About 14; min
Monday.com and Asana are the two most popular project management tools fighting for the same market. Both charge per seat, both have free tiers, and both look similar on the surface. The differences are in the details — automation limits, free tier generosity, and what you actually get at each price point.
Last updated: March 18, 2026. Prices sourced from monday.com and asana.com.
Pricing: Side by Side
| Tier | Monday.com (annual) | Asana (annual) |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 (2 seats, 3 boards) | $0 (1-2 users, basic features) |
| Entry paid | Basic: $9/seat/mo | Starter: $10.99/seat/mo |
| Mid-tier | Standard: $12/seat/mo | Advanced: $24.99/seat/mo |
| Upper tier | Pro: $19/seat/mo | — |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom |
Monday.com looks cheaper at every tier. But the tiers don’t map 1:1. Monday’s Standard ($12) competes with Asana’s Starter ($10.99), and Monday’s Pro ($19) competes with Asana’s Advanced ($24.99).
The Real Comparison: Feature-Matched Pricing
| Feature | Monday (plan needed) | Asana (plan needed) |
|---|---|---|
| Automations | Standard ($12) — 250/mo | Starter ($10.99) — unlimited |
| Timeline/Gantt | Standard ($12) | Starter ($10.99) |
| Integrations | Standard ($12) — 250/mo | Starter ($10.99) — unlimited |
| Dashboards | Standard ($12) — 5-board limit | Starter ($10.99) — unlimited |
| Custom fields | Standard ($12) | Starter ($10.99) |
| Goals/OKRs | Pro ($19) | Advanced ($24.99) |
| Time tracking | Pro ($19) | Advanced ($24.99) |
| Workload management | Pro ($19) | Advanced ($24.99) |
Critical difference: Asana Starter includes unlimited automations and integrations. Monday Standard caps both at 250/month. For automation-heavy teams, this alone could tip the decision.
Cost Comparison: Teams of 5, 10, and 25
Comparing feature-equivalent tiers:
| Team size | Monday Standard | Asana Starter | Monday Pro | Asana Advanced |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 users | $720/yr | $660/yr | $1,140/yr | $1,500/yr |
| 10 users | $1,440/yr | $1,319/yr | $2,280/yr | $2,999/yr |
| 25 users | $3,600/yr | $3,297/yr | $5,700/yr | $7,497/yr |
$3,600 vs $3,297 /year
Monday Standard: $12 × 25 × 12 = $3,600/yr (250 automation cap)
Asana Starter: $10.99 × 25 × 12 = $3,297/yr (unlimited automations)
Asana is $303 cheaper AND has no automation limits.
At the entry level, Asana wins on both price and automation limits. At the upper tier, Monday Pro ($19) is significantly cheaper than Asana Advanced ($24.99) — a $6/seat difference that adds up at scale.
Where Monday.com Wins
- Visual flexibility — Monday’s board views (kanban, timeline, chart, calendar, map) are more colorful and visually engaging. Asana’s interface is cleaner but more spartan.
- Upper tier pricing — Monday Pro at $19/seat is $6 cheaper than Asana Advanced. For a 25-person team, that’s $1,800/year saved.
- Multiple products — Monday sells CRM, Dev, and Service as separate products. If you want to consolidate PM + CRM on one platform, Monday can do that.
- Ease of onboarding — Monday’s drag-and-drop interface feels more intuitive for non-PM professionals.
- Cheaper entry point — Monday Basic at $9/seat is cheaper than any Asana paid plan (though Basic lacks automations).
Where Asana Wins
- Unlimited automations — Asana Starter includes unlimited automations. Monday caps at 250/month on Standard. This is the single biggest feature difference.
- More generous free tier — Asana’s free plan supports basic project management for 1-2 users with more functionality than Monday’s 3-board limit.
- Goals and OKR tracking — Asana’s Goals feature is more mature and better integrated than Monday’s equivalent.
- Portfolio management — track multiple projects from a single view. More refined than Monday’s dashboards.
- Proofing and approvals — built-in creative review workflows on Advanced. Monday requires apps for this.
- Cleaner interface — less visual noise. Monday’s colorful interface can feel overwhelming with large boards.
The Automation Question
This deserves its own section because it’s the most common reason teams switch between these tools.
| Monday.com | Asana | |
|---|---|---|
| Standard/Starter | 250 actions/month | Unlimited |
| Pro/Advanced | 25,000 actions/month | Unlimited |
| Shared across | Entire account | N/A (no cap) |
250 automations on Monday Standard is tight. One automation per task status change, across 5 boards with 50 tasks each — that’s your entire monthly allowance. Teams that rely on automated workflows consistently cite this as Monday’s biggest weakness.
Who Should Pick What
Automation-heavy team: Asana. Unlimited automations on Starter eliminates a major headache.
Visual-first team (marketing, creative): Monday. The colorful boards and visual layouts are more engaging for non-PM teams.
Budget-conscious, need upper-tier features: Monday Pro ($19) saves $6/seat over Asana Advanced ($24.99).
Goal and OKR tracking: Asana. Goals feature is more mature and purpose-built.
Need PM + CRM on one platform: Monday. Their CRM product integrates tightly with Work Management.
Smallest possible team (1-2 people): Asana Free or Monday Free. Both work, but Asana’s free tier has fewer restrictions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Monday.com cheaper than Asana?
At entry level, they’re similar ($12 vs $10.99). At the upper tier, Monday is cheaper ($19 vs $24.99). But Asana’s unlimited automations at $10.99 arguably provide more value than Monday’s capped 250 at $12.
Which has a better free plan?
Both are limited. Monday: 2 seats, 3 boards, no automations. Asana: 1-2 users, basic features. Neither free plan is suitable for serious project management.
Can I migrate from Monday to Asana or vice versa?
Yes. Both support CSV export/import. Automations, integrations, and custom views won’t transfer. Budget 1-2 weeks for a clean migration.
Which is better for software development teams?
Neither is ideal — consider Jira or Linear for dev teams. If you must choose, Asana’s integration with GitHub and dev workflow templates are slightly better. Monday has a separate “monday Dev” product.
Do both have AI features?
Yes. Both have introduced AI assistants for task creation, status updates, and summaries. Asana AI is included with Starter and above. Monday AI is available on paid plans. Neither charges extra for basic AI features.
Pricing data sourced from monday.com/pricing and asana.com/pricing on March 18, 2026. Both platforms adjust pricing periodically. Verify current rates before purchasing.
