Are you looking for an in-depth Trello review or the best Trello alternatives? We’re here to help!
Trello is one of the most recommended personal project management tools and for good reasons. It welcomes users with an interface that looks like a board of post-its you can freely move from one list to another as you go about your tasks.
But beneath the ridiculously simple-looking interface is a powerful tool used by the likes of Adobe, Google, Kickstarter, and Unicef, along with thousands of entrepreneurs, creators, students, project managers, and many more, around the globe.
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Whether it’s for business project management or personal project management, Trello helps corporations and individuals organize anything with its nifty features.
How do you pick a great personal project management tool?
Productivity doesn’t end when you get off work. Often, responsibilities extend even after you go home. Nowadays, it’s just as important to manage your personal life, as it is for your professional life.
Projects usually involve many moving parts. This makes it important for you to be able to rely on a strong system that’ll let you input many pieces of information, without breaking down.
When choosing a tool to use, here are factors you’ll want to consider.
Presentation and Info Management: Does Trello store and present information the way you want it to?
The best productivity methods differ for different groups of people. While some are more motivated when their planners are fun and colorful, others prefer a more minimal approach to their task managers.
Trello features a Kanban-style system where you can organize your tasks with moveable cards, similar as you would with post-its on a board.
Inside the cards, you can add a description, checklists, members, labels, due dates, file attachments, and a cover photo.
This allows you to collect and store all the information you need regarding a task, and keep them handy.
Kanban is an effective way to manage work because it helps teams and individuals visualize their tasks and workflow. If “physically” moving a card to the “Done” pile gives you that jolt of happiness whenever you finish something, then this is perfect for you.
But if you fall into the category of someone who prefers something else –like a Gantt chart, or a simple checklist for everything –you’ll need to either use one of Trello’s Power-Ups or consider other tools.
Usability: Is Trello easy to use?
Trello’s interface is very straightforward. Adding a card and a list can be accomplished one click. Opening a card, you’ll instantly see all its functionalities laid out before you.
One thing that would take a little tinkering is Trello’s Power-Ups, which are features and integrations you can add to further optimize and customize your workflow. There are many, and it can be overwhelming to find the one that’s right for you.
Multiple Project Management: How well does Trello help you manage all your projects?
Here’s the reality: Not all tasks stay as tasks. Some evolve into projects themselves, giving birth to a huge number of things to keep track of.
Trello is great for a certain number of cards. But when they start to pile up, it can be hard to manage.
What? So many cards! What’s happening?
Eventually, you’ll need to make separate boards for your every project so they’ll be easy to digest.
While new boards are easy to make in Trello, unfortunately, they aren’t as easy to manage.
Trello allows you to switch from one board to another in one to two steps. Still, manually staying up-to-date and updating cards across all boards can be a tedious process.
Power-Ups like Unito and Trello’s Butler feature allow you to connect your tools and boards. These, however, take time and skill to set-up: a luxury that not all of us have.
Cost: How good is the free version?
There’s nothing wrong with investing in tools that do the job for you. For this review, however, we’ll be looking into tools that can help you achieve your goals while using fewer resources.
Trello allows you to make unlimited boards and cards, and upload 10mb file attachments in its Free version. It also comes with the option to use one Power-Up of your choice and one automation parameter in the Butler.
These features, coupled with Trello’s flexibility, are already enough to take you through many of your ventures.
The Business Class and Enterprise versions come with more team, automation, admin, power-up, and security features.
Access: Can you bring Trello with you wherever you go?
Ideas and information can hit you at different parts of your day. The last thing you want is to keep it in your memory and later forget it as the day goes by, or to take it down on a random notepad, and eventually lose it in the clutter.
It’s important to find an effective way to jot things down quickly and store it somewhere safe for later organization.
Use Trello with your mobile device, and later organize it using your web browser or desktop app. It’s designed to sync seamlessly among all its available platforms.
This way, you’ll be able to quickly store, organize, find, and update notes and ideas, wherever you are.
