Monday.com vs ClickUp: The Real Comparison You Actually Need
You're here because you need to pick between Monday.com and ClickUp. Both are solid project management tools, both have aggressive marketing, and both claim to be the "all-in-one" solution. Let me cut through the noise and help you make an actual decision.
After testing both platforms extensively and reviewing what real users say, here's the bottom line: Monday.com is easier to use but costs more. ClickUp is cheaper and more powerful but has a steeper learning curve.
If you want more context on either tool individually, check out our Monday.com review or our best project management software guide. But if you're specifically trying to choose between these two, keep reading.
Quick Comparison: Monday.com vs ClickUp
Here's what you need to know at a glance:
| Feature | Monday.com | ClickUp |
|---|---|---|
| Free Plan Users | 2 users max | Unlimited users |
| Free Plan Storage | 500MB | 100MB |
| Cheapest Paid Plan | $9/user/month (Basic) | $7/user/month (Unlimited) |
| Mid-tier Plan | $12/user/month (Standard) | $12/user/month (Business) |
| Automations on Free | None | 100/month |
| Ease of Use | Excellent | Steeper learning curve |
| G2 Rating | 4.7/5 | 4.7/5 |
Pricing Breakdown: Who's Actually Cheaper?
Let's talk real numbers, because this is where it gets interesting.
Monday.com Pricing
Monday.com uses a tiered pricing structure with a minimum of 3 seats on paid plans. They also use "bucket pricing" where you buy seats in groups (3, then multiples of 5). So if you have 4 people, you're paying for 5.
- Free: Up to 2 users, 3 boards max, limited views
- Basic: $9/seat/month (billed annually) - unlimited boards, 5GB storage, no automations
- Standard: $12/seat/month - adds Timeline/Gantt views, 250 automation actions/month
- Pro: $19/seat/month - private boards, time tracking, 25,000 automation actions/month
- Enterprise: Custom pricing - 250K automation actions, advanced security
For a 5-person team on the Basic plan billed annually, you're looking at $540/year. The catch? Basic doesn't include automations or integrations, which means most teams need Standard at minimum.
For more details, see our Monday.com pricing breakdown.
ClickUp Pricing
ClickUp charges per user with no minimum seat requirements. Their pricing is more straightforward:
- Free Forever: Unlimited users, 100MB storage, unlimited tasks, 100 automations/month
- Unlimited: $7/user/month - unlimited storage, unlimited integrations, unlimited Gantt charts
- Business: $12/user/month - Google SSO, advanced automations, workload management
- Enterprise: Custom pricing - white labeling, advanced permissions, HIPAA compliance
For that same 5-person team on the Unlimited plan, you're at $420/year. And you're getting more features than Monday.com's Basic tier.
The Verdict on Pricing
ClickUp wins on value. Their $7/user Unlimited plan includes features that Monday.com gates behind the $12 Standard plan (like Gantt charts and integrations). Plus, ClickUp's free plan allows unlimited users while Monday.com caps you at 2.
But here's the catch: Monday.com's pricing includes a much smoother onboarding experience. If your team struggles with new software, the time saved getting up and running might justify the extra cost.
Features That Actually Matter
Both tools have similar core features. The differences are in the details.
Where Monday.com Wins
Ease of Use: Monday.com consistently scores higher on usability. In testing, it scored 4.5/5 on ease of use compared to ClickUp's 3.9/5. The interface is cleaner, more visual, and teams can create their first board and understand the workflow within an hour.
Visual Design: Monday.com has a polished, aesthetically pleasing interface. If your team includes visual thinkers or you need to share project views with clients, Monday.com looks more professional out of the box.
Out-of-the-Box Solutions: Monday.com offers specialized products like monday CRM and monday dev that come pre-configured for specific use cases. Less setup required.
Marketing Automation: Better native integrations for marketing workflows, including LinkedIn integration for social media campaign management.
