Feeling the Monday blues? We’re here to help.
The right project management software can work wonders for your team's productivity, streamlining workflows, tracking progress, and boosting communication. While Monday.com offers some great features to manage your daily tasks, it might not be the great fit for your company.
With so many project management tools available, finding one that actually fits how your work isn’t always easy. This guide will dive into the top Monday alternatives, comparing their features, pricing, and pros and cons to help you find the best solution.
What is monday.com?
Monday.com is a popular project management solution, which aims to be a "centralized Work OS". It offers different products tailored for different use cases: Work Management, CRM, Dev, and Service.
Image source: Monday.com
Launched in 2014 as daPulse, the platform rebranded to Monday.com in 2017, quickly gaining recognition for its intuitive user interface and powerful features.
Commonly used for project management, CRM, sales management, and more, Monday.com offers essential task management tools and basic communication features on a unified interface. As a cloud-based solution, Monday.com enables teams to track progress, manage workflows, and collaborate in real time from any device, making it a great choice for small to medium-sized teams.
Top Monday alternatives at a glance
Lark - Best overall Monday alternative
Jira - Best for agile software development teams
ClickUp - Best for customizable workflows
Airtable - Best for creating databases
Trello - Best for kanban style task visualization
Asana - Best for straightforward project management
Smartsheet - Best for planning projects on spreadsheet-like interface
Basecamp - Best for remote team collaboration
Notion - Best for note-taking and organization
Microsoft Planner - Best for Microsoft Office 365 users
10 best Monday alternatives in 2025
Effective collaboration and communication remain key challenges in remote work. While many project management tools tackle these issues, their approaches differ. Here are the top 10 monday.com alternatives to consider in 2025.
1. Lark - Best overall Monday alternative
While monday.com is a great tool for managing projects, you'll find yourself needing to connect and pay for a bunch of other apps to get the full experience. Lark is a smarter choice because it's an all-in-one platform that gets rid of the headaches and extra costs of juggling different tools. By bringing everything your team needs into one place, Lark offers a smoother, more efficient, and budget-friendly way to get work done.
Lark's single platform makes your work flow smoothly, stops the constant app-switching that drains your focus, and saves you a lot of money in the long run. It's built for everyone, whether they're at a desk, out in the field, or working across the globe. If you want a single, organized hub for all your work that can grow with your team, Lark is the way to go.
True all-in-one workspace: Get chat, calendars, docs, video calls, and project management all in one place without switching apps.
Seamless communication: Chat with your team and quickly jump into video calls for real-time discussions, with features like Magic Share that makes it easy to share documents or desktops.
Document collaboration: Work on documents together in real-time and build a shared knowledge base with a simple, built-in Wiki.
Great on mobile: A top-rated mobile app lets your team get work done from anywhere, which is perfect for frontline workers.
Built for global teams: Instantly translate chats, documents, and meeting captions to work easily with teammates anywhere in the world.
Smart project management: Use Lark Base to create powerful, custom project trackers that are connected directly to your team's chats. Watch the video below to see what you can do with Lark Base!
Integrations
Lark supports a variety of integrations through AnyCross, with thousands more accessible through Zapier.
Limitations
Some advanced features may require users to visit the Lark Help Center or YouTube channel to learn.
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Pricing:
Starter plan: Free forever plan that includes 11 powerful tools for up to 20 users. It also comes with 100GB of storage, 1000 automation runs, AI translations, and more.
Pro plan: $12/user/month (billed annually) for up to 500 users. It includes everything in Starter plus group calling for up to 500 attendees, 15TB of storage, 50,000 automation runs, and more.
Enterprise plan: Contact sales for custom pricing. Supports unlimited users and includes even more automation runs and advanced data security, compliance, and management features.
For a fuller feature comparison, see Lark vs Monday: Which Collaboration Platform Is Right for You?
2. Jira - Best for agile software development teams
Jira — Atlassian’s flagship product and the core of their software suite — is a bug-tracking and agile project management solution with a range of advanced features,
Image source: infoq.com
According to the 17th State of Agile Report, agile adoption among software teams has grown to 86%—up from 37%—and has doubled for non-IT teams. If your company follows agile practices, Jira’s cloud-based platform is worth considering.
Key features
Scrum and Kanban boards for agile project management
Interactive timelines for tracking task progress and dependency management
Backlogs, Jira’s to-do lists that can be used for basic task management
Comprehensive reporting features with more than 12 default types of reports and insights
Customizable workflows
Intuitive automation builder with drag-and-drop functionality and hundreds of pre-built automation templates
Integrations:
Jira connects with more than 3,000 apps in the Atlassian Marketplace
Limitations:
There’s a steep learning curve. It takes time to figure out how different features work
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Pricing
Free plan available for up to 10 users
Paid plans start at $8.15 with limited features
3. ClickUp - Best for customizable workflows
ClickUp — cloud-based software known for its highly customizable platform — is another popular monday.com alternative.
