- **[AdeptDev](https://www.adeptdev.io)** — web developers / founders. Kanban board integrated with GitHub, deployments, and web analytics providers. $10/month flat. - **Linear** — engineering teams that want speed and a clean interface. - **Notion** — docs-first teams who write more than they sprint. - **Asana** — non-technical teams. Best cross-team adoption. - **Monday.com** — cross-functional visibility across departments. - **Trello** — simple Kanban for small teams, minimal setup. - **GitHub Projects** — free, already in GitHub, no issue cap. - **Plane** — open source, self-hosted, free with no user limits. - **Jira** — large engineering orgs that need Agile at scale.

## Why Teams Look for ClickUp Alternatives in 2026 ClickUp is one of the most feature-rich project management tools available. For some teams, that is exactly what they need. For others, the same depth becomes the problem. **Feature overload.** ClickUp packs tasks, docs, chat, goals, whiteboards, and dashboards into one platform. Teams frequently find that maintaining clarity across all of these elements requires ongoing administrative effort. ClickUp's "everything app" philosophy creates feature sprawl that overwhelms non-technical users and slows onboarding significantly. **Slow onboarding.** Getting a new team member productive on ClickUp takes 1 to 2 days on average. Linear or Trello onboarding is under an hour. For fast-growing teams, that compounds into real cost. **AI pricing.** ClickUp's AI features cost $9/seat/month on top of the $7/seat/month Unlimited plan — making the effective cost $16/seat/month for teams who want AI assistance. ([source](https://toolchase.com/blog/clickup-alternatives/)) **Shallow GitHub integration.** ClickUp has a GitHub integration but tasks do not move when you push code. For developer teams who want their board to reflect what is actually happening in the codebase, ClickUp's integration falls short. If any of these sound familiar, you are in the right place. Finding the best ClickUp alternative in 2026 comes down to which of these friction points is actually yours.

## Quick Comparison: Best ClickUp Alternatives and Competitors in 2026 | Tool | Best for | Pricing | |---|---|---| | [AdeptDev](https://adeptdev.io) | Web developers / Founders | $10/mo flat | | [Linear](https://linear.app) | Engineering teams wanting speed | Free / $8/user/mo | | [Notion](https://notion.so) | Docs and tasks in one place | Free / $10/user/mo | | [Asana](https://asana.com) | Non-technical teams | Free / $10.99/user/mo | | [Monday.com](https://monday.com) | Cross-functional team visibility | From $9/user/mo | | [Trello](https://trello.com) | Simple Kanban, small teams | Free / $5/user/mo | | [GitHub Projects](https://github.com/features/project-management) | Free, already in GitHub | Free | | [Plane](https://plane.so) | Open source and self-hosting | Free / $6/user/mo cloud | | [Jira](https://atlassian.com/software/jira) | Large engineering orgs | Free to 10 / $7.91/user/mo |

## 1. AdeptDev: Best ClickUp Alternative for Web Developers ![AdeptDev](https://vyoyxwhjtxsktvvpxdvj.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog_images/www.adeptdev.io_.png) **AdeptDev is the best ClickUp alternative for web developers and founders who want their project management connected to their code, deployments, and analytics.** ClickUp was built for everyone. AdeptDev was built specifically for developers building web products — and the difference shows in every part of the workflow. When you push code to GitHub, the task moves automatically. When your Vercel build goes through, you see it in the same workspace as the task that caused it. Three days later you open the analytics panel and see whether the feature moved the metrics. No extra tabs, no context switching. **Why it's a good ClickUp alternative:** ClickUp's GitHub integration is an app install that shows activity on cards but does not move tasks automatically. AdeptDev connects via native webhooks — push code, task moves. ClickUp has no concept of a deployment pipeline. AdeptDev surfaces Vercel build status alongside your tasks. And while ClickUp charges $7/user/month (plus $9/user/month for AI), AdeptDev is $10/month flat for the whole team. **Main features:** - Two Kanban boards: Roadmap (features) and Bug Tracker (GitHub Issues) - GitHub webhook integration — tasks move automatically on push, PR open, or issue close - Vercel deployment tracking — build status and logs in the same workspace - PostHog and Google Analytics integration - Multiple workspaces per organization | | | |---|---| | **Pros** | **Built for** | | $10/month flat regardless of team size | Web developers and technical founders | | Tasks move automatically from GitHub events | Products built on GitHub and Vercel | | Deployment visibility without switching tabs | Teams who want less context switching | | Analytics alongside tasks and deploys | Solo devs and small teams up to 10 | | 7-day free trial, full access | Founders managing their own product | **Pricing:** $10/month flat after a 7-day free trial. Try it at [adeptdev.io](https://adeptdev.io).

