15 Best ClickUp Alternatives & Competitors in 2023

With over a decade of experience as a Marketing Manager at ProofHub and my knack for writing about SAAS, I’ve put in the work to test and review countless top tools out there. And now, I’ve got a list of the 15 best ClickUp alternatives that you won’t want to miss.

10 Best ClickUp Alternatives list

1. ProofHub – (Best for project management and team collaboration)

2. Hive – (Best for team productivity)

3. Asana –  (Best for the team and project organization)

4. Wrike – (Best for team efficiency)

5. Infinity – (Best for project organization)

6. Toggl Plan – (Best for workload management)

7. Trello – (Best for task tracking)

8. MeisterTask – (Best for project collaboration)

9. Basecamp – (Best for remote team collaboration)

10. Airtable – (Best for managing relational databases)

11. Monday.com – (Best for customization capabilities)

12. Nifty – (Best for remote collaboration)

13. nTask – (Best for organizing projects)

14. Smartsheet – (Best for spreadsheet-style project management)

15. Jira – (Best for software development teams)

“It has so many customizable features that it may offer some discomfort to its new users. It also has a huge learning curve with all those many features, which makes it hard for users to cope with this tool.” – Vivek R.

Just a quick question here for you.

Is more always the better?

Certainly not!

It won’t be an understatement to acknowledge the fact that there is a thin line between providing advanced features to enhance user experience and overwhelming them with excessive feature complexity. And striking that fine balance is challenging.

A good project management tool is one that makes it easy to plan, execute and track project progress.

That’s precisely what ClickUp commits to its users.

But the question remains – Does it genuinely uphold those promises?

It refers to its solution as the best project management tool in the market. But if it is so, there wouldn’t have been any need to look for ClickUp alternatives.

Right?

My Verdict:  I agree it is one of the best project management tools available in the market but it is not ‘the only best tool.’ There are countless better alternatives available.

And to be honest, no one software can be ‘the best’ in this large multi-billion project management software market, which is expected to reach USD 15.08 billion mark by 2030.

Huge Numbers!! 🤯

Why are people looking for ClickUp alternatives?

Despite all the statements by ClickUp, probably it has let you down somewhere for some reason. So, before we get into unveiling the potential ClickUp alternatives, let’s get a quick overview of what complications and experiences ClickUp users faced that made them look for its alternatives. 

Here are a few of the primary reasons most people give up on ClickUp: 

1. Complex user interface: Users find it difficult to make use of features because the UI is too complex to navigate. 😵🖥️

The user interface, while visually appealing, can feel overburdened at times due to the abundance of functions provided. A more streamlined or customized user interface will undoubtedly improve the user experience. – Diogo G. 

2. Overwhelming features: As ClickUp claims, it is a universal app, but it overwhelms users with its features. 🤯💼

ClickUp has become scattered as it tries to “do everything” instead of focusing on project management. – Tim B.

3. Bugs: Regular crashes and inaccuracies in data create troubles for users. 🐛🚫 

So many things to dislike about ClickUp. From the excessive amount of bugs to the very slow loading speeds.  – Verified G2 user

4. Poor customer support: Like you, a large number of users are dissatisfied with ClickUp support.  They are not able to find solutions to their problems. 😞📞

Crap support & overly expensive. I’ve had a bug reported for almost a month and a half, and it’s still not fixed. – Gary P.

5. Steep-learning curve: With limited technical capabilities, ClickUp boggles the minds of new users with its complicated and overwhelming onboarding. 📈📚

There is a bit of a learning curve, just because it is so vast and the possibilities for setup are endless. I found several YouTube videos to be helpful in getting me started. – Nikki S.

While I understand finding a one-size-fits-all solution is difficult and choosing a project management software for your organization is a serious and big responsibility you need to conduct thorough research and evaluation before making any kind of investment. Because the software that you are gonna choose is directly going to impact your team’s productivity, streamlining of your operations, and the accomplishment of your business objectives.

Therefore, I have created this list of the top 15 ClickUp alternatives based on my research considering the top five key factors:

• User interface and ease of use
• Features and Integration capabilities
• Pricing and affordability
• Customization options
• Collaboration and team management

I reviewed every single tool so that you do not have to waste your time sifting through countless options. 

P.S. I have also mentioned the category where the listed tool is best so that it helps you make more informed decisions without second-guessing.

List of 15 Best ClickUp Alternatives list in 2023

Even if you are not using ClickUp and just evaluating your options before making a final decision for choosing project management software, it is good to explore and compare its capabilities with other tools to make an informed decision.