Image source: clickup.com
Key features
15+ custom views (Kanban boards, Gantt charts, lists, calendars, timelines, whiteboards, and Mind Maps)
Intuitive automation builder with pre-built and custom automation
Reporting capabilities, including time tracking, ClickUp Goals, and task milestones
Real-time chat
Custom workflows and preset project templates for different departments
Lots of customization options, including custom fields, statuses, and task types
Advanced security features, including two-factor authentication, Single Sign-On (SSO), and HIPAA compliance (for Enterprise-level customers)
Integrations
ClickUp natively connects with over 50 apps, including Slack, Google Drive, OneDrive, Zoom, and Discord — with even more third-party integrations available through Zapier.
Limitations
New users might find it overwhelming and hard to navigate, which is one of ClickUp’s biggest downsides
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Pricing
Free version available for personal use
Paid plans start at $7 per user/month
4. Airtable - Best for creating databases
Airtable, which has been one of the fastest-growing apps in recent years, has the look and feel of a traditional spreadsheet tool. However, don’t let that fool you. Its database system and project management features make it one of the top alternatives to monday.com available.
Image source: airtable.com
Considering nearly two-thirds of people have an average of two to three spreadsheets open anytime during the workday, it’s no wonder Airtable is a popular choice in the business world. If your team works often on spreadsheets, Airtable may be the monday.com alternative you are looking for.
Key features
Different types of views (Kanban boards, Gantt charts, timeline, calendar, list, form, and gallery views)
Real-time collaboration and comments
Automation capabilities with an automation run history
Multi-source and two-way syncing
Customization options, including custom branding for forms
Integrations
It has more than 47 pre-built extensions and supports seamless integration with other tools
Limitations
The list of integration options is limited compared to competitors
You need to upgrade to higher-tier plans to access additional project management features
G2 ratings
Pricing
Free version available
Paid plans start at $24 per user/month
If Airtable sounds like your ideal tool but is a bit pricey, we recommend you check out our list of Airtable alternatives.
5. Trello - Best for Kanban-style task visualization
For a simple, cheap Monday alternative that focuses on task management, you can look no further than Trello.
Image source: startupstash.com
Its Kanban-style boards allow businesses to track workflows and tasks at a glance, making it an excellent choice for retail and wholesale teams dealing with inventory or promotional campaigns.
Key features
Trello boards with advanced checklists, custom fields, assignees, and due dates
Dashboard, timeline, table, calendar, and map view
No-code automation
Customizable templates for more efficient workflow creation
Integrations
You can also bring additional features and connect Trello with more than 200 other apps with Power-Ups — including Slack, Microsoft Teams, Google Drive, and Salesforce
Limitations
Lacks advanced features compared to Lark, monday.com, and other competitors. This makes it hard to use for managing large or complex projects.
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Pricing
Free plan available
Paid plans start at $6 per user/month. This makes Trello a cheap monday.com alternative
6. Asana - Best for straightforward project management
Asana is a project management tool that’s very easy to use. This makes it an excellent choice for organizations seeking a straightforward solution.
Image source: pcmag.com
Asana’s intuitive design makes it a top monday.com competitor. It’s a great choice for organizations looking for a straightforward solution to manage their workflows effectively.
Key features
Essential task management features, with unlimited projects, tasks, activity logs, and comments
Several types of project views (lists, Kanban boards, calendars, Gantt charts, and timelines)
Pre-built automation
Resource management with workload and time tracking (reserved for higher-tier plans)
Advanced reporting and goal tracking
Integrations
It offers more than 100 free integrations — including Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Slack, Zoom, and Notion — and integrates with Lark. Plus, you can extend the list of third-party integrations through Zapier.
Limitations:
Limited customization compared to competitors
Too rigid for complex organizations
G2 ratings
Pricing
Free plan for up to 15 users and limited features
Paid plans start at $10.99 per user/month
If you’re not sure which to choose when it comes to Asana vs Monday, read our comparison blog.
7. Smartsheet - Best for planning projects on spreadsheet-like interface
When it comes to core features, Smartsheet is relatively similar to Monday.com and most other project management tools. The main difference between this advanced spreadsheet tool and Monday.com is mostly in the interface.
Image source: management-club.com
Like Airtable, Smartsheet’s default layout resembles a traditional spreadsheet more than a typical PM tool. And if spreadsheet compatibility is a priority for you, Smartsheet can be a strong Monday.com alternative.
Key features
Different views (grid, Gantt, calendar, and card view)
Dashboards with widgets and real-time information
Activity logs
Custom branding for workspaces, sheets, and dashboards
Automated workflows
Bi-directional reporting
Integrations
Smartsheet integrates with over 100 third-party tools — including Slack, Miro, and Excel. Plus, you can connect it to Zapier, which extends Smartsheet’s integration capabilities to over 1,000 other apps.
Limitations
It has a steep learning curve. This may be an issue for your team considering only 27% of people say they’re advanced Excel users.
Lack of security features on lower-tier plans.
