Notion
Trello
| Feature | ||
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $10/mo | Free / from $5/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.6 / 5 | 4.3 / 5 |
| Best For | startups, students, freelancers, small-teams | small-teams, individuals, beginners, simple-projects |
| Founded | 2016 | 2011 |
| Databases | ✓ | ✗ |
| Kanban | ✓ | ✓ |
| Docs | ✓ | ✗ |
| Wikis | ✓ | ✗ |
| Api | ✓ | ✗ |
| Templates | ✓ | ✓ |
| Ai Assistant | ✓ | ✗ |
| Calendar | ✗ | ✓ |
| Power Ups | ✗ | ✓ |
| Automations | ✗ | ✓ |
| Due Dates And Labels | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Notion Pros
- Extremely flexible
- Great free tier
- Powerful databases
- Template marketplace
✗ Notion Cons
- Slow with large pages
- Steep learning curve
- Offline support limited
✓ Trello Pros
- Dead simple to use
- Great free plan
- Power-Ups ecosystem
- Mobile friendly
✗ Trello Cons
- Limited views
- Not great for complex projects
- Basic reporting
The Verdict
Notion is built for startups and students, with a focus on databases and kanban. Trello targets small teams and individuals and leads with kanban and calendar.
On pricing, Trello is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $5/mo compared to $10/mo for Notion. That $5/mo difference adds up quickly for growing teams.
Both offer free plans, so you can test each with your real workflow before committing to a subscription.
Feature-wise, Notion offers broader built-in capabilities (7 features vs 6), while Trello takes a more focused approach — which can mean a simpler, faster onboarding experience.
Both tools are a solid fit for small teams — in those cases, the decision often comes down to workflow style and how your team prefers to organize work.
Bottom line: Notion has a slight overall edge — but if dead simple to use matters most to you, Trello may still be the right call.