1. ProofHub – Best for project management and team collaboration

ProofHub ranks #1 on my list of the best ClickUp alternatives. Not just because I am an insider but because it overcomes what causes the most trouble for ClickUp users — the user interface and bugs — along with offering all of your favorite project management features in one place.

Being an easy-to-use all-in-one project management and team collaboration software, ProofHub helps you keep your projects organized, bring teamwork to one place, streamline team communication, collaborate with remote teams easily, and take complete control of project management.

Key features:

1. Manage all tasks from an easy-to-navigate task dashboard: With ProofHub’s task management software, you can easily create and delegate tasks to your team from a single window after analyzing your team’s capacity. You can add task details, due dates, multiple assignees, subtasks, files & all the other details required to complete a task. It helps you save time and make task delegation super easy.

2. Monitor your projects with multiple project views: With ProofHub, you can be in complete control of your project management using customized multiple project views — Kanban Boards, Table, Calendar, and Gantt Chart. You can visualize project progress on it with a bird’s eye view from a central place, find complete activity information on tasks, set dependencies, adjust project schedules, and plan resource allocation.

3. Take complete control of tasks with customization capabilities: Use custom workflows to divide your projects into small tasks for better control of your projects & tasks and map your team’s progress and milestones from start to finish. With custom fields, you can control the information you want to see in your project views.

4. Complete tasks on time with workflow automation and set priorities: Save time and productive hours in your work life with workflow automation. It automatically creates recurring tasks, sets reminders, and sets task notifications. With labels, you can set the task priorities right from the start so that everyone knows what to work on first and you deliver the projects on time.

5. Organize and streamline your team communication: Keep everyone on the same page and accountable with ProofHub. You can communicate one-on-one and with your team in real time with built-in chat. Get timely updates from team members and avoid accountability issues with @mentions task comments. Keep everyone including all the stakeholders on the same page with project discussions.

6. Collaborate easily with online proofing and file sharing: Your teams can work from anywhere by securely sharing files using cloud-based storage apps such as Google Drive and DropBox and from a computer. With deep analysis and thorough review, you can approve, and share clear, actionable feedback on files, documents, and creative assets using annotations and markups.

7. Powerful time tracking and project reporting: With powerful time-tracking software you can analyze how the time spent on each task by each team member. Get a detailed overview of projects progressing and a clear idea of your work in real-time with detailed project reports in easy-to-view pie charts and bar graphs.

Why ProofHub is the best ClickUp alternative?

In comparison to ClickUp, ProofHub has a more intuitive, streamlined, and user-friendly experience for project management and team collaboration. It is an easy-to-use tool with loads of features.

✅ You get most of the ClickUp features with ProofHub, and even more such as online Proofing, that too without any bugs.

✅ ProofHub serves your project management desires with its robust features and that too without profusing you even the slightest.

✅ ClickUp users reported time tracking provides wrong calculations many times. But with ProofHub, you do not encounter such issues.

✅ ProofHub offers exceptional 24/7 customer support which makes it the best alternative for ClickUp as most ClickUp users consider switching to another tool due to its poor customer support.

✅ ProofHub does not have a big learning curve like ClickUp. Everyone on the team can easily adapt to this tool in a short span of time.

Where can ProofHub improve?

Based on user reviews, there are no such cons of ProofHub. However, many users have reported that the notification system of ProofHub can be improved. It sometimes gets overwhelming to handle. Apart from that, ProofHub does not create invoices for logged time. But you can integrate third-parties software such as Freshbooks & Quickbooks for that.

Pricing

ProofHub has a flat and transparent pricing structure which makes it a highly suitable option for small and large teams.

ProofHub comes with two plans: Essential and Ultimate Control.

The essential plan costs you $45 per month (billed annually), with unlimited users, and up to 40 projects. Ultimate Control plan costs $89 per month (billed annually); unlimited users, unlimited projects.

So, you do not have to pay a per-user fee. With a single amount, you can utilize it for the entire organization. No matter the company size, ProofHub is capable of accommodating unlimited users.

What users say about ProofHub:

Favorable user feedback

“The Most Intuitive, Easy-to-use PM Software with Great Task Management Capabilities” – Jessica R.

I really like how easy ProofHub is to use. It just makes your life easy with its intuitive and user-friendly interface. – Alona S.

Critical user feedback

I don’t have anything specific, but I would like an easier way to manage email notifications. – Erika R.

Although there is nothing to complain about. However, not being able to filter the notifications is something we would like ProofHub to offer. But, I guess their team is already working on a way to find a solution to this. – Arzu.

2. Hive – Best for team productivity

Hive bags the next spot in the list of ClickUp alternatives because it also focuses on simplifying work management and team communication like ProofHub using its easy-to-navigate user interface.

