Best Monday.com Alternatives in 2025: Project Management, Creative Teams & Free Options

Monday.com is one of the most popular project management tools, known for its visual dashboards, customizable boards, and automations. But as your team grows, you might notice some friction: high pricing, missing features like built-in time tracking, or reporting that doesn’t go deep enough. If you’re at this stage, it might be time to explore other project management platforms that better align with your workflows. Below, we find the best Monday.com alternative, whether you need stronger reporting, simpler task views, or built-in time tracking.

🔎 What Is Monday.com?

Monday.com is a Work Operating System (Work OS) designed to help teams manage projects, workflows, and everyday tasks. Its key features include:

• Boards & columns: Visualize tasks in customizable columns (status, priority, due date).

• Automations: Automate repetitive tasks, notifications, and status changes.
• Views: Switch between timeline, Gantt, Kanban, and calendar views.

• Integrations: Connect with email, Slack, CRM tools, and more.
• Dashboards: Aggregated views for reporting on tasks, timelines, and budgets.

It’s powerful and flexible, but not always the right fit.

❌ Common pain points with Monday.com

• No native time tracking (relies on integrations)
• Limited Gantt and advanced reporting
• Feature overload for smaller teams
• Pricing scales up quickly as your team grows

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🏆 Best Monday.com Alternatives for 2025

Not all project management tools are created equal. We’ll compare leading alternatives to Monday.com across several criteria:

• ⚙️ Automation: How strong are the automation capabilities?
• 🎨 Creative collaboration: Do they allow visual workflows, whiteboards, or design collaboration?
• 💰 Pricing & free plan: What’s available for free, and how do paid plans compare?
• 🖱️ Ease of use: Is the interface intuitive for non-technical users?
• ⏱️ Time tracking integration: Do they integrate with Everhour or other time tracking tools?

1️⃣ Everhour – Best for time tracking & budgeting

💰 Pricing: Free plan available; Paid plans start at $8.50 per user/month

🔥 Unique Feature: Native time tracking, budgeting, reports, and invoicing

If you’re frustrated with Monday.com’s lack of built-in time tracking, Everhour is the no-brainer alternative. It’s the ultimate Monday.com replacement for time tracking, budgeting, team hours, invoicing, and even payroll support.

Why teams love Everhour:

• Accurate, built-in time tracking
• Beautiful, real-time dashboards
• In-app task management & budgeting
• Deep integrations with Trello, Asana, ClickUp, GitHub, and Notion
• Chrome extension + mobile app (check out our list of the best Chrome extensions besides Everhour)

Whether you’re managing internal teams or billing clients, Everhour does everything Monday.com doesn’t—natively and beautifully.

🌟 Learn what users say about using Everhour:

“I love the ability to integrate with Monday.com, and track activities while tasking.” [Rachel, Capterra]

“The reporting feature is so easy to use and can be configured any way we need. It’s much stronger than other tools we’ve used in the past. It also integrates so well with our project management software.” [G2]

“The setup is easy. The interface is really intuitive. I love that it integrates with other systems seamlessly and any calls to support have been answered promptly.” [Chris, Capterra]

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2️⃣ Asana

• Automation: Offers rule-based automations. Create multi-step approvals and assign tasks automatically when statuses change.
• Creative collaboration: Advanced portfolios and timeline views. Integrations with Adobe Creative Cloud (paid).
• Pricing & free plan: Free plan for up to 15 users. Premium features (like timeline, custom fields) require paid plans starting at $10.99 per user per month.
• Ease of use: Intuitive layout. Less customizable than Monday, but simpler to navigate.
• Everhour’s Asana time tracking integration: Supported via native integration; track time across tasks and projects.

💡 Use cases: Best for traditional project management, marketing teams, and small businesses wanting a clean, structured environment.

✅ Pros: Great calendar and timeline views, easy onboarding, and integrated goal tracking.

❌ Cons: Limited custom fields in the free plan, fewer visual collaboration tools than Monday.

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3️⃣ Trello

• Automation: Uses Butler to automate rules and tasks (e.g., moving cards, sending emails).
• Creative collaboration: Visual Kanban boards; Power-Ups like whiteboards or file embeds.
• Pricing & free plan: Generous free plan with unlimited cards. Paid plans from $5 per user per month add unlimited Power-Ups.
• Ease of use: Simple drag-and-drop interface. Ideal for non-technical teams.
• Everhour’s Trello time tracking integration: Direct integration via browser extension.

