What is Kanzo?
Kanzo is a self-hosted kanban board that runs in your browser and doubles as an MCP server for coding agents. Claude Code, Codex and other MCP clients can take the next task, move cards to doing and comment as they work, while you watch the board update live at localhost:4242. Agents pick the right project from the git remote of the repository they are in.
Everything lives in a SQLite file under ~/kanzo, with no account or server. A board can be shared live with other computers on the same network, or synced between machines through a private git repository you own, and exported as Markdown or JSON. Tasks marked Human and a Backlog column are left alone by agents.
It is written in Rust, licensed AGPL-3.0, and installs with a one-line script on macOS, Linux and Raspberry Pi, a PowerShell script on Windows, or cargo install kanzo.
Is Kanzo worth it?
Kanzo solves a narrow problem well: when several coding agents work on a project, the task list ends up split between your notes, issue trackers and each agent's context. Kanzo gives them one board over MCP and gives you the same board in a browser, with no account and no hosted service.
Its numbers are its argument. The README reports a 4.5 MB program with SQLite included, 4.5 MB of memory at idle and 8 MB with 3,000 tasks, a 2 ms start and 17 ms to load a 3,000-task board, measured on an Apple M4. For agents, the tool list costs about 900 tokens once per session and replies are 10 to 60 tokens of plain text, which matters when every tool call eats context.
It is very new. The repository was created on 25 October 2026 and went from v0.1.1 to v0.3.0 by 1 November, with about 970 stars, 5 contributors and 8 open issues and pull requests. Expect behaviour and commands to change between releases.
The weak point is access control: there is none. Sharing binds the board to your network, and the README itself says to share only on a network you trust or behind a VPN such as Tailscale. Anyone who can reach the port can read and edit tasks, and the MCP endpoint at /mcp is on by default. The AGPL-3.0 licence also means a modified version offered over a network must publish its source, which matters to companies that want to wrap it.
Against Vibe Kanban, which also runs the agents and their worktrees, Kanzo is only the board. That makes it lighter and agent-agnostic, but you still start and supervise each agent yourself.
Where it earns its place
A solo developer running Claude Code and Codex side by side
Stop two agents picking up the same task
Add Kanzo as an MCP server in both and ask each to take the next task; claimed cards move to doing with comments, and the board shows who is on what. Cost is nothing beyond a few hundred tokens per session.
A two-person studio with a Raspberry Pi on the office network
Keep one board for both laptops and all their agents
Run kanzo service install and kanzo share on on the Pi, then kanzo join from each laptop. There are no logins, so keep it on the office network or behind Tailscale.
A developer who switches between a desktop and a laptop
Carry the board between machines without a hosted service
Point Kanzo's sync at an empty private GitHub repository; kanzo sync commits and pulls the board, and asks which side to keep if both changed.
Before you commit
- Setup
- One curl install script on macOS and Linux, a PowerShell script on Windows, or cargo install kanzo; run kanzo and the board opens at localhost:4242. Connect Claude Code with claude mcp add kanzo --scope user -- kanzo mcp.
- Integrations
- MCP over stdio (kanzo mcp) or HTTP at /mcp for Claude Code, Codex, Raycast and other clients; a CLI for scripts; git-based sync; Markdown and JSON export.
- Data and privacy
- All data in ~/kanzo as a SQLite file and config.toml on your machine; releases are signed through GitHub attestations. AGPL-3.0.
- Limits
- No authentication on the board or the HTTP MCP endpoint; sync conflicts are resolved by keeping one side whole; 8 open issues and pull requests on a one-week-old project.
What’s good
- Board and MCP server in one 4.5 MB binary
- Agent replies of 10 to 60 tokens keep context use low
- Local SQLite storage, git sync and Markdown or JSON export
- Human-only tasks and a Backlog agents leave alone
What’s not
- No logins or access control when shared
- Created on 25 October 2026; interfaces still moving
- AGPL-3.0 constrains companies offering modified versions
- Does not launch or isolate agents, unlike Vibe Kanban
Best for
Developers running Claude Code, Codex or other MCP agents who want one shared, local task board without adopting a hosted tracker.
Kanzo alternatives
Kanzo: common questions
- Is Kanzo worth it?
- A tidy, very light shared task board for you and your agents, best kept to one machine or a trusted network until it grows up. We rate it 3.8 out of 5.
- How much does Kanzo cost?
- Free under the AGPL-3.0 licence; no hosted plan.
- What are the downsides of Kanzo?
- No logins or access control when shared; created on 25 October 2026; interfaces still moving; aGPL-3.0 constrains companies offering modified versions; does not launch or isolate agents, unlike Vibe Kanban.
- Who is Kanzo best for?
- Developers running Claude Code, Codex or other MCP agents who want one shared, local task board without adopting a hosted tracker.
- Is Kanzo safe for company data?
- All data in ~/kanzo as a SQLite file and config.toml on your machine; releases are signed through GitHub attestations. AGPL-3.0.
- What are the best Kanzo alternatives?
- The closest alternatives we have reviewed are Vibe Kanban.
Answers checked Nov 3, 2026.