21 ClickUp Alternatives to Manage Projects Smarter in 2024
ClickUp is a good tool for teams, but there are many alternatives that could be better suited for your use-case, particularly if you’re a project or program manager. At its core, the concept of project management has been around since the early 20th century with the introduction of Henry Gantt’s handy chart. But over the past decade, project management technology and the push towards hybrid working has brought this concept to the forefront like never before.
There are many project management platforms on the market, but each one comes with its own advantages and downfalls. To choose the best project management tool for your team, you have to consider your workflow, desired features, and overall project goals you need to achieve. And while ClickUp is a leading collaboration tool for teams, it might not be the best fit for yours.
So if you’ve tried ClickUp and found it too complicated or difficult to navigate – or if you’re just researching and comparing the project management software market – here are our recommended ClickUp alternatives to help you and your team work smarter.
1. Hive
If you’re looking for a project management platform designed with you in mind, look no further than Hive. Hive is the first and only productivity platform built based on user feedback, meaning that you get to choose which product updates and new features will actually improve your workday. Hive is built for users, by users — all of the functionality you need, plus all of the features you want.
In comparison to ClickUp, Hive is more intuitive, streamlined and customizable for users regardless of prior project management experience. For example, ClickUp has views like “Everything” view, which can be overwhelming. On the other hand, Hive has customizable Summary views (in addition to 7 other flexible project layouts) that only pull in the information that you need.
Additionally, ClickUp’s reporting views must be manually built out in complex dashboards – this requires a high degree of PM knowledge that is inaccessible for small teams. Hive offers pre-designed dashboards for Timesheets and Resourcing, as well as customizable Pages where you simply add widgets to create the dashboard you need. ClickUp also lacks a Team View and the ability to search for an action based on assignee, which are both available in Hive.
Features of Hive include:
- Flexible project views including Gantt, Kanban, Calendar, List, Table & more
- Automation tools to streamline repetitive workflows and connect external apps
- Goal-tracking capabilities
- Collaborative note-taking
- Time-tracking and resourcing
- Proofing & approvals
- AI-powered assistant
- Best-in-class customer support
Pricing: Hive offers a free-forever plan for teams up to 10. Hive Starter is the most affordable paid plan on the market, starting at $5 per user per month (compared to ClickUp’s $7 plan). To level up from there, Hive Teams offers unlimited project management for only $12 per user per month. Learn about all pricing plans here.
Start a 14-day free trial with Hive to get the hang of the tool and decide whether it has the right functionalities for you and your team. There’s a reason why thousands of teams are already choosing Hive over ClickUp and all of the other tools listed below!
2. Wrike
Wrike is another great option if your team needs enhanced project management capabilities, but this tool is more expensive than the freemium ClickUp pricing model. With Wrike, you can build custom workflows and automate processes in app, but this comes at a price. Wrike’s enterprise licenses are around $50 per user per month, which means that everyone needs to be thoroughly trained in the tool to make the most of it.
Another Wrike functionality that could be useful for your team and is unique to this tool are shared team calendars, which help you keep due dates for approvals clear, and keep priorities aligned across the organization. To see how Wrike stacks up against another tools on the market, check out our full guide to Wrike alternatives.
3. Asana
Asana, one of the first tools in the project management spade to “make it big,” is a great ClickUp alternative because it’s one of the most well-known tools on the market, and chances are that many people on your team have had experience with it. As it was many people’s first experience with project management, some users have an affinity to Asana’s layout, as opposed to ClickUp’s overwhelming interface.
Where ClickUp lacks the visibility into team workload, Asana has a specific “workload” feature, similar to Hive’s Team view, that gives you insight into what your team is working on and how things are progressing. Asana also allows you to track work against goals, which is really helpful for macro-level planning and helps provide a summary of work for the executive team.
To see how Asana stacks up against another tools on the market, check out our full guide to Asana alternatives.
4. Flow
If your goal is streamlining all conversations, projects, and tasks, Flow wins every time over ClickUp. This tool will help your team fully visualize the project lifecycle, and plan out comprehensive project timelines. If visuals are your thing, Flow tops the list of ClickUp alternatives. However, in Flow’s project timeline view, the chart is almost too visually appealing and lacks some of the important information you need to know for each task.