Unlike ClickUp’s overwhelming “Everything view,” Hive has a customizable “Summary view” allowing you to only see the information you need for your tasks in a visually easy way. It makes your team productive and moves faster by bringing project management and team collaboration under one roof.

Key features

• Automated workflows and AI Assist  
• Multiple project views to monitor projects and tasks
• Analytics to help you with project status and reporting
• Chat, notes, and comments for team communication 
• Integrations with other software

What I liked about Hive

• Project layout options.
• In-built chat for team communication.
• Project workflows and templates.

What I disliked about Hive

• The mobile version doesn’t stand out.
• Sluggish to respond. Not as easy to respond as it seems on the surface.
• Per user fee. Makes it costly for small teams.

Pricing

Hive’s Free plan is for everyone but comes with limited features. For advanced features, you need to switch to Teams Plan which costs $12 per user per month. But if security is your major concern, the Enterprise plan is just for you.

What users say about Hive:

Favorable user feedback

“The most organized and smarted way to work from home” – Leonardo N. 

It can adapt to different methodologies, to small and big projects and to different stakeholders. – Verified User in Legal Services

Critical user feedback

The only thing Hive needs to work on is its mobile app. I have an Android phone and Hive on mobile is pretty much unusable due to extreme lag. – Devon S.

There are so many different features now available on Hive that the app can feel a bit overwhelming at times. – Verified User in Hospital & Health Care

3. Asana –  Best for cross-functional teamwork

If you are looking for a way to manage your complex project easily, then Asana’s simplicity is what you need to go for. Asana is a popular and decent ClickUp alternative designed for cross-functional teamwork, making team collaboration easy with its intuitive and user-friendly interface. It is a full-fledged project management software that satiates all your project management and team collaboration designs not with built-in features but integrations.

Key features

• Customized workflows to manage complex work easily    
• Multiple project views: list, timeline, board, and calendar  
• Workflow automation to save time on manually performing recurring tasks 
• Get real-time insights with Project reports 
• Workload management to ensure team members aren’t overworked

What I liked about Asana

• Simplicity and ease of use.
• Custom roles and permissions.
• Comes with more than 200+ integrations.

What I disliked about Asana

• Lack of in-built features. Relies heavily on integrations.
• Expensive than other tools in the same category.
• Lack of customization in reporting.

Pricing

Asana’s free plan is ideal for the teams just stepping in. But, to access all the features, you need to upgrade to Premium Plans which costs US$10.99 per user, per month billed annually, or upgrade to its Business plan.

What users say about Asana:

Favorable user feedback

Great tool for project management to see all tasks in one platform and align with everyone. – jacky w.

One of the standout aspects we appreciated about using Asana was its user-friendly nature and the flexibility it provides for customization. – Devraj S.

Critical user feedback

Asana lacked the quick & easy PM capabilities and tools my team needed. – Verified User in Insurance

While there is a free version available at Asana, many of the more advanced features are only available with a paid subscription. – David K.

Learn about the top 11 Asana Alternatives for Project Management in 2023!

4. Wrike – Best for team efficiency

If enhancing team efficiency is your priority, then Wrike is another popular ClickUp alternative that comes with a user-friendly interface and streamlined work processes. You can manage your projects, organize work, and facilitate project collaboration & team communication from a single platform. You can use the pre-built workflows, collaborate on files and documents, and create custom workflows to streamline the work process, boost productivity and achieve project goals.

Key features

• Custom workflows to streamline work processes
• Multiple project views including Kanban and Gantt Chart
• Automation to save manual efforts on tasks
• Real-time team collaboration with @mentions and comments
• Collaborate on projects and share feedback

What I liked about Wrike

• In-built form builder to create interactive forms with conditional logic.
• Three-pane view layout to help you quickly get an overview of everything.
• Customizable dashboards to get 360-degree visibility across various departments and access whatever information you want.

What I disliked about Wrike

• Not so intuitive user interface.
• Expensive premium plans make it less suitable for startups and small teams.
• Does not offer in-built live chat.

Pricing

Wrike free plan is for everyone but you do not get advanced team management features in it. For efficient team management, you need to upgrade to a Team plan that costs $9.80 per user/ month. You can even evaluate the other three plans and commit to the one suiting your needs.

What users say about Wrike:

Favorable user feedback

“The very best work management software for SMBs” – Timothy F.

“Great for complex processes & detail-oriented teams” – Emily L.

Critical user feedback

“So much opportunity for greatness, so many barriers” – Sage R.

“The ability to put comments on the Project level, and to comment on the individual Tasks of the project can result in updates and information getting lost in the shuffle.” – Shawn J.