Summary
Trello is an amazing project management tool, but it has its strengths and weaknesses.
Strengths | Weaknesses |
Easy to use | Basic tool presents data in cards and lists only |
Quick input of information | Not optimal when keeping track of several projects in separate boards |
Available in web, desktop, and mobile versions | |
The free version provides a generous amount of relevant features |
In this review, we’ll be looking into four of the best alternatives you can look into, to organize your personal goals and passions.
5 Popular Trello Alternatives in 2024
1. Asana
Asana, an alternative to Trello, is a collaborative tool primarily made to help teams manage projects together. But because of its rich free version and flexibility, it has become a common tool that many people use for personal project management as well.
Presentation and Info Management
From the get-go, you’ll be asked to choose if you prefer to use a list, a board, a timeline (if you’re using a Premium plan), or a calendar, as your default view.
Choose your preferred view in Asana
This is a leg up over Trello, where it’s limited to a board unless you have a Power-Up.
The free version allows you to add a due date, description, subtasks, assignments (for collaboration), and attachments.
Usability
Like Trello, creating a new project in Asana is quick and easy.
There are several templates you can choose from, but it’s also good to start your blank project so you can fully customize the experience.
However, you’ll need to do a little tinkering to maximize all its features and fully grasp all the ways that data can be presented.
Multiple Project Management
All your projects in Asana are neatly organized on the side, making switching between them hassle-free.
A cool thing about it, though, is that one task can be part of two or more projects. This makes syncing it across all project databases, flawless and convenient.
For day-to-day execution, Home gives you a bird’s eye view of all your upcoming tasks across all projects.
This helps stay on top of everything you’re working on, without having to manually scan all your project folders.
Cost
Asana’s Basic version is enough for individuals and small teams of up to 15 people.
When you arrive at the point where you’d like to share your trackers with more people than that, then you can consider availing of the Premium and higher tiers.
Apart from additional team features, paid tiers also come with more custom fields for lists, the capability to see all your tasks and projects in a timeline, custom templates, and more.
Access
Use Asana on the go with your iOS or Android phone to record new pieces of information, or access important notes and details.
Strengths | Weaknesses |
See information through a list, a board, a timeline (for Premium users), or a calendar | Requires more tinkering than Trello to maximize features |
Easily switch projects | |
Multiple project management functionalities | |
Free version has sensible limitations | |
Mobile apps available |
Asana is trusted by teams like Vox Media, Nasa, Salesforce, and Deloitte and it is one of the best Trello alternatives.
2. Taskade
The Trello alternative, Taskade, is a candy-colored list-making and note-taking tool with handy formatting options. Made with remote teams in mind, it features a simple and frictionless organization system, along with functionalities for real-time collaboration, like chat and video calls.
Presentation and Info Management
A workspace in Taskade functions like a notebook. Inside them are projects, which you can imagine as sheets of paper.
Information here can be formatted as a list, a board, an action table, a mindmap, or an org chart.
This makes it the most versatile in terms of data presentation, among all the software in this article.
Taskade is a dream for visual learners with a love for colorful lists. Formatting options allow you to make headers, add colorful underlines, change font formats, and add emojis. You’ll also get to choose what you want your bullet point to shape.
Usability
Taskade’s main thrust is simplicity. For its interface, it minimized clutter by only having icons of available functionalities you can use, which appear as the need for it arises.
For example, an icon appears when you hover over a to-do that, when pressed, displays a tray of available bullet points and checkboxes you can use.
Along with that, you’ll only see the functionalities to add due dates, assign tasks, add comments, and upload files, during this time.
Taskade also has templates handy to help you get started immediately.
Multiple Project Management
Your workspaces in Taskade are indicated at the lower-left corner of your main page. This makes them easily accessible, but only if you don’t have one of your Projects open.
Opening a Project makes it occupy the whole screen, along with the team chatbox. To switch to another workspace, you’ll have to go back to the main page, and then click on your next preferred workspace.
Taskade is a great hub of information for all the things you’re working on. Similar to Trello, however, it can take one too many steps to switch from one hat to another.
