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Comparison · PM
OpenProject vs ZenTao
A side-by-side editorial comparison of OpenProject and ZenTao — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.
Shared themes:project-managementopen-source
OpenProject vs ZenTao: at a glance
What is OpenProject?
OpenProject patches five release lines at once with undisclosed security fixes
On 9 November OpenProject shipped 17.9.7, 17.8.2, 17.7.3, 17.6.1 and 17.5.2 together. 17.9.7 carries 12 security fixes and the older lines four each; details will be published later, and the notes ask everyone to update immediately. Bug fixes ride along: a slow project overview members widget on 17.9, copied projects inheriting the original's sprints on 17.6. This follows two earlier 17.9 patches that fixed a PDF-export file read and a budget disclosure.
What is ZenTao?
ZenTao posts a 22.0 beta with no notes in the feed.
The only tracked ZenTao entry is the 22.0 beta tag from October 21. It links to a changelog file in the repository and contains no description of what changed.
OpenProject vs ZenTao: editorial side-by-side
OpenProject patches five release lines at once with undisclosed security fixes
◆ Current state
On 9 November OpenProject shipped 17.9.7, 17.8.2, 17.7.3, 17.6.1 and 17.5.2 together. 17.9.7 carries 12 security fixes and the older lines four each; details will be published later, and the notes ask everyone to update immediately. Bug fixes ride along: a slow project overview members widget on 17.9, copied projects inheriting the original's sprints on 17.6. This follows two earlier 17.9 patches that fixed a PDF-export file read and a budget disclosure.
◆ Where it's heading
Security work is now the main output of the 17.x branch, and OpenProject is backporting it to lines as old as 17.5 rather than telling self-hosters to jump to 17.9. Feature work since the 17.9.0 release in September has not shown up in this feed.
◆ Prediction
Security advisories describing the 9 November fixes are the next likely publication, followed by a 17.10 or 18.0 feature release; until then, more 17.9 patches.
ZenTao
2.5PM
ZenTao posts a 22.0 beta with no notes in the feed.
◆ Current state
The only tracked ZenTao entry is the 22.0 beta tag from October 21. It links to a changelog file in the repository and contains no description of what changed.
◆ Where it's heading
A beta of a new major version suggests a larger release is in progress, but nothing in the feed says what it contains.
◆ Prediction
Unclear: the entry does not show what 22.0 changes or when a stable version will follow.
Alternatives to OpenProject and ZenTao
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 OpenProject or ZenTao.
NocoBase
NocoBase's v3 beta lets apps ship their own CLI, separate from Agents.
Productboard
Productboard's v2 documents API now keeps plain web addresses and emoji as ordinary text.
Hive
Hive turns reporting into a planning tool: shared inputs, grouped values, per-person drill-downs.
Tracecat
Tracecat 1.5 alpha patches add sub-cases and lock down agent sandboxes.
SmartSuite
SmartSuite adds tracked changes to SmartDocs, so policy edits need an approver.
See all OpenProject alternatives → · See all ZenTao alternatives →
Recent activity from OpenProject and ZenTao
Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.
- 5d agoOpenProject17.7.3 backports four security fixes
- 5d agoOpenProject17.6.1 backports four security fixes and sprint bugs
- 5d agoOpenProject17.5.2 backports four security fixes
- 5d agoOpenProject17.9.7 fixes 12 security issues, details to follow
- 5d agoOpenProject17.8.2 backports four security fixes
- 14d agoOpenProject17.9.6 fixes unsaved workflow changes
- 24d agoZenTaoZenTao 22.0 beta posted without release notes
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between OpenProject and ZenTao?
Both compete on the same themes — project-management, open-source — within PM. OpenProject 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 OpenProject better than ZenTao?
Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. OpenProject 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 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.
What are the best alternatives to ZenTao?
Top ZenTao alternatives in PM are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "ZenTao alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/zentao for the full list with editorial commentary on each.