Best Trello Alternatives: Free & Paid Options (2024)

You can’t understand Trello or properly evaluate Trello alternatives without understanding the importance of kanban boards. Kanban boards are an efficient tool for managing project tasks, processes and workflows, which is why they’re easily one of the most popular task management software available for project managers. If you’ve used kanban boards, it’s easy to see why it’s an important part of project management software.

The main reason for Trello’s popularity are its kanban boards, which are intuitive and fun; project managers love them for the transparency they provide to the process of assigning tasks to their team members, tracking their performance and planning workflows while team members enjoy how they facilitate collaboration. However, some drawbacks make users want to look for Trello alternatives.

We’ll review Trello’s key disadvantages and offer you a list of our favorite Trello alternatives, all of which have kanban boards and other enticing features.

Why People Seek a Trello Alternative

As explained above, Trello’s biggest disadvantage is that it’s solely focused on kanban boards which makes it more of a kanban tool than a real project management software. Trello might help with task management, but in general terms, its lack of project management features is what leads many project managers to look for Trello alternatives with a more versatile set of tools. Here are some of Trello’s main disadvantages.

Limited Variety of Project Management Tools: Trello lacks some important key project planning tools like Gantt charts, timesheets or workload dashboards which are only available through paid add-ons known as Trello power-ups.
Too Many Power-ups: Trello power-ups aren’t free and have limited features which means you’ll need to purchase multiple add-ons to get all the tools you need to manage your projects. Fortunately, you can find the same project management tools in some of the Trello alternatives in this list.
Kanban-Based Workflow Automation: Trello’s workflow automation features are built into the kanban board interface. They allow you to configure the kanban boards so that they can take actions like moving kanban cards from one column to another. These automation features can help you automate your work management process and save time.
Lack of Gantt Charts: Not having Gantt charts is a big drawback when it comes to Trello’s project planning and scheduling functionality. To compensate for that, Trello has a timeline view that mimics the way Gantt charts show tasks on a timeline, but lacks important Gantt chart features like finding the critical path, tracking resource utilization, measuring costs or identifying task dependencies. If you’re a Gantt chart user, other Trello alternatives offer both kanban boards and Gantt charts.
Limited Resource management functionality: Trello lacks some important resource management features like resource utilization dashboards, timesheets or workload charts, which are important for keeping track of your project costs. This limited resource management functionality is one of the main reasons why some project managers look for Trello alternatives.
Not suitable for project portfolio management: Although Trello offers calendars and spreadsheets to track multiple projects, Trello’s project management features are too limited for the needs of a project portfolio manager or project portfolio management office (PMO).

2024 Best Trello Alternative Software Rankings

If you’re looking for a way around these shortcomings, we have some Trello alternatives that do everything Trello does and more. Get on board!

1. ProjectManager

ProjectManager is a work and project management software that helps project managers plan, monitor and report on every project phase. This Trello alternative offers multiple work views including powerful kanban boards plus project management and collaboration features. It’s designed to be flexible enough to work in waterfall, agile or hybrid environments. In fact, ProjectManager beats Trello at its own game, with superior kanban boards.

Compared with other project management solutions, this software is designed for novices and seasoned project managers alike. Any user who signs up will be able to tap into the full potential of the tool regardless of skill level or location. Tap into a range of project views to work in the way that suits your role the best.

Manage Projects with Kanban Boards

ProjectManager’s kanban boards allow teams to visualize workflows, reduce bottlenecks, clearly see assignments and manage backlogs. Project managers can assign tasks from the kanban view, gain real-time visibility and reallocate resources to avoid delays. Like Trello, users can manage projects with online kanban boards and view workflows across production cycles. Unlike Trello, ProjectManager offers workflow automation and task approvals to streamline processes and ensure project quality.

ProjectManager’s kanban board view, which shows different project phases

Track Projects with Real-Time Dashboards and Reports

ProjectManager has reporting features tied to the kanban board, making project status reports only a few clicks away. It’s easy to determine what projects are on schedule and what projects may require additional resources. Utilize the dashboard and reporting features to share key data insights with project stakeholders or make informed project decisions along the way. Trello sorely lacks these useful reporting capabilities. Even other Trello alternatives with dashboards often require user setup while ProjectManager requires no configuration.

