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Software · head to head

Shortcut vs Asana

Shortcut logo

Shortcut

Software

Project management for software teams

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Asana logo

Asana

Software

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Shortcut limited reporting compared to Jira; Asana the free Personal tier is capped at 2 users, so it does not cover a small team
  • They diverge on capability: Shortcut covers Stories & epics, Asana covers Multiple project views.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Shortcut and Asana actually diverge.

Attributes where Shortcut and Asana differ
AttributeShortcutAsana
PlatformsWeb, macOS, Windows, LinuxWeb, iOS, Android
Founded20142008

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (Unknown), 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 Shortcut

  • Stories & epics
  • Iterations (sprints)
  • Kanban boards
  • Roadmaps
  • Reporting
  • Docs
  • API & webhooks
  • Mobile apps

Only in Asana

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

Both cover

  • Slack
  • SOC2
  • GDPR

What people use each for

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

Shortcut

  • Sprint planningnot Asana
  • Bug trackingnot Asana
  • Feature developmentnot Asana
  • Product roadmappingnot Asana
  • Team collaborationnot Asana

Asana

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

Where each one falls short

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

Shortcut

  • Limited reporting compared to Jira
  • Designed specifically for software teams, not general project management
  • Can experience slow loading times with very large projects

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

Pricing, plan by plan

Shortcut

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Kanban boards
    • Sprints
    • Roadmaps
  • Team$8.5/user/month
    • Unlimited users
    • Advanced reports
    • WIP limits
  • Business$12/user/month
    • Unlimited workspaces
    • OKRs
    • Advanced custom fields
  • Enterprise$null/custom
    • Volume discounts
    • SSO/SCIM
    • Premier support

Asana

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Asana review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Shortcut if

  • You need stories & epics.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, macOS, Windows, Linux.
  • You also want iterations (sprints).
Shortcut review

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

Questions people ask

Is Shortcut or Asana better?
Neither clearly leads. Shortcut starts at Free and Asana at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Shortcut or Asana?
Shortcut starts at Free and Asana at Free.
Does Shortcut or Asana run on more platforms?
Shortcut runs on Web, macOS, Windows, Linux. Asana runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Shortcut for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Shortcut best used for?
Shortcut is most often used for sprint planning, bug tracking, feature development, product roadmapping. Of those, sprint planning and bug tracking are not what Asana is typically brought in for.
What can Shortcut do that Asana cannot?
Shortcut covers Stories & epics, Iterations (sprints), Kanban boards, Roadmaps. Asana covers Multiple project views, Task dependencies, Milestones, Portfolios. Both handle Slack, SOC2, GDPR.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Shortcut: Does Shortcut have a free plan?

Yes, Shortcut offers a free plan for up to 10 users with core features like kanban boards, roadmaps, sprints, and reports. Paid plans start at $8.50 per user per month.

Source
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
Shortcut: Does Shortcut integrate with GitHub?

Yes, Shortcut has native GitHub integration that automatically syncs pull requests and commits to stories, and includes GitLab and Bitbucket support as well.

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
Shortcut: Can I use Shortcut for non-technical projects?

Shortcut is built for software teams, though you can customize workflows for other use cases. Linear and Asana may be better suited for non-technical project management.

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
Shortcut: Does Shortcut support SSO and SCIM?

Yes, SSO and SCIM support are available on the Enterprise plan, allowing centralized identity management for large organizations.

Source
Shortcut: What's the difference between Shortcut and Jira?

Shortcut is lighter and faster with less setup required, while Jira offers deeper customization and enterprise features. Shortcut works better for modern software teams wanting simplicity; Jira suits enterprises needing extensive configuration.

Source
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