Best Zoho Projects Alternatives in 2026
A sourced shortlist of the top Zoho Projects competitors: Asana, ClickUp, monday.com, Smartsheet and Teamwork.com. Each is compared with Zoho Projects on pricing, free plan, features and fit, using dated vendor and independent sources. No rankings and no paid placement.
- Updated 10 Nov 2026Profiles verified 15 Oct 2026 to 20 Oct 2026
- 5 alternativesEach with a full sourced profile
- Not a rankingFit depends on your priorities
- Not tested by Stack18Editorial summary of documented facts
What are the best alternatives to Zoho Projects?
The main alternatives to Zoho Projects covered here are Asana, ClickUp, monday.com, Smartsheet and Teamwork.com. Asana may suit teams that want a free start and a clear upgrade path, while ClickUp may suit teams that want a generous free plan to evaluate. None is best for everyone: the right project management tool depends on team size, budget and which Zoho Projects limitation you are trying to solve.
Teams usually start looking beyond Zoho Projects for documented reasons: the free plan is small, and sources disagree on its limits (3 or 5 users, 2 or 3 projects); premium is reported to cap at 50 users, so larger teams need Enterprise. Zoho Projects remains a reasonable fit for small teams that want Gantt charts and time tracking at a low price, so an alternative is not automatically better, only different.
Below, every option is compared with Zoho Projects in one table, then described with its strengths, trade-offs and pricing, each taken from its own sourced profile. Anything the sources do not document is marked as unknown.
Why teams look for Zoho Projects alternatives.
Each reason is a limitation documented on the Zoho Projects profile, with its source cited there.
Free plan limits
The free plan is small, and sources disagree on its limits (3 or 5 users, 2 or 3 projects).
Seat and user limits
Premium is reported to cap at 50 users, so larger teams need Enterprise.
Customisation depth
Custom roles, single sign-on, custom fields and user hierarchy are reported to need Enterprise or above.
Plan gating
This profile relies on independent sources, so plan details should be confirmed with Zoho.
According to its profile, Zoho Projects may be less suited to: teams that need a large free plan; organisations that need advanced security or custom roles but only want to pay for the lowest paid plan.
Zoho Projects vs its top alternatives at a glance.
Zoho Projects is shown first for reference. Summaries come from each sourced profile; suitability depends on company size, budget, use case and technical requirements.
| Product | Best for | Pricing model | Free plan | Views | Automation | AI features |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Zoho Projects (current tool) | Small teams that want Gantt charts and time tracking at a low price | Per user by plan; annual billing cheaper | Yes, small plan (limits vary by source) | Gantt, Kanban and calendar views (reported) | Blueprints on Premium (reported) | Zia Search on Enterprise (reported) |
 Asana | Teams that want a free start and a clear upgrade path | Per user per month by plan | Yes (Personal) | Multiple views; timeline from Starter | Rules; allowances scale by plan | Asana AI with credits by tier (reported) |
 ClickUp | Teams that want a generous free plan to evaluate | Per member per month by plan; AI add-on extra | Yes (Free Forever) | Many views; some capped by uses on lower plans | Automations with plan limits | ClickUp Brain add-on (separate cost) |
 monday.com | Teams that want a flexible visual board-based tool | Per seat per month by plan; 3-seat minimum | Yes (up to 2 seats) | Boards, timeline and calendar from Standard | 250 actions on Standard, 25,000 on Pro | monday AI in Pro and above (reported) |
 Smartsheet | PMOs and project managers who want Gantt and dashboards in a spreadsheet-style tool | Per member; viewers free; guests free on Business+ | No free plan for new sign-ups; 30-day trial | Grid, Gantt, board, calendar and timeline | 250 automations a month on Pro; Bridge add-on | Formulas, charts, summaries and form fill |
 Teamwork.com | Agencies and consultancies that bill by time or retainer | Per user per month by plan | Yes (reported 5 users, 2 projects) | Gantt, kanban, table and calendar | Automation builder; allowances scale by plan | Not documented in sources reviewed |
Each Zoho Projects alternative described.
