The Trello alternative for creative freelancers and small studios
Trello is a great board. But running client work takes more than a board. MonoDesk keeps the board you’re used to, and puts your clients, Proposals, time tracking and Invoices right next to it.
Free during beta · No credit card required
The short answer
- You mainly need a flexible visual board for personal tasks or internal team work.
- Clients, quotes and billing already live happily somewhere else.
- You rely on a particular Power-Up or a big library of board automations.
- Your boards are full of client work, and the client lives in another app.
- You want Proposals, time tracking and Invoices tied to the same project.
- You’d rather share a Client Portal than invite clients onto your working board.
MonoDesk vs Trello, feature by feature
Trello details are from its public website, checked October 2026.
| Feature | MonoDesk | Trello |
|---|---|---|
| Kanban boards | Yes: Every project To Do, Doing and Done, with labels, subtasks, files and comments | Yes: The heart of Trello flexible lists and cards, and very good at it |
| Clients and leads | Yes: Built in client records and a Leads pipeline | No: Not built in possible with a DIY CRM board |
| Proposals | Yes: Built in branded, open tracking, e-signature (Core and Pro) | No: Not built in |
| Invoices | Yes: Built in from the project, with deposits, part payments and recurring invoices | No: Not built in |
| Time tracking | Yes: Built in by task, across the day, week or month | Partly: Via Power-Ups third-party add-ons |
| Client-facing space | Yes: Client Portal one branded link per client, no client logins | Partly: Board guests clients can be invited onto a board |
| Planning your week | Yes: Weekly Planner tasks from every project in one week, with Google Calendar sync | Partly: Calendar and Timeline views on Premium |
| AI | Yes: Co-Worker plans your day, drafts updates, Proposals and Invoices | Partly: Atlassian Intelligence on Premium |
| Zapier | Yes: Yes | Yes: Yes |
| Pricing | Free during beta, with a Free plan that stays | Trello pricing free plan, then per user |
Trello details from trello.com, checked October 2026. Trello is a trademark of Atlassian. MonoDesk isn’t affiliated with Trello.
Why creatives move from Trello to MonoDesk
It’s rarely the board. It’s everything around it.
The board doesn’t know who’s paying
In Trello, a card is a card. In MonoDesk every task sits in a project, and every project belongs to a client, so time, Proposals and Invoices stay attached to the right job.
One tool instead of a stack of Power-Ups
Time tracking, invoicing and client sign-off usually mean add-ons or separate apps. In MonoDesk they’re built in and already talk to each other.
Clients see a portal, not your mess
Instead of inviting clients onto your working board, share a Client Portal with the plan, files and approvals, and send polished Client Updates in one click.
Your week, planned from real work
The Planner pulls tasks from every project into one week, so you’re not flicking between boards to work out what’s next.
What stays the same
If you like Trello, you’ll feel at home on day one.
- A kanban board for every project, with cards you drag between columns
- Labels, due dates, subtasks, files and comments on every card
- Zapier, so Trello can stay in the loop while you move across
Moving takes an afternoon
No consultants, no rebuild.
- 1 Add your clients. One record for each person or business you bill.
- 2 Bring your work across. Export from Trello to CSV or a spreadsheet, then import clients, projects, tasks or time. MonoDesk shows every row before anything is saved.
- 3 Plan your week. Pull tasks into the Planner, start a timer, and bill from the project when it’s done.
Switching from Trello: your questions
Is MonoDesk a good Trello alternative for freelancers?
Yes, if your Trello boards are mostly client work. MonoDesk keeps the kanban board and adds client records, Proposals, time tracking, Invoices and a Client Portal, so you need fewer Power-Ups and fewer other apps. If you use Trello mainly for personal tasks or internal team boards, Trello is probably still the simpler fit.
Does MonoDesk have kanban boards like Trello?
Yes. Every project opens on a task board with To Do, Doing and Done columns. Cards carry labels, due dates, subtasks, files and comments, and you drag them between columns as the work moves.
How much does MonoDesk cost compared with Trello?
MonoDesk is free during beta, and has a Free plan that stays free afterwards. Current plans are on the MonoDesk pricing page. Trello has a free plan, with paid plans priced per user.
Can I move my Trello boards into MonoDesk?
Yes. Export your cards from Trello into a spreadsheet, then use Import in MonoDesk to bring in tasks from a CSV or Excel file. MonoDesk matches the columns, shows you every row before anything is saved, and creates the projects for you.
Can I use MonoDesk and Trello together?
Yes. Both connect to Zapier, so you can pass tasks between them while you move across, or keep Trello for internal boards and run client work in MonoDesk.
Can my clients see my board?
Only what you choose to share. Clients get their own Client Portal from one branded link, with no login, showing the project plan, files, approvals and messages, separate from the board you work on.
Comparing other tools?
See every comparison, or jump straight to one.