6 best monday.com alternatives for 2023 (Free & Paid)

Wrike: Best for project collaboration

Wrike is a work management and collaboration application. It can transform how teams work by providing cross-departmental visibility, control and collaboration. It offers everything needed to complete a project in one spot, including automation tools to help reduce redundant or repetitive tasks. Wrike can be used for project management, IT, marketing, professional services and other business functions.

SEE: Wrike vs Monday: Which project management tool is better? (TechRepublic)

Pricing

• Free plan: $0 for unlimited users.
• Team: $9.80 per user per month.
• Business: $24.80 per user per month.
• Enterprise: Custom quote.
• Pinnacle: Custom quote.

Features

• Wrike analytics: Wrike offers plenty of useful marketing insights, such as performance metrics from marketing campaigns and reporting features.
• Wrike Lock: With the Wrike Lock feature, you get an additional layer of encryption to keep workplace data safe.
• AI project risk prediction: This feature provides a way to predict any hurdles that threaten project deadlines.

Pros

• Unlimited users in the Free plan.
• Desktop-optimized version.
• Outstanding customer support.

Cons

• The user interface is confusing to navigate.
• Lack of customization tools.

For more information, read the full Wrike review.

ClickUp: Best for small teams and independent workers

ClickUp offers an excellent balance between functionality and user-friendliness. Although the user interface could be clearer, once you get used to it, it flows more smoothly. The standout features of ClickUp include its advanced reporting tools and customization capabilities. You also get excellent visibility into projects through multiple views.

SEE: monday work management vs. ClickUp (TechRepublic)

Pricing

• Free Forever: No cost.
• Unlimited: $5 per person per month, billed annually, or $9 per user billed monthly.
• Business: $12 per person per month, billed annually, or $19 per user billed monthly.
• Business Plus: $19 per person per month, billed annually, or $29 per user billed monthly.
• Enterprise: Custom pricing.

Features

• Advanced reporting tools: With ClickUp, you can easily create and customize reports for budgets, team performance and project progress based on real-time data.
• Customization tools: Customization tools allow you to personalize the user experience. This includes customization of workflow, appearance and views.

Pros

• Excellent customization capabilities.
• Multiple views.
• Advanced reporting capabilities.

Cons

• The user interface feels clunky.
• Time tracking tools are only available in the Business pricing tier and higher.

For more information, read the full ClickUp review.

Asana: Best for multifaceted projects

The simplicity of its design and functionality is the unique selling point for Asana. It relies on a kanban-style design to make it easy to use, and the onboarding process is streamlined for quick and easy setup. While Asana is an excellent choice for businesses that prefer simplicity, it lacks native time tracking tools, and advanced security features are only available in the Enterprise tier.

SEE: Asana vs monday work management: Head-to-head comparison (TechRepublic)

Pricing

• Basic: Free.
• Premium: $10.99 per user per month, billed annually, or $13.49 per user billed monthly.
• Business: $24.99 per user per month, billed annually, or $30.49 per user billed monthly.
• Enterprise: Customized.

Features

• Smart layout: Asana’s intuitive user interface makes it easy for beginners to understand. You also get to personalize the user interface. For example, you could hide the navigation bar or make other changes to the dashboard’s appearance.
• Powerful integrations: Asana can integrate with several third-party applications to centralize your work management. It integrates with Power BI, Salesforce, Slack, Zapier, Tableau and more.

Pros

• Agile support.
• The free plan has several advanced tools, including automation.
• Detailed reports on project status.

Cons

• Lack of time tracking tools.
• Security features are only available in the Enterprise version.

For more information, read the full Asana review.

Trello: Best for small projects

Trello is a simple project management software solution that helps organize and track work. Packaged as web-based software, it is optimized for use with an internet browser, making coordination between internal and external users easy. Moreover, the drag-and-drop kanban user interface makes it easy to quickly visualize project progress.

The excellent free plan and general ease of use make Trello one of the best free alternatives to monday work management.

Pricing

• Free: No cost.
• Standard: $5 per user per month, billed annually, or $6 per user billed monthly.
• Premium: $10 per user per month, billed annually, or $12.50 per user billed monthly.
• Enterprise: Starts at $17.50 per user per month for a team of 50 to 250 users.

Features

• Butler automation: The most talked-about feature of Trello is Butler, a built-in automation tool. With Butler, users can automate the processes of sending notifications, moving cards from one list to another and getting due date alerts.
• Add-ons: Trello Power-Ups, or add-ons, allow users to extend Trello’s functionality with extra features and integrations.

Pros

• Ease of use.
• Generous workflow automation tools.
• Flexible and customizable.

Cons

• Several advanced features require add-ons.
• Trello is not ideal for complex projects.
• Reporting tools are limited.

See how Trello and monday work management compare.

Hive: Best for analytics

Hive is one of the more recent project management software tools on the market; however, it has quickly positioned itself as a worthy alternative to monday work management. Hive offers custom workflows, a built-in messaging tool and analytics, using AI and other tools to assist in goal setting and automation. There are over nine project views, including lists, calendars and kanban boards, allowing users to pick whatever feels most natural to them.

Pricing

• Free: $0 for up to two users.
• Teams: $12 per user per month, billed annually, or $18 per user billed monthly.
• Enterprise: Custom pricing.

Features

• Time tracking: Hive’s time tracking tools offer excellent functionality, with abilities to track time spent on each task within projects or get time estimates on future deliverables.
• Goal-setting: There is no need for a separate app to set up company goals. Hive allows you to set goals linked to results within the platform. For example, you can view project completion percentage, key insights and what’s overdue.

Pros

• Detailed project planning.
• Native messaging app.
• Plenty of add-ons available.

Cons

• Limited integrations.
• Automation tools are not available in the free version.

Basecamp: Best for large teams

Basecamp is based on an “everything in one place” philosophy, which is evident in its layout. As a result, the user interface is simple and intuitive. Its top features include a group chat tool, to-do lists, automatic check-ins for quick updates on tasks and several other tools. It also has a built-in documents, file storage and sharing tool, so users don’t have to rely on third-party apps.

Pricing

• Team: $99 per month for up to 10 users.
• Business: $199 per month for up to 10 users and unlimited clients.
• Unlimited: Customized pricing for unlimited users and clients.

Features

• Campfire: This is Basecamp’s chatting feature, which is separate from its message board tool. The chatting tools allow users to comment, ask questions and share informal information with their on-site and remote teammates.
• Basecamp reports: Using Basecamp, users can generate different types of reports related to task and project progress and user activity.

Pros

• Excellent visual representation of projects.
• Syncing calendars is quick and easy.
• Students and teachers get free access.

Cons

• No kanban boards or Gantt charts.
• No per-user fee.

See how Basecamp compares to Trello and Asana.