Asana and Trello are two names you’re bound to hear in your search for project management software. These heavy-hitting platforms are regularly featured in our roundup of the best project management software for good reasons, but you must choose between them wisely. While both can help you and your team achieve project success, they are designed for different use cases.
In this Asana vs. Trello comparison, I’ll explain the key features of each platform, how each piece of software will impact your bottom line, how easy (or hard) the software is to use and who will benefit the most from each platform. Be sure to read to the very end before you make a purchasing decision.
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Asana vs. Trello: At a Glance
| Asana | Trello | |
|---|---|---|
| Star Rating |   |  |
| Starting Price | Free, $13.49 per user per month (billed monthly, two-user minimum) | Free, $6.00 per user per month (billed monthly) |
| Project and Task Management Tools | Kanban boards, Gantt charts, calendars, timelines, lists | Kanban boards, calendars, timelines, map view, tables |
| Real-Time Collaboration Tools | Yes, collaborative documents, image proofing, chat | No |
| Integrations | Yes, it offers over 200 integrations | Yes, it offers over 200 Power-Ups (integrations) |
| Dashboards and Reports | Yes | Yes |
| Automation | Yes | Yes |
| Read Reviews |
The above table briefly summarizes Asana’s and Trello’s key features. However, this is not an exhaustive list and tells just part of the story. While these two platforms may look similar here, I can tell you that there are some significant differences between the two that will sway you one way or the other.
Key Features: Asana vs. Trello
In the following sections, I’ll break down Asana’s and Trello’s key features so that you can see what each platform offers. I will cover similarities, differences and everything in between so you can better understand what Asana and Trello can and cannot do.
Project and Task Management Tools
On paper, Asana and Trello look very similar in terms of task management tools. Both offer project templates, Kanban boards, calendars, Gantt charts (timelines) and tables (lists). Trello even goes one further and provides a map view that lets you associate tasks with a physical location. However, it would be remiss of me not to talk about tool functionality.
Across the board, Asana’s task management tools are excellent. Thanks to a slick drag-and-drop mechanic, they’re easy to use, and adding due dates, assignees, custom fields, dependencies, comments and other task information is a breeze. These tools make Asana an ideal platform for traditional (predictive) project management methodologies, such as Waterfall and the Critical Path Method (CPM), and Agile frameworks such as Kanban and Scrum.
Asana’s Kanban boards are fantastic but not as good as those in Trello.
It’s slightly different with Trello. In my opinion, Trello offers the best Kanban boards. Period. Their ease of use and ability to customize make them hard to beat. However, Trello’s calendar, Gantt chart (timeline) and table views (available in the Premium plan) are poor and feel like an afterthought. Trello is excellent if you only manage Agile Kanban projects. However, if you use predictive methods, stick with Asana or one of the best Gantt chart platforms.
Regarding other project management tools, Asana is leaps and bounds ahead of Trello. Asana is better suited for SMBs who need financial management and robust time-tracking tools, resource planning, resource management and risk management tools. Asana is a complete project management suite that can help you plan and track complex projects and tackle scope creep, while Trello is a polished task management platform that’s suitable for simple projects.
Trello’s Kanban boards are user-friendly and highly customizable.
Winner: Asana wins the project and task management section. While Trello offers better Kanban boards, Asana excels in every other area.
Collaboration Features
Collaboration tools make it easier for remote teams to work together on project documents, brainstorm, proof images and chat. Upfront, I’ll say that Asana is superior to Trello in this department, though, even then, Asana isn’t exactly loaded with tools. In Asana, you’ll find collaborative notes that can be used to create everything from meeting agendas to project charters, as well as an image-proofing tool and a slick messaging system.
Asana’s collaborative notes are basic but better than nothing, which is what Trello has.
Trello doesn’t offer any native real-time collaboration tools. The only way to communicate with team members is through @messages on task cards. If you want to use collaborative documents, image proofing, real-time chat or whiteboards, you’ll have to rely on integrations (some paid) with PageProof, Slack, Google Chat and Whiteboards by Max. Trello can integrate with Confluence (also owned by Atlassian), which is nice, but it’s still not a native tool.
Trello’s commenting system functions well, but a live chat tool would be better.
Winner: Asana wins the collaboration tool section. Asana’s mix of collaborative documents, robust messaging and image proofing allows distributed teams to work together from anywhere in the world.
Integrations and Automations
You can connect Asana and Trello to hundreds of business software platforms thanks to large integration libraries. You’ll find over 200 integrations for platforms such as Slack, Microsoft Teams, Miro, Google Drive and Dropbox, to name a few. You can also use Zapier to integrate with lesser-known platforms. I had no problems creating integrations. You navigate to the store, pick the integration and follow the on-screen instructions. It’s a hassle-free experience.
Thanks to automation builders, you can use Trello and Asana to create automated workflows and recurring tasks. These can help you save time and simplify processes. Trello’s Butler automation tool is powerful but has a steep learning curve. Thanks to a slew of pre-made automation templates and a cleaner interface, I found Asana’s automation builder more user-friendly.
Winner: The integrations and automation section is a tie. Asana and Trello can connect to over 200 platforms and support simple and complex automated workflows and recurring tasks.
Reports
While Asana and Trello offer dashboards that can display project metrics, you’ll want to use Asana if you value reports. Asana’s highly customizable dashboards can display financial data, time worked, workloads, due dates, task statuses and upcoming tasks. These combine to create dashboards that let you see key performance indicators (KPIs) and a big picture of your project.
Asana’s dashboards are highly customizable and easy on the eye.
