Two of the most popular project management platforms are ClickUp and Asana. And while you need to pay to access all features, you can still get plenty done with the free options.
But which one is better? This article will compare both of them so you can pick your favorite.
Pricing
One significant factor when picking any software is pricing. While both ClickUp and Asana have free plans, you can also use paid versions instead if you would prefer.
ClickUp has a tiered subscription structure beyond the free plan. Unlimited costs $9 per member, per month—when you pay monthly. Additional benefits compared to the free plan include unlimited storage, in addition to limitless dashboards.
If you want to pay for ClickUp Unlimited annually, your subscription averages out to $5 per user, per month instead. You can also sign up for ClickUp Business, priced at $9 per user per month when you pay annually.
ClickUp Business allows you to customize your branding, granular times estimates, and more. The plan costs $19 per month when you pay monthly instead of yearly. ClickUp Enterprise is the highest level and includes everything. To buy this plan, you’ll need to contact ClickUp and negotiate a price.
Asana also uses a tiered pricing structure. Premium costs $10.99 per user, per month, when you pay annually. Benefits include unlimited free guests, private teams and projects, and advanced search and reporting.
If you choose to pay monthly, the cost for this membership tier rises to $13.49 per user.
The next level up from Premium is Business. It costs $24.99 per user per month when you pay upfront at the beginning of the year. With this membership tier, you can set goals and integrate with numerous other software tools.
If you choose to pay monthly instead, you’ll pay $30.49 per user. The next step up in the Business plan is Enterprise, which allows custom branding and attachment control, plus more.
Workflow Management
When you’re in the middle of a project, keeping track of how far you’re in is a good idea. Both Asana and ClickUp enable you to do this, though they differ quite significantly in this respect.
In the free version of Asana, you can create tasks and assign these to members. You can also set deadlines. Once the assigned user has completed the job, they’re able to mark it as complete.
Within individual tasks, users can also create subtasks and tick these off once they’re finished. With Asana Premium, you can also set milestones.
ClickUp has a few more advanced workflow management features in its free plan. When creating projects, you can set deadlines and subtasks. Moreover, you’re able to add descriptions and attachments.
Once you’re ready to highlight that a project is ready to move into the next stage, you can move the task into a new board. This is useful if you’re working on something long-term, such as a thesis.
On both platforms, you can also add assigned users and remove others who no longer need to work on the project. As such, you can make sure that everyone knows what their responsibilities are.
Communication
If you’re working on a project with others, communication is essential for avoiding delays and mix-ups. And while you can use emails and messaging services, doing so means you risk everything getting mixed up.
Beyond project management, both ClickUp and Asana enable you to stay updated with other collaborators. On Asana, you can send direct messages to others using the platform. Moreover, each task allows you to leave comments and mention each other’s usernames.
On ClickUp, you can also add comments to each task. Within this, you can choose to mention all watchers in bulk—ditto for assigned users. But unlike Asana, you can’t send private messages as easily.
Automation
Automating your processes wherever possible will also help speed up the process of your projects, and it’s easier to automate when it’s already built into the software you use.
ClickUp enables users to set up automation for frequently performed tasks. For example, you may use the tool to assign similar projects to the same user. And if you want to add watchers to multiple tasks, you can also do this.
With ClickUp’s automation tool, you can also add new assignees whenever the status of a project changes. So, you won’t need to spend ages going through individual tasks and doing this manually.
Asana also allows you to set up automation. Like with ClickUp, you can add new followers when the status of a project changes. Additionally, you can automatically add assignments at various stages of a workflow.
With Asana’s automation tool, you’re able to shift tasks to the correct project as well.
Despite Asana and ClickUp’s comprehensive automaton capabilities, you need a premium subscription with both platforms to use this. For Asana, you need Asana Business or above.
Integrations
When managing projects in bigger teams, you might need to use other software—such as analytics platforms. But the more tools you use, the more challenging it gets to stay organized.
Both ClickUp and Asana enable users to integrate other solutions within their platform. With Asana, you can add tools like Gmail, Slack, and Zoom to the interface.
If you’re a designer, you can even incorporate Adobe Creative Cloud and Canva.
Similarly, ClickUp lets you integrate the likes of Slack, Outlook, and Google Assistant. You can also add YouTube, Intercom, and plenty more.
With ClickUp, you can integrate some platforms for free. Others, however, require a paid subscription. For Asana, the same is true.
ClickUp or Asana: Which One Is Right for You?
Project management software is a great way to improve transparency on tasks, whether you’re working alone or with others. ClickUp and Asana are two of the best on the market, and both come with a free plan for you to try.
Even though the two platforms differ in many ways, the best one for project management depends on your individual needs and preferences. Now that you’ve read this guide, why not take a look at both and then make a choice?
