Trello vs Asana for Startups
Choose Trello if your startup wants boards to organize day-to-day tasks; choose Asana if it needs project timelines, reporting, and a way to connect work to company goals. Trello’s free plan allows up to 10 collaborators per Workspace but limits each Workspace to 10 boards. Asana’s free Personal plan allows two users and unlimited projects, while its paid Starter and Advanced plans add progressively more planning and coordination features.
Last updated October 24, 2026.
At a glance
| Dimension | Trello | Asana for Startups |
|---|---|---|
| Planning and reporting | Timeline and Dashboard views on Premium | Timeline, Gantt, and reporting dashboards on Starter |
| Goals and capacity | Not published | Goals, portfolios, and resource management on Advanced |
| Paid plans, billed annually | Standard $5; Premium $10 per user/month | Starter $10.99; Advanced $24.99 per user/month |
| Free-plan limits | 10 collaborators and 10 boards per Workspace | 2 users and unlimited projects |
| Startup promotion | Not published | Eligible annual plans; 12 months; rate not published |
| Automation limits | 250 runs/month Free; 1,000 Standard; unlimited Premium | Unlimited automations on Starter |
| External guests | Single-board guests on Standard; multi-board guests billable | Unlimited free guests on Starter |
| Integrations | Power-Ups, including Slack and Jira Cloud | 100+ free integrations, including Slack and Google Drive |
| File-size limit | 10 MB/file Free; 250 MB/file Standard | 100 MB/file on Personal |
| Platforms | Web, desktop, iOS, Android | Web, Mac, Windows, iOS, Android |
| Deployment | Cloud-only | Cloud-based SaaS |
| Support | Help resources; 24/7 Enterprise Admin support | Help Center and Asana Academy |
Scroll the table sideways to compare each row.
Which should you choose?
Choose Trello if
- Startups organizing work primarily with boards, lists, and cards
- Teams of up to 10 collaborators seeking a free shared Workspace
- Teams seeking a lower published entry price for a paid plan
- Teams that want integrations through Trello Power-Ups
Choose Asana for Startups if
- Startups that need timelines, Gantt views, and reporting dashboards
- Teams connecting projects to goals and planning capacity
- Teams collaborating with external guests on paid plans
- Eligible early-stage startups considering a first-year annual-plan discount
The verdict
The deciding factor is how much structure your team needs across projects. Pick Trello for a board-centered workflow and a free plan that accommodates a larger small team. Pick Asana for timelines and reporting on Starter, or goals, portfolios, and resource management on Advanced. Eligible startups can consider Asana’s first-year annual-plan promotion, but should check the discount amount before purchasing.
Trello vs Asana for Startups: common questions
- Which free plan works for a small startup team?
- Trello Free allows up to 10 collaborators and 10 boards per Workspace. Asana Personal allows two users and unlimited projects. The better fit depends on whether your team needs more free collaborators or more free projects.
- How much do Trello and Asana cost without a startup discount?
- With annual billing, Trello Standard is $5 and Premium is $10 per user per month. Asana Starter is $10.99 and Advanced is $24.99 per user per month. Both vendors also offer free plans.
- Is the NachoNacho 70% Asana offer confirmed on Asana’s website?
- NachoNacho lists 70% off Asana Starter or Advanced. Asana’s general startup-program page confirms that eligible annual plans receive a discount for the first 12 months, but does not publish a percentage. Confirm the applicable discount at checkout before purchasing.
- Who qualifies for Asana for Startups?
- Asana says its startup promotion is for early-stage startups at Series A or earlier that are new to Asana or use its free plan. Organizations currently on a paid plan, or that upgraded within the past 60 days, are not eligible. The promotion applies only to Starter or Advanced annual plans.
- What happens after Asana’s startup discount ends?
- Asana says the startup discount lasts for the first 12 months from redemption. After that period, it bills the account at its then-current pricing.
- Which product has timelines and reporting?
- Trello includes Timeline and Dashboard views on Premium. Asana includes Timeline, Gantt, and reporting dashboards on Starter; Advanced adds portfolios, goals, and resource management.
- Can a startup invite contractors or investors without paying for another seat?
- Asana Starter includes unlimited free guests. Trello Standard includes single-board guests, while Trello says guests on more than one board in a Workspace are billed at the same rate as Workspace members.
- Do Trello and Asana work on desktop and mobile?
- Both offer web, desktop, iOS, and Android access. Asana specifies Mac and Windows desktop apps; Trello describes its service as cloud-only.