Trello has long been the benchmark for project management, thanks to its simplicity and intuitive interface, based on the Kanban method for visual organization. For small teams, especially those working remotely, it’s often hard to find a project management tool more suited to the task than Trello, for its ease of use and flexibility.
However, in 2025, the needs of teams are changing, and even small teams are looking for more flexibility, advanced integrations and robust functionality to optimize their productivity. While Trello’s visual simplicity is an asset, it can also become a limitation for more complex projects, often requiring paid Power-Ups for basic functionalities such as Gantt charts or dependency management.
Why are teams looking for alternatives to Trello?
There are several reasons why a micro-team might consider a change:
- Free plan limitations: As of April 2024, Trello’s free plan limits the number of collaborators to 10 per workspace. Beyond that, boards become uneditable or require a switch to a paid plan. This can quickly become restrictive for a growing team or one with extensive collaborative projects. What’s more, the free version only gives access to the Kanban view, limiting access to other views such as the calendar or timeline.
- Lack of advanced native features: Trello is based on a simple system of tables and cards, but lacks tools that are indispensable for projects requiring more follow-up, such as detailed reports, advanced user management or task dependencies.
- Dependence on paid Power-Ups: To extend its functionality, Trello relies heavily on third-party integrations (Power-Ups), which can lead to additional costs or fragmentation of the experience.
- Collaboration in need of improvement: although Trello makes it easy to keep track of tasks, it lags behind other tools offering richer interactions such as integrated chat or live collaborative editing.
Fortunately, many alternatives offer innovative approaches that retain Trello’s visual appeal while meeting these new requirements.
The advantages of alternatives for small teams
Trello’s competitors offer several key advantages for micro-teams:
- More customization: Create customized workflows.
- Multiple project views: Offer Gantt charts, timelines, mind maps, in addition to Kanban, for a more strategic vision.
- Task automation: Reduce manual effort by automating repetitive tasks.
- Extended integrations: offer advanced native integrations with other popular tools.
- Enhanced collaboration: Go further with integrated chats, collaborative documents and advanced mentions, ideal for remote teams.
Colorful visual tools to reinvent project management for your micro-team
Here are some of the best alternatives to Trello, particularly suited to micro-teams who don’t want to sacrifice visual appeal and intuitiveness:
Airtable
What we like: Airtable merges the simplicity of a spreadsheet with the power of a relational database, offering flexible, visual data management. Its intuitive interface and customizable views (grid, calendar, gallery, Kanban) make it easy to visualize and manipulate information. It’s a flexible, adaptable solution for optimizing productivity and collaboration.
Ideal for : Teams needing to manage and organize data in a highly flexible and personalized way, such as content or inventory management.
Price: Free with limitations, paid plans from US$10/month per seat
Asana
What we like: Asana is appreciated for its intuitive interface and multiple views (lists, Kanban boards, calendars), offering flexibility tailored to each user. It features customizable dashboards and a clear task prioritization system. Its ability to manage complex projects while maintaining smooth collaboration makes it a valuable tool.
Ideal for : Teams looking for a responsive, intuitive task manager with advanced tracking tools and numerous integrations.
Price: Free for up to 15 users, paid plans from US$10.99/user/month.
ClickUp
What we like: ClickUp is positioned as an all-in-one, highly customizable platform with over 15 customizable views, at least 10 of which are included in the “Free Forever Plan”. Its “Board View” is similar to Trello with drag & drop. It’s a flexible solution for a variety of use cases, allowing tasks to be grouped by status, priority or custom fields.
Ideal for : Teams looking for an all-in-one solution and advanced customization, eager to replace several disparate tools with a single unified platform.
Price: Robust free plan, paid plans from $7 per month per member.
MeisterTask
What we like: MeisterTask is an online task management tool that combines an intuitive interface with powerful features. It’s an elegant, feature-rich Kanban-style board, with board customization and seamless integration with other tools. It is particularly suited to process automation.
Ideal for : Agile and Kanban teams looking for a modern, customizable interface and automation.
Price : Free basic version, paid plans from €8.25/month/user.
monday.com
What we like: monday.com is renowned for its colorful, intuitive interface, offering customizable workflows and automations. Its modular approach and visually appealing interface make navigation a pleasure and simplify adoption. It stands out for its flexibility, automation capabilities and multiple integrations.
Ideal for : Teams looking for comprehensive, intuitive and automated work management, with strong visual customization.
Price: Free version available, paid plans from $8 per month per user.
Notion
What we like: Notion is an all-in-one productivity platform, combining note-taking, task management, databases and real-time collaboration. Its flexible, highly customizable interface allows you to structure a unique workspace. It is appreciated for its ability to centralize information and its wide range of templates.
Ideal for : Teams who need to combine project management and documentation, looking for a versatile, adaptable solution to centralize their work.
Price : Free version, paid plans from €5.00/month.
Quire
What we like: Quire is a collaborative project management platform with an intuitive interface and a unique tree structure for breaking down complex projects. It’s particularly well suited to small and medium-sized businesses, offering multiple views (lists, Kanban, timeline) to adapt to specific needs.
Ideal for : Teams working on multifaceted projects requiring precise coordination and hierarchical task management.
Price : Free version, advanced features from US$7.65/month.
Zenkit
What we like: Zenkit is an all-in-one platform that combines ease of use and functional power, with a unified interface and modular approach. It offers multiple views (Kanban, list, calendar, Gantt chart, mind map) and exceptional flexibility for diverse work methodologies.
Ideal for : Companies looking for an adaptable, modular tool to centralize various aspects of project management, while ensuring seamless integration with existing tools.
Price : Free version with limitations, paid plans on request.
Basecamp
What we like: Basecamp is an all-in-one project management tool that focuses on simplicity and team collaboration. Its interface is simple and user-friendly.
Ideal for : Small to medium-sized teams who want to manage tasks, schedules and communications without being overwhelmed by complex functionality.
Price: Personal plan free, Enterprise plan at $99 per month for an unlimited number of users.
Teambook
What we like: Teambook stands out for its specialized approach to resource planning and management. This Swiss solution offers a visual, intuitive interface for team management, with particularly effective drag-and-drop scheduling. Its per-project (rather than per-user) pricing model makes it a very cost-effective option for growing teams. The tool excels in capacity management, resource allocation and time tracking, with automatic calendar integrations.
Ideal for : Dynamic teams and agencies managing several projects simultaneously and needing to optimize the allocation of their human resources, with particular attention to profitability.
Price : Very attractive per-project pricing, unlimited users.
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Choosing the best alternative for your microteam
Our recommendation: Teambook
For micro-teams looking for a resource management tool, Teambook offers several decisive advantages:
Generally speaking, choosing the best alternative to Trello will depend on the specific needs of your micro-team. It’s essential to compare prices, key features and ease of use. If you’re looking for a tool that maintains Trello’s simplicity and visual appeal while offering more flexibility, customization, multiple views and better collaboration, the options mentioned above are excellent starting points.
Don’t hesitate to try out the free versions or trials offered by these platforms. The best solution is one that is perfectly aligned with your processes and way of working, enabling you to optimize collaboration and improve your team’s productivity.