8 best ClickUp alternatives in 2026
Looking for an alternative to ClickUp? These 8 tools do the same job with a different focus. Each one is compared on who it suits, its key features, pros and cons, and what it really costs next to ClickUp.
Why teams look for an alternative to ClickUp
- Steep learning curve for beginners.
- Some features restricted on lower plans.
- Slow loading and unintuitive interface for some.
- Companies needing SAML SSO or SCIM without an Enterprise contract.
- Teams wanting a simple tool with little setup (G2 complaints mention a steep learning curve)
From ClickUp's published plan limits and recurring themes in public reviews. See the ClickUp review for the full picture.
ClickUp alternatives at a glance
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan or trial |
|---|---|---|---|
 ClickUp Current | Small and mid-size teams that want one flexible tool replacing several apps. | $9 per user/month billed annually (Core; regular $12) | Free plan |
 Asana | Cross-functional teams that want timelines and unlimited automations from the Starter tier. | $10.99 per user/month billed annually (Starter) | Free plan |
 monday.com | Small and mid-size teams that want customizable boards and many automations. | $9 per seat/month billed annually (Basic), min. 3 seats | Free plan, Free trial |
 Wrike | Mid-size teams running cross-functional projects with approvals. | $10 per user/month billed annually (Team) | Free plan, Free trial |
 Smartsheet | Teams used to spreadsheets who want structured project tracking. | About $9 per member/month billed yearly (Pro; estimate, the vendor does not clearly label monthly vs yearly prices) | Free trial |
 Trello | Small teams that want a visual Kanban board with minimal setup. | $5 per user per month billed annually (Standard) | Free plan |
 Notion | Startups and small teams combining wiki and project tracking. | Free; Plus $10 per member per month billed annually | Free plan |
 Jira | Software and IT teams running agile sprints and backlogs. | Free up to 10 users; Standard about $8.48 per user per month (monthly, list) | Free plan |
 Basecamp | Small teams or agencies that prefer flat pricing over per-seat. | Free (3 users, 1 project); Freelancer $29 per month | Free plan, Free trial |
The 8 best ClickUp alternatives
Asana
Work management platform with list, board, timeline and Gantt views, where resource management and portfolios start at the Advanced tier.
Asana is a work management platform with list, board, timeline and Gantt views. It stands out for unlimited automations from the Starter tier, while resource management and portfolios begin at the Advanced tier.
- Best for
- Cross-functional teams that want timelines and unlimited automations from the Starter tier.
- Company size
- Small teams to enterprise.
Key features
- Task views and planning
- List, board, calendar on Personal; timeline and Gantt from Starter.
- Workflow automation
- Unlimited automations from Starter.
- Workload and resource management
- Resource management within portfolios on Advanced; organization-wide on Enterprise.
- Time tracking and budgets
- Timesheets and Budgets add-on on Starter; time tracking comparing estimated vs actual effort on Advanced.
Best for
- Cross-functional teams that want timelines and unlimited automations from the Starter tier.
- Companies needing EU, Australia or Japan data hosting (Enterprise add-on)
Not ideal for
- Teams needing SAML SSO or audit logs below Enterprise.
- Very small groups that need more than 2 users free.
Pricing: $10.99 per user/month billed annually (Starter) · Free plan
monday.com
Board-based work management platform with a 3-seat minimum on paid plans and quote-based pricing above 40 users.
monday.com is a board-based work management platform with customizable boards and many automations. Paid plans start at 3 seats, pricing above 40 users is quote-based, and data hosting is available in the US, Germany or Australia.
- Best for
- Small and mid-size teams that want customizable boards and many automations.
- Company size
- G2 Learn article reports 63% small business, 29% mid-market, 8% enterprise users.
Key features
- Task views and planning
- Timeline/Gantt and calendar from Standard.
- Workflow automation
- 250 actions/month Standard, 25,000 Pro, 250,000 Enterprise.
- Workload and resource management
- Portfolio and resource management on Enterprise.
- Time tracking and budgets
- Time tracking on Pro.
Cons
- Reviewers often cite price as the main drawback.
Pricing: $9 per seat/month billed annually (Basic), min. 3 seats · Free plan, Free trial
Wrike
Work management platform for cross-team projects with tiered plans from a free tier up to custom enterprise packages.
Wrike is a work management platform for cross-team projects, with plans from a free tier up to custom enterprise packages. It suits mid-size teams that run approvals across departments, and it offers EU hosting in Paris.
- Best for
- Mid-size teams running cross-functional projects with approvals.
- Company size
- Team 2 to 15 users; Business 5 to 200; Pinnacle and Apex for larger orgs.
