Stackr Projects vs Trello
Honest comparison: when Stackr's open-source kanban with project metadata wins, when Trello wins, and how to migrate.
The short version
Stackr is Metadot's project board module. Trello-style boards, lists, and cards, plus first-class project metadata: status, priority, target date, owner, and workspace-scoped tags. Tiered access (viewer / editor / maintainer) is built in. Boards are private by default. It's part of an open-source, self-hosted operations platform.
Trello is the original SaaS kanban. Atlassian-owned, polished, mature, and free for small teams. The Power-Up marketplace adds anything missing.
If you just need a personal kanban or a small team's task wall, Trello is hard to beat. If projects are a real product unit in your org, Stackr's project metadata and unified workspace start to matter.
When you'd pick Stackr
- You want boards as projects, not just task piles: status (Backlog → In Progress → Completed), priority, start date, target date, owner, and tags as native fields, not stuck in card titles or labels.
- You need tiered access with a real distinction between people who own the project shape and people who do the work. Stackr's maintainer/editor/viewer split is enforced server-side.
- You want board privacy that survives the workspace owner. Stackr boards are private by default; even the workspace owner doesn't see a board they weren't explicitly invited to. (HR, security, exec ops projects don't leak.)
- Your projects live next to CRM deals, tickets, assets, and invoices in one workspace and you want shared identity, search, and permissions.
- You want the data: cards, lists, comments, attachments — all in your Postgres database.
- You're moving off Trello because Atlassian's pricing model and feature creep don't fit your team anymore.
When you'd pick Trello
- You need a kanban that works in 30 seconds with zero setup.
- You rely on Power-Ups (calendar views, automation, time tracking) that Stackr doesn't ship.
- Your team has muscle memory in Trello and the productivity hit of switching is real.
- Mobile is critical. Trello has a mature, polished mobile experience.
- You don't have anyone to run a self-hosted app.
- You only need a kanban — you don't need CRM, tickets, or invoicing in the same workspace.
Feature parity at a glance
| Capability | Stackr | Trello |
|---|---|---|
| Boards, lists, cards | ✅ | ✅ |
| Drag-and-drop reordering | ✅ (@dnd-kit) | ✅ |
| Card descriptions (rich text) | ✅ Lexical-based editor | ✅ |
| Card comments and activity | ✅ Shared comments package | ✅ |
| Attachments per card | ✅ Pluggable storage (S3/R2/Vercel Blob) | ✅ |
| Card due dates / start dates | ✅ | ✅ |
| Project-level status (BACKLOG/IN_PROGRESS/COMPLETED) | ✅ Native field | ❌ Workaround via labels/lists |
| Project priority and target date | ✅ Native | ❌ |
| Cancelled task state ("won't do") | ✅ Distinct from completed | ❌ Manual |
| Auto board-status sync from task completion | ✅ | ❌ |
| Tiered access (viewer/editor/maintainer) | ✅ Enforced server-side | Org/board roles, simpler |
| Private-by-default boards | ✅ Workspace owner has no implicit access | Configurable |
| Board templates | ✅ | ✅ |
| Workflow automation | ✅ Workflow engine | Power-Ups (Butler) |
| Mobile apps | ❌ Web only | ✅ iOS + Android |
| Power-Up / app marketplace | ❌ | ✅ |
| Self-hosted | ✅ | ❌ |
| Pricing | Free, self-hosted | Free tier → paid per user |
When NOT to use Stackr
- You're a single person tracking personal todos. Stackr is overkill. Trello, Notion, or Apple Reminders win.
- Your team is fully sold on Atlassian's ecosystem. If you're in Jira + Confluence + Trello, Stackr fights uphill on integration breadth.
- You need offline-capable mobile. Stackr is web-first; field workers updating cards from a job site without signal will struggle.
- Power-Ups are how your team works. If your Trello workflow depends on specific Power-Ups (Pomello, Planyway, Hello Custom Fields), check that Stackr ships native equivalents before switching.
Migration notes
If you're moving from Trello to Stackr:
- Export from Trello. Each board exports as JSON via Trello's "Show menu → More → Print and export → Export as JSON." Lists, cards, checklists, comments, attachments URLs, members.
- Map cards to Stackr tasks. Trello cards become Stackr tasks. Lists become Stackr lists. Card descriptions migrate as-is (Markdown → Lexical needs a conversion pass).
- Reattach files. Trello attachment URLs expire when you cancel; download them first or use Trello's pre-export window. Re-upload via Stackr's attachment storage (configure
ATTACHMENT_STORAGE_PROVIDER). - Recreate Power-Up workflows. Trello Butler automations re-author in Metadot's workflow engine. Calendar views move to BookMe if relevant.
- Set project metadata after migration. Trello has no native status/priority/target-date — set these on each Stackr board after the import. The default is BACKLOG; you'll likely want to bump active boards to IN_PROGRESS.
- Choose your tier model. Decide who's maintainer (project shape, members, tags) vs editor (tasks, due dates) vs viewer. By default the person who imports becomes a maintainer of the board.
Privacy note
If you're migrating sensitive boards (HR, security, exec planning), know this: Stackr boards are private by default and the workspace owner does not get implicit access. You explicitly grant access per board. This is a deliberate choice, not a bug. If you want a board visible to all admins, share it explicitly.
Is Stackr right for me?
Yes if: projects are first-class in your org, you want one workspace across CRM/projects/tickets/invoices, you value data ownership, and you can self-host.
No if: you're solo, you live in Atlassian's stack, or your workflow is built around Power-Ups Stackr doesn't ship.
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