Best Monday.com Alternatives: Free & Paid Options Ranked (2024)

Monday.com is a popular project management software that targets both seasoned and novice project management professionals and team leaders. This broad approach introduces problems, as not everyone’s needs are the same, forcing many consumers to look for a Monday.com alternative. But before we discuss the best Monday.com alternatives, let’s take a closer look at how Monday.com works.

Monday is a work operating system, and it’s intuitive and easy-to-use for those new to managing projects. The tool offers features to help shape workflows and add efficiencies, while being flexible enough to adapt to change as the work unfolds. Transparency provides visibility into processes and collaborative tools help teams work together. Monday excels at centralizing communication and file storage to help cross-functional teams.

Why People Seek an Alternative to Monday

Monday.com is a great software for task management, collaboration and even lightweight planning, but it’s far from a perfect tool. That’s probably why you’re here seeking Monday alternatives. Thankfully, there are a number of project management solutions available that can do everything Monday.com can do, and then some. We’ll share our alternative rankings in a moment, but first, let’s dig into some specific downsides of Monday.

Software features lack depth: Users may seek a Monday.com alternative as the tool spreads itself too thin without offering the depth of features to help teams work more productively. In reality, Monday.com doesn’t offer anything unique and many Monday.com alternatives offer the same features with more in-depth functionality.
Overly focused on task management: Even though the software is beneficial for task management, it seems to be its only focus. It offers task management views such as a table, timeline, kanban, calendar, chart and map, but many of these views act as glorified task lists and are woefully inadequate for managing a project. A simple checklist isn’t powerful enough to successfully deliver your project.
Lack of reporting features: There’s also a weakness in its reporting tools. Project management requires robust reporting features to monitor progress and performance while keeping stakeholders updated; Monday.com’s bulleted lists are not going to cut it. Getting more out of its reporting features requires more money for a higher-tier subscription. Why spend more when other Monday.com alternatives have robust reporting features readily available?
Surprisingly expensive: Speaking of pricing, it can get expensive to use this tool. For one, you have to buy licenses in blocks rather than buying as many licenses as you need. That’s money spent for no reason. Now you’re paying a significant amount of money for a tool with poor reporting and a Gantt that you have to build into a board.

Best Monday.com Alternatives Software Rankings in 2024

Because shopping for project management software that suits your needs can be overwhelming, we’ve researched, tested and ranked the best Monday.com alternatives. You can see their pros and cons, as well as how much they’ll impact your bottom line. After reading through our list of Monday.com alternatives, you’ll surely find the software that can help all week long.

1. ProjectManager

The best Monday.com alternative on our list is ProjectManager. Like Monday.com it’s easy to use, but ProjectManager has a full suite of robust project management tools, multiple project views and access to real-time data for more informed project decisions. ProjectManager makes it easy to manage tasks, monitor progress, track time, create reports and more. All features are fully collaborative and powerful enough for a whole portfolio of projects. You can try out these features for yourself with a free 30-day trial.

Share Plans Made on Interactive Gantt Charts

ProjectManager has an award-winning Gantt chart to help you set goals that you can actually meet. Use the Gantt to share project timelines where you can closely track resources and make changes as details evolve. Unlike many Monday.com alternatives, you can also track your project plan against your actual progress to improve resource visibility and accuracy.

Since the Gantt shares data with all other project views, cross-functional teams can use kanban boards or the list view to execute plans. ProjectManager is great for managing multiple types of projects and it’s one of the more flexible Monday.com alternatives on our list. Plus, all data updates in real time across the software; whether your teams are distributed or in the office, they’re all working with the same information.

Track Projects With Real-Time Dashboards & Workload Charts

What really sets this Monday.com alternative apart is the great reporting features it offers. Its real-time dashboard delivers a high-level view of the project to help you make fast, informed decisions to save time and money. While the Gantt tracks real-time progress, the live dashboard delves deeper into the data, automatically collecting it and displaying it on colorful graphs that track six metrics.