Additionally, Flow lets you take chat messages and transfer them right into next steps, so you never miss a beat. This makes it an ideal alternative to ClickUp if you’ve got a small team and need to ensure that everyone is on the same page at all times.
5. Trello
If ClickUp is WAY too complicated for your team, Trello is one of our top-recommended ClickUp alternatives. It’s a great option for small teams or individuals looking to utilize a simple project management tool. The tool is Kanban board-based, which is a project management methodology started by an industrial engineer in the 40s. Cards are the basics of Trello, which you can organize into different phases on the board.
You can also color-code and attach images or files to the cards, and invite team members to collaborate on a board with you for a more interactive experience. One major negative with Trello is that each board only corresponds to one project, so if you want to create two bigger projects, you need to make two boards. That being said, Trello wins as one of our top ClickUp alternatives for its simplicity and intuitive nature.
To see how Trello stacks up against another tools on the market, check out our full guide to Trello alternatives.
6. Basecamp
Basecamp is a cloud-based tool with lots of features for individuals, project managers or even marketing teams that enables collaboration on tasks. This is one of our favorite ClickUp alternatives because of the interesting pricing plan – you can score a ton of seats for only $99. Some of the features include to-do lists for tasks, which can be assigned to different users, and tasks that the system will automatically follow up on when the due date lapses.
Basecamp also has a real-time group chat feature, which ClickUp lacks, and a tool that enables the client to view the progress of the project. As with the majority of services on this list, Basecamp can also be integrated with other products for reporting, analysis, and time tracking, among other features. Aside from its cloud-based solution, Basecamp can be integrated with iOS, Android, Mac, and PC.
To see how Basecamp stacks up against another tools on the market, check out our full guide to Basecamp alternatives.
7. Smartsheet
If you grew up on Excel, this is definitely one of the best ClickUp alternatives. Smartsheet is a project management software that is based on a table view, which looks similar to a spreadsheet. This tool is cloud-based, and also allows users to switch between a few other data visualization views.
Smartsheet also has work automation flows that help you reduce manual work and automate recurring tasks, which helps take over some of the more mundane day-to-day work. If you’re looking for enterprise-level project management, this is a great alternative to ClickUp. For other similar tools, here are some of the best Smartsheet alternatives to consider.
8. Proofhub
Proofhub is an all-inclusive work management software that helps you manage projects like a pro and maximize productivity across your entire team. It is a powerful online software designed to help organize projects, collaborate with teams, streamline workflows, and store files in one place. The tool comes with features including Gantt charts, Kanban boards, a proofing tool, internal collaboration tools, a discussion board, and so much more.
While Proofhub does not offer a freemium plan like ClickUp does, Proofhub subscribers can create unlimited projects and add unlimited users for a set monthly cost. It’s ‘Essential’ plan starts at $50/month, while its ‘Ultimate’ plan starts at $99/month. This is great for large enterprise organizations who may rack up costs by paying for each user.
9. ProProfs Project
ProProfs Project is a simple project management tool on our list of top ClickUp alternatives that is powerful enough to handle multiple projects simultaneously. ClickUp can be overwhelming for new users with too many features to offer, making tool adoption difficult. That’s where ProProfs Project outweighs ClickUp. Its simple and intuitive platform lets team members easily come together to accomplish shared business goals, without feeling bogged down with unnecessary, confusing features.
ProProfs Project eases team collaboration via task comments and file sharing. Also, its task management capabilities allow you to organize tasks, assign resources, and define due dates within seconds. You can even prioritize tasks and set milestones to accomplish projects within the defined timeline and budget. Overall, the it’s one of the best ClickUp alternatives for managing people, projects, and processes in one place.
10. nTask
Another great ClickUp alternative, especially for teams at small and medium businesses, is nTask. Like many other leading tools, nTask offers different interfaces to visualize projects, including Gantt charts and Kanban boards. In addition to traditional task management, the platform has time-tracking capabilities including timesheets and an automatic task timer.
The application also includes team chat tools, meeting management capabilities, and issue-tracking, making it useful for teams in many different industries. Premium Plans start at $3 per month, with the more robust business plans starting at $8 per month.