ProjectManager’s dashboard view, which shows six key metrics on a project

Given these robust project planning and reporting features, including a more powerful kanban tool, it’s clear why ProjectManager is the best Trello alternative for Mac and PC users. If you’re ready to upgrade your project management software experience, then get started with ProjectManager today for free.

Verdict: Best Trello Alternative for Project Management

ProjectManager Pros & Key Features

Offers multiple project planning views such as kanban boards, Gantt charts, spreadsheets and task lists
Robust resource planning and cost-tracking tools
Unlimited file storage, messaging and file sharing
Integrates with Trello
Free trial
Mobile project management app for Android and iOS

ProjectManager Cons & Limitations

Limited customization
Doesn’t offer as many third-party integrations as Trello
No free plan

ProjectManager Pricing

Team: $13.00 user/month
Business: $24.00 user/month
Enterprise: contact sales for a custom quote

ProjectManager Reviews

G2 review: 4.4/5
Capterra review: 4.1/5

2. Airtable

Airtable is a suitable Trello alternative if you’re looking for a free kanban tool. This user-friendly software stores data and displays it in a kanban board, calendar view, or Gantt chart. Like Trello, it visualizes workflows with columns and kanban cards. It can filter and sort task cards by status and priority.

The main use case of this software is a hybrid between a spreadsheet and database for teams to manage their work. Another similarity is that Airtable offers add-ons that you can use to create your own kanban app, and as mentioned above, Airtable is a free Trello alternative if you choose the free version.

Available on mobile or desktop, Airtable provides a collaborative platform for teams in large organizations or smaller businesses. It acts like a spreadsheet that can attach files, but there is also a calendar view and reporting functionalities that are not as dynamic as other similar workflow automation tools.

While it has some project management tools, it’s not project management software. Therefore its kanban boards and Gantt charts are limited in what they can do for project planning and task management. Also, it’s proprietary software, so file sharing can be problematic.

Verdict: Best Trello Alternative for Product Development Teams

Airtable Pros & Key Features

AI workflow automation features management
Ideal for creating product roadmaps
Mobile project management app for Android and iOS
Free plan
Free trial

Airtable Cons & Limitations

Its product planning feature set is different from Trello and most Trello alternatives
Limited Gantt chart project scheduling and tracking features
Lacks project management reports

Airtable Pricing

Team: $20 user/month
Business: $45 user/month

Airtable Reviews

G2 review: 4.6/5
Capterra review: 4.7/5

3. Taskworld

Another Trello alternative is Taskworld, which is a cloud-based collaborative platform for teams. It helps with project and task management including communications and measuring progress on projects and tasks.

Taskworld features a user-friendly kanban tool, like Trello, with drag-and-drop capabilities. But unlike Trello, it includes task lists, project templates, file management, a people page and team collaboration features like task comments, file sharing, file storage and direct messaging.

Taskworld is not just a kanban board software like Trello. It offers more time tracking, task management and project planning features which make it a reasonable alternative to Trello.

Unfortunately, project management features are limited. Taskworld can only make and organize lists and assign tasks, both of which are important actions, but project managers desire more functionality. It offers more powerful organizational features than Trello, but it has some problems. For example, it doesn’t integrate with Google Docs.

While the software tracks time spent on tasks, it doesn’t have real-time tracking or time estimation, which would provide valuable analysis of team performance. Its kanban view and project timeline features work best with small teams, but if you’re looking to scale, you may become frustrated and look elsewhere.

