Project management tools are a powerful way to enhance your productivity. Allowing you to manage your workflow, and keep tabs on your projects with ease. As well as enabling you to collaborate with your team members and clients with a click of a button.
There are many options out there to choose from, yet two set themselves apart in the Freemium sphere.
Let’s explore, and compare, the two freemium project management tool titans, Asana and Trello.
What is Asana?
Asana was created by former Facebook executives Justin Rosenstein and Dustin Moskovitz, who were at the core of Facebook’s task management app back in 2008. Helping to manage Facebook’s internal coordination. This application, Asana, became a public tool in 2011.
Asana is now a powerful and comprehensive project management, and productivity tool that sports a freemium model. Quickly becoming one of the most popular of its kind.
What is Trello?
Trello is a project management tool that uses the Kanban project management system, helping you to organize and track your projects with ease.
Within Trello, each task is housed within a card styled system, which can then be placed on a list. You can have many lists, and a typical setup consists of a wide variety, such as: to-do; work-in-progress; and finished. However, the platform is highly versatile in how it’s used. Meaning you can adapt Trello to meet a wide range of professional applications.
Asana Pros
Asana is an extremely comprehensive project management program, developed by industry specialists that clearly know what it takes to keep people productive. Let’s explore some of the key pros that Asana has.
Great User Experience
Asana’s user interface has clearly been designed with an expert’s touch, with a lot of thought being placed into how it feels and operates for the end user. The UI is easy to use and navigate, with an uncomplicated design that still has a depth of complexity to it.
The core of the interface is intuitive, allowing users to find what they need with only a few clicks. Users also have the option to color-code their projects, providing a personalized touch to the program. These features allow teams to use the platform effortlessly.
Improved Work Efficiency
Asana is built on a foundation of efficiency, coming from a heavy corporate environment that focuses on these metrics. The program allows you to have a birds-eye view of your weekly tasks and projects. Helping you to gauge what is urgent, what you need to act on, and what should be prioritized moving forward. Teams can use this information to quickly organize themselves more efficiently, revise objectives as projects progress, and boost their productivity with ease.
Enhances Collaboration
At the very core of the Asana platform is an essence of enabling collaboration in a team environment. Users can easily invite other people into their workspace, and new members can quickly take part in the project.
You can use the platform to communicate in real-time through messages and filing sharing. As well as getting alerted when tasks are assigned, or revisions are made. Furthermore, Asana promotes transparency and accountability across the organization. As every team member can tell who is working on what tasks, and what is due at what time.
Tons of Integrations
Asana comes with a wide range of third-party tools that can be integrated with ease. If you need some extra features that aren’t available in the platform, you can extend Asana’s functionalities with an extension or add-on. Tools such as Bridge24 for Asana can be used to improve the platform’s reporting and exporting capabilities, for example.
Enhanced Security
Many teams are working on projects that house sensitive information about the company, or deal with confidential or sensitive data. Asana is built to protect that data with a few simple clicks. Backing up information, and using a firewall to secure it. Only authorized team members can access the data.
They Have a Free Plan
Asana provides a free plan for small teams and individuals to take advantage of, knowing that these groups may not have the capital to invest in a tool such as Asana straight away. This allows you to begin using the platform without worrying about an upfront investment, which is a nice touch, and shows confidence in the product.
Trello Pros
Trello is one of the leading project management tools out there, and comes loaded with a wide range of benefits. Standing as one of the most utilized project management platforms out there right now.
Let’s take a closer look at the core pros that Trello has under its belt.
Less Complex Pricing Structure – Extensive Free Plan
Compared to many other project management tools on the market, Trello employs a much more straight-forward pricing structure for its premium users. You have a free version where you can invite an unlimited number of members, create boards, cards and lists. Then a Business Class version, costing $25 per month, that provides a range of extra integrations, easy bulk exporting, and the ability for administrators to access and manage all boards (including private ones), restrict board visibility, and incorporate read-only features.
This means that the majority of features are opened up with the free plan, and most users can get the most out of Trello with the free plan alone. A big plus!