Plus, you can manage resources alongside your project plans with ease. Assign hours to your team, reallocate assignments and even track labor costs. Managers can also track the time their team spends on tasks by examining secure timesheets to determine. Monday.com promises this same level of productivity but fails to deliver.

On top of everything, the impressive collaboration tools that ProjectManager offers make it easy to comment and share files while notifications keep you updated along the way. If you’re working on the go or in the field, take advantage of the mobile app so you don’t miss a beat.

Its subscription model is competitive, its feature suite is expansive and its customer service is receptive to suggestions on improvements. ProjectManager is an evolving tool that continues to elevate functionality and offerings. Try ProjectManager today for free.

Verdict: Best Monday.com Alternative for Project Management Tools and Functionality

ProjectManager Pros & Key Features

Planning and scheduling features are world-class
Dashboards work right out of the box and update in real time
Time tracking and resource management features are included at a low price
Project portfolio management features are easy-to-use
Mobile project management app for Android and iOS
Free trial 30-day trial

ProjectManager Cons & Limitations

Limited native integrations
Poor mobile experience unless you have the mobile app
Defaults to dark mode

ProjectManager Pricing

Team: $13.00 user/month
Business: $24.00 user/month
Enterprise: contact sales for a custom quote

ProjectManager Reviews

G2 review: 4.4 / 5
Capterra review: 4.1 / 5

2. Asana

Next on our Monday.com alternative list is Asana, an easy-to-use project management tool. It’s a collaborative software that lets you invite others into the workspace, notifies users of changes to tasks and allows comments at the task level. In fact, Asana’s task management is all well-done as it offers prioritization and real-time information for superior task management.

Asana, the best Monday.com alternative for team management

But other features are missing or lacking. For example, there are no time tracking capabilities, an essential tool for keeping projects on schedule. Without time management, you have no visibility into workload and can quickly find yourself sidelined. While the software is easy to use, those looking for a Monday.com alternative that’s as intuitive will be disappointed. Asana’s interface is more familiar to seasoned project managers than novices. Even with a focus on task management, there are problems. The biggest among them is that assignments are limited and that only one user can be assigned to a task at a time. Anyone with experience working on a project knows this is unrealistic, especially for a tool that cites itself as a collaborative platform.

Verdict: Best Monday.com Alternative for Team Management

Asana Pros & Key Features

User-friendly interface
Integrations with third-party apps such as Google Drive, Microsoft Teams and Slack
Mobile project management app for Android and iOS
Free plan
Free trial

Asana Cons & Limitations

Not ideal for managing multiple projects, programs or portfolios
Limited project management features
Gantt chart lacks advanced features such as cost tracking
Workload management tools are easy to use but can be limited for some users

Asana Pricing

Premium plan: $10.99/user/month, billed annually
Business plan: $24.99/user/month, billed annually

Asana Reviews

G2 review: 4.3/5
Capterra review: 4.5/5

3. ClickUp

ClickUp is a work management platform that prides itself on offering a variety of tools such as Gantt charts, kanban boards, dashboards and task lists which help you plan projects and manage work while allowing your team members to better communicate and collaborate. Its main advantage is its flexibility, offering work and project management tools for waterfall, agile or scrum teams. It’s a relatively new software that offers a modern user interface and a variety of integrations so you can customize it to fit your work style.

ClickUp, the best Monday.com alternative for productivity tools

However, many users complain about the overwhelming amount of tools that are available, which adds an unnecessary level of complexity to the learning curve of this software. Another disadvantage of this Monday.com alternative is that some of its tools aren’t necessarily designed for project or work management such as whiteboards, form generators, or document editing. Not only that, but its project management tools such as Gantt charts or time tracking features are too basic for advanced project management users. ClickUp also lacks project management reports, so if you’re looking for a robust project management software, ClickUp might fall short in key areas such as resource management or project portfolio management.

