Notion and Trello seem comparable at first glance: both help you organize projects. But that’s where the similarity ends. Notion is an all-in-one workspace where you combine notes, databases and tasks. Trello focuses purely on visual task management with Kanban boards. Which one fits your way of working?
Notion in brief
Notion is a flexible platform that combines notes, wikis, databases, and project management. You build your own workspace with blocks: text, tables, kanban boards, calendars. The power lies in relational databases that let you create complex workflows. Ideal for those who want everything in one place: from meeting notes to project planning. The learning curve is steeper than with simpler tools, but the possibilities are virtually unlimited. Notion also has built-in AI features for summarizing texts and generating content.
Trello in brief
Trello organizes projects according to the Kanban method: boards with lists and cards that you move from left to right. Simple, visual, immediately understandable. You create a board, add lists like “To Do”, “In Progress” and “Done”, and fill cards with tasks. Butler automation helps with recurring actions. Trello deliberately stays simple: no extensive documentation options, no complex databases. That makes it fast and accessible, but also more limited for those who need more than task management.
Notion vs Trello: the differences
The biggest difference lies in the scope. Notion wants to be your complete digital workspace. In addition to tasks, you also manage knowledge documents, wikis, and notes. Trello limits itself to project boards and tasks. Are you working on a project where you need to both write documents and track tasks? Then with Trello you need to add a second tool. With Notion, all of that can be done in one environment.
That extra functionality comes at a price: complexity. Trello’s interface can be understood in five minutes. You see boards, lists, cards. Done. Notion requires more investment. You need to understand how blocks work, how databases relate to each other, which view you use when. Recent user research shows that many people leave Notion precisely for this reason: they spend more time setting up the tool than on the work itself. Trello doesn’t have that problem, but also offers less room to customize the tool to your needs.
The tools also differ in terms of performance. Trello is faster, especially with large projects. Notion regularly receives complaints about slowness when databases contain a lot of data. The search function can take seconds to display results. Trello’s simpler architecture ensures snappier behavior, although users have recently complained about the redesigned interface being perceived as cluttered.
Another difference: offline work. Trello has a working offline mode that allows you to continue editing cards without an internet connection. Notion doesn’t fully offer this. You can read previously opened pages, but creating or editing new content doesn’t work without internet. For those who work a lot on the go or in areas with poor connectivity, that’s an important distinction.
Notion’s database functionality has no equivalent in Trello. In Notion, you can create relationships between different databases, use formulas for calculations, and apply advanced filters. An example: linking a project database to a customer database, so you can directly see which projects belong to which customer. In Trello, cards remain standalone. You can label and filter them, but true relationships between data don’t exist.
Both tools have recently added AI features. Notion AI helps with writing, summarizing, and translating texts. Trello’s Atlassian Intelligence focuses more on quickly capturing tasks and summarizing card content. Notion’s AI feels more integral, Trello’s implementation is more limited but also more focused on the core goal: managing tasks.
Pricing compared
Both tools have a free version. Notion’s free plan is more generous: unlimited pages and blocks for individual users, only file size (5MB) and page history (7 days) are limited. For teams, stricter limits apply. Trello’s free version limits you to 10 boards per workspace and 10 collaborators. You also only get 250 automation commands per month and 10MB per file attachment.
For paid plans, Trello starts cheaper. The Standard subscription costs € 5 per user per month (annual subscription), with unlimited boards and more automation. Notion’s Plus plan costs € 10 per user per month and offers unlimited file uploads and 30 days of page history. Trello’s Premium (€ 10/month) and Enterprise (€ 17,50/month) add advanced views and admin features. Notion’s Business plan costs € 20 per user per month with additional security options.
Those who pay monthly pay more. With Trello, Standard becomes € 6 instead of € 5, Premium € 12,50 instead of € 10. Notion charges € 12 for Plus and € 24 for Business with monthly payment. For small teams that want simple task management, Trello is more affordable. For those who want one tool for both tasks and documentation, Notion offers more value for your money because you can replace other tools.
Conclusion
Notion wins if you’re looking for a central workspace for both documentation and projects. The flexibility and database capabilities make it suitable for complex workflows and knowledge management. Trello is the better choice for teams that want to get started quickly with visual task management, without wasting time setting up systems. It’s faster, simpler, and cheaper for pure project planning. Most solo users and knowledge workers are better off with Notion because of the ‘second brain’ capabilities. Teams that mainly coordinate tasks without much documentation are better off choosing Trello’s clear Kanban approach.
