Build Without Permission: The Future of Productivity

We believe the future of work isn't just humans using AI. It's humans and AI working as one.

• One prompt = one app
• Your workspace = the backend
• Your agents = the team
• Your automations = the execution

Software should be alive. And now, it is.

What Is ClickUp?

ClickUp promises to be "the one app to replace them all," but often delivers complexity instead of simplicity. Founded by Alex Yurkowski and Zeb Evans in 2017, this $4 billion company has gained popularity by offering extensive customization options for project management.

ClickUp's approach:

• Complex hierarchy system (Workspaces → Spaces → Folders → Lists → Tasks)
• Overwhelming interface with 15+ views and hundreds of features
• Steep learning curve requiring extensive training
• Per-user pricing that becomes expensive as teams grow
• Rule-based automation that breaks when conditions change

While ClickUp offers comprehensive project management capabilities, its complexity often becomes a barrier to productivity. Teams spend more time configuring ClickUp than actually getting work done.

The ClickUp reality:

• Setup takes weeks, not minutes
• Performance issues with large projects
• Limited AI capabilities (ClickUp Brain is basic writing assistance)
• No app generation or intelligent automation
• Communication requires separate tools or views

Features of ClickUp

ClickUp is loaded with features to help you better manage your projects. Similar to Taskade, ClickUp offersmultiple viewsfor you to choose from including a List view, Board view, Calendar view, Gantt view, and more.

The List and Board views can get pretty clunky if you have multiple tasks going on at the same time. If you’re keeping track of multiple tasks and projects at the same time, the Calendar view might be a better option for you. The main idea is to let you choose the view that best fits your requirements.

After creating a task on ClickUp, you will be able to add notes, drag and drop files related to the task, and break down the task further into actionable subtasks. Tasks can be assigned to multiple people, and you can also assign people to be ‘Watchers’ on certain tasks. This means that they will receive notifications when there are updates for those tasks.

Once you get started on a task, you can set the status of the task to keep everyone on your team aligned on the progress of each task and subtask. For example, you can set the status of a task to ‘Doing’ whilst having a few subtasks ‘Closed’ to state that you’re midway through said task.

Communication is essential to the success of team projects. ClickUp also functions as a collaboration tool as it offers a comments section on each task to allow you to leave comments and chat with your teammates. You will get an email notification when you’re assigned a task or when there’s a comment on your project, ensuring that you stay updated every step of the way.

Comments can also be turned into an actionable task and assigned to your team members. This allows you to quickly assign suggested changes or additional tasks for your project. Assigned tasks can then be resolved, which gives you a notification so that you can keep track of your team’s progress.

ClickUp also integrates with thousands of other apps so that you can work on your project using your favorite tools. Although it might be a hassle to choose from the many integrations that are available, this can be a useful feature for you if you already know exactly what tools you need for your projects.

What Is ClickUp Good For?

ClickUp is a versatile project management tool that can be used whether if you’re working individually or in a team. The customization features on ClickUp means that you can use it to tackle individual tasks and even complex projects.

If you’re a project manager, ClickUp should work for you as it helps you keep track of tasks and subtasks. This helps you ensure that each project flows as it’s intended to, keeping an eye on every step towards completion.

You can also use ClickUp to plan your daily tasks and individual projects as well. ClickUp’s free version gives you access to unlimited tasks and collaborations as well. This allows you to create as many tasks as you need to with the option to collaborate with other users as well.

What Are Some Limitations of ClickUp?

Although ClickUp is a versatile project management tool, there are limitations that come with it as well.

First of all, being loaded with features means that ClickUp has a steep learning curve before you can fully utilize its full potential. Without a proper onboarding session, you will most probably be lost and overwhelmed with ClickUp. On the other hand, this makes Taskade a better free alternative to ClickUp as despite Taskade having a large number offeatures, it is both intuitive and easy to use.

ClickUp can integrate with a large number of other tools. Thousands, to be exact. Although this may give you the option to choose from a large number of tools, it can actually be counterintuitive, especially in newer teams that are unsure of exactly what tools to use for a particular project.

Projects require a large amount of communication in order to be successful, and this is exactly where ClickUp lacks firepower. You can create a Chat view in ClickUp to communicate with your team, but that just means that you have to take additional steps just to communicate. ClickUp also does not have a built-in video call function.

This makes Taskade the best free alternative to ClickUp because Taskade offers afree unlimited chatandvideo call functionalitythat is built-in to every project, allowing you tocommunicate and collaboratewith your team members in real-time.

How Much Does ClickUp Cost?

ClickUp offers its software in a few different tiers. There’s the Free Forever plan, Unlimited plan, Business plan, Business Plus plan, and Enterprise plan for large organizations.

ClickUp Free Forever Plan

ClickUp’s Free Forever plan comes loaded with features and should suffice if you’re an individual trying to organize your tasks. Similar toTaskade’s Free Plan, ClickUp’s Free plan comes with unlimited tasks and members.

It also comes with email notifications andmultiple board viewsto help you visualize your projects and tasks.