## 2. Linear: Best ClickUp Alternative for Engineering Teams ![Linear](https://vyoyxwhjtxsktvvpxdvj.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog_images/linear.png) **Linear is the best ClickUp alternative for engineering teams. Full stop.** If ClickUp felt heavy, slow, or overconfigured, Linear is the most common destination. Where ClickUp is a generalist platform trying to do everything, Linear does one thing exceptionally well: fast, clean issue tracking for developers. **Why it's a good ClickUp alternative:** ClickUp vs Linear comes down to breadth vs speed. ClickUp's load times and onboarding overhead are consistent pain points. Linear loads in under 100 milliseconds and is functional within minutes of signing up. Its native GitHub integration links branches, commits, and PRs to issues automatically — no third-party app install, no configuration. For developer teams who do not need ClickUp's docs, goals, or time tracking, Linear removes all the overhead and keeps just the issue tracking. **Main features:** - Sub-100ms UI, keyboard-first interface - Cycles (sprints), backlog management, and roadmaps - Native GitHub integration — branches and PRs link automatically - Velocity tracking and cycle analytics - AI-powered issue creation and triage | | | |---|---| | **Pros** | **Cons** | | Fastest UI of any tool on this list | 250-issue cap on free tier | | Native GitHub integration | No Vercel or deployment tracking | | No setup required to start | Engineering-only mental model | | Sprint planning and velocity built in | Per-user pricing at scale | | Much simpler than ClickUp | No docs, goals, or time tracking | **Pricing:** Free (250 issues, 2 teams). Basic $8/user/month. Business $14/user/month.

## 3. Notion: Best ClickUp Alternative for Docs-First Teams ![Notion](https://vyoyxwhjtxsktvvpxdvj.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog_images/www.notion.com_.png) **Notion is the best ClickUp alternative if your team writes more than it sprints.** ClickUp has docs — but they're adequate, not exceptional. Notion's block-based workspace is in a different category entirely for knowledge-heavy teams. **Why it's a good ClickUp alternative:** ClickUp vs Notion comes down to execution vs knowledge work. Notion is ClickUp's primary "we left for documentation" destination. The block editor, nested pages, linked databases, and 10,000+ community template ecosystem are best-in-class for written work. Teams that maintain wikis, product specs, SOPs, and meeting notes alongside task management find Notion more natural than ClickUp's task-hierarchy approach. And honestly, if your team is already living in Notion, adding a task database is easier than convincing anyone to open ClickUp. **Main features:** - Block-based docs with 50+ block types and nested pages - Database-driven project management with flexible views - Linked databases across workspaces - AI agent on Business plan - 10,000+ community templates | | | |---|---| | **Pros** | **Cons** | | Best-in-class documentation | No GitHub automation | | Tasks and docs in one workspace | Board requires manual updates | | Flexible database views | No Vercel or deployment tracking | | 10,000+ community templates | Not purpose-built for developer workflows | | Free plan useful for individuals | Sprint features less mature than ClickUp | **Pricing:** Free (personal). Plus $10/user/month. Business $15/user/month.

