Frequently asked questions
Short answers to the questions people ask most, with a link to the full page for each. Can't find yours? Try the search box, Troubleshooting, or Getting help.
About AlianHub
What is AlianHub?
AlianHub is open-source project management software that you run on your own server. It brings tasks, sprints, boards, Gantt charts, docs, chat, automations, time tracking with weekly timesheets, and AI into one workspace. Teams use it instead of tools like Jira, ClickUp, Asana or Monday.com. See What is AlianHub?.
What is it built with?
The app you use in the browser is built with Vue. The server runs on Node.js with Express, stores data in MongoDB, and uses Socket.io so changes appear for everyone at once. Files are kept on the server's disk or in S3-compatible storage. The desktop time tracker is built with Electron. Developers can read the Architecture.
Is it free? What is the licence?
Yes. AlianHub is free and open source under the GNU Affero General Public License v3 (AGPL-3.0). You can use it, change it and host it yourself, with no per-seat pricing. If you run a modified version as a public online service, you must publish your changes under the same licence. Running a changed copy privately inside your company does not require that.
Some hosted AlianHub services sell plans, and some features (such as the desktop tracker) can depend on the plan. For other licence terms, or paid help with hosting and support, email support@aliansoftware.net.
Is there a demo?
Yes, at demo.alianhub.com. The log-in page has a Try the demo button. The demo holds made-up companies for several industries, and its data can be reset at any time, so do not keep real work there.
Can I host it myself?
Yes. That is what AlianHub is for. The simplest way is Docker. You need a server, a MongoDB database, and somewhere to keep files. See Requirements and Install with Docker.
Where is my company's data stored?
On the server where your AlianHub runs, not with us. Tasks, comments and settings go in its MongoDB database. Files go on the server's disk or in the S3-compatible storage your admin chose. Every record belongs to one company, so companies on the same server cannot see each other's data. See File storage and Backup and restore.
Is there a mobile app or a desktop app?
AlianHub runs in any modern browser, and its screens adapt to a phone. There is no separate phone app. For computers, there is the desktop time tracker for Windows, macOS and Linux, which records time and screenshots.
Which languages does it speak?
Fourteen: English, Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Greek, Gujarati, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese (Brazil), Russian and Spanish. Each person picks their own in My settings. An admin sets the workspace default in Language & Region.
What does the AI see, and where does my data go?
Ask AlianHub and agents see only what the person using them can open. To answer, AlianHub sends the question and the relevant text to the AI model your server is set up with. If that model runs on your own server, nothing leaves it. If it is a hosted AI service, that service receives the text. AI can be switched off for the whole server or for one workspace, and then nothing is sent. See Ask AlianHub and What it sees.
Can I bring my own AI app, like Claude or ChatGPT?
Yes. Connect it once and it can find, add and update work for you, with your permissions. Changes a project wants checked wait for your approval. See Connect your AI app.
How do email notifications work?
Each person chooses which events email them in Settings, Notifications. Email is off by default; tick the Email column for the events you want. Your server must have outgoing mail set up. See Notifications.
Account and people
How do I add a new company?
Each company is a separate workspace. To start one, choose Create a new workspace on the log-in page. You can belong to several and switch between them from the workspace menu at the top of the left bar, or in Settings, Company.
How do I add staff?
Owners and admins open Settings, then Members, and invite people by email with a role. You can also share an invite link: anyone with it joins with the role on the invite. See People and roles.
How do I remove a member?
In Settings, Members, find the person and choose Remove. Removed people are listed on the Removed tab. See People and roles.
How do I change a member's role?
In Settings, Members, choose Change role on the person and pick the new role. The four built-in roles are Owner, Admin, Member and Guest. See People and roles.
How do I edit my personal details?
Open Settings, then My settings. Change your photo, name, language, time zone and working hours, then select Save changes. Your job title is set by an admin. See Your settings.
How do I change or reset my password?
To change it, open Settings, Sign-in & security, and change your password there. If you forgot it, select Forgot password? on the log-in page and follow the emailed link. You can also turn on two-factor authentication on the same settings page.
