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 importer's user is the board owner.
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.
Related
Was this page helpful?