Monday.com Pros and Cons: The No-BS Review

If you're looking at monday.com for project management, you're probably comparing it against Asana, ClickUp, and a dozen other tools. Let me save you some time: monday.com is genuinely good, but it's not for everyone-and there are some gotchas you need to know about before signing up.

I've used monday.com extensively and dug through hundreds of user reviews to give you the real picture. Here's what actually matters.

Monday.com Pricing Quick Reference

Before we dive into pros and cons, let's talk money-because monday.com's pricing structure trips people up.

The catch: Paid plans require a minimum of 3 users. And you can only add users in increments of 5 after that. So if you have 4 team members, you're paying for 5. If you have 6 members, you're paying for 10. This bucket pricing can inflate your costs quickly if you're not careful.

Want the full breakdown? Check out our detailed monday.com pricing guide.

The Pros: What Monday.com Does Well

1. Genuinely Intuitive Interface

This isn't marketing fluff. Monday.com is one of the easiest project management tools to actually use. The interface is clean with smart use of white space-you don't feel overwhelmed like you might with Smartsheet or even ClickUp.

New employees can typically get up to speed in a day or two without heavy training. That's rare in this category. The visual, color-coded boards make it easy to see status at a glance, and the Kanban view is particularly well-executed.

2. Highly Customizable Workflows

Monday.com excels at letting you build workflows tailored to your specific processes. Whether you're in construction tracking subcontractors, marketing managing campaigns, or operations running daily standups-you can customize boards, columns, and views to match how your team actually works.

The 200+ templates give you a solid starting point, but the real power is in building exactly what you need. You can add time tracking columns, formula columns for calculations, status columns with custom labels-whatever your workflow demands.

3. Strong Visual Project Views

You get multiple ways to visualize your work:

The timeline and Gantt views are particularly useful for anyone managing projects with dependencies and deadlines. If you need to see when things overlap and what's blocking what, monday.com handles this well.

4. Solid Automation Builder

The no-code automation builder is genuinely useful. You can set up automated actions triggered by status changes-like notifying someone when a task moves to "urgent" or automatically assigning follow-ups when items are completed.

Standard plans get 250 automation actions per month. Pro jumps to 25,000. Enterprise goes to 250,000. For most small teams, 250 is tight but workable. Growing teams will likely need Pro.

Automations work on a trigger + action model. For example: "When status changes to Done, notify the project lead and change task status to Review." You can even chain multiple actions together or create recurring automations for weekly meetings or monthly reporting.

5. Extensive Integrations

Monday.com connects to over 200 native integrations including Slack, Google Drive, Zoom, Trello, Microsoft Teams, Gmail, Outlook, Salesforce, HubSpot, Jira, and more. It also works with Zapier for connecting to pretty much anything else. The integrations are actually functional-not just checkbox features.

Popular integrations include:

6. Good Customer Support

Support is available 24/7 via email and live chat. Response times are typically fast-many users report getting help within minutes. This is one area where monday.com outperforms competitors like ClickUp, which has notoriously inconsistent support.

7. Powerful AI Features

Monday.com has invested heavily in AI capabilities that actually add value. Their AI toolkit includes:

The AI assistant (monday sidekick) is context-aware and understands your company, role, and responsibilities. It can proactively suggest actions and help move work forward. AI features are automatically enabled in all accounts, though some consume AI credits depending on your plan.

8. Dashboard and Reporting Capabilities

Monday.com offers robust dashboard features that consolidate data from multiple boards. You can create custom widgets showing charts, numbers, timelines, and more. The number of boards you can combine depends on your plan-Standard plans can combine up to 5 boards per dashboard, Pro up to 10, and Enterprise up to 50.

The visual nature of reporting makes it easy to share progress with stakeholders without creating separate presentation decks.

9. Multiple Product Offerings

Monday.com now offers four standalone products built on the same platform:

Each product is individually priced, and you can bundle multiple products together based on your needs. This modularity lets you start with what you need and expand as you grow.

The Cons: Where Monday.com Falls Short

1. Gets Expensive Fast

This is the big one. Monday.com isn't cheap, and the bucket pricing makes it worse.

A team of 10 on the Pro plan costs $2,280/year. A team of 25? That's $5,700/year. And remember-if you have 11 people, you're paying for 15.

Compare this to ClickUp charging $12/user/month for similar features, or Zoho Projects starting at just $4/user/month. Monday.com is firmly mid-market pricing, which is fine-but it adds up.

2. Critical Features Locked Behind Higher Tiers

This frustrates a lot of users. Here's what you DON'T get on lower plans:

That SSO limitation is particularly painful. It's a basic security feature that small businesses need, but monday.com gates it behind their most expensive tier.

3. Limited Free Plan

The free plan supports only 2 users and 3 boards with 500MB storage and a 200-item limit. It's basically a demo, not a real working option. You also can't add guests or viewers, have no automations or integrations, and get limited column types.

