6 Best Kanban Software of 2023
This article is part of a larger series on Project Management.
The best Kanban software solution offers an intuitive drag-and-drop interface that makes moving cards from one stage to another easier. It allows users to customize column names and cards, according to businesses’ unique workflows and tasks. It features work-in-progress (WIP) limits, helping managers identify bottlenecks easily and assess the team’s capacity to handle a specific number of assignments.
In this article, we listed our top picks for Kanban software tools to help you decide which one to get for your business requirements.
Best Kanban Software at a Glance
Best Kanban Software | Monthly Starting Price per User | Key Features | Learn More |
|---|---|---|---|
 4.58 out of 5 | monday.com: Best for Automated Workflows | ||
$10 (for three seats) |
| ||
 4.56 out of 5 | ClickUp: Best for Versatile Project Views | ||
$10 |
| ||
 4.44 out of 5 | Trello: Best for Basic Task Management | ||
$6 |
| ||
 4.38 out of 5 | Asana: Best for Third-party Integrations | ||
$13.49 |
| ||
 4.28 out of 5 | Miro: Best for Team Collaboration | ||
$10 |
| ||
 4.26 out of 5 | Wrike: Best for Artificial Intelligence (AI) Tools | ||
$9.80 |
| ||
monday.com: Best for Automated Kanban Workflows
Overall Score:
4.58 / 5
What We Liked
- Kanban view is available in all subscription plans, including the free version
- Customizable Kanban board color schemes and columns
- Highly intuitive interface makes it beginner-friendly
Where It Falls Behind
- Only the most expensive plan offers compliance with Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
- Has a minimum team size requirement, alienating solopreneurs and freelancers
- Entry-level plan is limited to one week of activity log
monday.com Monthly Pricing (per User)*
- Free: Maximum of two seats, up to three boards and 1,000 items, one week of activity log, and 500MB of file storage
- Basic: $10 for unlimited seats, boards, and items, over 20 column types, and 5GB of file storage
- Standard: $12 for timeline, calendar, and map views, guest access, six months of activity log, 250 integration and automation actions, and 20GB of file storage
- Pro: $20 for time tracking, formula and dependency columns, workload, 25,000 integration and automation actions, and 100GB of file storage
- Enterprise: Custom pricing for 99.9% uptime guarantee, 250,000 integration and automation actions, and 1,000GB of file storage
- Free trial: 14 days
*Save 18% by paying annually
monday.com is the best Kanban software solution, facilitating a more efficient way of managing tasks with its intuitive workflow automation tool. When configured correctly, automation lets you do away with manually moving cards from one stage to another in the Kanban board. This allows you to focus on the actual work to be done in the project and not be overwhelmed with updating the board for every accomplishment.
On top of that, monday.com has the essential Kanban features, including drag-and-drop functionality and centralized communications, which let users share files and feedback. More importantly, you’re able to customize your Kanban board through color coding on columns and image sharing on cards. monday.com offers integrations with over 200 third-party platforms, which make pulling data from your existing tech stack easier.
However, note that the platform requires three users in its paid subscription plans. If you’re a solopreneur or a freelancer, you’re better off considering the Kanban software solution ClickUp, which doesn’t have a minimum seat requirement for subscriptions and offers robust features in its free plan.
monday.com Features
Use monday.com’s workload view to ensure every team member has the right amount of tasks.
(Source: monday.com)
- Updates section: Discuss tasks within board items to help team members get the context of what you’re saying. The eye icon below the messages shows the people who viewed your comment. Use the like button next to it to acknowledge messages.
- Map view: If your project deals with overseas clients or international products, add the map view to monitor the locations of task items. This helps team leaders manage logistics more easily and offers a more visible reminder of where regional customers are, enabling representatives to adjust spiels for better rapport-building.
- Workload: Keep track of the amount of tasks assigned to team members. This allows you to distribute the workload fairly and sustainably, ensuring that no one under- or overworks.
ClickUp: Best for Versatile Project Views
Overall Score:
4.56 / 5
What We Liked
- Free version features unlimited tasks and custom views
- Unlimited storage in the base-level subscription plan
- Offers an artificial intelligence (AI) feature add-on
Where It Falls Behind
- Limited activity log duration in the entry-level plan
- Too many features that some users find the platform overwhelming
- Base-level plan doesn't have work-in-progress limits
ClickUp Monthly Pricing (per User)*
- Free: Unlimited tasks and custom views, five spaces, 100 uses of custom fields, one day of activity log, and 100MB of file storage
- Unlimited: $10 for unlimited spaces, custom fields, and file storage, seven days of activity log, guest access, 100 uses of workload and timeline views, and 10 whiteboards
- Business: $19 for unlimited use of activity log, timeline, and workload, proofing and annotation, time in status, granular time estimates, and sprint reporting
- Enterprise: Custom pricing for white labeling, team sharing for spaces, and single sign-on for Microsoft and Okta, and custom security assertion markup language (SAML)
*Save up to 37% by paying annually
ClickUp is the best Kanban software solution for those needing flexible project views because it features the “Everything” view, which displays multiple Kanban boards from all of your workspaces. This makes overseeing different campaigns across different teams and departments easier.