Pricing, strengths and trade-offs are taken from each product's profile, where every point is linked to a dated source.
Asana
Asana, Inc. · Work and project management platform (SaaS)
Asana is a work management and project management platform from Asana, Inc. that organises tasks, projects, workflows, portfolios and goals, sold per user in Personal, Starter, Advanced, Enterprise and Enterprise+ plans.
- Pricing
- Free Personal plan; Starter reported at $10.99 per user per month billed annually.
- Free plan
- Yes
- Team size
- Small teams, Mid-size teams, Large enterprises
- A free Personal plan lets small teams start without paying.
- A clear plan ladder ties specific capabilities, such as timelines, portfolios and goals, to named tiers.
- Paid plans have a seat minimum and no single-user option.
- Per-user pricing grows quickly with team size, and Advanced costs more than twice Starter.
ClickUp
ClickUp (Mango Technologies) · All-in-one work management platform (SaaS)
ClickUp is an all-in-one work and project management platform that combines tasks, docs, goals, dashboards and automation, sold per member in Free Forever, Unlimited, Business and Enterprise plans.
- Pricing
- Free Forever plan; Unlimited reported at $7 per member per month billed annually.
- Free plan
- Yes
- Team size
- Small teams, Mid-size teams, Large enterprises
- The free plan includes unlimited tasks and members, which is unusually generous.
- Entry paid pricing of $7 per member is reported among the lowest for a full work management suite.
- Many features are capped by number of uses on lower plans rather than being unlimited.
- AI is a separate add-on billed on every paid member, which raises total cost.
monday.com
monday.com Ltd. · Work management platform (SaaS)
monday.com Work Management is a board-based work and project management platform from monday.com Ltd., sold per seat in Free, Basic, Standard, Pro and Enterprise plans.
- Pricing
- Free plan for up to 2 seats; paid plans reported from $9 per seat per month billed annually…
- Free plan
- Yes
- Team size
- Small teams, Mid-size teams, Large enterprises
- A free plan and clear Basic, Standard and Pro steps make it easy to start small.
- Timeline, calendar and guest access arrive at the mid-priced Standard plan.
- Paid plans require a minimum of three seats, which penalises very small teams.
- Enterprise pricing is quote-based and reported to carry a minimum 12-month term.
Smartsheet
Smartsheet Inc. · Work management and project management platform (SaaS)
Smartsheet is a cloud work management and project management platform that combines a spreadsheet-like grid with Gantt, board, calendar and timeline views, forms, reports, dashboards, workflow automation and AI features.
- Pricing
- No free plan for new sign-ups; Pro reported at $9 per member per month billed annually.
- Free plan
- No
- Team size
- Mid-size teams, Large enterprises
- A spreadsheet-style grid with Gantt, board, calendar and timeline views lowers the learning curve for teams coming from Excel.
- Documented AI features cover plain-language formulas, charts, summaries and intelligent form fill.
- The free plan is legacy and closed to new sign-ups, so new teams start with a trial rather than a free tier.
- Pro is limited to one to ten members and Business requires at least three, which constrains plan choice for very small or growing teams.
Teamwork.com
Teamwork.com · Project management and client work platform (SaaS)
Teamwork.com is a project management and client work platform for agencies and service teams, sold per user per month in Free, Deliver, Grow, Scale and Enterprise plans.
- Pricing
- Free plan available; Deliver reported at $10.99 and Grow at $19.99 per user per month billed…
- Free plan
- Yes
- Team size
- Small teams, Mid-size teams, Large enterprises
- The Free plan is generous for its category, with Gantt, kanban, milestones, dependencies and time tracking reported at no cost.
- Time tracking, budgets and billing sit inside the project tool, which suits agencies that need to see margin.