Simple and Effective UI Design
Trello has an incredibly easy to use UI design. This can make the wrong impression for some, thinking that the platform lacks complexity. Yet the truth is that Trello only focuses on what is important. Providing a clean, simple, and straight-forward approach to its project management platform.
Allows You to Understand Instantly When A Deadline Nears
With a Trello board, you will never miss a deadline ever again. When you create cards, you add due dates to them. As the date nears, the card will turn yellow, and when the due date passes, it will turn read. Only going away once you mark the card ‘Complete’.
This allows you a simple overview that is highly effective at allowing you to keep a handle on what is going on in your projects. Boosting productivity, and keeping you on track.
Mobile friendly
Trello works on every platform, mobile included. No matter if you’re on a computer, tablet, or phone, the tool will sync itself and keep all of your project management boards up to date between devices.
Each device has its own UI design, and is a breeze to use. Providing an incredible amount of functionality that is easy to understand, regardless of the platform you are using.
Trello follows the Kanban system
The Trello project management platform follows the Kanban system, which was created by Toyota in the 1950s. This plays a major role in revealing bottlenecks in the development process, and helping to improve productivity across the board.
Mobile friendly
Trello works on every platform, mobile included. No matter if you’re on a computer, tablet, or phone, the tool will sync itself and keep all of your project management boards up to date between devices.
Each device has its own UI design, and is a breeze to use. Providing an incredible amount of functionality that is easy to understand, regardless of the platform you are using.
Trello follows the Kanban system
The Trello project management platform follows the Kanban system, which was created by Toyota in the 1950s. This plays a major role in revealing bottlenecks in the development process, and helping to improve productivity across the board.
Asana Cons
There is no such thing as a perfect piece of software, and there are many things about Asana that are not ideal. Let’s explore some of them now.
Not Very Friendly to New Users
The majority of long-time Asana users are seasoned project managers, and there is a good reason for that. The tool can be overwhelming for new users, preventing them from properly making use of Asana. The interface has many graphics that can be confusing, and make Asana appear more complicated than it really is. The learning curve for Asana is real, and requires effort to overcome.
You Cannot Assign Multiple People to the Same Task
Quite annoyingly, Asana only allows one person to be assigned to a task. This can be incredibly frustrating if you are operating a complex set of projects through Asana. Also presenting challenges when you want to allocate a task to a team of people, or the assigned person isn’t currently available, and want to re-assign the task to someone else.
Projects Can Get Complex
Asana’s vast features can complicate even a basic task. If a team wants to work on a simple project, the work may feel complex since they have to configure different settings and options to use it. This makes teams that work on small projects to feel that Asana is unsuitable for them.
Due to the extensive nature of Asana, simple projects can suffer under the weight of its features. The platform has a habit of involving complexity when it is not required. This means that teams working on small projects may feel that Asana is getting in the way, and not suitable for their needs.
No Time Tracking Feature
Time tracking is an important feature that helps project managers keep track of the time spent on each area of their project. However, Asana doesn’t offer this feature. A surprising shortcoming from a platform that comes from a corporate environment.
No Two-Factor Authentication
Asana doesn’t offer two-factor authentication. Yet, today’s businesses are increasingly setting up 2FA measures to reduce the risks of cybersecurity threats.
Two-factor authentication is an important feature for iron-clad cybersecurity. For many people using Asana, they are dealing with sensitive information. Without 2FA integrated into the Asana platform, this opens up a weakness in the platform’s security. An embarrassing oversight.
Trello Cons
Even the most popular platforms have their downsides. Let’s explore some of the drawbacks of Trello.
No Offline Access
With so much being held within the Trello platform, including your entire project management, and personal professional organization, it’s surprising that there is no offline caching system within the platform. This means if you have no access to the internet, you won’t be able to see anything on the platform.
Difficult to Handle Big Projects
Trello, due to its simplistic Kanban design, is not well suited to larger projects. If you are in a project management position, and are tracking a large amount of information, Trello will struggle to keep up. More suitable for small team projects, or when you don’t need to scale.