## 4. Asana: Best ClickUp Alternative for Non-Technical Teams ![Asana](https://vyoyxwhjtxsktvvpxdvj.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog_images/asana.com_.png) **Asana is the best ClickUp alternative when adoption is the problem.** ClickUp's learning curve is why most teams switch — and Asana consistently has the highest adoption rates among non-developer roles. **Why it's a good ClickUp alternative:** ClickUp vs Asana comes down to power vs adoption. If you have watched your marketing or ops team slowly stop opening ClickUp, Asana usually fixes that. The visual, intuitive interface requires no training for non-technical users. Timeline view, goal tracking, and workflow automation work without any configuration ceremony. Teams that migrated from ClickUp to Asana reported all members actively using the platform within two weeks — not just the engineers. **Main features:** - List, board, timeline, and calendar views - Goal and portfolio tracking - Workflow automation without code - AI-powered task creation and summaries - 300+ integrations including GitHub and Slack | | | |---|---| | **Pros** | **Cons** | | Fastest adoption for non-technical users | Not built for developer-specific workflows | | Strong goal and portfolio tracking | GitHub integration requires app install | | Automation without configuration | No deployment tracking | | Clean, intuitive interface | Per-user cost adds up at scale | | AI features across all paid plans | Sprint features less mature than Jira | **Pricing:** Free up to 10 users. Starter $10.99/user/month. Advanced $24.99/user/month.

## 5. Monday.com: Best ClickUp Alternative for Cross-Department Visibility ![Monday.com](https://vyoyxwhjtxsktvvpxdvj.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog_images/monday.png) **Monday.com is the best ClickUp alternative when cross-department adoption is the goal.** ClickUp's flexibility means different teams build wildly different setups — and then nobody can read each other's boards. Monday.com's visual, color-coded interface creates natural consistency across departments. **Why it's a good ClickUp alternative:** ClickUp vs Monday.com often comes down to customization vs consistency. Monday dev brings sprint planning, backlog management, and release tracking into the same workspace where business teams operate. A team that migrated from ClickUp to Monday.com had significantly higher cross-team adoption within two weeks because the interface was immediately legible to non-technical stakeholders. For organizations where engineering roadmaps need to be visible to product and leadership, Monday.com bridges that gap more naturally than ClickUp. **Main features:** - Board, Gantt, timeline, and workload views - monday dev for sprint planning and backlog management - AI standup summaries and sprint insights - 200+ integrations - Automation builder for workflow triggers | | | |---|---| | **Pros** | **Cons** | | Highest cross-team adoption | Expensive at scale | | Visual and intuitive for all roles | No generous free tier | | AI sprint summaries and standups | GitHub integration is shallow | | monday dev for engineering workflows | No Vercel or deployment tracking | | Good workload and resource management | Not purpose-built for dev-only teams | **Pricing:** From $9/user/month (Basic). Standard $12/user/month. Pro $19/user/month.

## 6. Trello: Best Simple ClickUp Alternative ![Trello](https://vyoyxwhjtxsktvvpxdvj.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog_images/trello.com_home.png) **Trello is the best ClickUp alternative for small teams who just need a board.** Nothing more. ClickUp felt like too much? Trello is the deliberate opposite: cards, lists, boards, and nothing else unless you choose to add it. **Why it's a good ClickUp alternative:** ClickUp vs Trello is really a question of how much structure you actually need. Small teams with straightforward projects often find ClickUp's feature depth creates more overhead than value. Trello's free plan is functional for most small team needs. Power-Ups extend it selectively rather than front-loading every feature upfront. The card-based interface is familiar, fast to learn, and requires no configuration before you can start tracking work. **Main features:** - Kanban boards with drag-and-drop cards - Power-Ups for selective integrations - Butler automation for recurring actions - Timeline and calendar views on paid plans - Templates for common workflows | | | |---|---| | **Pros** | **Cons** | | Simplest onboarding of any tool here | Very limited for growing teams | | Free plan covers most small team needs | No sprint planning or velocity | | Zero setup overhead | No deployment tracking | | Familiar card-based interface | No docs or goals | | Selective Power-Up integrations | GitHub only via Power-Up | **Pricing:** Free. Standard $5/user/month. Premium $10/user/month.

## 7. GitHub Projects: Best Free ClickUp Alternative ![GitHub Projects](https://vyoyxwhjtxsktvvpxdvj.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog_images/github.com_.png) **GitHub Projects is the best free ClickUp alternative.** No extra tool, no new login, no credit card. It lives where your code lives. No issue cap, no user limit, no paid tier required. **Why it's a good ClickUp alternative:** For developer teams who only need task tracking and are already in GitHub all day, ClickUp's feature breadth is unnecessary overhead. GitHub Projects' custom fields, board view, table view, roadmap view, and workflow automation cover the basics without any migration or additional subscription cost. **Main features:** - Board, table, and roadmap views - Custom fields per project - Workflow automation triggered by GitHub events - No issue cap, no user limit - Native integration with issues and pull requests | | | |---|---| | **Pros** | **Cons** | | Completely free, no limits | No Vercel or deployment tracking | | Zero setup for GitHub users | No analytics integration | | Automation from GitHub events | Less polished than dedicated PM tools | | No issue cap or user limit | No workspace separation for multiple products | | Native PR and issue linking | No sprint velocity or burndown charts | **Pricing:** Free with any GitHub account.

