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How Much Does Trello Cost?

Last Updated on October 12, 2024
Written by CPA Alec Pow | Content Reviewed by Certified CFA CFA Alexander Popinker

As one of the most popular project management platforms, Trello empowers teams to organize tasks, collaborate, and track workflows using its signature Kanban-style boards and cards.

This in-depth guide examines Trello’s four pricing tiers, features across plans, how Trello compares to competitors, tips for maximizing value, and recommendations for selecting the ideal plan based on your team’s needs.

Article Highlights

  • Four plans offered: Free, Standard at $5 per user/month, Premium at $10 per user/month, and Enterprise starting at $17.50 per user/month
  • Timelines, calendars, dashboards only included in Premium and Enterprise
  • Trello is affordably priced compared to advanced competitors
  • Optimize workflows before upgrading plans to control costs
  • Select the simplest plan that meets your team’s core collaboration needs

How Much Does Trello Cost?

Trello offers four plans spanning from free to $17.50+ per user/month. Trello offers scalable pricing suitable for all team sizes and use cases:

Trello Free

The basic free plan includes unlimited cards and boards, 10 MB file attachments, and all Trello power-ups. Best for individuals and teams with lightweight needs.

Trello Standard

Starting at $5 per user/month billed annually, the Standard plan adds unlimited boards, advanced checklists, custom fields, 250 MB file attachments, and guest access.

Trello Premium

Starting at $10 per user/month billed annually, Premium adds timeline views, calendar views, dashboard views, and workspace templates on top of all Standard features.

Trello Enterprise

Starting at $17.50 per user/month, Enterprise offers robust administrative controls, single sign-on (SSO), unlimited workspaces, priority 24/7 support, and advanced security.

According to Bridge24, Trello offers a free plan along with three paid plans. The Standard plan costs $5 per user per month when billed annually (or $6 per user per month when billed monthly) and includes features like unlimited boards and advanced checklists.

Forbes states that for teams requiring more robust features, the Premium plan is available for $10 per user per month with annual billing, which includes everything in the Standard plan plus additional features like timeline views and dashboards. The Enterprise plan is designed for larger organizations and costs $17.50 per user per month when billed annually, offering advanced security and control features.

As reported by Tech.co, Trello’s pricing structure is straightforward, making it easy for users to select the appropriate plan for their needs. The free plan is suitable for individuals or small teams, while the Standard and Premium plans cater to growing teams that need more functionality. The Enterprise plan is particularly beneficial for larger organizations that require extensive collaboration tools.

MarketWatch also notes that the Enterprise pricing can decrease as the number of users increases, with larger teams potentially paying around $16.25 per user per month for teams of 500. This tiered pricing structure allows organizations to scale their usage according to their needs while managing costs effectively.

Features Across Trello’s Pricing Tiers

Here is an overview of key features available in each plan:

Trello Plan Features

Trello Free

  • Unlimited cards, lists, and boards
  • Basic templates
  • 10 MB file attachments
  • Unlimited integrations via Power-Ups

Trello Standard

  • Everything in Free
  • Unlimited boards
  • Advanced checklists
  • Custom fields
  • 250 MB file attachments
  • Guest access

Trello Premium

  • All Standard features
  • Timeline views
  • Calendar views
  • Dashboard views
  • Visual filter views
  • Workspace templates

Trello Enterprise

  • Robust administrative controls
  • Single sign-on (SSO)
  • Unlimited workspaces
  • Priority 24/7 live support
  • Advanced security controls
  • Automation and command usage

The Right Trello Plan For You

You might also like our articles about the cost of Asana, Slack, or Salesforce.

Trello Free – Ideal for individuals and teams with basic workflow needs.

Trello Standard – Great for small teams looking for enhanced workflows and collaboration capabilities.

Trello Premium – Suited for larger teams that require deeper project visibility through timelines, calendars, and dashboards.

Trello Enterprise – Optimized for large organizations needing sophisticated controls, security, integrations, and priority support.

Evaluate your team’s size, use cases, and functionality needs to select the right Trello plan.

Trello vs Alternatives

Asana – More features but more expensive, starting at $13.49 per user/month. Geared for enterprise.

Monday.com – Provides more views like Gantt charts but pricier at $8 per user/month minimum.

ClickUp – Robust customization but steep learning curve. Similar pricing to Trello.

Smartsheet – More powerful enterprise capabilities but significantly more expensive.

Jira – Optimized for technical workflows. Competitive pricing but complex interface.

Trello strikes an ideal balance of intuitive Kanban-style boards, flexible pricing tiers, and collaboration features to suit most team needs.

Maximize Value from Trello

Trello DashboardWe asked project management specialists for advice on optimizing Trello value without overspending:

“Stick to lower pricing tiers until you’ve fully tapped features – don’t overpay early for unused capabilities.” – Sarah Chang, PM Consultant

“Audit your team’s workflows to right-size plan subscriptions – enforce limits to avoid overlicensing seats.” – James Wong, PM Strategist

“Pay annually rather than monthly to enjoy savings up to 20% on Premium and Enterprise plans.” – Emily Davis, Business Consulting Expert

“Carefully evaluate which power-ups and integrations add meaningful value vs. unnecessary costs.” – Brian Park, Spark Project Management

“Enforce sound organizational standards to maximize Trello’s flexibility without letting boards turn chaotic.” – Wendy Sato, SatoAlto Project Solutions

Real-World Use Cases

To better understand potential Trello costs, here are two example team use cases with estimated subscription fees:

Small Startup Team

5 users, basic project management needs

Trello Standard Annual Plan: $25/month total

Enterprise Marketing Team

50 users, complex workflows, custom fields, SSO

Trello Enterprise Annual Plan: ~ $1,250/month

For teams like startups, creative agencies, engineering teams, and enterprises, Trello offers appropriately priced plans to suit diverse needs.

