Kanban Tool vs Kanban Zone (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Kanban Tool grades higher than Kanban Zone: 2.2 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 9, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Kanban Tool grades higher on the free plan. They get the same grade on value for money, features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Kanban Tool
Online kanban boards with time tracking and flow analytics
Kanban Zone
Kanban boards with flow metrics, automation and built-in AI
Which one is for you
Pick Kanban Tool if
- Fits if your team runs kanban with WIP limits and flow metrics
- Works for organizations that must keep board data on their own servers and can buy 10 seats or more
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you're staying free, with 2 boards, 2 users and no file attachments
- Pricey if you need time tracking, automation or user groups, which are only on Enterprise at $11 a user a month
- Skip it if you're a small team wanting to self-host, as On-Site comes in 10-user annual packs with pricing on request
- Watch out: annual billing exists, but the pricing page doesn't say what it costs
- Not for you if you want a desktop app, as it runs on the web, iPhone and Android only
Pick Kanban Zone if
- Fits if you run work as Kanban and want flow metrics
- Works for teams that want boards connected across projects
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you stay on Navigator, which has 10 boards, 10 automations and 10 AI credits a month
- Pricey if you use AI heavily, as AI Packs are $29 to $139 a month on top
- Skip it if you want a free plan, as only a trial is listed
- Not for you if you want phone or desktop apps, as none were found
- Watch out: plans also cap API calls
How we grade them
| 2.2GPAKanban ToolFair | 2.0GPAKanban ZoneFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CTeam is $6 a user a month, between the low and the high end of this category, and it brings unlimited boards, attachments and board analytics. Time tracking and automation need Enterprise at $11, and the pricing page never says what annual billing costs. | C$8.80 per license a month billed yearly for Navigator, between the cheaper quarter and the middle of the category. That plan has 10 boards. |
| Free plan and trial | CFree is 2 boards and 2 users with no file attachments at all, so you'll be mailing documents around within a week. The 14-day trial of a paid plan needs no card, at least. | D30-day free trial, but no free plan and card terms are not stated. |
| Features | CKanban with swimlanes, work-in-progress limits, real-time updates, a cumulative flow diagram and cycle time reports, with 30-odd Power-Ups for a calendar, dependencies and checklists. That's one method rather than the whole job, and time tracking and automation are Enterprise-only. | CFlow metrics, connected boards, automation and templates. It does the Kanban job fully, which is a smaller job than full project management. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. The templates and the AI Assistant that drafts a board from a description help, but the work is still designing your own columns, swimlanes and WIP limits, which is the bit teams argue about. | CNo store rating on record. You design boards and automations yourself. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with no desktop app. It connects to Zapier, Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, Box and Outlook, there are developer tools for your own styles and scripts, and On-Site installs on your own server. | BWeb app with Zapier, Make, Trello and an API. No desktop or phone apps; the site is responsive web design. |
| Best for | kanban with WIP limits and flow charts | Kanban boards with flow metrics |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Kanban Tool and Kanban Zone. How we grade
Price against what you get
Kanban Tool starts at $6 a month for each person and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Kanban Zone starts at $8.80 a month for each person and scores 2.3.
They score the same, and Kanban Tool starts $2.80 a month lower. Of the other project management tools on the chart, 16 score higher than Kanban Tool for less, and 29 score higher than Kanban Zone for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Kanban Tool is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Kanban Tool also covers time tracking.
- Kanban Zone also covers templates and AI agents.
At a glance
| Kanban Tool | Kanban Zone | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | $6 per user / month | $8.80 per license / month, billed yearly |
| Free plan | 2 boards and 2 users, with no file attachments, time tracking, process automation or user groups. | None |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial of the chosen plan, no credit card required | 30-day free trial |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Kanban Tool sp. z o.o. | Kanban Zone |
| Price read from | kanbantool.com | kanbanzone.com |
| Checked | Oct 9, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Kanban Tool
- The Free plan is limited to 2 boards and 2 users and has no file attachments.
- Time tracking, process automation and user groups are only on the Enterprise plan at $11 per user / month.
- The pricing page shows one per-user monthly price; annual billing exists, but its price is not listed.
- Kanban Tool On-Site is sold in 10-user annual license packs, with pricing only on request.
