Productivity

Can I replace Trello?

A simple board can stay simple.

ReplaceOur take

A simpler option could do the job.

A personal or small-team kanban board often fits a free plan. Paid workspace features matter once automation and larger groups drive the work.

Consider switching if

You track a few projects with cards and checklists.

Keep it if

Your workspace needs paid views, permissions, or automation capacity.

A different way to do it

2 options

Choose an option to see the savings scenario.

Trello FreeFree

Freemium

A shared board for cards, checklists, and simple team planning.

Workspace limits and fewer views and automation runs than paid plans.

Explore Trello Free

ClickUp FreeFree

Freemium

Tasks, documents, and basic project organization in one workspace.

Storage and advanced reporting are limited; test your actual workflow.

Explore ClickUp Free

We built a small working example. Try it and see what we tested →

Build your own

Good fit

A personal kanban board

A few columns and cards are a good small app. Team permissions and simultaneous editing are a separate undertaking.

Build effort: One weekend for a prototype
Ongoing cost: $0 recurring for local-only use on hardware you already own. Optional hosting, coding tools, and APIs are extra.

Keep the scope small

Boards, columns, and cards
Checklists, labels, and due dates
Keyboard-accessible card moves

What you won’t replace

Team permissions and live collaboration
Trello integrations and automation

Planning estimates for a personal prototype, not a tested build or a full clone. Coding tools, paid APIs, hosting, backups, and your time can add costs. These estimates are separate from the savings calculator.

Get the vibe-coding prompt

Paste this brief into your preferred coding assistant. Start with sample data and review the result before using it.

Create an original personal tool: A personal kanban board.

Purpose
Build a local kanban board with custom columns, cards, labels, checklists, and due dates. Offer accessible move buttons alongside drag and drop. Support board export/import, undo for card deletion, and a searchable archived-card view.

Boundaries
This replaces one narrow use case, not Trello as a whole. Do not copy proprietary code, branding, or assets. Exclude: Team permissions and live collaboration; Trello integrations and automation.

Implementation
Use a small maintainable app with a responsive, keyboard-accessible interface. Start local-first with fictional sample data. Explain the chosen storage and its limits; do not imply browser storage is an encrypted vault or a backup. Add deliberate export/import, schema validation, a restore preview, and confirmation for destructive actions. Handle empty states, malformed imports, unsupported features, and storage failures. Keep credentials out of client code and source control. No analytics or external writes by default.

Finish
Test the main workflow, data round-trip, and failure paths. Include a README with local setup, limitations, backup/restore, and any recurring costs. Deliver a working prototype, then list what would be required before hosting it or using it with other people. Do not claim production readiness or guaranteed cost savings.

THE OTHER SIDE OF THE SWITCH

What you might miss

Free is only a good deal if it still does what you need.

Paid workspace views
Higher automation allowances
Some administrative controls

Your switch, in small steps

Easy

Add this subscription to your stack to track your progress.

Check your Trello bill, plan limits, and the features you actually use.
Try one real board on the free tier and check collaborator limits.
Keep a readable backup of important cards and attachments before downgrading.
Check renewal and commitment terms, then change your plan only after the replacement works.

Sources & assumptions

Something out of date? Send a correction →

Editorial comparison based on official product and plan information, not a hands-on migration test. Pricing status is shown separately. Free tiers, eligibility, regional catalogs, and limits can change. Build scopes and effort are our planning estimates, not tested builds.

Sources checked 2026-09-28 · Editorial assessment, not a hands-on test

Trello · official plans ClickUp Free · official information

Can I replace Trello?

A simpler option could do the job.

A different way to do it

Build your own

A personal kanban board

Keep the scope small

What you won’t replace

What you might miss

Your switch, in small steps

Sources & assumptions

While you’re rethinking things…

Notion

Grammarly

Microsoft 365