11. Teamwork
Teamwork is a ClickUp alternative for task and project management. The software has flexible and powerful features for teams who work in complex projects. Some of their highlighted features are the billing and invoice, project time budget, scheduling, integrated team chat and burndown reporting. Teamwork also supports pre-built templates and different visual layouts, including Gantt charts view.
Some of the key features of the application includes time-tracking, sub-tasks and task dependency, billing and invoicing, project time budget, and management resources (burndown reporting). Paid plan starts at $10 monthly for a minimum of 3 users.
12. Scoro
Another alternative to ClickUp is the project management software Scoro. The application features focus on speeding performance, with solutions such as agile methodologies, Gantt view, Kanban board view, issue management and time & expense tracking. Scoro’s KPI dashboard also offers a holistic view of each aspect of the business, allowing users to track projects, workflow, and financial KPIs in real-time.
Scoro’s pricing begins at $26 per user/month for a minimum of 5 users. The Essential plan includes projects, calendars, task list & task board, contacts & customers, quotes, invoices & receipts, bills, dashboards and summary of financial reports. On the downside, Scoro doesn’t have a free version, only a free trial, while ClickUp has a free version with limited features.
13. Taskque
Taskque is a project management software that helps teams work on focused tasks while keeping the workflow simple. Taskque allows users to stay connected and track progress with features like automated assignment processes. The interface is set up to quickly and efficiently assign tasks to resources as they are freed up and ensures that no resources are overworked or underused. The software allows the user to create separate workspaces for each project, each featuring its own to-do lists, notifications, and conversation threads.
Up to 10 users can get started with Taskque for free and for only a $5/month per user upgrade, Taskque’s features expand to include extended summary reports, access control and user roles.
14. Airtable
Airtable is a low-code and easy-to-follow alternative platform to ClickUp. The software allows integrations with the most popular tools, including Google Workspace, Slack, Facebook and Twitter. A standout of Airtable as a project management solution is its interface and real-time collaborative experience, with the ability to see projects and tasks in a grid-like view, as well as Kanban boards, Gantt charts, and calendar views. When it comes to onboarding, Airtable offers live online webinars, documentation, and video training.
Airtable has a free plan that includes up to 5 creators or editors and lets you create unlimited bases, have unlimited commenters and read-only users. Airtable’s free plan also includes up to 1,200 records per base and a total of 2GB of attachments per base. Paid plans start at $10/month and offer several premium features such as custom branded forms, automatic table syncing, and sync integrations (including Jira Cloud). Not convinced that this platform is one of the best Clickup alternatives for your team? See how Airtable compares to others in the same category.
15. Monday.com
Another great choice if you’re looking for an alternative to ClickUp is Monday.com, a project management software that offers a variety of features. There’s task management and dependency tracking, as well as several app integrations, such as Slack, Asana, HubSpot CRM, and Jira.
Monday.com offers native social media management and free educational webinars for all subscribers. It also has an intuitive interface with animations, pop-up text and color schemes which can be easier to jump into than with ClickUp’s very customizable workspace which can be a lengthy process to create. Additional noteworthy features of Monday.com include: boards & columns, task automation, checklists, app integration, and numerous options for views like file view, Kanban view, form view, and chart view.
Both Monday.com and ClickUp give users excellent privacy and security features such as data encryption in transit and at rest. Monday.com has a free plan for up to 2 users with some feature limitations. Plans start at $8/user/month, with a 14-day free trial to try it out before you buy.
Want to learn more? Check out these top Monday.com alternatives for even more tools on the market.
Other noteable ClickUp alternatives:
16. Notion
Notion is a task management software that allows you to organize your projects in very structured ways with lots of control. Though it is not as robust when it comes to features and integrations, Notion does offer some very unique features that you won’t find in ClickUp. The main one is the ability to create powerful interlinking of content between your project boards. Instead of copying and pasting information, you can simply link tasks or connect existing cards, with all of the data preserved.
Along with a visually appealing dashboard and loads of templates to help you hit the floor running, Notion is a great alternative to Clickup. Notion‘s free plan has lots of great features to get your personal and work life organized, with paid plans starting at $8/user/month for larger teams with more needs.