Key features
- Integrations
- Wrike Integrate and Two-Way Sync (22 systems) are add-ons, included in Apex.
Pros
- Easy to use for day-to-day task handling.
Cons
- Steep learning curve.
- Interface feels unintuitive.
- Notification issues and missing features reported by third-party reviews.
Pricing: $10 per user/month billed annually (Team) · Free plan, Free trial
Smartsheet
Spreadsheet-style work management platform with sheets, automation and enterprise governance, sold per member.
Smartsheet is a spreadsheet-style work management platform with sheets, automation and enterprise governance, sold per member. It fits teams that already think in spreadsheets and mid-size to large organizations that need SAML SSO and regional hosting.
- Best for
- Teams used to spreadsheets who want structured project tracking.
- Company size
- Pro 1 to 10 members; Business 3+; Enterprise 10+.
Key features
- Workload and resource management
- Resource Management is a paid add-on on Business and Enterprise.
- Integrations
- Directory integrations on Enterprise; Bridge is Enterprise add-on.
Pros
- Good team collaboration and tracking.
- Strong automation options.
- Versatile for many project types.
Cons
- Steep learning curve, especially formulas.
- Expensive.
- Slow performance and Excel-like limits.
Pricing: About $9 per member/month billed yearly (Pro; estimate, the vendor does not clearly label monthly vs yearly prices) · Free trial
Trello
Card-based Kanban board tool from Atlassian that stays simple for small teams and adds timeline, calendar and dashboard views on paid plans.
Trello is Atlassian's card-based Kanban board tool that stays simple for small teams. Paid plans add timeline, calendar, table and dashboard views, while time tracking needs a third-party Power-Up and resource management is not built in.
- Best for
- Small teams that want a visual Kanban board with minimal setup.
- Company size
- Small teams and departments; Enterprise tier for larger orgs.
Key features
- Task views and planning
- Board view on all plans; Calendar, Timeline, Table, Dashboard and Map views on Premium and up.
- Workflow automation
- Built-in automation on every board; 250 command runs per month Free, 1,000 Standard, unlimited Premium and Enterprise.
- Time tracking and budgets
- No native time tracking listed on the pricing page; third-party Power-Ups needed (G2 reviewers also mention this)
- Reporting and dashboards
- Dashboard view on Premium and Enterprise.
Pros
- Very easy to set up and learn.
- Clean drag-and-drop boards suit simple workflows.
- Generous free tier.
Cons
- No native time tracking.
- Struggles with large volumes of tasks and many team members.
- Some Power-Ups are limited or cost extra.
Pricing: $5 per user per month billed annually (Standard) · Free plan
Notion
All-in-one workspace for wikis, docs and lightweight project databases, priced per member with SSO starting on Business.
Notion is an all-in-one workspace for wikis, docs and lightweight databases, priced per member with SSO starting on Business. It suits startups and small teams, has a free plan, and lacks a native help desk.
- Best for
- Startups and small teams combining wiki and project tracking.
- Company size
- Two-thirds of G2 reviews from small business; Enterprise tier for large orgs.
Key features
- Task views and planning
- Timeline, calendar and board views; dependencies.
- Workflow automation
- Automations for task flows and database entries.
- Reporting and dashboards
- Dashboards with charts from multiple sources.
- Integrations
- Slack, GitHub, Jira embeds.
Pros
- Flexibility to build docs, wikis and databases.
- Strong product direction (G2 sub-score 9.4)
Cons
- Learning curve (ease of use 8.3, lowest sub-score)
- Gaps for time tracking and resource planning.
Pricing: Free; Plus $10 per member per month billed annually · Free plan
Jira
Atlassian's issue and project tracker, built for software teams and configurable enough to run general work management at scale.
Jira is Atlassian's issue and project tracker, built for software teams and flexible enough to run general work at scale. It offers boards, backlog, timeline and calendar views, deep workflow customization and a free plan for up to 10 users.
- Best for
- Software and IT teams running agile sprints and backlogs.
- Company size
- Free for up to 10 users; plans scale to 100,000 users.
Key features
- Task views and planning
- Boards, backlog, list, timeline and calendar views (not confirmed by the vendor)
- Workflow automation
- Automation steps per plan: 150 per subscription Free, 400 per user/month Standard, 750 Premium, 1,000 Enterprise.
Pros
- Highly customizable workflows.
- Strong integrations and ecosystem.
- Good for team collaboration on software work.
Cons
- Steep learning curve.
- Setup is harder than simpler tools (G2 ease of setup around 7.6)
Pricing: Free up to 10 users; Standard about $8.48 per user per month (monthly, list) · Free plan
Basecamp
Flat-price project tool from 37signals that bundles message boards, to-dos, chat, scheduling and file storage instead of charging per seat.
