What is the key difference between Kanban and Backlog?

Kanban belongs to the Workplace & Productivity category with local stdio execution, while Backlog belongs to the Workplace & Productivity category with local stdio execution.

How do I install Kanban or Backlog in Claude Desktop or Cursor?

Copy the mcpServers JSON configuration snippet provided on this page into your claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json file and restart your AI client.

Are Kanban and Backlog free or paid?

Kanban operates under a Free / Open Source model (No auth required). Backlog operates under a Free / Open Source model (No auth required).

Which MCP server has more tools and community activity?

Kanban lists 17 tools with 0 views and 0 GitHub stars. Backlog lists 24 tools with 3 views and 5 GitHub stars.

Can I use both Kanban and Backlog together in the same MCP host?

Yes! MCP hosts like Claude Desktop, Cursor, Windsurf, Cline, and VS Code support configuring multiple servers under the mcpServers object simultaneously.

Side-by-Side Model Context Protocol Comparison

Kanban vs Backlog

In-depth architectural comparison of the Kanban and Backlog MCP servers. Compare execution transports, security boundaries, tool capabilities, quality scores, and ready-to-paste client installation snippets for Claude, Cursor, Windsurf, and VS Code.

At a Glance & Executive Verdict

Kanban

Workplace & Productivity · Local stdio

Quality: 53/100 (Good) | Auth: No auth required

Backlog

Workplace & Productivity · Local stdio

Quality: 47/100 (Fair) | Auth: No auth required

Verdict Summary: Choose Kanban if you need specialized Workplace & Productivity tools running via a local process. Choose Backlog if your workspace requires Workplace & Productivity integration with local subprocess execution. Both servers can be configured concurrently in your client's mcpServers manifest.

Which MCP Server Should You Choose?

Choose Kanban when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Workplace & Productivity domain.
You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: No auth required (Free / Open Source).
Primary tools included: task_add, task_list, task_move.

Explore Kanban Details

Choose Backlog when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Workplace & Productivity domain.
You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: No auth required (Free / Open Source).
You have access to required keys: TASKDATA, TASKDATA_ROOT, BACKLOG_NAMESPACE, BACKLOG_AUTO_NAMESPACE, BACKLOG_AGENT_ID, BACKLOG_BACKEND, BACKLOG_S3_BUCKET, BACKLOG_S3_REGION.
Primary tools included: task_list, task_count, task_add.

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	K Kanban Workplace & Productivity	Backlog backloghq Workplace & Productivity
Summary	A local task board per project: columns, due dates, estimates, priorities and a link into your time tracker. All data stays on your machine.	Persistent, cross-session task management for Claude Code. 24 MCP tools, 7 skills, and agent coordination with event-sourced storage and per-project isolation.
Category & Scope	Workplace & Productivity

Tools & Capabilities Breakdown

Kanban Tools (17)

task_add

Add a task: title plus optional project, column, due date, estimate, priority, tags and notes. A new project name creates its board; a partial name that matches exactly one existing project is used as that project.

task_list

Table of tasks, filtered by project, column, tag, `due_before` or `overdue`. Finished tasks are hidden unless you ask for them. Prints 200 rows by default and says how many more there are; raise it with `limit` (max 2,000).

task_move

Move a task to another column on its board.

task_update

Change any field: title, notes, due (`none` clears it), estimate, priority, tags, column or project.

task_done

Mark a task done: it moves to the done column and is stamped with the time.

Ready-to-Paste Client Configurations

Paste either (or both) of these JSON server blocks into your client config file (e.g. claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json).

Kanban Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "kanban": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@theluckystrike/mcp-kanban"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Backlog Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "backloghq-backlog": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "backloghq-backlog"
      ],
      "env": {
        "TASKDATA": "YOUR_TASKDATA_HERE",
        "TASKDATA_ROOT": "YOUR_TASKDATA_ROOT_HERE",
        "BACKLOG_NAMESPACE": "YOUR_BACKLOG_NAMESPACE_HERE",
        "BACKLOG_AUTO_NAMESPACE": "YOUR_BACKLOG_AUTO_NAMESPACE_HERE",
        "BACKLOG_AGENT_ID": "YOUR_BACKLOG_AGENT_ID_HERE",
        "BACKLOG_BACKEND": "YOUR_BACKLOG_BACKEND_HERE",
        "BACKLOG_S3_BUCKET": "YOUR_BACKLOG_S3_BUCKET_HERE",
        "BACKLOG_S3_REGION": "YOUR_BACKLOG_S3_REGION_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

Frequently Asked Questions

Kanban is categorized under Workplace & Productivity and uses a local stdio subprocess. In contrast, Backlog belongs to Workplace & Productivity using local stdio subprocess. Select Kanban when you need capabilities focused on workplace & productivity and Backlog when you require tools for workplace & productivity.