💡 Use cases: Suitable for small teams managing simple projects, personal tasks, and creative workflows that need visual organization.

✅ Pros: Low learning curve, powerful with Power-Ups, easy collaboration.

❌ Cons: Limited hierarchy and advanced features, less ideal for complex projects.

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4️⃣ Wrike

• Automation: Advanced automation engine with conditional logic, approvals, and custom request forms.
• Creative collaboration: Built-in proofing and approval tools for creative files. Excellent for agencies.
• Pricing & free plan: Free plan for up to 5 users. Professional plans start at $9.80 per user per month.
• Ease of use: Steeper learning curve, but powerful once configured.
• Everhour integration: Can be integrated via Zapier or API, though not natively.

💡 Use cases: Great for marketing and creative teams requiring asset approval workflows. Also used by product and engineering teams.

✅ Pros: Advanced automation, powerful reporting, and resource management.

❌ Cons: Higher pricing, complex interface for beginners.

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5️⃣ ClickUp

• Automation: Robust automations with trigger-action conditions. Customize workflows and templates for tasks, statuses, and dependencies.
• Creative collaboration: Offers whiteboards, Mind Map, and canvas views. Great for brainstorming and mapping ideas.
• Pricing & free plan: Free plan supports unlimited tasks and members, though file storage is limited. Paid plans start at $5 per user per month.
• Ease of use: More features than Monday, so the interface can be overwhelming. But it’s highly customizable.
• Everhour’s ClickUp time tracking integration: Direct integration. Track time on tasks, estimate vs actual, and generate reports for billing.

💡 Use cases: Perfect for teams needing detailed task management, advanced automations, and creative collaboration. Popular among design and dev teams.

✅ Pros: Affordable paid plans, excellent task hierarchy, flexible views.

❌ Cons: Steeper learning curve, occasional performance lag.

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6️⃣ Notion

• Automation: Basic compared to others; relies on API and third-party tools (Zapier) for deeper automation.
• Creative collaboration: Highly flexible pages and databases. Use tables, Kanban boards, calendars, and rich text notes.
• Pricing & free plan: Personal use is free; team plan starts at $8 per user per month. Generous free plan for students and educators.
• Ease of use: Requires a setup period to design pages and databases. Once configured, it’s extremely flexible.
• Notion time tracking integration: Use Everhour’s browser extension to track time in Notion databases.

💡 Use cases: Suited to teams needing combined documentation and project tracking. Ideal for startups, writers, designers, and educational projects.

✅ Pros: All-in-one knowledge base and project management, strong customization.

❌ Cons: Requires manual setup for automation, missing built-in time tracking.

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7️⃣ Smartsheet

• Automation: Strong. Conditional notifications, data movement, and approval workflows.
• Creative collaboration: Spreadsheet-like interface; new interface options allow for cards and grid views. Integrates with creative tools via add-ons.
• Pricing & free plan: No free plan; paid plans start at $7 per user per month.
• Ease of use: Familiar spreadsheet interface but may feel archaic compared to modern project management tools.
• Everhour integration: Integrates through third-party connectors.

💡 Use cases: Suited for teams who love spreadsheets but need collaboration and automation. Often used in construction, operations, and enterprise environments.

✅ Pros: Familiar interface for spreadsheet users, robust automation.

❌ Cons: Less intuitive for creative teams, limited free option.

Check out our articles comparing Smartsheet vs Monday and Smartsheet vs Trello for more insights!

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Other Notables

• Basecamp: Simple messaging and to-do tools; ideal for small teams. Limited automation. No direct Everhour integration.
• Airtable: Combines spreadsheets and databases. Good for agencies and content teams. Automation needs the Pro plan or Zapier. Everhour integration requires a browser extension.
• Jira: Best for software development; built-in agile boards. It can overwhelm non-dev teams. Everhour integrates natively for time tracking.
• Hive: Offers native time tracking, automation, and proofing. Pricing starts at $12 per user per month. Flexible for creative agencies.

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🟢 Everhour and Monday.com Alternative

You can track time in Monday.com, but many alternatives integrate more effectively with Everhour’s time tracker—delivering deeper insights into team productivity.

Why use Everhour?

• Time logging: Capture how long tasks take. Create time estimates for new projects, and compare them to the actual time spent.

• Budget tracking: Set budget hours per project. Everhour alerts you when you’re over budget.
• Invoicing: If you bill by the hour, create invoices directly from tracked time.
• Team utilization: Analyze who’s overbooked and who has capacity to take on more work.