Basecamp is a project tool from 37signals that bundles message boards, to-dos, chat, scheduling and file storage under flat pricing. It stands out for its calm, async style of working, though it lacks detailed Gantt charts and advanced reporting.
- Best for
- Small teams or agencies that prefer flat pricing over per-seat.
- Company size
- Small teams; 20+ users require Pro Unlimited.
Key features
- Task views and planning
- To-dos, Card Tables (Kanban style), scheduling; Gantt-style timeline not listed.
- Workflow automation
- Automatic check-ins only; no rule-based automation listed.
- Time tracking and budgets
- Listed in plan features; availability on Freelancer and Pro is unclear on the vendor's pricing page.
- Reporting and dashboards
- Reports and automatic check-ins on all plans.
Pros
- Calm, straightforward interface.
- Easy setup and admin (G2 sub-scores 8.6 to 8.7)
- Flat pricing is predictable.
Cons
- Lacks advanced features such as detailed Gantt charts.
- Support scores trail some competitors (8.4 on G2)
Pricing: Free (3 users, 1 project); Freelancer $29 per month · Free plan, Free trial
How to choose a ClickUp alternative
Start with what made you look: a missing feature, a team that outgrew the plan or a bill that grew faster than the team. Then compare the shortlist on the points that matter most for this kind of software.
- Task views and planning: Kanban, list, Gantt and calendar views decide whether different teams can plan work the way they already think.
- Workflow automation: Rules and templates cut repetitive status updates and handoffs.
- Workload and resource management: Shows who is overbooked, which matters once several projects compete for the same people.
- Time tracking and budgets: Needed by agencies and service teams to bill clients and control project cost.
- Reporting and dashboards: Gives managers status across projects without asking for updates.
- Integrations: Connections to Slack, Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, GitHub and CRM decide how well the tool fits existing tools.
What the alternatives cost compared with ClickUp
For 20 users on the cheapest plan that fits, ClickUp costs $2,160 a year at list price. 2 of the alternatives cost less at that size.
| Tool | Starting price | Per seat per month | Pricing model | 20 users per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ClickUp | $9 per user/month billed annually (Core; regular $12) | $17 on Business billed annually (regular price $25) | per user | $2,160 |
| Trello | $5 per user per month billed annually (Standard) | $5 on Standard (annual), $6 monthly; Premium $10 annual. | per user | $1,200 |
| Jira | Free up to 10 users; Standard about $8.48 per user per month (monthly, list) | $8.48 on Standard (monthly list price); volume tiers lower the average at higher seat counts. | per user | $2,035 |
| Notion | Free; Plus $10 per member per month billed annually | $10 on Plus (annual); $20 on Business, which is the first plan with SAML SSO. | per user | $2,400 |
| monday.com | $9 per seat/month billed annually (Basic), min. 3 seats | $12 per seat/month billed annually (Standard, 3 seats minimum); $19 on Pro for time tracking. | per user | $2,160 |
| Smartsheet | About $9 per member/month billed yearly (Pro; estimate, the vendor does not clearly label monthly vs yearly prices) | About $19 on Business billed yearly (estimated; the vendor does not clearly label monthly vs yearly prices) | per user | $4,560 |
| Asana | $10.99 per user/month billed annually (Starter) | $24.99 per user/month billed annually on Advanced (Starter $10.99 lacks resource management) | per user | $2,638 |
| Wrike | $10 per user/month billed annually (Team) | $25 on Business billed annually. | per user | $6,000 |
| Basecamp | Free (3 users, 1 project); Freelancer $29 per month | Flat price, no per-seat fee; 20 users need Pro Unlimited ($199 per month annual, about $9.95 per user) | flat | Not published |
When to stay with ClickUp
- Small and mid-size teams that want one flexible tool replacing several apps.
- Teams that need a free plan with unlimited members.
- Teams comfortable configuring custom fields and automations.
ClickUp alternatives: frequently asked questions
What is the best alternative to ClickUp?
Asana is the closest alternative for most teams: cross-functional teams that want timelines and unlimited automations from the Starter tier. monday.com suits teams that small and mid-size teams that want customizable boards and many automations.
Is there a free alternative to ClickUp?
Asana, monday.com, Wrike, Trello, Notion, Jira and Basecamp offer a free plan. Free plans usually cap users, features or history, so check the limits against your team size.
What is cheaper than ClickUp?
For 20 users on the cheapest plan that fits, Trello ($1,200 a year) and Jira ($2,035 a year) cost less than ClickUp ($2,160 a year), based on published list prices.