Softwr

Software · head to head

Asana vs NocoDB

Asana logo

Asana

Software

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
NocoDB logo

NocoDB

Software

Open-source no-code database platform with REST and GraphQL APIs

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

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; NocoDB the free cloud tier is capped at 3 editor seats, 1,000 records and 1 GB of storage
  • They diverge on capability: Asana covers Multiple project views, NocoDB covers REST API.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Asana and NocoDB actually diverge.

Attributes where Asana and NocoDB differ
AttributeAsanaNocoDB
Pricing modelUnknownopen-source
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidCloud, Self-hosted, Docker
Founded20082020

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

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 NocoDB

  • REST API
  • GraphQL API
  • No-code database
  • Multiple SQL databases
  • Webhooks
  • Automation
  • Cloud support
  • Self-hosted support

What people use each for

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

Asana

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

NocoDB

  • Self-hosting an open source alternative to a spreadsheet databasenot Asana
  • Putting a spreadsheet interface over an existing Postgres or MySQL databasenot Asana
  • Building internal tools on structured data with an APInot Asana
  • Team bases with per-field and per-table permissions on the paid tiersnot 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

NocoDB

  • The free cloud tier is capped at 3 editor seats, 1,000 records and 1 GB of storage
  • Records are the metering unit on cloud, so Plus covers 50K and Business 300K rather than scaling by seat alone
  • Row-level security, audit log retention and team hierarchy require the Scale tier
  • SCIM provisioning and air-gapped deployment are Enterprise only
  • The self-hosted Community edition is unlimited on records and seats but does without workflows, scripts and dashboards, which start at the paid self-hosted tiers

Pricing, plan by plan

Asana

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Asana review.

NocoDB

Free
  • CommunityFree
    • Self-hosted NocoDB
    • Community support
  • Starter$5/monthly
    • Cloud hosting
    • Basic features

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.
Asana review

Choose NocoDB if

  • You need rest api.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Cloud, Self-hosted, Docker.
  • You also want graphql api.
NocoDB review

Questions people ask

Is Asana or NocoDB better?
Neither clearly leads. Asana starts at Free and NocoDB at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Asana or NocoDB?
Asana starts at Free and NocoDB at Free.
Does Asana or NocoDB run on more platforms?
Asana runs on Web, iOS, Android. NocoDB runs on Cloud, Self-hosted, Docker.
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 NocoDB is typically brought in for.
What can Asana do that NocoDB cannot?
Asana covers Multiple project views, Task dependencies, Milestones, Portfolios. NocoDB covers REST API, GraphQL API, No-code database, Multiple SQL databases.

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
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
Asana: Does Asana integrate with other work tools?

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

Source
ShareXLinkedInRedditWhatsAppEmail

Related pages

More on Asana

More on NocoDB

Keep looking

Other head to heads