sanban

Simple kanban that just works. No bloat, no login, no SaaS.

JSON-backed boards with a REST API, MCP server, and a dark UI. For devs who want tasks tracked without the overhead.

Quick Start

uv sync
uv run python -m sanban.server
# Open http://localhost:8900

Related MCP server: Obsidian Kanban MCP Server

Why

• No database — one JSON file per board in ~/.sanban/boards/, easy to diff, commit, back up

• No auth — local-first, runs on localhost

• No framework — vanilla JS frontend, Geist font, dark mode

• Agent-ready — MCP server so AI agents can manage your boards

• Multi-board — one server, unlimited boards

What You Get

• Multiple boards with custom columns

• Drag-and-drop between columns

• Priority, effort, tags, assignees, due dates

• Full-text search and filters

• Markdown in titles and descriptions

• Keyboard shortcuts (/ search, n new, e expand)

REST API

MCP Server

Expose kanban tools to AI agents via stdio:

uv run python -m sanban.server --mcp-only

Agent Config

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "sanban": {
      "command": "uv",
      "args": ["run", "--directory", "/path/to/sanban", "python", "-m", "sanban.server", "--mcp-only"]
    }
  }
}

Run Modes

uv run python -m sanban.server              # REST + MCP (default)
uv run python -m sanban.server --rest-only  # REST only
uv run python -m sanban.server --mcp-only   # MCP only (stdio)

Data

Boards live in ~/.sanban/boards/<id>.json. Override with SANBAN_DATA_DIR.

For Agents

See SKILL.md for the full agent reference — API examples, MCP tools, item fields, and keyboard shortcuts.

Tech

Python 3.10+, FastAPI, uvicorn, MCP SDK. No database, no framework, no build step.