Key Takeaways: Trello vs Notion
- The main difference between Trello and Notion is that Trello’s core strengths are its Kanban board and affordability, while Notion is a broader project management tool with productivity and communication options.
- If you work within a team and are looking for a free plan, go for Trello. It has no user or project limits.
- Those who want to create work inside their project management software should use Notion. It has a document creator and a bunch of useful AI tools to assist with productivity.
Notion and Trello are two similar services, prompting us to create this Notions vs Trello comparison. In this article, we will explore all the services’ important features and help you decide which of the project management tools is best. Notion is much more of an all-rounder, yet Trello really excels in one specific area.
We’re fans of Notion and Trello, featuring both in our round-up of the best project management software. The whole Cloudwards team uses Trello on a daily basis, so we have a deep understanding of what it can do and how well its features perform. We’re also constantly updating our knowledge of Notion, using it firsthand each time it adds new features to its product.
Labeling either of them a good project management tool would be a disservice; they’re excellent. However, in this competitive world of project management software, there can only be one winner in a head-to-head — it’s time for the battle to commence.
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How Did We Rate Notion vs Trello?
During our Trello review, we hailed it as the king of kanban project management apps. Its kanban board is the best on the market, due its ease of use and versatility. We’re not ignorant to Trello’s limitations either; it’s not much of an all-in-one solution.
Our Notion review preached that, while it could be the only app you need, it has a few creases it first needs to iron out — more recent iterations of the software suggests it’s doing just that. Plus, its recent addition of Notion AI really could be a game changer for where it ranks in the world of project management tools.
Trello vs Notion: Similarities & Differences
The way we determine which is the better project management tool is by examining their similarities and differences. These two share many things in common — most of them positive — but it’s in their differences that you start to see which is the better choice for you.
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| $8 / month(All Plans) | $5 / month(All Plans) | |
| Review | Review | |
| Management Views | ||
| Kanban board | ||
| List | ||
| Calendar | ||
| Timeline | ||
| Spreadsheet view | ||
| Gantt charts | ||
| Workload planning | ||
| Long-term planning | ||
| Management Features | ||
| Multiple project management | ||
| Dependency management | ||
| Native scrum management | ||
| Set user permissions | ||
| File storage | ||
| Time-tracking | ||
| Built-in integrations | ||
| Reporting features | ||
| General Features | ||
| Free plan | ||
| Free Trial | 14 days | |
| Web app | ||
| Windows | ||
| MacOS | ||
| Android | ||
| iOS | ||
| Support | ||
| Ticket-based support | ||
| Tutorials | ||
| Knowledgebase | ||
| Forum | ||
| Live chat | ||
| Phone support |
Notion vs Trello: Similarities
First, we’ll compare Notion and Trello’s similarities, and note which service does the things they have in common the best.
Kanban Boards
As both Notion and Trello have native kanban boards, we thought this would be the best place to start the comparison. Each kanban board looks exactly how you would expect — a series of columns divided into different stages of your workflow, filled with task cards. You can also invite team members to join the board and assign tasks to them.
Trello’s kanban board is by far the more inspired of the two, especially in terms of design. It’s also more customizable, as there are no limits to how many columns you can have and what you can call them. Notion’s is limited by a bland design with only four uncustomizable columns.
Project Views
Trello and Notion provide several views that assist with managing basic and complex projects. Each has a timeline, calendar and table view. However, there’s a small caveat with Trello — you have to subscribe to the Premium plan to access them. Notion offers all of its project views on all its plans, including the free version.
Trello makes you pay more to access them.
Agile Tools
While we don’t consider Notion or Trello to be among the best Agile tools, they do have strategic planning features that software developers may like. Trello and Notion offer a board that allows you to create backlogs and sprints, and you can invite stakeholders to view your boards and follow the project timeline.
Security
Security features are standard on both platforms, with both Notion and Trello using AWS (Amazon Web Services) servers to store your data. TLS encryption is in place when your data is sent to the servers and AWS uses AES encryption once your data is on the server.
Both platforms have SOC 2 Type 2 certification, meaning their security measures have been approved by a governing body.
Privacy
Sadly, neither Trello nor Notion’s privacy policy makes for great reading. Although transparent, we were disappointed to read both platforms share your data with third-party companies.
Trello’s privacy policy states that companies are likely to send you targeted ads, while Notion’s privacy policy is very vague and doesn’t fill us with confidence. For an excellent privacy policy, check out our Zoho Projects review.
Customer Support
Trello and Notion have traditional customer support ticketing systems that allow you to raise support requests. The speed of the response depends on the subscription you’re on, with those on more expensive plans naturally getting faster service.
Neither service has telephone support or live chat functionality, so real-time assistance is not on the table. To bypass the technical team, there are knowledgebases, forums and tutorials that are full of useful information.
Compatibility
You can use Trello and Notion on all popular operating systems. They work via a web browser, native apps for macOS and Windows, and in the form of mobile apps. We enjoyed using all versions, and Trello’s kanban board is especially fun to use on a tablet. The mobile apps are slightly more feature thin, so for the full experience the desktop and web versions are best.