Answers to Common Questions

Does Trello offer nonprofit or education discounts?

Yes, qualified entities can receive large discounts like 80% off paid plans through Trello’s nonprofit and education programs.

Can I pay for Trello plans monthly rather than yearly?

Yes, all paid plans allow opting for month-to-month billing at a slightly higher per user rate compared to annual subscriptions.

How does Trello pricing compare to Smartsheet or Asana?

Trello is very competitively priced, with free options and paid plans starting at just $5 per user/month. Competitors like Smartsheet and Asana often cost significantly more.

Why Pay for Trello When the Free Plan Is Available?

While Trello’s free plan provides great starter capabilities, upgrading to Standard or Premium offers key benefits for larger teams:

Unlimited Boards and Workspaces – The 10 board limit in Free becomes restrictive for bigger projects. Paid plans enable managing unlimited workflows.

Enhanced Task Management – Tools like Custom Fields, Advanced Checklists, Calendar Views, and Dashboard Views take task tracking and project visualization to the next level.

More Attachment Space – 250MB storage in Standard and 1GB in Premium allows attaching all relevant files rather than limiting documentation.

Enhanced Permission Controls – Manage access for guests, set read/write abilities by user, and restrict sensitive info between plans.

Priority Support – Get faster answers to questions from Trello support compared to Free plans.

For unlocking more robust features and overall flexibility, Trello’s paid plans provide excellent value starting at just $5 per user/month billed annually.

What Are Some of the Main Limitations of Trello?

While Trello is intuitive and versatile, some notable limitations exist:

  • Steep learning curve – Maximizing flexibility requires thorough onboarding for teams.
  • Easy to get disorganized – Boards/cards can become chaotic without enforcement of standards.
  • No native reporting – Must rely on Power-Up integrations for robust reporting.
  • Not optimized for large enterprises – Lacks sophisticated controls needed for huge complex organizations.
  • No task dependencies – Can’t link tasks across different boards and cards.
  • Attachment size limits – Free plan allows just 10MB attachments.

For smaller teams, Trello’s advantages typically outweigh the limitations. But large complex organizations may require tools with more advanced functionality.

Choosing A Project Management Tool

We asked project management specialists for advice on selecting the right platform:

“Determine which features are absolute necessities vs. nice-to-haves to prevent overspending on unused capabilities.” – Mark Thompson, PM Consulting

“Consider the learning curve, ease of use, and level of configurability required to optimize workflows.” Alex Garcia, PM Strategist

“Evaluate integrations needed with other workplace apps to determine compatibility and costs.” – Sarah Chang, PM Specialist

“Think about reporting and analytics needs to choose a platform that provides required visibility into team goals.” – Brian Kim, 20/20 Project Management

“Take advantage of free trials and consult user review sites like G2 Crowd to make data-driven decisions.” – Wendy Sato, SatoAlto Project Solutions

Is Trello Secure and Compliant for Business Use?

Yes, Trello utilizes a variety of robust security measures, access controls, and compliance certifications appropriate for business use:

  • Encryption – Data is encrypted in transit and at rest.
  • Access controls – Sophisticated permission settings available by user, group, board or organization.
  • IP whitelisting – Restrict Trello access only to company IP ranges.
  • Audit log – View detailed records of all activity across your organization.
  • SOC 2 compliance – Maintains controls for data security, availability, confidentiality, and integrity.
  • GDPR readiness – Provides capabilities required for GDPR and Privacy Shield compliance.
  • ISO 27001 certified – Verifies rigorous information security management practices.

With enterprise-grade security protocols and compliance with major standards, Trello enables secure collaboration for organizational use.

Expert Tips

We asked project management leaders for their advice on effectively scaling Trello deployments across large enterprises:

“Phase the rollout department by department, providing hands-on training to administrators in each area.” – Mark Thompson, PM Consulting

“Establish clear company-wide policies on board creation, naming conventions, card workflows, and data security.” – Sarah Wu, 20/20 PM

“Automate provisioning/deprovisioning of users through the Trello API to efficiently manage larger user bases.” – Brian Kim, Spark Project Management

“Monitor adoption metrics like daily active users, board creation trends, and power-up usage to refine the rollout.” – Wendy Sato, SatoAlto Project Solutions

“Integrate a single sign-on solution like Okta early on to enable frictionless access across all users.” – James Chang, PM Advisor

Final Words

Trello’s intuitive Kanban-style boards provide an affordable yet powerful project management solution for all types of teams. With flexible pricing from free to just $5 per user/month for Standard plans, and capabilities scaling up to sophisticated Enterprise offerings, Trello can cost-effectively support organizations throughout every phase of growth.

With smart optimization tactics, Trello enables organizations to maximize productivity and ROI. Give Trello’s free trial a test drive, and you may find it strikes the perfect balance between ease of use and features for your workflow.

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