## 8. Plane: Best Open Source ClickUp Alternative ![Plane](https://vyoyxwhjtxsktvvpxdvj.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog_images/plane.so_.png) **Plane is the best ClickUp alternative if you want open source and data control.** Full feature set, self-hosted, free. Over 40,000 GitHub stars and active development through 2026 make it the most credible open source option in this space. **Why it's a good ClickUp alternative:** ClickUp is cloud-only. Plane self-hosted gives you issues, cycles (sprints), modules (epics), Gantt charts, roadmaps, time tracking, and a workspace Wiki on your own infrastructure. The Community Edition has no user limits and no recurring cost. For teams in regulated industries or those with data residency requirements, Plane is the only open source option here with this feature depth. Pro cloud pricing dropped to $6/seat/month in 2026, making it cheaper than ClickUp Unlimited for any paid plan comparison. **Main features:** - Issues, cycles, modules, Gantt charts, and Wiki - Time tracking on Pro plan - GitHub integration - Self-hosted Community Edition with no user limits - Multiple views: Kanban, list, calendar, spreadsheet | | | |---|---| | **Pros** | **Cons** | | Free self-hosted, no user limits | Self-hosting adds infrastructure overhead | | Full data ownership | Some features less polished than ClickUp | | Pro cloud at $6/user/month | No Vercel deployment tracking | | Time tracking and Wiki included | Setup requires technical knowledge | | 40,000+ GitHub stars, active development | No analytics integration | **Pricing:** Free self-hosted. Pro cloud $6/user/month. Business $13/user/month.

## 9. Jira: Best ClickUp Alternative for Large Engineering Orgs ![Jira](https://vyoyxwhjtxsktvvpxdvj.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog_images/jira.png) **Jira is the right ClickUp alternative at scale.** ClickUp treats Agile as one of many workflow configurations. Jira treats it as the core model. Sprint velocity, burndown reports, and epic hierarchy are native — not bolt-ons. At 50+ engineers, that difference matters. **Why it's a good ClickUp alternative:** ClickUp vs Jira is a scale question. For teams that need Scrum at scale, deep Atlassian ecosystem integrations (Confluence, Bitbucket, Jira Service Management), or enterprise compliance and audit trail features, Jira offers things ClickUp simply does not. The complexity is only worth it at a certain scale — but when you reach that scale, the alternatives start to look like toys. **Main features:** - Native Scrum and Kanban with sprint velocity - Advanced roadmaps for cross-team planning - 3,000+ Marketplace integrations - Full Atlassian ecosystem integration - Enterprise compliance and audit trails | | | |---|---| | **Pros** | **Cons** | | Best-in-class Agile at scale | 2 to 3 week learning curve | | Native sprint velocity and burndown | Requires a dedicated admin | | Deep Atlassian ecosystem | True cost is 2 to 3x base price | | 3,000+ integrations | UI significantly slower than ClickUp | | Enterprise compliance features | No deployment tracking | **Pricing:** Free up to 10 users. Standard $7.91/user/month. Premium $15.25/user/month.

## How to Choose the Right ClickUp Alternative **One question cuts through every ClickUp replacement search: why is ClickUp not working for your team?** **ClickUp is too complex and slow to onboard:** Linear for engineering teams. Trello for simple Kanban. Asana for cross-functional teams. All three onboard in under an hour. **Your non-technical team members won't use it:** Asana or Monday.com. Both have significantly higher cross-team adoption rates than ClickUp. **You need docs and tasks in one place without the overhead:** Notion. Better documentation, same task management basics. **You want GitHub integration that actually moves tasks:** AdeptDev. Webhook-based, tasks move when you push code. The only tool here with deployment tracking alongside tasks. **You want flat-rate pricing with no per-user scaling:** AdeptDev at $10/month flat. Or Plane self-hosted at zero recurring cost. **You need open source and data ownership:** Plane. Free, self-hosted, no user limits. **You need enterprise Agile that ClickUp can't match:** Jira. Worth the complexity at 50+ engineers with a dedicated Scrum Master.

