Introducing Standup Kiwi - The Open Source Tool for Daily Standups

Hey there! I’m Alex, a developer who has spent the last few months building an open source standup tool called Standup Kiwi.

Today, I’m excited to introduce Standup Kiwi with its first public beta — a lightweight, open source tool designed specifically for async daily standups. It’s still in the very earliest stages of beta, but I think it’s already useful enough to try out. And it’s completely free during this beta period.

Why I built this

My previous team used to run our standup meetings and async updates using Jira boards — mostly just to keep a record. But honestly, Jira felt way too heavy for something as lightweight as a daily standup.

We switched to Slack for a while, but things quickly felt too scattered and unstructured. That’s when I started wishing there was a simple, board-style tool designed just for standups.

So I decided to build it.

How it works

1. Create a board — Set up a board for your team, project, or personal tracking. Takes seconds.

2. Write your standup — Share what you did yesterday, what you’re planning today, and anything blocking progress. Simple markdown editor, no complicated forms.

3. Browse standups — Catch up on today’s or past standups. Each update becomes a clean, organized card on the board.

4. Repeat — Use it async or alongside live meetings. Your standup history is always there to review and reflect.

How I use it

I start each morning with Standup Kiwi, using my personal board. It’s become my favorite way to kick off the day — just me, my coffee, and a quick reflection on my work.

Every morning, I take 5 minutes to write down what I did yesterday and plan what I’m doing today. For example, yesterday I might write “Fixed the API authentication bug that was blocking user login” and today “Tackling mobile responsive design for the dashboard.” This simple habit has been a game-changer. It helps me:

• Clear my mind and start fresh
• Remember important tasks I might have forgotten
• Feel more organized and less stressed
• Track my progress over time

Once team boards are ready (coming soon!), I’m planning to roll this out to my open source group — and even at work. I genuinely think we could replace our daily standup meetings, or at least have a clearer, async-friendly view of what everyone’s working on.

Who it’s for

Standup Kiwi works well for anyone who wants to stay organized and productive. Especially:

• Solo workers — developers, designers, writers who want to track daily progress
• Remote teams — especially those working across time zones
• Groups and communities — who want a lightweight way to stay in sync

If you’ve ever started your day wondering “what was I doing again?” or felt lost in endless chat threads — Standup Kiwi might be just what you need.

For me, it’s become a simple routine: 5 minutes each morning leads to a clearer mind, better organization, and actually being able to see my progress over time.

What makes it different

There are many tools out there for team updates, but Standup Kiwi takes a fresh approach:

• Simple yet powerful
  Unlike Jira or other heavy tools, Standup Kiwi focuses purely on standups. Write in markdown, organize in boards, and find updates instantly.

• Clean and focused
  Simple design with dark mode support. A dedicated space that helps you stay on track.

• Open source and flexible
  See exactly how your data is handled. Host it yourself or use our hosted version — your choice.

What’s coming next

While Standup Kiwi is already helpful in its current form, we’re working on some features that will make it even better:

• Team boards — Work together, stay in sync, and build better communication habits as a team
• AI features to save you time and effort:
  • Listen to audio summaries of team updates while you’re on the go
  • Get helpful writing suggestions based on your past updates
  • Transform quick thoughts into clear, professional standup messages

We’re just getting started, and your feedback will help shape what comes next!

You might be wondering…

• Is it free? Yes, it’s completely free right now. During the beta period, I’ll be introducing paid plans alongside a free plan with limited usage. Self-hosting will remain free, and I’ll ensure it’s easy to self-host and migrate your data.

• Can I use it with a team? Not yet. Team boards are in progress.

• Can I self-host it? Yes. It’s open source and will stay that way. There’s no setup guide yet, but one is planned.

• Does it work on mobile? Yes, the web app is fully responsive and works well on mobile browsers. A native mobile app isn’t available yet, but it’s on the roadmap.

Try it out

If this sounds useful to you, give it a try: https://standupkiwi.com

Since it’s open source, I’d love your feedback. Found a bug? Have an idea? Open an issue on GitHub — or just drop a star to support the project.

I’m already using it every day — and I hope it helps you too.