Trello vs Zoho Projects in 2024: King of Kanban Faces off With an All-Rounder
According to Trello, more than two million teams, including us at Cloudwards, use the platform to manage tasks. However, many big companies, including Airbus and Dell, have been investing their faith in Zoho Projects. In this Trello vs Zoho Projects comparison, we'll help you decide between the two.
Written by Brett Day (Editor)
Reviewed by Aleksander Hougen (Managing Editor)
Facts checked by Jasna Mishevska (Lead Fact-Checking Editor)
Last Updated: 2024-03-10T23:53:36+00:00
All our content is written fully by humans; we do not publish AI writing. Learn more here.
Key Takeaways: Zoho vs Trello
- The main difference between Zoho Projects and Trello is that Zoho Projects supports many project management methods, while Trello focuses squarely on kanban.
- Zoho Projects also has all of the required tools for project management out of the box, while Trello relies heavily on integrations.
- Both Zoho Projects and Trello have a free plan, but if you’re looking for a free plan for a large team, look no further than Trello.
At Cloudwards, we’re no strangers to Trello and Zoho Projects. We’ll share what we know in this Trello vs Zoho Projects comparison piece to help you decide which platform is right for you. Don’t worry; both choices are powerful and made our roundup of the best project management software. Still, we’d like to help you make the right decision for you.
In this article, we’ll show you what Trello and Zoho projects have in common and where they differ. By the end, you’ll be in a much better position to decide which piece of project management software you want to roll out to your team. Let’s get started.
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How Did We Rate Trello vs Zoho Projects
We love project management software, and our team of experts spends hours reviewing platforms. We tested and used Trello (here’s our Trello review) and Zoho Projects (here’s our Zoho Projects review) in real-world scenarios and rated their features honestly and fairly. Our Trello vs Zoho Projects comparison is based on the personal experience gathered for our reviews.
Zoho Projects vs Trello: Similarities & Differences
Trello and Zoho Projects have similarities and differences, but that’s a good thing. The project management world would be boring if every platform was the same. In the table below, you can see the key commonalities and differences between the platforms.
 |  | |
|---|---|---|
| $5 / month(All Plans) | $4 / month(All Plans) | |
| Review | Review | |
| Management Views | ||
| Kanban board | ||
| List | ||
| Calendar | ||
| Timeline | ||
| Spreadsheet view | ||
| Gantt charts | ||
| Workload planning | ||
| Long-term planning | ||
| Management Features | ||
| Multiple project management | ||
| Dependency management | ||
| Native scrum management | ||
| Set user permissions | ||
| File storage | ||
| Time-tracking | ||
| Built-in integrations | ||
| Reporting features | ||
| General Features | ||
| Free plan | ||
| Free Trial | 14 days | |
| Web app | ||
| Windows | ||
| MacOS | ||
| Android | ||
| iOS | ||
| Support | ||
| Ticket-based support | ||
| Tutorials | ||
| Knowledgebase | ||
| Forum | ||
| Live chat | ||
| Phone support |
Similarities
Despite being cut from two different bolts of project management cloth, Trello and Zoho Projects have many similarities. While we can’t cover all of them in this article, we will cover the key commonalities below.
Core Features & Security
You might be surprised to find that Zoho Projects and Trello have many features in common. They both have multiple task management tools, support integrations and automations, and offer customizable dashboards.
You’ll also find native desktop apps and mobile apps for Trello and mobile apps for Zoho Projects. In fact, Trello’s desktop apps made our roundups of the best project management software for Windows and Apple’s macOS.
Managing large teams in either is a straightforward affair thanks to strong admin controls. Robust security features and tools, like two-factor authentication, AES-256 and TLS encryption methods, are in place to keep your data safe. Both platforms also have basic reporting tools, allow file and document sharing, and have knowledgebases full of articles and videos.
User-Friendliness and Training
Zoho Projects and Trello should be high on your project management software list if you want to hit the ground running. Trello’s simple yet powerful kanban boards, which use drag-and-drop mechanics, are easy to master, and Zoho Projects’ numerous tools are intuitive, well-designed and equally user-friendly.
