Short answer: if you want an open-source, self-hosted issue tracker with cycles, modules and estimates for a software team, Plane is the more capable choice. If you want a smaller and simpler self-hosted tool for tasks, a calendar, notes and files, with no paid tier inside the self-hosted install, Jinear is worth a look. I build Jinear, so keep that in mind.
The short version
Plane and Jinear share a lot on paper: both are open source under AGPL-3.0, both run with Docker, and both have a hosted cloud. They aim at different jobs.
Plane is a project and issue tracker for engineering teams: work items, cycles, modules, estimates, intake and pages. It has a company and a large community behind it. Self-hosting Plane is open core. The free, open-source Community Edition has only the features of the cloud Free plan. For anything from the paid plans (time tracking, wiki, SSO and more), you buy a Pro or Business license and run the Commercial Edition, which is closed source.
Jinear is smaller and broader: tasks, boards, a calendar with Google sync, notes and file storage. The self-hosted version has every feature, with no paid edition and no license key.
| Jinear | Plane | |
|---|---|---|
| License | AGPL-3.0, one edition | Community Edition AGPL-3.0; Commercial Edition closed source |
| Self-hosting | Docker Compose, every feature included | Docker or Kubernetes; free Community Edition has Free plan features only, paid features need a license and the Commercial Edition |
| Hosted free plan | Up to 3 people | Free plan, 12 user seats per workspace |
| Paid plans | Team: $24.90/mo flat, unlimited people | Pro $6, Business $13 per seat/mo (billed yearly; $8 and $15 monthly) |
| Cycles, modules, estimates | None | Yes |
| Views | List, status board (kanban), calendar | List, board, calendar, spreadsheet, Gantt |
| Calendar | Built in, two-way Google Calendar sync, iCal feed | Calendar layout of work items |
| Docs | Notebooks with nested rich-text notes | Pages; wiki and nested pages on paid plans |
| File storage | Folders with access control | Attachments on work items |
| Time tracking | None | On Pro |
| SSO | None yet | SAML and OIDC on paid plans |
| Team behind it | One maintainer, since November 2022 | A funded company |
Where Plane is better
- Engineering features. Cycles, modules, estimates, intake and a Gantt layout. Jinear has none of these.
- SSO. Plane offers SAML and OIDC on its paid plans, including self-hosted. Jinear has no SSO yet.
- Size of the project. A company, a large contributor community and a fast release pace. Jinear has been built since November 2022 by one person. Both are AGPL-3.0, so the code stays available either way. One maintainer means fewer hands, and also a short path: a bug report goes straight to the person who fixes it.
- More views. Spreadsheet and Gantt layouts.
- Import. Plane offers importers from other trackers. Jinear has no importer.
Where Jinear is better
- No paid edition when self-hosted. Everything Jinear has is in the free self-hosted install. There is no feature you unlock with a license.
- Calendar and files. Jinear has a real calendar (two-way Google Calendar sync, drag to reschedule, an iCal feed) and file storage with folders and permissions.
- Flat hosted price. One price for any team size, where Plane charges per seat.
- Smaller footprint for small teams. Fewer concepts to learn if you do not need cycles and modules.
Which one should you pick?
Pick Plane if you are a software team that wants an open-source Jira or Linear alternative, with sprints and estimates, on your own servers.
Pick Jinear if your team needs tasks, a calendar, notes and files, and you want every feature in the free self-hosted install.