Looking for open-source free Trello alternatives to manage your projects? We've rounded up some of the best options, all of which have free plans.
Trello uses the popular Kanban method, which allows you to track the progress of your projects from one stage to the next until completion. However, the basic version of Trello limits boards to ten tasks at a time, which may not be enough for complex projects. In addition, the Kanban view may not always work for your team, which is why it's worth looking into other options. So what is a free alternative to Trello?
Choosing the right solution for your business is difficult because of the multitude of choices available. To make it easier for you, we've looked at the market leaders and newcomers and narrowed it down to 5 legitimate alternatives to Trello.
In this article, we'll give you an overview of the five best open source free Trello alternatives that will work for a variety of projects and teams. Let's get started!
Table of Contents
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An Introduction To Trello
The key aspect that set Trello apart from other project management software tools was the Kanban board feature.
A kanban board is essentially a visual representation of different projects at different stages. It was originally a way to visualize the progress of projects at Toyota using whiteboards. Trello founder, Joel Spolsky, later used this concept to create a more user-friendly interface for collaboration and project management.
Today, all major project management software tools (including Asana, Jira, Microsoft Project and Planner) offer this Kanban board feature.
Generally speaking, this makes them all very similar to Trello in terms of usability.
Best Free Trello Alternatives
Now that you know why Trello may not be the right solution for you, let's look at five of the best open source free alternatives. Each of these tools will make managing your projects easier. So which solution is best for you will depend on the features you need.
Asana
Our number one recommendation is Asana, one of the leading project and task management tools on the market. It comes with a range of features comparable to Trello, such as the Kanban board view (much like Trello) and advanced workflow automation.
If you like Trello user experience (UX), you'll probably like Asana's drag-and-drop interface. It allows you to assign tasks and move them from one step to the next with a few clicks. In addition, you can view and edit details, add files, and attach team conversations to relevant tasks.
Additionally, you can view your team workload in a table, list, or calendar format. In this manner, you can easily track the progress of each task and prioritize accordingly. You can also integrate Asana with over 100 third-party apps, such as Slack, Dropbox, and Salesforce, to ensure your workflows run smoothly.
Besides everything mentioned above, Asana includes features such as:
- Email notifications
- "comment", "follow" and "like" buttons.
- Custom templates
- Privacy controls and data security
- Mobile application
- Unlimited storage
Pricing: Asana free plan allows you to collaborate with up to 15 users, create an unlimited number of tasks, and upload files up to 100MB per item. If you manage a larger team or need more advanced options, the price starts at $10.99 per user per month.
ClickUp
ClickUp is a relatively new player in the project management application market, but it is quickly establishing itself as a serious competitor to Trello. It offers all the features you'd expect from this type of tool. For example, you can create and assign tasks, track progress with a visual dashboard, add comments, etc.
ClickUp also comes with great team collaboration features, such as real-time editing, reporting, mentions, and threaded discussions. In addition, you can invite people outside your organization and manage permissions to protect sensitive information.
Compared to Trello, ClickUp offers a more streamlined view of your workflows. For example, you can switch between cards and a table, list, or timeline view. Plus, you can see all your projects on one screen and drag the most urgent tasks to the top of your team's to-do list.
In addition to this, ClickUp also includes features such as:
- Multiple task assignment
- User activity detection
- Email notifications
- Custom fields
- Time tracking
- Dependencies
- Various third-party integrations
- Easy export of Trello content
Pricing: ClickUp's "free forever" plan includes 100MB of storage, unlimited tasks, and members, and two-factor authentication (2FA). For unlimited storage and more advanced options, the price starts at $5 per member per plan.
Teamwork
Our next recommendation is Teamwork, a cloud-based project management platform with generous features. This tool is a great open-source free alternative for Trello users who need a scalable solution for their growing businesses.
