Monday.com vs Trello: A Direct Comparison for Teams

Let's cut to it: both Monday.com and Trello are solid project management tools, but they're built for different users. Trello is the simpler, more affordable option that nails Kanban boards. Monday.com is the heavier-duty platform with more customization and features—but also more complexity and cost.

Here's the quick version: Trello is best for smaller teams and simpler projects. Monday.com is best for larger teams managing complex, cross-functional workflows.

If you just want to know which to pick and move on, there you go. But if you want the full breakdown on pricing, features, and limitations, keep reading.

Pricing Comparison: What You'll Actually Pay

This is where things get real. Both tools have free plans, but they're not equally generous.

Trello Pricing

• Free: Up to 10 boards, 10 team members, unlimited cards, 250 automation runs/month, 10MB file uploads
• Standard: $5/user/month (annual) or $6/month (monthly) — unlimited boards, 1,000 automation runs, advanced checklists, custom fields
• Premium: $10/user/month (annual) or $12.50/month (monthly) — Timeline, Calendar, and Dashboard views, unlimited automation, admin controls
• Enterprise: $17.50/user/month (annual, minimum 50 users) — SSO, advanced security, 24/7 support

Trello's free plan is genuinely useful. You can manage personal projects or small team tasks without paying anything. The Standard plan at $5/user/month is affordable for small businesses that need more boards and automation.

Monday.com Pricing

• Free: Up to 2 users, 3 boards, 1,000 items, limited views
• Basic: $9/seat/month (annual) or $12/month (monthly) — unlimited boards, 5GB storage, basic dashboards
• Standard: $12/seat/month (annual) or $14/month (monthly) — Timeline, Gantt, Calendar views, 250 automations/month
• Pro: $19/seat/month (annual) — private boards, time tracking, 25,000 automations/month, formula columns
• Enterprise: Custom pricing — advanced security, 250K automations/month, premium support

Here's the catch with Monday.com: their pricing is based on seat "buckets." Plans start at 3 seats minimum, then jump to 5, 10, 15, etc. If you have 12 users, you're paying for 15. This bucket pricing model can inflate costs quickly if you're not at exact increments.

For detailed Monday.com pricing breakdowns, check out our Monday.com pricing guide.

The Real Cost Difference

For a 10-person team on mid-tier plans:

• Trello Premium: $100/month (billed annually)
• Monday.com Standard: $120/month (billed annually)

Not a huge gap, but Monday.com requires more expensive plans to access features that matter—like Gantt charts and time tracking. Trello is cheaper at every tier, but you'll pay for that simplicity in features.

Features: What Actually Matters

Views and Visualization

Trello: It's Kanban or bust. The free plan gives you boards and cards—that's it. Premium unlocks Timeline, Calendar, Table, and Dashboard views. But Trello's DNA is Kanban, and that's where it shines.

Monday.com: This is where Monday flexes. You get 27+ view options including Kanban, Gantt charts, Timeline, Calendar, Map, and Charts. But here's the rub—many views like Gantt and Timeline are locked behind the Standard plan ($12/seat/month). The Basic plan is pretty stripped down.

Winner: Monday.com for view variety. Trello if you just need Kanban done well.

Automations

Trello: 250 automation runs/month on Free, 1,000 on Standard, unlimited on Premium. Uses "Butler" for no-code automations. Solid for basic workflows.

Monday.com: No automations on Free or Basic. 250/month on Standard, 25,000 on Pro, 250,000 on Enterprise. More powerful automation builder with complex if/then triggers.

Winner: Monday.com for power users. Trello actually wins on free/low-tier plans since you get automations earlier.

Time Tracking

Trello: None built-in. You need Power-Ups like Toggl or Harvest—often requiring separate subscriptions.

Monday.com: Native time tracking, but only on Pro plan ($19/seat/month) and up.

Winner: Monday.com, but only if you're paying for Pro. Otherwise, neither is great here.

Integrations

Both platforms offer 200+ integrations with tools like Slack, Google Drive, Jira, and Salesforce.

Trello: Uses "Power-Ups" to add functionality. These work like plugins—some free, many paid. The Power-Up ecosystem is actually Trello's secret weapon, letting you bolt on features the core product lacks.

Monday.com: Integrations are built-in but limited by your plan. Standard gives you 250 integration actions/month. Pro bumps to 25,000.

Winner: Tie. Both integrate well. Trello's Power-Up model is more modular; Monday's is more native.

Ease of Use

This one's not close.

Trello: Drag cards, drop cards, done. The learning curve is basically nonexistent. Your team can be productive in minutes.

Monday.com: More powerful, but there's a real learning curve. Expect to spend time configuring dashboards, understanding views, and setting up automations. Worth it for complex needs, but not plug-and-play.

Winner: Trello, decisively.

What Each Tool Does Best

Trello Excels At:

• Simple task management and personal productivity
• Small teams that need visual Kanban workflows
• Quick onboarding with zero training required
• Budget-conscious teams wanting free or cheap plans
• Creative projects, editorial calendars, basic sprint boards

Monday.com Excels At:

• Complex projects with dependencies and timelines
• Larger teams needing advanced reporting and dashboards
• Workflows requiring significant automation
• Cross-functional teams managing multiple projects
• Companies needing native time tracking and resource management

The Dealbreakers

Trello's Weaknesses

• Limited reporting: Native analytics are basic. You'll need Power-Ups for real insights.
• No native Gantt charts: Available through Power-Ups, but it's a workaround.
• No time tracking: Requires third-party tools.
• 10-user limit on free: As of 2024, Trello's free Workspaces cap at 10 collaborators.
• Scaling issues: Works great for simple projects; gets messy for complex ones.

Monday.com's Weaknesses

• Expensive at scale: Bucket pricing plus per-seat costs add up fast.
• Limited free plan: 2 users, 3 boards—barely functional.
• Feature gating: Key features like Gantt, time tracking, and automations locked behind higher tiers.
• Steep learning curve: Takes real time to set up properly.
• Complexity overhead: More features than most small teams need.

Who Should Use What?

Choose Trello If:

• You're a freelancer, solopreneur, or small team (under 10 people)
• Your projects are straightforward without complex dependencies
• You want something that works immediately without configuration
• You're budget-conscious and need a capable free plan
• You love Kanban and don't need Gantt charts

Choose Monday.com If:

• You manage 10+ people or multiple concurrent projects
• You need timeline views, Gantt charts, and dependency tracking
• Automation is central to your workflow
• You want native time tracking without third-party tools
• You're willing to invest time in setup for long-term efficiency

For more options, check out our guides on best project management software and free project management tools.

The Bottom Line

There's no universal winner here. Trello is the better tool if simplicity and price matter most. It does Kanban extremely well, the free plan is actually useful, and your team can start immediately without training.

Monday.com is better if you need power and scale. The views, automations, and reporting capabilities are genuinely superior—but you'll pay for it, both in dollars and setup time.

If you're a startup, creative team, or small business managing straightforward projects, start with Trello. If you're an agency, growing company, or team with complex cross-functional workflows, Monday.com is worth the investment.

Still on the fence? Both offer free trials. Try Monday.com's 14-day Pro trial to test the advanced features, or just spin up a free Trello board and see if it covers your needs.

For more Monday.com insights, read our Monday.com review and Monday.com alternatives guide.