What Is ClickUp?
ClickUp is project management software that combines project and task management tools with collaboration features that enable teams to plan, track and complete projects. ClickUp, which ranks highly on our list of the best project management software, supports Kanban boards, calendars, Gantt charts, lists and dashboards. It also provides teams with chat tools, collaborative documents, whiteboards, mind maps and in-platform video conferencing.
ClickUp is similar to other platforms such as monday.com, Zoho Projects, Wrike and Asana in that it’s suitable for teams using traditional project management methodologies and Agile frameworks due to its expansive feature set and ability to customize. If you’d like to see how ClickUp stacks up against the competition, check out our Asana vs. ClickUp and monday.com vs. ClickUp guides.
Featured Partners
1
monday.com
Yes
From $8 monthly per user
Zoom, LinkedIn, Adobe, Salesforce and more
2
ClickUp
Yes, for unlimited members
$7 per month
Slack, Microsoft Outlook, HubSpot, Salesforce, Timely, Google Drive and more
3
Wrike
Yes
$10 per user per month
Salesforce, Adobe, Miro, Netsuite, QuickBooks, SAP
What Sets ClickUp Apart?
While ClickUp is quite similar to monday.com, Asana, Wrike, Zoho Projects, Teamwork and Nifty regarding task and workflow management tools, it stands out from the crowd due to its robust real-time collaboration tools and excellent free plan, which supports unlimited users working on simple projects.
In my opinion, ClickUp’s collaborative documents rival Notion’s and Coda’s, which is saying something, as they have offered the gold standard for document collaboration tools in the project management space for some time. The collaborative whiteboards and mind maps just add extra gravy to the package. Additionally, the chat tool and in-app video call features can help SMBs save money by eliminating the need for a Slack or Teams subscription.
ClickUp Key Features
ClickUp offers many features that can help teams manage simple and complex projects. Below, I’ll cover the platform’s key features and explain how they can help you get your projects across the finish line.
Project and Task Management Tools
If you and your team use a variety of task views to help you manage projects, you’ll appreciate what ClickUp offers. You’ll find a variety of tools that feature a drag-and-drop interface, including Kanban boards, lists, Gantt charts, tables and calendars. You’ll even find a view for monitoring employee workloads and a map to view projects by location, which is handy for those working in the construction industry, for example.
ClickUp’s Kanban boards and task cards are highly customizable.
Task cards are highly customizable, meaning you can tailor cards for each task thanks to custom fields. You can also leave comments; upload files; add due dates, tags, task descriptions, checklists and time estimates; and track time spent on tasks. The Gantt charts, which support dependencies, are clean and easy to follow, and lists, boards and calendars provide fuss-free ways to enter data and monitor project progress.
ClickUp’s Gantt charts are easy to create and support dependencies.
There’s nothing complex about ClickUp’s task management tools. They work as you would expect them to. While powerful, the tools are also pretty forgiving and aren’t intimidating. So, even if you’re new to project management software, you should have no issues creating projects and tracking and managing tasks, especially if you take advantage of ClickUp’s project templates that can help get projects up and running in a jiffy.
Collaboration Tools
Thanks to the myriad collaboration tools ClickUp offers, remote teams will have no problem working together. You can create documents and link them to tasks. Brainstorming with your team on whiteboards is a piece of cake. You can also use mind maps to create flow charts and project decision trees. You can use Clips to create and share screen recordings, and a proofing tool enables teams to leave feedback on images.
Real-time collaborative documents allow distributed teams to work together, no matter what platform (web, desktop or mobile) they’re using.
In addition to the abovementioned tools, ClickUp offers a real-time chat tool for instant messaging with individuals and groups. The tool supports text and voice messages, live video calls, emojis and attachments. Thanks to the AI tool (which I’ll cover later), you can also turn ideas in messages into tasks and assign them to team members directly from the chat. ClickUp’s chat tool is so good that you could ditch your subscription to Slack or Teams.
ClickUp’s instant messenger is one of the best in-platform chat solutions in the business.