Verdict: Best Trello Alternative for Simple Task Management Functionality

Taskworld Pros & Key Features

Simple to use task tracking tools
Mobile project management app for Android and iOS
Free plan
Free trial

Taskworld Cons & Limitations

Basic tools such as Gantt charts, time tracking or task dependency mapping only available with the highest-priced plan
Just like Trello, Taskworld doesn’t offer Gantt charts, but a timeline view which is a lightweight alternative
Limited feature set focuses on task management rather than project management

Taskworld Pricing

Premium: $8 user/month, billed annually
Business: $15 user/month, billed annually
Enterprise: contact sales

Taskworld Reviews

G2 review: 4.4/5
Capterra review: 4.5/5

4. QuickBase

QuickBase is a cloud-based project management software that facilitates communications and team collaboration to improve productivity. QuickBase specializes in software development and it’s suited for agile teams. It offers Google Docs, DropBox, Box and other third-party integrations. Like our other Trello alternatives, QuickBase too has a kanban view feature.

It’s a flexible and scalable collaboration software that allows for complex workflows. There are timelines for projects and templates to help teams get started. While there is a bit of a learning curve before users become comfortable with the software, once acclimated, it’s pretty easy to use.

Reporting can be a problem as reports are not easily formatted. This means using different software to send customized reports to clients or teams. That’s just one downside to this Trello alternative. Surprisingly, QuickBase doesn’t have a standard calendar view. QuickBase offers a task dependencies diagram but not a Gantt chart.

Verdict: Best Trello Alternative for Budget and Financial Planning

Quickbase Pros & Key Features

Resource management tools such as dashboards and reports
Mobile project management app for Android and iOS
Free trial

Quickbase Cons & Limitations

Overcomplicated Trello alternative for users looking for a task management solution
While it offers project management features such as Gantt charts, it’s not project management software
Expensive solution that’s meant for managing larger teams
No free plan

Quickbase Pricing

Team: $700 per month, priced annually
Business: $1,100 per month, priced annually

Quickbase Reviews

G2 review: 4.5/5
Capterra review: 4.4/5

5. Kanbanize

Kanbanize is another Trello alternative. It’s an online portfolio kanban board software that is especially useful for teams that work within an agile project management framework. Like other software with kanban features, it helps to visualize work, track projects and make workflow more efficient and transparent.

Kanban boards can be customized and users can structure their work and plan and break down projects into more manageable tasks. Task dependencies can be seen, too, and multiple workflows can be created for cross-functional teams.

While Kanbanize can’t be faulted as a kanban tool, and it does that one thing well, it’s not the best project management software. Mainly because it doesn’t have a suite of features that are essential for project management. On top of that, its kanban tool doesn’t make it easy to see all tasks assigned to individual team members, making it challenging to prioritize workload.

It might be unfair to ask a kanban app to offer other project management features, such as resource management, dashboard and other project views. But it can be frustrating to use several different apps to control your projects.

Verdict: Best Trello Alternative for Kanban Workflow Management

Kanbanize Pros & Key Features

Good for software development, IT operations and agile project management teams
Highly customizable kanban boards
Mobile project management app for Android and iOS
Free trial
Free plan

Kanbanize Cons & Limitations

Like Trello, it doesn’t offer Gantt charts
Lacks project management tools, is better equipped for task and workflow management
Requires a user minimum of 15 users

Kanbanize Pricing

Annual plan: $149 per month, billed annually or $179 per month billed monthly for 15 users

Kanbanize Reviews

G2 review: 3.9 / 5
Capterra review: 4.8 / 5

6. Wrike

Wrike is a Trello alternative that has kanban boards but goes further to offer other useful project management features. Some tools include dashboards, Gantt charts and resource management. It’s an especially good option if you’re working on managing several projects because of its cross-project visibility.

It’s customizable which is both a plus and a minus as Wrike can be difficult to use. It also tends to be more of a Trello alternative for teams that work in the creative field. Newcomers may be frustrated by the various customer plans and have trouble figuring out which one is best for their needs. Whatever plan you choose, you’ll be likely be paying more than other Trello alternatives on this list.

While there are mobile apps for both Android and iOS platforms, they’re not user-friendly. Even the regular tool requires a lot of time and effort to understand what it can and cannot do, something that may be frustrating for beginners.

