Migrating from Trello to WeKan is a popular move for teams looking to break free from Atlassian's proprietary ecosystem, recurring per-user subscription fees, and strict data residency requirements. While Trello offers a polished, cloud-hosted Kanban experience starting at five dollars per user per month, its free tier imposes strict board limits, and enterprise plans become expensive quickly. WeKan provides a powerful, free, and open-source alternative that you can self-host on your own infrastructure, giving you absolute ownership of your project data.
Deciding to make the leap usually happens when organizations hit compliance hurdles regarding cloud storage or simply want to eliminate SaaS bloat by utilizing Docker or Node.js servers they already manage. WeKan mirrors Trello's intuitive card-and-list Kanban interface closely enough that your team will feel right at home, but it trades slick marketing for complete data privacy and customization. Transitioning requires shifting your mindset from a managed service to a self-hosted environment, but the long-term cost savings and autonomy make the effort entirely worthwhile.
Before initiating the move, evaluate your current Trello workspace usage to determine whether you rely heavily on complex Power-Ups that may not have direct equivalents in WeKan. While core Kanban boards, checklists, and labels translate smoothly, niche integrations require a bit of re-engineering. This guide walks you through extracting your data, spinning up your own WeKan instance, migrating your boards, and getting your team onboarded for a seamless cutover.
For a 50-person team that's a significant annual saving.
🗺️ Migration Steps
Open each board in Trello, navigate to the menu, select Print and Export, and choose Export as JSON. Save these JSON files locally on your machine, as they contain all your cards, lists, descriptions, and comments. Note that Trello requires you to export boards individually unless you hold an Enterprise workspace license.
Set up your self-hosted WeKan environment using Docker, Snap, or a manual Node.js installation on your preferred server. Configure your environment variables, including root URL settings and mail server credentials, to ensure user invitations and notifications function correctly after deployment.
Log into your newly installed WeKan admin panel and provision accounts for your team members. Assign appropriate roles such as admin, board member, or commenter to replicate the access levels your crew previously enjoyed in Trello.
Navigate to the board creation menu in WeKan and select the option to import from a Trello JSON file. Upload the files you exported earlier and verify that lists, cards, and labels populate correctly in the new interface. Repeat this process for each board you are bringing over from Trello.
Because Trello Power-Ups do not automatically carry over during a JSON import, manually set up webhook integrations, calendar syncs, or custom fields in WeKan. Re-upload critical file attachments if the JSON export omitted binary data due to size limitations.
Host a brief orientation showing your team how to navigate WeKan's interface, keyboard shortcuts, and card views. Once everyone confirms they can access their assigned boards and workflows, officially deactivate your paid Trello workspaces to finalize the migration.
⚠️ Common Challenges & How to Avoid Them
Manually re-link essential files and re-assign board members to their respective cards within WeKan immediately following the import.
Rebuild critical automations using WeKan's native board rules and utilize built-in calendar or ICS feeds for scheduling views.
Implement a robust automated backup routine targeting your MongoDB database and configure high-availability hosting infrastructure.
🔗 Get Started
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
No, Trello's standard export feature only allows you to download boards one by one as JSON files. You will need to export and import each board individually into WeKan, though the process is straightforward and takes only a few minutes per board.
Yes, WeKan is completely free and open-source software licensed under the MIT license. However, you will need to account for the hosting costs of running your own server, VPS, or Docker container to keep the application online.
Very little retraining is required because WeKan was explicitly designed to emulate Trello's popular Kanban board layout. Anyone familiar with dragging cards across lists in Trello will instantly understand how to navigate WeKan's interface.
Want a full feature and pricing comparison before you switch?
Read the Full Trello vs WeKan Comparison →