Monday.com is a comprehensive work management platform with advanced automation, reporting, and resource planning features suited for enterprise teams, while Trello is a lightweight, visual kanban-based tool focused on simplicity and ease of use for small to mid-sized teams. Monday.com costs 2-3x more but delivers significantly more functionality.
Monday.com vs Trello — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Choose Monday.com if you need enterprise-grade features, unlimited automation, advanced reporting, resource planning, and have a budget to support mid-to-large teams. Choose Trello if you prioritize simplicity, quick onboarding, visual organization, and cost-effectiveness for smaller teams managing straightforward workflows.
Visual work operating system with drag-and-drop interface and extensive automation capabilities.
Visual project management platform built on kanban boards for task tracking
Structured comparison data for Monday.com vs Trello with 209 attributes.
Enterprise Governance & Permissions Granularity
Ease of Use Score (Average User Feedback)
Monthly Cost (Single User, Standard Plan)
Professional Plan Price (Per User/Month)
Advanced Agile Features (Sprint Velocity Tracking)
Monday.com vs Trello — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Monday.com vs Trello.
Which is better for small teams with simple workflows?
Trello is significantly better for small teams. Its kanban interface is immediately intuitive, requires zero training, and costs $5/user/month to start. Teams can be productive within 30 minutes. Monday.com is overkill for simple workflows and its $9/user/month starting price plus steeper learning curve make it unnecessary for basic task tracking.
Can I automate complex workflows on both platforms?
Monday.com offers unlimited automation rules with advanced logic, making it ideal for complex workflows. Trello limits automation to 50-200 rules depending on your plan and supports simpler if/then logic. For enterprise automation needs, Monday.com is the clear winner. For basic automation (task assignment, notifications), Trello handles it adequately.
How do these platforms handle resource planning and capacity management?
Monday.com includes dedicated resource management features like workload planning, capacity allocation, and team availability tracking—essential for agencies and large teams managing billable hours. Trello has no built-in resource management, forcing teams to use external tools or spreadsheets for capacity planning. If you need this, choose Monday.com.
Which has better reporting and data visibility?
Monday.com offers 50+ pre-built report types plus custom dashboards for detailed analytics, KPI tracking, and executive visibility. Trello's reporting is basic, limited to board statistics and simple charts. For data-driven decision making and stakeholder reporting, Monday.com is substantially more powerful.
What's the total cost difference for a 20-person team annually?
At the professional tier: Monday.com costs $17/user × 20 × 12 = $4,080/year. Trello costs $10/user × 20 × 12 = $2,400/year. Monday.com costs approximately $1,680 more annually (70% higher), but includes resource management, advanced automation, and reporting that Trello lacks. The ROI depends on whether your team needs those features.