How to integrate

• ClickUp + Everhour: Install the Everhour Chrome extension. Enable time tracking in ClickUp settings. Buttons appear next to tasks. Track time and view reports in Everhour.

• Asana + Everhour: Use the Everhour integration in Asana’s app directory. Timers appear in tasks. Reports sync to Everhour dashboards.

• Notion + Everhour: Install Everhour’s browser extension. In any Notion database (e.g., tasks, projects), a timer button appears next to each row. Click to log time.

• Trello + Everhour: Add Everhour via the Chrome extension. Timers show up on Trello cards.

• Wrike & Smartsheet: Use Zapier integrations or manual setup. Everhour’s extension may also detect tasks in a browser environment.

Integrating Everhour ensures accurate billing, simplifies payroll, and enables data-driven planning. Teams can identify tasks taking longer than anticipated, optimize processes, and reduce burnout.

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🧠 Tips & Best Practices for Choosing a Monday.com Alternative

• Define your needs: List essential features (e.g., automation, Gantt charts, proofing). Prioritize by must-haves vs nice-to-haves.
• Consider team size & budget: Some tools charge per user, others have flat rates or free tiers. Determine your budget before signing up.
• Test drive: Use free trials to evaluate usability and features. Involve the team in testing to gauge adoption.
• Check integrations: Ensure the tool connects with your existing software (Slack, email, time tracking, design tools).
• Plan your workflow: Map your processes to see how each tool supports your unique workflows. Adjust or extend features accordingly.
• Beware of over-complexity: More features aren’t always better. Choose a platform your team will actually use. Simplicity often drives adoption.
• Plan for growth: Consider future needs. Will you need advanced permissions, unlimited automations, or custom reporting down the line?
• Monitor adoption: Post-implementation, track how teams use the tool. Adjust training and processes to ensure success.

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❓ FAQ: Monday.com Alternative

Why look for an alternative to Monday.com?

Teams switch due to cost, complexity, specialized needs (creative design, CRM), or better automation capabilities in other tools.

Which Monday alternative is best for creative teams?

ClickUp offers whiteboards and mind maps; Notion provides flexible pages for brainstorming; Wrike has proofing and approval workflows.

What’s a good free alternative?

Trello (with Butler automation), ClickUp (free plan with unlimited tasks), and Asana (free for up to 15 users) are strong free options.

Do these alternatives support automation?

Yes. ClickUp and Wrike offer robust automation; Trello uses Butler; Asana provides multi-step rules; Notion relies on API and Zapier.

How do I migrate from Monday.com?

Most tools allow importing CSV files. Export boards from Monday as CSV, then map them to new fields. Some offer direct importer tools.

Is Everhour necessary?

If you need time tracking and reporting, yes. Everhour integrates with most alternatives to provide deeper insights than built-in options.

Can these tools replace email?

They centralize communication around tasks, reducing emails. But for external communication, you’ll still use email, which you can integrate.

Which is best for personal use?

Notion or Trello are lightweight for personal tasks. ClickUp is also manageable if you prefer more structure.

What if my team uses creative software like Adobe?

Wrike integrates with Adobe Creative Cloud; ClickUp and Asana offer partial integrations. Check if your preferred tool supports file uploads or proofing.

Do these tools support Agile?

ClickUp and Jira are ideal for Scrum/Kanban. Asana can handle agile boards; Trello is essentially a Kanban tool. Notion can be customized for agile frameworks.

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🎯 Which Monday.com Alternative Fits Your Business Best?

The best Monday.com alternative depends on what you’re missing most:

• 🕒 Need time tracking? → Try Everhour
• 🧠 Prefer workflows and process automation? → Use Asana
• 💻 Agile development? → Go with Jira
• 📋 Simple boards and checklists? → Try Trello
• 🧠 Hybrid or remote team collaboration? → Look into Wrike

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📌 Final Thoughts: Ready to Replace Monday.com?

Choosing the right project management software can define how smoothly your team collaborates, meets deadlines, and delivers results.

While Monday.com is solid and Monday’s product development features are unparalleled, there are better, more focused tools out there. Whether you’re after native time tracking, budget planning, or a simpler UI, there’s a platform for every team.

💥 Our top pick? Everhour.

It’s intuitive, beautiful, and built for managers who need clarity, control, and real-time data—without jumping through hoops.

In case you’re looking for alternatives for other PM giants, check out our article on Notion alternatives or our breakdown of B2B project management tools.

Learn which software offers project and task management with time tracking!