However, you’re limited to 100mb of storage and also wont have access to integrations.

ClickUp Unlimited Plan

If you’re part of a small team, ClickUp’s Unlimited plan has features to help you get more work done. It includes unlimited storage and gives you access to integrations.

You will also be able to create unlimited dashboards and control permissions for guests to your projects.

ClickUp’s Unlimited Plan starts at $5 per month for each user.

ClickUp Business Plan

If you have a slightly bigger team, ClickUp has a Business plan which offers even more features.

The Business plan is a must for project managers looking to manage complex projects. This plan gives you access to ClickUp using Google Single Sign-On service, saving you some time. You’ll also get access to custom reporting and be able to create unlimited teams.

ClickUp’s Business plan starts at $12 per month for each member.

Clickup Business Plus Plan

The Business Plan is meant for users who manage multiple teams. It adds more customization when it comes to role creations and permissions, and gives your team the ability to have more automated processes as well.

The Business Plus Plan starts at $19 per month for each user.

If for some reason you require an Enterprise plan, you will have to get in touch with ClickUp’s sales team.

However, if you wanted to pay one simple price to unlock all of the features that you’ll need to manage everything you need to, Taskade offersmore attractive features at a competitive price.

Taskade is the best free ClickUp alternative. Try Taskade for free today.

What Is Taskade?

Taskade delivers on ClickUp's promise with actual intelligence instead of overwhelming complexity. Founded by John Xie, Dionis Loire, and Stan Chang in 2017, this Y Combinator-backed platform transforms how teams work by making AI a true collaborative partner.

While ClickUp asks you to configure hundreds of features, Taskade lets you describe what you need in plain English and builds it for you. Every project becomes an opportunity for intelligent automation, every workflow becomes a potential application.

What makes Taskade revolutionary:

Genesis App Building: Beyond Project Management

Transform any project idea into a live, intelligent application. Describe your workflow - "Create a client onboarding system with automated follow-ups and progress tracking" - and watch complete business applications appear with forms, databases, AI agents, and automation.

AI Agents: Your Intelligent Team

Deploy autonomous AI agents that don't just assist - they actively manage projects, coordinate teams, and make intelligent decisions. These agents learn your patterns, anticipate needs, and work alongside your human team.

Intelligent Automation That Adapts

Move beyond ClickUp's rigid rule-based automation to workflows that think, learn, and evolve. Your automations adapt to changing conditions instead of breaking when something unexpected happens.

Instant Productivity, Not Endless Setup

Start working immediately with AI-guided setup, natural language commands, and templates that adapt to your workflow. No complex hierarchies, no overwhelming interfaces, no weeks of configuration.

True Collaboration Intelligence

Built-in chat, video calls, and real-time editing work seamlessly with AI agents. Your team collaborates while intelligent systems handle routine coordination, ensuring nothing falls through the cracks.

Experience productivity that actually delivers on the "one app to replace them all" promise. Start building today.

Key Features of Taskade

• Project Views. Visualize your projects in several different ways. Cycle between the List, Mind Map, Org Chart, and Board views to work the way you want.- List View. This is the default view on Taskade. Create new listshere.

• Board View. This view lets you work horizontally like a Kanban board. Visualize your workflow and tasks in this full-width view.

• Mind Map View. This view lets you work in a horizontal tree-structured manner and map out what you have in mind.

• Action View. Work in table view and stay organized with your task due dates, and more.

• Org Chart View. Break down larger tasks into smaller ones to help you get things done.

• Fold/Unfold. Fold (collapse) a parent task/bullet element to hide its subtasks. Indent outline elements with ⌨️ Tab and unfold lists with ⌨️ Shift+Tab.

• Real-time Communication. Chat and video conference with your team while collaborating in real-time on the same page.

• 500+ Templates. Choose from 500+ templates across 26 categories to improve your productivity and workflows. Customize existing templates or create new ones across your workspaces.Zoom In, Zoom Out. Get a bird’s-eye view of the workflow by zooming out on all project views, or zoom in to focus on a specific area.

• Multi-Select. Select and format multiple blocks or bulk assign them as tasks to other team members. You can also copy, paste, or indent selected blocks.

• Customize Sub-Tasks. Customize the format of your sub-tasks at individual levels. Choose from headings, numbered lists, shapes, and more.

• Recurring Tasks. Add due dates with start and end times to tasks within your project and set them to repeat daily, weekly, monthly, or even yearly.

• Move Tasks. Move and copy selected tasks to other projects across any workspace. You’ll receive a pop-up notification on completion.

• User Roles & Permissions. Manage collaborators and assign user roles/editing privileges (Owner, Admin, Editor, Checker, Viewer).

• Sort Tasks. Sort sub-tasks/children elements by completed/uncompleted stats or the due date. Task sorting can be accessed from a convenient pop-up menu.

• Search. Search within projects or globally across workspaces and subspaces. Instantly browse and jump between projects anywhere in the Taskade.

• Keyboard Shortcuts. Navigate projects, create content blocks, reorder elements, and complete tasks using a set of handy keyboard shortcuts.

