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Comparison · PM

ZenHub vs Leantime

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

Shared themes:project-management

ZenHub vs Leantime: at a glance

FeatureZenHubLeantime
SectorPMPM
Velocity score0.05.0
Sparks · 30d00
Top themesproject-management, github, mcp-integration, ai-clientsproject-management, self-hosted, permissions, plugins
Last editorial update6mo ago2d ago
Website—Visit →

What is ZenHub?

GitHub-native PM remodels around sub-issues and opens up to AI clients via MCP.

ZenHub is in the middle of a structural realignment with GitHub. The April 2025 Epics-and-Projects-to-Sub-issues migration restructured the core data model on top of GitHub's sub-issue primitive, replacing Roadmap with Timeline and unlocking deeper hierarchy. The Fall 2025 release added a Zenhub MCP Server connecting Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Gemini CLI, Cursor, and Windsurf to ZenHub, plus universal API access. Recent shipping has focused on Goals & Planning panel polish (drag-and-drop, deep hierarchy, performance) and shared Saved Views with workspace defaults.

Read the full ZenHub 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 →

ZenHub vs Leantime: editorial side-by-side

Z0.0

GitHub-native PM remodels around sub-issues and opens up to AI clients via MCP.

◆ Current state

ZenHub is in the middle of a structural realignment with GitHub. The April 2025 Epics-and-Projects-to-Sub-issues migration restructured the core data model on top of GitHub's sub-issue primitive, replacing Roadmap with Timeline and unlocking deeper hierarchy. The Fall 2025 release added a Zenhub MCP Server connecting Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Gemini CLI, Cursor, and Windsurf to ZenHub, plus universal API access. Recent shipping has focused on Goals & Planning panel polish (drag-and-drop, deep hierarchy, performance) and shared Saved Views with workspace defaults.

◆ Where it's heading

Two parallel arcs are visible. First, ZenHub is doubling down on its GitHub-native moat — moving the data model on top of GitHub primitives (sub-issues, projects, issue types) means its differentiation gets stronger as GitHub itself improves rather than weaker. Second, it's deliberately positioning itself in the AI-coding-tool ecosystem via MCP, betting that PM context belongs in the same surface developers already use. The May 2025 GitHub permissions update (the first scope change in 11 years) signals that even mundane plumbing is being modernized.

◆ Prediction

Expect tighter integration between MCP and the Goals & Planning hierarchy (agents that can plan a sprint, not just answer questions), additional AI-client coverage as new IDE-side MCP hosts emerge, and continued GitHub feature parity as GitHub adds more native PM primitives.

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 ZenHub 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 ZenHub or Leantime.

See all ZenHub alternatives → · See all Leantime alternatives →

Recent activity from ZenHub 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 agoLeantimev3.11.0: global search across the workspace
  7. 1y agoZenHubShared Saved Views and Workspace Defaults
  8. 1y agoZenHubFall 2025 release — Zenhub MCP Server, universal API access, Goals & Planning polish ⚡
  9. 1y agoZenHubWhat's new in Zenhub in July
  10. 1y agoZenHubWhat's new in Zenhub in June
  11. 1y agoZenHubRequest for new GitHub permissions
  12. 1y agoZenHubMigration of Epics & Projects to Sub-issues ⚡

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between ZenHub and Leantime?

Both compete on the same themes — project-management — within PM. Leantime is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 5.0 vs 0.0), 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 ZenHub 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 0.0), 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 ZenHub?

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