Switching from one project view to another is likewise seamless. The platform allows users to add project views in the topmost tab, making the board and other workflow charts easily accessible with only one click. ClickUp offers multiple task view options on top of the Kanban board: timeline, activity, workload, team, map, and mind map.
Unfortunately, the platform only allows one week of activity logs in the entry-level paid plan. Asana, one of the best Kanban chart software solutions listed here, provides unlimited activity logs, even in its free version.
ClickUp Features
Record your screen via ClickUp to provide accurate demos. (Source: ClickUp)
- Video recording: Capture your screen to demonstrate how to navigate platforms or perform certain tasks. Include voice instructions to supplement the screen recording. Once you’re done recording, copy the link generated to share the file with team members.
- Delegate reminders: Creating a new reminder automatically assigns the task to you, but you have the option to designate it to someone else. Simply change the assignee field, choosing the user you want to be responsible for the reminder.
- Box view: See an overview of the tasks each team member is working on, how many are assigned, in progress, and done. The workload chart displays how much work your team needs to complete versus how much they finished.
Trello: Best for Basic Task Management
Overall Score:
4.44 / 5
What We Liked
- Unlimited cards and activity logs in the free version
- Simple interface allowing users to drag and drop cards
- Integrates with 200+ third-party apps
Where It Falls Behind
- Doesn’t comply with HIPAA standards
- Entry-level plan doesn't have the reporting tool
- Lacks essential capabilities, like Gantt chart and milestones
Trello Monthly Pricing (per User)*
- Free: Unlimited cards, activity logs, third-party integrations, templates, two-factor authentication, and built-in automation
- Standard: $6 for unlimited boards, advanced checklists, custom fields, and 1,000 workspace command runs
- Premium: $12.50 for calendar, timeline, and table views, unlimited workspace command runs, workspace-level templates, and simple data export
- Enterprise**: $17.50 for unlimited workspaces, public board management, multi-board guests, and free single sign-on and user provisioning with Atlassian Access
- Free trial: 14 days
*The Standard and Premium subscription rates lower to $5 and $10 per user, respectively, when you pay annually.
**Pricing is for annual billing.
With its basic, no-frills interface, Trello is the ideal Kanban chart software solution for solopreneurs and small teams engaging in formal, intentional task management for the first time or handling simple projects. Aside from the easily navigable platform, the wide range of templates covering different industries makes creating workflows effortless.
Project management beginners will find business-specific templates, such as in education, engineering, marketing, human resources, and sales. In one click, you’ll be able to set up your workflow, populated with tasks in the To-do, In progress, and Done columns.
Trello allows users to set due dates, upload files, add task labels, and create checklists within the Kanban cards. But before choosing this tool, note that it doesn’t abide by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) standards. If you’re in the healthcare industry, consider monday.com or ClickUp, as these Kanban platforms are HIPAA-compliant.
Trello Features
Monitor tasks and their respective deadlines using Trello’s timeline view. (Source: Trello)
- Attachments: Upload files directly onto your boards to facilitate easier access to documents. Free plan users have a maximum of 10MB file size limit, while those subscribed to the paid plans are able to upload up to 250MB.
- Timeline view: See tasks against their respective deadlines to avoid overlooking important assignments. The Timeline view sorts cards by start and due dates and groups them into lanes. You’ll see the avatars of team members responsible for each to-do on the task bar.
- My Work: If you want to streamline your personal workflow, go to My Cards to see only the tasks assigned to you. If you’re on Premium, you’re allowed to combine all the cards from different boards within the same workspace in a table view. Simply enable the “You” filter.
Asana: Best for Third-party Integrations
Overall Score:
4.38 / 5
What We Liked
- Unlimited tasks and projects in the free version
- Project overview offers a bird’s-eye view of the campaign
- Longer free trial duration than other providers
Where It Falls Behind
- Free plan doesn't have start dates and times and task dependencies
- 24/7 support is available only in the most expensive subscription plan
- Slightly more expensive than other solutions
Asana Monthly Pricing (per User)*
- Basic: Free for unlimited tasks, projects, messages, and activity log, 100MB file size limit for uploads, list and board views, and third-party integrations
- Premium: $13.49 for unlimited dashboards, workflow builder, custom fields, and task templates
- Business: $30.49 for custom rules builder, workload, lock custom fields, and time tracking
- Free trial: 30 days
*The Premium and Business subscription rates lower to $10.99 and $24.99 per user, monthly when you pay annually.
