Monday.com vs Wrike: Which Project Management Tool Should You Actually Use?
You're comparing Monday.com and Wrike because you need a project management tool that actually works for your team. Both are solid options, but they're built for different types of teams. Let me break down what matters.
The quick verdict: Monday.com wins for most small-to-mid-sized teams thanks to its better user interface, easier setup, and more affordable paid plans. Wrike is the better choice for large enterprises with complex workflows, especially if you need robust resource management and file proofing capabilities.
Pricing Comparison: Monday.com vs Wrike
Let's talk money first, because pricing structures can make or break your decision.
Monday.com Pricing
Monday.com uses a bucket pricing model that starts at a minimum of 3 seats, then goes up in increments of 5. This can get annoying—if you have 6 people, you're paying for 10 seats.
- Free: $0 for up to 2 users. Limited to 3 boards, basic features. Good enough for personal projects, not for real teams.
- Basic: $9/user/month (billed annually) or $12/month billed monthly. Unlimited boards and items, 5GB storage, 200+ templates. No automations or integrations though.
- Standard: $12/user/month (billed annually). This is where most teams should start. Adds Timeline, Gantt, and Calendar views, plus 250 automations/month and 250 integrations/month.
- Pro: $19/user/month (billed annually). Private boards, time tracking, 25,000 automations/month. Good for larger teams with complex workflows.
- Enterprise: Custom pricing. Enterprise-grade security, 250K automations/month, advanced reporting.
For a deeper dive into their pricing tiers, check out our Monday.com pricing breakdown.
Wrike Pricing
Wrike also sells in groups of users. For accounts up to 30 seats, subscriptions are sold in groups of 5. Between 30-100 seats, it's groups of 10. Above 100, groups of 25.
- Free: $0 for unlimited users. Sounds great, but you're limited to 200 active tasks and basic features. No Gantt charts, no automations.
- Team: $9.80-$10/user/month (billed annually) for 2-15 users. Unlimited tasks, interactive Gantt charts, custom workflows. 2GB storage per user.
- Business: $24.80-$25/user/month (billed annually) for 5-200 users. This is where Wrike gets serious—resource management, time tracking, advanced integrations (Salesforce, Adobe Creative Cloud), 5GB storage per user. Requires minimum 5 seats.
- Enterprise: Custom pricing. SSO, advanced security, 10GB storage per user.
- Pinnacle: Custom pricing. Advanced analytics, job roles, budgeting tools.
Important note: Wrike Business and above are only available as annual subscriptions.
Which Is Cheaper?
For small teams (5 users on paid plans):
- Monday.com Standard: $60/month (billed annually)
- Wrike Team: ~$50/month (billed annually)
For mid-sized teams (15 users) needing solid features:
- Monday.com Pro: $285/month
- Wrike Business: $375/month
Monday.com's paid plans are more affordable at every tier. Wrike's Business plan costs more than double their Team plan, which is a significant jump.
Free Plans: Wrike Has the Edge
If you're trying to get by without paying, Wrike's free plan is substantially better. It supports unlimited users versus Monday.com's 2-user cap. However, Wrike limits you to 200 active tasks and lacks Gantt charts and automation—so "free forever" has real limitations.
Monday.com's free tier is basically just for solo users managing personal projects. Two seats, three boards, no advanced features.
For more free options, see our guide to free project management software.
Feature Comparison: What Actually Matters
User Interface & Learning Curve
This is where Monday.com pulls ahead for most teams. The interface is colorful, intuitive, and visually appealing. New users can figure out the basics without extensive training. Wrike's interface is more utilitarian—functional but "drab" as some reviewers put it. It's designed for people who prioritize functionality over aesthetics.
Monday.com's workflow creator is more intuitive and comes with automation templates you can customize or build from scratch. Wrike offers deeper customization for automations, but requires more time to master.
Project Views
Both tools offer multiple ways to visualize projects:
Monday.com: Kanban boards, Gantt charts, calendars, timelines, and maps. Over 200 templates across industries. The dashboard can combine data from multiple boards depending on your plan (1, 5, 10, or 50 boards).
Wrike: 9 different views including Table, Board, Gantt chart, Resources, Timeline, and more. Wrike's Gantt charts support tasks and subtasks together, giving you a more complete picture. Their timeline views also include critical path highlights, dependencies, and milestones.