Navigating around Trello and Zoho Projects requires little explanation, as menus are nicely laid out, easy to read and allow you to get where you need to be with just a couple of clicks. Both software suites look great, too. Trello’s large kanban boards and bold colors are inviting, and Zoho Projects’ clean layouts and colorful schemes make it pleasant to use.
You don’t need to worry about getting stuck, either. Zoho Projects and Trello have knowledgebases filled with well-written tutorials and informative videos. There are also community forums where you can ask questions and receive help from users and platform specialists.
Integrations and Automations
As great as Trello and Zoho Projects are, they both need a little help in a few areas. Fortunately, both project management options support integrations and automations. These integrations and automations allow you to add powerful project management solutions to either platform.
One feature of Trello that always blows people’s minds is that it offers unlimited power-ups (integrations), even on the free plan. There are only 23 native (made by Trello) integrations available, but there are dozens of third-party integrations for popular software. Open-source integrations can also be found on a Trello GitHub page.
Zoho Projects offers nearly 50 native integrations, including options for many large brands (learn more in our full Zoho Projects integrations). On top of third-party integrations, Zoho Projects seamlessly integrates with many first-party Zoho products, like Zoho Meetings, Zoho CRM, Zoho People, Zoho Sprints and more. Thanks to the extensive integration possibilities, you can make either platform work for you.
Trello and Zoho Projects also support automations. The automation builders are straightforward to use and allow you to set up recurring tasks on a fixed schedule and automate mundane tasks. Tired of sending emails about task status changes? Just create an automation to do it for you. The possibilities are endless.
Whether you need to integrate apps like Google Calendar, Microsoft Outlook, Slack, popular cloud storage solutions, time trackers or invoicing software, thanks to the extensive integration possibilities of Trello and Zoho Projects, you’re covered. Should you find a tool that’s not there, you can always use Zapier for integrations.
Differences
There are some stark differences between Zoho Projects and Trello, mainly in the task management tools area. Review this section to see how the two project management software suites compare before making a final purchasing decision.
Task Management Tools
The most significant difference between Zoho Projects and Trello is the huge difference in their task management toolsets. Zoho Projects’ task management tools are ideal for many project management methodologies and simple and complex tasks alike. On the other hand, Trello is heavily kanban-focused, which limits what it can do.
The good news for Trello is that their kanban boards are ridiculously intuitive. It’s easy to drag and drop cards to different workflow lanes, assign tasks, set task reminders and add due dates. Creating custom fields, tracking tasks, managing productivity and overseeing multiple projects is effortless. You’re not going to find better kanban boards anywhere.
If you choose Trello’s premium plan, you’ll unlock a calendar, Gantt charts, a timeline view, tables and a map view. However, apart from the calendar, the tools are horrible. They don’t support dependencies and are devoid of real usefulness. If you have expectations of running complex projects with Trello, you’ll be disappointed.
In comparison, Zoho Projects offers robust kanban boards, powerful Gantt charts, lists and tables. The tools are just as easy to use as Trello’s tools, and they support subtasks, custom fields, milestones and dependencies, which makes them perfect for complex projects.
There’s a night and day difference between Trello and Zoho Projects regarding workflows. If you only need kanban boards and work mainly on simple projects, Trello will likely work for you. However, for anything else, Zoho Projects and its various tools will offer much more flexibility.
Collaboration Tools
If you’re looking for collaboration tools, there’s a clear winner between Trello and Zoho Projects. What stops Trello from being a bonafide project management tool is its lack of built-in collaboration tools. Yes, you can share files and leave @mentions for individuals and teams in task cards, but that’s it. You can’t work on documents in real time, and there are no wikis or whiteboards.
Zoho Projects isn’t exactly flush with collaboration tools, but it offers more than Trello. Like Trello, you can share files and documents and leave @mentions in tasks, but you’ll also find a powerful chat app that lets you share documents and files directly with team members. You can also chat in real time and send voice messages.
Neither Trello nor Zoho Projects are industry leaders when it comes to collaboration, but Zoho Projects offers more tools overall out of the box. If you need a more robust selection of collaboration tools, we recommend looking at Notion (here’s our Notion app review), ClickUp (check out our ClickUp review) or Basecamp. Yes, we have a Basecamp review, too.