Verdict: Best Monday.com Alternative for Team Productivity

ClickUp Pros & Key Features

Various team collaboration tools
Flexible for teams across industries
Works for scrum and agile teams
Mobile project planning app for Android and iOS

ClickUp Cons & Limitations

The software can be hard to navigate due to its cluttered user interface
Some of its features are not relevant for project or work management
Files can be exported in PDF format only, which makes it hard to view, edit and share them outside of ClickUp
Lacks project management reports and advanced features
No free trial

Clickup Pricing

Unlimited: $5/user/month, billed annually
Business: $12/user/month, billed annually

Clickup Reviews

G2 review: 4.7/5
Capterra review: 4.7/5

4. Smartsheet

Smartsheet is a project management software that uses spreadsheets and built-in templates to help you save time when managing your team’s work. One of its main advantages is that its spreadsheet-like user interface facilitates team onboarding because of the familiarity most users have with spreadsheet tools like Excel or Google Sheets. Besides spreadsheets, it also offers team collaboration tools, customizable reports and workflow automation features which make it a good Monday.com alternative.

Smartsheet, the best Monday.com for project management spreadsheets

However, as with most Monday.com alternatives in this list, there are drawbacks too. The main disadvantage of Smartsheet is that most of its project management tools’ functionality is limited when it comes to project planning, scheduling and tracking. For example, its Gantt charts lack cost tracking features, kanban boards don’t have any workflow automation features and the grid view requires you to manually enter formulas to populate it, which is far from ideal. On top of that, the reports are limited and have a very outdated user interface.

Verdict: Best Monday.com Alternative for Spreadsheets and Project Templates

Smartsheet Pros & Key Features

Good for users transitioning from Excel to project management software
Work management and reporting tools
Workflow automation features
Free trial
Mobile project management app for Android and iOS

Smartsheet Cons & Limitations

Most of its tools are spreadsheet-based
Gantt charts, spreadsheets and kanban cards lack some advanced project management features
The software requires the use of complicated formulas
Limited resource management tools
Project reports have an outdated look and feel compared to other Monday.com alternatives

Smartsheet Pricing

Pro plan: $7/user/month, billed annually
Business plan: $25/user/month, billed annually

Smartsheet Reviews

G2 review: 4.4/5
Capterra review: 4.5/5

5. Airtable

Airtable is another Monday.com alternative for managing projects that offer more features. This project management tool has team collaboration, task management and resource management features. It has a customizable interface and a calendar with form and stacked card views. Airtable works on a spreadsheet-like structure which makes it familiar to those who have been managing projects on Excel. There are multiple views, though, including a kanban board.

Airtable, the best Monday.com alternative for product planning

There’s also a Gantt but it’s not as powerful as other Gantts featured in this Monday.com alternatives list. Airtable offers limited automation and integrations, none of which fill in the holes of the software. If you’re planning to scale, the pricing structure isn’t ideal; it charges per user but not every user is going to require as much of the software. This means you’re paying top dollar for those who might only need data access instead of the tools.

Verdict: Best Monday.com Alternative for Product Planning

Airtable Pros & Key Features

AI-powered workflow management
Can be used as a customer relationship management tool
Offers a variety of integrations with productivity software
Mobile project management app for Android and iOS
Free plan
Free trial

Airtable Cons & Limitations

Focuses on product planning, not the best alternative for project management
Limited Gantt chart functionality
Lacks project management reports

Airtable Pricing

Team: $20 user/month
Business: $45 user/month

Airtable Reviews

G2 review: 4.6/5
Capterra review: 4.7/5

6. Trello

If you’re looking for a Monday.com alternative that revolves around kanban boards, then Trello is going to interest you. It bases its project management on boards and cards, which are particularly appealing for newcomers in the project management space. Trello has tracking lists that prioritize tasks and allow you to follow the progress and status of your team. There are communication tools such as a private channel for teams to chat in real time while notifications keep everyone on the same page.

