Personally, I don’t consider Trello and Notion competitors. For the simple reason that they have different missions and standouts.
Trello is focused mainly on Kanban project management, while Notion is a more complete platform.
Using this or that depends on your team’s needs. If Kanban project management is your primary goal, then Trello is a great choice. Unlike Notion, a productivity workspace, a more dynamic option where project management is just one feature.
I recommend using both, as their outcome are different.
Notion Vs Trello : Comparison Table
>>> Related : 10 Most Used Project Management Tools for Startups
What Is Trello?
Trello is a project management tool based on the Kanban project management style.
If you don’t know what a Kanban board is, let me tell you briefly. Kanban is the Japanese word for “visual signal”. It’s a method that uses a pinboard-like structure of cards and columns to visually display how each aspect of a project moves through the various stages of the project.
Great way to make your work visual and keep everyone on the same page.
Trello Features
Trello uses boards, lists, and cards for project management. Some of its features are:
- Subtasks and smaller steps within a card can be created with checklists.
- Tasks can be assigned to members so that they will be notified of any modifications to their cards.
- Deadlines can be added to the tasks.
- Attachments can be added for an efficient organization of resources.
- Easy, Drag-and-Drop Editing.
- Easy Organization with Labeling, Tags, and Comments.
- Progress Meter Checklist.
- Card Records Archive.
- Easy Upload (Local Devices, Dropbox, Google Drive, and Box).
- Data Filters and Voting Options.
- Deadline Alerts and Notifications.
- Information Backup and Retrieval.
There are other features to be mentioned in this list. We’ve limited it to the most relevant ones.
Strength Of Trello
The strength of Trello is its simplicity. It ensures smooth editing through a minimalist user interface.
You can edit task lists inline, using the simplest possible drag-and-drop mechanism.
Not a note-taker, not a to-do list manager, Trello is mainly a Kanban project management service. And I think that this clarity of mission and focus is what makes users happy with the app.
Weakness Of Trello
Based on my research, the main downside of Trello is that it’s not a fully-featured project management tool.
For example, teams who need time-tracking or expenses-tracking will find Trello limited and an inconvenient choice for their activity.
Nevertheless, I think that the main reason why most people like using Trello is that it’s a purely Kanban project management service, nothing more, nothing less.
When Should You Use Trello?
- If you are a beginner in project management, use Trello.
- If you are a visual person, use Trello.
- If your only need is to view your project on a Kanban board, use Trello.
- If you are a minimalist or you feel anxiety when things get complicated, use Trello.
- If you use other tools and need to integrate them with your PM software, use Trello. It has hundreds of integrations.
What Customers Think Of Trello
In 2019, Trello announced 50 million users worldwide. Here are some of their reviews from Capterra:
+”I like that Trello gives you a great visibility to share your projects and boards with other members in order to be able to track progress and accountability.”
+”Entering and tracking projects and their progress is pretty easy, and I love the ability to add subtasks.”
-“There is something that troubles me. Sometimes when I am organizing the boards, I put one in other category by mistake, because it is a too much sensitive process.”
Trello - Customer Service / Support
The site provides answers to the most common questions users ask. There is a Trello Community as well, made of Trello users and experts, where you can post any issue you’re facing, and they will help you.
And finally, there is Ask Trello Support. The best option for account billing questions, security concerns, or questions about Business Class.
Trello Free Trial
Trello’s free plan enables users to create unlimited personalized cards and lists. But each team is limited to 10 boards with 10MB per file attachment, and automation is minimal.
Trello Pricing / Plans
| Plan | Monthly | Anually |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 Forever | |
| Business Class | $12.50 per user | $9.99 per user |
| Enterprise | $17.50 per user (100users) | |
Trello Integrations
Trello has over 200 integrations. Some of the most famous ones include:
- Slack
- GitHub
- Google Drive
You’ll find here a list of Trello’s Integrations. You can sort them and filter them.
What Browsers And Mobile Platforms Does Trello Support?
Trello supports these modern browsers for desktop:
- Chrome – Latest stable release
- Safari – Latest stable release
- Firefox – Latest stable release
- Edge – Latest stable release
The Trello app is available for these mobile platforms:
- iOS
- Android
The Trello Desktop App is available for:
- macOS
- Windows 10
Trello Resources
You may have:
– heard colleagues talking about Trello and it piqued your interest.
– decided to start using Trello and are looking for ideas and guidance.
– already dipped your toe in and want to find out what some of the buttons mean.
Whichever applies to you (or if you are somewhere in between), these Trello resources have something for you! They include boards full of tips and tricks for efficient use.
