Software directory
8 ClickUp alternatives for 2026
The tools buyers compare with ClickUp, side by side on price, pricing model and what each one is built for.
Why teams look beyond 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 sources.
ClickUp vs. its alternatives
| Tool | Pricing model | Starting price | G2 rating | Task views and planning | Workflow automation | Time tracking and budgets | Reporting and dashboards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 ClickUp Current | per user | $9 per user/month billed annually (Core; regular $12) | 4.6 (13,158 reviews) | 1K automations/month on Core, 10K on Business (pricing page) | Timesheets listed from Business plan. | ||
 Asana | per user | $10.99 per user/month billed annually (Starter) | 4.4 (13,232 reviews) | List, board, calendar on Personal; timeline and Gantt from Starter. | Unlimited automations from Starter. | Timesheets and Budgets add-on on Starter; time tracking comparing estimated vs actual effort on Advanced. | Portfolios and goals on Advanced. |
 monday.com | per user | $9 per seat/month billed annually (Basic), min. 3 seats | 4.7 (15,000 reviews) | Timeline/Gantt and calendar from Standard. | 250 actions/month Standard, 25,000 Pro, 250,000 Enterprise. | Time tracking on Pro. | |
 Wrike | per user | $10 per user/month billed annually (Team) | 4.2 (4,540 reviews) | ||||
 Smartsheet | per user | About $9 per member/month billed yearly (Pro; estimate, the vendor does not clearly label monthly vs yearly prices) | 4.4 (22,617 reviews) | ||||
 Trello | per user | $5 per user per month billed annually (Standard) | 4.4 (14,050 reviews) | Board view on all plans; Calendar, Timeline, Table, Dashboard and Map views on Premium and up. | Built-in automation on every board; 250 command runs per month Free, 1,000 Standard, unlimited Premium and Enterprise. | No native time tracking listed on the pricing page; third-party Power-Ups needed (G2 reviewers also mention this) | Dashboard view on Premium and Enterprise. |
 Notion | per user | Free; Plus $10 per member per month billed annually | 4.6 (10,967 reviews) | Timeline, calendar and board views; dependencies. | Automations for task flows and database entries. | Dashboards with charts from multiple sources. | |
 Jira | per user | Free up to 10 users; Standard about $8.48 per user per month (monthly, list) | 4.3 (7,891 reviews) | Boards, backlog, list, timeline and calendar views (not verified) | Automation steps per plan: 150 per subscription Free, 400 per user/month Standard, 750 Premium, 1,000 Enterprise. | ||
 Basecamp | flat | Free (3 users, 1 project); Freelancer $29 per month | 4.1 (5,400 reviews) | To-dos, Card Tables (Kanban style), scheduling; Gantt-style timeline not listed. | Automatic check-ins only; no rule-based automation listed. | Listed in plan features; availability on Freelancer and Pro is unclear on the vendor's pricing page. | Reports and automatic check-ins on all plans. |
The alternatives in detail
Asana
Work management platform with list, board, timeline and Gantt views, where resource management and portfolios start at the Advanced tier.
- Starting price
- $10.99 per user/month billed annually (Starter)
- Pricing model
- per user
- G2 rating
- 4.4 (13,232 reviews)
- 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.
Choose it if
- Cross-functional teams that want timelines and unlimited automations from the Starter tier.
- Companies needing EU, Australia or Japan data hosting (Enterprise add-on)
Skip it if
- Teams needing SAML SSO or audit logs below Enterprise.
- Very small groups that need more than 2 users free.
Worth knowing
- SAML SSO, SCIM and audit logs are Enterprise only; paid lower plans only allow requiring Microsoft SSO.
- Data residency (Europe, Australia, Japan) is an opt-in Enterprise add-on.
- No refunds; seat additions come in steps (1 at a time for 2-5 users, 5 up to 30, 10 up to 100)
monday.com
Board-based work management platform with a 3-seat minimum on paid plans and quote-based pricing above 40 users.
- Starting price
- $9 per seat/month billed annually (Basic), min. 3 seats
- Pricing model
- per user
- G2 rating
- 4.7 (15,000 reviews)
- 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.
Choose it if
- Small and mid-size teams that want customizable boards and many automations.
- Teams that need data hosting in the US, Germany or Australia.
Skip it if
- Groups larger than 40 users who want self-serve pricing (quote required)
- Solo users or pairs needing more than the free 2-seat plan, since paid plans start at 3 seats.
Worth knowing
- Paid plans have a 3-seat minimum; above 40 users a quote is required.
- Per vendor FAQ monthly billing is not discounted and annual saves 18%.
- Resource and portfolio management only on Enterprise; time tracking only from Pro.
Wrike
Work management platform for cross-team projects with tiered plans from a free tier up to custom enterprise packages.
- Starting price
- $10 per user/month billed annually (Team)
- Pricing model
- per user
- G2 rating
- 4.2 (4,540 reviews)
- Integrations
- Wrike Integrate and Two-Way Sync (22 systems) are add-ons, included in Apex.
- Pricing model and real cost
- Per user per month billed annually; seat blocks; add-ons priced separately.
- Target company size
- Team 2 to 15 users; Business 5 to 200; Pinnacle and Apex for larger orgs.
Choose it if
- Mid-size teams running cross-functional projects with approvals.
- Organizations that want EU hosting in Paris.
Skip it if
- Teams over 200 seats wanting self-serve pricing (Business capped at 200 users)
- Small teams that dislike a steep learning curve.
Worth knowing
- Business is annual-only and capped at 200 users; Team is capped at 15.