Pricing & Free Plans
The first thing you’ll notice about Trello and Zoho Projects pricing is that they offer free plans. However, they couldn’t be more different. Zoho Projects’ free plan is hard to recommend. It supports just three users, two projects and has limited storage space. However, you do get access to mobile apps and a few workflow tools. You can also integrate with many other Zoho products.
Trello is popular because of its free plan. You get support for unlimited users, cards with assignees and due dates, unlimited storage for files up to 10MB, 250 automations, unlimited integrations and 10 boards per workspace. You also get access to Trello templates, desktop and mobile apps, and customization features. This is why Trello makes our list of the best free project management software.
Zoho Projects Pricing
Zoho offers two affordable paid plans (Premium and Enterprise) in addition to the free version. The Premium plan costs just $4 per user per month if you pay for a year upfront and $5 per user if you pay monthly. The top-tier Enterprise plan runs $9 per user per month with annual billing and $10 per user if you pay monthly.
Trello Pricing
Trello’s paid plans are also affordable, and include Standard, Premium and Enterprise tiers. The Standard plan costs $5 per user per month when billed annually and $6 per user with monthly payments.
The Premium plan jumps to $10 per user per month with annual pay and $12.50 per user monthly, and the Enterprise plan costs $210 per user annually. If you’d like to learn more, check out our Trello pricing guide.
- Unlimited users, 10 boards, Unlimited power-ups, Unlimited storage
- Price is per user, Unlimited boards, Custom fields, Invite guests
- Price is per user, Several new views
- Price is per user, Advanced admin & security settings
Overall, you’ll get more features for your money with Zoho Projects. Trello’s paid plans add custom fields, admin features and automations, but little else. Zoho Projects’ plans, on the other hand, add useful features such as time tracking, budgeting and resource allocation tools. Here’s our comprehensive look at Zoho’s time tracking tool.
Which Is Better: Trello vs Zoho Projects?
We have a soft spot for Trello, as we use the platform to help us organize our editorial schedule, but Zoho Projects is the better project management platform thanks to its robust and easy-to-use tools. Trello is a fine task manager, but its lack of collaboration tools and inability to handle complex tasks hinders it.
We Recommend Zoho Projects If You Want…
- A full-featured project management tool: Zoho Projects has every tool you need to manage complex tasks and projects from start to finish.
- Team collaboration tools: You’ll find powerful chat features and the ability to seamlessly integrate tools to help your team collaborate more efficiently.
- Lots of flexibility: Zoho Projects is set up to enable leaders to use multiple project management methodologies.
We Recommend Trello If You Want…
- To save lots of money: Trello’s free plan is an industry leader and offers more than enough for those who need to manage tasks.
- All kanban, all the time: If you only use kanban boards and methods, there’s simply no better software option than Trello.
- To cut the suit to fit: Trello’s extensive integration possibilities with dozens of applications allows you to make Trello what you want it to be.
If You Want to Consider Other Services, Check Out…
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The Verdict: Why We Think Zoho Projects Wins Overall
After extensive testing, we believe Zoho Projects is the better project management software. Zoho Projects and Trello are exceptional task management programs, but only Zoho Projects can be considered a full-blown project management solution. Zoho’s robust tools, admin features, collaboration tools and time-tracking solutions are what project managers need.
Has our Trello vs Zoho Projects comparison helped you decide between these platforms? Will you use Trello, Zoho Projects or a different tool that you consider to be the best project management software? Or are you looking for a tool that features more task management features, like to-do lists? Let us know in the comment section, and as always, thanks for reading.
FAQ: Zoho Projects vs Trello
Trello can integrate with Zoho CRM and Zoho Desk, but not with Zoho Projects natively.
Trello is incredibly popular thanks to its fantastic free plan that supports unlimited users, unlimited integrations and excellent ease of use.
Trello can be used for project management, but Trello is more a task manager than a full-blown project management tool. This is because Trello lacks collaboration tools, advanced reports and time-tracking features.
Zoho Projects is a project management program with multiple workflow tools, collaboration features and built-in time tracking. It’s ideal for simple and complex projects alike and is quite affordable.