Real cost breakdown for project management tools. See which platform is cheapest for your team size.
Model: Per-user/month
Free plan: Yes (up to 15 users)
Paid: $13.49-30.49/user/month
Model: Per-user/month + board pricing
Free plan: Yes (1 user or team)
Paid: $9-30/user/month
Model: Per-user/month + workspace
Free plan: Yes (limited features)
Paid: $12-25/user/month
Asana uses per-user pricing with a generous free tier:
Hidden costs: None significant. Asana is transparent. Integrations are included.
Monday.com pricing is per-user with board seat limits:
Hidden costs: Extra users ("Guests") can add cost ($9-25/mo each). Automation limits require Pro tier for unlimited automations.
Smartsheet uses per-user pricing with workspace controls:
Hidden costs: Smartsheet can add Collaborators (limited external users) at $8-15/mo. File attachment storage beyond 100MB/month costs $0.50/GB.
| Tool | Monthly Cost | Annual Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asana Free | $0/mo | $0/yr | Free for up to 15 users. Best option for small teams. |
| Asana Premium | $67/mo | $804/yr | 5 users @ $13.49/user. Only if advanced features needed. |
| Monday.com Free | $0/mo | $0/yr | 1 user limit. Not practical for 5-person team. |
| Monday.com Basic | $45/mo | $540/yr | 5 users @ $9/user. Cheapest paid option for small teams. |
| Smartsheet Free | $0/mo | $0/yr | Limited features, file size limits. Not recommended for teams. |
| Smartsheet Pro | $60/mo | $720/yr | 5 users @ $12/user. Mid-range option. |
Verdict for 5-person teams: Asana Free is unbeatable at $0/mo for up to 15 users. If you need paid features: Monday.com Basic ($45/mo) is cheapest.
| Tool | Monthly Cost | Annual Cost | Per-Person Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asana Free | $0/mo | $0/yr | $0/person (up to 15 users included) |
| Asana Premium | $135/mo | $1,620/yr | $13.49/person/mo |
| Monday.com Basic | $90/mo | $1,080/yr | $9/person/mo (best value) |
| Monday.com Standard | $170/mo | $2,040/yr | $17/person/mo |
| Smartsheet Pro | $120/mo | $1,440/yr | $12/person/mo |
| Smartsheet Business | $250/mo | $3,000/yr | $25/person/mo (most expensive) |
Verdict for 10-person teams: Asana Free ($0/yr) is unbeatable for up to 15 users. If you need paid: Monday.com Basic ($1,080/yr) is cheapest, Smartsheet Pro ($1,440/yr) is mid-range.
| Tool | Monthly Cost | Annual Cost | Per-Person Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asana Premium | $270/mo | $3,240/yr | $13.49/person/mo (best for 20+ people) |
| Asana Business | $610/mo | $7,320/yr | $30.49/person/mo |
| Monday.com Basic | $180/mo | $2,160/yr | $9/person/mo (cheapest at scale) |
| Monday.com Pro | $500/mo | $6,000/yr | $25/person/mo |
| Smartsheet Pro | $240/mo | $2,880/yr | $12/person/mo (competitive) |
| Smartsheet Business | $500/mo | $6,000/yr | $25/person/mo |
Verdict for 20-person teams: Monday.com Basic ($2,160/yr) is 34% cheaper than Asana Premium ($3,240/yr). Smartsheet Pro ($2,880/yr) is mid-range. Monday.com wins on price at scale.
| Feature | Asana | Monday.com | Smartsheet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Task Management | ✓ Excellent | ✓ Excellent | ✓ Excellent |
| Timeline/Gantt Charts | ✓ Built-in (Premium+) | ✓ Timeline view | ✓ Built-in |
| Portfolios | ✓ Business only | ~ Dashboard only | ✓ Business+ |
| Resource Management | ✓ Business tier | ~ Basic capacity view | ✓ Built-in (Business+) |
| Automation | ✓ Good (Premium+) | ✓ Best-in-class (Pro+) | ✓ Good (Pro+) |
| Custom Fields | ✓ Unlimited | ✓ Unlimited | ✓ Unlimited |
| API Access | ✓ All tiers | ✓ Pro+ only | ✓ Pro+ only |
| Mobile App | ✓ Good | ✓ Best-in-class | ~ Basic app |
| Excel-like Interface | ✗ Not offered | ~ Table view (new) | ✓ Native (best) |
Asana, Monday.com, and Smartsheet adjust pricing quarterly. Get alerts before your renewal increases costs.
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