Softwr

Productivity · head to head

Tana vs Trello

Tana logo

Tana

Productivity

The everything app for your personal workspace

From
Free
Rated
-
Trello logo

Trello

All industries

Organize anything, together

From
Free
Rated
-

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Tana the free plan hosts only 5 meetings a month with AI transcripts and summaries; Trello free tier limited to 10 boards and 10 collaborators per workspace
  • They diverge on capability: Tana covers Outliner interface, Trello covers Kanban boards.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Tana and Trello actually diverge.

Attributes where Tana and Trello differ
AttributeTanaTrello
Pricing modelfreemiumUnknown
PlatformsWeb, DesktopWeb, Ios, Android, Windows, Macos
CategoryProductivityAll industries
Founded20202011

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 Tana

  • Outliner interface
  • Supertags
  • Live queries
  • AI integration
  • Graph views
  • Email capture
  • API
  • Cloud deployment

Only in Trello

  • Kanban boards
  • Cards & lists
  • Drag-and-drop interface
  • Activity feed
  • Due dates & reminders
  • File attachments
  • Comments & mentions
  • Power-Ups ecosystem

Both cover

  • Zapier
  • SSO
  • 2FA

What people use each for

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

Tana

  • Structured note taking with a graph based supertag data modelnot Trello
  • Automatic meeting capture with AI transcripts and summariesnot Trello
  • Turning notes into queryable structured databasesnot Trello

Trello

  • Project trackingnot Tana
  • Content calendarsnot Tana
  • Sales pipelinesnot Tana
  • Onboarding processesnot Tana
  • Personal task managementnot Tana

Where each one falls short

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

Tana

  • The free plan hosts only 5 meetings a month with AI transcripts and summaries
  • The free plan connects only 1 calendar and allows 50 AI queries
  • Pro is $30 per user per month at standard price, with $20 shown as an early bird rate
  • Max is $120 per user per month at standard price, with $80 shown as an early bird rate
  • Integrations and full MCP require the Pro plan
  • Dedicated support and onboarding, and unlimited agents, skills and types, require the Max plan
  • The Business plan is custom priced, billed yearly and has no published rate
  • The free trial runs 30 days

Trello

  • Free tier limited to 10 boards and 10 collaborators per workspace
  • Free tier automation capped at 250 monthly Butler runs
  • No offline access; web-based platform requires internet connection
  • Advanced views (timeline, table, dashboard) not available on Standard plan
  • SSO only available on Enterprise plan

Pricing, plan by plan

Tana

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Core features
    • Supertags
    • Searches
  • Pro$10/month
    • Advanced AI
    • Priority support
    • Extended history

Trello

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Up to 10 boards/workspace
    • Up to 10 collaborators
    • 250 monthly Butler automation runs
  • Standard$5/user/month
    • Unlimited boards
    • Unlimited Power-Ups
    • 1,000 monthly Butler runs
  • Premium$10/user/month
    • All Standard features
    • Timeline, table, dashboard, calendar views
    • Unlimited automation
  • Enterprise$17.5/user/month
    • All Premium features
    • Unlimited workspaces
    • SSO and user provisioning

Which should you pick?

Choose Tana if

  • You need outliner interface.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Desktop.
  • You also want supertags.

Choose Trello if

  • You need kanban boards.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Windows, Macos.
  • You also want cards & lists.

Questions people ask

Is Tana or Trello better?
Neither clearly leads. Tana starts at Free and Trello at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Tana or Trello?
Tana starts at Free and Trello at Free.
Does Tana or Trello run on more platforms?
Tana runs on Web, Desktop. Trello runs on Web, Ios, Android, Windows, Macos.
Can I use Tana for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Tana best used for?
Tana is most often used for structured note taking with a graph based supertag data model, automatic meeting capture with ai transcripts and summaries, turning notes into queryable structured databases. Of those, structured note taking with a graph based supertag data model and automatic meeting capture with ai transcripts and summaries are not what Trello is typically brought in for.
What can Tana do that Trello cannot?
Tana covers Outliner interface, Supertags, Live queries, AI integration. Trello covers Kanban boards, Cards & lists, Drag-and-drop interface, Activity feed. Both handle Zapier, SSO, 2FA.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Trello: What are the free tier limitations for Trello?

Trello Free supports up to 10 boards per workspace, unlimited cards, 250 monthly Butler automation runs, and up to 10 Power-Up attachments. Limited to 10 collaborators per workspace.

Source
Trello: What features are included in the Standard plan?

Standard ($5-6/user/month) adds unlimited boards, custom fields, advanced checklists, 1,000 monthly automation runs, list colors, and calendar view access.

Source
Trello: Does Trello offer SSO and on which plan?

SSO through Atlassian Guard is included only on the Enterprise plan ($17.50/user/month or $210/year per user).

Source
Trello: How many file attachment options are available?

Free tier includes 2 Power-Ups per board, Standard adds unlimited Power-Ups, and Premium and above offer full Power-Up marketplace access with custom integration options.

Source
Trello: Is there offline access to Trello boards?

Trello is a web-based application requiring internet connection. Mobile apps are available for iOS and Android but do not support true offline editing.

Source

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