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ClickUp vs Trello: which is better?
ClickUp vs Trello compared on pricing, features, ease of use, project management and customization, with guidance on when simple boards are enough.
By AIStackMatch Editorial · Updated
Quick verdict
Quick verdict
Trello is the simplest option: great for basic Kanban workflows and quick to learn. ClickUp does much more but takes longer to set up. If boards are all you need, Trello is hard to beat. If you expect to grow into dependencies, docs and reporting, ClickUp is the safer long-term choice.
Choose ClickUp if...
- Your projects need dependencies, timelines or reporting
- You want docs, goals and time tracking in the same place
- You expect your process to grow more complex
Choose Trello if...
- You want to be productive in minutes
- Simple Kanban covers your workflow
- You prefer minimal features and low cost
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Comparison table
Scroll sideways on small screens. Scores are editorial assessments from our methodology.
| Criteria | ClickUp | Trello | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Teams and freelancers who want one configurable workspace for tasks, docs and reporting | Individuals and small teams who want simple, visual Kanban task tracking | - |
| Free plan | Yes. Free Forever plan with unlimited members, 60MB storage, and limits on Spaces, forms and whiteboards. | Yes. Free plan with up to 10 collaborators and 10 boards per Workspace, plus 250 automation runs per month. | - |
| Starting price | Free, paid from $7 per user/month | Free, paid from $5 per user/month | - |
| Ease of use | 3/5 Powerful but has a learning curve. Plan time to simplify your workspace. | 5/5 Arguably the easiest to learn in this group. | Trello |
| Project management | 5/5 Dependencies, Gantt, workload and multiple views cover most project needs. | 3/5 Fine for simple flows, limited for dependencies and complex plans. | ClickUp |
| Collaboration | 4/5 Comments, assigned comments, docs and whiteboards work well for teams. | 4/5 Cards, comments and shared boards are easy for teams to use. | Tie |
| Customization | 5/5 Custom fields, statuses and views are among the most flexible in this group. | 3/5 Power-Ups and labels help, but structure is intentionally simple. | ClickUp |
| Integrations | 4/5 Broad integration list plus API and automation support. | 4/5 Many Power-Ups and common integrations are supported. | Tie |
| Value for money | 5/5 Strong free plan and competitive paid pricing for the breadth of features. | 4/5 Low entry price and a usable free plan. | ClickUp |
Pricing
ClickUp
Free Forever is $0. Unlimited costs $7 per user/month billed annually ($10 monthly) and Business costs $12 per user/month billed annually ($19 monthly). Enterprise is custom. AI features are a separate add-on, starting at $9 per user/month.
Trello
Standard costs $5 per user/month billed annually ($6 monthly), Premium $10 annually ($12.50 monthly) and Enterprise $17.50 per user/month billed annually.
Winner by category
- Ease of useTrello
- Project managementClickUp
- CollaborationTie
- CustomizationClickUp
- IntegrationsTie
- Value for moneyClickUp
Category wins: ClickUp 3, Trello 1, ties 2. The right pick depends on your workflow, not the tally.
Final recommendation
Start with Trello if simplicity is the priority. Move to ClickUp when boards stop being enough. Both have free plans, so trying each costs nothing.
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Frequently asked questions
Is ClickUp better than Trello?
For complex projects, yes. For simple Kanban boards, Trello is faster to learn and often enough.
Can I move from Trello to ClickUp?
Yes. ClickUp offers an importer for Trello boards, so you can switch when your workflow outgrows simple boards.
Which is cheaper, ClickUp or Trello?
Trello Standard is $5 per user/month billed annually; ClickUp Unlimited is $7. Both have usable free plans.