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Comparison · PM
Kanboard vs SmartSuite
A side-by-side editorial comparison of Kanboard and SmartSuite — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.
Kanboard vs SmartSuite: at a glance
| Feature | Kanboard | SmartSuite |
|---|---|---|
| Sector | PM | PM |
| Velocity score | 2.5 | 7.5 |
| Sparks · 30d | 0 | 1 |
| Top themes | kanban, self-hosted, security-hardening, php | work management, scripting, automation, mcp |
| Last editorial update | 2mo ago | 3d ago |
| Website | Visit → | — |
What is Kanboard?
Six straight releases of security hardening, now reaching the API's own response shape
Kanboard is a stable, self-hosted PHP kanban board whose release stream is now almost entirely security work. Version 1.2.54 continues that pattern and pushes it further than most: API procedures no longer return private user fields, and changing a password invalidates every existing session and remember-me token. Feature development is close to dormant; the maintenance effort is going into closing whole categories of vulnerability rather than adding surface.
What is SmartSuite?
SmartSuite adds a scheduled JavaScript runtime with secrets and run history.
SmartSuite is a no-code work management platform that is adding developer and agent surfaces. Script Engine, a new admin page, lets workspaces write, schedule and monitor JavaScript with memory and timeout limits, secrets by reference and per-run history. It builds on Managed Secrets, released two weeks earlier, and the hosted MCP server from early October.
Kanboard vs SmartSuite: editorial side-by-side
Kanboard
2.5PM
Six straight releases of security hardening, now reaching the API's own response shape
◆ Current state
Kanboard is a stable, self-hosted PHP kanban board whose release stream is now almost entirely security work. Version 1.2.54 continues that pattern and pushes it further than most: API procedures no longer return private user fields, and changing a password invalidates every existing session and remember-me token. Feature development is close to dormant; the maintenance effort is going into closing whole categories of vulnerability rather than adding surface.
◆ Where it's heading
The arc from 1.2.49 through 1.2.54 is a systematic audit that works outward from one surface to the next — LDAP escaping, SSRF, deserialization, CSRF, comment visibility, bulk-operation ownership, and now API response shape and session lifetime. Each release also tightens the deployment story, from trusted-proxy configuration to an nginx config that only lets front controllers execute PHP. New user-facing features arrive rarely and small: opt-in full-text search, RTL support, richer API links.
◆ Prediction
Expect the audit to keep moving through remaining surfaces, with more permission checks in API procedures and continued PHP-version and base-image maintenance. Nothing in these entries points to a new feature direction.
SmartSuite adds a scheduled JavaScript runtime with secrets and run history.
◆ Current state
SmartSuite is a no-code work management platform that is adding developer and agent surfaces. Script Engine, a new admin page, lets workspaces write, schedule and monitor JavaScript with memory and timeout limits, secrets by reference and per-run history. It builds on Managed Secrets, released two weeks earlier, and the hosted MCP server from early October.
◆ Where it's heading
SmartSuite is becoming programmable on three fronts: a hosted MCP server for agents, managed secrets, and now a scheduled code runtime. Together they let teams run integrations inside the platform instead of in Zapier or external cron jobs. Mobile dashboard parity and admin recovery tools continue alongside.
◆ Prediction
Expect scripts to gain record-event triggers beyond schedules, and links between Script Engine and the automation builder.
Alternatives to Kanboard and SmartSuite
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 Kanboard or SmartSuite.
NocoBase
NocoBase's Runner Agent gets conversation management, task links and agent switching mid-thread.
Camunda
Camunda opens the 8.11 cycle with job-worker fixes and variable metadata across gRPC, REST and MCP.
Todoist
Todoist's 2026 bets are on capture: voice via Ramble, photos and files via Task Capture.
Atarim
Atarim's AI experts now propose changes to live pages as drafts, and the app runs on phones.
Fibery
Fibery's MCP server can now upload local files, so AI assistants can attach screenshots and images.
See all Kanboard alternatives → · See all SmartSuite alternatives →
Recent activity from Kanboard and SmartSuite
Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.
- 6d agoSmartSuiteSmartSuite Script Engine ⚡
- 13d agoSmartSuiteFilter Widget: Multiple Operators in Dynamic Filters
- 13d agoSmartSuiteRecycle Bin: Restore Team
- 21d agoSmartSuiteManaged Secrets
- 21d agoSmartSuiteMobile: Data Schema Widget
- 27d agoSmartSuiteMobile: Pivot Table Widgets on Dashboards
- 2mo agoKanboardPassword changes now kill sessions; API stops leaking private fields
- 3mo agoKanboardSecurity fixes and opt-in full-text task search
- 6mo agoKanboardComment visibility rules and timing-safe token checks
- 7mo agoKanboardSSRF protection and safer deserialization
- 8mo agoKanboardAuthorization and CSRF checks across controllers
- 9mo agoKanboardLDAP injection fix and trusted-proxy config
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Kanboard and SmartSuite?
They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. SmartSuite is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 7.5 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 Kanboard better than SmartSuite?
Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. SmartSuite is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 7.5 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 Kanboard?
Top Kanboard alternatives in PM are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Kanboard alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/kanboard for the full list with editorial commentary on each.
What are the best alternatives to SmartSuite?
Top SmartSuite alternatives in PM are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "SmartSuite alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/smartsuite for the full list with editorial commentary on each.