ClickUp suits teams that want tasks, docs, sprints and chat in one app, and its free plan allows unlimited members but only 60MB of storage. Trello suits teams that want simple boards anyone can use on day one, with a free plan for up to 10 collaborators and 10 boards. If your team is bigger than 10, or you live in docs, look at ClickUp first.
Trello keeps work on simple kanban boards that most people understand at a glance. ClickUp sets out to be one app for most of your work. I read both companies' plan pages, so every limit below is what ClickUp and Trello publish.
ClickUp and Trello free plans compared
| ClickUp | Trello | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes, Free Forever | Yes, Free |
| People on free | Unlimited members | Up to 10 collaborators per Workspace |
| Boards or spaces | 5 Spaces | Up to 10 boards per Workspace |
| Tasks or cards | Unlimited tasks | Unlimited cards |
| Storage | 60MB in total | Unlimited (10MB per file) |
| Views | List, board, calendar; Gantt and Timeline on trial | Boards, with Inbox capture |
| Automation | 100 automation runs on free | 250 Workspace command runs a month |
| Docs and wiki | Collaborative Docs and 1 wiki | Not covered on the plans page |
| Guests | Need full access on free | Not covered on the plans page |
ClickUp: one app for most of the work
ClickUp's Free Forever plan includes unlimited tasks and unlimited members, collaborative docs, kanban boards, sprint management, a calendar view, in-app video recording, two-factor authentication and 24/7 support. The limits are on structure and space: 5 Spaces, 1 form, 3 whiteboards, 100 automation runs, 90 days of chat history and 60MB of storage in total.
Guests are the other catch. On the free plan, ClickUp says guests must be given full access, with no permission controls, so think twice before you invite a client into your workspace.
Unlimited lifts storage, Gantt charts, integrations and custom fields, and adds time tracking and guests with permission controls. Business adds unlimited dashboards and timeline views and 5,000 automations a month.
Trello: boards anyone can pick up
Trello's free plan covers up to 10 collaborators in a Workspace, with unlimited cards, up to 10 boards, unlimited Power-Ups per board and unlimited storage at up to 10MB per file. You also get the Inbox to capture to-dos from email, Slack and Teams, 250 Workspace command runs a month, assignees, due dates and mobile apps.
Standard adds AI features, unlimited boards, card mirroring and more automation, and Premium is aimed at teams of up to 100 that track several projects.
Both tools now connect to AI assistants. Trello offers an MCP server to link it to any AI tool, and ClickUp lists AI on its free plan with usage limits. Neither is a reason to choose on its own, but if you'd like an assistant to read or update your tasks, check the connection works with the one you use.
The storage and seats trade-off
Here's the detail people miss. ClickUp's free plan never runs out of people, but 60MB of storage disappears fast once anyone attaches a few PDFs or screenshots. Trello's free plan never runs out of storage, as long as each file is under 10MB, but it stops at 10 collaborators. So a large volunteer group sharing light checklists fits ClickUp free, while a small team swapping images and briefs fits Trello free.
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Which team each tool suits
ClickUp suits teams that want to swap several tools for one, with sprints, docs, chat and dashboards in the same place, and who'll put in setup time. Trello suits small teams and solo owners who want to see work at a glance with almost no training. For a broader look, see my piece on improving project collaboration and why project management is a core business skill.
My advice for a small team
Count your people and look at your files. Ten or fewer people sharing images and documents points to Trello's free plan. More than ten, or a team that wants docs and sprints next to its tasks, points to ClickUp. Whichever you choose, set up one real project with your team in the first week and ask them what's confusing, because a tool people open every day does more for you than one with extra features they ignore.
Do you make project management or productivity software? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place in comparisons like this one.
Frequently asked questions
Is ClickUp free?
Yes. ClickUp's Free Forever plan includes unlimited tasks and members, with 60MB of storage and 5 Spaces.
How many people can use Trello for free?
Trello's free plan covers up to 10 collaborators per Workspace, with up to 10 boards.
Does ClickUp have Gantt charts on free?
Gantt is available as a trial on ClickUp's free plan and unlimited on the Unlimited plan.
How much storage does Trello's free plan include?
Unlimited storage, with a limit of 10MB per file.
