European alternatives to Asana
Asana is a popular US project-management tool whose data is mostly processed in the US. European alternatives offer comparable features with EU data residency, German-language support and, in some cases, open source and self-hosting.
Why look for an alternative?
Reasons include EU data processing, German-language support and invoicing, open-source options to avoid lock-in, and – with self-hosting – full data sovereignty. Often the feature set of European tools is entirely sufficient for SMEs.
What to look for in an alternative
- Server location and provider based in the EU
- Suitable feature set (tasks, boards, timelines, automation)
- Open source and/or self-hosting option
- Team collaboration, possibly integrated chat
- Import/migration options from Asana
The best European alternatives at a glance
Sorted by suitability as a replacement for the tool you searched. The Sovereignty Score independently rates how European and data-sovereign a provider is – so the two values can differ.
German project management and time tracking tool from Hamburg – especially for agencies and service providers, with servers in Germany.
German open-source project management for classic, agile and hybrid teams – available as cloud or self-hosted.
Secure German project-management and collaboration suite with German data location, end-to-end encryption and ISO/BSI-C5 certification.
Open-source agile project management from Madrid – Scrum and Kanban, self-hostable or as an EU cloud.
Comparison table
| Providers | Fit | Sovereignty | Headquarters | Open Source | Self-hosting | EU hosting | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| awork | 88 | 80 | Germany | from 5 € / Monat · pro Nutzer | |||
| OpenProject | 85 | 86 | Germany | from 0 € / Monat | |||
| Stackfield | 82 | 86 | Germany | from 13 € / Monat | |||
| Taiga | 78 | 84 | Spain | Open source (AGPLv3, self-hosted, free) / cloud subscription |
The top providers in detail
awork is a German project management tool from Hamburg that combines tasks, projects and time tracking in one interface and is aimed particularly at agencies, consultancies and service providers. According to the provider, data is processed in German data centers (Frankfurt); awork is ISO/IEC 27001 certified and GDPR-compliant. Billing is per user from €5 per month (annual plan); there is no permanently free plan, but there is a 14-day trial.
Strengths
- Servers in Germany (Frankfurt), ISO 27001, GDPR-compliant
- Tailored to agencies/service providers (PM + time tracking)
- Modern, German-language tool with good support
Weaknesses
- Not open source, no self-hosting
- No permanently free plan
- Per-user billing can become expensive for large teams
OpenProject is a German open-source project management platform covering tasks, roadmaps, agile boards, time tracking and team collaboration. The Community Edition can be self-hosted for free, while Enterprise Cloud and Enterprise On-Premises plans add commercial features and support. For Euro Toolhub, OpenProject is a strong sovereignty candidate because it combines public source code, self-hosting and EU-based cloud hosting, with German hosting available on request according to the provider. It is a credible European alternative to Jira, Asana, Monday.com and Microsoft Project for public-sector, education, research and regulated organizations.
Strengths
- Open source with self-hosting and a free Community Edition
- Broad project management feature set including tasks, Gantt, boards, roadmaps and time tracking
- DPA and public subprocessor list available
- EU cloud hosting; German hosting available on request
Weaknesses
- Default cloud setup uses AWS Ireland rather than a purely European hyperscaler
- Enterprise features and professional support are paid
- Can be more complex than lightweight Kanban tools
Stackfield (Stackfield GmbH, Munich) combines task and project management, team chat, video conferencing and documents in one platform. The focus is on security and privacy: according to the provider, all data is stored in Germany and content is end-to-end encrypted – Stackfield emphasises being able to encrypt entire workflows. Certifications include ISO 27001, 27017 and 27018 as well as the German BSI cloud criteria catalogue C5. Paid plans start at around €13 per user per month; a 14-day trial is available.
Strengths
- Servers located in Germany, GDPR-compliant
- End-to-end encryption of chats, tasks and files
- Certified to ISO 27001/27017/27018 and BSI C5
- All-in-one: projects, chat, video and documents in one tool
Weaknesses
- Not open source, no standard self-hosting
- Smaller integration ecosystem than large US providers
Migration effort
| Providers | Migration effort | Fit |
|---|---|---|
| awork | medium | 88/100 |
| OpenProject | medium | 85/100 |
| Stackfield | medium | 82/100 |
| Taiga | medium | 78/100 |
When switching pays off
Switching is worthwhile if you want to keep project data in the EU or value open source. awork is ideal for team-oriented, modern PM; OpenProject and Taiga are strong where self-hosting or Agile/Scrum matter.
When to stick with your current tool
If your company is deeply embedded in Asana's ecosystem and many integrations, a migration can mean effort. In that case, check whether awork or OpenProject cover your workflows and interfaces.
Frequently asked questions
Is there an open-source alternative to Asana?
Can I import my Asana projects?
The Sovereignty Score is an editorial orientation aid, not legal advice. How we rate.