Competitors like ClickUp offer free plans with unlimited projects and up to 10 users. If you're looking for genuinely free project management, see our free project management software roundup.

4. No Native Recurring Tasks

Want to add a recurring task that repeats weekly? You can't do it natively-you have to use automation to achieve this. It's a strange omission for a project management tool, and it eats into your monthly automation allowance.

The workaround: Create an automation like "Every Monday, create a new 'Weekly Team Sync' task." But this counts against your 250 monthly automation actions on Standard plans.

5. Mobile App Has Issues

Multiple reviewers report bugs and glitchy behavior in the mobile app. Time tracking sometimes doesn't capture accurately when switching between tasks. Some key functionalities available on desktop aren't accessible or are entirely missing in the mobile app.

This is problematic for field teams or anyone who needs reliable mobile access. The mobile experience feels like an afterthought compared to the polished desktop interface.

6. Interface Can Get Cluttered

While the basic interface is clean, things get cluttered fast when you have many active boards. Finding specific items during busy periods can be frustrating, especially if you're under pressure. The search function helps, but organization requires discipline.

7. Onboarding Can Be Overwhelming

Despite the intuitive interface, getting everything set up takes time. Some users report the onboarding videos are outdated. Setting up triggers and columns correctly requires patience-once it's running it works great, but that initial setup curve is real.

For complex workflows with multiple boards, dependencies, and automations, expect to spend several days getting everything configured properly.

8. Occasional Platform Issues

Some users report the platform freezing or incorrectly loading data. Broken board linkages and automations can disrupt workflows and cause data issues. These seem to be edge cases, but they're worth noting if you're managing critical processes.

9. Limited Customization on Lower Tiers

Many powerful customization features are locked behind Pro or Enterprise plans. If you're on Basic or Standard, you'll hit walls when trying to build more sophisticated workflows. This can be frustrating when you've already invested time learning the platform.

10. Automation Limits Can Be Restrictive

The 250 automation actions per month on Standard plans sounds like a lot until you actually use it. If your team relies heavily on automations, you can hit this limit quickly. Each time an automation triggers, it counts as one action. Three items deleted? That's three actions.

Heavy users will need to upgrade to Pro (25,000 actions) or carefully monitor their usage to avoid having automations blocked mid-month.

11. Mirror Column Limitations

Mirror columns let you display data from one board on another, but they're read-only. You can't use mirrored data in calculations, trigger automations based on it, or include it in formulas. This creates workarounds and complexity for teams managing data across multiple boards.

Third-party tools like Autoboost can convert mirror data into actionable columns, but this requires additional cost and setup.

12. Subitem Functionality Gaps

Subitems are useful for breaking down complex tasks, but they don't support the same level of automation and coordination as main items. This limits their usefulness for teams that need granular task management with full automation support.

Monday.com AI Features: Deep Dive

Monday.com has made significant investments in AI, positioning itself as an "AI-first" platform. Here's what you actually get:

AI Blocks

AI Blocks are the foundation of monday.com's AI capabilities. They can be used in columns, automations, and workflow builders. Available AI actions include:

monday sidekick

This is monday.com's personalized AI assistant that understands your company, role, and responsibilities. It proactively suggests actions and can complete tasks with a single click. Use cases include booking venues, organizing contracts, assigning tasks, and managing workflows.

Sidekick is built on AI Blocks and integrates across the platform, making it accessible wherever you work.

monday magic

This tool generates complete workflows or boards from a single text prompt. Describe what you need in plain language, and monday magic creates a fully functional setup based on business best practices. This dramatically reduces setup time and makes the platform more accessible to non-technical users.

monday vibe

An AI-enhanced no-code platform that lets you build custom business applications without writing code. Create dashboards, internal tools, or client-facing interfaces with prompts. Apps built with monday vibe meet enterprise-grade security standards and can be shared internally or in the monday.com marketplace.

AI Credits and Pricing

Some AI features consume AI credits (a usage-based currency), while others are included with your subscription. Monday service users get unlimited AI blocks on ticket boards, CSAT surveys, employee directories, and incident boards.

You can monitor AI credit usage in Administration > Usage Stats. Account admins can enable or disable AI features as needed.

Monday.com Automation: Complete Guide

Automations are one of monday.com's standout features. Here's everything you need to know:

How Automations Work

Every automation has three components:

  1. Trigger: The event that starts the automation ("When status changes to Done")
  2. Condition: Requirements that must be met ("to something" specific)
  3. Action: What happens when triggered ("notify the manager")

Popular Automation Recipes

Automation Limits by Plan

When you exceed your limit, you'll receive warnings at 50%, 75%, and 100% usage. Once exhausted, you can't add or edit automations until the next month (Enterprise can purchase additional actions).