In comparison, Trello’s reporting dashboards are as basic as they come. While customizable, they can only display four performance indicators: cards per list, cards per label, cards per member and cards per due date. You can also only choose from pie charts, line graphs and bar graphs. You’ll need to rely on integrations if you want more substantial reports.
Trello’s dashboards look nice but lack depth.
Winner: Asana wins the dashboard and reports section thanks to its robust dashboards that display numerous project metrics and KPIs.
Administration and Security
I can tell you that Asana is far more robust than Trello in terms of administration and security features. Still, with both Asana and Trello you can set user roles and permissions, create custom roles and invite guests. Additionally, you can enforce numerous security features such as two-factor authentication and single sign-on policies. Asana also lets you restrict IP addresses.
Asana’s numerous tools make it easy to create watertight workspaces for small and large teams. It’s also worth mentioning that Asana is HIPAA compliant, while Trello is not, which means those working in healthcare fields should skip Trello altogether. If you want to stay in Atlassian’s world, look at Jira (Trello’s sibling) if you need HIPAA compliance. You can learn more about Jira in our Jira review.
Winner: Asana wins the administration and security section. Thanks to a more robust suite of admin and security tools and HIPAA compliance, Asana is the better choice for teams working with sensitive data, such as patient records and nondisclosure agreements. I also recommend Asana for SMBs with large teams due to the level of customization of user permissions.
Pricing and Value: Asana vs. Trello
Now that you know more about the key features of Asana and Trello, it’s time for me to tell you how much you can expect to pay to use each platform. There’s a significant difference in cost, but, in this case, you do get what you pay for. After the table, I break down the various plans in more detail.
| Asana | Trello | |
|---|---|---|
| Free Trial | Yes, 30 days | Yes, 14 days |
| Free Plan | Yes, it supports 10 users | Yes, it supports 10 users |
| Base Plan | Starter: $13.49 per user per month (billed monthly, two-user minimum) | Standard: $6.00 per user per month (billed monthly) |
| Intermediate Plan | Advanced: $30.49 per user per month (billed monthly) | Premium: $12.50 per user per month (billed monthly) |
| High Plan | Enterprise: Must call for a quote | N/A |
| Enterprise | Enterprise+: Must call for a quote | Enterprise: $17.50 per user per month (billed annually, 50-user minimum) |
There are big differences in price between Asana and Trello; however, one thing they have in common is that they offer free plans that support 10 users and provide a good set of features. These plans will be ideal for small businesses or startups that don’t need advanced tools. Asana’s cheapest paid plan starts at $13.49 per user per month (billed monthly) and has a two-user minimum, while Trello’s entry plan costs just $6 per user per month (billed monthly).
Asana’s Advanced plan jumps to a whopping $30.49 per month (billed monthly) and retains the two-user minimum, while Trello’s Premium plan comes in at $12.50 per user per month. There are also Enterprise plans. Trello’s costs $17.50 monthly (billed annually) but requires at least 50 members. You have to call Asana for a quote regarding its Enterprise plans. It’s worth noting that you can also save money by signing up for yearly subscriptions.
I’m sure the pricing will play a significant role in the platform you choose. However, you must remember that Trello offers significantly less functionality and is only for teams that use Kanban, while Asana is feature-dense and suitable for many methodologies and frameworks. If Asana is too rich for your company’s blood, I recommend looking at ClickUp or Zoho Projects. Check out our best free project management software roundup if you need a more robust free platform.
Winner: This round is a tie. It’s hard to say one platform offers better value for money than another because it’s like comparing chalk and cheese. If you only need Kanban boards, Trello provides better value for money. If you need more than Kanban support and collaboration tools, then Asana offers better value. Only you know what will work for your business.
Our Expert Opinion
In my honest opinion, Asana and Trello are both excellent at what they do. Trello is a no-brainer if you only need Kanban boards. You’ll be hard-pressed to find better boards anywhere. Meanwhile, Asana is a brilliant do-it-all platform ideal for teams using predictive methodologies and Agile frameworks. Asana’s real-time collaboration tools also make it suitable for distributed teams that need to create together.
Trello and Asana offer intuitive tools, and both are easy to navigate. They can integrate with hundreds of other pieces of software, meaning you can create complex automated workflows across platforms. Here’s my advice. If you only need to use Kanban boards, pick Trello. It would be my top pick for any team that needs robust boards. If you work on a variety of projects that require different approaches, then Asana is the platform you should pick out of these two.
Do your due diligence by reading our Asana and Trello reviews and then take advantage of the free trials offered by both platforms. This way, you can see if the tools on offer do what you need them to do.
Who Is Asana Best For?
Asana is a do-it-all project management platform ideal for project teams that use predictive methodologies and Agile frameworks. The intuitive workflow management tools, numerous integrations, real-time collaboration tools and slick automation builder make it suitable for all remote teams and those working in fields such as construction, healthcare, education, finance, law and software development. It’s pricey compared to Trello but worth the extra expense.
Who Is Trello Best For?
Thanks to its class-leading boards, Trello is ideal for SMBs and project teams that use the Kanban framework to get work done. You can customize boards and task cards to your heart’s content and integrate Trello with many platforms, allowing you to create automated cross-platform workflows easily. Trello is an excellent choice for SMBs on a budget that work in marketing, content creation, design, product management and software development industries.
Featured Partners
1
monday.com
Yes
From $8 monthly per user
Zoom, LinkedIn, Adobe, Salesforce and more
2
ClickUp
Yes, for unlimited members
$7 per month
Slack, Microsoft Outlook, HubSpot, Salesforce, Timely, Google Drive and more
3
Wrike
Yes
$10 per user per month
Salesforce, Adobe, Miro, Netsuite, QuickBooks, SAP