Asana is our top-recommended platform for those needing to connect existing business platforms with a Kanban project management software solution. It has over 300 third-party integrations, more than what other providers offer. It works seamlessly with Slack, allowing users to create tasks, comment on assigned to-dos, and mark them as complete, without leaving the messaging platform.
Meanwhile, the Asana and Zoom integration enables you to see linked tasks in a dedicated window panel during a live video conferencing session. With this, team leaders are able to easily follow up on assignments while keeping the conversation focused on what needs to be done.
Other integrations in Asana include customer relationship management (CRM) tools like Salesforce, Pipedrive, and HubSpot. One disadvantage of using Asana is its slightly expensive subscription plan. Its entry-level monthly package costs $13.49 per user, while the second-tier plan is priced at $30.49. If you need a more affordable Kanban solution, choose Trello. It only costs $6 per user, per month.
Asana Features
Approve, reject, or request changes on documents uploaded on Asana. (Source: Asana)
- Approvals: Ask and grant approvals on different documents and collaterals more efficiently. By tagging the task with “Mark as Approval,” the assignment automatically requests relevant parties to approve, reject, and request changes on the task in question.
- Comment-only projects: Keep other users from making accidental or unnecessary changes to projects by giving them comment-only access. This is especially helpful when working on databases, style guides, and company wikis, where essential information is already fixed and shouldn’t be changed.
- Dependencies: Understand the relationships among tasks better and which assignments need to be finished before another starts. When setting up dependencies, Asana displays a drop-down of options based on other tasks listed on the board.
Miro: Best for Team Collaboration
Overall Score:
4.28 / 5
What We Liked
- Unlimited editable boards in the entry-level plan
- Ready-made and custom templates facilitate faster set-up of workflows
- Integrates seamlessly with Jira, allowing cards to be converted into Jira tickets
Where It Falls Behind
- Dependencies app is available starting in the second-tier plan
- App takes too long to load
- Difficulties in importing data
Miro Monthly Pricing (per User)*
- Free: Three editable boards, templates, basic board exports, and core third-party integrations
- Starter: $10 for unlimited editable boards, advanced board exports, core integrations plus Jira and Confluence, video chat, and estimation app
- Business: $20 for program board, dependencies app, and SAML single sign-on
- Enterprise: Custom pricing for core integrations plus Jira, Confluence, Azure DevOps, and CA Rally, advanced search, and enterprise application programming interfaces (APIs)
- Free trial: 14 days
*The Starter and Business subscription rates lower to $8 and $16 per user, monthly when you pay annually.
If you need a Kanban solution with robust, native collaboration tools, Miro is the best choice. Its Kanban board lives in an interactive whiteboard, which lets users add sticky notes for faster feedback and updates. When you zoom out of the board, you’ll see other visual frameworks that promote collaboration.
These include flowcharts, mind maps, idea funnels, user flows, and technology roadmaps, which are virtual workspaces allowing remote team members to brainstorm concepts and explain processes. On top of these, Miro features Talktrack, which records immersive audio or video board recordings, facilitating asynchronous collaboration. Its built-in video chat enables several users to see each other virtually and discuss tasks in real time.
But unfortunately, the platform’s dependencies feature is only available starting in the second-tier subscription plan. With ClickUp, this tool is available in all packages, including the free version.
Miro Features
Create accurate drawings on whiteboards using Miro’s smart drawing. (Source: Miro)
- Estimation app: Miro allows users to assign a number to tasks, representing the amount of effort needed for an assignment. Team members vote for the estimates to reach a consensus on how much work they need to put in on different assignments.
- Smart drawings: The system automatically turns pencil sketches on whiteboards into clean, accurate shapes and lines, making them easily recognizable. This feature is available on browsers, desktops, and mobile devices.
- Diagramming: Brainstorm ideas and explain processes in a visual way. Miro features over 2,000 diagramming shapes, from flowcharts to callouts.
Wrike: Best for Artificial Intelligence Tools
Overall Score:
4.26 / 5
What We Liked
- Free version allows unlimited users and features AI tools
- Generous credits for automation actions, the maximum being 1,500 per seat
- 99.9% uptime guarantee
Where It Falls Behind
- Doesn’t offer unlimited file storage
- Lacks native chat or instant messaging tool
- Locked Spaces feature, which keeps project information confidential, is exclusively offered in the most expensive subscription plan
Wrike Monthly Pricing
- Free: Unlimited users, task and subtask management, smart search and replies, and 2GB of file storage
- Team: $9.80 for two to 25 users, custom fields, workflows, and statuses, calendars, Gantt chart, analytics view, and 2GB of file storage per user
- Business: $24.80 for branded workspace, project portfolio management, real-time reports, AI-recommended tasks, and 5GB of file storage per user
- Enterprise: Custom pricing for business intelligence API, two-step verification, and 10GB of file storage per user
- Pinnacle: Custom pricing for advanced analytics and data visualizations, resource bookings, locked spaces, and 15GB of file storage per user
- Free trial: 14 days
Wrike is the ideal Kanban solution if you want to streamline workflows using AI. It detects action points in message threads and meeting notes and automatically creates tasks and subtasks. The machine learning technology analyzes historical patterns and frequent issues, alerting you of potential project delays. With this, you’ll be able to come up with strategies for reassigning tasks or re-distributing resources in your Kanban board.
