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Technology · head to head

Asana vs Mode

Asana logo

Asana

Technology

Manage your team's work, projects, & tasks online

From
Free
Rated
-
Mode logo

Mode

Business Intelligence

Collaborative analytics for data teams

From
Free
Rated
-

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Asana the free Personal tier is capped at 2 users, so it does not cover a small team; Mode free tier limited to 4GB RAM and 1 CPU for SQL notebooks, insufficient for large datasets
  • They diverge on capability: Asana covers Multiple project views, Mode covers SQL Editor.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Asana and Mode actually diverge.

Attributes where Asana and Mode differ
AttributeAsanaMode
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb
CategoryTechnologyBusiness Intelligence
Founded20082013

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Asana

  • Multiple project views
  • Task dependencies
  • Milestones
  • Portfolios
  • Goals & OKRs
  • Workflow automation
  • Resource management
  • Reporting dashboards

Only in Mode

  • SQL Editor
  • Python/R Notebooks
  • Interactive Reports
  • Version Control
  • Scheduling
  • Snowflake
  • Redshift
  • BigQuery

Both cover

  • Slack

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Asana

  • Project planning & trackingnot Mode
  • Campaign managementnot Mode
  • Product launchesnot Mode
  • Event planningnot Mode
  • Agile & Scrum managementnot Mode

Mode

  • Self-service analyticsnot Asana
  • Data explorationnot Asana
  • Ad-hoc reportingnot Asana
  • Collaborative analysisnot Asana
  • Embedded analyticsnot Asana

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Asana

  • The free Personal tier is capped at 2 users, so it does not cover a small team
  • Timeline and Gantt views, reporting dashboards and time tracking all require Starter at $10.99 per user per month
  • Portfolios, goals, workload management and approvals need Advanced at $24.99 per user per month
  • Salesforce, Tableau and Power BI integrations are Advanced or above
  • Monthly billing costs more, at $13.49 and $30.49 against the annual rates

Mode

  • Free tier limited to 4GB RAM and 1 CPU for SQL notebooks, insufficient for large datasets
  • Requires SQL knowledge for most analysis tasks, creating dependency on technical resources
  • Paid plan pricing not publicly listed; requires sales consultation
  • Recently acquired by ThoughtSpot in 2026, creating product direction uncertainty
  • Limited customization options for visual aspects and embedded analytics

Pricing, plan by plan

Asana

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Asana review.

Mode

Free
  • FreeFree
    • SQL Editor
    • Python/R Notebooks
    • Basic Charts
  • Business$65/month
    • Advanced Visualizations
    • Collaboration
    • Integrations

Which should you pick?

Choose Asana if

  • You need multiple project views.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want task dependencies.

Choose Mode if

  • You need sql editor.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want python/r notebooks.

Questions people ask

Is Asana or Mode better?
Neither clearly leads. Asana starts at Free and Mode at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Asana or Mode?
Asana starts at Free and Mode at Free.
Does Asana or Mode run on more platforms?
Asana runs on Web, iOS, Android. Mode runs on Web.
Can I use Asana for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Asana best used for?
Asana is most often used for project planning & tracking, campaign management, product launches, event planning. Of those, project planning & tracking and campaign management are not what Mode is typically brought in for.
What can Asana do that Mode cannot?
Asana covers Multiple project views, Task dependencies, Milestones, Portfolios. Mode covers SQL Editor, Python/R Notebooks, Interactive Reports, Version Control. Both handle Slack.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Asana: Does Asana have a free tier?

Yes. Asana offers a free Personal plan for up to 2 users, plus free trial access to paid plans.

Source
Mode: What languages does Mode support for analysis?

Mode notebooks support SQL, Python (3.11 with pandas, NumPy, scikit-learn, matplotlib), and R (4.2.0 with ggplot2, dplyr, tidyr). Both Python and R allow additional library installation at runtime.

Source
Asana: What is the starting price for Asana paid plans?

Asana Starter plan begins at $10.99 per user per month when billed annually, or $13.49 per user when billed monthly.

Source
Mode: Can I integrate Mode notebook results into reports?

Yes. Mode allows adding notebook cell results directly to reports, with synchronized scheduling so reports re-run to keep data current.

Source
Asana: Does Asana integrate with other work tools?

Yes. Asana offers 200+ integrations including Slack, Google Workspace, Microsoft Teams, Salesforce, Jira, and Zoom.

Source
Mode: Does Mode support collaborative analysis?

Yes. Mode notebooks provide moveable code blocks and markdown cells enabling exploratory analysis and team collaboration on data queries and visualizations.

Source
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