Kanban Zone
- Plans are sold per license with limits on boards, automations, AI credits and API calls.
- AI Packs are extra: $29 for 250 credits, $79 for 750 and $139 for 1,500, each per month.
- The pricing page shows yearly-billed figures with a 20% saving; no monthly rate is displayed in the text we read.
- No desktop or mobile apps were found; the site describes a responsive web design.
Key features
Kanban Tool
- Kanban boards with swimlanes
- Work is shown as cards on boards with horizontal swimlanes, work-in-progress limits, collapsible columns and predefined, customizable board templates.
- Real-time collaboration
- Board changes appear across team devices as they happen, with comments, task assignments, email notifications and due date reminders.
- Flow analytics
- A cumulative flow diagram, cycle time reports and breakdown charts show where work is piling up. Board analytics are included on every plan.
- Time tracking and automation
- The Enterprise plan adds time tracking with time reports and process automation. Recurring and postponed tasks with reminders are also listed.
- Power-Ups
- More than 30 optional Power-Ups add an interactive calendar, task dependencies, card covers, checklists and developer tools for custom styles and scripts.
- AI Assistant
- The assistant builds a board from a description of the work and suggests checklist items and tasks, using an OpenAI integration.
Kanban Zone
- Flow metrics
- Advanced metrics include cumulative flow, cycle time, throughput, arrival rate, flow efficiency and abandoned effort.
- Connected boards and portfolio views
- Boards can be linked and mirrored across teams, with organization and portfolio views and table, list and calendar layouts.
- Automation and AI agents
- Board automations and AI agents work inside cards, with monthly AI credits that vary by plan. A page covers connecting to Claude, ChatGPT or Gemini through MCP.
- Service level expectations
- Boards support service level expectations, classes of service, custom fields, card templates and recurring cards.
- Integrations and API
- Zapier and Make connections, an API with webhooks, card creation by email and a Trello import are listed.
- Templates for methods and teams
- Ready-made boards cover Scrum, Waterfall, GTD, OKR, Flight Levels and business uses such as hiring or sales leads.
Plans
Kanban Tool
Free$0
2 boards and 2 users, without file attachments.
Team$6
per user / month; annual billing also offered, price not listed
Unlimited boards and file attachments, with real-time board updates and board analytics.
Enterprise$11
per user / month; annual billing also offered, price not listed
Everything in Team, plus time tracking and reporting, user groups management and process automation.
Kanban Tool On-SiteCustom
The Enterprise product installed on your own server, sold in 10-user annual license packs with pricing on request.
Kanban Zone
Navigator$8.80
per license / month, billed yearly
10 boards, 10 automations, 10 AI credits a month, 25 free guests, email support. $105.60 per license a year.
Coordinator$16.80
per license / month, billed yearly
100 boards, automations and AI credits, 25 to 250 free guests, email and call support. $201.60 per license a year.
Operator$24.80
per license / month, billed yearly
500 boards, automations and AI credits, 50 to 500 free guests, direct support, 10-year data retention. $297.60 a year.
Ways to pay less
Kanban Tool
- Nonprofit
Nonprofit pricing on request
Kanban Tool says it gives significant discounts to non-profit organizations. The amount is not published and is arranged by contacting the company.
- Education
Educational pricing on request
Educational organizations are offered discounted pricing on the same terms: no published rate, arranged by contacting the company.
- Other savings
Reduced pricing above 50 users
The support pages state that accounts with more than 50 users get reduced pricing, arranged with the sales team.
Kanban Zone
- Annual discount
20% off with yearly billing
The pricing page says yearly plans include a 20% discount, and plans can be switched between monthly and yearly at any time.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Kanban Tool or Kanban Zone?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Kanban Tool is cheaper to start with: $6 a month for each person, against $8.80 a month for each person for Kanban Zone. Kanban Tool starts at $6 per user / month, and Kanban Zone starts at $8.80 per license / month, billed yearly.
Which has a free plan, Kanban Tool or Kanban Zone?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Kanban Tool has a free plan. Kanban Zone does not, though it has a free trial.
Which platforms do Kanban Tool and Kanban Zone run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Kanban Tool lists iOS and Android apps. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.