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Free ClickUp AI Alternatives (2027): 8 Project Management Tools With AI on the Free Plan, and 4 Where AI Is Paid

Free ClickUp AI Alternatives: Project Management Tools With AI on the Free Plan

ClickUp's free plan is generous with tasks, docs and members, but its AI, ClickUp Brain², is only a trial with a small pool of credits. If you want a project or workspace tool where AI keeps working on a free plan, the choice is smaller than most lists suggest: many well-known tools have strong free plans but keep AI for paying customers. We read the official pricing page of each tool below in November 2026, in its default view, and wrote down exactly which AI features the free plan includes. Want to host the software yourself instead? See our open-source ClickUp AI alternatives and open-source ClickUp alternatives.
Quick answer: for real AI features on a free plan, start with Zoho Projects (Zia summaries, translation and task creation for up to 5 users) or Hive (1,000 AI credits a month for up to 10 members); use Airtable if your work lives in tables (500 AI credits per editor a month), and Basecamp if you would rather connect your own ChatGPT or Claude. Asana, monday.com, Trello and Wrike have good free plans, but their AI starts on paid plans.
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What ClickUp's Free Plan and ClickUp AI Cost in 2027

On the ClickUp pricing page (default view, prices in US dollars billed yearly, checked November 2026) the Free Forever plan costs $0 and includes 60 MB of storage, unlimited tasks and subtasks, unlimited free members, collaborative docs, Kanban boards, a calendar view, sprints, time tracking, SyncUps video calls and 1 form. For AI it lists a ClickUp Brain² trial with 500 credits per workspace; premium and standard AI models and Talk to Text are also marked as a trial. Core costs $9 per user per month (regular price $12) with 1,000 credits per user a month, Business $17 (regular $25) with unlimited standard models and 1,500 credits, Enterprise is quoted with 3,000 credits and an unlimited AI Notetaker, and Max costs $100 with 10,000 credits. Extra credits cost $10 per 10,000 on any plan. The ClickUp Brain² page promises "every model, one subscription". So the free plan lets you test ClickUp AI, not run your work on it.

Free ClickUp AI Alternatives Compared

ToolAI on the free planFree-plan limitsFirst paid plan
ClickUp (for reference)Brain² trial, 500 credits per workspace60 MB storage, unlimited membersCore $9 per user/month, billed yearly
Zoho ProjectsZia Summary, Translate, Task/Subtask Creation, Insights; Zoho MCP server5 users, 3 projects, 5 GBPremium (price not in the default static view)
Hive1,000 AI credits a month10 members, 200 MB storageStarter $5 per user/month
Airtable500 AI credits per editor a month (Omni, field agents)Free plan record and editor limitsTeam $20 per user/month, billed annually
BasecampChatGPT and Claude connectors, MCP, your own AI agents1 project, 3 users, 1 GBFreelancer $29/month
TodoistFilter Assist, limited Ramble sessions5 personal projectsPro $5/month, billed yearly
ProProfs ProjectAI Project CreationUp to 3 usersBusiness plan, unlimited users
TaskadeNo monthly AI credits; lighter model, 1 AI agent1 workspace, 2 peopleStarter $6/month, billed yearly
NotionTrial of Notion AIPages and blocks limited for teamsPlus EUR 9.50 per member/month
Asana / monday.com / Trello / WrikeNo AI on the free planStrong free plansAI from the first paid plan
Sources: each tool's official pricing page in its default view (Airtable credits from its official help centre), checked 7 November 2026. Notion and monday.com showed prices in euros from our location.

The Best Free ClickUp AI Alternatives in 2027

1. Zoho Projects: Zia AI on the free plan for up to 5 users

Zoho Projects is a classic project-management tool with projects, tasks, subtasks and a whiteboard. On its pricing page (shown in Dutch from our location), the Free plan covers up to 5 users, 3 projects and 5 GB of storage, mobile apps, 50 workflow-action runs a month and Google and Office 365 integration. It also lists Zia, Zoho's AI: Zia Summary, Zia Translate, Zia Task/Subtask Creation and Zia Insights, plus the Zoho MCP server that lets AI models read your project data and act on plain-language instructions. That makes it the free plan closest to ClickUp AI's everyday jobs: summarising work, drafting tasks and subtasks, and pulling insights from your projects. The catch is the 3-project limit.