Custom Automation Builder

Beyond pre-made recipes, you can build custom automations tailored to your workflow. The builder lets you combine multiple conditions and actions, creating complex workflows without coding.

You can also save custom automations as templates to reuse across boards or share with your team.

Monday.com Integrations: What Actually Works

Monday.com offers over 200 native integrations, but not all are created equal. Here are the most valuable:

Communication Tools

CRM and Sales

Development Tools

Productivity and Files

Automation Platforms

Integration quality varies. Enterprise-focused integrations like Salesforce and advanced Jira features require higher-tier plans. Most basic integrations work on Standard plans and above.

Who Monday.com Is Best For

Monday.com works well for:

Marketing Teams

Managing campaigns, content calendars, social media schedules, and creative workflows. The visual boards make it easy to see what's in progress, what needs approval, and what's published.

Operations Teams

Tracking processes, managing vendor relationships, coordinating cross-functional initiatives. The customization options let you build workflows that match your specific operational needs.

Construction and Field Teams

Visual timelines, Gantt charts, and dependency tracking help manage complex projects with multiple phases and subcontractors. Though mobile app limitations can be frustrating.

Cross-Functional Teams

When marketing, sales, product, and operations need to collaborate, monday.com provides a shared workspace where everyone can see their relevant information without drowning in irrelevant details.

Growing Businesses

Companies that can afford the Pro tier and need robust features without the complexity of enterprise tools like Smartsheet or Microsoft Project.

Creative Agencies

Managing client projects, tracking approvals, coordinating deliverables. The visual interface appeals to creative teams, and the guest access features (Pro+) let you share boards with clients.

HR and Recruitment

Tracking candidates through hiring pipelines, managing onboarding workflows, coordinating employee requests. The flexibility lets you build custom workflows for various HR processes.

Who Should Skip Monday.com

Consider alternatives if:

You're a Solo Freelancer

The pricing doesn't make sense for individuals. You'll pay for a minimum of 3 seats even if you're the only user. Tools like Trello, Notion, or Asana offer better value for solopreneurs.

You Need Robust Time Tracking

Time tracking is basic and requires the Pro plan ($19/seat/month). Dedicated time tracking tools like Toggl or Harvest offer more features at lower cost. Even monday.com's time tracking is more of a "time spent on task" tracker than a comprehensive timekeeping system.

You're Budget-Constrained

Competitors offer more features at lower prices. ClickUp starts at $7/user/month with most features monday.com gates behind Pro. Zoho Projects offers full functionality at $4/user/month.

You Need Native Timesheets for Payroll

Monday.com doesn't offer built-in timesheet functionality suitable for payroll processing. You'll need to integrate with external tools or use a different platform.

You Need SSO but Can't Afford Enterprise

Single sign-on is a basic security requirement for many businesses, but monday.com reserves it for Enterprise customers. If SSO is non-negotiable and you can't justify Enterprise pricing, look elsewhere.

Your Team Is Primarily Mobile

If field workers or remote employees rely heavily on mobile access, monday.com's mobile app limitations may cause frustration. The desktop experience is far superior.

You Need Complex Reporting

While dashboards are good, monday.com's reporting isn't as sophisticated as dedicated BI tools or enterprise project management platforms. For complex analytics and forecasting, you may need supplementary tools.

Monday.com vs. Top Competitors

Monday.com vs. ClickUp

Pricing: ClickUp is cheaper ($7-$12/user/month vs. $12-$19/user/month for comparable tiers)

Features: ClickUp offers more features at lower prices, including docs, goals, time tracking, and mind maps on lower tiers

Ease of Use: Monday.com has a cleaner, more intuitive interface. ClickUp can feel overwhelming with feature bloat

Support: Monday.com has consistently better support. ClickUp support is hit-or-miss

Winner: Monday.com for ease of use and support; ClickUp for budget-conscious teams wanting maximum features

Monday.com vs. Asana

Pricing: Similar pricing structure, both mid-market

Visual Design: Monday.com is more visual and colorful; Asana is cleaner and more minimalist

Customization: Monday.com offers more customization options with custom columns and workflows

Automations: Monday.com has more powerful automation capabilities

Winner: Monday.com for customization and visual management; Asana for teams preferring simplicity

Monday.com vs. Trello

Pricing: Trello is significantly cheaper ($5/user/month vs. $12-$19/user/month)

Complexity: Trello is simpler, focused on Kanban boards. Monday.com offers multiple views and advanced features

Scalability: Monday.com scales better for growing teams and complex workflows

Winner: Trello for small teams wanting simple Kanban; Monday.com for teams needing more robust features

Monday.com vs. Smartsheet

Target Audience: Smartsheet targets enterprise users; Monday.com targets SMBs and mid-market

Learning Curve: Monday.com is much easier to learn and use

Power: Smartsheet offers more advanced features for complex project portfolios

Winner: Monday.com for ease of use; Smartsheet for enterprise needs and complex reporting

Implementation Best Practices

If you decide to move forward with monday.com, follow these best practices:

Start Small

Don't try to migrate everything at once. Start with one team or project, learn the platform, then expand. This reduces risk and allows you to refine your approach.