Read more: 21 Top Wrike Alternatives & Competitors to Try for Successful Project Management [2023]

5. Infinity – Best for project planning

Infinity is one of the simplest project management tools worthy to be an alternative to ClickUp. Infinity allows you to structure your workload, break down your projects into smaller tasks, assign them to the right people, and keep track of everyone’s progress using the Activity log. Moreover, along with its beautiful and easy-to-navigate UI, the tool provides you with over 50+ project management templates for project planning. 

Key features:

• Multiple project views including Columns, Table, Calendar, Gantt, Form, and List   
• Set reminders, automatically set repetitive tasks, and IFTTT automation to save time
• AI recommendations to generate ideas for campaigns 
• Custom Forms to help you collect feedback or gather information from clients
• Integrate with most of the other daily-use tools

What I liked about Infinity

• A simple tool to use with beautiful UI.
• Cheaper than most of the top PM tools in the market.
• Does not require a big learning curve which makes it beginner friendly.

What I disliked about Infinity

• Lacks advanced PM capabilities.
• Lack of communication features such as real-time chat, task comments, and project discussions.
• Mobile application leave room for improvement. 

Pricing

Infinity has two plans: Basic and Pro. The basic plan starts from $3.75 per user per month and the Pro plan starts from $6.00 per user per month, where the latter is loaded with lots of features in terms of automation.

What users say about Infinity:

Favorable user feedback

Infinity with a One-time payment provides all Trello features with automation and the support of team collaboration. – Mureed a.

Love the ability to create and copy workflows we commonly go through for client onboarding and account management towards a commercial deal – Verified user in computer software

Critical user feedback

“The mobile app also seems a bit clunky, but it’s nice that they’ve built one.” – Ted C.

“I wish they had a dashboarding feature. Also, wish there was a better progress tracker and sub-tasks.”  – Verified user in publishing

6. Toggl Plan – Best for work planning

Toggl Plan is one of the best work planning tools that helps you in project planning, resource planning, and task management. It helps you take control of your work management with simple drag-and-drop timelines. You can build visual project plans, maximize billable hours without overworking your team, and track tasks from a centralized place. When you will see the straightforward functionality of the Toggl Plan, ClickUp seems way too complicated.

Key features

• Simple drag-and-drop timelines for project planning
• Work timelines and team timelines
• Task cards to view tasks 
• Time tracking to analyze the time spend on each task
• Integrations with other software

What I liked about Toggl Plan

• Colorful, simple, and user-friendly interface for visual project and resource planning.
• Easy to use drag-and-drop interface for task management.
• Dedicated customer support team that offers timely solutions.

What I disliked about Toggl Plan

• Lack of much-needed team collaboration capabilities such as chat & task comments.  
• Do not have advanced project management capabilities such as customized workflows, multiple project views, automated tasks, and project reporting.   
• Complicated user onboarding.

Pricing

Toggl Plan has two plans: Team and Business. The team plan costs you $8 per user per month when billed annually and the Business plan costs you $13.35 per user per month. You can even try it for free for 14 days. 

What users say about the Toggl Plan:

Favorable user feedback

“This tool will help us stay on top of everything about our projects” – Amira D.

“Toggl is a very user-friendly platform in all aspects from planning to tracking time.” – Melinda S.

Critical user feedback

“I find adding people to our account cumbersome. The credit card holder has to approve all the payments to add a person.” – Jen C.

“ The mobile app lacks some functionalities.” – Hiten G.

7. Trello – Best for tracking task progress

Trello is among the popular alternative apps similar to ClickUp that makes life easy for users with its simple-to-use interface. With Trello, you can bring all your tasks, teammates, and tools together in a place, and even automate them to save you some time. It provides a smooth combination of boards, lists, and cards to give you a clear view of who’s doing what and what needs to get done. 

Key features

• Simple to use Kanban Boards to manage tasks easily
• Convert tasks into cards and easily drag and drop into different project stages   
• Workflows and playbook to help you get started
• Butler automation to automate repetitive tasks
• Flawless integration with other daily-use software

What I liked about Trello

• Simple-to-use Kanban Board
• Built-in automation to help you save time 
• Free plan offers unlimited integrations

What I disliked about Trello

• Limited in-built project management capabilities such as time tracking, project reporting, and dashboard customization
• You cannot set task dependencies
• Do not have an in-built project and team communication features

Pricing

Trello free plan is for everyone but ideal for individuals only. To access the team collaboration features, you need to switch to paid plans. Trello standard plan starts from $ 5 USD Per user/month if billed annually. However, the accessibility of the most prominent features of Trello is restricted to the other two plans only- Premium and Enterprise.