- Reporting, resource control and billing-oriented features are reported to sit behind the Grow and Scale plans.
- The Free plan is capped at roughly five users and two projects, so growing teams outgrow it quickly.
Which Zoho Projects alternative should you choose?
No single alternative is best for everyone. Match the scenario to your own requirements, then test two or three options against a real process.
Consider Asana if you are…
- Teams that want a free start and a clear upgrade path
- Cross-functional teams that need timelines, forms and automation
- Organisations that need portfolios, goals and workload planning
Consider ClickUp if you are…
- Teams that want a generous free plan to evaluate
- Teams that want tasks, docs and goals in one tool
- Budget-conscious teams that can live without AI or will pay for the add-on
Consider monday.com if you are…
- Teams that want a flexible visual board-based tool
- Small and mid-size teams that need timelines and automation at mid-range prices
- Organisations that might later add monday CRM, dev or service
Consider Smartsheet if you are…
- PMOs and project managers who want Gantt and dashboards in a spreadsheet-style tool
- Mid-size and large teams that need Jira, Salesforce and Microsoft Teams integrations
- Teams moving shared tracking out of Excel
Consider Teamwork.com if you are…
- Agencies and consultancies that bill by time or retainer
- Small teams that want Gantt and time tracking on a free plan
- Project managers who need budgets and utilisation alongside tasks
Stay with Zoho Projects if you are…
- Small teams that want Gantt charts and time tracking at a low price
- Teams already using other Zoho products
- Budget-conscious teams that want to start on a free plan
How to switch from Zoho Projects.
Moving off Zoho Projects usually means exporting projects, tasks, comments and attachments, rebuilding templates, custom fields and automations, and reconnecting chat, calendar and file tools. Migrate active projects first and archive finished ones rather than moving everything. Run one live project with its real team in each shortlisted tool before deciding.
- Export a sample of your Zoho Projects data and test an import into the new product.
- List the automations, integrations and permissions you would need to rebuild.
- Compare total cost for your real seat count, including add-ons and onboarding fees.
- Pilot with one team before a full cut-over.
- Check contract terms, renewal dates and notice periods with Zoho Projects.
General guidance, not specific to any vendor. Confirm migration options with the vendors.
Zoho Projects alternatives: questions and answers
What is the best alternative to Zoho Projects?
No single alternative is best for everyone. The alternatives covered here are Asana, ClickUp, monday.com, Smartsheet and Teamwork.com. Asana may suit teams that want a free start and a clear upgrade path. ClickUp may suit teams that want a generous free plan to evaluate. monday.com may suit teams that want a flexible visual board-based tool. Test two or three against your own process before deciding.
Is there a free alternative to Zoho Projects?
Yes. Asana, ClickUp, monday.com and Teamwork.com list a free plan or free tier in their sourced profiles. Free plans usually cap users, records or usage, so check the limits on each profile before relying on one.
Which Zoho Projects alternative is best for small teams?
Asana, ClickUp, monday.com and Teamwork.com are documented for small teams. Asana may suit teams that want a free start and a clear upgrade path. ClickUp may suit teams that want a generous free plan to evaluate. monday.com may suit teams that want a flexible visual board-based tool.
Which Zoho Projects alternatives suit larger organisations?
Asana, ClickUp, monday.com, Smartsheet and Teamwork.com are documented for large enterprises as well as smaller teams. Larger rollouts should also check SSO, permissions, audit logs and contract terms on each profile.
Why do teams switch from Zoho Projects?
The limitations documented on the Zoho Projects profile are: The free plan is small, and sources disagree on its limits (3 or 5 users, 2 or 3 projects). Premium is reported to cap at 50 users, so larger teams need Enterprise. Custom roles, single sign-on, custom fields and user hierarchy are reported to need Enterprise or above. Whether they matter depends on your team and budget.
Who should stay with Zoho Projects?
