What are the 6 best alternatives to Trello?

Trello popularised visual project management with its Kanban method. Simple and intuitive, it remains widely used by small teams and startups. However, its limitations in terms of reporting and multi-team management push many organisations to seek more suitable alternatives.

Why are more and more users looking for alternatives to Trello?

Trello, a popular tool but limited for large organisations

Founded in 2011 by Atlassian, Trello now claims more than 50 million users worldwide. Its simplicity and Kanban method have made it an essential tool for organizing tasks and projects within small teams.

However, this simplicity quickly reaches its limits: lack of detailed reporting, insufficient governance, and difficulty managing multi-service projects. That is why more and more organisations are now exploring alternatives to Trello, better suited for complex environments.

Digital collaboration: a productivity lever

Digital transformation has made collaborative tools an essential pillar of teamwork. According to Fortune Business Insights, the global collaboration software market is valued at 24.63 billion USD in 2024 and is expected to reach 60.38 billion USD by 2032, with an annual growth rate of 11.9%.

A study by McKinsey reveals that adopting collaborative tools can increase employee productivity by 20 to 25%. These figures show that companies are no longer just looking for the simplicity of a tool like Trello, but for alternatives capable of delivering a genuine operational gain.

The most popular alternatives to Trello

Microsoft Planner

Integrated with the Microsoft 365 suite, Planner is aimed at organisations already equipped with Teams and Outlook. Its strength lies in its simplicity and its seamless integration into the Microsoft ecosystem, enabling centralised communication and planning in one place.

However, Planner remains limited for managing multi-team projects. It does not offer advanced reporting or advanced features such as Gantt charts, making it less suited for companies that need coordination between multiple services or brands.

Basecamp

Created in 2004 in Chicago by 37signals, Basecamp was one of the pioneers of project management in SaaS. Its simplicity and focus on centralising communication attract SMEs, providing a unique space to gather tasks, discussions, and files.

However, Basecamp lacks advanced features and customisation options. It shows its limitations in multi-team environments and for businesses requiring in-depth analysis or structured project tracking.

Smartsheet

Founded in 2005 in Bellevue, Smartsheet adopts a spreadsheet approach to project management. It offers automations and some tracking options that interest certain large teams, particularly in technical environments.

However, its complexity and clunky interface make adoption difficult. Smartsheet requires training time and remains ill-suited for organisations looking for a simple, smooth, and quick-to-deploy tool.

MeisterTask

Launched in 2015 in Vienna by MeisterLabs, MeisterTask offers a modern and intuitive Kanban interface. Its visual design and connection with MindMeister particularly attract small teams looking for a lightweight tool.

However, beyond this simplicity, the tool quickly shows its limits: few advanced features, no solid governance, and difficulty managing projects involving multiple teams or brands. Thus, MeisterTask remains confined to occasional or individual uses.

Zoho Projects

Created in 2006 by Zoho Corporation, Zoho Projects follows the classic codes of project management with tasks, Gantt, and time tracking. Its main strength remains its affordable price and its integration into the Zoho suite, already used by some SMEs.

However, its dense and dated interface makes onboarding laborious. Teams often have to spend time configuring and adapting, which limits efficiency. Zoho Projects remains an accessible solution, but it is not very intuitive compared to more modern alternatives.

Smartevo

Smartevo is designed for complex, multi-team, and multi-brand organisations. Each campaign typically involves 6 services and over 40 emails before validation: by centralising the entire process, the platform offers better traceability and can yield up to 30% productivity gains.

A French and sovereign alternative to Trello, Smartevo guarantees GDPR-compliant hosting and deployment in just two hours. With its integrated AI features (brief generation, metadata, reporting), project centralisation, and close support, Smartevo combines simplicity, performance, and security.

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How to choose the best alternative to Trello?

What criteria for a company?

Adaptation to the needs of marketing and communication teams as well as security and data governance are key points. Smartevo stands out with its sovereign hosting and its focus on brands, public administrations, media, and agencies.

What solution for simple use?

Some solutions attract with their simplicity, but quickly show their limits when multiple teams are involved. Smartevo combines an intuitive interface with a real capacity for scalability, making it suitable for both small and large organisations.

Free or paid alternatives?

The free versions are sufficient to get started but lack robustness. Smartevo provides a quick return on investment, allowing for:

• The centralisation of projects: up to 6 services and 40 emails per campaign grouped in one platform.

• The integrated AI: automatic generation of briefs and metadata, reducing coordination time by 30%.

• Local support: support based in France, compliant with GDPR, with an average response time of less than 15 minutes.

A combination that makes Smartevo a sustainable and effective alternative to Trello.

Trello remains appreciated for its simplicity, but its limits quickly appear in multi-team projects. Planner, Basecamp, Smartsheet, MeisterTask, and Zoho Projects each provide partial answers. Smartevo, a French and sovereign alternative, centralises projects and content to streamline collaboration and offer unified management.