What users say about Trello:

Favorable user feedback

“A project management solution characterized by its ease of use.” – James P.

“Trello uses board layout which makes it easy for what we need to do and assign members responsible for that task.” – Shaunak P.

Critical user feedback

“Can become overwhelming for those who prefer a more linear and hierarchical structure in their organization.” – Verified user in online media

“After a board becomes filled with cards and lists it becomes incredibly slow, to the point of being unusable.” – Peter W.

Read more: 21 Best Trello Alternatives: Compared Analysis & Reviewed in 2023

8. MeisterTask – Best for project collaboration

MeisterTask is another intuitive Kanban-style project management tool that makes a good ClickUp alternative because of its user-friendly and easy-to-navigate interface. It helps you delegate tasks, monitor how teams are performing, collaborate with teams, and automate recurring tasks. You can use a built-in time tracker to analyze time spent on tasks and track real-time progress with MeisterTask reports.

Key features

• Kanban-style project boards to track team progress visually 
• MeisterTask’s Gantt-style timeline to align teams and identify bottlenecks 
• Time tracking to analyze the time spend on tasks    
• Real-time collaboration with task comments and @mentions
• Creative project reports with MesiterTask Reports

What I liked about MeisterTask

• Agenda for personal task management
• Visually pleasing interface
• Mobile apps for iOS and Android to manage projects and tasks

What I disliked about MeisterTask

• Does not offer multiple project views 
• Limited customization capabilities 
• Some features are hard to find and disabled by default

Pricing

The MeisterTask Basic plan offers core task management features to single users for free. Although, you need to upgrade to the Pro plan costing $6.49 /month per user to access all the features for all users.

What users say about MeisterTask:

Favorable user feedback

“The program is visually elegant, simple to use, and has all of the features required to get started in the free edition.” – Abhishek P.

“It allows us to tag our team in our tasks and assign various projects to specific people, see their performance, and keep track of each project from start to finish.” – Stefania L.

Critical user feedback

“One feature that I feel is lacking on MeisterTask is a workflow calendar, highlighting scheduled and completed tasks daily, allowing for a complete picture of job productivity.” – Pujan A.

I like their Grant chart feature, but it’s on the expensive membership tier. – Arun J.

9. Basecamp – Best for remote team collaboration

Basecamp is one of the most potent alternatives to ClickUp for its impressive built-in collaboration features such as group chat, message boards, and team schedules for teams. It focuses on bringing organization to your project management and team collaboration. You can bring all your teamwork in one place which gives you a clear visualization of the progress of every task, make it easy to collaborate, and keep everyone on the same page.

Key features

• One-page dashboard for your projects, assignments, and schedule
• Keep track of work with to-dos 
• Basecamp’s built-in real-time group chat Campfire 
• Shared schedule to work together 
• Seamless integration with other software products

What I liked about Basecamp

• Neat, intuitive, and user-friendly interface with navigation.
• Access Basecamp from anywhere – web, iOS, and Android.     
• Excellent customer support.

What I disliked about Basecamp

• Offers limited project analytics and customization options.
• No multiple project views and time-tracking support.
• Doesn’t allow you to add a tag or label to to-do tasks.

Pricing

Basecamp has two simple plans: each with a 30-day free trial. Basecamp ($15 per user per month) and Basecamp Pro Unlimited ($299 per month for unlimited users).

What users say about Basecamp: 

Favorable user feedback

“Basecamp helps in simplifying Project Management and Effective Team Collaboration” – Sheetal S.

Organization and communication become child’s play thanks to an intuitive structure. – Moses B.

Critical user feedback

The inability to add subtasks to the primary task is one of Basecamp’s shortcomings in my opinion.  – Kiran V.

Although Basecamp provides a flat-rate pricing model, quite a few users might find the price fairly much higher when compared with some other project management applications – Vineet T.

Top 10 Best Basecamp Alternatives in 2023 – Check out now!

10. Airtable – Best for managing relational databases

Airtable is a powerful project collaboration tool in the market that allows you to connect your multiple business apps in one platform. Despite its resemblance to spreadsheets, its functionality stands out and is far more capable than the same. You can manage projects, create and share relational databases, and connect people and data to achieve your most important goals. If you are facing scalability issues with ClickUp, it makes a good ClickUp alternative, but keep in mind this is a tool designed for large enterprises.

Key features

• Transform workflows with the power of AI    
• Offer five views:  Bases, Tables, Fields, Records, and Views 
• Import and export data from other Apps 
• Organize, connect, and share critical business information with Airtable’s relational database

What I liked about Airtable

• User-friendly interface with flexible and scalable data model.
• Enterprise-grade deployment, security, and data governance.
• Pre-built apps get your teams up and running fast.

