GritShip vs Trello
Trello moved on.
GritShip picked up where it left off.
Trello was the original simple board. Then it pivoted toward personal productivity, added limitations, and left product teams behind. GritShip brings back what made Kanban boards great — speed, simplicity, and focus — without the baggage.
Feature Comparison
Side by side.
No spin. Here's how GritShip and Trello compare on the things that matter to product makers.
| Feature | Trello | GritShip |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier projects | Limited to 10 boards per workspace | 3 on Free, unlimited on Pro |
| Interaction speed | Variable (Power-Ups slow it down) | Every action < 200ms |
| Initial JS bundle | Heavy with Power-Up loading | < 100KB gzipped |
| Priority levels | Requires Power-Up or labels hack | Built-in P1–P4 priorities |
| List view | Not available natively | Built-in sortable list view |
| Keyboard shortcuts | Basic | Full keyboard-first (N, ⌘K, arrows) |
| Real-time sync | ✓ | ✓ WebSocket-based |
| Markdown descriptions | ✓ | ✓ With code blocks, checklists |
| Drag-and-drop | ✓ | ✓ Optimistic, instant |
| Custom fields | Power-Up required (paid) | Built-in (priorities, labels, dates) |
| Pricing | Free (limited) → $5+/user/mo | Free plan + Pro from $8/mo flat |
| Built for | Personal productivity, general use | Product makers shipping products |
Where GritShip Wins
Built different.
Not more features. The right features — fast, built-in, and focused on product work.
Every interaction under 200ms. Not a goal — a constraint.
Trello can feel sluggish with Power-Ups loaded. GritShip has a hard 200ms performance budget on every UI interaction. Optimistic updates, server-rendered pages, and a strict bundle budget mean your board is always fast.
Trello has Power-Ups. GritShip has opinions.
No marketplace of add-ons to evaluate. No compatibility matrix to worry about. Priorities, list view, keyboard shortcuts, and real-time sync are built in from day one. You don't need to assemble your tool — it's ready.
One board per product. P1–P4 priorities. Ship what matters.
GritShip isn't a generic board tool. It's designed specifically for tracking product work — features to build, bugs to fix, launches to ship. Every design decision reflects that focus.
No per-seat tax. No hidden limits.
Trello charges per user on paid plans. GritShip's Free plan gives you boards, tasks, priorities, and real-time collaboration for up to 3 members. Pro is a flat $8/month (or $69/year) — not per seat — with unlimited projects, 25 members, and advanced features.
Where Trello Wins
Honest take.
Trello has been around since 2011 and has strengths we don't. Here's where they're still ahead.
Trello has hundreds of Power-Ups and integrations — Slack, Google Drive, Salesforce, you name it. GritShip is focused on core product work. No plugin marketplace.
Trello is a household name. Millions of teams use it. GritShip is new. We earn trust by being faster, simpler, and more focused — not by brand alone.
Trello's built-in automation engine is mature. Rules, scheduled commands, card buttons. GritShip doesn't have automation yet. It's on our roadmap, not in your hands today.
If you need a Swiss Army knife with every integration imaginable, Trello might still be your pick.
But if you need a sharp knife that cuts fast — GritShip.
Who Should Switch
Is GritShip for you?
GritShip isn't for everyone. It's for people who build products and want a tool that gets out of the way.
You're an indie hacker
You need one board per product, fast task creation, and priorities. Not Power-Up configs. Not 10-board limits. Just a clean board that keeps up with how fast you ship.
You're a small team (2–10)
Real-time sync, assignments, comments. All built-in, all fast. No per-seat pricing surprises. Your whole team on one board, shipping together.
You hit Trello's free limits
Ten boards per workspace isn't enough when you're building multiple products or managing client work. GritShip has no artificial caps.
Honest Inventory
What GritShip doesn't have yet.
We'd rather tell you upfront than have you find out after switching. If any of these are non-negotiable for your team, don't switch yet.
- Automation engine (no Butler-style rules)
- Power-Up / plugin marketplace
- Native mobile apps (web works on mobile, but no app store presence yet)
- Built-in time tracking
- Calendar view (Pro plan only)
- Trello board JSON import
FAQ
Questions about switching.
Thinking about moving from Trello? Here's what you need to know.
- Can I import from Trello?
- GritShip does not ship a native Trello import today. Setting up a fresh board takes under 60 seconds: create a project, add your columns, and start adding tasks. Trello also exports each board to JSON or CSV if you want to keep a reference of the original structure.
- Does GritShip have Power-Ups?
- No. Core features like priorities, list view, and keyboard shortcuts are built in. No marketplace, no add-on tax. What you see is what you get — and it's fast.
- Is GritShip as mature as Trello?
- No — Trello has been around since 2011. GritShip is new and focused. We ship fast and ship often. What we do, we do well. What we don't do yet, we're honest about.
- Does GritShip have a paid plan?
- Yes. The Free plan covers boards, tasks, priorities, labels, comments, and real-time collaboration for up to 3 members and 3 projects. Pro ($8/month or $69/year) adds up to 3 workspaces, 25 members, unlimited projects, recurring tasks, calendar view, export, and guest access. The Free plan won't shrink — no bait and switch.
- What about Butler automation rules?
- GritShip doesn't have automation yet. If you depend on Trello's Butler rules to auto-move cards, schedule recurring work, or trigger checklist items, we won't replace that workflow today. It's on our roadmap.
Your board. Your product.
No limits.
Free to start. Pro from $8/month. Setup in 60 seconds.