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Pricing
Free plan available for basic features
Paid plans start at $9 per user/month
8. Basecamp - Best for remote team collaboration
Basecamp is one of the oldest collaboration tools in the project management space, designed to help remote teams stay connected and organized. It combines features such as to-do lists, message boards, scheduling, file sharing, and real-time chat to help teams stay on the same page and manage their work effectively.
Image source: basecamp.com
Key features
Message boards
Real-time group chat
“All-access” feature for easier collaboration
Automatic check-ins that can replace status meetings
To-do lists with notes, file attachments, and due dates
Reports for quick insights regarding the latest activity, shared files, completed and overdue tasks, and more
Drag-and-drop file sharing
Integrations
You can connect Basecamp to other apps you’re using — including Google Drive, Dropbox, GitHub, Notion, Zoom, Slack, and Miro — through so-called “Doors.”
Limitations
Limited customization options
No free version
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Pricing
No free version. Free trial available
Paid plans start at $15 per user/month
9. Notion - Best for note-taking and organization
With more than 20 million users, Notion ranks as one of the fastest-growing productivity apps in the market. It’s an easy-to-use, highly customizable platform that’s best known as a note-taking app. However, it can also be used for simple, smaller-scale projects and task management.
Image source: sync2sheets.com
Key features
Collaborative workspace
Different types of project views, including timelines, boards, and calendar
Notion Calendar, which allows you to sync multiple Google Calendars
Option to add subtasks and dependencies
Custom automation
Integrations
Integrates with popular workplace apps, including ClickUp, Asana, Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, GitHub, Jira, and Zoom.
Limitations
Lack of real-time communication and reporting features. This gives products such as Lark a clear advantage — and makes it a great Notion alternative.
G2 ratings
Pricing
Free version available
Paid plans start at $10 per user/month
10. Microsoft Planner - Best for Microsoft Office 365 users
With most teams already using Office 365 software, it’d be best to find a task management tool that can be integrated with the Microsoft 365 apps that your team is already using — and that brings us to Microsoft Planner.
Image source: bulb.digital
Key features
To-do lists and Kanban boards with content-rich tasks (files, checklists, and labels)
Basic task management
In-task collaboration through comments and file attachments
Integrations
Integrates with other apps in the Office 365 suite — including Microsoft Teams, Microsoft Viva, Microsoft To Do, Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote.
Limitations
Outside of the Office 365 suite, MS Planner has relatively limited integrations.
Microsoft Planner lacks any advanced functionality for project management, which puts it at a disadvantage compared to other Monday.com alternatives.
G2 ratings
Pricing
No free plan
Included in Microsoft 365 paid plans that start at $6 per user/month
How to choose the best Monday alternative for your team
Selecting the best Monday.com alternative can be overwhelming with so many options available. The following factors can help you decide on which solution is the right fit for your company.
Assess your team’s size, budget, and workflow
Start by defining your team’s unique requirements. How many members will use the platform? What is your budget? What are your project management needs? Do you need a simple communication tool or an all-in-one solution that does it all?
Look for tools that integrate seamlessly with your existing software
Your team likely depends on various tools, so choosing a collaboration platform that integrates with your existing tech stack is essential to maintaining productivity.
For example, If your team frequently works with Microsoft 365, your best option is likely Microsoft Planner. Alternatively, consider an all-in-one collaboration tool like Lark if you're looking to save money on using multiple third-party tools. You'll be able to cut costs and create a smoother workflow at the same time.
Take advantage of free trials and plans
Many Monday alternatives offer free trials and free plans, which you can use to explore features, test usability, and assess compatibility
Encourage your team to participate, gather feedback, and identify any potential roadblocks before making a final decision.
Final thoughts on Monday alternatives
Monday.com is a well-known project management tool, but it’s not the most versatile option for 2025. If you need a platform that does more than just task tracking, Lark is the ultimate choice. Unlike monday or alternatives like Asana and Trello, Lark seamlessly integrates messaging, video calls, shared calendars, cloud storage, and real-time document collaboration—all in one place.
Beyond offering a broader feature set than Monday.com, Lark provides a free plan built for teams, not just individual users. Whether you’re leading a startup or a large organization, Lark’s intuitive interface and productivity-driven design helps teams collaborate more effectively.
Why settle for less when you can have a solution that truly enhances teamwork and efficiency? Book a free consultation and demo today to see why Lark is the best alternative to Monday.
Frequently asked questions about Monday alternatives
Is the free version of Monday.com worth it?
The free version of Monday is useful for small teams or simple projects. However, it only supports 2 users and lacks advanced features. If you need to get started with free project management software, we recommend trying Trello or Lark.
Are there any open-source alternatives to Monday.com?
Yes, some popular open-source alternatives include Taiga, OpenProject, and RocketChat. These provide customizable project management features but involve a more technical setup.
What are some Monday CRM alternatives?
Top CRM alternatives include HubSpot CRM, Lark, Zoho CRM, Pipedrive, Salesforce, and Freshsales. These tools offer stronger CRM features focused on sales automation and lead management.
