ClickUp vs Trello

Finding the right project management tool for your business is like discovering a superpower. I’m a big believer that project management systems can change the game for your productivity! That’s why I’m breaking down the differences in ClickUp vs Trello.

Full disclosure – the Hey Jessica team uses ClickUp and LOVES IT. But I know that project management systems aren’t one size fits all! I have used Trello in the past and really enjoyed it, too. This comparison is to help you decide which one works best for you when it comes to ClickUp vs Trello.

Ease of Use

Trello is super easy to pick up and start using right away. It’s a very straightforward system! Trello consists of boards and cards that represent tasks. Boards are separated into different sections, and then each section can house tasks. So you could have sections like “to start, in progress, in review, completed” and move tasks within each. Inside of each task, you can add checklists, images, and information, but that’s about as far as it goes.

ClickUp is a much more intricate program and it does have a bit of a learning curve. But I think that learning it is TOTALLY worth it for all of its amazing features! And if you need a jump start, I actually have a $27 course dedicated to teaching you all the things about ClickUp.

ClickUp lets you organize your projects into overarching spaces, and then into a ton of different views. You can stick to a board view like you’d see on Trello, a list view like on Asana, a calendar view (my personal fave), mind maps, and more. You can add images, links, checklists, and a ton of other things into each task.

Features

ClickUp definitely beats Trello in the features category. But Trello has some great features, too!

Trello allows you to add checklists to each task. You can also set up recurring tasks if you know a certain task needs to happen on a revolving basis. You can also add a due date and assignee to each individual item in a checklist, which is a great way to help manage a team!

For me, ClickUp’s automations are the feature that blows Trello out of the water. Trello does allow certain automations using the external Butler feature, but ClickUp’s automations knock that out of the water.

For example, using automations in ClickUp, you can automatically add a checklist to a task when it’s added to a certain list. Or, automatically assign a task to a person when it’s added to a certain space. You can also set up automatic due dates, which I love!

ClickUp also allows you the ability to see an EVERYTHING view. Whereas Trello limits you to seeing everything on a certain board, ClickUp gives you a birds-eye view of EVERYTHING in every single one of your spaces. And you can choose to see only everything that’s assigned to you on a calendar view if you’re looking to make a schedule for your week!

Depending on the way your brain works, you might not need all of those features! As a solopreneur, I definitely didn’t. But ClickUp still wins in the feature category, hands down.

Style Options

Each project management system has its own style, and you might gravitate more to one than another.

Trello is set up in a Kanban system. It has columns and sections and you move things across the board – it’s very visual, so if you think that way, it’s great! However, you can’t switch it from that Kanban view.

ClickUp, on the other hand, allows you to change and customize your view on every single list. So you can keep that traditional board Kanban system, or swap it out for a list, a mind map, a table, or even a Ganntt chart. My favorite view is the calendar view, which is GREAT for planning out my content.

I really like the option to change the view in each space because everyone’s brain works differently. I may have team members whose brain functions better looking at things in a list, while I prefer the visual board view. In my YouTube space, for example, I want to see which video is going live on which date. My editor may very well want to view the YouTube process in list form and only see which things are assigned to her. We can both do both things! You don’t need the same view for different spaces across your team.

As far as the winner goes in style options, it’s going to depend on what you love – but I think ClickUp kicks everybody’s butt in this category because you have so many different view options and can pick the best one for each space and team member.

Cost

Trello charges per user within the system. There is a free option, so if you don’t need a team or some of its additional features, then it might not cost you at all! There is a business class level that costs $9.99 per user per month. You can check out all of their pricing options here.

ClickUp has a free forever plan that allows you unlimited users, unlimited tasks, and a certain amount of storage. You won’t have access to some of their more advanced features and views, but you can have a team! They have an unlimited plan that costs $5 per user per month, and a business plan for $9 per user per month, which is my choice.

I hope that helps shed some light on ClickUp vs Trello and how each might work for your business! If you decide to try out ClickUp and want a jump start, check out my course here!