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Technology · head to head

ClickUp vs Thought Machine

ClickUp logo

ClickUp

Technology

One app to replace them all

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Thought Machine logo

Thought Machine

Technology

Cloud native core banking where products are written as smart contracts

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only ClickUp has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: ClickUp the free plan is capped at 60MB of storage, 5 spaces, 1 form and 3 whiteboards, so the limits are structural rather than just a seat count; Thought Machine a core replacement is a two to four year programme at an established bank, and the licence is a minority of total cost against system integrator fees, parallel running and data migration.
  • They diverge on capability: ClickUp covers Multiple view types, Thought Machine covers Smart contract product engine.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ClickUp and Thought Machine actually diverge.

Attributes where ClickUp and Thought Machine differ
AttributeClickUpThought Machine
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelUnknownquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android, macOS, WindowsWeb, API, Cloud
Founded2017Unknown

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Technology).

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 ClickUp

  • Multiple view types
  • Custom fields
  • Automation
  • Time tracking
  • Goal tracking
  • Document collaboration
  • Whiteboards
  • Mind maps

Only in Thought Machine

  • Smart contract product engine
  • Cloud native architecture
  • Real time ledger
  • Vault Payments
  • API first design
  • Multi entity and multi currency
  • Product versioning and testing
  • Configurable posting rules

What people use each for

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

ClickUp

  • Project managementnot Thought Machine
  • Software developmentnot Thought Machine
  • Marketing campaignsnot Thought Machine
  • Product roadmapsnot Thought Machine
  • Client managementnot Thought Machine

Thought Machine

  • A large bank launching a separate digital brand on a clean core rather than migrating the back booknot ClickUp
  • A bank whose product launches are blocked by vendor change requests on a legacy corenot ClickUp
  • An institution needing real time balances and postings for instant payment obligationsnot ClickUp
  • A group consolidating multiple country cores onto one multi entity platformnot ClickUp

Where each one falls short

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

ClickUp

  • The free plan is capped at 60MB of storage, 5 spaces, 1 form and 3 whiteboards, so the limits are structural rather than just a seat count
  • Gantt charts, time tracking and goals require Unlimited at $7 per user per month billed yearly
  • Automations are rationed by tier, at 5,000 a month on Business and 250,000 on Enterprise
  • SAML SSO, custom roles and HIPAA compliance are Enterprise only
  • AI is charged separately, at $9 per user per month for Brain and $28 for Everything AI
  • Monthly billing is substantially dearer, at $10 and $19 against the yearly rates

Thought Machine

  • A core replacement is a two to four year programme at an established bank, and the licence is a minority of total cost against system integrator fees, parallel running and data migration.
  • The smart contract model presumes a bank can write and maintain Python financial products, and institutions without that engineering capability end up outsourcing the very flexibility they bought.
  • Cloud infrastructure cost sits with the bank and is not trivial at scale, so total cost of ownership comparisons against a hosted legacy core often miss a large recurring line.
  • Thought Machine has made two rounds of job cuts pursuing profitability, which is a legitimate supplier stability concern for a system a bank expects to run for fifteen years.
  • The functional footprint is core ledger and product engine, so origination, collections, regulatory reporting and channels all come from other vendors, and the integration estate around Vault is the bank's problem to design and own.

Pricing, plan by plan

ClickUp

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Unlimited tasks
    • 60 MB storage
    • Collaborative docs
  • Unlimited$7/user/month
    • Unlimited storage
    • All views
    • Time tracking
  • Business$12/user/month
    • Sprint reporting
    • Private docs
    • All Unlimited features
  • Business Plus$undefined/custom
    • Advanced features

Thought Machine

On request
  • Vault Core$undefined/year
    • Quoted per institution, typically on account volumes or annual contract value
    • Implementation and system integrator costs commonly exceed the licence fee
    • Cloud infrastructure costs are the bank's and are not included

Which should you pick?

Choose ClickUp if

  • You need multiple view types.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows.
  • You also want custom fields.
ClickUp review

Choose Thought Machine if

  • You need smart contract product engine.
  • You work on Web, API, Cloud.
  • You also want cloud native architecture.
Thought Machine review

Questions people ask

Is ClickUp or Thought Machine better?
Neither clearly leads. ClickUp starts at Free and Thought Machine at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ClickUp or Thought Machine?
ClickUp has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for ClickUp and On request for Thought Machine.
Does ClickUp or Thought Machine run on more platforms?
ClickUp runs on Web, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows. Thought Machine runs on Web, API, Cloud.
Can I use ClickUp for free?
Yes. ClickUp has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Thought Machine starts at On request.
What is ClickUp best used for?
ClickUp is most often used for project management, software development, marketing campaigns, product roadmaps. Of those, project management and software development are not what Thought Machine is typically brought in for.
What can ClickUp do that Thought Machine cannot?
ClickUp covers Multiple view types, Custom fields, Automation, Time tracking. Thought Machine covers Smart contract product engine, Cloud native architecture, Real time ledger, Vault Payments.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

ClickUp: How many views does ClickUp support?

ClickUp includes List, Table, Board, Calendar, Gantt, and Inbox views, plus Whiteboards for collaboration and multiple specialized views for different workflows.

Source
Thought Machine: Is Vault Core genuinely cloud native?

Yes. It is containerised, runs on Kubernetes on public cloud, and posts in real time rather than in overnight batch.

ClickUp: What is ClickUp Brain?

ClickUp Brain is the AI feature providing workspace Q&A, task summaries, and AI-powered automation available as an add-on at $9 or $28/user/month depending on usage.

Source
Thought Machine: How long does a migration take?

Eighteen months at the absolute fastest for a narrow greenfield launch; two to four years for a phased migration at an established bank.

ClickUp: How long does it take to set up ClickUp?

Initial setup typically takes 2-4 weeks depending on team size and complexity needs, which is longer than Monday.com (1-2 days) but necessary for ClickUp's flexibility.

Source
Thought Machine: Does the licence fee represent the total cost?

No. Implementation, system integration, parallel running and cloud infrastructure typically cost more than the licence over the programme.

ClickUp: Does ClickUp have built-in time tracking?

Yes, time tracking is included in the first paid plan (Unlimited) at $7/user/month, allowing teams to track project hours without additional tools.

Source
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