- Seats are sold in blocks of 5, 10 or 25 depending on size.
- Wrike requires guided deployment for teams of 20 or more (price not listed)
Smartsheet
Spreadsheet-style work management platform with sheets, automation and enterprise governance, sold per member.
- Starting price
- About $9 per member/month billed yearly (Pro; estimate, the vendor does not clearly label monthly vs yearly prices)
- Pricing model
- per user
- G2 rating
- 4.4 (22,617 reviews)
- 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.
- Pricing model and real cost
- Per member; contributors and guests unlimited and free; add-ons like Dynamic View (from $125/month) and Data Shuttle (from $100/month)
- Target company size
- Pro 1 to 10 members; Business 3+; Enterprise 10+.
Choose it if
- Teams used to spreadsheets who want structured project tracking.
- Mid-size and large organizations needing governance, SAML SSO and regional hosting.
Skip it if
- Small teams on a tight budget (G2 reviewers often cite price)
- Teams wanting a quick setup without learning formulas.
Worth knowing
- SAML SSO and user provisioning (directory integrations) only on Enterprise and Advanced Work Management; Business has Google/Microsoft/Apple login.
- Resource management, Dynamic View and Data Shuttle are paid add-ons even on Business.
- Event reporting (six months of logs), data egress and CMEK are Enterprise add-ons.
Trello
Card-based Kanban board tool from Atlassian that stays simple for small teams and adds timeline, calendar and dashboard views on paid plans.
- Starting price
- $5 per user per month billed annually (Standard)
- Pricing model
- per user
- G2 rating
- 4.4 (14,050 reviews)
- 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.
Choose it if
- Small teams that want a visual Kanban board with minimal setup.
- Teams already on Atlassian products.
- Free-tier users with up to 10 collaborators per Workspace.
Skip it if
- Teams needing built-in time tracking or resource management.
- Large portfolios with many dependent projects.
- Teams wanting SSO without a separate Atlassian Guard subscription.
Worth knowing
- Standard and Premium do not list SSO; SAML SSO needs the separate Atlassian Guard subscription (from $4 per user per month per Trello pricing page) unless on Enterprise.
- Free plan limit is 10 collaborators per Workspace, not per board.
- Timeline, Calendar, Table and Dashboard views start at Premium, $10 per user per month annual.
Notion
All-in-one workspace for wikis, docs and lightweight project databases, priced per member with SSO starting on Business.
- Starting price
- Free; Plus $10 per member per month billed annually
- Pricing model
- per user
- G2 rating
- 4.6 (10,967 reviews)
- 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.
Choose it if
- Startups and small teams combining wiki and project tracking.
- Teams wanting flexible databases and docs in one tool.
Skip it if
- Teams needing time tracking or workload planning.
- Companies needing SCIM or audit logs below Enterprise.
Worth knowing
- SAML SSO starts on Business ($20); SCIM and audit log are Enterprise only.
- Data residency is Enterprise only.
- Business Associate Agreement (HIPAA) available to Enterprise only.
Jira
Atlassian's issue and project tracker, built for software teams and configurable enough to run general work management at scale.
- Starting price
- Free up to 10 users; Standard about $8.48 per user per month (monthly, list)
- Pricing model
- per user
- G2 rating
- 4.3 (7,891 reviews)
- Task views and planning
- Boards, backlog, list, timeline and calendar views (not verified)
- Workflow automation
- Automation steps per plan: 150 per subscription Free, 400 per user/month Standard, 750 Premium, 1,000 Enterprise.
- Pricing model and real cost
- Per user per month with volume tiers; Free up to 10 users.
- Target company size
- Free for up to 10 users; plans scale to 100,000 users.
Choose it if
- Software and IT teams running agile sprints and backlogs.
- Organizations already on Atlassian (Confluence, Bitbucket)
- Companies needing deep workflow customization and up to 100,000 users.
Skip it if
- Non-technical teams wanting a no-training tool (G2 reviewers cite a steep learning curve)
- Teams that need SSO but want it bundled on a low plan (needs Guard below Enterprise)
Worth knowing
- SSO, SCIM and AD sync require Atlassian Guard Standard on Free, Standard and Premium; only Enterprise includes them.
- Free plan is capped at 10 users and has no audit logs; Standard is the lowest tier with audit logs.
- Premium list price applies to instances of 1 to 100 users per an older version of Atlassian's Premium FAQ.
Basecamp
Flat-price project tool from 37signals that bundles message boards, to-dos, chat, scheduling and file storage instead of charging per seat.
- Starting price
- Free (3 users, 1 project); Freelancer $29 per month
- Pricing model
- flat
- G2 rating
- 4.1 (5,400 reviews)
- 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.
Choose it if
- Small teams or agencies that prefer flat pricing over per-seat.
- Teams wanting calm async communication with to-dos and message boards.
- Cost-sensitive nonprofits (10% discount) and schools (free for class work)
Skip it if
- Teams needing detailed Gantt charts or advanced reporting (G2 reviewers note this)
- Buyers needing documented SSO, SOC 2 or EU data hosting.
- Teams above 15 users unless on Pro Unlimited.
Worth knowing
- Plans cap users (Free 3, Freelancer 5, Pro 10, Pro Plus 15); only Pro Unlimited at $199 per month annual has no cap.
- Monthly billing on Pro Unlimited costs $329 per month versus $199 annual, about 40% more.
- Security page lists a PCI DSS self-assessment, CAIQ v4.1 and HECVAT questionnaires; no SOC 2 for 37signals itself, and application databases are generally not encrypted at rest.
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.