Trello is an intuitive and effective project management tool that simplifies the planning and implementation of projects in the private and professional spheres. Launched in 2011, it has won over 25 million users. Trello is distinguished by its simplicity of design and function and generally does not require a learning period.
Leverage the Kanban method to show ongoing tasks, responsibilities and work progress on a board. Every job and completion status will be visible, whether personal to-do lists or corporate project plans. However, almost all software has pros and cons, and this is also true for this project management tool, as there are undoubtedly more suitable alternatives in some cases.
The decisive advantages and disadvantages depend on individual needs and specific projects. This article reveals why you might want to use a Trello alternative and your options. The article was updated in April 2021.
Introducing All The Alternatives To Trello
At first glance, the project management tools presented in the following paragraphs are very similar. The Kanban Board is an effective and popular visualization method all this software offers. But while Trello does just that, the alternatives we suggest give you more options and are practical solutions for more complex projects and individual needs.
Furthermore, the functions of some of the proposed choices go far beyond the creation of activities and offer functionality for cost tracking, resource management or Customer Relationship Management (CRM). The following table compares the Trello alternatives described in this article with their relative advantages and disadvantages.
Why An Alternative To Trello Might Be Useful
Trello is one of the most popular project management tools today. One of the main reasons behind its popularity is the precise structure of the activities, which come across as organized bulletin boards, lists and files:
- Boards – A board corresponds to a project and can be shared with team members.
- Lists: in bulletin boards, it is possible to create any number of lists. Common examples of lists include “to do”, “to do”, and “completed”.
- Tabs: each tab is associated with a list and contains an activity. Just one click to add information, comments or attachments to a card.
Trello is structured in a simple and easy-to-understand way but simultaneously offers complete functions that facilitate the organization of a team’s projects. The intuitive, visual approach makes working on the task easy, and you don’t need to spend time learning how to use this tool. Trello is available in the browser, desktop and mobile apps.
Furthermore, thanks to automatic synchronization, all users will always have access to its most up-to-date version. However, as mentioned above, the software also has disadvantages. Although its simple structure is an essential advantage for many users, it becomes a disadvantage in the case of complex tasks and projects.
This project management tool is limited to the Kanban Board and does not allow other types of task visualization. It is also worth considering an alternative to Trello for large teams and intense communication projects. Additionally, attachments are subject to limitations, with an upload limit of 10MB per file in the free version and 250MB in the Pro version.
Six Trello Alternatives At A Glance
The Trello project management tool and the alternatives described in this article offer a free version that includes all the software’s primary functions. This allows you to test the various project management tools and make a decision after adequately informing yourself.
Of course, the paid premium versions of these tools offer a richer range of features. Below we present an overview of six alternatives to Trello to help you choose the one that is right for you. All data and information reported are updated as of April 2021.
Airtable: The Spreadsheet Project Management Tool
The developers of Airtable define their project management tool as a hybrid between a spreadsheet and a database. In addition to the well-known Kanban view of Trello, this software offers other ways to view tasks. While in the Grid view, all activities are represented in table form, the Calendar option allows the planning of actions over time.
The Pro version even offers the healthy- known Gantt chart in Excel, with which you can define detailed planning and the relationships between predecessor and successor. A unique feature of Airtable is the so-called Airtable Blocks, which allow you to create visual elements using different tools. You can also view and share new information and updates with other team members.
Airtable is available in the browser and as a desktop and mobile app starting from the free version and allows you to create unlimited tables. Paid performances, priced at $10 or $20 per user per month, offer more features and extra storage space. In the free version, attachments are limited to a maximum of 2GB, but with the add-on packages, you can go up to 5 or 20GB per file.
Asana: The Best-Known Alternative To Trello
Asana is, together with Trello, one of the best-known and most popular project management tools of the moment. Comparing the offer of the two tools, a similarity on a visual level is immediately evident. However, unlike Trello, Asana has the List view set up by default, while the Kanban Board is an alternate view.
