This article contains affiliate links. If you sign up through our links we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Asana and Monday.com are two of the best-known project management tools, and small teams often shortlist both. Asana is built around structured work: tasks, dependencies, timelines and goals. Monday.com is built around colorful, flexible boards that almost anyone can pick up quickly. We have reviewed both in depth, so see our Asana review and Monday.com review for the full detail. This comparison puts them side by side on price, features and fit for small business.
Quick Verdict
- Choose Asana if your team wants structured projects, timelines and Gantt views, goals, and unlimited automations on its entry paid plan.
- Choose Monday.com if your team wants a highly visual, board-style workspace that is easy to customize and quick for non-technical people to learn.
- On price: Asana Starter is $10.99 per user per month on annual billing, with no listed seat limit. Monday.com Standard is $12 per seat per month on annual billing, with a 3-seat minimum on paid plans.
Not sure either is right? See our best project management tools for small business roundup, or our ClickUp and Trello reviews for lower-cost alternatives.
Pricing Compared
Both tools offer a free plan for very small teams and then charge per user on paid plans. Prices below are for annual billing.
Asana pricing
| Plan | Price (annual billing) | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| Personal | $0 | 2 users, unlimited tasks and projects, list, board and calendar views |
| Starter | $10.99/user/month | No seat limit, timeline and Gantt views, reporting dashboards, unlimited automations, forms, custom fields, unlimited free guests |
| Advanced | $24.99/user/month | Portfolios, goals, resource management, approvals and proofing, time tracking, Salesforce, Tableau and Power BI integrations |
| Enterprise | Contact sales | SAML single sign-on, user provisioning (SCIM), capacity planning, advanced admin controls |
Monday.com pricing
| Plan | Price (annual billing) | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Up to 2 seats |
| Basic | $9/seat/month | Core boards and unlimited items, no automations |
| Standard | $12/seat/month | Timeline and Gantt views, automations (250 actions per month), integrations |
| Pro | $19/seat/month | Time tracking, private boards, advanced automations (25,000 actions per month) |
| Enterprise | Custom | Advanced reporting and enterprise security |
Monday.com paid plans require at least 3 seats, so the real entry cost on the Basic plan is about $27 per month. Asana also sells optional add-ons, such as timesheets and budgets, and charges separately for AI requests beyond what the plans include. Both companies charge more if you pay month to month instead of annually. Asana prices were checked on Asana’s pricing page in October 2026. Monday.com figures reflect its published annual-billing rates as of mid-2026, so confirm them on monday.com before you buy.
What a small team would actually pay
| Team size | Asana Starter | Monday.com Standard | Asana Advanced | Monday.com Pro |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 users | $32.97/mo | $36/mo | $74.97/mo | $57/mo |
| 10 users | $109.90/mo | $120/mo | $249.90/mo | $190/mo |
| 25 users | $274.75/mo | $300/mo | $624.75/mo | $475/mo |
At the middle tier, Asana is slightly cheaper than Monday.com. At the top self-serve tier, Monday.com Pro is noticeably cheaper than Asana Advanced, so the answer depends on which features your team needs.
Key Differences
Ease of use and look
Monday.com is the more visual of the two. Boards are colorful and flexible, and most people can start using them without training. Asana is cleaner and more structured, and it rewards teams that want clear ownership, due dates and dependencies on every task.
Views and planning
Both tools offer list, board, calendar and timeline-style views. Asana includes timeline and Gantt views from its Starter plan, and its Advanced plan adds portfolios, goals and resource management for teams that plan work across several projects. Monday.com offers its timeline and Gantt views from the Standard plan.
Automation
This is one of the biggest practical differences. Asana lists unlimited automations on its Starter plan. On Monday.com, automations start at the Standard plan and are capped at 250 actions per month, rising to 25,000 on Pro. A team that leans heavily on automation can run through the Standard allowance quickly.
AI features
Asana includes AI Teammates and AI Studio on its paid plans, and charges per AI request for usage beyond that, so check how much AI your team will really use. Monday.com bundles a monthly AI credit allowance into each paid tier that grows with the plan. In both cases, heavy AI use is the cost to watch, more than the seat price.
Free plans
Both free plans are limited to two users, so they work for a solo founder or a pair, not a growing team. Asana’s free plan includes unlimited tasks and projects with list, board and calendar views. Monday.com’s free plan is more restricted, so most teams will outgrow it quickly.
Guests and clients
Asana’s Starter plan includes unlimited free guests, which suits teams that work with clients or contractors. Check how Monday.com handles guest and viewer access on the plan you are considering, because this affects the real cost if you collaborate with people outside your company.
Who Should Choose Which?
- Solo founders and tiny teams: Either free plan works for two people. Pick the one whose layout you find easier to look at every day.
- Teams of 3 to 10 on a budget: Asana Starter gives you timelines, dashboards and unlimited automations for about $11 per user.
- Visual, creative or non-technical teams: Monday.com is easier to customize and quicker to learn.
- Teams that need goals, workload and approvals: Asana Advanced is built for this, although it is the most expensive option here.
- Automation-heavy teams: Compare Asana Starter’s unlimited automations with Monday.com’s monthly action caps before you decide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Asana cheaper than Monday.com?
At the middle tier, yes: Asana Starter is $10.99 per user per month on annual billing versus $12 per seat for Monday.com Standard. At the higher tier, Monday.com Pro at $19 is cheaper than Asana Advanced at $24.99.
Do Asana and Monday.com have free plans?
Yes. Both have a free plan limited to two users.
Which is easier to learn?
Most small teams find Monday.com’s visual boards quicker to start with. Asana takes a little longer to set up but is more structured once it is running.
Is there a minimum number of seats?
Monday.com paid plans require at least 3 seats. Asana’s pricing page lists no user seat limits on Starter.
Which one is better for small business?
Neither is better for everyone. Asana suits teams that want structure and automation at a lower middle-tier price. Monday.com suits teams that value a visual, flexible workspace.
Final Verdict
For most small teams, we would start with Asana if you want structured projects and generous automation at the entry paid tier, and with Monday.com if your priority is a visual workspace that anyone on the team can use on day one. Both offer a free plan for two people, so try the one that fits how your team already works, and read our full Asana and Monday.com reviews before you commit.
Ready to try monday.com? Start with the free plan and see if it fits your team. (Affiliate link: we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.)