Through Generative AI, Wrike automatically writes out project briefs and plans, enabling teams to get to work right away and not be preoccupied with the preliminary requirements of a project. But while it has great artificial intelligence (AI) tools, the platform doesn’t provide unlimited file storage. Asana allows users to store as many files as they need in all its subscription plans, including the free version.
Wrike Features
Monitor deadlines closely using Wrike’s Gantt chart. (Source: Wrike)
- Gantt chart: View tasks as they are laid out in a calendar, marked with start and end dates. This helps you know in one glance how long it will take for assignments to be completed and which tasks need to be done before another begins.
- Live document editor: Attach relevant files to tasks and edit them right on Wrike. With this, you don’t need to download the documents and use your computer’s word processor or spreadsheet editor.
- Time tracking: Monitor how much time team members spend on completing to-do’s. Use the time tracking insights to create accurate invoices and adjust project timelines.
How We Evaluated the Best Kanban Software
To come up with the best Kanban solutions, we developed a scoring system that evaluates the providers’ value for money, task management capabilities, usability, and customer assistance. Our assessment also includes our expert evaluation on the platform’s standout features and popularity.
Learn how we evaluated the best Kanban solutions by clicking on the tabs below:
20%
Pricing
25%
General Features
20%
Advanced Features
10%
Ease of Use
10%
Customer Support
15%
Expert Score
20% of Overall Score
To assess affordability, we compared the base-level subscription plan to the average price of project management software solutions. We gave higher points to providers with more than three subscription packages and discounts for annual billing and volume users.
25% of Overall Score
The essential project management capabilities we checked were time tracking and task reminders. Software solutions with increased accessibility and improved security, offering mobile apps and two-factor authentication, earned more points.
20% of Overall Score
The niche capabilities included in our assessment were calendar management, milestone tracking, and comma-separated values (CSV) and Excel data export. We gave higher points to those with robust integrations.
10% of Overall Score
We determined if users need to have technical expertise to set up and operate the software solution. We assigned more points to providers with an intuitive interface.
10% of Overall Score
Since businesses need timely assistance for software concerns and issues, we checked the customer support teams’ operational hours, giving more points to those with a 24/7 schedule. We considered the variety of direct communication channels the providers offer: phone, email, and live chat.
15% of Overall Score
This includes our assessment of the provider’s standout features, value for money, and ease of use. We determined their level of popularity among business circles by checking third-party review platforms.
*Percentages of overall score
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Yes, Microsoft Teams allows users to create a Kanban board through the Visual Studio Team Services (VSTS) integration. Follow these steps to enable this function:
- Add the VSTS dashboard to your Teams tab.
- Fill out the Team Project, Team, and Backlog Level fields.
- Tick off the box that says “Post to the channel about this tab” to inform team members about your Kanban board.
Yes, you can create Kanban boards on Google Workspace by integrating it with the software solution Kanbanchi Task and Project Management. Kanbanchi features Kanban boards and other project management tools like Gantt chart and time tracking.
Yes, companies still use Kanban because it offers the following benefits:
- Easy monitoring of tasks: The Kanban board provides an excellent overview of the progress of to-dos. In one glance, you’ll see which ones are assigned, in progress, and finished. With this, managers are able to make a forecast on when the project will be completed and make adjustments in strategies if necessary.
- Increased accountability: Since Kanban boards provide visibility on progress, team members will be more intentional about moving tasks along the pipeline. Managers, on the other hand, are able to quickly identify bottlenecks and ask concerned parties for updates.
- Better collaboration: Remote teams especially benefit from a Kanban board because it provides a virtual workspace that can be accessed anywhere. Users won’t have to constantly provide email or chat updates about the progress of work because the board readily displays statuses.
Bottom Line
A Kanban board software solution helps businesses manage projects more efficiently as it readily displays the list of tasks and their respective progress through the workflow. Monitoring assignments, identifying backlogs, and following up on team members become easier with a visual tool like Kanban.
Among the platforms we reviewed, monday.com is the best overall, offering intuitive automation that removes manual work in managing tasks in Kanban boards. Sign up for its 14-day free trial to learn if it suits your business requirements.