How do I upgrade my plan?
On a server that sells plans, the workspace owner opens Settings, then Billing (or Plan & usage on a hosted service). On your own server, there is no plan to buy; the person who runs it decides what is switched on.
Projects
How do I create a project?
Open Projects in the left bar and select New project (on Home, Create a project does the same). Give it a name and a key, choose who can see it and the apps it needs, and create it. See Projects.
How do I edit a project's name?
Open the project, select the three dots beside its name, and choose Rename. You need permission to edit the project's details. See Projects.
Can I change a project's key?
No. You choose the key when you create the project, and every task key is built from it (such as WEB-42), so it cannot be changed afterwards. It must be unique in the workspace.
How do I close or reopen a project?
Open the project's menu (the three dots) and choose Close project, then type close to confirm. The project moves to the Closed tab of the projects list and its open tasks are closed. To bring it back, choose Reopen Project on it in the Closed tab: the project and the tasks the close moved go back to how they were. An owner or admin can also have inactive projects closed automatically. See Projects.
How do I make a project private?
When you create the project, set Visibility to Only people I add. To change it later, use Share With in Settings, then Projects. A private project is visible only to the people and teams added to it, and to roles allowed to see private projects. See Projects.
How do I set what members can do in a project?
Roles set what each person can do across the workspace, in Settings, Security & permissions. On plans that include it, a project can also have its own permissions. See People and roles.
How do I remove a view from a project?
Open the menu on the view's tab and choose Delete View, then select Delete. This removes the view, not the tasks in it. A shared view is deleted for everyone, and a project's last view cannot be deleted. See Views, filters and saved views.
How do I create a sprint?
Any list can run as a sprint. Open the list's menu, choose Make it a sprint, and give it a start date, an end date and a goal. Then use Start sprint when the work begins. See Folders, lists and sprints.
Where do I find files shared in a project?
Open the project's Files & Links panel. It gathers the files and links attached across the project. Audio recordings have their own panel. Files shared in chat are under Files in the channel's Channel details.
Views
What is List view?
List view shows tasks as rows grouped by status, list or another field, with columns you choose. It is the quickest view for scanning and editing many tasks. See List.
What is Calendar view?
Calendar view shows a month with each task on its dates. A task with a start and a due date is a bar across those days. Approved time off also shows there. See Calendar.
What is an embed view?
An embed view shows another website, such as a design file or a spreadsheet, as a tab inside your project. See Embed and other views.
Tasks and time
How do I create a task?
Select the create button at the top of the left bar, or add a row in any view, type a name and press Enter. You can also make a task from a chat message, an email (Email to Task) or an Ask AlianHub answer. See Tasks.
How do I add a checklist?
Open the task and select Checklist in its quick actions. Add the steps, and tick them off as you go. Suggest Checklists asks AI to propose items. See Tasks.
What are estimated hours?
The time you expect a task to take. Set it in the task's Estimated field. AlianHub compares it with the time logged: on the task (such as "3h of 5h"), in the Variance Report, and on dashboards. The desktop tracker can be limited to it. See Tasks.
How do I record hours on a task?
Open the task, find Time, and either select Start timer or Add time to enter hours by hand. You can also use Log time on your timesheet. Then submit your week for approval. See Time and timesheets.
Where can I see someone's workload?
Use the Workload view in a project, or the workload screen under Time if your role has it. Both show each person's assigned work against their capacity. See Workload.
What is the workload report?
The workload screen under Time shows how busy each person is across projects, after time off. Capacity Planning (under More, Reports) looks further ahead. See Reports and dashboards.
What is the milestone report?
Milestone Report (under More, Reports) lists milestones across projects, with their dates and whether they are on time, slipped or signed off. See Reports and dashboards.
Chat
Can I send audio messages in chat?
Yes. In the message box, choose Voice note and record up to 5 minutes, then stop and select Send. You can also record a short video with Clip. In a direct message you can start an audio or video call. See Chat and the Inbox.