ClickUp is project management software that promotes itself as “the one app to replace them all.” It’s a cloud-based tool that integrates with Zoom, Google Drive and GitHub and offers tools that foster collaboration and provide analytical insights.
It’s true that ClickUp offers many features including a Gantt chart in addition to a dashboard, list and calendar view. Its customizable features make it a good fit for agile project management, and it’s well-suited for distributed teams who are not working side-by-side in an office. Despite its upsides, there are holes in ClickUp’s offerings that leave many users seeking a ClickUp alternative.
Why Seek a ClickUp Alternative?
Does ClickUp really live up to its tagline of being “the one app to replace them all?” In reality, it doesn’t. While there are many features, they’re not as robust as most users prefer. The planning tools could be much better and the calendar view isn’t intuitive. It doesn’t help that ClickUp has a steep learning curve and the design makes it difficult to see task data.
Without a free trial, users aren’t able to see what ClickUp is like before handing over their credit card information. Although there is a free version, it has limited features. Another consideration is the price point; it might be within range of its competition but users have complained about monthly price increases without receiving more services in return.
2023 Best ClickUp Alternatives Software Rankings
1. ProjectManager
ProjectManager is work and project management software known for its ease of use, multiple project views and collaborative features. Like ClickUp, it’s a feature-rich tool with a clean design with no learning curve. There’s dedicated customer service and an online knowledge base if there are any questions.
Plan and Execute Projects Across Multiple Views
ProjectManager is a ClickUp alternative that allows teams to create plans on traditional Gantt charts or the sheet view (like a Gantt but without the visual timeline) in addition to the list or calendar view. Cross-functional teams and managers get transparency into processes through the visual workflow of the kanban board. Managers can reallocate resources to avoid bottlenecks and manage backlogs with real-time collaborative tools such as commenting and file-sharing.
What really sets this ClickUp alternative apart is the workflow automation that streamlines processes regardless of your project role. If you’re worried that the quality of your deliverables will suffer, rest assured that task approval settings ensure that statuses don’t change until someone with the authority to change them provides approval.
Keep Track of Projects in Real Time with Dashboards and Reports
Another reason to use this ClickUp alternative is real-time data access that connects teams and helps managers make insightful decisions. Unlike other ClickUp alternatives that require manual data compilation, ProjectManager has a live dashboard that automatically calculates and displays live data in six project metrics. It’s clear that ProjectManager prioritizes data and ease of use for its customers.
Another area where ProjectManager stands out is its time-tracking features. For example, secure timesheets provide a real-time view of team progress. Teams can generate reports with one click and access detailed information on status, projects and portfolios, time, costs and more. In a few clicks, users can filter and share these reports with stakeholders. If you want to try this ClickUp alternative for yourself, get started today for free.
Pricing
- Team: $13.00 user/month
- Business: $24.00 user/month
Q&A
- Does ProjectManager offer a free trial? Yes, ProjectManager has a 30-day free trial
- Does ProjectManager have a mobile project management app? Yes, it’s available for Android and iOS
2. Smartsheet
Smartsheet calls itself a workplace to manage projects and automate workflows. This combined with its ease of use makes it attractive to project managers. As its name suggests, the software uses spreadsheets as its springboard, though it also has calendar views and a timeline, the closest this tool gets to a Gantt chart.
While the Gantt chart is a fundamental tool for managing projects, the Smartsheet version isn’t nearly as robust as the Gantt charts featured in other ClickUp alternatives. It can’t filter for the critical path, for example. Less powerful features combined with the lack of time tracking is going to sour the software to most potential users. Any time tracking and budgeting you want to do will have to be pieced together with additional software.
Pricing
- Pro plan: $7 user/month
- Business plan: $25 user/month
Q&A
- Does Smartsheet offer a free trial? Yes, Smartsheet has a 30-day free trial
- Does Smartsheet have a mobile project management app? Yes, it’s available for Android and iOS
3. Microsoft Project
You can’t complete a ranking of ClickUp alternatives without including Microsoft Project. It’s a project and portfolio management platform that’s been around since 1984, allowing teams to manage one or multiple projects through either a cloud-based or on-premise solution. Microsoft Project includes scheduling features with Gantt charts and board views for teams to visualize their workflow. Timesheets help to capture project and non-project time and they’re linked to payroll or invoicing. Microsoft Project offers resource management features that predict bottlenecks and manage utilization.