Project Dashboards and Client Portals
Those who like keeping up with a project’s nuts and bolts will appreciate ClickUp’s highly customizable dashboards. The dashboards can display tasks, financial data, due dates, time worked, workloads and sprint velocities. You can display project metrics as line charts, bar charts, pie charts and burnup and burndown charts.
ClickUp’s dashboards are highly customizable and easy to configure.
ClickUp’s dashboards allow you to drag, drop and resize widgets to your heart’s content, meaning you can create your ideal reporting tool. You can create boards from scratch, or should you need some inspiration, you can use the premade dashboard templates to get you started.
Additionally, you can create client portals. These dashboards allow key stakeholders and clients to track a project’s progress, ask questions and leave feedback without scheduling calls and meetings or sending emails.
Client portals allow stakeholders and clients to communicate with the project team and monitor progress.
ClickUp Brain (AI)
Aside from Notion, no other project management platform has leaned quite as heavily into artificial intelligence as ClickUp. If used correctly, ClickUp’s AI tool, which works just like AI platforms such as ChatGPT and Claude, can make your life easier.
ClickUp’s AI tool allows you to choose from premade questions or describe what you want the AI to help you with.
As mentioned above, you can use the AI to create and link tasks from chat. Additionally, you can use it to summarize projects for stakeholders and clients, create tables and templates and create transcripts from voice messages and clips. You can also generate project timelines, scopes, RACI charts, meeting agendas, write SEO strategies for campaigns and the list goes on. You can ask the AI to create whatever you want or use AI templates.
While every plan offers a limited number of monthly AI uses, to get the most out of it, you’ll need to pay $7 per user per month on top of the price of your monthly plan. So, if this tool is essential to you, don’t forget to factor in the extra expense.
Integrations and Workflow Automation
Out of the box, ClickUp can integrate with just over 50 platforms. These include Box, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, YouTube, Google Calendar, Google Drive, Figma, OneDrive, Slack and many others. If ClickUp doesn’t offer the native integrations you need, don’t worry; it plays nicely with Zapier and Make.
ClickUp offers over 50 native integrations, all of which are simple to implement.
The software integrations allow you to build automated workflows that span multiple platforms. Automated workflows are created using simple if-then-that statements. While the automation builder isn’t as easy to use as the builder on monday.com, it’s still possible to create simple and complex workflows in a short amount of time.
Additionally, you can create recurring tasks, meaning you can make ClickUp take care of monotonous jobs. You can also create reminders with dynamic dates. For example, you can trigger automatic comments to appear on tasks that are due the next day. It’s a great tool and will enable you to go about your business without sending reminders manually.
In ClickUp, you can create recurring tasks and automations from scratch or use the premade templates to get you going.
Administration and Security
ClickUp’s administration features allow you to manage large teams or limit access to specific functions or workspaces. The major caveat is that almost all administration tools, aside from two-factor authentication and Google single sign-on support, are reserved for Enterprise plan members. Still, the number of available user permissions and roles is worth mentioning.
ClickUp’s administration tools make assigning user roles and permissions easy.
ClickUp allows you to grant or revoke access to documents, dashboards, goals, folders, lists and views, and manage session lengths. You can also invite people to collaborate; assign users as members, guests or admins; create custom roles and make spaces and attachments private. You can also generate audit logs that keep track of logins and other activities.
It would be remiss of me not to mention that ClickUp is SOC2 compliant and that the Enterprise plan is HIPAA compliant. I don’t like that advanced admin features are paywalled behind the Enterprise plan, as SMBs needing these tools could be priced out of the platform. Still, if you regularly work with confidential data and like what ClickUp offers, it will likely be worth opting for the Enterprise plan to protect your data.
