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Comparison · PM

Grocy vs OpenProject

A side-by-side editorial comparison of Grocy and OpenProject — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.

Shared themes:open-source

Grocy vs OpenProject: at a glance

FeatureGrocyOpenProject
SectorPMPM
Velocity score5.06.3
Sparks · 30d01
Top themesself-hosted, home-management, grocery, open-sourceproject-management, mcp, ai-integration, open-source
Last editorial update7d ago12d ago
WebsiteVisit →Visit →

What is Grocy?

Grocy 4.7 reorganizes authentication middleware and ships accent-insensitive search across the product.

Grocy 4.7 is the most actively maintained version in over a year, with 4.7.0 shipping a breaking authentication middleware reorganization and 4.7.1 following quickly with bug fixes and a new product copy API endpoint. Earlier in 2026, 4.6.0 dropped support for PHP below 8.5 and improved quantity unit handling — the first time the project has enforced a PHP version floor in some time.

Read the full Grocy trajectory →

What is OpenProject?

OpenProject's MCP Server gains write access — AI agents can now create tasks, add comments, and manage relations.

OpenProject 17.8.0 marks the most significant AI integration milestone in the product's history: the MCP Server can now create and update work packages, add comments, and manage relations — moving from a read-only query layer to a write-capable AI agent interface. The same release adds multiple target versions per work package, sprints and milestones to the project timeline, and relation display in the free Community edition. OpenProject 17.7.0 laid the organizational management foundation: departments, work-related user attributes, and individual work schedules for capacity planning.

Read the full OpenProject trajectory →

Grocy vs OpenProject: editorial side-by-side

G5.0

Grocy 4.7 reorganizes authentication middleware and ships accent-insensitive search across the product.

◆ Current state

Grocy 4.7 is the most actively maintained version in over a year, with 4.7.0 shipping a breaking authentication middleware reorganization and 4.7.1 following quickly with bug fixes and a new product copy API endpoint. Earlier in 2026, 4.6.0 dropped support for PHP below 8.5 and improved quantity unit handling — the first time the project has enforced a PHP version floor in some time.

◆ Where it's heading

Grocy is maturing as a self-hosted household management platform with deliberate but slow progress. The PHP 8.5 mandate signals the team is willing to break older environments to simplify the codebase. Authentication improvements suggest growing attention to multi-user scenarios beyond the original single-household use case.

◆ Prediction

Given the cadence — roughly two feature releases per year — the next version will likely improve the mobile experience or expand API coverage for integrations, as those are the most common community asks not yet addressed.

O6.3

OpenProject's MCP Server gains write access — AI agents can now create tasks, add comments, and manage relations.

◆ Current state

OpenProject 17.8.0 marks the most significant AI integration milestone in the product's history: the MCP Server can now create and update work packages, add comments, and manage relations — moving from a read-only query layer to a write-capable AI agent interface. The same release adds multiple target versions per work package, sprints and milestones to the project timeline, and relation display in the free Community edition. OpenProject 17.7.0 laid the organizational management foundation: departments, work-related user attributes, and individual work schedules for capacity planning.

◆ Where it's heading

The two-track development pattern is clear: broader project management capabilities for enterprises (resource management, capacity planning, PM² methodology support) and a rapidly maturing AI interface through the MCP Server. The progression from read-only MCP to write-capable MCP is a qualitative shift — AI assistants become active project participants rather than passive query tools. The XWiki integration in 17.6.0 shows the platform also extending into enterprise knowledge management.

◆ Prediction

The logical next step is workflow automation via the MCP Server — AI agents that can trigger status transitions, query resource availability from the 17.7.0 capacity data, or auto-assign work packages based on department membership. The data model is in place; the automation layer is the missing piece.

Alternatives to Grocy 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 Grocy or OpenProject.

See all Grocy alternatives → · See all OpenProject alternatives →

Recent activity from Grocy and OpenProject

Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.

  1. 12d agoGrocyVersion 4.7.1
  2. 14d agoOpenProjectOpenProject 17.8.0
  3. 19d agoGrocyVersion 4.7.0
  4. 1mo agoOpenProjectOpenProject 17.7.2: bug fix release
  5. 1mo agoOpenProjectOpenProject 17.7.1: bug fix release
  6. 1mo agoOpenProjectOpenProject 17.7.0
  7. 2mo agoOpenProjectOpenProject 17.6.0
  8. 3mo agoOpenProjectOpenProject 17.5.1: bug fix release
  9. 6mo agoGrocyVersion 4.6.0
  10. 1y agoGrocyVersion 4.5.0
  11. 1y agoGrocyVersion 4.4.2
  12. 1y agoGrocyVersion 4.4.1

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Grocy and OpenProject?

Both compete on the same themes — open-source — within PM. OpenProject is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 6.3 vs 5.0), 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 Grocy 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 5.0), 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 Grocy?

Top Grocy alternatives in PM are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Grocy alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/grocy 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.