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Comparison · PM

Nifty vs Leantime

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

Shared themes:project-management

Nifty vs Leantime: at a glance

FeatureNiftyLeantime
SectorPMPM
Velocity score2.55.0
Sparks · 30d00
Top themesmcp, api, capacity-planning, mobileproject-management, self-hosted, permissions, plugins
Last editorial update12d ago2d ago
WebsiteVisit →Visit →

What is Nifty?

Nifty rebuilt its mobile apps and shipped capacity planning while its API moved to v3.

Three releases in four weeks changed different layers. September 14 opened API v3 with a developer portal and OAuth 2.1, and set a September 1, 2027 sunset for v1. September 28 added Capacity Planner, which turns estimates, working hours and time off into visible capacity on Calendar and Workloads. October 12 rebuilt the iOS and Android apps on a new architecture, and Nifty reports the work behind spinners and long waits fell by about 95%.

Read the full Nifty trajectory →

What is Leantime?

Leantime swaps role ranks for real permissions and syncs with your calendar app.

Leantime moved from 3.10 to 3.14 between October and 10 November. v3.14.0 replaces role-rank checks with specific permission checks across projects, timesheets, users, API keys, to-dos, milestones and sprints, and opens the calendar to plugins; a new CalDAV plugin syncs both ways with Nextcloud, Radicale and Apple Calendar. Earlier releases added mobile push, per-project modules, global search and self-updating plugins.

Read the full Leantime trajectory →

Nifty vs Leantime: editorial side-by-side

N2.5

Nifty rebuilt its mobile apps and shipped capacity planning while its API moved to v3.

◆ Current state

Three releases in four weeks changed different layers. September 14 opened API v3 with a developer portal and OAuth 2.1, and set a September 1, 2027 sunset for v1. September 28 added Capacity Planner, which turns estimates, working hours and time off into visible capacity on Calendar and Workloads. October 12 rebuilt the iOS and Android apps on a new architecture, and Nifty reports the work behind spinners and long waits fell by about 95%.

◆ Where it's heading

The MCP server made Nifty an agent surface in July, and the autumn releases extend beyond it: a public API for integrators, a planning model built on real availability, and a mobile foundation Nifty says will let it ship faster. Agent work continues alongside, with full-thread context for assistants and explicit notice when content is trimmed.

◆ Prediction

The October notes list a new rich text editor and AI agent hand-off notes as coming next, and September's named Forms support for MCP and improved invites. Those are the likely next items.

L5.0

Leantime swaps role ranks for real permissions and syncs with your calendar app.

◆ Current state

Leantime moved from 3.10 to 3.14 between October and 10 November. v3.14.0 replaces role-rank checks with specific permission checks across projects, timesheets, users, API keys, to-dos, milestones and sprints, and opens the calendar to plugins; a new CalDAV plugin syncs both ways with Nextcloud, Radicale and Apple Calendar. Earlier releases added mobile push, per-project modules, global search and self-updating plugins.

◆ Where it's heading

The release cadence is roughly one feature version every two weeks, split between finer access control and a plugin marketplace that carries more functionality. Core changes increasingly exist to give plugins stable hooks, as the calendar rework shows.

◆ Prediction

Expect more marketplace plugins built on the new calendar and permission hooks, and further permission work extending to the remaining modules.

Alternatives to Nifty and Leantime

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 Nifty or Leantime.

See all Nifty alternatives → · See all Leantime alternatives →

Recent activity from Nifty and Leantime

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

  1. 3d agoLeantimev3.14.0: per-permission access checks and a CalDAV sync plugin
  2. 14d agoLeantimev3.13.2: digest changes, OIDC PKCE, marketplace install reporting
  3. 14d agoLeantimev3.13.1: clearer plugin install errors
  4. 14d agoLeantimev3.13.0: mobile push, per-project modules, Laravel 12
  5. 29d agoLeantimev3.12.0: self-updating plugins and a shared interface library
  6. 1mo agoNiftyNew iOS and Android apps, plus large web speedups
  7. 1mo agoLeantimev3.11.0: global search across the workspace
  8. 1mo agoNiftyCapacity Planner arrives with a redesigned Calendar
  9. 2mo agoNiftyAPI v3 opens to every workspace as v1 gets a 2027 sunset
  10. 2mo agoNiftyNifty MCP gains file uploads, Docs control and edit conflict checks
  11. 3mo agoNiftyNifty ships an MCP server for outside AI assistants ⚡
  12. 5mo agoNiftyBug fixes and list-view polish ahead of the MCP beta

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Nifty and Leantime?

Both compete on the same themes — project-management — within PM. Leantime is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 5.0 vs 2.5), with 0 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 Nifty better than Leantime?

Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. Leantime is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 5.0 vs 2.5), with 0 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 Nifty?

Top Nifty alternatives in PM are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Nifty alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/nifty for the full list with editorial commentary on each.

What are the best alternatives to Leantime?

Top Leantime alternatives in PM are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Leantime alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/leantime for the full list with editorial commentary on each.