ClickUp Pricing and Value
| Free Forever | Unlimited | Business | Enterprise | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Monthly Price
| Free
| $10 per user
| $19 per user
| Contact sales for a quote
|
| Max. Number of Users
| Unlimited
| Unlimited
| Unlimited
| Unlimited
|
| Real-Time Documents
| Unlimited
| Unlimited
| Unlimited
| Unlimited
|
| Real-Time Chat
| Unlimited
| Unlimited
| Unlimited
| Unlimited
|
| Whiteboards
| Three
| 10
| Unlimited
| Unlimited
|
| Time Tracking
| 100 uses
| Yes
| Yes
| Yes
|
| Activity View
| One day
| Seven days
| Unlimited
| Unlimited
|
| Dashboards
| 100 uses
| Limited widgets
| Unlimited
| Unlimited
|
| Automations
| 100 automations per month
| 1,000 automations per month
| 10,000 automations per month
| 250,000 automations per month
|
| In-App Video Recording
| Yes
| Yes | Yes | Yes |
ClickUp is one of the most competitively priced project management software platforms around. The free plan is excellent for small teams, and the paid plans are more affordable than comparable options on monday.com, Asana, Nifty and Teamwork. ClickUp is less wallet-friendly than Zoho Projects or nTask but offers much more than these platforms.
While ClickUp is affordable when paying monthly, you can save 30% by signing up for an annual plan. However, depending on the size of your team and available cash flow, this option may be out of reach. ClickUp also offers discounts to nonprofits, students and startups. Additionally, ClickUp provides a 100% satisfaction guarantee. If you sign up for a plan and don’t like it, you can get a full refund if you let ClickUp know within 30 days.
Free Forever
The Free Forever plan supports unlimited users and tasks. It offers two-factor authentication, sprint management, integrations and automated workflows, collaborative documents, whiteboards, real-time chat and in-app video recording. You also get 100MB of storage space and can add basic custom fields. However, many tools have monthly usage restrictions. Still, the Free Forever plan is ideal for teams managing simple projects.
Unlimited
ClickUp’s Unlimited plan includes unlimited storage, unlimited list, board and calendar views, unlimited integrations, unlimited dashboards and unlimited custom fields. It includes all the views such as list, board, calendar, Gantt, timeline, map, mind maps, chat and whiteboards. Activity view, timeline view and workload view, however, are limited to just 100 views and activities are stored for just seven days.
One major drawback to the Unlimited plan is that it limits a user’s custom exports to five, which means if you want to export your lists or table views as an Excel or CSV file, you can only do so five times. Also, automations are limited to 1,000 per month as opposed to 10,000 and 25,000 per month on the other plans. The Unlimited plan is perfect for individuals or small teams that do not need much automation per month.
Business
The Business plan removes the limits on most features, allowing teams to use the software as much as they need. The plan unlocks unlimited use of activity, timeline and workload views, custom task IDs, advanced time tracking, workload management features and advanced dashboards.
This plan also steps up security a notch by protecting the software from any unauthorized access with ClickUp’s two-factor authentication and also enables Google’s single sign-on. One major drawback to the Business plans is that it is not HIPAA compliant.
Enterprise
The Enterprise plan offers everything in the Business plan and adds an advanced custom field manager, white labeling, custom branding, advanced logic on forms and team-sharing tools. Additionally, the platform’s security and administration features are unlocked, and monthly limits on automations, wikis, free AI usage, API calls and tags increase.
ClickUp vs. Top Alternatives
| ClickUp | monday.com | Trello | Asana | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rating |  | |  |  |
| Starting Monthly Price | $10.00 per user | $12.00 per user (three-user minimum) | $6.00 per user | $13.49 per user (two-user minimum) |
| Free Trial | Yes (must contact support for a 15-day trial of the Business plan) | Yes, 14 days | Yes, 14 days | Yes, 30 days |
| Contract Lengths Available | Monthly, yearly | Monthly, yearly | Monthly, yearly | Monthly, yearly |
| Time Tracking | Yes | Yes | Only with integrations | Yes |
| Budgeting Tools | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Task Display Views | List, board, timeline, calendar, box, Gantt, activity, mind maps, workloads, table, map | Board, timeline, Gantt, calendar, list, files, map, chart | List, board, calendar, timeline, table, dashboard, map, table, calendar | List, board, timeline, calendar, table, Gantt, workload |
| Real-Time Chat | Yes | No | No | No |
| In-App Video Recording | Yes | Only with integrations | No | No |
| Customer Support | Community support, help center, AI chatbot, email, live chat | Community forum, knowledge base, email, live chat | Community support, email support, priority email support for top-tier plans | Community forum, knowledge base, email support |
| Learn More | - | - | ||
| Read Reviews | - |
ClickUp vs. monday.com
ClickUp and monday.com, in my opinion, are two of the best project management platforms. They offer a robust suite of task and workflow management tools, integrations and automation builders. SMBs working on small and large projects will appreciate both; however, there are some differences.
