Our verdict · 8.4/10 Excellent
Outstanding value and breadth. Invest in setup and conventions, or the flexibility becomes clutter.
Key takeaways
- Best for: Teams consolidating multiple tools.
- Strongest area: Features & fit (9.3/10). Weakest: Ease of use (7.4/10).
- Price: Free forever plan; paid from around $7–10 / user / month — free plan available.
- Watch out for: Steep learning curve.
What is ClickUp?
ClickUp offers a huge feature set — tasks, docs, whiteboards, goals, time tracking and AI — at aggressive prices. It is ideal for teams who want to consolidate tools, though the breadth can feel overwhelming at first.
ClickUp is made by ClickUp and is reviewed here as a project management tool (it also appears in our 1 other category). It is priced on a freemium basis, and our editorial score is 8.4 out of 10, calculated from six weighted criteria.
Who it’s for — and who should skip it
Choose ClickUp if
- Teams consolidating multiple tools
- Budget-conscious growing teams
- Power users who like customisation
Not for you if
- Teams wanting minimal, simple software
- Users sensitive to interface complexity
Key features
List, board, Gantt, calendar and more.
Collaborative docs linked to tasks.
Track objectives and targets.
Built-in time tracking.
- Slack
- Google Drive
- GitHub
- Zoom
- HubSpot
Pros & cons
What we like
- Very broad feature set
- Strong free plan
- Competitive paid pricing
- Highly customisable
Watch out for
- Steep learning curve
- Interface can feel busy
- Performance can vary on large workspaces
Pricing & true cost
| Plan | Indicative price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Free Forever | Free | — |
| Unlimited | ≈ $7 / user / mo | Billed annually |
| Business | ≈ $12 / user / mo | Billed annually |
| Enterprise | Custom quote | — |
Pricing watch-out: AI features are typically an add-on.
True cost at 5, 10 and 25 seats
Cheapest paid plan that fits each team size, from indicative list prices checked October 30, 2026. Excludes tax, add-ons, onboarding fees and promotional discounts.
Pricing watch-outs
- Quote-only tier. Enterprise has no public price. Ask for a written quote that includes onboarding and support fees.
Contract questions to ask before you sign
- Does the plan auto-renew, and how many days’ notice do you need to cancel?
- Is the advertised price for annual billing? What is the month-to-month price?
- Is the first-year price a promotion? What will renewal cost, and is it capped?
- Is there a minimum number of seats, or a charge for inactive users?
- Are onboarding, implementation or premium-support fees extra?
- How do we export all our data if we leave, and in what format?
General questions for any vendor — not findings about this product. Build a full checklist with our requirements builder.
Indicative USD pricing, last checked October 30, 2026. Vendors change prices and promotions often — always confirm on their website. Model your own numbers with our SaaS TCO calculator.
Score breakdown
| Criterion | Weight | Score | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Features & fit | 25% | 9.3 | 2.30 | |
| Ease of use | 20% | 7.4 | 1.50 | |
| Value for money | 20% | 9.0 | 1.80 | |
| Support & reliability | 10% | 7.6 | 0.80 | |
| Security & privacy | 10% | 7.8 | 0.80 | |
| Integrations & ecosystem | 15% | 8.6 | 1.30 | |
| Overall | 100% | Weighted for business software products | 8.4 | |
Security & compliance facts
| Item | Status | Question to ask ClickUp |
|---|---|---|
| Multi-factor authenticationStops most account takeovers from reused or phished passwords. | Not verified by us | Can admins enforce MFA for every user, on every plan? |
| Single sign-on (SAML/OIDC)Lets you remove a leaver’s access everywhere from one place. | Not verified by us | Is SSO included on the plan we are buying, or only on enterprise tiers? |
| SOC 2 Type II reportIndependent audit of the vendor’s security controls — often required by larger customers. | Not verified by us | Can we see your current SOC 2 Type II report (under NDA if needed)? |
| ISO/IEC 27001 certificationInternational standard for running an information-security programme. | Not verified by us | Which legal entity and services does your ISO 27001 certificate cover? |
| GDPR data processing agreementNeeded if you handle personal data of people in the EU/UK. | Not verified by us | Do you offer a signed DPA and list your sub-processors? |
| HIPAA business associate agreementRequired before US healthcare businesses store protected health information. | Not verified by us | Will you sign a BAA, and on which plans? |
We have not yet verified these items for ClickUp against a primary source, so we don’t claim them either way. Check ClickUp’s trust or security page and ask for documents in writing.
Before you buy any project management tool
Check ClickUp against the same list we use for every project management tool — and confirm each point on the plan you intend to buy, not the top tier.
- Views your team prefers (board, list, timeline)
- Recurring tasks and templates
- Guest/client access pricing
- Automations on your tier
- Time tracking or integration
See every ranked option in Project Management.
ClickUp alternatives
Pick an alternative by what matters to you
- Cheaper
Trello≈ $50/mo vs $70/mo at 10 users (cheapest paid plans, indicative) - Easier to useTrelloEase-of-use score 9.4 vs 7.4
- Stronger on security
SmartsheetSecurity & privacy score 8.8 vs 7.8
Computed from our published scores and indicative pricing for tools in the same category as ClickUp. Scores are editorial; see the methodology.
Editor’s picks
Polished work management for teams that need clarity on who does what, by when.
Colourful, flexible work boards that adapt to almost any process.
A flexible workspace for docs, wikis and lightweight project tracking.
Head-to-head comparisons
Featured in: Best Project Management Software for Small Teams, Best Free Project Management Software, Asana vs Monday vs ClickUp vs Trello
Review history
- Scored under methodology v2.0 (six weighted criteria, computed overall score).
ClickUp FAQ
Is ClickUp hard to learn?
It has more options than most tools. Starting with a template and a few views helps.
Does ClickUp have a free plan?
Yes. ClickUp offers a free plan. Paid plans start at Free forever plan; paid from around $7–10 / user / month (indicative — check the vendor for current pricing).
Who is ClickUp best for?
ClickUp is best for: teams consolidating multiple tools; budget-conscious growing teams; power users who like customisation.
How much does ClickUp cost for a team of 10?
On indicative list prices, the cheapest paid plan that fits 10 users (Unlimited) works out at roughly $70 per month, or about $840 per year, before tax, add-ons and discounts.
How is the ClickUp score calculated?
The 8.4/10 overall score is a weighted average of six sub-scores — features & fit, ease of use, value, support & reliability, security & privacy, and integrations — using the published weights for software products. Affiliate relationships have no input. See our methodology page for the full rubric.
What are the best alternatives to ClickUp?
Popular alternatives include Asana, monday.com, Notion. See our comparisons for side-by-side verdicts.