Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

TaskBoard VS Schedule Forge

Compare TaskBoard VS Schedule Forge and see what are their differences

TaskBoard logo TaskBoard

A Kanban-inspired app for keeping track of things that need to get done.

Schedule Forge logo Schedule Forge

Forge your schedule, not spreadsheets. Drag-and-drop work orders, capacity-aware line scheduling, shop floor kiosk clocking, AI what-if scenarios, and a daily dashboard that tells you what needs attention.
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  • TaskBoard Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-10-15
  • Schedule Forge Build Plan Preview
    Build Plan Preview //
    2026-08-27
  • Schedule Forge Work Order Summary
    Work Order Summary //
    2026-08-27
  • Schedule Forge AI Scheduling Help
    AI Scheduling Help //
    2026-08-27
  • Schedule Forge Drag-and-drop Schedule
    Drag-and-drop Schedule //
    2026-08-27
  • Schedule Forge Exploded BOM
    Exploded BOM //
    2026-08-27
  • Schedule Forge Light Mode Dashboard
    Light Mode Dashboard //
    2026-08-27
  • Schedule Forge Grey Mode Dashboard
    Grey Mode Dashboard //
    2026-08-27
  • Schedule Forge Work Gantt
    Work Gantt //
    2026-08-27

Schedule Forge

Production scheduling for small manufacturers. Plan every work order, run every line at real capacity, and start each day knowing exactly what needs attention.

Most small shops schedule in spreadsheets or someone's head. That works until a rush order lands or a machine goes down. Schedule Forge replaces the spreadsheet with a live, capacity-aware schedule your whole team can see and your shop floor can update in real time.

Plan with real capacity

  • Build work orders with multi-step routings; the scheduler places every task against actual line capacity.
  • Drag and drop to adjust; downstream work reschedules automatically.
  • Late or should-have-started work is flagged, and deadlines roll through the whole chain.

Ask "what if" before you commit

  • Simulate a rush order, a down line, or an extra shift with AI-powered scenarios and compare against today's plan before touching the real one.

Connect the shop floor

  • Operators clock on and off jobs at a kiosk with a PIN. Good and scrap counts roll progress forward automatically.
  • Routing steps carry photos, links, and revision history, so the floor works from current instructions.

Start every day from the dashboard

  • A customizable dashboard and daily email digest surface what's late, what's at risk, and what needs a decision today.
  • Print-ready purchase orders and needed-by tracking keep materials on time.

Built for teams

  • Role-based seats, Google sign-in, and your own vocabulary for tasks, projects, lines, and work orders.
  • REST API, webhooks, and Zapier-ready integrations.

Cloud-based and self-serve: sign up, add your lines and work orders, and have a working schedule the same day. No six-month ERP rollout.

Schedule Forge

$ Details
freemium $19 / Monthly (100 open tasks, 200 inventory items, 5 lines, 20 AI runs / month)
Platforms
Google Chrome Firefox Safari Edge Browser
Release Date
2026 August
Startup details
Country
United Stats
State
Virginia
City
Floyd
Founder(s)
Kenneth Southern
Employees
1 - 9

TaskBoard features and specs

  • Open Source
    TaskBoard is open-source, meaning you can customize and modify the code to fit your specific needs without any licensing restrictions.
  • User-Friendly Interface
    The interface is designed to be simple and easy to use, making it accessible for users who may not be very tech-savvy.
  • Self-Hosted
    Being self-hosted allows for full control over the data and privacy, ensuring sensitive information is not stored on third-party servers.
  • Free of Cost
    As an open-source project, TaskBoard is free to use, which can be a significant cost-saving compared to other commercial task management solutions.
  • Community Support
    There is a community of users and developers that can offer support, plugins, and enhancements.

Possible disadvantages of TaskBoard

  • Limited Features
    Compared to other commercial task management tools, TaskBoard offers a limited set of features and might lack advanced functionalities.
  • Technical Skills Required
    Setting up and maintaining a self-hosted solution requires some technical expertise, which might be a barrier for some users.
  • Scalability
    TaskBoard might not be as scalable as other enterprise-grade solutions, which could be an issue for larger organizations or teams.
  • Lack of Integrations
    There are limited built-in integrations with other productivity tools and software, which might hinder seamless workflow management.
  • Potential for Lower Reliability
    As an open-source project, there might be less frequent updates and potential issues with reliability compared to commercial alternatives.

Schedule Forge features and specs

  • Capacity-aware scheduling
    Every task is placed against your lines' real capacity, not an idealized calendar. The schedule shows what can actually be done, and when.
  • Work orders with routings
    Build work orders from multi-step routings. Each step knows its line, duration, and sequence, so the whole job schedules as a connected chain.
  • Automatic rescheduling
    Move one job and everything downstream reflows to stay feasible. Unstarted work is never scheduled in the past, so the plan always reflects reality.
  • Deadline tracking
    Needed-by dates roll through the full chain of work. You see instantly whether a promise date is achievable and which jobs put it at risk.
  • AI what-if scenarios
    Simulate a rush order, a down line, or an extra shift and compare the result side by side with today's plan before committing to the change.
  • Shop floor kiosk
    Operators clock on and off jobs from a shared station with a personal PIN. No accounts, no training, no software on their phones.
  • Progress from the floor
    Good and scrap quantities recorded at clock-off roll percent complete forward and move task statuses automatically.
  • Work instructions with revisions
    Routing steps carry photos and links, with an automatic revision history. Completed work is stamped with the revision it ran, so you always know which instructions were used.
  • Attention dashboard
    A customizable dashboard is your landing page: what's late, what should have started, what needs a decision today.
  • Purchase orders and materials
    Track needed-by dates on materials and print clean purchase orders, so parts arrive before the schedule needs them.
  • Team seats and roles
    Invite your team with role-based access. Viewers can see the plan without being able to change it.
  • Your shop's vocabulary
    Rename tasks, projects, lines, and work orders to match how your shop already talks. The whole app, including the built-in help manual, follows suit.
  • Quality steps in the flow
    Mark a resource as quality and inspection steps slot into the routing like any other work, with statuses that advance automatically as checks complete.
  • Cross-order material links
    Connect a work order that feeds another, and the schedule inherits the dependency. If the feeder runs late, the downstream job shows it immediately.
  • Start free
    A free plan for getting set up, with flat paid plans from $19/month when you're ready.

