While there's plenty of information out there about the "best" tools, few sources take a deeper look at value. Determining it is tricky - pricing alone doesn’t define it. It’s about what you get for the price and how that fits your team’s goals. So, let’s dive into what real users have to say about the value offered by these tools.
Unique dataset
What you’re seeing here isn’t just one person’s opinion—it’s the collective wisdom of thousands of users.
Our data sources include:
And we use the following methodology:
Analyze thousands of reviews from the past year across platforms like G2 and Capterra, with a focus on mentions of value and pricing transparency
Calculate the sentiment score that reflects the balance between positive and negative feedback on these key topics
Incorporate qualitative insights from Reddit users to add dept
So we used a representative, large dataset and then used AI to make sense of it.
If you find a similar analysis elsewhere, we owe you a beer 🍺.
Results
Best Value: Zoho Projects
Worst Value: Quickbase, Airtable
Two of the most popular tools, Notion and ClickUp, have neutral sentiment, suggesting that their pricing team are doing a good job - extracting value in a way that’s seen as honest by users.
User views regarding pricing and value
Positive
Suitable for complex projects: Ideal for managing complex projects that require robust and customizable solutions. Dependable software: Praised for its versatility and reliability in business practices.
Negative
High cost: Quickbase is considered expensive, which can be prohibitive for small teams or startups. Vendor lock-in risk: The platform may lead to vendor lock-in due to the difficulty of migrating to another system after significant investment. Learning curve and customization limitations: Users note a learning curve and some limitations in customization.
Top Quotes:
"Quickbase drawbacks include cost, learning curve, customization limitations, internet dependency, vendor lock-in, security concerns, and potential performance issues."
Positive
Time-saving value: Some users believe that if Airtable saves them time, the cost is justified despite seeming expensive. Free plan with basic features: Airtable offers a free plan sufficient for small teams or individuals. Cost-effective for certain teams: It can be cost-effective for teams that don't need advanced features.
Negative
Expensive pricing tiers: Users find the pricing tiers too expensive for individual use, with a significant gap between the free plan and the next tier. Row limitations on paid plans: The limitation of 5,000 rows on the first paid tier is seen as insufficient given the cost. Lack of pricing transparency: The pricing model is criticized for not being transparent, especially for enterprise plans, leading to frustration and budgeting difficulties. Unfair billing practices: Some users have reported issues with billing practices, including double charges and difficulty getting refunds. Comparison with competitors: Users feel that competitors offer more features at competitive prices, making Airtable seem less value-for-money.
Top Quotes:
"Its price seems a little expensive to me, it is the only thing that I feel that they exaggerate with its price because the rest of the operation is in perfect working order."
"It has unfair billing practices. I had a problem understanding its advanced features."
Positive
Good for Larger Teams & Complex Needs: Smartsheet’s features, especially for project and resource management, are valuable for larger teams with complex needs.
Negative
Costly for Smaller Teams: Smartsheet's pricing can quickly become expensive for smaller teams or individuals, with per-user costs adding up. Lack of Pricing Transparency: Users are frustrated with unclear pricing, especially for premium apps and add-ons. Limited Free Features: The free version has restricted functionality, requiring upgrades for advanced tools. Expensive Add-ons: Key features, like pivot tables, are only available as costly add-ons. Lack of Flexibility: Users cannot pay for specific features without upgrading to the Enterprise plan. Aggressive Marketing: Some users report excessive marketing emails, which feel overly pushy.
Top Quotes:
"It has very limited free capabilities and puts most features behind a pay wall."
"There can be some implementation and set up difficulties first time round, team are supportive but does cost a lot."
Positive
Wide range of features: Offers a comprehensive set of tools suitable for diverse team needs. Intuitive interface: Users find it easy to use and implement within teams, enhancing productivity.
Negative
Expensive for small teams and individuals: The pricing structure requires a minimum of three seats, making it costly for small teams or solo users. Unexpected price increases: Users report significant price hikes without clear explanations, causing budgeting challenges. Costly add-ons and inflexible pricing: Additional features like CRM come at extra costs, and the pricing model lacks flexibility. Lack of pricing transparency: Users feel that there is a lack of clear communication regarding pricing changes and the true cost of ownership. Comparison with competitors: Other tools offer similar or more features at lower prices, making Monday.com seem less cost-effective.
Top Quotes:
"Paying for 5 seats minimum (even if you don't use 5 seats) is a lot costly when you're starting a business. I wish there would be a pay-per-seat solution."
"The only bummer part of monday.com is that there's no way to have a ""single user"" account. Obviously, the project management software is meant to be used with teams and colleagues, so I understand the reasoning."
Positive
Affordable for some users: Asana can be affordable for small teams or individuals who don't require advanced features. Good value for money: Some users feel that Asana offers good value compared to other premium project management tools.
