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Streamlining tasks, assignments and communication is a necessity for the productivity of any workplace. Gone are the days of sticky notes on a large whiteboard. As teams grow bigger and projects grow more complicated, technology is stepping up to play a major role in project management. New smart project management tools, such as ClickUp and Asana, allow for the tracking of an entire project from one location.
ClickUp vs. Asana: At a Glance
Both project management tools use the power of one, highly visible platform to help teams organize projects, focus on key objectives, share and store documents, assign tasks and track progress. They are both cloud-based, making them accessible from computers, tablets or phones. Both platforms have free versions for individuals and small teams and can integrate with a large number of third-party apps to add more organizational, time-tracking and communication functions.
That is where the similarities end. ClickUp aims to be an all-in-one project and work management system. Marketing itself as “one app to replace them all,” it wants to be the one-stop-shop for users who do not want to spend time switching between various apps. ClickUp offers a number of customizable workflow templates, management tools and reporting features.
Because the platform is so customizable, it requires a learning curve. Asana is not as customizable, making its intuitive layout easier to learn. Asana’s “Portfolios” feature outlines a project’s objectives and makes it easy to keep track of the project across an entire team. Asana also provides a number of automation triggers to streamline workflow.
ClickUp
Integrations
Connects with more than 1,000 tools
Storage
100 MB storage on free plan; unlimited on paid plans
Base price
Free with paid plans starting at INR 412.23 ($5) (paid annually)
Integrations
Connects with more than 1,000 tools
Storage
100 MB storage on free plan; unlimited on paid plans
Base price
Free with paid plans starting at INR 412.23 ($5) (paid annually)
ClickUp users can manage their workloads with task checklists. Complex projects can be simplified by breaking them down into subtasks. The platform allows for different ways to view pending projects—list, boards, box, calendar and Gantt chart—to help keep track of deadlines, start dates and progress.
ClickUp, however, is much more than a fancy task tracker. It aims to replace a team’s entire workload management. The company boasts that its software is a complete operating system for businesses to plan all key tasks and long-term initiations, replace hundreds of spreadsheets and streamline internal communication with native email integration.
Read our ClickUp Review
- Competitive pricing options
- Broad range of features
- Customizable
- Customization can be confusing
- Overwhelming number of features
- Limited storage in free plan
Asana
Great for
Small teams
Free trial
30 days
Base price
Free with paid plans starting at INR 906.08 ($10.99)
Great for
Small teams
Free trial
30 days
Base price
Free with paid plans starting at INR 906.08 ($10.99)
Asana is another project management solution designed to help teams save time, become more efficient and serve as a single reference point for a particular project. Their “Portfolios” feature allows project managers to monitor all initiatives from one control center. The project’s priority, work status and key dates are all located within the project’s portfolio. In addition to viewing a project’s process in real time, users can share portfolios with stakeholders and other team members. Each team member’s workload is easy to track with timeline charts. Managers can quickly see how many tasks each team member has and can simply drag and drop tasks to reassign them if a team’s workload is imbalanced.
Asana’s most advanced plan allows for companies to align their goals into the workflow so every employee can see how their work contributes to company goals. Advanced plans also come with an approvals feature to notify team members when work needs to be approved and can integrate with commonly used advanced software like Salesforce, Adobe Creative Cloud and Tableau.
Read about the Best Asana Competitors and Alternatives
- Easy to learn
- Free plan available
- Powerful Gantt chart
- Premium plans twice as expensive as ClickUp
- Most key features require premium plan
- No refund policy
How ClickUp and Asana Stack Up
One key difference between the two platforms is pricing. Asana’s paid plans are almost twice as much as ClickUp’s paid plans. ClickUp’s free program is also more robust than Asana’s. ClickUp’s free plan allows for unlimited tasks and users while Asana’s free plan is limited to 15 users and only offers basic task management tools.
Both platforms’ free plans limit users to 100 MB of storage. This does not restrict completing tasks within the apps, but it does limit the number of files that will be allowed to upload. While the free plans are great for learning the ropes of the project management platforms, this restriction makes it difficult for most teams to use the free plans for a prolonged time period.
Customer service is also a key feature to consider when deciding on which platform to go with. ClickUp offers an impressive 24/7 chat and email support, even on their free plan. While Asana has ample support documentation available for a smooth onboarding experience, its 24/7 customer service feature is only available for its highest-tier customers.
Bottom Line
At the end of the day, both Asana and ClickUp are great project management tools. They offer great features to help organize and manage all aspects of work projects from one location. ClickUp, however, with its more advanced customization and higher-quality features at a lower price, does have a competitive advantage for budget-conscious users.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Why do you need project management software?
Project management software helps you to plan, organize, budget and track the progress of a company project. It also unites a team around shared goals so all are working toward successful project completion. In dispersed teams, growing businesses or across multiple departments, this can be difficult to do without software people can join and access from their own devices wherever and whenever they work.
Are there free project management solutions?
Both ClickUp and Asana have free versions of their software. However, the features are limited compared to their higher-tiered plans. By upgrading to a paid plan, you can increase storage and users, along with more advanced features.
Is ClickUp secure?
Yes, ClickUp is secure. According to ClickUp, the company runs automated security testing on an ongoing basis and it hires third-party penetration testing firms. All web app traffic is encrypted over a 256-bit secure sockets layer (SSL), and all data at rest is encrypted using AES-256. The company also maintains PCI compliance when storing, processing, and transmitting credit card information online.
What is a task in Asana?
In Asana, a task is the most basic unit of action. When you assign a task to a team member, you can see it in the right pane of the screen—whether you assigned the task or are the team member.