What I disliked about Airtable

• Expensive paid plans.
• Not suitable for small-sized organizations.
• Designed for enterprises.

Pricing

Everyone can access Airtable’s free plan with limited functionality. But, you need to upgrade to a paid plan to access premium features that start from $10 per seat /month billed annually. But if you need to get control of your admin operations, make sure to commit to the Enterprise plan. 

What users say about Airtable:

Favorable user feedback

“Sophisticated product for project management and asset management” – Pavel N.

Airtable makes importing data, sorting it, and manipulating it very easy and straightforward.  – Stephanie E.

Critical user feedback

Despite having the ability to combine spreadsheet and database functionality, it is not as powerful as dedicated spreadsheet software for me. – Nitin S.

The only thing I’m not a huge fan of is some of the interfaces when it comes to adding information like Partners or Places. There seem to be a few too many tabs in my opinion. – Tshedza M.

11. Monday.com – Best for customization capabilities

Monday.com is an incredible project management tool for project management that is an ideal fit for teams looking for a user-friendly dashboard and advanced automation capabilities. It is the simplified customization capabilities, built-in templates, and visual project tracking features of Monday.com that set it apart from others and make it a rightful candidate in the race for the title of ClickUp alternative winner.  

Key features

• Code-free automation to save time.
• Seamless integration with a variety of tools. 
• Real-time engine for team collaboration.
• Multiple task views to track projects and progress.
• Dashboards for visual-project tracking

What I liked about Monday.com

• Easy to use.
• Effortless task tracking. 
• Can go back and forth to assess the entire history of comments.

What I disliked about Monday.com

• Certain features are limited to paid plans.
• Not recommended for solopreneurs or freelancers.
• Lack of flexibility.

Pricing

Monday’s free forever plan rolls for up to 2 seats with limited functionalities. You need to upgrade to either of its 3 paid pricing structures – Basic, Standard, and Pro to get more powerful features. The Enterprise plan on the other hand is curated to serve the comprehensive needs of large enterprises.

What users say about Monday.com:

Favorable user feedback

“Nice Platform and app to track professional and personal projects” – Lucero S.

“Automations are highly valuable and The update feature is impressive” – Shinoy R.

Critical user feedback

Not great for cross-department collaboration, feels very messy and often feels like too much work for something that should make life easier.  – Verified User in Information Technology and Services

It’s not the most intuitive platform, although it is pretty easy to figure out the basics. – Eileen L.

12. Nifty – Best for remote collaboration

Nifty’s comprehensive suite of features and its affordable pricing plans reflect its superiority in comparison to ClickUp. You can easily prioritize tasks by adding due dates, seamlessly delegate and track tasks, manage documents, and collaborate with a team all under one roof. With its easy setup, quality of customer support, and ease of use, Nifty outshines ClickUp in the rating chart.

Key features

• Time tracking to get detailed project and team performance insights.
• Roadmap milestone for real-time automation.
• Recurring tasks to limit manual dependency.
• Master overview to get a birds-eye view of task status.
• In-detail project reporting to dig deep insights.

What I liked about Nifty

• Makes collaboration across teams and clients super smooth.
• Comprehensive and intuitive user interface.
• Ability to bookmark project screen.

What I disliked about Nifty

• Subtask assignee is automatically assigned to the main task.
• Extremely slow loading time.
• Does not give a reminder for recurring tasks.

Pricing

If your project count is limited to two, then Nifty’s Free plan embedded with core features is all you need to get started. However, for more advanced features you need to upgrade to the higher plans – starting from $39 per month. But if you are looking for a perfect scalable solution then the unlimited plan ($399 per month) is there to serve your needs.

What users say about Nifty:

Favorable user feedback

“I appreciate the simplicity and elegance of Nifty’s interface. Its sleek design, high level of customization, and practical features make it a great choice for any project or organization looking to reduce the time spent organizing documents and managing their workflow.” – Becca A.

“It’s easy to use, remembers everything I need to do, and sends me the most effective reminders of any app I’ve tried.” – Amanda F C.

Critical user feedback

I think the subtask could be better. In another site, we could do more stuff with the subtasks. – Matheu S.

I do not like the fact that Nifty does not yet have a “launch in browser” feature. This makes it rather inconvenient to view and inspect files.. – Tashé L.

13. nTask – Best for organizing projects

nTask beats the countless project management tools and bags its spot in the list of ClickUp alternatives due to its advanced features that come in handy.  You can tailor your dashboard as per your desire by adding personalized elements apart from its traditional project management features like time tracking, resource tracking, and more. It is the customization functionality of nTask that makes it stand out from the pack.