Of course, Microsoft Project offers seamless integration with its Office suite and other tools, but there are many downsides that have MS Project users looking for alternatives. For example, if you or anyone on your team uses Apple products, you’ll need to find an alternative as it doesn’t work on Mac devices. Even if you’re all on PC, Microsoft Project is a clunky and uncollaborative platform. One problem with this ClickUp alternative is the expense. Microsoft Project is costly, and even more so as you add user licenses. If you’re working in a methodology other than waterfall, you’ll also find the tool frustrating and cumbersome, leading you to seek a different ClickUp alternative on this list.
Pricing
- Project Plan 1: $10 user/month
- Project Plan 3: $30 user/month
- Project Plan 5: $55 user/month
Q&A
- Does Microsoft Project offer a free trial? Yes, it has a one-month free trial
- Does it offer a free version? No, Microsoft Project does not have a free version
4. Wrike
Another ClickUp alternative is Wrike, a project management software with many frequently used features. It has planning tools, activity tracking and an activity dashboard for a high-level view of the project. There are special account types for marketing and creative teams as well as professional services teams. Wrike is a collaborative platform that has intelligent features that can provide insights as to when your project is in danger of failing.
That said, this is one of the more expensive ClickUp alternatives we’ve highlighted. It’s not easy to onboard new users, either. There are complaints about the software being slow, particularly when uploading or downloading files. The UI is confusing and navigating from task to task is clunky. Even something as important as task management is lacking in task prioritization features, which can make directing teams less efficient.
Pricing
- Professional plan: $9.80 user/month
- Business plan: $24.80 user/month
Q&A
- Does Wrike offer a free trial? Yes, Wrike has a 14-day free trial
- Does Wrike have a mobile project management app? Yes, it’s available for Android and iOS
5. Zoho Projects
Zoho Projects is a cloud-based project management software that works for both small and large projects. It provides task scheduling and budget creation in addition to helping users assign work to their team. This is one of the few ClickUp alternatives that offer automation for its document processes including revision tracking. Teams can share files and there are dashboard and reporting features with stakeholder presentations.
However, while Zoho Projects can be a popular choice, it’s not the best project management software. For one thing, the search functionality is clunky. When you’re in a project, you can only search for tasks within that project. Some of the features could be better, too. Take the dashboard, which doesn’t let users add clients’ contact information or list client names alphabetically. These downsides combined with the high learning curve mean you’re going to have to spend a good deal of time and effort just to know how to use the tool before managing a project.
Pricing
- Premium: $5 user/month
- Enterprise: $10 user/month
Q&A
- Does Zoho Projects offer a free trial? Yes, Zoho Projects has a 10-day free trial
- Does Zoho Projects have a mobile project planning app? Yes, Zoho Projects offers a mobile app
6. Monday
A popular ClickUp alternative is Monday. This project management software automates workflows and manages different projects. It’s also good at getting teams to collaborate and gives managers features to plan and track work. It mostly uses kanban boards, checklists for task management and integrations with other apps to pick up the slack, including Slack. There are multiple project views, including a timeline, which is not quite a Gantt, but it’s something.
In fact, there are a lot of limitations to Monday. It might look pleasing, but its features fall short. For example, it tracks project goals, but not easily. You can’t assign comments to team members, which is going to get in the way of any collaboration effort. It lacks powerful task dependencies, and that can mean bottlenecks and delays that will cost you time and money.
Pricing
- Basic: $8 user/month
- Standard: $10 user/month
- Pro: $16 user/month
Q&A
- Does Monday offer a free trial? Yes, Monday has a 14-day free trial
- Does Monday have a mobile project management app? Yes, it’s available for Android and iOS
7. Trello
Some of the ClickUp alternatives in this ranking use a spreadsheet as their main feature. Before people upgrade to project management software, they’re likely managing projects on a spreadsheet. But Trello is different because its DNA comes from the kanban board. Kanban boards are customizable and are great for managing work and workflows for teams and others outside of the project. Like most kanban boards, it’s also easy to use, which is a plus.
