What task apps cost per person, and when one hub makes more sense
Asana, monday.com, Trello, ClickUp, Smartsheet and Basecamp, side by side, at their own published prices. Then what we did in our own studio.
| App | Free plan | Paid plans, per person per month | A team of 5, a year | A team of 20, a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asana | Up to 2 people | Starter: $10.99 Advanced: $24.99 | $659 to $1,499 | $2,638 to $5,998 |
| monday.com Paid plans start at 3 seats. | Up to 2 seats | Basic: $9 Standard: $12 Pro: $19 | $540 to $1,140 | $2,160 to $4,560 |
| Trello | Up to 10 people | Standard: $5 Premium: $10 | $300 to $600 | $1,200 to $2,400 |
| ClickUp Its page also shows a regular price of $12 and $25. | Yes, with limits | Core: $8 Business: $17 | $480 to $1,020 | $1,920 to $4,080 |
| Smartsheet Pro stops at 10 members. Business starts at 3. | None, a 30 day trial | Pro: $9 Business: $19 | $540 to $1,140 | $4,560 |
| Basecamp One price for the team, not per person. | One project, for personal use | Freelancer: $25 a month, up to 20 people Studio: $59 a month, any number of people Pro: $99 a month, any number of people | $300 to $1,188 | $300 to $1,188 |
| Maevie Hub Design No charge per person. | A ready-made hub, free to start | One monthly plan for any number of people, covering every tool in your hub. Quoted after a free call. | The same plan | The same plan |
Prices in US dollars on yearly billing, from each company’s public pricing page, read October 13, 2026; check their sites for current prices. Enterprise plans are quoted by each company and are left out. Names are trademarks of their owners, and we are not affiliated with them.
What the table shows
Most task apps charge for every person, every month. The bill grows each time you hire. And the task app is rarely the only app: the projects, the files, the hours and the client emails usually live somewhere else.
When a task app is the better choice
If a task list is all you need, these are good tools. A small team on a free or starter plan pays less in total than a care plan, and should stay there.
When a hub is
When the task app is one of several you pay for, and someone copies information between them. A hub holds the tasks inside the project they belong to, beside its files, hours and client emails, for one price whatever the size of your team.
What the care plan covers
A task app’s price buys the task app. Our monthly plan is spread over everything the system does, for the whole team, so the more apps it replaces, the less each one costs you.
The tools
A task manager, invoicing, scheduling, time tracking and the rest of our list, as many as your business uses. Each one takes the place of an app you would pay for by the person.
And everything around them
Your website, your client portal and your hub, kept running: hosting, security updates, daily backups, and changes every month.
What we did
We turned off Asana at our own design studio on September 28, 2026. Our tasks now live inside our hub. Check one off, and the next one is assigned and dated, and the next person gets a notification. Book a client meeting, and its prep task appears on the right list.
Questions
Do you charge per person?
No. One monthly plan covers any number of people and every tool in your hub.
Can I start free?
Yes, with a ready-made hub.
Are tasks joined to the rest of the business?
Yes. Tasks sit inside each project, beside its client, quotes, invoices and hours.
See what a hub would look like for your business.
Every build is quoted after a free 30 minute call.