Automations & Integrations
Monday.com: 200+ integrations with tools like Slack, Salesforce, and Google Workspace. Automation limits vary by plan—250 actions/month on Standard, 25,000 on Pro, 250,000 on Enterprise.
Wrike: 400+ integrations including Jira, Microsoft Teams, and advanced connections with Salesforce, NetSuite, and Adobe Creative Cloud on higher tiers. Automation available on Team plans and up.
Monday.com has fewer integrations but they're easier to set up. Wrike's integration depth is better for enterprise environments with complex tool stacks.
Time Tracking
Both platforms offer built-in time tracking, but availability differs:
- Monday.com: Available on Pro and Enterprise plans
- Wrike: Available on Business, Enterprise, and Pinnacle plans
On Monday.com's lower tiers, you'd need a third-party integration for time tracking. Wrike bundles it with their Business plan along with timesheets and workload charts.
Resource Management
Wrike excels here. Their Business plan includes robust resource management with workload charts, allocation tools, and capacity planning. This is a key differentiator for agencies and teams managing multiple projects with shared resources.
Monday.com has workload features on higher tiers, but Wrike's implementation is more comprehensive for complex project portfolios.
File Proofing & Approvals
If you're a creative team or agency, pay attention. Wrike lets you review, proof, and approve over 30 file types directly in the platform with side-by-side comparison and version control. They also integrate with DAM tools like MediaValet and Bynder.
Monday.com has proofing features but supports fewer file types and lacks a built-in approvals workflow on their boards. For marketing and creative teams dealing with client deliverables, Wrike is genuinely better here.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
Wrike allows work to be tagged in multiple projects, folders, and Spaces, so different teams can collaborate in their own workflow context. Monday.com doesn't offer this cross-tagging feature—work lives in one board at a time.
Monday workdocs lets teams co-edit documents in real time, embed boards, and create live action items, which eliminates the need for separate documentation tools.
Security & Compliance
Both platforms offer strong security features at enterprise tiers. Wrike has HIPAA support, which matters for healthcare teams. Two-factor authentication on Wrike is only available on the Enterprise plan, which is a weakness. Monday.com offers 2FA at lower tiers.
Who Should Use Monday.com?
Monday.com is the right choice if:
- You're a small to mid-sized team that values ease of use
- Budget matters—you want more features per dollar on paid plans
- You need 200+ templates to get started quickly
- You prefer a visually engaging interface that's easy to adopt
- You want automation templates instead of building from scratch
- 24/7 customer support is important to you
Who Should Use Wrike?
Wrike makes more sense if:
- You need a free plan for more than 2 users (Wrike supports unlimited on free)
- You're a large enterprise with complex workflows and multiple portfolios
- Resource management and capacity planning are critical
- You're a creative agency that needs robust file proofing and approvals
- Cross-functional collaboration with work visible across multiple projects matters
- You need advanced integrations with Salesforce, NetSuite, or Adobe Creative Cloud
- Healthcare compliance (HIPAA) is required
The Drawbacks You Should Know
Monday.com Weaknesses
- The spreadsheet interface can get cluttered when you add many columns
- Tasks can't exist on multiple boards simultaneously
- Dashboard board limits on lower plans (1 board on Basic, 5 on Standard)
- No built-in approvals workflow
- Bucket pricing means you might pay for seats you don't use
Wrike Weaknesses
- Higher learning curve—more training required
- Business plan's minimum 5-seat requirement adds cost for small teams
- User interface is functional but uninspiring
- 2FA only on Enterprise tier
- Free plan caps you at 200 active tasks
Final Verdict: Monday.com for Most, Wrike for Complex Enterprises
For most teams reading this, Monday.com is the better choice. It's easier to learn, more affordable on paid plans, and has a cleaner interface that your team will actually enjoy using. The automation builder is more intuitive, and the template library gets you up and running faster.
Choose Wrike if you're running a large organization with complex project portfolios, need serious resource management, or require built-in creative proofing workflows. Wrike's free plan also makes sense if you're bootstrapping and need more than 2 users without paying.
Both offer 14-day free trials, so test each with your actual workflows before committing.
Start your Monday.com free trial →
Related Comparisons
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