ClickUp vs Trello
Features, use cases, pros and cons, and pricing side by side — and which one to pick.
Best for: Growing startups that want to consolidate task management, docs, and team chat into one paid tool instead of three, Marketing and content teams that need campaign calendars, briefs, and approval workflows connected in a single system
Read the full ClickUp reviewBest for: Small teams that want a free, simple way to organize shared work, Remote teams that need to share context across locations and time zones
Read the full Trello reviewCommission may apply at no extra cost
ClickUp vs Trello: features compared
Compare key features side by side
Feature Comparison Summary
Which should you choose?
Choose ClickUp if
- You already know ClickUp and need flexible billing options.
Choose Trello if
- You value ease of use — 81% of customers chose Trello for it.
- You need 200+ integrations and an MCP server for AI tools.
ClickUp vs Trello: pros and cons
ClickUp
ClickUp bundles tasks, docs, goals, dashboards, whiteboards, and chat into one subscription, with 15-plus views, no-code automations, and a free plan that supports unlimited tasks and members. The trade-offs are real: a steep learning curve, noisy notifications, and a mobile app that trails desktop. Overall, it's a strong pick for teams that will invest in proper setup.
Pros
- Consolidates tasks, docs, goals, chat, and whiteboards into one subscription, cutting both tool costs and the context switching between separate apps
- Highly flexible workflow modeling — custom statuses, custom fields, and 15+ view types let most teams replicate their existing process without add-ons
- Free plan supports unlimited tasks and members, so small teams can run real work on it before any purchasing decision
Cons
- Steep learning curve — the depth of configuration means onboarding takes real time, and poorly structured workspaces become messy quickly
- Notifications can be overwhelming by default and require deliberate per-user tuning to stay useful
- Mobile and offline experiences lag behind the desktop web app, which hurts users who work away from their desk
Trello
Trello makes work visible with drag-and-drop boards, inbox capture from email and Slack, and no-code automation on every plan. The free tier is genuinely usable, though AI, SSO, and data export sit behind pricier plans. Overall, it's an easy, low-risk pick for small to mid-sized teams that want organization without a learning curve.
Pros
- The free plan is genuinely usable, not a demo — unlimited cards, unlimited Power-Ups (200+ app integrations), built-in no-code automation with 250 command runs per month, unlimited storage at 10MB per file, mobile apps, and 2-factor authentication all at $0.
- Quick capture fits how work actually arrives — you can forward emails straight to your Inbox or save Slack and Teams messages as to-dos, with AI-generated summaries and links added automatically.
- The Planner syncs your calendar and lets you drag top tasks into dedicated time slots, so scheduling work is a drag-and-drop action rather than a separate planning session.
Cons
- AI features are locked behind Premium ($10 per user/month annual) and Enterprise — teams on Free or Standard get the Inbox capture but not the AI-generated summaries or AI-assisted boards.
- The free plan caps you at 10 collaborators and 10 boards per Workspace with 10MB per file, which small teams can hit quickly once a second project starts.
- There is no timed free trial — evaluation happens through the free plan — and no refund policy is displayed on the pricing page, so annual commitments carry some billing risk.
ClickUp and Trello in detail
ClickUp
ClickUp is a cloud-based project management and productivity workspace. Work is organized into spaces, folders, and lists, and the same tasks can be displayed as a list, Kanban board, Gantt chart, calendar, timeline, workload chart, or table. Beyond task management, the platform bundles ClickUp Docs for collaborative writing, custom dashboards for reporting, native chat, goal and OKR tracking, and a no-code automation builder. A template library and integrations with tools like Slack, GitHub, and Google Drive extend it into a general operating layer for company-wide work.
Standout features
- Task Management With 15+ View Types
- Docs, Whiteboards, and Centralized Knowledge
- Dashboards, Goals, and Reporting
- Automations and ClickUp AI
- Integrations and Template Library
Use cases
- Software and Product Development
- Marketing and Content Teams
- Agency and Client Work Management
- Operations and Remote Team Coordination
Trello
Trello is a visual work management tool from Atlassian. You organize work on boards, capture tasks in an Inbox, and schedule them with a calendar-style Planner. It serves individuals on the free plan up through large organizations on Enterprise. Marketing, product, engineering, design, startup, and remote teams are all highlighted as common users.
Standout features
- Inbox: capture every to-do
- Boards that keep work visible
- Planner: make time for what matters
- Automate the busywork, connect your tools
- Start fast with templates
Use cases
- Track tasks in one place
- Turn messages into to-dos
- Keep projects on track
- Keep remote teams in sync
Pricing compared
List prices from each vendor's pricing page, before taxes and add-ons. Costs are per month.
| Pricing compared | ClickUp | Trello |
|---|---|---|
| From (cheapest paid plan) | $7/mo unlimited · per user | $6/mo Standard · per user |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes Up to 10 collaborators per Workspace, up to 10 boards per Workspace, 10MB max file size, and 250 command runs per month |
| Free trial | Not stated | Not stated |
| Money-back guarantee | Not stated | Not stated |
| Annual billing savings | — | Up to 20% |
| Pricing model | Per-user and flat plans | Per user |
| Cost for 1 user | Free Free Forever plan, billed annually | Free Free plan, billed annually |
| Cost for 5 users | $35/mo unlimited plan, billed monthly | $30/moCheaper Standard plan, billed monthly |
| Cost for 10 users | $70/mo unlimited plan, billed monthly | $60/moCheaper Standard plan, billed monthly |
| Cost for 25 users | $175/mo unlimited plan, billed monthly | $150/moCheaper Standard plan, billed monthly |
| Plans | 9 | 4 |
| Prices checked | Checked Oct 13, 2026 | Checked Oct 12, 2026 |
| Price history | Tracking prices since Oct 1, 2026. No price change detected yet. | Tracking prices since Oct 1, 2026. No price change detected yet. |
- Cheapest plan that fits each team size. Per-user plans are multiplied by the number of users (respecting stated minimums and seat packs). Plans that include some users cost their base price plus the extra-user price for each user beyond those included. Flat-priced plans with no stated user limit are counted as one licence per user.
Cheaper for your team size
For 5 users (billed monthly), Trello costs $30/mo vs ClickUp at $35/mo.
- Trello is cheaper at every team size we checked (1 to 25 users).
- For 1 user (billed annually), ClickUp and Trello both cost $0/mo.
- For 10 users (billed monthly), Trello costs $60/mo vs ClickUp at $70/mo.
- For 25 users (billed monthly), Trello costs $150/mo vs ClickUp at $175/mo.
- Both tools have a free plan.
Computed from published list prices on the dates shown. Excludes taxes, add-ons and promotions.
More comparisons
Frequently Asked Questions
Which tool offers better support?
Trello's support is clearly documented: community on Free, business hours on Standard, 24/5 on Premium, and 24/7 admin support on Enterprise. ClickUp's support details weren't available here.