For A Better And More Efficient Use
- Toggle On The Trello Chrome Extension.
- Use Keyboard Shortcuts.
- Make Collaboration Colorful With Card Covers.
- Align Your Team On Tasks With Advanced Checklists.
What Is Notion?
Notion is an all-in-one workspace where you can write, plan, collaborate, and get organized. It allows you to take notes, add tasks, manage projects, and more.
Notion is the only project management software that connects your notes, projects, and wiki in one tool.
As they state on their website: “All-in-one workspace. One tool for your whole team. Write, plan, and get organized.”
Notion Features
- Integration: It can integrate with many tools to help you streamline your workflow.
- Powerful Note Taking: You can add a list, plain text, videos, sound, code snippets – it’s up to you.
- Tasks and Projects: Assign tasks and create projects for your team.
- Templates: Repeating the same task over and over again is a waste of time. That’s why Notion allows you to create templates and save time.
- Multiple Views: the main view is a drag and drops Kanban board interface. But it also offers a to-do list view to organize and list all of your tasks.
Strength Of Notion
The strength of Notion lies in its versatility. Notion was designed to perform a variety of functions in a productivity workflow, and that’s what makes it powerful.
If you are looking for one do-it-all tool in your workflow, Notion is the right pick for you.
Please note that you can work offline with Notion.
Weakness of Notion
Notion is a good project management tool, but it lacks some task management features. Reminders and customizable project statuses, assigned comments, and other functionalities are expected to be in a project management tool.
Therefore, it’s not the best collaboration solution for larger companies.
When Should You Use Notion?
- If you need a more flexible tool, use Notion.
- If you are familiar with project management tools, and you want to change the one you’re currently using, then go for Notion.
- If you want cheaper pricing options for your team(s), use Notion.
- If you want to unify your company’s work in one space, use Notion.
What Customers Think Of Notion?
Although Notion is still new to the market, its users are estimated to more than 4 million users by the year 2020.
+”There are blocks that you can customize any way you want – todos, notes, headlines, comments, etc. I love the comments feature, it is super useful when there is a ton of notes on a subject.”
+”You can share with your clients some determined information and hide the rest to not overwhelm them with extra information, this is one of its best features.”
-“There are some small features that Notion does not yet excel at. Currently there is no way to view a calendar view of a database in any view other than month view, which is a small complaint.”
Notion Customer Service / Support
Notion has a dedicated webpage providing detailed guides and answers to how to use the tool properly.
In case you couldn’t find your answer, you can talk to them via:
- Chat on their website
- Tweet: @NotionHQ
- Email: team@makenotion.com
Notion Free Trial
The free plan in Notion is called “Personal”, and it’s for one person. You can create unlimited pages and share them with guests (up to 5). But file uploads are limited to 5 MB.
Notion Princing / Plans
| Plan | Monthly | Anually |
|---|---|---|
| Personal | $0 Free | |
| Personal Pro | $5 per month | $4 per month |
| Team | $10 per member per month | $8 per member per month |
| Enterprise | Contact Sales | |
Notion Integrations
Here are some of the tools and softwares that integrate with Notion.
- Slack
- Zapier
- IFTTT
Notion Resources
If you pick Notion, you’ll be part of a growing community that you can join by clicking on this link.
It includes a full Notion course, blogs, video tours, articles, tweets, and more.
What Browsers And Mobile Platforms Does Notion Support?
Notion is available for:
- macOS
- Windows
- Android, and Apple mobile devices.
Final Thoughts - Notion vs Trello
To sum up what we’ve been comparing in detail:
- Trello is focused on project management using the Kanban system.
- Notion is built to perform a variety of functions in a productivity workflow.
Find your motivation and go for it.
I hope you liked our comparison between Notion and Trello.
| Notion | Trello | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Project Management Tool | Kanban Project Management Style |
| Initial release | 2016 | 2011 (by Atlassian) |
| Main Features | *Note taking *To-do list *Templates *Interactive Calendar | *Boards and cards organization *In-Line Editing *Attach photos,drawings,sketches and mockups *Activity logging |
| Strength | *Notion is flexible *A Centralized platform *Great for collaboration | *Trello is for Everyone *Intuitively Simple *Great for task planning |
| Weakness | *Not suitable for larger companies *Can be complicated for some people | *Limited to Kanban style |
| Viewing Options | *Spreadsheet View *Task Board View *To-Do List View *Calendar View | *Task Board View *Calendar View |
| Customer Service / Support | Email/Chat/Tweet + database of guides | Only email + database of guides |
| Free Trial | Yes | Yes |