Check out these top alternatives to Notion to learn about other similar tools on the market.
17. Zoho Projects
Zoho Projects is a project management tool that can also be a good alternative to ClickUp. Zoho Projects gives users the ability to customize the software to their specific needs with a simple interface. It also features robust collaboration capabilities, with real-time team messaging and in-app comments helping team members stay connected and work together seamlessly. Zoho Projects integrates with a range of popular tools like Google Apps, Dropbox, and Zapier, conveniently joining it into existing workflows and giving access to other important tools in one place.
Zoho Projects offers a free plan for up to three users and two projects, with features that include task management, project feeds, and collaboration tools. Paid plans start at just $5 per user per month, and include more advanced features like time tracking and budgeting, as well as unlimited projects.
18. Workzone
Workzone is an exceptional project management alternative to ClickUp because of its simplicity and user-friendliness. ClickUp is great for its extensive set of features, though it can be a bit overwhelming for teams that are new to project management software. In contrast, Workzone offers a clean and intuitive interface that makes it easier for teams to adapt. Additionally, Workzone provides a wide range of features for managing larger projects or multiple projects at once, such as workload reports, time tracking, and to-do lists. In a sense, Workzone is similar to ClickUp but presented in a more digestible manner.
On the flip side, while Workzone’s simplicity is its strength, it can also be its weakness, especially for teams looking for more customization options and advanced features. ClickUp gives you more options in terms of task views (like Box view and Gantt view), as well as useful custom fields and integrations. Workzone pricing begins at $24/user/month for teams of 5 or more and goes up to enterprise pricing at $43/user/month.
19. MeisterTask
MeisterTask has a simplistic and intuitive design, making it a great choice as an alternative to ClickUp for project management. MeisterTask allows for straightforward task creation, assignment, and tracking, which is ideal for teams that prioritize the user experience. Its user-friendly interface can be easier to navigate for those who find ClickUp’s numerous features and options overwhelming. It also offers excellent visualization of project stages with its Kanban-style boards and its Timeline view.
While MeisterTask’s simplicity is a strength, it might not match ClickUp’s wide range of features, which includes time tracking, goal setting, and more detailed reporting. Also, even though MeisterTask does provide integrations with popular tools like Slack, G Suite, and Github, it doesn’t compare with ClickUp’s vast array of over 1000 integrations. MeisterTask pricing starts at $11.99/user/month and there’s a free forever plan available which includes core task management features for single users.
20. Toggl Plan
Toggl Plan is a good alternative to ClickUp when managing projects and teams if you are looking for a basic and simple task management solution. Overall, Toggle Plan lets you see task statuses, set deadlines, add subtasks, and define task estimates. Plus, its tag feature for tasks makes searching, filtering and classifying projects and segments easier. Another great feature of Toggl Plan is its Chrome and Firefox extensions, which allows you to create a task on any page you visit with the click of a button.
While ClickUp has a free plan, Toggl Plan doesn’t. You will need an upgrade if you want to invite clients and external users to Toggl Plan. Toggl plan offers a free trial to test out the platform, with its premium plan starting at $8 per user, per month. Premium plans include additional features such as team planning, recurring tasks, and time tracking.
21. Aha!
Aha! is a good ClickUp alternative, as it offers features to manage projects with great customization and flexibility. The tool is ideal for product development tracking, with capabilities for roadmapping, release planning, and feature prioritization. With Aha! Ideas, you have the chance to collect customer feedback and crowdsource ideas. Capture insights using Aha! Notebooks using Aha’s virtual whiteboard. The platform offers a vast library of templates to facilitate the project tracking and management. With Aha! Develop, your product team can choose the best methodology to work in from scrum, kanban or SAFe®.
You can try all Aha! products for free, but there are different price ranges for each service. Aha! Roadmaps plan starts at $59 per user/month. Aha! Ideas plan starts at $39 per user/month. Aha! Notebooks and Aha! Develop plans start at $9 per user/month.
Did we miss any ClickUp alternatives that you’ve considered or chosen over ClickUp as a project management tool for your team? Let us know in the comments below.