Analysis of TaskBoard

Overall verdict

  • TaskBoard is a good option if you are looking for a basic, no-frills task management tool. Its simplicity and open-source nature make it an attractive choice for those who favor privacy and control over their software.

Why this product is good

  • TaskBoard is a simple, open-source project management tool that mimics the Kanban board style popularized by Trello and similar applications. It is appreciated for its straightforward interface, ease of setup, and the fact that it can be self-hosted, allowing users to maintain control over their data. It is suitable for individuals or small teams looking for a lightweight task management solution without the need for extensive features or customizations.

Recommended for

    TaskBoard is recommended for individuals, freelancers, or small teams who require a simple and effective task management solution. It is particularly suitable for users with a preference for self-hosted tools or those who value open-source software for privacy and customization.

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to TaskBoard and Schedule Forge)
Project Management
100 100%
0% 0
Employee Scheduling
0 0%
100% 100
Task Management
100 100%
0% 0
ERP
0 0%
100% 100

Questions & Answers

As answered by people managing TaskBoard and Schedule Forge.

What makes your product unique?

Schedule Forge's answer:

Schedule Forge treats the schedule as the product, not a module buried inside an ERP. Every work order schedules as a connected chain against real line capacity, so when one job moves, everything downstream reflows, and the plan stays honest. Three things set it apart:

  • The schedule can't lie. Unstarted work is never scheduled in the past, late upstream work visibly flags everything it delays, and the dashboard tells you each morning what needs attention.
  • The floor keeps it current. Operators clock on and off at a kiosk with a PIN, and their good and scrap counts roll progress forward automatically. No data entry clerk, no end-of-week reconciliation.
  • What-if without risk. AI-powered scenarios let you simulate a rush order or a down line and compare against today's plan before you commit.

And it speaks your language: rename tasks, projects, lines, and work orders to match how your shop already talks, and the whole app follows.

How would you describe the primary audience of your product?

Schedule Forge's answer:

Small manufacturers and job shops, roughly 5 to 50 people, who currently schedule production in spreadsheets, on whiteboards, or in the owner's head. The buyer is usually the owner, plant manager, or production scheduler who has outgrown the spreadsheet but doesn't have the budget, staff, or patience for a full ERP implementation. If your shop has real routings, shared machines, and promise dates you sometimes miss, you're who this was built for.

Why should a person choose your product over its competitors?

Schedule Forge's answer:

  • Live the same day, not next quarter. Schedule Forge is self-serve: sign up, add your lines and work orders, and have a working schedule today. No consultants, no implementation project.
  • Scheduling first. MRP and ERP suites bolt scheduling on after inventory and accounting. Schedule Forge starts with the question that actually runs your shop: what should each line be doing right now?
  • The floor participates. Kiosk clocking with PINs means the schedule updates itself as work happens, without asking operators to learn software.
  • Priced for small shops. Simple flat tiers instead of per-seat ERP pricing, so putting a tablet on the floor doesn't cost another license.

What's the story behind your product?

Schedule Forge's answer:

Drawing on years of manufacturing experience and the frustration of building scheduling systems in software never designed for the task, we decided to create a purpose-built solution. We watched countless companies invest in expensive ERP systems, only to abandon their rigid, overly complex scheduling modules and revert to spreadsheets. We built our platform for the practical needs of the everyday shop floor. It is an intuitive scheduling tool that optimizes your workflow without requiring an entire department to manage it.

User comments

Share your experience with using TaskBoard and Schedule Forge. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, TaskBoard seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 3 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

TaskBoard mentions (3)

  • Digital cork board?
    I've used those dashboards kind of in the same fashion. I was looking at this tho https://taskboard.matthewross.me/. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Phabricator replacement? | Or OpenProject alternative? | issue tracking/code
    TaskBoard - good simple task machine (kaban? style) no bug tracking. Source: about 4 years ago
  • Top 10 productivity tools for freelancers
    Taskboard At some point in their career, every freelancer has had to juggle multiple projects, each of which was at a different state of completion and was completely separated from each other. Does it sound familiar? Well, in case you are a visual thinker and you`re looking for a tool that suits your needs, Taskboard is a completely free and open-source tool to improve productivity. With Taskboard, you can... - Source: dev.to / over 4 years ago

Schedule Forge mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Schedule Forge yet. Tracking of Schedule Forge recommendations started around Aug 2026.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing TaskBoard and Schedule Forge, you can also consider the following products

Trello - Infinitely flexible. Incredibly easy to use. Great mobile apps. It's free. Trello keeps track of everything, from the big picture to the minute details.

MRPEasy - Cloud-based ERP Software for Small Manufacturers (10 - 200 employees)

ClickUp - ClickUp's #1 rated productivity software is making more productive projects with a beautifully designed and intuitive platform.

just plan it - Time and resource scheduling for SMB manufacturers

Asana - Asana project management is an effort to re-imagine how we work together, through modern productivity software. Fast and versatile, Asana helps individuals and groups get more done.

Fulcrum - Fulcrum designs wheels and components for road bikes, mountain bikes, cyclocross and triathlon bikes, offering unique technologies to guarantee the best .