Trello, the best Monday.com alternative for kanban boards

However, this is also one of the narrower Moday.com alternatives on our list as there’s a huge gap in features: no Gantt charts. Instead, Trello offers a bar chart that tries to be a Gantt chart but fails to link dependencies, set a baseline or track progress in real time. Even the board view is limited to only one board per project, which can lead to complicated boards that quickly get confusing. Smaller teams might still benefit from this tool, but if you’re working with larger teams, you’ll undoubtedly want to look elsewhere.

Verdict: Best Monday.com Alternative for Kanban Board Users

Trello Pros & Key Features

Mobile project management app for Android and iOS
Free plan
Free trial

Trello Cons & Limitations

Limited variety of project management tools, only offers kanban boards and project calendars
Most users need to purchase a variety of add-ons and integrations
Not ideal for managing complex projects
Doesn’t offer Gantt charts

Trello Pricing

Standard: $5/user/month, billed annually
Premium: $10/user/month, billed annually
Enterprise: $17.50/user/month, billed annually

Trello Reviews

G2 review: 4.4/5
Capterra review: 4.5/5

7. Taskworld

Taskworld is a collaborative task management and planning software that’s ideal for distributed teams. This Monday.com alternative features advanced security, project analytics and burnup and burndown charts. It uses boards and lists for task and workflow management and has collaborative features to connect teams. You can also set recurring tasks so you’re not always starting from scratch. The software offers file sharing and chat features to help teams work better together. Tasks can be updated anywhere, even from mobile devices, and there are tracking tools that can be filtered by assignee, dates and status.

Taskworld, the best Monday.com alternative for task management

While these are necessary features, Taskworld might not be the best project management software. For example, the app can be slow to refresh on your browser, especially if you use Safari, and the mobile version feels more like a work in progress than a useful accessory. Users report that sharing projects with other team members for visibility can be difficult and needs improvements. Others have complained about the need for additional training compared to other Monday.com alternatives. There has also been some chatter about its confusing layout that requires training and tutorials to clear up. Finally, the cost is more expensive than many of its competitors.

Verdict: Best Monday.com Alternative for Everyday Task Management

Taskworld Pros & Key Features

Mobile project management app for Android and iOS
Free plan
Free trial

Taskworld Cons & Limitations

Limited Gantt chart functionality
Focuses heavily on task management, but lacks features for other key areas of project management such as resource planning and cost tracking
No project management reports

Taskworld Pricing

Premium: $8 user/month, billed annually
Business: $15 user/month, billed annually
Enterprise: contact sales

Taskworld Reviews

G2 review: 4.4/5
Capterra review: 4.5/5

8. Microsoft Project

On the opposite side of the spectrum of our Monday.com alternatives is Microsoft Project. Where Monday.com is trying to be a one-size-fits-all solution that simplifies processes, Microsoft Project is targeting professional project managers with a complex and powerful tool that likely alienates anyone who isn’t PMP certified. If you’re managing big projects, Microsoft Project offers multiple project views and it integrates with a suite of other Mircosoft apps such as Teamwork and provides visibility to users.

Microsoft Project, the best Monday.com for large projects

A lot of the pros are also cons, though, as the software requires significant training even if you’re a seasoned professional. It’s also expensive, and the more licenses you buy, the more it’ll cost. Since you’re paying so much, the proprietary files it uses can be frustrating. You can’t share them unless you use one of the workaround apps that have sprung up in Microsoft Project’s wake. If all of this isn’t frustrating enough, there’s the fact that Microsoft is only available on PCs. That’s right, there are no compatible iOS versions. That means if you work with any Apple product, you’re locked out of the software. There’s little sense that we can find in the business approach of this Monday.com alternative, but when you’re the 800-pound gorilla in the project management room, it’s easier to get away with more shortcomings.

