Trello

Overview

Trello is a project management tool that employs a visual, Kanban-inspired interface to help teams organize tasks and track progress. Its core structure revolves around boards, lists, and cards, enabling users to represent projects, stages of work, and individual tasks, respectively. This visual metaphor facilitates an intuitive understanding of workflow status and responsibilities within a team. Trello was founded in 2011 and acquired by Atlassian in 2017, integrating it into a broader suite of collaboration tools.

Trello is designed to support various types of work, from personal task management to complex team projects and agile development workflows. Users can create boards for different projects or departments, populate them with lists representing stages (e.g., "To Do," "In Progress," "Done"), and add cards for specific tasks. Each card can contain details such as descriptions, checklists, due dates, attachments, and comments, allowing for comprehensive task management and communication. The drag-and-drop interface enables users to move cards between lists, visually indicating progress through a workflow.

The platform is suitable for teams seeking a flexible and visually-driven approach to project tracking and collaboration. Its utility extends across various industries and functions, including software development, marketing, HR, and education. Trello offers a free tier for basic use, which includes unlimited cards, up to 10 boards per workspace, and integrations. Paid plans, such as Standard and Premium, provide enhanced features like unlimited boards, advanced checklists, custom fields, and automation capabilities, catering to growing teams and more complex organizational needs. For enterprises, Trello Enterprise offers centralized administration, enhanced security features, and organization-wide permissions, as detailed in its support documentation.

While Trello is often associated with agile methodologies like Kanban, its adaptable nature allows it to be used for a wide range of project management styles. Its ease of use and visual clarity contribute to its adoption by teams prioritizing straightforward task organization and transparent communication. For instance, the Kanban method itself, which Trello visualizes, focuses on limiting work in progress and maximizing efficiency through visual cues, as described by sources like the Atlassian Agile Guide.

Key features

• Boards, Lists, and Cards: The foundational elements for organizing projects, workflow stages, and individual tasks in a visual, drag-and-drop interface.
• Checklists: Sub-tasks within cards to break down larger tasks into manageable actions, with progress tracking.
• Due Dates: Assign deadlines to cards, with automated reminders to help teams stay on schedule.
• Attachments: Upload files, images, and documents directly to cards from local drives or cloud storage services.
• Comments: Facilitate real-time communication and collaboration on specific tasks within cards.
• Labels: Categorize cards using custom color-coded labels for quick filtering and organization.
• Power-Ups: Integrations with third-party applications and advanced features like custom fields, calendar views, and reporting, extending Trello's functionality.
• Automation (Butler): Built-in automation allows users to create rules, buttons, and scheduled commands to automate repetitive tasks and workflows as documented by Atlassian.
• Templates: Pre-built board templates for common workflows and project types, enabling quick setup.
• Workspace Views: Premium and Enterprise plans offer different ways to visualize board data, including Table, Calendar, Dashboard, and Timeline views.

Pricing

Trello offers a free tier and several paid plans with varying features and user limits. Pricing is generally per user per month, with discounts for annual billing. The information below is accurate as of May 2026.

For the most current pricing details and feature comparisons, refer to the official Trello pricing page.

Common integrations

Trello supports integrations through its Power-Ups feature, connecting with various third-party applications to extend its functionality. The Trello REST API also allows for custom integrations and automation.

• Slack: Send Trello card updates directly to Slack channels, create cards from Slack messages, and manage Trello actions within Slack. Trello Slack Power-Up documentation.
• Jira: Synchronize tasks and issues between Trello boards and Jira projects, enabling cross-tool visibility for development teams. Trello Jira Power-Up documentation.
• Google Drive: Attach files from Google Drive directly to Trello cards and create new Google Drive files from within Trello. Trello Google Drive Power-Up documentation.
• Evernote: Attach notes from Evernote to Trello cards for quick reference and information sharing. Trello Evernote Power-Up documentation.
• Microsoft Teams: Integrate Trello boards into Microsoft Teams channels for improved collaboration and access to project status. Trello Microsoft Teams Power-Up documentation.
• Salesforce: Connect Trello cards with Salesforce records to manage sales processes and track customer-related tasks. Salesforce AppExchange for Trello.

Alternatives

• Asana: A project management tool offering task lists, Kanban boards, Gantt charts, and portfolios for organizing work.
• Jira: A software development tool from Atlassian, designed for agile teams to plan, track, and release software.
• Monday.com: A work operating system offering customizable dashboards, automations, and various views for project management and general work management.
• Smartsheet: A spreadsheet-like work management platform with robust automation, reporting, and collaboration features.
• ClickUp: A comprehensive project management platform that offers a wide range of features, including tasks, docs, chat, goals, and whiteboards.

Getting started

To interact with the Trello API, you typically need an API Key and a Server Token. The following example demonstrates how to fetch information about a Trello board using curl and the Trello REST API.

First, obtain your API Key from the Trello developer page and generate a Server Token by following the instructions there.

# Replace YOUR_API_KEY and YOUR_SERVER_TOKEN with your actual credentials
# Replace YOUR_BOARD_ID with the ID of the Trello board you want to query

API_KEY="YOUR_API_KEY"
SERVER_TOKEN="YOUR_SERVER_TOKEN"
BOARD_ID="YOUR_BOARD_ID"

curl "https://api.trello.com/1/boards/${BOARD_ID}?key=${API_KEY}&token=${SERVER_TOKEN}" \
  -H "Accept: application/json" \
  -G

This curl command makes a GET request to the Trello API to retrieve details for a specific board, including its name, description, and other properties. The Trello API is well-documented, providing guides for various operations like creating cards, managing lists, and automating workflows. For full API capabilities and request formats, consult the Trello API Introduction.