Map Your Workflows First

Before creating boards, document your current workflows. Identify bottlenecks, dependencies, and automation opportunities. This planning saves time and prevents rework.

Use Templates Wisely

Start with monday.com's 200+ templates as inspiration, but customize them to match your actual processes. Don't force your team to adapt to a template that doesn't fit.

Plan Your Board Structure

Decide early whether to use one large board or multiple connected boards. Consider:

Set Up Automations Strategically

Monitor your automation usage, especially on Standard plans. Prioritize automations that save the most time and eliminate the most manual work. Don't automate just because you can.

Establish Naming Conventions

Create consistent naming for boards, columns, and status labels. This makes search more effective and helps team members find what they need quickly.

Train Your Team

Even though monday.com is intuitive, schedule training sessions. Focus on:

Designate Board Owners

Assign ownership for each board. Owners maintain structure, clean up completed items, and ensure consistency. Without ownership, boards become cluttered and disorganized.

Hidden Costs and Fees

Beyond the advertised pricing, watch for these potential costs:

Onboarding and Training

While not mandatory, professional onboarding services can cost thousands of dollars. Some higher-tier plans include onboarding, but it's often billed separately for Standard and Pro users.

Premium Support

Standard support is included, but dedicated success managers and faster response times are tied to Enterprise plans. This can add significant cost.

Add-ons and Extensions

Some capabilities require paid add-ons:

User Growth

Remember the bucket pricing. Growing from 10 to 11 users means paying for 15 seats. This can create unexpected budget pressure as your team scales.

API and Developer Resources

If you need custom integrations, you'll need developer time. Monday.com offers APIs and GraphQL access, but implementation requires technical expertise.

Security and Compliance

Monday.com takes security seriously, but implementation varies by plan:

Standard Security Features

Enterprise-Only Security

If you're in healthcare, finance, or other regulated industries, the lack of SSO until Enterprise tier can be a dealbreaker. Budget accordingly.

Monday.com Alternatives to Consider

If monday.com isn't the right fit, consider these alternatives:

For Budget-Conscious Teams

For Simple Needs

For Enterprise

For more options, check our monday.com alternatives guide.

Common Questions and Concerns

Can I Change Plans Later?

Yes, you can upgrade or downgrade at any time. When upgrading, you'll pay the prorated difference. When downgrading, your account will maintain current features until the next billing cycle, then lose access to features not included in your new plan.

What Happens to My Data If I Downgrade?

Data remains accessible in view-only mode even if you exceed free plan limits. You can't add new items or create boards, but you won't lose existing data. Archive or export data before downgrading if needed.

Is There a Nonprofit Discount?

Yes, monday.com offers discounts for nonprofits and educational institutions. Apply directly through their website with proof of nonprofit status.

Can I Export My Data?

Yes, you can export boards to Excel, CSV, or PDF formats. This makes migration to another platform or backup relatively straightforward.

How Long Does Setup Really Take?

For basic use: 1-2 days. For complex workflows with automations and integrations: 1-2 weeks. For enterprise-wide rollout with multiple departments: 1-3 months.

Do Automations Work Across Boards?

Yes, you can create cross-board automations. For example, when an item reaches "Done" on one board, create an item on a different board. This requires Standard plan or higher.

Is Monday.com HIPAA Compliant?

Monday.com can be configured for HIPAA compliance on Enterprise plans with a signed Business Associate Agreement (BAA). This isn't available on lower tiers.

Real User Experiences

Based on extensive user reviews across G2, Capterra, and Reddit:

What Users Love

What Users Hate

Bottom Line: Is Monday.com Worth It?

Monday.com is a legitimately good project management tool with an excellent interface and strong customization. It's not the cheapest option, but for teams that can afford the Pro tier, you get a polished product that most team members can actually use without extensive training.

The main issues are pricing-related: the bucket pricing model, critical features gated to expensive tiers, and that frustrating SSO limitation on Enterprise. If you can live with these constraints and the price works for your budget, monday.com delivers.

You should buy monday.com if:

You should skip monday.com if:

My recommendation: Start with the 14-day Pro trial to test the features you actually need. If Standard's 250 automation actions and lack of time tracking work for you, you can save money there. But most serious teams end up needing Pro.

Try the features that matter most to your workflow. Test automations heavily since that's where monday.com shines. Check whether the mobile app meets your needs if field access is important. And carefully count your users to understand the real cost with bucket pricing.

Try monday.com free for 14 days →

Further Reading