Free Plan
Free versions of each service are available, and they’re pretty good too. They’re a little different in terms of where they place their generosity. For example, Trello’s free plan allows unlimited users, making it ideal for teams. Notion’s free plan is built for individual use, but you can still invite up to 10 guests to your workspace.
On the contrary, Notion lets you use most of its tools on the free plan, whereas features like timelines and to-do lists only become available on Trello’s paid plans. Which is the best free project management software really depends on what you intend to use it for.
Integrations
You can integrate Trello and Notion with many third-party apps. There are plenty of categories to choose from, including analytics, collaboration tools, engineering and several more. While Notion uses the traditional term “integrations,” Trello refers to them as “power ups,” something to be mindful of when using the service.
Automations
If you lean heavily on process-driven project management, automations will be a huge time saver. You can create automated workflows on Trello and Notion, either through their native tools or by uploading your own through an API.
Trello and Notion to automate them.
If you’re new to automations, we’d say Trello’s are easier to get a hand of. Plus, its guide does a better job of explaining how to get started with automated workflows.
Notion vs Trello: Differences
Moving ahead, we will now break down the main differences between the two platforms.
Productivity
Notion’s creative tools expand the platform into a productivity app. You can create copy for articles and other world-related updates. You’re able to embed photographs, audio and video, plus embed social media posts, charts and tables. Trello doesn’t offer this level of productivity, and those who want to create will need to find an external tool like Google Workspace.
Artificial Intelligence
Notion is one of the first project management tools to launch integrated AI capabilities, and it can create short- and long-form copy in a range of formats. It’s a digital creative assistant that is sure to save time for many project managers. It’s essentially Notion’s take on ChatGPT and works in a similar fashion. At present, Trello does not offer this type of AI within its platform.
Ease of Use
While neither solution comes with a steep learning curve, Trello is the easier one to get started with. Notion isn’t far behind, but because it has more ready-to-use features, it takes a little more time to familiarize yourself with the platform. Navigation could also be smoother. Each service has plenty of resources to refer to should you need help using the software.
Pricing
There’s not much difference in pricing. However, Trello does offer a cheaper entry point and has a more generous free version that appeals to small teams and businesses. You can get Trello for as little as $5 per user per month. Notion’s entry point is $8 per user per month. Notion lets you negotiate its Enterprise plan, while Trello charges $17.50 per user per month with a minimum of 50 users.
If you’re in the market for super cheap, Notion won’t tick that box. Trello will and it’s why it’s on our selection of the best cheap project management software.
Which Is Better: Notion vs Trello?
This Notion vs Trello guide is a close comparison. Neither is overwhelmingly better than the other. Trello certainly has the better kanban board, and Notion excels more as a productivity suite.
Notion and Trello are not one-trick ponies, and beyond their core strengths, there are plenty of excellent features that make them fantastic all-rounders. Both are great for getting on top of basic and complex projects, and both of them provide a user interface that makes project management feel more enjoyable and less like a chore.
However, when we put our Cloudwards magnifying glass on each project management tool, things that initially look the same begin to demonstrate clear differences. Trello has the slight edge in design and usability, and its free and paid plans top those from Notion. With this in mind, while both are strong options, we think Trello is the right choice for most users.
We Recommend Trello if You Want…
- Kanban boards: If you prefer kanban methodology, Trello has the best board in the business.
- An excellent free plan: With the ability to have unlimited boards and users, Trello’s free plan is perfect for teams of all sizes.
- Affordable software: Beyond its free plan, Trello is also one of the most affordable solutions on the market.
We Recommend Notion if You Want…
- One collaborative space: Notion is an all-in-one collaboration tool that doesn’t require third-party apps to expand your productivity and task management options.
- Artificial intelligence: Notion AI can do a lot of work for you with minimal input on your part.
- A minimalist design: Notion’s no-nonsense design should appeal to those who want a minimalist user interface.
If You Want to Consider Other Services, Check Out…
There are plenty of alternatives available if you don’t like the look of Trello or Notion. If you’re in the market for a good kanban board with lots of other features, we’d recommend taking a look at Asana. Some may find it a little expensive, and if that’s the case, check out ClickUp instead. If you only want the very best all-in-one platform, then look no further than monday.com.
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4$19 / month(All Plans)
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5$15 / month(All Plans)
The Verdict: Why We Think Trello Wins Overall
That brings us to the end of this project management software comparison, and while it was very close, Trello is the tool to take the gold. It’s an excellent piece of project management software and offers far more than just a stellar kanban board. Don’t write off Notion too quickly though; in the world of project and productivity apps, it’s one of the front-runners.
Did you find this project management software comparison useful? What are your favorite project management solutions? Is there a project management software solution you would like us to review? Let us know in the comments. Thanks for reading.
FAQ: Trello vs Notion Compared
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Trello is a better option for those who use kanban methodology. It offers the best kanban boards on the market, and Notion’s aren’t anywhere close.
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If you need an all-in-one solution that’s great for project management and team collaboration, it may make sense to switch from Trello to Notion.
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Notion tries hard to offer everything you would need in all areas of project management and productivity. Trello offers a more basic solution that helps with project portfolio management and task management.
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Likely for two reasons: It’s extremely easy to use and makes task management simple, and it’s also very affordable, being one of the cheapest solutions on the market.
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