Teamwork allows you to manage multiple complex projects, communicate with your team members, and even process service requests via its ticketing system. This tool also allows you to work with external clients and customize their permissions, making it a great solution for agencies.
Teamwork is also convenient for remote collaboration, thanks to the synchronization and chat features, which allow you to co-edit files in real-time. In addition, you can manage your team workload from a convenient dashboard and distribute tasks without having to check each member individually.
Teamwork also offers features such as:
- Gantt charts
- Time tracking
- Reports and analysis
- Table, list, or portfolio views
- Billing
- Various third-party integrations
- Project templates
Pricing: The "free forever" plan is suitable for small projects with up to 5 users and 100 MB of storage. If you want to take advantage of Teamwork enterprise-level features, the price starts at $10 per user per month.
KanbanFlow
Next, we have KanbanFlow, a simple alternative to Trello that allows you to manage your projects visually. As the name suggests, this tool is primarily focused on the Kanban board, so it will suit users who like to manage their workflow using this method.
KanbanFlow helps you focus on your current workload rather than overwhelming you with new assignments, thanks to its task limiting feature. In addition, you can maximize your productivity and use the built-in Pomodoro timer to complete each task more efficiently.
In addition, you can access various analysis and reporting features to help you identify and resolve bottlenecks. For example, you can access multiple graphs and charts or even create forecasts based on historical data.
With this platform, you also have access to features such as:
- Workflow automation.
- Various integrations via Zapier
- Time tracking
- Sub-tasks
- Filtering options
- Mobile application
Pricing: You can use a simplified version of KanbanFlow with unlimited users and boards for free. The premium version provides you with additional task automation, reporting, and integration options for $5 per user per month.
Taiga.io
Our final recommendation is Taiga.io, an open-source free alternative to Trello that is suitable for Agile development teams. Besides the typical Kanban view, Taiga also offers advanced Scrum and Sprint tools, making it a great all-around project management app. In fact, it won "Best Agile Tool" at the 2015 Agile Awards, so rest assured that it's well-suited to this methodology.
Taiga's interface is intuitive and user-friendly, with many customization options that make it very accessible. For example, you can choose from over 20 languages, adjust colors, or add custom fields. You can also manage roles and permissions so you can collaborate with members outside your team.
It also offers powerful reporting options, such as access to a team performance dashboard, detailed project timeline, wiki functionality, etc. In addition, you can track bugs more efficiently with extensive filtering options.
Other features include:
- Workflow automation
- Various third-party integrations
- Work in progress (WIP) limits
- Time tracking
- Project estimates
- Ability to easily switch between Kanban and Scrum views.
Pricing: Taiga is free for up to three members on a free private project with up to 300 MB of storage. For unlimited members and projects, the price starts at $5 per user per month.
Free Trello Alternatives Summary
A reliable project management tool can boost your productivity and ensure your team workflows run smoothly. Trello is a great solution for many projects, especially those based on the Kanban method. However, there are other options that may be a better fit for your team.
In this article, we present our best open source free Trello alternatives. To summarize, both Asana and ClickUp are great tools with comparable functionality to Trello. More advanced users may prefer Teamwork or Taiga, as they are more scalable and suitable for other project management methodologies. Alternatively, if you want a no-frills solution, KanbanFlow might be perfect for you.
FAQs About Free Trello Alternatives
Does Microsoft have anything similar to Trello?
Microsoft provides two separate project management tools that you can use as alternatives to Trello: Microsoft Planner and Microsoft Project.
Is there better than Trello?
Asana has always been the preferred alternative and competitor to Trello. Asana is a project and task management tool that facilitates team collaboration and communication. With Asana, you can assign tasks, see progress, and have conversations, all in one place.
Does Google have a Trello alternative?
Google Keep and Trello are mainly classified as "task management" and "project management" tools respectively. Here are some of the features offered by Google Keep: Add items to your shopping list without even touching the phone. Reminders for your Keep notes will also show up in Google Now.
