Flori / Comparisons

Trello vs Asana: which is right for a small team?

By the Flori team · Published 2026-10-27 · Updated 2026-10-29

Short answer: choose Trello if your work fits on a few boards of cards, you want the lowest price in the category, and you value simplicity over structure. Choose Asana if you manage several projects at once with many assignees, deadlines and outside guests, and you want more AI tools on the first paid plan. Many teams start on Trello and move to Asana as projects multiply.

As of October 2026. Facts come from the vendor pages linked below and can change. Written by Flori, not an independent review.

Trello vs Asana at a glance

What kind of work are you managing?

The honest way to pick is to look at one week of your actual work.

If it looks like a few lists that cards move across (to do, doing, waiting on client, done), Trello was built for exactly that. A freelance designer with eight clients can run everything on one or two boards, and the free plan allows up to 10 collaborators and 10 boards per Workspace with unlimited cards (Trello pricing).

If it looks like several projects with owners, due dates and handoffs between people, Asana fits better. A six-person studio launching three client sites at once needs to see who owns what across all of them, and to bring clients and contractors in as guests. Asana's Starter plan includes unlimited free guests (Asana pricing).

How much do Trello and Asana cost?

Trello is the cheaper of the two at every paid tier:

1. Trello Standard: $5 per user per month on annual billing, $6 monthly.
2. Trello Premium: $10 annual, $12.50 monthly.
3. Trello Enterprise: $17.50 per user per month, billed annually (Trello pricing).

Asana costs more but includes more structure and AI from the first paid plan:

1. Asana Personal: free for 2 users.
2. Asana Starter: $10.99 per user per month annual, $13.49 monthly.
3. Asana Advanced: $24.99 annual, $30.49 monthly (Asana pricing).

For a five-person team on annual billing, that is $25 a month on Trello Standard against $54.95 on Asana Starter.

Watch the free plans closely. Trello's free tier works for a small team of up to 10 people. Asana's free tier is really for one or two. Trello also limits automation: Workspace command runs are 250 a month on Free and 1,000 on Standard, and unlimited on Premium (Trello pricing).

How is AI handled?

Trello lists AI on Standard, Premium and Enterprise, and its pricing page does not state a separate AI charge. Free has no AI listed (Trello pricing).

Asana includes AI Teammates, Asana Dash and AI Studio on Starter and above, each with monthly allowances. Beyond those, extra AI requests cost $0.50 each in prepaid packs or $0.60 each on pay as you go, with an optional spend cap (Asana pricing). Asana offers more named AI tools on its first paid plan, but use beyond the allowance is metered.

Can ChatGPT or Claude work with Trello and Asana?

Yes, both have official connectors (MCP servers) that read and write.

• Trello MCP works on all Trello plans and names ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor, Visual Studio Code and Gemini CLI. Assistants can read, search, create and update cards using your existing permissions, and can archive but not permanently delete (Trello MCP).
• Asana MCP uses OAuth, can create and manage tasks and projects, and documents Claude, ChatGPT, Claude Code, Codex, Cursor and VS Code (Asana MCP docs).

What does Trello do better than Asana?

Trello is cheaper than Asana, has a free plan for up to 10 collaborators, is simpler to explain to clients, and includes an assistant connector on every plan.

• Price. Standard at $5 per user per month is about half of Asana Starter.
• A free plan that fits a real team, up to 10 collaborators.
• Simplicity. A board of cards is quick to set up and quick to explain to a client.
• AI with no separate charge listed on paid plans, and an assistant connector on every plan, including Free.

What does Asana do better than Trello?

Asana offers more structure across projects, with owners and guests in one place.

• Structure across many projects, with owners and guests in one place.
• Unlimited free guests on Starter, while Trello's Standard and Premium allow single-board guests, and a guest on more than one board is billed like a member (Trello pricing).
• More AI tools on the first paid plan: AI Teammates, Asana Dash and AI Studio.
• A Salesforce bridge for teams that sell in Salesforce: tasks are created when opportunities close, on Advanced and up (Asana and Salesforce).

Pick Trello if / pick Asana if

Pick Trello if:

• You are a freelancer or a team under 10 with simple, visual workflows.
• Budget is tight and $5 a seat matters.
• Your clients only need to see one board each.

Pick Asana if:

• You run several projects at once with handoffs between people.
• You invite many guests across projects and want them free.
• You want AI Teammates, Dash and AI Studio, and accept paying per request beyond the allowance.

What is an alternative to Trello and Asana for teams using ChatGPT or Claude?

Flori combines CRM and project management in one workspace and connects to a team's own ChatGPT, Claude or other assistant over MCP.

Neither Trello nor Asana keeps your clients and deals next to the work, and Asana meters its AI. If you already pay for ChatGPT, Claude or Cursor, Flori is a different approach. It is a CRM and project manager in one workspace: accounts, people, deals and a pipeline board sit beside projects, tasks, subtasks and boards, and a client page lets each customer follow progress and approve from one link. You bring the AI: connect Claude, ChatGPT, Grok, Cursor, Codex or Gemini CLI over MCP, with read-only or update access per workspace or per project. Results wait in a review queue, and every save records which assistant made it. Flori has a free plan, then Core is $10 and Premium $24 per person a month billed yearly ($12 and $29 billed monthly). It does not send invoices or collect payment. Compare in detail: Trello alternative, Asana alternative, CRM with project management.

FAQ

Is Trello cheaper than Asana? Yes. Trello Standard is $5 per user per month on annual billing and Premium is $10, while Asana Starter is $10.99 and Advanced is $24.99. For five people on annual billing, Trello Standard costs $25 a month and Asana Starter costs $54.95.

Which free plan is better, Trello or Asana? For a team, Trello's: it allows up to 10 collaborators per Workspace, 10 boards and unlimited cards. Asana's Personal plan is free for up to 2 users. Trello's free plan does not list AI, and it caps Workspace command runs at 250 a month.

Does Trello include AI? Trello's pricing page lists AI on the Standard, Premium and Enterprise plans and does not state a separate AI charge. The free plan does not list AI. Separately, the Trello MCP connector, which lets assistants like ChatGPT and Claude read and update cards, works on all plans.

When should a team move from Trello to Asana? A common sign is when work spreads across many boards and nobody can see who owns what across projects, or when you need many guests across projects. Asana's Starter plan includes unlimited free guests, while Trello bills a guest on more than one board like a member.

Can Trello or Asana act as a CRM? Neither sells a CRM. Teams often track leads as cards on a Trello board. Asana connects to Salesforce on Advanced and above, creating tasks when deals close. If you want a CRM and projects in one place, look at tools built for both.

Sources

• Trello pricing, checked October 27, 2026
• Trello MCP
• Asana pricing, checked October 27, 2026
• Asana MCP server
• Asana and Salesforce