Verdict: Best Monday.com Alternative for Large Projects

Microsoft Project Pros & Key Features

It’s a traditional project management software that’s commonly used by project portfolio managers and project management offices (PMOs)
Has a robust project management feature set
Good choice for users that are familiar with Microsoft products

Microsoft Project Cons & Limitations

User interface is not intuitive
Complex software with a steep learning curve
Microsoft Project is expensive
Not ideal for beginner project managers or most team leaders
Microsoft Project files can’t be shared with users that don’t have a license
No free plan
No free trial
Doesn’t have a mobile app

Microsoft Pricing

Project Plan 1: $10 user/month
Project Plan 3: $30 user/month
Business Plan: $55 user/month

Microsoft Project Reviews

G2 review: 4.0/5
Capterra review: 4.4/5

9. Kantata

Kantata is another Monday.com alternative that’s used to foster better project management. It’s especially useful for service organizations, which make up about 80 percent of the US economy. The tool not only hosts projects but helps with financials, collaboration, resource management and business intelligence. It has Gantt charts, automation for business processes and accounting features with timesheets and expense reports.

Kantata, the best Monday.com alternative for resource planning

The problem is that many in the services industry work with tight margins. Although this Monday.com alternative is expensive, smaller businesses are likely going to find themselves priced out. Another difficulty for people in service organizations is the lack of a mobile app. The software might be great in the office but that’s limiting. There’s no chat app, either, which reduces collaboration. Finally, Kantata’s website hub isn’t the easiest to navigate. Until Kantata can clear up these roadblocks, you’re stuck with its current offerings.

Verdict: Best Monday.com Alternative for Resource Management Tools

Kantata Pros & Key Features

Cost estimating and project budgeting features
Multiple workload management views
Time and expense tracking tools

Kantata Cons & Limitations

Steep learning curve and hard-to-use interface
Not ideal for everyday task or workflow management
Focuses on resource management, limited project management tools and functionality
No free trial
No free plan
Doesn’t have a mobile project planning app

Kantata Pricing

Enter your company info to see custom pricing

Kantata Reviews

G2 review: 4.1/5
Capterra review: 4.2/5

10. Wrike

One of the better-known Monday.com alternatives is Wrike, a cloud-based project management software. Some feature that makes it stand apart from others on this list is time tracking. With timesheets and resource management tools, managers are able to stay on schedule. Of course, there are Gantt charts, which do the basics of organizing and assigning tasks. It also has kanban boards for agile teams to manage their workflow in a visual tool.

Wrike, the best Monday.com alternative for integrations

That sounds appealing, but a closer look shows a few chinks in the armor. For instance, Wrike’s Gantt charts can’t filter for the critical path. Instead, you have to take the time to make those complicated calculations. Its Gantt charts also don’t show you the percentage of completion for tasks, which can delay projects if you can’t stay on top of what your team is doing. Unlike other Monday.com alternatives which are intuitive and quick to pick up, users have complained about the time it takes to understand how to use the tool.

Verdict: Best Monday.com Alternative for Integrations with Third-party Software

Wrike Pros & Key Features

Designed for basic task and workflow management
Ideal for project management beginners
Mobile project management app for Android and iOS
Free trial
Free plan

Wrike Project Cons & Limitations

The Gantt chart functionality is limited
Lacks project management reports
Limited cost and budget tracking features
The user interface is hard to navigate

Wrike Pricing

Professional plan: $9.80 user/month
Business plan: $24.80 user/month

Wrike Reviews

G2 review: 4.2 / 5
Capterra review: 4.3 / 5

11. Adobe Workfront

Adobe Workfront is a Monday.com alternative with popular features including task management, team collaboration, resource management and document management. Users can set project scope, prioritize and assign tasks, automate workflows and use reporting tools to view project status. It also integrates with third-party apps, which expands the breadth of its features. It uses real-time data to help with more insightful decision-making and is great for larger, more complex organizations.

Adobe Workfront, the best Monday.com alternative for strategic planning

Smaller businesses might not be as happy with the pricing and many have complained that the layout isn’t easy to use. Setting up a project is both confusing and time-confusing. It can take a big chunk of your time to get up to speed, which is time you’re not devoting to the project. Even the Gantt charts aren’t as robust as you’d want in project management software as they’re hard to use and modify. Search functionality is also a problem, especially if you’re looking for a task among a portfolio of projects.

