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Comparison · PM
ClickUp vs OpenProject
A side-by-side editorial comparison of ClickUp and OpenProject — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.
ClickUp vs OpenProject: at a glance
| Feature | ClickUp | OpenProject |
|---|---|---|
| Sector | PM | PM |
| Velocity score | 2.5 | 6.3 |
| Sparks · 30d | 0 | 1 |
| Top themes | project-management, ai-agents, mcp, ai-coworker | resource management, capacity planning, patch releases, enterprise add-ons |
| Last editorial update | 3h ago | 5d ago |
| Website | — | Visit → |
What is ClickUp?
ClickUp folds MCP into Super Agents, wiring outside tools into its AI coworker
ClickUp's changelog has shifted almost entirely onto AI. After launching Super Agents in early 2026 and rebuilding Brain from the ground up as Brain², the product now sells itself as a context-aware AI coworker that routes across models and completes work rather than answering questions. The August 4.07 notes show the follow-through phase: MCP server connections extended from Brain² to Super Agents, Slack history importable into existing Channels, and AI Notetaker capturing in-meeting chat. Conventional work-management features still ship underneath, but they now arrive as supporting detail.
What is OpenProject?
OpenProject settles into patch work after 17.7 shipped resource management.
17.7.0 was the substantial release — a resource management module with departments and work schedules, pushing OpenProject past task tracking into staffing. The two releases since are patches. 17.7.2 fixes four bugs, among them project-level hourly rates that could not be adjusted and non-working days silently dropped when saved while a reschedule job was running — both in the scheduling and cost areas 17.7 had just expanded.
ClickUp vs OpenProject: editorial side-by-side
ClickUp
2.5PM
ClickUp folds MCP into Super Agents, wiring outside tools into its AI coworker
◆ Current state
ClickUp's changelog has shifted almost entirely onto AI. After launching Super Agents in early 2026 and rebuilding Brain from the ground up as Brain², the product now sells itself as a context-aware AI coworker that routes across models and completes work rather than answering questions. The August 4.07 notes show the follow-through phase: MCP server connections extended from Brain² to Super Agents, Slack history importable into existing Channels, and AI Notetaker capturing in-meeting chat. Conventional work-management features still ship underneath, but they now arrive as supporting detail.
◆ Where it's heading
The arc is from work-management app to AI work-execution platform, and the recent releases are about widening what the agents can reach rather than announcing new agents. Connecting any external MCP server (CRM, support desk, warehouse) at both personal and Workspace level makes ClickUp a host for other vendors' tools rather than a destination competing with them. Expect traditional PM surface area to keep getting absorbed into the Brain² and Super Agent layer instead of shipping standalone.
◆ Prediction
The next moves likely deepen the agent-tooling layer rather than launch a new AI brand: more first-party MCP connectors, and agent access to the data those connectors expose. Whether ClickUp charges separately for external tool connections is the open question the entries don't answer.
OpenProject settles into patch work after 17.7 shipped resource management.
◆ Current state
17.7.0 was the substantial release — a resource management module with departments and work schedules, pushing OpenProject past task tracking into staffing. The two releases since are patches. 17.7.2 fixes four bugs, among them project-level hourly rates that could not be adjusted and non-working days silently dropped when saved while a reschedule job was running — both in the scheduling and cost areas 17.7 had just expanded.
◆ Where it's heading
The release rhythm is a feature minor followed by a short tail of patches repairing the surface it just added, and this tail sits squarely in resource-management territory. Rate and non-working-day bugs are the predictable cost of shipping scheduling and cost tracking together. For self-hosted operators the advice does not change between these releases: take the patch.
◆ Prediction
Expect one or two more 17.7.x patches against the resource management surface before 17.8 opens a new feature line.
Alternatives to ClickUp and OpenProject
Other PM products tracked by Sparkpulse, ranked by recent ship velocity. Each card links to a full editorial trajectory and lets you pivot into a head-to-head comparison with either ClickUp or OpenProject.
Tracecat
Ten release candidates in, Tracecat is stabilising the sandbox its agents run inside
Hive
Hive keeps tightening the same three seams: planned time, admin control, and AI review scope
Akiflow
Akiflow's newest release finally adds capability, but reliability work still fills the notes.
Sugar Calendar
The changelog turned into a how-to blog — capability news now arrives disguised as tutorials.
Apploye
A time tracker whose blog argues both sides of employee monitoring, and never mentions the product.
See all ClickUp alternatives → · See all OpenProject alternatives →
Recent activity from ClickUp and OpenProject
Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.
- 1d agoClickUpMCP servers reach Super Agents; Custom Fields scope by task type
- 6d agoOpenProjectPatch fixes hourly rates, non-working days, custom styles
- 13d agoOpenProjectPatch fixes duplicate users on retried imports
- 14d agoOpenProjectResource management module lands with departments and work schedules ⚡
- 1mo agoOpenProjectXWiki integration links work packages to external docs
- 1mo agoClickUpBrain² takeover: artifacts, model routing, memory, and MCP ⚡
- 1mo agoClickUpReddit AMA with ClickUp's Head of AI on Brain²
- 1mo agoClickUpBrain² announced as ClickUp's multi-model company AI
- 2mo agoOpenProjectPatch fixes work package creation broken by 17.5
- 2mo agoOpenProjectProject-based work package IDs arrive in Beta
- 3mo agoClickUpGantt Baselines, Brain on mobile, ClickUp inside ChatGPT and Cursor
- 4mo agoClickUpGoogle Drive automations and second-level grouping in Workload
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between ClickUp and OpenProject?
They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. OpenProject is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 6.3 vs 2.5), with 1 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. See the at-a-glance table above for a side-by-side breakdown of velocity, recent sparks, and editorial themes.
Is ClickUp better than OpenProject?
Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. OpenProject is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 6.3 vs 2.5), with 1 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. For your specific use case, the alternatives sections above list other PM products to evaluate alongside.
What are the best alternatives to ClickUp?
Top ClickUp alternatives in PM are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "ClickUp alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/clickup for the full list with editorial commentary on each.
What are the best alternatives to OpenProject?
Top OpenProject alternatives in PM are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "OpenProject alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/openproject for the full list with editorial commentary on each.