ClickUp’s suite of collaboration tools stands head and shoulders above those found on monday.com, and ClickUp’s free plan is superior. ClickUp is also more affordable than monday.com overall. However, monday.com’s forgiving interface and user-friendly tools make it suitable for startups and new teams who are unfamiliar with project management software.
ClickUp vs. Trello
ClickUp is an all-in-one platform that provides all the tools needed for traditional and Agile teams to manage projects and collaborate, while Trello places most of its focus on Agile Kanban boards. While Trello does not offer real-time collaboration or live chat tools like ClickUp, for the price, its levels of Kanban board and card customizations and unlimited integrations make it hard to beat for teams who only use Kanban.
ClickUp vs. Asana
Both Asana and ClickUp are great project management tools that feature task organization, progress tracking and workload management features. One of the biggest differences between them is price. Asana’s cheapest paid plan starts at $13.49 per user per month (billed monthly), while ClickUp’s comparable plan costs just $10 per user per month (billed monthly). Additionally, Asana simply cannot compete with ClickUp’s collaboration tools.
Read more: Best ClickUp Alternatives
Our Expert Opinion
Whether you and your team use the critical path method, Waterfall, Scrum, Kanban or any other project management methodology, ClickUp has the tools to support it. ClickUp’s flexible workflow management features and suite of collaborative tools make it ideal for multiple industries, including, but not limited to, construction, healthcare, marketing, human resources, education, manufacturing and software development.
Below, I’ll cover how ClickUp feels when used in web browsers, dedicated desktop applications and mobile devices so that you can get a better idea of the platform’s performance. I’ll also cover customer service, dig into the platform’s reputation and let you know if ClickUp offers good value for money.
Ease of Use
While ClickUp’s interface isn’t quite as polished or as colorful as monday.com’s, most users won’t have any trouble navigating the landscape, thanks to nicely designed, clearly labeled menus. You’ll see that the left-hand menu houses all of your projects and spaces and a list of commonly used tools, such as chat, dashboards, timekeeping, docs and whiteboards.
Creating a project is as easy as clicking the plus icon in the left menu and deciding whether to build a project from scratch or use a project template. You can then find all of your views along a top menu. Project managers will also appreciate the portfolio manager, which can help you keep track of multiple projects and business initiatives.
ClickUp’s user interface is easy to navigate, thanks to easy-to-read menus and simple icons.
All of ClickUp’s tools are easy to use. Adding due dates, custom fields, assignees, descriptions and comments, as well as uploading files, is straightforward. Every tool’s drag-and-drop mechanic means moving tasks through your pipeline is effortless.
If you want to create integrations, you can visit the app center and follow the simple instructions for each platform. Additionally, the automation builder makes creating automated workflows and recurring tasks quick and easy. Creating documents, whiteboards and mind maps and using the chat feature is effortless. The real-time collaboration tools work flawlessly on the web, mobile and desktop, offering a silky smooth user experience.
ClickUp’s desktop applications offer the same functionality as the browser version.
If you prefer to work off the web, you’ll appreciate ClickUp’s desktop applications. The Windows and macOS applications are identical to the browser version. The desktop and mobile applications also support off-line mode. When you work without a connection, project changes automatically upload when you restore the connection.
ClickUp runs nicely on Android, which is something I cannot say about Asana’s Android application.
Overall, ClickUp’s Android and iOS applications are great. Both apps are easy to navigate and work without stuttering. You can create and manage tasks and subtasks, view dashboards, track time, use AI, upload files, utilize the real-time chat tool, make audio and video calls and collaborate on documents. However, some views are missing, namely Gantt charts, maps and mind maps, and you cannot create new projects.