Cost
Taskade is one of the richest in terms of free features in this list, with Trello and Notion, coming in at a close second.
The Free version has all the other features that the Unlimited version has, including
- Real-time collaboration
- Team Calendars, roadmaps, agenda
- Access to all visualizations (task list, kanban, action sheet, mindmap, org chart, bulleting)
- Custom templates
- Uploadable backgrounds
- Dark theme
- Internationalization (15+ languages)
- Security
- Recurring tasks
- Video conferences and team chats
Even in the free version, Taskade offers team features that make it unnecessary to use too many tools, even when you decide to collaborate with others for your endeavors.
The Free and the Unlimited versions differ in terms of the following:
- Project limit (Free is limited to 3)
- File upload limit (Free is limited to 5 MB)
- File storage (Free is limited to 100 MB)
Get an upgrade to the Unlimited version to enjoy these, and priority support, custom onboarding and training, revision history, custom team permissions, and more integrations.
Access
Taskade has apps available for mobile, browsers, and Apple, Windows, and Linux desktops.
Strengths | Weaknesses |
Versatile data presentation | Switching from one project to another |
Minimal and sleek interface | Might need a little adjustment working on the board view because it looks different from Trello |
Generous free version | Switching from one project to another isn’t that easy |
Available templates for quick setup | |
Available in multiple platforms |
Taskade is a streamlined collaboration and project management tool used by organizations such as Lyft, Shopee, Verizon, Transferwise, and more. It is one of the most popular Trello alternatives in 2024.
3. Todoist
Todoist is a straightforward checklist app that is perfect if you prefer clean and minimal productivity tools. It is recognized as “The best to-do list” by The Verge and is a great alternative to Trello.
Presentation and Info Management
To organize your tasks in Todoist, you can separate them into Projects and collapsible Sections.
Todoist does one thing, and does it extremely well. It displays your project tasks as lists that you can cross off as you finish something so you can enjoy watching it grow shorter as you become more productive.
The app allows you to add subtasks and label them according to their priority level, in the free version. Upgrading to Premium will add more capabilities, such as adding reminders, labels, comments, and notes, file uploads, and voice memos through the comments.
Usability
Todoist has intuitive predictive features that’ll make the easy task of jotting down tasks, even easier.
For example, instead of having to press several buttons to schedule your tasks, it detects what you type and applies them as needed.
Todoist has intuitive functions to make information collection easier
By creating an app with not a lot of bells and whistles, Todoist made collecting information, planning your days, and staying on top of everything you have to do, immensely uncomplicated.
Multiple Project Management
Todoist’s capability to segregate tasks into sections and projects makes it powerful enough to hold vast amounts of information despite its simplicity.
While switching between lists is easy, you can also conveniently see what you have to accomplish in the coming days through the Today and Upcoming buttons at the upper left.
Use the Today and Upcoming filters to avoid being overwhelmed
Filters are also available for you to use if you want to tackle your tasks by order of priority.
Cost
While some may find Todoist’s free version enough for their needs, those with a background on other productivity tools might miss having features, that are usually part of the free versions of other productivity software. These include adding reminders, labels, comments, notes, file uploads, and voice memos through the comments.
To enjoy these features and more, it’s best to upgrade to its Premium or the Business version.
Access
You can use Todoist using its web version, your desktop, mobile, wearables, and e-mail as plug-ins. They also have something you can use for Linux.
Strengths | Weaknesses |
Minimalist interface | The free version doesn’t allow uploading images and comments to tasks |
Straightforward and user-friendly | Doesn’t have a variety of data presentation options |
Intuitive automation features | |
Accessible with many applications |
Todoist perfected the science of list-making and has managed to streamline sophisticated functionalities and package them in a clean and intuitive tool.
The best way to maximize it is to avail of the Premium subscription. But with its seamless navigation and extensive accessibility, it’s a well worth it investment. So, if you need a good Trello alternative, go for Todoist.