Key features

• In-built issue tracking for better issue management
• Budgeting for better project finances
• Resource allocation
• Either start a timer or add an estimated time
• Bulk team invite to bring everyone on the same page

What I liked about nTask

• Simple and easy to use. 
• Intuitive user interface.
• Affordable pricing structure.

What I disliked about nTask

• Limited integrations. 
• Outdated layout. Needs some upgrades.
• Tediously long loading time.

Pricing

nTask offers a 7-day free trial on every paid plan. Starting at $3 per month, its Premium plan is a good fit for you if you are at the beginning stage. Pricing however goes up to $8 for its business plan. 

What users say about nTask:

Favorable user feedback

“With nTask I feel like I’m working in an organized way” – Mauricio P.

“It’s functionality is great for small teams looking to manage multiple products on the go.” – Olivia S.

Critical user feedback

“Great Free Version, Great functionalities, Interface with lots of opportunities to improve” – Diego B.

“The only thing that isn’t as user-friendly about nTask is the ability to attach documents and photos.” – Lindsey H.

14. Smartsheet – Best for spreadsheet-style project management

Based on the framework of the spreadsheet interface, Smartsheet comes up next in the list of ClickUp alternatives due to its ability to manage projects, track task progress, and automate recurring tasks. The area where Smartsheet’s intuitive interface excels over ClickUp is its shortest learning curve, more storage space, and user-friendly simplicity that allows users to favor it in comparison to ClickUp.

Key features

• Resource management for effective resource planning
•  to fuel your growth
• Workflow automation to save time on recurring tasks
• Built-in template and template sets.
• Smartsheet SPI

What I liked about Smartsheet

• Simple and easy to use.
• Highly accessible.
• Effective team collaboration.

What I disliked about Smartsheet

• Less flexible.
• Less-extensive mobile application.
• Lacks some project management features.

Pricing

With four task views to offer, Smartsheet’s free user would work fine for you if you need it for your personal use. The paid plan starts from $7 per user/month when billed annually. For added functionalities, you can switch to either of its higher-paid plans – Business or Enterprise.

What users say about Smartsheet:

Favorable user feedback

“Users can quickly locate what they need in the app because of its simple user experience.” – Rahat A.

“I like how Smartsheets provides transparency so my customers can stay fully up-to-date on each project. “ – Kimberly O.

Critical user feedback

It is not very “smart”. Don’t like I have to renumber everything if I delete a row. You have to constantly save things because if by accident go back you lose everything.  – Verified user in Automotive

Sheet size limits are also very restrictive and not good for complex projects. Due to the number of data points we are tracking per project, we run out of space in our sheets very quickly. – Jamie M.

15. Jira – Best for software development teams

If you are disappointed with ClickUp’s shortcomings then Jira can make your user experience take a complete 360-degree turn with its powerful features and outstanding performance. With its prime usability amongst software engineers, Jira competes wonderfully to beat the competition to be a product manager’s dream tool. It allows you to customize your project management solutions as per your desire. 

Key features

• Resource allocation and project scheduling
• Powerful scrum and Kanban boards
• Timeline view to stay on track.
• Sprint reporting to limit scope creep. 
• Drag and drop automation. 

What I liked about Jira

• Easy to navigate.
• Bug tracking.
• Seamless task delegation.

What I disliked about Jira

• Not recommended for small-size teams.
• Needs some improvement in its UI and UX.
• Complex reporting feature.

Pricing

With limited storage space to offer, Jira’s Free plan allows up to 10 users. For advanced features like – advanced roadmaps, centralized security and admin controls, and more, you need to upgrade to its Standard plan costing $7.75 per user. 

What users say about Jira:

Favorable user feedback

“Jira, a consistent platform that increases efficiency in the execution of agile projects.” – Gisela R.

“It has a wide range of features for project management needs, which helps me and my team to manage our project efficiently.” – Yash D.

Critical user feedback

It seems like the Jira system was designed by IT people for IT people. As a finance professional, I had a difficult time getting used to the functionality of the system. – Verified User in Electrical/Electronic Manufacturing

They did not change much in the last five years, and design choices are questionable. – Alexis C., a Senior DevSecOps Engineer

Bonus:

• Zoho Projects – Best for complex projects
• Smartsheet – Best for spreadsheet users
• Miro – Best for collaborative workspaces
• Scoro – Best for end-to-end work management
• Flow – Best for creative visuals

Key criteria I picked for evaluating the top  alternatives to ClickUp

Since you are here to find the best alternatives to ClickUp, providing you with the perfect solution is my solemn duty which I will be honored to fulfill. 