• Team Calendar. Aggregate all tasks and projects in a shared calendar. The Taskade calendar integrates with Google (two-way), Apple, and Outlook.

• Reorder Tasks. Lists in Taskade aren’t set in stone. Reorder tasks and find them a new home with intuitive drag-and-drop mechanics.

• Project History. See all the changes made by you and other collaborators. Click on the entries to navigate to the edited items within the project.

• Version History. Taskade saves snapshots of your project so that you can restore a previous version of your project with a single click.

• Export and Print. You can export your projects as plain text or markdown files. Attach them to emails, presentations, or for print.

• Cloud File Upload. Share files directly from Google Drive, Dropbox, Instagram, and Box in your projects with our integrations.

• Breakdown Larger Tasks. Organize your thoughts with Taskade’s unlimited hierarchy to break down large projects into tasks.

• Quick Search. Use CMD / CTRL + K to jump between any projects within Taskade web and apps.

For an exhaustive list of Taskade’s features, clickhere.

Taskade Pros

• Free-forever plan is loaded with features
• Unlimited tasks and projects even on the free plan
• Real-time collaboration within the same project
• Free built-in video call and chat function in each project
• Customizable templates to give you a headstart
• Work and chat in the same window, in the same app
• Frequent updates based on user/yourfeedback and suggestions
• Tabbed workflow for working with multiple Projects

Taskade Cons

• No custom APIs (yet)

Taskade Pricing

Taskade Free Plan

• Unlimited Tasks & Projects
• Unlimited Members & Guests
• Unlimited Folders & Teams
• Templates, Calendar, Repeat Tasks
• Real-time Collaboration
• Built-in Free Chat and Video Call

Taskade Unlimited Plan – Starts from $5/month

• Everything in Free, plus:
• Version History
• Advanced Permission
• Cloud Upload Integration
• 2-Way Calendar Integration

Taskade is a better alternative to ClickUp because it offers a more robust solution for your productivity needs at a competitive price. Taskade offers unlimited tasks and projects even with our free plan to help you organize your projects and to-do lists.

Click herefor more information.

Why Teams Choose Taskade Over ClickUp

The fundamental difference is delivery: ClickUp promises to be the "one app to replace them all," while Taskade actually delivers on that vision with intelligent automation and AI-powered productivity.

Complexity vs. Intelligence

ClickUp overwhelms with features. Hundreds of options, complex hierarchies (Workspaces → Spaces → Folders → Lists → Tasks), and 15+ views that don't seamlessly sync. Teams spend weeks learning the system before becoming productive.

Taskade simplifies with intelligence. Describe what you need in plain English, and AI builds the solution. No complex setup, no overwhelming interfaces - just intelligent systems that work immediately.

Configuration vs. Conversation

ClickUp requires extensive configuration. Setting up projects, configuring custom fields, training team members on complex workflows, and maintaining rigid rule-based automation that breaks when conditions change.

Taskade works through natural conversation. "Create a content calendar with automated social media posting" becomes a live application with AI agents, forms, databases, and intelligent workflows - all generated instantly.

Per-User Costs vs. Team Intelligence

ClickUp's per-user pricing becomes expensive quickly. A 20-person team pays $180/month for Unlimited features, and $240/month for Business features. Advanced capabilities cost even more.

Taskade's flat-rate team pricing includes AI agents, Genesis app building, and intelligent automation for the entire team. Our $19/month Pro plan supports 20 team members - that's $161 less than ClickUp Unlimited per month.

Rule-Based vs. Adaptive Intelligence

ClickUp's automation follows rigid rules that break when conditions change. "If task status changes to complete, then notify project manager" stops working when your project structure evolves.

Taskade's AI-powered automation adapts to changing conditions, learns from team patterns, and makes intelligent decisions. Your workflows evolve with your business instead of requiring constant reconfiguration.

Performance Issues vs. Lightning Speed

ClickUp is notorious for slow loading times, especially with large projects. Users frequently report performance issues and inconsistent behavior across different views.

Taskade delivers lightning-fast performance with intelligent caching and optimized architecture. Projects load instantly, views sync seamlessly, and AI capabilities work without delay.

The Bottom Line

Choose ClickUp if you want extensive customization options and don't mind spending weeks learning complex systems.

Choose Taskade if you want intelligent productivity that actually delivers on the "one app" promise - with AI agents, Genesis app building, and adaptive automation that works immediately.

Ready to experience productivity that actually works? Start with Taskade and see why teams are making the switch from complexity to intelligence.

Current Pricing Comparison

Taskade

• Free Plan: AI agents, unlimited projects, real-time collaboration
• Pro Plan: $19/month for 20 team members with Genesis app building
• Business Plan: $49/month for 50 team members with enterprise AI

ClickUp

• Free Forever: Very limited (100MB storage, basic features)
• Unlimited Plan: $9/month per user (20 users = $180/month)
• Business Plan: $19/month per user (20 users = $380/month)

Taskade delivers more intelligence, better performance, and true collaboration at a fraction of ClickUp's cost - with AI capabilities that ClickUp simply doesn't offer.