Home › Comparisons › Trello vs Asana
Last updated: October 29, 2026
TechCurato is reader-supported. Some links are affiliate links: we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Learn more.
Trello vs Asana (2027): Prices, Free Plans and Which One to Pick
Choose Trello if your team works in simple boards and you want the lowest cost: it's free for up to 10 collaborators per Workspace and Standard costs $5 per user per month on annual billing. Choose Asana if you manage structured projects with owners, deadlines and timelines: it's free for 2 users and Starter costs $10.99 per user, with timeline views, unlimited automations and reporting dashboards. Asana costs about twice as much, and gives you more structure for it.
- Trello: free for 10 boards and 10 collaborators per Workspace; Standard $5, Premium $10, Enterprise $17.50 per user (annual).
- Asana: Personal free for 2 users; Starter $10.99 ($13.49 monthly); Advanced $24.99 ($30.49 monthly).
- 10 users on entry paid plans: Trello $50/month vs Asana $109.90/month.
- Free plan team size: 10 collaborators (Trello) vs 2 users (Asana).
- Automation: 250 command runs/month on Trello Free; unlimited automations on Asana Starter.
Trello vs Asana at a glance
| Trello | Asana | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | 10 boards, 10 collaborators per Workspace | Up to 2 users |
| Entry paid plan | Standard $5/user (annual) | Starter $10.99/user (annual) |
| Next tier | Premium $10/user | Advanced $24.99/user |
| Monthly billing | $6 (Standard), $12.50 (Premium) | $13.49 (Starter), $30.49 (Advanced) |
| Core idea | Boards, lists and cards | Tasks with owners, due dates and projects |
| Best for | Simple visual workflows | Structured, cross-team projects |
Pricing compared
Free plans
Trello's free plan is far more generous for teams: 10 collaborators against Asana's 2 users. A small team of 6 can use Trello free indefinitely if it stays within 10 boards. On Asana, the third person forces an upgrade.
Entry paid plans
Trello Standard costs $5 per user on annual billing ($6 monthly). Asana Starter costs $10.99 ($13.49 monthly), more than twice as much. The difference buys you Asana's timeline and Gantt views, unlimited automations, reporting dashboards and unlimited free guests.
Upper tiers
Trello Premium ($10) adds more views and admin features; Asana Advanced ($24.99) adds portfolios, goals, resource management, approvals and proofing. For large organizations, Trello Enterprise costs $17.50 per user on annual billing.
What a real team pays per month
| Users | Trello Standard | Trello Premium | Asana Starter | Asana Advanced |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | $15 | $30 | $32.97 | $74.97 |
| 5 | $25 | $50 | $54.95 | $124.95 |
| 10 | $50 | $100 | $109.90 | $249.90 |
| 25 | $125 | $250 | $274.75 | $624.75 |
3-year cost for a growing team
A team of 5 that doubles each year, on annual billing:
| Year (users) | Trello Standard | Trello Premium | Asana Starter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 (5) | $300 | $600 | $659.40 |
| Year 2 (10) | $600 | $1,200 | $1,318.80 |
| Year 3 (20) | $1,200 | $2,400 | $2,637.60 |
| Total | $2,100 | $4,200 | $4,615.80 |
Trello Standard costs less than half of Asana Starter over three years. Trello Premium and Asana Starter are close, so compare their features directly if you need more than simple boards.
How each tool organizes work
Trello is built on the Kanban board: a project is a board, stages are lists, and tasks are cards you drag from left to right. It's intuitive, visual and fast to adopt; anyone understands a board in minutes.
Asana is built on tasks: every task has one owner, a due date and a project, and you can see the same work as a list, a board, a calendar or a timeline. It's designed to answer "who is doing what, by when" across several projects and teams.
Features that decide the choice
| If you need… | Better choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A free plan for a team of 3 to 10 | Trello | 10 collaborators vs 2 users |
| The lowest paid price | Trello | $5 vs $10.99 per user |
| Timelines and dependencies | Asana | Included on Starter |
| Unlimited automations at entry tier | Asana | Starter includes them |
| Reporting dashboards for managers | Asana | Included on Starter |
| Goals and portfolios | Asana | Advanced plan |
| Simple boards anyone can learn in minutes | Trello | Kanban-first design |
Three real-world scenarios
A 6-person content team
Ideas, drafts, editing and published columns on one board: Trello's free plan covers it. If the team wants a calendar and timelines, Trello Standard ($30 a month) or Asana Starter ($65.94 a month) are the options.