To ensure you can trust my judgment without a doubt, I just want to reassure you that I take the evaluation process very seriously. Before I lay down the solutions, I assess them based on specific parameters. 

For me, it’s not just about an obligation, but delivering you the perfect fit for your needs that enhances team collaboration and streamlines the project execution process.

Here are the six-step criteria I picked for evaluating ClickUp alternatives

🧩 User interface and ease of use: Here I evaluated how easy, user-friendly, and beginner friendly a tool is to use. For example, some apps like ClickUp use color-coded blocks and well-organized navigation. This makes tools not only visually pleasing but easy to navigate through.

🧰 Customization capabilities: The other parameter is the ease of customizability that a tool provides. Some top features that I would like to have tailored as per my requirements are easy-to-create and delegate tasks from the task dashboard, multiple project views, customization capabilities, time tracking, and more.

🧑‍💻 Collaboration and team management: A smooth flow of information assures collaborative success. So, here I looked at the way a platform enables you and your team to collaborate with each other. The top collaboration features I take into account are real-time chat, @mentions task comments, project discussions, attachments, and online proofing.

💰 Pricing & support: Of course, that would be on my list. And why it shouldn’t be? I don’t like to waste my hard-earned money on something that won’t benefit me. That’s why, I compared the value a user will get for every dollar it spends. I compare the cost of the plans and the features they will get and additional value such as customer support.

🆕 Future Development and Updates: Well, that is the one aspect that fascinates me the most. While looking for the best alternatives to ClickUp, I analyzed the development plans and frequency of updates for the alternative tools. I considered whether the tools actively release new features, improve existing functionalities, and address user requests.

📋 User Reviews: Based on my research, user reviews on the websites like G2, Capertera, Gartner, and Software advice,  referencing other respected sites like PCMag as well as community sites, and testing of tools, I picked up my top tools that can replace ClickUp while providing you with more productive results.

Factors to consider when choosing the best ClickUp alternatives

As stated above, major reasons why people look for ClickUp alternatives are its poor user interface, lack of customer support, and inaccuracies due to bugs. Therefore, look for a ClickUp alternative and commit to the one that addresses and improves upon these factors.

Not just that, make sure to keep in mind the factors that make people choose ClickUp in the first place, i.e., loads of features for project management, team communication, & project collaboration all in one place and applicability for teams so that you don’t miss out on its essential functionality.

Here are the top five factors to consider when choosing apps like ClickUp:

🎈 Easy to use: As ClickUp’s short learning curve is criticized majorly among users, look for a PM tool that comes with a user-friendly interface so that you and your team can adapt to it comfortably. Make sure the tool you use doesn’t offer a complex product setup as it will result in wasted valuable time during implementation and onboarding.

🛎️ Customer support: Remember, the role of the PM tool provider does not end with the sale of the tool. You need to look for a tool that provides a dedicated support team for onboarding and ongoing support to ensure the smooth and efficient functioning of the tool. Find a support team that can resolve your queries quickly because there is a lot at stake and you can’t wait forever.    

🗣️ User reviews: Every tool encounters bugs and shortcomings, but how the service provider is addressing those issues and making improvements is a big thing. Does the PM service provider you are choosing make improvements to fix issues? Check the latest reviews on the websites like G2, Capterra, and Software Advice to learn about the real user experience of the tool.    

💸 Value for money: Let me be honest and straightforward here. Do not make the mistake of just comparing the cost and features. Take into account to what extent the tool can address your needs and provide you with technical support, onboarding support, and upgrades of tools. Look for tools that deliver better value and offer unwavering support.        

📈  Scalability and Flexibility: Consider the scalability of the tool and its ability to grow with your business. Evaluate if it can accommodate your expanding team size and increasing project complexity. Additionally, check if the tool allows customization and flexibility to adapt to your unique workflows and processes.

🛠️  Features and Functionality: Assess the features and functionalities offered by the alternative tools, but do not forget to analyze if its added functionality and feature richness streamline or hinder your work progress. Consider whether they meet your specific requirements, such as task management, collaboration, file sharing, time tracking, reporting, integration options, and customization capabilities.

Get started with ProofHub

As per my understanding, a good project management tool is one that makes it easy for you to plan, execute and track project progress with little to no effort. With ProofHub, you can do this all easily.

Since you are making a switch from ClickUp, I would suggest you to analyze your needs and every tool on the parameters you want your business and teams to excel. 

After all, after months of time investment, I want my efforts to bear fruitful results for you, no matter what you choose. 

Because, at last, the choice is yours and you can better evaluate what is best for you.

Good luck!

FAQs about ClickUp Alternatives