Trello Has A Storage Limit
Trello comes with some quite restrictive storage limits. These include only a 10MB file upload limit for each attachment, if you are a basic member. Business class, and Trello Gold members can enjoy a 250MB file upload limit. However, this is still incredibly low from a data storage standpoint.
No Comment Editing
One annoying shortcoming of the Trello comment system is the comment feature. Once a comment is made, it cannot be edited. Meaning you need to remake the comment if you wish to edit it. Causing a fraction more work than should be required.
No Road-Map Feature
It’s no secret that Trello struggles with larger scale projects. One added element to this shortcoming is the inability to use a roadmap of any kind. Even something as small as a two-week sprint in your project cannot be communicated through the platform.
Advantages That Asana Has Over Trello
Let’s take a look at what advantages Asana has over Trello:
More Complex Project Management Capabilities
Asana is a far more extensive project management platform. Providing a range of features that allow you to scale up your Asana platform to your preference. Compared to Trello, Asana can better encapsulate what high end project management requires.
More Extensive Integrations
Asana supports much more external integrations than Trello. Providing you with the ability to better tailor your Asana project management platform to fit your unique needs. This is especially important for software development, as many tools required to work together are simply not even remotely supported by Trello.
Advantages That Trello Has Over Asana
Let’s explore some of the advantages that Trello has over Asana:
Higher Value Free Plan
Compared to Asana, Trello has a much more generous free plan. Providing you with almost the entire platform’s capabilities for free, only locking away a few minor features (Such as increased storage space) behind a paid service.
This means that smaller teams will have a far easier time using Trello without an upfront investment. Compared to Asana, which will require you to pull out your wallet to start getting the most out of the service.
Easier to Use for New Users
Trello is, without a doubt, leagues easier to use than Asana in the beginning. Whilst Asana has more extensive capabilities, it loses a lot of new user functionality and adoption through this. Whilst Trello provides a simple to use, and quick to master Kanban platform that almost any project manager can make use of quickly.
Who Should Use Asana?
Asana is best suited to larger scale project management solutions. Including people who are looking to track a large amount of information, and run a more complex project scope. Everything from business management, to software development, to engineering project tracking will all excel in the Asana platform.
Who Should Use Trello?
Trello is best suited for small scale project management, with simplicity baked into the very fabric of the platform. The simple card system works well with people who are running a small business, such as a freelancing business, or who are tracking smaller project details and looking to keep an eye on their deadlines.
Which is Better for Project Management?
The answer to this question is subjective. It’s easy to say that Asana, with its extensive platform capabilities, would be the better choice. However, Trello is also just as effective in the right context.
For large scale project management? Asana will beat out Trello. Yet for smaller scale project management? Trello will provide a better platform.
Which is Better for Collaboration?
Asana, hands down. The collaboration functionality of Asana is leagues better than Trello, and whilst there are some small shortcomings in its collaboration features, Asana will provide a much more comprehensive collaboration platform.
Which is Better for Note Taking?
With the simple Kanban system at its back, Trello will excel more at simple note taking. Providing a simple platform for you to keep track of your notes, and store them in a way that’s easy to digest.
Pricing: Asana vs Trello
Asana Pricing
- FREE plan (Basic)
- Premium 10.99$
- Business 24.99$
- Enterprise (custom)
Trello Pricing
- FREE plan (Basic)
- Trello Gold 5$
Conclusion
Both Asana and Trello are fantastic pieces of software, and both come with a loyal user base behind them. When it comes down to deciding which is best, this solely depends on exactly what project management scope you’re looking to encompass.
For the larger team, looking to enhance their collaboration and productivity, Asana will excel. Providing fantastic support for the large team environment.
For the smaller team, Trello will be the go-to option. Providing a range of features that excel at supporting the small team environment, and enhancing your productivity in the process.
Want to read more about Notion and other tools like Trello, Asana, OneNote, Basecamp…?
Have a look at our Notion “vs” software reviews here:
