Trello vs. Asana Vs. ClickUp: Which Tool is Right for you?

I created this guide to help you choose between Trello vs. Asana vs. ClickUp or any other project management tool you might be considering. These aren’t the only options, they are just the most popular and my personal favorites.

Having  a solid task or project management system for your online business is an absolute game changer! When I started using one for my own business back in 2018, I quickly realized the power of being able to track all the small details instead of storing them in my head or in a paper planner.

If you’re tired of trying to decide between Trello vs. Asana vs. ClickUp, let me help you! I’m a former software developer so I know a thing or two about quality programs. I’ve also been using Trello since 2018, Asana since 2019, and ClickUp since 2020, all for different reasons.

Trello vs. Asana Vs. ClickUp: Which Tool is Right for you?

Choosing the right tools for your business can feel overwhelming and cause a lot of unnecessary stress and anxiety. I get it. I’ve been there too!

The trick is not wasting a ton of time with research. Online businesses need to make money, and you can’t do that if all you are doing is researching and trying to get everything perfect. Just take action!

Get a recommendation from someone you trust. Test out the tools for yourself. Choose the one that best fits your needs. And move forward with your business knowing that you have made the right choice and that you can organize your online business with your new project management tool.

Since we don’t want to waste any more time, let’s dive right in to the pros and cons of each of the 3 tools we’re comparing today!

Trello Pros and Cons

Pros:

• The free version has plenty features for most small, online businesses
• Easiest to learn of the project management tools
• Great for making checklists, especially to reuse
• The app is perfect for recording ideas on your phone

Cons:

• Can get expensive if you really want to customize/automate it
• A little awkward for managing tasks compared to other tools
• Not good for launches unless you add a bunch of power-ups

Asana Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Most fun and visually appealing project management tool
• Fairly easy to learn and navigate
• Privacy and security settings so you can share only what you want to
• Best option for managing your weekly calendar

Cons:

• No checklists - this makes me crazy but you can still use bulleted lists
• Can only assign one person per task
• Free version is pretty basic with limited automation (but I still use it)

ClickUp Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Most features for a free version of these 3 tools
• Fantastic notifications and communication for teams
• Has everything you need to track complicated projects
• Integrates flawlessly with a ton of other tools

Cons:

• More complicated and steep learning curve when you first begin
• Easy to lose things because of the complexity

How I Use Trello, Asana, and Clickup for My Online Business

I’ve used all 3 of these tools for my business and for client’s businesses. I think they are all excellent choices, but which one you choose really depends on how you are going to use it.

How I Use Trello

Trello has been my go-to organization tool since I started my first online business in 2018. As a former software developer who used Kanban boards to track projects, Trello was easy for me to learn and very comfortable to use.

As my business has grown, I’ve found more and more ways to stay organized using Trello. I primarily use it to store information that would otherwise get lost in my Google Drive.

Here are some examples of my boards:

• Business Dashboard
  • Branding info like hex codes, logos, headshots, bio, etc. that I can access quickly
  • All my social media platform links
  • A list of ideas I can use at any time
  • Swipe files (inspiration pulled from other sources)
  • Places I’ve been featured and the info
  • Contractors I like to work with
• Blog Calendar
  • Blog Post Checklist that I can copy over and over
  • Title formulas in case I can’t think of anything
  • Upcoming blog posts
  • Published blog posts
  • Blog posts that need to be updated
• Personal Board for me and my boyfriend
  • Grocery list
  • Lists of things we need at various stores
  • Weekend to-do list
  • Project list
  • Places we want to visit
  • Gift ideas for birthdays and Christmas

I have also used Trello boards with one-to-one clients for basic task tracking.

• Client Trello Board
  • To-Do list
  • Recurring Tasks
  • Completed Tasks
  • SOPs - simple checklists
  • Important info (dates, business details, links, schedules, etc.)

How I Use Asana

As my business started to grow and become more complex during my first year, I realized I needed a better tool for tracking my tasks than the paper planner I bought at Target. While I love writing things by hand, it just wasn’t practical anymore.

After a good bit of research, I decided to start using Asana as my task management system. I love the look, simplicity, and free version. It had everything I needed.

In the last year, as The Organized CEO has continued to grow, I’ve relied more heavily on Asana as my task and project management system. Some things that I used to keep in Trello, like a giant to-do list, have been moved over to Asana so that I can properly schedule them into my week.

I’m also using Asana for yearly, quarterly, monthly, and weekly goal planning. Trello is also a great option for this, but I like that with Asana I can turn my goals into action steps by creating tasks for them on my calendar.

How I Use ClickUp

I have never used ClickUp for my own business because I haven’t needed such a robust tool, but I did take the time to research and learn how to use it.

I do really love the program and have used it with clients who have more moving pieces and complicated launches. It’s a fantastic tool for juggling big projects.

How to Choose the Right Project Management Tool for Your Online Business

Choosing the best project management tool for your online business can feel overwhelming when there are so many options. How do you choose between Trello vs. Asana vs. ClickUp?

Start by asking yourself these questions:

1. Does it fit in your budget if you upgrade?
2. Do you like how it looks? (You’ll be looking at it a LOT)
3. Does it have the main features you need?
4. Does it integrate easily with your other tools?
5. How big is your team now? How big of a team do you want in the future?
6. Is the business ethical? Do they share your values and beliefs?

These are important things to consider before you invest in any tool, but especially for one you’ll be using so often like a project management tool.

Trello is best for:

• Storing information you need to access quickly and easily
• Collaborating with only 1 other person, like a 1-1 client
• Simple task tracking, but not big projects or launches

Asana is best for:

• CEOs and small teams of 1-3 people
• Recurring tasks and simple project management
• Anyone who likes unicorns 

ClickUp is best for:

• Teams of 3 or more people, including contractors
• Anyone who has regular, complex launches
• People who love having a ton of extra features
• Business owners who have an OBM, DOO, or PM on the team
• People who are comfortable navigating software and features

Take Action

Now that you know how I use these project management tools and which ones are best for different situations, it’s time for you to take action!

• Choose 1 project management tool and stick with it until you have a real need to switch. Don’t just switch on a whim because you’ll be wasting your time.
• Learn how to use the tool with the company’s help guides.
• Set it up and implement it for your business!

Try out your new system for 30 days before going all in and committing long-term. Think of it as a test drive. If you’re still happy with it after a month, you’ll know you made the right decision and can feel confident moving forward.

Were you looking for more of a feature comparison post? Check out this one from computer Verge comparing the features for Trello vs. Asana vs. ClickUp!