2. Hive: 1,000 AI credits a month on a free workspace

Hive calls itself an AI workspace that plans, assigns, follows up and reports, with an assistant called Buzz on its homepage. According to Hive's pricing page, the Free plan is free forever and includes 1,000 AI credits a month, up to 10 workspace members, 200 MB of storage and unlimited tasks and collaborative notes. Starter costs $5 per user per month in the monthly view. For a small founding team that wants AI help with planning, follow-ups and reports without paying, Hive gives the most free AI room in this list; watch the 200 MB storage limit if you attach files.

3. Airtable: 500 AI credits per editor for table-based work

Airtable is a database you build like a spreadsheet, with views, forms and automations on top, and it can run a content calendar, a hiring pipeline or a product roadmap. Airtable's help centre article on Airtable AI billing says the Free plan includes 500 AI credits a month per user with editor permission or above, pooled across the workspace. Building and editing bases with its AI assistant, Omni, uses no credits; a question to Omni costs 10 credits, and field agents cost from about 1 credit (sorting feedback) to about 200 (analysing a document). When credits run out on Free, you upgrade to Team, which the Airtable pricing page lists at $20 per user per month billed annually, with 15,000 credits per billable collaborator according to the help centre.
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4. Basecamp: bring your own ChatGPT or Claude

Basecamp is a calm project tool with message boards, to-dos, schedules, files and chat in each project. On Basecamp's pricing page the free Basecamp Personal plan gives you one project, 1 GB of storage and up to 3 users; Freelancer costs $29 a month. Basecamp has no AI model of its own on the free plan. Instead, every package, including Free, lists official ChatGPT and Claude connectors with full MCP support and command-line access and skills for AI agents you run on your own computer. If you already pay for ChatGPT or Claude, that is a practical way to ask an assistant about your project or let it add to-dos, without paying Basecamp for AI.

5. Todoist: some AI for solo founders

Todoist is a to-do app first, but many solo founders run their whole week in it. The Todoist pricing page shows the free Beginner plan with 5 personal projects, up to 5 people per project, 1 week of reporting history and 5 MB uploads. For AI, Beginner includes Filter Assist (build filters by describing them) and a limited number of Ramble sessions, Todoist's voice capture; Task Assist and Email Assist need Pro, which costs $5 a month billed yearly. Choose it if ClickUp feels too heavy for one person. Our free Todoist alternatives and open-source Todoist alternatives cover the same space.

6. ProProfs Project: AI project setup for up to 3 users

ProProfs Project is a simple project tool for small teams. Its pricing page says the free account covers up to 3 users "with all premium features", and its feature list includes AI Project Creation: you describe a project in one line and the AI builds the structure with tasks and stages. For more than 3 users you move to the Business plan. It is a sensible free pick for a founder plus two freelancers.

7. Taskade: free, but with very little AI

Taskade combines lists, notes, projects and AI agents. Its pricing page is honest about the free plan: "Free has no monthly AI credits", although you can earn credits by inviting people or sharing Taskade, and free workspaces run a lighter model (TSK-Instant). Free includes 1 workspace, 2 people and 1 AI agent. Starter costs $6 a month billed yearly and adds 10,000 AI credits a month. Use the free plan to test Taskade's agents; plan to pay if AI is the reason you switch.

8. Notion: a strong free workspace with an AI trial

Notion is the closest match to ClickUp's docs-plus-databases side, and its free plan is generous for one person. For AI, the Notion pricing page (shown in euros from our location) lists only a trial of Notion AI on Free and Plus (EUR 9.50 per member per month); the full Notion Agent, AI meeting notes and Enterprise Search come with Business (EUR 19.50). So Notion is a free ClickUp alternative, but not a free ClickUp AI alternative. If you want Notion-style AI without a subscription, see our open-source Notion AI alternatives.

Popular Free Plans Where AI Is Paid

These tools often top "free ClickUp alternatives" lists, and their free plans are good for tasks. Their AI, though, starts on a paid plan, according to their pricing pages in November 2026:
  • Asana: the free Personal plan covers 2 users with unlimited tasks and projects, but lists no AI; AI Studio credits and AI Teammates start on Starter ($10.99 per user per month, billed annually). More in our free Asana alternatives.
  • monday.com: Free covers up to 2 seats, 3 boards and 3 Docs; AI is "available from Basic" (EUR 9 per seat per month billed annually, with 1,000 AI credits a month).
  • Trello: Free covers up to 10 collaborators and 10 boards per Workspace; AI is listed from Standard ($5 per user per month billed annually).
  • Wrike: Free covers essential task management; AI Essentials (content help, comment summaries, board AI) start on Team at $10 per user per month, and AI agents on Business.

