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Free Trello alternatives
Every pick starts with a genuine free tier, which makes it the easiest way to test a full workflow for zero dollars. Start free and upgrade only when it earns it.
What is the best free alternative to Trello?
Linear is the free Trello alternative we recommend first. Unlike Trello, Linear ships a genuine free tier, so you can start without a card and only pay once it earns it. It scores 4.8 in our testing, and at $10/user/mo it keeps the monthly bill reasonable. See the full ranked list below to compare every pick.
3 free alternatives worth your time
Linear
4.8 out of 54.8The fast, opinionated issue tracker for product teams.
Unlike Trello, Linear ships a genuine free tier, so you can start without a card and only pay once it earns it.
- Blazing fast performance with native desktop and mobile apps, near zero input lag
- Keyboard-first design with hundreds of shortcuts for power users
ClickUp
4.5 out of 54.5One app to replace your docs, tasks, and goals.
Unlike Trello, ClickUp ships a genuine free tier, so you can start without a card and only pay once it earns it.
- Unmatched feature density with documents, tasks, goals, whiteboards, and chat in one system
- Extremely flexible workspace hierarchy that models complex business operations across teams
Notion
4.5 out of 54.5Flexible docs and databases your whole team can shape.
Unlike Trello, Notion ships a genuine free tier, so you can start without a card and only pay once it earns it.
- Endlessly flexible block-based pages that turn documentation into interactive dashboards
- Relational database properties that power custom workflows with automated rollup summaries
Trello vs the free alternatives
| Tool | Our score | From | Free tier | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trello | 4.0 | $5/user/mo | No | Individuals and small teams that want the simplest possible Kanban based task management with a near zero learning curve |
| Linear | 4.8 | $10/user/mo | Yes | Engineering teams that want a fast, keyboard-centric issue tracker with AI-powered triage and clean workflow automation. Linear replaces the overhead of traditional project management with a focused, opinionated system built for speed. |
| ClickUp | 4.5 | $7/user/mo | Yes | Growing teams that want to collapse tasks, docs, goals, and communication into one workspace without paying for five separate tools |
| Notion | 4.5 | $10/user/mo | Yes | Teams that blend docs, wikis, and custom relational task databases |
Who stands behind the picks
Trello
- Company
- Trello (Atlassian)
- Founded
- 2011
35 hours of testing 5 review rounds Verified 2026-07-20
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