Quick answer
Yes — for the part of ClickUp covered on this page, Boardly is a one-time-purchase alternative. It costs $49 once, while ClickUp lists from $7/mo. Self-hosted kanban — drag & drop boards, checklists, labels, attachments, full JSON export. It is not a 1:1 replacement for everything ClickUp does — the honest limits are spelled out below.
The verdict
Switch to Boardly if the slice of ClickUp you actually pay for is the slice Boardly covers — and a $49 one-time price beats from $7/mo for as long as you use it.
Stay with ClickUp if this sounds like you — ClickUp bundles docs, whiteboards, goals, sprints and native time tracking under one login. Boardly covers boards only; if your workflow uses ClickUp's other modules, it is the more complete tool.
Head to head
| Boardly | ClickUp | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $49 once | from $7/mo |
| Where it runs | Your own machine | Vendor cloud (hosted service) |
| Renewal | None — the license never expires | Recurring — access ends when you stop paying |
| 5-year cost | $49 | ~$420 |
About ClickUp: ClickUp is an all-in-one project tool spanning tasks, docs, goals and time tracking. Unlimited plans list from $7/user/mo billed annually (about $84/user/yr).
Where ClickUp still wins
ClickUp bundles docs, whiteboards, goals, sprints and native time tracking under one login. Boardly covers boards only; if your workflow uses ClickUp's other modules, it is the more complete tool.
Where Boardly wins
ClickUp's breadth is also its bloat; if you live in board view, Boardly gives you fast self-hosted kanban — drag & drop, checklists, labels, attachments, JSON export — for $49 once. No per-seat fee, no feature maze.
- Price, permanently. $49 once versus from $7/mo for as long as you use it. There is no renewal, no seat count and no tier gate.
- Multiple boards. Color themes, emoji icons, starred favorites — organize work, clients or your whole life.
- Drag & drop everything. Reorder lists, drag cards between lists — order persists exactly where you dropped it.
The math
ClickUp lists from $7/mo. Boardly is $49, paid once:
- After 1 year: Boardly has cost you $49 total — ClickUp has cost ~$84.
- After 3 years: Boardly is still $49 — the subscription is at ~$252.
- After 5 years: Boardly is still $49 — the subscription is at ~$420.
Common questions
Is it really free on GitHub?
Yes — MIT source at github.com/bensblueprints/boardly-kanban-mvp, always. $49 buys the packaged installer, updates and setup support.
How do team members log in?
One shared password protects the whole install — there are no per-user accounts, permissions or assignee fields yet. That's fine for small teams on a trusted server or VPN; if you need granular roles and member management, Trello still wins there.
Does it have automations like Butler?
No — no rule engine, no scheduled commands. Boardly bets that most Trello boards never touch Butler, and most don't. If yours does, keep Trello.
Is there a mobile app?
No native app — the web UI works in a phone browser when you host it on a VPS. Desktop mode is Windows-first, and the MIT source builds anywhere Electron runs.
Try Boardly — $49, one time
Or get Boardly plus every other app in the suite: the OneTimeSuite bundle is currently $97, one time.