.</p> <h2> The stack </h2> <ul> <li> <strong>Frontend:</strong> React + TypeScript, TipTap rich editor, dnd-kit for boards</li> <li> <strong>Backend:</strong> Node / Express + Prisma</li> <li> <strong>Data:</strong> Postgres, S3 / MinIO for files</li> <li> <strong>Deploy:</strong> Docker Compose — self-host the whole thing on your own infra</li> <li> <strong>License:</strong> AGPL-3.0 core</li> </ul> <h2> What it does </h2> <ul> <li>Drag-and-drop <strong>sprint boards</strong> with a custom workflow editor (rename a column and it updates board, backlog and history live)</li> <li> <strong>Backlog &amp; sprint planning</strong> with carry-over</li> <li> <strong>Epics, stories, subtasks</strong>, story points and labels</li> <li> <strong>Time tracking &amp; honest reporting</strong> — sums time actually logged, never an estimate</li> <li> <strong>Full-fidelity Jira import</strong> — issues, comments, epic links, attachments and inline images, streamed live</li> <li> <strong>Optional AI</strong> that's bring-your-own-key: point it at your own Anthropic key or any OpenAI-compatible model via LiteLLM. Nothing leaves your instance unless you turn it on.</li> </ul> <h2> Where I'd love feedback </h2> <p>It's early and pre-launch. I'm especially interested in how the Jira importer holds<br> up on real projects, for me it worked perfectly and was able to import comments along as well. Try the demo, break<br> it, and tell me what's missing.</p> opensource showdev webdev selfhosted