A 10-person product team shipping on deadlines
Launches with dependencies, cross-team handoffs and status reports: Asana Starter at $109.90 a month fits better, because timelines and dashboards are included.
A 25-person company standardizing on one tool
If most teams need only boards, Trello Standard ($125 a month) is the economical choice. If leadership needs goals and portfolio views, Asana Advanced ($624.75 a month) is the more complete platform.
Try Asana free → Free for 2 users, no credit card · Affiliate link
Hidden costs to watch
- Trello's free limits: 10 boards and 250 command runs per Workspace a month.
- Asana's 2-user free limit: the third user triggers a paid plan for everyone.
- Monthly billing: about 17–20% more on Trello and about 19% more on Asana.
- Feature creep: adding Power-Ups or integrations can raise Trello's effective cost.
Alternatives worth comparing
| Tool | Entry price (annual) | Why consider it |
|---|---|---|
| ClickUp | Core $9/user | More features than Trello, cheaper than Asana |
| monday.com | Basic $9/seat (3-seat minimum) | Flexible visual boards |
| Notion | Plus $10/seat (monthly price) | Docs and tasks together |
See Asana vs monday.com, ClickUp vs Asana and best free project management software.
How to choose in 5 steps
- Describe your work: stages on a board, or tasks with owners and deadlines.
- Count users: 3 to 10 people can stay free on Trello; only 2 on Asana.
- List must-have views: timeline, calendar, dashboard.
- Run one real project in each tool for a week.
- Choose the tool your team updated without reminders.
Terms explained
- Kanban board: a visual board where tasks move through columns.
- Card: a task on a Trello board.
- Timeline view: a Gantt-style view of tasks over time.
- Power-Up: a Trello add-on that extends a board.
- Portfolio: a view of several projects at once (Asana Advanced).
When to move from Trello to Asana
Many teams start on Trello and move to Asana as work grows. Four signs it's time:
- Cards carry long checklists of dates and owners that really belong in separate tasks.
- Managers ask for weekly status reports that you build by hand.
- Work depends on other work and missed handoffs cause delays.
- You run more than 10 active boards and keep archiving to stay on the free plan.
If two or more apply, trial Asana Starter for a month with one real project. If none apply, Trello is still the cheaper, simpler tool for your team.
Our verdict
Trello is the better choice for small teams with simple, visual workflows: free for 10 collaborators, $5 per user on Standard, and learnable in minutes. Asana is the better choice for teams that manage structured projects with owners, deadlines and dependencies: Starter at $10.99 per user includes timelines, unlimited automations and dashboards. If your boards keep growing into spreadsheets of dates and owners, it's time to move to Asana.
How we compiled this page
We compared Trello's and Asana's official pricing pages on October 29, 2026, using annual billing, and calculated costs for common team sizes. See Trello pricing and Asana pricing.
FAQ
Is Trello cheaper than Asana?
Yes. Trello Standard costs $5 per user per month on annual billing, versus $10.99 for Asana Starter.
Which has a better free plan, Trello or Asana?
Trello, for teams: up to 10 collaborators and 10 boards per Workspace, versus 2 users on Asana.
Is Asana better than Trello?
For structured projects with deadlines and dependencies, yes. For simple boards and small budgets, Trello is often better.
Can I import Trello boards into Asana?
Yes. Asana can import from Trello and from CSV files, so you can move projects without retyping them.
Which is easier to learn?
Trello. Its boards and cards are understood in minutes; Asana takes a little longer because it offers more structure.
Can clients or guests use Trello and Asana for free?
Asana Starter includes unlimited free guests. On Trello, guests count toward the free plan's 10 collaborators per Workspace, so teams that share boards with many clients may reach the limit sooner.
Sources
trello.com/pricing and asana.com/pricing, checked October 29, 2026.
Related
- Asana Pricing 2027: Plans, Real Costs & Free Limit
- ClickUp vs Asana (2027): Prices, Limits & Verdict
- Asana vs monday.com (2027): Prices, Limits & Which to Pick
- Asana vs Notion (2027): Prices, Free Plans & Which to Pick
- monday.com vs Trello (2027): Prices, Limits & Which to Pick