4. Notion
Notion is a good alternative to Trello that prides itself on its capability to allow you to put everything in one place. Seamlessly, it can transform your table into a Kanban board, a photo gallery, a list, or beautifully laid out in a calendar.
Presentation and Info Management
Notion works best for those who like seeing their notes in different ways.
For example, you can use a table to efficiently input categories and specifications when you start brain-dumping.
Then, turn it into a kanban board so you can visualize your tasks as you go about them.
To help you scoop your day-to-day priorities at a glance, lay them all out in a calendar.
Finally, whether you’re highly visual, or a minimalist, when it comes to to-do’s, you can choose the gallery or a list to give you an overview of everything you’ll need to do.
Inside each entry, you’re given a page that looks like a notepad where you have free reign over the information you need to store.
Input text, callouts, and media (just like Pencru’s video) inside your notes!
Add pictures, checklists, links, or even paragraphs of notes. You’ll also have quick formatting access to make them look nice.
Projects can be grouped through Pages and Subpages, neatly stacked at the left panel, making it easy to switch from one to the other, like Todoist and Asana.
Usability
Notion can do so many things, but it’ll require a bit of tinkering for you to fully embrace everything it has to offer. In exchange for an interface that’s sleek and simplified, most of its functions are tucked away in the form of commands. You can access these through a drop-down menu that appears when you type a backslash (/).
Creating tables, boards, lists, calendars, and galleries also have inline and full-page varieties. This is important to consider when you select the type of format you want to use. Inline allows you to add more pieces of information on the same page. Full-page varieties, on the other hand, allow you to make linked databases out of them. (More on this later)
Multiple Project Management
In Notion, all Pages and Subpages are neatly stacked on the left panel. This makes it easy to switch from one to the other.
A nifty feature that can help you keep track of multiple pages in Notion is the linked database. This allows you to connect information, all on one page.
For example, to compile all the things you need to do for all your projects, you can create one page where your work to-do’s, personal to-do’s, and special project to-do’s, are laid out.
Use linked databases to see all your tasks across all projects, in one place
They’ll automatically update on their respective pages when you make changes.
Cost
Notion’s pricing tiers come in four packages: Personal, Personal Pro, Team, and Enterprise.
Notion Personal is completely free. Here, you’ll enjoy all the features mentioned, unlimited pages, sync it across all devices, upload up to 5 MB of files, and share it with 5 guests. If you feel like you need more, you can consider upgrading to its other paid tiers.
Access
Notion gives you access to all your data through the web, or their desktop apps, mobile apps, and web clipper.
Strengths | Weaknesses |
Minimalist interface | Requires tinkering to maximize features |
Customization features | Takes time to set up |
Data presentation options | |
Linked databases for multiple projects | |
Easy access to pages and subpages | |
Available on web, desktop, mobile, and through a web clipper | |
Free Personal version |
Notion is a great tool that combines the best capabilities of other productivity tools in a sleek package. Its flexibility allows you to make your pages as complicated, or as minimal as you’d like. Consider using it if you want a Trello alternative tool that’ll suit your every organizational need –and mood.
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5. ProofHub
A potent Trello alternative, ProofHub, is an affordable and scalable team collaboration cum project management tool that is specially designed to enhance team coordination, streamline workflows, and simplify complex project management in the simplest way possible.
Presentation and Info Management
As soon as you log on to ProofHub, its intuitive dashboard gives you a simple and detailed view where you can choose to jump straight to tasks, announcements, projects, logged time, stickies & bookmarks, events & milestones from a single location.
The Quick Add feature allows users to create tasks, projects, events, time, announcements, and events. Send direct messages to your team members simply by clicking on chat icons appearing on the right side of your screen.
Unlike Kanban boards-specific Trello, ProofHub gives you the option to choose from the Table view or the Board view of your tasks. The Table view filters all your tasks according to their type while the Board view makes it easy for you to change the stage of tasks with the drag-and-drop functionality.
You can attach files, restrict access, add comments, set time estimates, add subtasks, add fields, add progress, and add labels for further clarity on tasks.