Where ClickUp Wins
Free Plan: ClickUp's free tier is genuinely usable. You get unlimited users, unlimited tasks, and even 100 automations per month. Monday.com's free plan is barely functional for anything beyond personal to-do lists.
Customization: ClickUp offers significantly more flexibility. Custom fields, custom views, and the ability to configure basically everything means power users can build exactly what they need.
Value at Every Tier: ClickUp includes more features at lower price points. Their Unlimited plan at $7/user includes features Monday.com reserves for the $19 Pro plan, like time tracking and unlimited integrations.
Storage: ClickUp offers unlimited storage on all paid plans. Monday.com caps storage and increases it by tier (5GB on Basic, 20GB on Standard, 100GB on Pro).
Screen Recording: ClickUp includes Clip, a built-in screen recording tool, which is surprisingly useful for async communication.
The Learning Curve Problem
This is where most comparisons gloss over reality. ClickUp has what users describe as "drinking from a fire hose" during their first week. The interface presents dozens of options from the start, and it takes 2-4 weeks to really get comfortable.
Monday.com, on the other hand, is intuitive enough that formal training often isn't necessary. Teams typically create their first board within an hour of signing up.
This matters more than you think. If you're implementing a new tool across a team, adoption is everything. A more powerful tool that nobody uses properly is worthless. Monday.com's simplicity translates into faster team-wide adoption.
ClickUp does offer extensive training resources through ClickUp University, but that's time your team needs to invest upfront.
Performance Issues to Consider
Both platforms have their quirks:
ClickUp: Users report slow loading times, especially with many projects. The platform can be buggy. The desktop application performs better than the browser version.
Monday.com: Generally more stable, but some users report the platform feeling "too simple" once you need more complex workflows. You may hit walls that require workarounds or additional apps.
Templates and Automations
Both offer template libraries, but ClickUp has more flexibility in how you save and deploy templates. With Monday.com, you can only save templates at the board and workspace levels, and you can't automatically remap due dates when deploying a template - you have to adjust them manually.
For automations, ClickUp is more generous. They offer 100 monthly automations on the free plan and unlimited automations for paying users. Monday.com gates automations entirely until the Standard plan ($12/user/month), where you get 250 actions per month.
Who Should Choose Monday.com?
Pick Monday.com if:
- Quick team adoption is critical and you can't afford a long onboarding period
- Visual thinkers dominate your team
- You need client-facing presentation that looks polished
- Standardized workflows suit your processes (you don't need extreme customization)
- You want multiple products (CRM, dev tools) from one vendor
- Your team isn't particularly technical
Who Should Choose ClickUp?
Pick ClickUp if:
- Budget is a primary concern
- Your team includes technical members comfortable with complex software
- You need extensive customization options
- You want to consolidate multiple tools into one platform
- You're willing to invest time upfront for long-term power and flexibility
- You have complex project hierarchies with lots of dependencies
What About Alternatives?
If neither feels right, consider:
- Asana: Falls between these two in complexity. More structured than Monday.com, less overwhelming than ClickUp. See our Monday.com vs Asana comparison.
- Notion: Better for knowledge management and docs, weaker on traditional project management
- Teamwork: Cheaper than both ($5.99/user/month starting) with solid functionality
Check out our free project management software guide if budget is the main constraint.
The Bottom Line
Both tools score 4.7/5 on G2 for a reason - they're both excellent. But they serve different needs:
Monday.com is the safer choice for most teams. You'll get up and running faster, your team will actually use it, and the interface is clean enough to share with clients. The tradeoff is higher costs and less flexibility.
ClickUp is the power user's choice. If you're willing to invest time learning the platform, you'll get more features for less money and the ability to build exactly what you need. But expect frustration during the first few weeks.
For most small to medium businesses running standard project workflows, Monday.com is the better bet. For agencies, dev teams, or anyone who needs deep customization and has the patience to learn, ClickUp offers better long-term value.