I built a free, open-source project manager that helps teams keep costs under $15/month.
Tags: nextjs, javascript, node
Published: 2024-05-19 13:04:41

Hi everyone, Hudy here! 

Today, I'm excited to share my open-source project manager with you all. I built this from the ground up with the goal of keeping operational costs under $15 per month.

Before I deciding to build it, I tried Trello, Jira and Clickup. All of them are fantastic tools, but the cost was a major barrier for us. As a small team of 7 - 10 members at a Vietnamese startup, we simply didn't have the budget for these paid platforms.

You might be wondering why we didn't just use the free tier. Here's the thing: I believed I could build a project manager that offered the specified features we needed, like Reports, Exporting capabilities, Boards, Calendars and more. 

Additionally, I had a significant amount of free time at that point, which made it a good opportunity to take on this project.

I open-source this app on github: [https://github.com/hudy9x/namviek](https://github.com/hudy9x/namviek) or you can check out the website [namviek.com](https://namviek.com)

## Who is this for ?

This project is a great fit for people with developer skills who are running a small team on a limited budget, similar to me. 

It might seen daunting at first, but see the cost report below. I was able to significantly reduce the operational cost from $49 per month ($7 x 7 member) to less than $10 per month.

![Amazon Cost](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/30fjxmx0fmmsuzc22cs7.png)

## How did I keep the cost low ?

I leveraged a variety of free platforms to minimize operational costs. Here's a breakdown: 

- Vercel: for the frontend  (Free)
- Aws Lightsail: for the backend (Paid)
- Aws S3: for file storage (Paid)
- Resend: sending email (Free)
- Cloudflare: to manage my domain (Free)
- Github Action: CD automation (Free)

## My Tech Stack 
To ensure fast building and deployment, I opted for Next.js on the frontend as it seamlessly integrates with Vercel. For the backend, I currently use Node.js, but I have plans to migrate some funtionalities to Golang in the comming future.  

## What features are packed in ?

As mentioned before, this app includes some essential features for a small team such as:

### List view
See it all at once. Prioritize and manage your tasks in a simple list.

![List view](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/aj75jb3vu9gl3nsppdy0.png)


### Board view
Visualize your workflow. Move tasks between stages for clear progress tracking.

![Board view](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/8p40vkwmxhmvtsq8bj2y.png)

### Goal view
Stay on target. See your progress at a glance and celebrate milestones.

![Goal view](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/n0uohpxfrshi5xwnhb1t.png)


### Calendar view
Plan your days. Never miss a deadline with tasks scheduled on your calendar.

![Calendar view](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/rsndq9r27qszq3mvwo03.png)

### Custom view
Work your way. Design the perfect view to fit your specific needs.

![View customization](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/zk24iwg5dzf43dgvg5t0.png)

## How to use it.

Check out [the setup guide](https://www.namviek.com/#download). If you encounter any errors during the setup process, you can refer to the full guide [here](https://docs.namviek.com/doc/installation).

Maybe you prefer a step by step video guide? Check out this video below:

{% embed https://www.youtube.com/embed/3CS0DB4_2FU %}

## Contribute your features or bug fixes

This app is still under development, and I welcome your contributions to improve it! Feel free to submit feature requests and bug fixes. 

Want to suggest a better solution or a code base refactoring? Just create a pull request and I'd be happy to discuss it.

## Conclusion
Finally, I hope this open-source helps you and your team reduce operational costs while offering the opportunity to learn new skills by fixing bugs and building features. It will always be free to use. 

See you in the next open-source app :D