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Build Guide

Build a Project Management Tool Without WordPress

WordPress project management plugins are toy versions of real tools. Build a project management app that your team actually wants to use.

Start Building
The Old Way

The WordPress Approach

Required Plugins

1WP Project Manager by weDevs ($79-249/year) — task and project management
2SP Project & Document Manager (free/$49/year) — task management
3ProjectHuddle ($199/year) — client feedback and project management
4UpStream ($129-149/year) — project management for client work

Limitations

Kanban boards are WordPress page components — slow rendering and no drag-and-drop on mobile
No real-time collaboration — changes require page refresh to see
File attachments go to WordPress media library — no per-project organization
Time tracking requires yet another plugin or integration
Gantt charts and timeline views are either nonexistent or extremely basic
No keyboard shortcuts or power-user features

Typical Cost

$80-250/year in plugins + hosting

The Modern Way

The Modern Approach

Next.js + Supabase + @hello-pangea/dnd + Recharts

Build a proper project management app with Next.js. Supabase provides real-time collaboration, auth, and database. Drag-and-drop libraries power kanban boards. Recharts handles progress visualization.

Real-time collaboration — see teammates' changes instantly
Drag-and-drop kanban boards that work on mobile
Multiple views: board, list, timeline, and calendar
Keyboard shortcuts for power users
File attachments organized per project and task

WordPress vs. Modern Stack

WordPress

  • Kanban boards are WordPress page components — slow rendering and no drag-and-drop on mobile
  • No real-time collaboration — changes require page refresh to see
  • File attachments go to WordPress media library — no per-project organization
  • Time tracking requires yet another plugin or integration
  • $80-250/year in plugins + hosting

Modern Stack

  • Real-time collaboration — see teammates' changes instantly
  • Drag-and-drop kanban boards that work on mobile
  • Multiple views: board, list, timeline, and calendar
  • Keyboard shortcuts for power users
  • File attachments organized per project and task

Recommended Tools

Supabase

Projects, tasks, comments, and real-time collaboration

Free up to 500MB, $25/month Pro

@hello-pangea/dnd

Drag-and-drop kanban boards and list reordering

Free and open-source

Recharts

Burndown charts, velocity tracking, and project progress

Free and open-source

Uploadthing

File attachments on tasks and projects

Free up to 2GB, $10/month starter

Vercel

Hosting with real-time capabilities

Free hobby tier, $20/month pro

Step-by-Step Build Guide

1

Design the Supabase schema — workspaces, projects, columns (statuses), tasks (title, description, assignee, due date, priority), and comments

2

Build the kanban board view with @hello-pangea/dnd for drag-and-drop between columns

3

Create the list view and task detail panel with rich text description, subtasks, and file attachments

4

Implement real-time updates via Supabase Realtime — task changes appear instantly for all team members

5

Add the timeline/Gantt view with task dependencies and due date visualization

6

Build project analytics with Recharts — task completion rate, burndown chart, and team workload distribution

7

Add keyboard shortcuts (N for new task, / for search, arrow keys for navigation) and deploy to Vercel

Frequently Asked Questions

Why not just use Jira, Asana, or Linear?
If those tools work for your team, use them. Build your own when you need custom workflows (e.g., a client-facing project tracker), integration with your product, or data ownership requirements.
How do I handle real-time collaboration?
Supabase Realtime broadcasts database changes to all connected clients. When User A moves a task to "Done," User B sees the change instantly without refreshing. This works across boards, lists, and task details.
Can I add time tracking?
Yes. Add a time_entries table in Supabase linked to tasks. Build a timer component that creates entries on start/stop. Aggregate time per task, project, and team member for reporting.

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