ClickUp is still very usable on iOS despite having less screen real estate.
In general, teams will have no problem learning how to use ClickUp. Some advanced tools, such as mind maps, will take some extra effort to figure out, but otherwise, teams can hit the ground running thanks to the platform’s design and slick web, desktop and mobile applications.
Value
If you want some serious bang for your buck, ClickUp should be on your radar. The free plan is an excellent choice for small teams working on simple projects. The Unlimited and Business plans offer more tools than monday.com’s and Asana’s comparable plans and are more affordable.
The major downside is that Asana’s powerful AI tool is an add-on. Yes, you get some free monthly uses on each plan, but you’ll need to pay $7 per user per month to get the most out of it. If you opt for the AI tool, ClickUp’s monthly cost per user will be above monday.com’s prices and almost in line with Asana’s monthly per-user prices. Still, ClickUp’s exceptional features make it an excellent choice for those looking to maximize value.
Customer Service and Support
ClickUp excels when it comes to customer service and support. If you like to fly solo and figure things out independently, you’ll be pleased to hear that ClickUp has a fantastic knowledge base, community forums where you can ask questions and receive help, an AI chatbot and webinars. There’s also a ClickUp university where you can sharpen your skills. Regarding human support, you’ll find live chat (in the paid plans) and email support.
I tested ClickUp’s customer service team by using the live chat feature and the ticketing system. After creating a ticket, I received a professional email that solved my problem in under three hours when using the Business plan. I also received excellent help from a live chat agent. They were polite, very knowledgeable and answered several questions without blinking. ClickUp is doing customer service right. Asana, Jira and Trello should take notes.
Reputation
ClickUp enjoys a positive reputation. My research shows that ClickUp has not been part of any data breaches, and the ClickUp team appears to disclose and patch known vulnerabilities, such as this desktop application bug, quickly. ClickUp was notified on December 23, 2023, and the vulnerability was patched on January 16, 2024.
Real-world ClickUp users on G2 and Capterra share positive reviews. Many compliment the platform’s ability to customize, task management features and collaborative documents. Most user complaints discuss the feeling of being overwhelmed by the sheer number of features. On Trustpilot, ClickUp doesn’t score as well. Users commend the platform’s customer service, but many complain about poor billing practices and aggressive upselling.
Jennifer Simonson and Kelly Main contributed to this article.
Featured Partners
1
monday.com
Yes
From $8 monthly per user
Zoom, LinkedIn, Adobe, Salesforce and more
2
ClickUp
Yes, for unlimited members
$7 per month
Slack, Microsoft Outlook, HubSpot, Salesforce, Timely, Google Drive and more
3
Wrike
Yes
$10 per user per month
Salesforce, Adobe, Miro, Netsuite, QuickBooks, SAP
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is ClickUp’s free plan really free?
ClickUp has a forever-free plan with no strings attached. Despite being free, the plan includes top-notch features such as unlimited tasks, collaborative documents, whiteboards, real-time chat, Kanban boards and in-app video recording. However, it does place usage restrictions on many of the tools. Still, it is a great plan for budget-conscious users looking for simple project management software.
How secure is ClickUp?
ClickUp is PCI compliant, which means it follows strict regulations for managing credit card data in an online environment. ClickUp also encrypts all its data as well as actively monitors ongoing security and performance on a 24/7/365 basis. ClickUp is also SOC2 and the Enterprise plan is HIPAA compliant.
What does project management software do?
Project management software allows solopreneurs, businesses and small teams to organize projects, collaborate with teams, track project progress and follow goals. Powerful project management software solutions have scheduling, resource allocation, budgeting, time tracking and real-time collaboration features.
Is project management software secure?
Like most types of software, the best project management software programs offer many levels of security. When choosing this type of software, you want to look for security features like two-factor authentication (2FA) or multifactor authentication (MFA), documentation that shows frequent security updates and patches, intrusion detection, the monitoring of user activities, data encryption and privacy protection.