Verdict: Best Monday.com Alternative for Strategic Planning

Adobe Workfront Pros & Key Features

Workflow management tools
Can be used to create and track a strategic roadmap
Mobile project management app for Android and iOS

Adobe Workfront Cons & Limitations

Outdated user interface, hard to use and navigate
Limited project management feature set
Lacks team communication and collaboration tools
No free trial

Adobe Workfront Pricing

Enterprise, business and pro license types available, pricing upon request

Adobe Workfront Reviews

G2 review: 4.1 / 5
Capterra review: 4.4 / 5

12. Quickbase

The last of our Monday.com alternatives is Quickbase, a project management software that’s especially helpful for those in software development. It has features that help with platform security, platform scalability, reusability and platform user management. Yes, this is a long way from the general use of Monday.com, but that’s one of the reasons people are seeking an alternative. Add real-time analytics and filtering information and you can see why Quickbase is the preferred choice in the software development industry.

QuickBase, the best Monday.com alternative for software security

Quickbase is not great with large data sets—if that’s what you’re looking for, then you’ll likely be looking elsewhere. There’s not a great deal of customization available, but this software likely chose speed over customization. The UI is dated, but that’s probably not a deal-breaker for the type of customer it’s going after. The software’s cost is more of a problem, however, which is almost equal to all of the other Monday.com alternatives on this list combined. That sticker shock is sure to send many potential customers packing.

Verdict: Best Monday.com Alternative for Software Development Projects

Quickbase Pros & Key Features

Basic workflow diagramming tools
Mobile project management app for Android and iOS
Free trial

Quickbase Cons & Limitations

Quickbase is expensive compared to Monday.com and most Monday.com alternatives
While it offers project management features such as Gantt charts, the software wasn’t designed for project management
No project management reports

Quickbase Pricing

Team: $700 per month, priced annually
Business: $1,100 per month, priced annually

Quickbase Reviews

G2 review: 4.5 / 5
Capterra review: 4.4 / 5

Features to Consider When Evaluating Monday.com Alternatives

Now, let’s zoom into some of the key tools and features that any Monday.com alternative should offer to be a suitable replacement for managing work and teams across industries.

Task management: At a minimum, any Monday.com alternative should offer task management tools such as task lists, calendars, spreadsheets and dashboards to track task completion. These are the most fundamental elements of any project management software.
Time tracking: Time tracking features allow project managers and team leaders to create timelines, schedules and track the time their team members spend on tasks. Timesheets for example are ideal for tracking labor costs and are one of the time-tracking features you should look for in a Monday.com alternative.
Team collaboration: Most Monday.com competitors offer team collaboration tools such as instant messaging, chat, file sharing and email notifications.
Work management: Work management involves automating recurring tasks, tracking the workload of a team and managing workflows. Some work management features include workload charts, resource utilization reports and kanban boards equipped with workflow automation features.
Project management: Monday.com alternatives should offer must-have project management tools such as Gantt charts, which are key to planning, scheduling and tracking projects.
Resource management: Resource management features are usually built into tools like Gantt charts, dashboards and spreadsheets. They allow you to track costs, resource availability and resource utilization as you plan your projects.
Project reporting: Reporting is an important part of managing projects and teams. A good Monday.com alternative should offer cost, progress and resource tracking reports.
User-friendly interface: A user-friendly interface helps you get the most out of your project management software. You should choose a Monday.com alternative that is easy to use for you and your team.

Which Monday Alternative Is Right For You?

There are a lot of project management software options out there with different specialities. You need to consider what matters most to your organization and how your team operates. Do you have a lot of deadline-driven projects? Better find something with Gantt charts and dashboards. But if you’re more of an easy-going, collaborative office, you may just need a Monday alternative that’s fairly light weight. Fortunately, many of these options have free trials so you can find out for yourself which is truly the best Monday.com alternative.