Verdict: Best Trello Alternative for Simplicity of User Interface

Wrike Pros & Key Features

Designed for basic task management like Trello
Ideal for users who are new to project management software
Mobile project management app for Android and iOS
Free trial
Free plan

Wrike Cons & Limitations

Project planning tools lack project-tracking features
Gantt charts only track task names and due dates, which limits their project-planning capabilities
Overly simplistic kanban board tools lack cost or resource-tracking features
User interface might feel a bit outdated when compared to other Trello alternatives in this list

Wrike Pricing

Professional plan: $9.80 user/month
Business plan: $24.80 user/month

Wrike Reviews

G2 review: 4.2/5
Capterra review: 4.3/5

7. Asana

Asana is a collaborative tool that helps teams manage tasks. It’s flexible software that looks good and even has a free version that’s more robust than many. It adds features often and even has a desktop version so you can get off the web.

These collaboration tools aren’t very simple, however. They aren’t as intuitive as other options and they require that the team put in time and energy to know how to use them. Asana allows for integrations with other apps such as Slack, Microsoft Teams and others.

That said, if your business does a lot of graphic work this isn’t the Trello alternative for you. You can sort of hack the board view as it allows you to set cover images for tasks, but there are no markup tools or other proofing features to foster collaboration.

Another issue that might have you consider another of the Trello alternatives on this ranking is Asana’s price. It’s higher than the others and while the free version has many features, it’s still missing a timeline, dashboard and more features you’ll miss.

Verdict: Best Trello Alternative for Team Management

Asana Pros & Key Features

User-friendly interface for team leaders managing everyday tasks
Ideal for managing your team’s workload and simple workflows
Mobile project management app for Android and iOS
Free plan
Free trial

Asana Cons & Limitations

Not ideal for managing large or complex projects
Lightweight project management features
Gantt charts and kanban boards lack resource and cost-tracking tools

Asana Pricing

Premium plan: $10.99/user/month, billed annually
Business plan: $24.99/user/month, billed annually

Asana Reviews

G2 review: 4.3/5
Capterra review: 4.5/5

8. ClickUp

ClickUp is a Trello alternative that works to boost productivity by facilitating collaboration and centralizing your business. It’s fully customizable, from web branding to project funnels within workspaces.

Teams can plan projects together with real-time collaboration and editable documents. There are also analytics and reporting tools for managers to track their team’s productivity. ClickUp is fairly easy to use and affordable for most team sizes.

What might have you running to another Trello alternative is that the features and customization add a layer of complexity that makes it difficult to use and onboard your team. The onboarding is also self-managed, something that enterprise customers aren’t going to like.

Verdict: Best Trello Alternative for Team Collaboration Tools

ClickUp Pros & Key Features

Flexible task management tool that works for most teams across industries
Good fit for agile teams
Mobile project planning app for Android and iOS
Free plan
Free trial

ClickUp Cons & Limitations

Large feature set and customizable interface make it difficult to get teams started with the software
Some of its tools are not relevant to task or project management
Files can be exported in PDF format only which makes it hard to share and edit them once they’ve been downloaded

ClickUp Pricing

Unlimited: $5/user/month, billed annually
Business: $12/user/month, billed annually

ClickUp Reviews

G2 review: 4.7/5
Capterra review: 4.7/5

9. Monday.com

Oddly, this Trello alternative chose to name itself after the often-dreaded start of the workweek, but Monday.com wants to inject fun into going to the workplace. They come close to rebranding the day with a fun interface that’s colorful and easy to use.

It offers multiple project views to help cross-functional teams collaborate. The backbone of any project, the Gantt chart, is absent in Trello. Of course, there is the kanban, like all our Trello alternatives, for managing workflows.

One of the main reasons project managers love Gantt charts is that most allow for linking task dependencies, which helps avoid bottlenecks. Monday has limited dependencies which might close the door on this Trello alternative for many potential users. The software is customizable but this can make navigation more complicated. Naturally, you’re going to have to pay more to get all the features you need to manage a product successfully.