But what makes it stand apart is also what makes it a poor ClickUp alternative. For one thing, kanban boards are great for workflow, but managers need more tools to manage projects. If they want those added features, it’s going to cost them. Time tracking, billing and more are only available as add-ons. You can’t really make a Gantt out of a kanban board, which is going to alienate many. But even its kanban boards are not all they can be. For example, there are no swimlanes. But, if you like kanban boards, this tool is for you.
Pricing
- Free plan: $0 user/month
- Standard plan: $5 user/month
- Premium plan: $10 user/month
- Enterprise plan: $17.50 user/month (min 25 users)
Q&A
- Does it offer a free trial? Yes, Trello has a 14-day free trial
- Does it offer a mobile? Yes, Trello has a mobile app
8. nTask
If you’re looking for a task management ClickUp alternative, then you could do worse than nTask, an online tool that manages tasks, projects, meetings and more on an agile platform. The software offers timesheets, issue tracking and other features at a price point that’s not going to derail your budget. It’s an especially attractive option for businesses with small teams, startups or entrepreneurs trying to get off the ground.
However, there are some omissions that might have you looking elsewhere. If you need to attach a lot of files, you’ll be frustrated by the length of time it takes to upload them. We noted that the tool excels for small teams, but if you’re working with larger teams, you’ll find that nTask doesn’t scale well. There aren’t advanced reporting features to help you better track progress and update stakeholders which can sometimes make you feel like you’re managing blindly.
Pricing
- Premium: $3 user/month
- Business: $8 user/month
Q&A
- Does nTask offer a free trial? Yes, nTask offers a 14-day free trial
- Does nTask have a mobile project management app? Yes, it’s available for Android and iOS
9. Teamwork
Teamwork is project management software that’s user-friendly. It offers reporting features, time tracking, Gantt charts, task management and more to help users manage work and enhance productivity. It’s helpful when organizing projects, teams and resources, offering collaborative tools that facilitate communications between teams. It’s an excellent ClickUp alternative for smaller or growing teams.
Even though the user experience is positive, customizing can be complicated. There’s a bit of a learning curve and users will have to do research to implement the customization. There have also been complaints about the mobile app, which doesn’t work well. There are some limitations in the feature set such as task management: there is no function that allows users to move multiple tasks at once.
Pricing
- Free plan: $0 user/month
- Deliver plan: $10 user/month
- Grow plan: $18 user/month
Q&A
- Does it offer a free trial? Yes, Teamwork has a 15-day free trial
- Does it offer a mobile app? Yes, there’s a Teamwork mobile app
10. ActiveCollab
Finally, we have ActiveCollab, project management software that features task management, email integration, team collaboration and scheduling features. It helps users organize their work with workload tools that boost productivity. Time tracking keeps projects on schedule and third-party integrations fill in the gaps in the software.
There’s room for improvement, though. For example, ActiveCollab needs a main project dashboard with visuals that represent project data. The collaboration tools could also use updates such as commenting, which cannot be linked. Having many features is great unless you don’t need all of them; this ClickUp alternative should have an off-button to remove unwanted tools from your view.
Pricing
- Plus: $7.50 user/month
- Pro: $6.25 user/month
Q&A
- Does ActiveCollab offer a free trial? Yes, ActiveCollab has a 30-day free trial
- Does ActiveCollab have a mobile project management app? Yes, it’s available for Android and iOS
Related Content
It’s clear to see that, while there are many ClickUp alternatives, only one gives you everything ClickUp does and more. ProjectManager is award-winning, collaborative-to-the-core software that’s easy to use and boosts productivity. ProjectManager has a single source of truth, so no matter where or when you work, it’s with the most current data. Join teams at NASA, Siemens and Nestle who use our tool to deliver success. Get started with ProjectManager today for free.