Usability
ProofHub stands out with its simple learning curve, ease of usage, intuitive interface, and a range of powerful tools under one virtual roof. A search bar on the dashboard helps users to search for a project/person/bookmark within seconds. Users can only choose to view tasks and projects they are assigned to, and real-time notifications keep you updated on all recent activities within the project.
Multiple Project Management
All your projects are neatly organized for easy access on the lower half of the main page. Projects in ProofHub is a workspace that enables you to plan, collaborate, organize, and deliver work in the most efficient way. From having discussions, managing workflows, delegating tasks, tracking time, and maintaining a shared calendar, everything can be done from one central place.
Cost
ProofHub is one of the few Trello alternatives that offer affordable, fixed-pricing plans. ProofHub offers two paid plans – The Essential plan and The Ultimate Control plan.
The Essential plan offers all the core project management and team collaboration features along with 15Gb storage and handling up to 40 projects. This plan suits most small and mid-sized businesses and teams.
However, if you want more out of ProofHub then you can opt for The Ultimate Control plan that offers unlimited projects + core features + premium features at the right price. Additionally, you also get up to 100 GB of storage. This plan can cater to the work management requirements of teams of any size across various industries.
Here’s the list of premium features offered under The Ultimate Control plan of ProofHub.
- Custom roles
- White labelling
- Custom workflows
- Project manager
- Network control
- Manage trashed items
- API access for data transport
- Project and resource reports
- Advanced activity logs
- Account transfer tool
- Priority support
- Data export
Access
ProofHub can be accessed effortlessly via the website as well as mobile apps for both iOS and Android versions. Users can manage and collaborate on their work from any location, on any device.
Strengths | Weaknesses |
A suite of powerful tools under one virtual roof | The mobile app does not support the Table view |
Affordable, fixed pricing plans | Email notifications under no granular control |
A simple learning curve and ease of usage | |
Intuitive, user-friendly interface | |
Simplifies complex project management | |
Facilitates team collaboration | |
Multiple views – Board, Table, and Gantt |
Conclusion
To live a full life, you’ll need to apply the same grit, commitment, and passion, to your personal aspirations, as you do in your professional endeavors.
Trello is a versatile and easy-to-use tool for personal project management. To work your best, however, it’s important to consider your personal needs and preferences.
If you’re considering a switch, consider Asana, Taskade, Todoist, or Notion. These are some of the best Trello alternatives in 2024.
Find the tool that’s best for you. Go forth, and build the life you’ve always wanted.
Alfred
May 29, 2020 at 2:47 pm
Nice blog! Restyaboard is a fantastic one that’s worth checking out! A very good free Trello alternative. I have used Restyaboard for years now. So simple, so flexible, so easy!
Hannah Donato
May 30, 2020 at 12:02 pm
Hey, Alfred! Thanks! This is my first time to hear about Restyaboard, thanks for sharing! I’ll definitely look into it 🙂
EDITORIAL STAFF
May 29, 2020 at 5:34 pm
Alfred, thanks for sharing!
BlogExpander
May 30, 2020 at 10:40 am
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Hannah Donato
May 30, 2020 at 12:05 pm
Glad you like it 🙂 All the best to your website 🙂
WhattoWatch
June 28, 2020 at 9:18 am
I want to to thank you for this wonderful read!! I definitely loved every bit of it. I have you bookmarked to check out new stuff you post…
Hannah Donato
June 29, 2020 at 11:39 pm
Happy to help 🙂 Thanks for your support!
Viddyoze
June 30, 2020 at 6:18 am
Good post. I learn something totally new and challenging on sites I stumbleupon every day. It will always be exciting to read through articles from other authors and use a little something from their web sites.
best techno
July 1, 2020 at 7:05 am
I couldn’t refrain from commenting. Exceptionally well written!
Amanda
July 28, 2021 at 2:47 pm
The best Trello alternative, in my opinion, is kanbantool.com. It’s easy to use and effective and has all the features I need.