Trello is one of the most popular project management tools out there. It has tons of features that can help your team work better together, but it also has certain limitations. Lack of support for complex projects is one of the primary concerns regarding the pitfalls of Trello. Even though its interface is too easy, it doesn’t have quite the advanced-level features you can expect from a full-fledged project management tool. Trello does not display task dependencies, which causes confusion and misconception among team members. Project experts require task dependencies to get critical path data.
Things a good Trello Alternative should have
When it comes to things a good Trello alternative should have, it doesn’t necessarily mean features that Trello lacks, but rather aspects that can improve the alternative and make it efficient. Trello is a good project management tool, but it has room for growth.
Thus, any alternative should first try to offer something that makes it stand out. As such, we are here to list a few points that should be found in a Trello alternative.
- The most basic feature such an alternative should excel at is task management. Assigning tasks, creating deadlines and tracking progress is the bare minimum required.
- Furthermore, the alternative should be something easily used. This is not to say that Trello fails at this, which it doesn’t, but an alternative software that team members could get behind one is an optimal choice.
- Pricing should also be considered, as it plays a huge role in any management decision. Rather, we should say the price-to-value ratio should be optimal.
- The alternative will also benefit if it houses particular data visualization tools, and provides a reporting feature.
- And finally, it should not disregard software or app integration, as it can make or break the case.
Best Trello Alternatives
For those of you who love Trello but are looking for an alternative, there’s good news. We’ve put together a list of the best alternatives to Trello so that you can find the one that suits your needs. If you’re unsure how to choose a solution or want more details on any particular tool, we recommend checking out our in-depth reviews.
1. Asana
Asana makes team collaboration and communication straightforward since you may manage assignments, monitor progress, and have discussions all in one location. It’s a quick, responsive, intuitive, and feature-rich program that lets you share notes and attachments, follow tasks and ‘like’ them, create due dates, and receive email alerts.
In addition, when a task is assigned to you, you get instant notifications. With a capacity of up to 100 MB, Asana makes it simple to add files to items. There’s no file size restriction, and the best part is that you will never run out of storage, with several third-party integrations like Dropbox, Hipchat, Zendesk, Jira, and many more.
Asana features
- Task Management
- Project Visualization
- Workflow Automation
- Team Collaboration
- Customizable Templates
- Integration with other tools (Slack, Google Drive, etc.)
- Mobile App
2. JIRA
Aside from Trello, another option to manage projects is JIRA. It’s a software development tool that helps teams of developers plan, track, and release high-quality code. You can also get project timelines and progress reports by automating the process.
You can manage projects and distribute assignments while getting real-time reports to improve your team’s performance and effectiveness. To enhance Jira, you may use hundreds of add-ons, including Hipchat, Zephyr, Bitbucket, Confluence, and others.
JIRA is a powerful tool for managing projects, builds, and issues; it offers a cloud-based software development solution. Do opt for its 7-day trial before signing up for the premium service. If you do not like JIRA, you can consider some JIRA alternatives.
JIRA features
- Agile Project Management (Scrum and Kanban)
- Bug and Issue Tracking
- Customizable Workflows
- Software Development Support
- Reporting and Analysis Tools
- Integration capabilities
- Mobile App
3. ProofHub
ProofHub is a project management and collaboration software that includes all the features of Trello. More than 85,000 organizations, including global powers like NASA, Nike, TripAdvisor, and Google, are using this highly efficient project management tool to get things done effectively at work.
Unlike other popular solutions, ProofHub does not charge a fee per user and allows users to access numerous tools from one single location, saving time and money. In addition, it has everything you’ll need to manage your project efficiently.
ProofHub features
- Task and Project Management
- Gantt Charts for Planning
- Time Tracking
- Document Management
- Discussion Boards
- Reporting and Analytics
- Integration Capabilities
4. Basecamp
Basecamp is one of the most popular project management tools on the market and for a good reason. It keeps things simple with a clean and easy-to-use interface that makes managing projects a breeze. Plus, it offers tons of features like to-do lists, file sharing, message boards, time tracking, and more, so you can get the most out of your projects.
It also integrates with other popular services like Asana, Evernote, Salesforce, and more, so you can keep all of your project information in one place for easy access. So if you’re looking for a great Trello alternative, any of these tools will do the trick. But if you want to learn more about any of these tools, we recommend checking out our detailed reviews.
Basecamp features
- Task and Milestone Management
- Message Boards and Chat
- File Sharing and Storage
- Scheduling and Calendar
- Email and SMS Notifications
- Client Access Features
5. Teamwork
Teamwork is regarded as one of the most simple project management systems to use. You may use it to improve team performance by assigning activities, communicating, and monitoring progress in one location.
Teamwork was founded in 2007 and has since carved out a niche in today’s competitive project management environment. This project management tool is trusted by over 20,000 companies and offers the best balance of functionality, price, and ease of use. It has an intuitive interface and is perfect for projects of all sizes.
In addition, it supports Gantt Charts, and managers can track an employee’s progress, including task dependencies.
Teamwork features
- Project Management and Planning
- Gantt Chart Creation
- Time Tracking
- Task Prioritization and Assignment
- File Sharing
- Billing and Invoicing
- Integration Capabilities
6. ClickUp
ClickUp is a versatile and user-friendly platform that can be used for Kanban, Scrum, or Waterfall project management. It’s one of the best Trello alternatives because it has an intuitive drag-and-drop interface designed with the user in mind.
You can use ClickUp to manage projects of any size. With ClickUp, you can also manage your team’s tasks and workload. You can create custom statuses, due dates, and reminders to help you keep track of everything. Assignees will receive email notifications when assigned a new task or their status changes.