Old Picks We Removed

  • Motion: it has no free plan, only a free trial; Pro AI costs $19 and Business AI $29 per seat per month billed monthly on its pricing page. See our free Motion alternatives.
  • Microsoft To Do: a free personal to-do app, not a team workspace like ClickUp.
  • Asana, Trello and Wrike: still good free tools, moved to the "AI is paid" list above.

Which Free ClickUp AI Alternative Should You Choose?

  • You want AI summaries and task drafting on a free team plan: Zoho Projects (up to 5 users) or Hive (up to 10 members).
  • Your work lives in tables, pipelines and forms: Airtable, with 500 AI credits per editor a month.
  • You already pay for ChatGPT or Claude: Basecamp's free plan with its official connectors.
  • You work alone: Todoist for tasks, Notion for docs and planning (AI as a trial).
  • You want ClickUp-level AI and will pay later: compare monday.com Basic, Trello Standard and Wrike Team with ClickUp Core before you commit.
  • You want no subscription at all: host it yourself with our open-source monday.com alternatives with AI or open-source Trello alternatives with AI.

How Founders Use a Free AI Project Tool

Free AI credits run out fast if everyone uses them for everything. Keep them for the jobs that save the most time: summarising a long thread before a meeting, turning meeting notes into tasks, and writing the weekly update for investors or the team. Plan the work on a board first, then let the AI fill in the details. For workshops and retros before the planning starts, see our open-source Mural alternatives and free Miro AI alternatives; for table-based projects, our open-source Airtable alternatives with AI and open-source Notion alternatives.
For a distributed team, the collaboration tools for remote startups and our remote team management practices help set up the routine. When you need a summary for investors, try these free executive summary generators, and when your project turns into content for your website, the F/MS AI SEO Tool helps people find it in Google and AI assistants.
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FAQ About Free ClickUp AI Alternatives

Is ClickUp AI free?

Only as a trial. When we checked in November 2026, ClickUp's Free Forever plan included a ClickUp Brain² trial with 500 credits per workspace. Paid plans start at $9 per user per month (Core, billed yearly) with 1,000 credits per user a month.

Which project management tool has free AI?

Zoho Projects includes Zia summaries, translation and task creation on its Free plan for up to 5 users, Hive includes 1,000 AI credits a month for up to 10 members, and Airtable gives 500 AI credits per editor a month.

Does Notion AI work on the free plan?

Only as a trial. Notion's pricing page lists a trial of Notion AI on Free and Plus; the full Notion Agent, AI meeting notes and Enterprise Search come with the Business plan.

Does Asana have free AI?

No. Asana's free Personal plan lists no AI features; AI Studio credits and AI Teammates start on the Starter plan.

Does Trello include AI for free?

No. Trello's pricing page lists AI from the Standard plan ($5 per user per month billed annually), not on Free.

Is monday.com AI free?

No. monday.com's pricing page says AI is available from the Basic plan, which includes 1,000 AI credits a month.

Can I use ChatGPT or Claude with a free project tool?

Yes. Basecamp lists official ChatGPT and Claude connectors with MCP support on every package, including the free plan, and Zoho Projects lists its MCP server on the Free plan.

What is the best free ClickUp alternative for a solo founder?

Todoist for tasks (with Filter Assist and limited Ramble sessions on the free plan) or Notion for docs and planning, with Notion AI as a trial.

Is there an open-source ClickUp alternative with AI?

Yes. Plane, Huly, Nextcloud with its Assistant and others can run on your own server; we compare them in our open-source ClickUp AI alternatives list.

Where can I get a backlink by writing about my startup?

You can publish a guest post in one of the Fe/male Switch startup blogs, which rank in Google and in AI tools. Get a quality backlink.

About the Author

Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur. Throughout her startup experience she has applied for multiple startup grants at the EU level, in the Netherlands and Malta, and her startups received quite a few of those. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.
2026-11-07 20:58 Top Alternatives