## Wrap Up ClickUp isn't the wrong tool for every team — but it is the wrong tool for teams that need a simpler interface, better cross-team adoption, deeper GitHub integration, or open source and data control. Among ClickUp competitors, the alternatives above were each built for one of those specific frustrations. Start with the thing ClickUp isn't doing well. That single frustration points to the best ClickUp alternative in 2026 for your specific situation more reliably than any feature comparison. If you are a web developer or founder who wants GitHub integration, Vercel deployment tracking, and analytics in one workspace instead of five tabs, check out [AdeptDev](https://adeptdev.io). Free for 7 days.

## What is the best ClickUp alternative for small teams in 2026? For small engineering teams, AdeptDev at $10/month flat or Linear's free tier (up to 250 issues) are the strongest options. For small mixed teams that need something anyone can use without training, Trello's free plan or Asana's free tier (up to 10 users) are the most accessible. For developer teams on GitHub who want zero additional cost, GitHub Projects has no issue cap and no user limit. The right choice depends on whether your team is engineering-only or cross-functional. ## Is Notion better than ClickUp for project management? Notion is better than ClickUp for documentation-heavy teams. ClickUp wins on pure task management — more views, sprint planning, and time tracking out of the box. As a Notion alternative to ClickUp, Notion's database-driven approach and 10,000+ community templates make it more flexible for written work: specs, wikis, meeting notes, SOPs. For developer teams building a web product who need GitHub integration and deployment tracking, neither is purpose-built for that workflow — AdeptDev is. ## What is the cheapest ClickUp alternative in 2026? Trello's free plan and GitHub Projects are both completely free. Notion's free plan covers individual use. Linear is free up to 250 issues. For paid plans, Trello Standard at $5/user/month is the cheapest among the major alternatives. Plane self-hosted is free at any team size. AdeptDev at $10/month flat is cheaper than ClickUp Unlimited ($7/user/month) for any team of two or more. ## Why are teams leaving ClickUp in 2026? The most common reasons are feature overload that creates confusion rather than clarity, slow onboarding that takes 1 to 2 days per new team member, AI features that cost an additional $9/seat/month on top of the base plan, and GitHub integration that is shallow — tasks don't move automatically when code is pushed. Teams with non-technical members also find that ClickUp's flexibility leads to inconsistent setups across teams, making cross-department visibility harder than expected. ## Does Linear or ClickUp have better GitHub integration? Linear has significantly better GitHub integration than ClickUp. Linear's integration is native — branches, commits, and PRs link to issues automatically without any third-party app install. ClickUp's integration is an app install that shows GitHub activity on task cards but doesn't move tasks automatically when code events occur. For the deepest GitHub integration — webhook-based task movement plus Vercel deployment tracking in the same workspace — AdeptDev is the strongest option specifically for web developers. ## Is Monday.com a good ClickUp alternative? Yes, particularly for cross-functional teams. Monday.com's visual, color-coded interface has higher adoption rates among non-technical stakeholders than ClickUp. The monday dev add-on brings sprint planning, backlog management, and release tracking into the same workspace where business teams operate. The trade-off is cost — Monday.com's Pro plan at $19/user/month is significantly more expensive than ClickUp. For pure engineering teams, Linear is a better alternative. For mixed teams where cross-department visibility matters, Monday.com is one of the strongest ClickUp alternatives available. ## What is the best ClickUp alternative with open source and self-hosting? Plane is the only credible open source ClickUp alternative with comparable feature depth. The self-hosted Community Edition is free with no user limits and covers issues, sprints, epics, Gantt charts, roadmaps, time tracking, and a workspace Wiki. Over 40,000 GitHub stars and 89+ releases in 2025 signal active, maintained development. Pro cloud pricing is $6/user/month — cheaper than ClickUp Unlimited for teams that don't want to self-host but want a less complex alternative.