The 6 best Trello alternatives
Short answer
The best Trello alternatives are ClickUp, Asana, Notion. ClickUp is our top pick — it scores 8.5/10 and is best for Agencies wanting one tool for all project work. The right choice depends on your budget, team size, and which features matter most.
Why look for a Trello alternative?
Trello scores 7.5/10 in our review and works well for many teams — but it is not the right fit for everyone. The most common reasons readers look elsewhere:
- ✗Weak for complex projects (no native Gantt, dependency tracking)
- ✗Free plan limits workspaces to 10 boards
- ✗Power-Ups limited on free tier
- ✗Less capable than ClickUp or Monday for teams with complex needs
Trello alternatives, ranked
ClickUp
Top pickOne app to replace them all
ClickUp is a feature-packed project management platform covering tasks, docs, whiteboards, goals, time tracking, and reporting. The most popular choice for agencies wanting one tool for internal project management and client delivery tracking.
Strengths
- ✓Incredible value — replaces many tools
- ✓Highly customizable views (list, board, gantt, calendar)
- ✓Strong free tier
Best for
- →Agencies wanting one tool for all project work
- →Teams with diverse workflows
Asana
Project management for teams who want clarity
Asana is a mature project management platform used by teams of all sizes. It excels at task tracking, project timelines, and cross-team coordination. The free tier is generous for small teams.
Strengths
- ✓Excellent task visualization (list, board, timeline, calendar)
- ✓Strong integrations ecosystem
- ✓Generous free tier
Best for
- →Agencies managing multiple client projects
- →Teams needing cross-department coordination
Notion
The connected workspace for notes, docs, and projects
Notion is a flexible workspace combining notes, docs, wikis, databases, and project management. Extremely popular with consultants and small teams as a client-facing wiki, internal knowledge base, and lightweight project tracker. Steep learning curve but limitless flexibility.
Strengths
- ✓Extremely versatile — replaces many single-purpose tools
- ✓Great for client-facing deliverable docs
- ✓Strong free tier
Best for
- →Consultants building client deliverables and SOPs
- →Solo operators centralizing their work
- →Knowledge-heavy businesses
Linear
Fast, opinionated issue tracking for modern software teams
Linear is a project management tool built exclusively for software development teams — issue tracking, sprint planning, roadmaps, and Git integration. Its defining characteristic is speed: the interface is instant, keyboard shortcuts are everywhere, and the app never feels slow. Linear has become the default choice for product and engineering teams at venture-backed startups. Agencies building software products use it for internal development workflow. The free plan covers unlimited members with 250 issues.
Strengths
- ✓Fastest PM interface available — everything is instant
- ✓Excellent keyboard shortcuts make power users extremely efficient
- ✓GitHub, GitLab, and Figma integration out of the box
Best for
- →Software development teams and dev agencies wanting a Jira replacement that doesn't feel slow
- →Product teams managing sprints, backlogs, and roadmaps
Airtable
The database your team will actually use
Airtable is a flexible database platform that works like a supercharged spreadsheet. Used by agencies for client tracking, content calendars, project databases, and custom workflows. Extremely versatile with a large template library.
Strengths
- ✓Extremely flexible — fits almost any use case
- ✓Multiple views (grid, gallery, kanban, calendar)
- ✓Large integration ecosystem
Best for
- →Agencies tracking clients, content, or campaigns
- →Custom workflow builders
Teamwork
Project management purpose-built for client-service agencies
Teamwork is a project management platform designed specifically for agencies and client-service businesses. Unlike ClickUp or Monday which are general-purpose, Teamwork's core features are shaped around agency workflows: client access without charging for client seats, time tracking and budgets per project, retainer tracking, invoicing, and a client-facing portal. The combination of project management, time tracking, and billing in one tool makes it a compelling option for agencies billing on time-and-materials.
Strengths
- ✓Built for agencies — client access doesn't cost extra seats
- ✓Time tracking, budgets, and retainer management built in
- ✓Invoicing from tracked time without a separate tool
Best for
- →Agencies billing clients hourly who want PM + time tracking + invoicing together
- →Client-service businesses with many concurrent active projects
Trello vs. the alternatives
Trello alternatives — FAQ
What is the best Trello alternative?
ClickUp is our top-rated Trello alternative, scoring 8.5/10. It is best for Agencies wanting one tool for all project work.
Is there a free Trello alternative?
Yes — ClickUp, Asana, Notion, Linear, Airtable, Teamwork offer a free plan you can use to evaluate the tool before paying.