In that case, Asana is a good solution even without the additional paid package, offering the possibility of attaching documents up to 100 MB. The functionalities of Asana can be expanded thanks to integrating other tools. For example, you can convert Microsoft Teams conversations into actions, share themes from Adobe Creative Cloud, or turn on notifications in Slack for changes made in Asana.
Synchronization with other tools offers many advantages, especially in the case of collaboration between multiple users, and makes teamwork more efficient. However, some integrations, such as Salesforce or Tableau, and creating more than 15 users are only accessible with paid versions. While Asana doesn’t have any optional add-ons, this Trello alternative does offer more features, such as visualizing project progress and defining an interdependency of individual tasks.
Trello stands out for its extraordinary clarity, but Asana is a better solution for projects with more than 30 tasks. Therefore, thanks to its visualization modes, the integrations and the functions it offers, it is a valid alternative to Trello, especially for large teams and large projects.
Avaza: The Complete Solution With Cost Tracking
The functions of this Trello alternative go far beyond creating projects and tasks. Avaza also offers options for time tracking, resource planning and task management, and making offers and invoices, thus setting it apart from other project management tools. Avaza Expenses also allows you to photograph and archive receipts even on the go.
It is also possible to share project tasks, invoices and costs with external clients, which makes Avaza a beautiful solution for companies carrying out projects on behalf of third parties. The free version of this Trello alternative has limited features. While you can add an unlimited number of project team members, only one user can access special features, such as the work schedule or access to costs and invoices.
Furthermore, the number of projects is limited to a maximum of ten. As with most other Trello alternatives, if you go for a paid version, you will have to purchase it for each user. This solution may prove cost-effective for larger teams when the functions of several programs need to be combined.
ClickUp: The Affordable Trello Alternative
ClickUp is an alternative to Trello that is very similar in structure and organization to its model. However, unlike Trello, this project management tool allows you to switch between different views. You will have a Calendar and Gantt view and a List view.
The other functions also outstrip Trello’s offering. For example, you can create documents directly in ClickUp and share them with other users. The built-in time tracking, resource management, and screen capture features make it unnecessary to use additional software with these features, as ClickUp combines them all in one tool.
However, this tool only offers some of the features necessary, or at least helpful, for project management and teamwork. So, to make it more efficient, ClickUp allows integration with other tools, such as Basecamp, Todoist, Excel or Trello. If you need to switch from one project management tool to another, you can quickly transfer existing projects from Trello to ClickUp.
Note that the free version has limitations, offering only 100 MB of storage space. Compared to the other Trello alternatives discussed in this article, the paid version is still more affordable. For just €4.22 per month per user, you get unlimited storage space and numerous integrations, dashboards and visualization options. Unlike Trello, this tool is only available in English.
Zenkit: The Alternative To Trello Made In Germany
Zenkit is based in Germany and has better GDPR security than other Trello alternatives, thanks to German servers. In addition to the Kanban board, this project management tool offers different representation modes that you can customize. Wiki View is a handy option especially suited for larger teams. It allows you to save important information for collaborators, giving them easy access to roadmaps, project updates, or branding and design assets.
A unique feature of Zenkit is the integrated CRM system, which allows the creation of a customer database. You can also monitor communication channels and calculate important customer metrics. If you want to switch from Asana or Trello to Zenkit, its built-in import feature will make the migration more accessible. Alternatively, this tool can transfer existing projects via the CSV import function.
The free version includes 1GB of storage and up to three users. To access Gantt charts, user roles, 50,000 elements, custom designs and 6 GB of storage space, you will need to opt for the Plus tariff, which costs €9 per user per month. The Business rate of €25 includes other functions plus 50 GB of memory.
Meistertask: The Time Tracking Alternative To Trello
Like Trello, the Meistertask project management tool is intuitive, laid out, and takes no time to learn. Additionally, this Trello alternative offers a built-in time tracking feature, which you can start and stop any activity with just a click of the mouse.
With the free version, you can create up to three projects with unlimited users. The Pro version has a monthly cost of €8.25, regardless of the number of users, and allows you to create complete projects, multiple checklists, project groups, statistics and reports. Compared to other Trello alternatives, Meistertask is particularly cost-effective when used by large teams.
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