Comments can be made in real-time, so team members can collaborate quickly and easily. ClickUp also has a built-in time tracker to help you keep track of how much time you’re spending on each task. You can export your data to Excel, PDF, or CSV files for further analysis.
ClickUp features
- Customizable Tasks and Subtasks
- Goals and Target Setting
- Time Tracking
- Docs & Wiki for Knowledge Base
- Gantt Charts
- Agile Board Views
- Third-party Integration
7. Hive
Hive is what Trello set out to be. With the perfect blend of customization and functionality, Hive is one of the leading project management tools on the market. The platform not only has a plethora of features to offer, but it also makes sure to get the project started with next to no downtime, which is something essential most project management tools lack.
Let’s not talk about Trello, as we all know that it lacks custom charts, reporting, or fields. Hive, on the other hand, not only supports the Kanban layout but also has five more templates that you can tailor according to your workflow. Last but not least, Hive is highly integrable, as it can work with thousands of apps, including Salesforce and Gmail.
Hive features
- Action Cards for Task Management
- Project and Portfolio Management
- Group Messaging and Collaboration
- File Sharing
- Time Tracking
- Workflow Automation
- Analytics Dashboard
8. Wrike
If scalability is what you are after, then Trello simply won’t cut it. Hence, users can try out Wrike, a Trello alternative with custom charts, dashboards to track progress, interactive Gantt charts, resource planning, management facilities, and lastly cross-project visibility.
Wrike, in this regard, is more similar to the above-mentioned Hike, as it can handle multiple projects with the help of cross-project collaboration. The only downside we can find is that Wrike is much more complex. Hence, teams are likely to waste resources on training.
Wrike features
- Task Management and Tracking
- Interactive Gantt Chart
- Real-Time Work Updates
- Document Collaboration
- Resource Management
- Integration Capabilities
- Mobile App
9. Airtable
Airtable is a unique project management tool that lets you manage projects and tasks in a very different way. Airtable’s user-friendly design allows it to adapt to the unique demands of each team. Airtable makes the tedious task of adding, managing, and collaborating data much more interesting.
In addition, you can also insert any content–lengthy text comments, checkboxes, attachments, or links to records in different databases, into Airtable’s highly adaptable data fields.
You can use Airtable to manage your entire company’s customer relationships, including invoicing and billing. With Airtable integrated with your favorite office applications like Slack, Gmail, Dropbox, Google Drive, Zendesk, and even social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter, you can keep track of everything in one place.
Airtable features
- Spreadsheet-like Interface
- Database Functionality
- Custom Views (Grid, Calendar, Kanban, Gallery, Form)
- Collaboration and Commenting
- Automation and App Integration
- File Attachments
10. Active Collab
You’ll need to set up a free account to use this software. It’s available in the cloud or on your own servers, allowing you to completely control your data. Teams can use this task management tool to assign activities, track progress, attach files, set due dates, add reminders, leave comments, and get notifications. Tasks can be organized into lists and filtered by people, categories, or due dates. Collaboration between teams allows them to work on a document simultaneously and make modifications.
You can enter your working hours, and Active Collab calculates the billable hours and displays how much you’ve made this month. Over 200,000 users have signed up for the official collaboration site, over half of which are in government and higher education institutions, small businesses, and even Fortune 500 companies.
Active Collab features
- Task Management
- Time Tracking and Invoicing
- Project Planning with Gantt Charts
- Team Collaboration
- File Sharing
- Reporting
- Integration Capabilities
11. Workzone
Workzone is one of the most popular project management tools on the market, and for a good reason. It’s packed with features like time tracking, Gantt charts, file sharing, and more to help you manage your projects effectively.
Plus, it integrates with several other services like Salesforce, Slack, HipChat, Dropbox, Google Drive, and QuickBooks so that you can get better at efficiency and manage projects faster. In addition, you can stay connected to your team through cloud-based file-sharing services and even manage Individual to-do lists, focusing on each person on what needs to get done.
Workzone features
- Task and Project Management
- Resource Management
- Time Tracking
- Customizable Workflows
- Document management
- Advanced Reporting Features
12. Forecast
Forecast is the best Trello alternative for organizations of all sizes. It’s a time-saving and problem-solving tool that can handle everything from small to large projects. Forecast should be your first choice if you’re searching for the greatest Trello Competitor that caters to all of your project requirements. In addition, it makes project management easy.
You’ll be working with an AI-native platform with Forecast, which includes a project timeline view and the ability to manage projects with ease. Forecast also offers you a way to keep track of projects, budgeting, timesheets, and resources. Fortunately, Forecast can integrate all you need for project planning, management, and tracking into one easy-to-use automated platform from the start to the end.
Forecast features
- Task Management
- Project Visualization
- Workflow Automation
- Team Collaboration
- Customizable Templates
- Integration with other tools (Slack, Google Drive, etc.)
- Mobile App
Our recommendation regarding Trello Alternatives
Asana is a very good project management tool and, by all means, a perfect alternative to Trello. It emphasizes teamwork and collaboration. The software also has several advanced features, such as file sharing, attachments, and monitoring, making it a dynamic tool.
But if you don’t see yourself going for it, then you might as well do what I did, and get yourself a Hive, which is what Trello ought to be. It is in every capacity a direct upgrade to Trello, offering custom charts, reports, and even support for the Kanban layout.
Finally, ClickUp can also be worthwhile, as it is a very user-friendly tool with a focus on Kanban, Scrum, and waterfall project management.