Negative
Misleading pricing structure: Users feel that Asana's per-user pricing is misleading, particularly because it advertises a per-user price without clearly stating a minimum of two users, leading to unexpected higher costs. Difficulty in adjusting seats: Users report difficulties in reducing the number of seats, resulting in overcharging and frustration due to cumbersome processes. Lack of refunds and poor customer support: Users have complained about Asana's unwillingness to provide refunds for unused seats and slow, unhelpful customer support, which relies heavily on chatbots. Perception of predatory practices: Some users perceive Asana's pricing structure as predatory and designed to extract as much money as possible, especially affecting independent users or small teams. Limited free version and expensive premium plans: The free version is too restrictive with key features locked behind paywalls, and premium plans are costly for small teams and startups. Confusing pricing structure: Some users find Asana's pricing confusing and difficult to understand.
Top Quotes:
"Have to pay for some features that I would like to use but not enough to justify the costs."
"I love Asana it's easy to use and everyone understands it. Now I want to add a 6th and I need to pay for 10 seats. This is ridiculous and feels like a huge money grab."
Positive
Visually appealing and customizable: Trello is praised for its intuitive and flexible design. Affordable for some users: Can be affordable for individuals or teams that fit within the free plan's limitations.
Negative
New limitations on free workspaces: Introduction of limits on free workspaces has significantly impacted small teams and non-profit organizations. Expensive premium plans for small teams: The cost jumps from free to expensive plans, which is not feasible for small projects. Minimum seat requirement: The requirement to purchase multiple seats is costly for smaller teams or individual users. Lack of pricing transparency: Users were not adequately informed about new limits and pricing changes, leading to unexpected fees. No offline desktop app: The lack of an offline mode is inconvenient for users who need to work without a stable internet connection.
Top Quotes:
"I just think of each side of my business and personal life as a flexible board. Trello is visually appealing, highly customizable, and easy to implement within teams. Moreover, pricing plans are beyond affordable for everyone.”
Positive
Generous free plan for individuals: Offers a wide range of features in the free plan, sufficient for personal use and small projects. Flexible and customizable: Highly flexible and customizable, allowing users to tailor workflows and databases to their needs. Valuable for organizational use: Despite some drawbacks, companies extensively use Notion for various purposes, indicating good value in professional contexts.
Negative
Introduction of paid features without clear notice: Users feel blindsided by the introduction of Notion AI as a paid feature, expecting new features to be included in existing plans. Limited free plan for teams: The free plan has limitations that may not meet the needs of team collaborations. Performance issues and clunky design: Some users experience performance issues, especially on mobile devices, and find the design less intuitive. Pricing transparency concerns: Users desire clearer communication regarding pricing and feature changes to better manage expectations.
Top Quotes:
"A flexible place for your thoughts. Notion is a great tool and it offers a very generous free plan which meets the needs of most casual users."
Positive
Generous free plan (for small teams): ClickUp offers a wide range of features in its free plan, suitable for small teams or individuals. Budget-friendly for some users: Considered budget-friendly compared to other project management tools. Comprehensive features: Offers a comprehensive set of features, providing good value for diverse team needs.
Negative
Discontinuation of free plan for larger teams: Users were upset when ClickUp discontinued its free plan for workspaces with over five users without clear notice, affecting startups and teams in low-income regions. Lack of pricing transparency: The sudden changes and lack of clear communication about pricing updates are seen as misleading. Additional costs for new features: The introduction of ClickUp AI at an extra cost disappointed users who already pay for business plans. Confusing user licensing and cost management: Users find the licensing model confusing and have to use workarounds like guest accounts to manage costs. Perceived overcharging: Premium plans can become expensive for larger teams, especially with added costs for new features.
Top Quotes:
"I like how easy it is to use and set up this platform I can organize my work and not having to remember anything, navigating through tasks is also very easy the pricing is also very budget friendly."
Positive
Cost-effective solution: Considered one of the cheapest project management tools with a robust set of features. Inclusive pricing with Zoho One: Offers cost-effectiveness for users already within the Zoho ecosystem, as Zoho Projects is included with Zoho One. Good value for money: Provides a comprehensive set of features at a lower cost compared to more expensive competitors. Smooth integration with Zoho apps: Seamless integration with other Zoho applications enhances value.
Negative
Pricing per user can add up: Charging per user can become expensive for larger teams. Short trial period: A very short trial period may not allow users enough time to fully evaluate the software. Learning curve for customization: May require time and effort to customize, which can be a drawback for some users.
Top Quotes:
"Cheap and useful. I have used zoho projects and they have improved their UI drastically from the past. It is the cheapest solution for the PM tool."
"Zoho projects - very inexpensive easy to use tool. Inexpensive and quick to setup and initiative interface."
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Written by
Michal Kaczor
CEO at Gralio
Michal has worked at startups for many years and writes about topics relating to software selection and IT management. As a former consultant for Bain, a business advisory company, he also knows how to understand needs of any business and find solutions to its problems.