Zoho Projects may still suit small teams that want Gantt charts and time tracking at a low price; teams already using other Zoho products; budget-conscious teams that want to start on a free plan.
Where can I compare Zoho Projects with a competitor side by side?
Stack18 has head-to-head comparisons for Zoho Projects vs Wrike, each with a feature table and pricing summary.
How were these Zoho Projects alternatives chosen?
They are the products listed as alternatives on the Zoho Projects profile and other products in the Project Management Software category with overlapping use cases. They are listed in the order shown, not ranked, and no vendor paid for placement. Each profile was verified between 15 Oct 2026 and 20 Oct 2026.
Where this shortlist comes from.
- Zoho Projects Pricing: A Comprehensive Guide Capterra Third-party Accessed 20 Oct 2026
- Zoho Projects pricing review tech.co Third-party Accessed 20 Oct 2026
- Zoho Projects review TechRepublic Third-party Accessed 20 Oct 2026
- Zoho Projects Pricing The Digital Project Manager Third-party Accessed 20 Oct 2026
- All Zoho Projects Plans and Pricing Costbench Third-party Accessed 20 Oct 2026
- Zoho Projects Software Reviews, Demo and Pricing Software Advice Third-party Accessed 20 Oct 2026
- Zoho Projects vs Wrike: Which Tool Should You Choose? TechRepublic Third-party Accessed 27 Oct 2026
- Wrike vs Zoho Projects: 2026 Project Management Comparison Cloudwards Third-party Accessed 27 Oct 2026
- Wrike vs. Zoho Projects: Comparison & Expert Reviews 2026 The Digital Project Manager Third-party Accessed 27 Oct 2026
- Wrike alternatives in 2026 Carly Third-party Accessed 27 Oct 2026
- Wrike: plans and pricing iTechGuides Third-party Accessed 27 Oct 2026
- Asana Pricing: Free & Paid Plans in 2026 Cloudwards Third-party Accessed 15 Oct 2026
- Asana pricing (2026): plans, costs, and ROI explained Gend Third-party Accessed 15 Oct 2026
- Asana Pricing (2026): Personal, Starter, and Advanced Plan Breakdown TinyCommand Third-party Accessed 15 Oct 2026
- All ClickUp Plans & Pricing Costbench Third-party Accessed 15 Oct 2026
- ClickUp hidden costs and limits Costbench Third-party Accessed 15 Oct 2026
- ClickUp Pricing 2026: Every Plan, Hidden Cost & AI Add-On Explained Agiled Third-party Accessed 15 Oct 2026
- monday.com pricing 2026 SpotSaaS Third-party Accessed 15 Oct 2026
- All Monday.com Plans & Pricing Costbench Third-party Accessed 15 Oct 2026
- monday.com Pricing (2026): Plans, Costs & What You'll Actually Pay PM World 360 Third-party Accessed 15 Oct 2026
- General Smartsheet FAQs Smartsheet Official Accessed 17 Oct 2026
- Blackstone and Vista Equity Partners Complete Acquisition of Smartsheet Business Wire (Smartsheet press release) Official Accessed 17 Oct 2026
- Smartsheet Software Overview 2026: Features and Pricing Software Advice Third-party Accessed 17 Oct 2026
- Teamwork Pricing, Plans, Pros and Cons Tech.co Third-party Accessed 17 Oct 2026
- Teamwork.com Pricing The Digital Project Manager Third-party Accessed 17 Oct 2026
- Teamwork Pricing: Plans, Features, and Comparisons Lark Third-party Accessed 17 Oct 2026
Alternatives are summarised from the linked profiles and their sources: all sources for Zoho Projects and the main sources for each alternative. Confirm current details with each vendor. Stack18 has not tested these products.
Evaluating Zoho Projects alternatives?
Compare your shortlist side by side, read the full profiles, or talk to Stack18 if off-the-shelf software is not the answer.
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