Huly: Project Management for Teams Tired of Jira

A review of Huly — an open-source project and task management platform with flexible architecture, real-time collaboration, and a modern UI.

Huly: A Fresh Take on Project Management

Huly is an open-source project management platform built by a team that decided Jira, Linear, and Asana could be done better. And, admittedly, they’re pulling it off.

What Huly Offers

Huly combines task tracking, documents, communication, and planning in a single interface:

  • Task tracker — a flexible task system with custom fields, statuses, and workflows
  • Documents — a built-in documentation editor with Markdown support
  • Chat — team chat with messages linked to tasks (like Discord, but for work)
  • Planning — Kanban boards, Gantt charts, sprints
  • Time tracking — time logging directly in tasks
  • Real-time — all changes visible instantly, no page refresh needed

Self-Hosting

Huly is written in TypeScript and shipped as Docker containers. Installation is standard: docker-compose with PostgreSQL and MinIO for files. The project is actively developed, with commits almost every day.

What Sets It Apart

Huly’s main difference from competitors is interface speed and attention to UX. Drag-and-drop task movement feels instant. Search works fast even on large projects.

The second difference is real-time collaboration everywhere. Documents are edited like in Notion, comments appear without delay.

Limitations

  • The project is young (started in 2023), the integration ecosystem is still modest
  • No mobile app (web only)
  • Small Russian-speaking community
  • Migrations from Jira require manual work

Verdict

Huly is an excellent choice for small to medium teams that value speed and design. If your team is tired of heavy corporate tools — give it a try.

Official Huly website