Verdict: Best Trello Alternative for Marketing and Creative Teams

Monday.com Pros & Key Features

Friendly user interface and easy-to-use task management tools
Task management dashboards to track progress, resources and costs
Free trial
Mobile app available for Android and iOS

Monday.com Cons & Limitations

Limited kanban board functionality compared to Trello
Gantt charts lack important project planning and scheduling features
Like Trello, Monday.com is a task management tool with a limited project management feature set

Monday.com Pricing

Basic: $8/user/month, billed annually
Standard: $10/user/month, billed annually
Pro: $16/user/month, billed annually
3-seat minimum

Monday.com Reviews

G2 review: 4.7/5
Capterra review: 4.6/5

10. ProofHub

If you want to manage a project with more than kanban boards, ProofHub is a decent Trello alternative, which gives you almost everything you’ll need. It has kanban boards and a Gantt chart to see your project on a visual timeline.

There’s also a chat function to help teams collaborate. You can make custom workflows and set automatic reminders to keep teams on task, though managing your notifications is difficult and the alerts can be distracting. ProofHub is simple, straightforward and integrates with other apps that you likely use often.

Considering that a Gantt chart is one of the main reasons people look for a Trello alternative, it’s frustrating how difficult it is to set up and use it at the beginning of a project. Since Gantt charts are the backbone of most projects, it’s a big hole in the middle of this otherwise reliable tool.

Verdict: Best Low-cost Trello Alternative for Large Teams

ProofHub Pros & Key Features

Collaborative project management tool
Intuitive and quick to pick up
Mobile app available for Android and iOS
Free trial

ProofHub Cons & Limitations

Gantt charts don’t have cost management features
Doesn’t offer workflow management features like Trello and most Trello alternatives
Limited task management and project tracking dashboards

ProofHub Pricing

Essential: $45 per month, flat pricing
Ultimate Control: $89 per month, flat pricing

ProofHub Reviews

G2 review: 4.5/5
Capterra review: 4.5/5

11. Basecamp

Basecamp is a task management software that helps team leaders plan, schedule and assign work while helping team members better track their individual performance and better collaborate with others. It does so by offering simple task management and team collaboration tools like kanban boards, message boards, file sharing and to-do lists. Is a very effective tool for team leaders that need to assign tasks to their team members and track their progress.

However, while this Trello alternative is a capable task management tool, it doesn’t have any other project planning, scheduling or reporting besides kanban boards or task lists which limits its capabilities when it comes to managing projects.

Verdict: Best Trello Alternative for Task Tracking

Basecamp Pros & Key Features

Simple and effective task management feature set and overall functionality
Ideal for planning work and tracking the progress of teams
Mobile app available for Android and iOS
Free trial

Basecamp Cons & Limitations

The software lacks tools for most project management areas such as project planning, scheduling, resource or risk management
Is not meant to plan projects but rather to manage the everyday tasks of your team
Limited variety of task management tools

Basecamp Pricing

Basecamp: $15 per user/month
Basecamp Pro Unlimited: $349 per month, unlimited users

Basecamp Reviews

G2 review: 4.1/5
Capterra review: 4.4/5

12. Microsoft Planner

Microsoft Planner is a lightweight task management tool that can be used as a Trello alternative thanks to its kanban boards and task lists. These and other features such as email notifications and calendar management can make this a good fit for most teams looking for a work management solution.

Microsoft Planner best Trello alternative

However, it’s a limited tool compared to Microsoft Project, which is Microsoft’s project management solution that offers more advanced project management tools like more advanced project management tools like Gantt charts, resource utilization dashboards and risk tracking logs.v

Verdict: Best Low-cost Trello Alternative for Microsoft Planner

Microsoft Planner Pros & Key Features

Simple team collaboration tools
Basic task management features, easy to grasp by most users
Mobile app available for Android and iOS
Free trial

Microsoft Planner Cons & Limitations

Like Trello, it doesn’t offer Gantt charts, only kanban boards and task lists
No workflow automation features
Limited project management feature set

Microsoft Planner Pricing

Microsoft 365 Business Standard: $12.50 user/month
Microsoft 365 Business Premium: $22.00 user/month

Microsoft Planner Reviews

G2 review: 4.2/5
Capterra review: 4.3/5