Kanri vs Trello
We give Kanri a 3.4 GPA and Trello a 3.8, out of 4.0. Trello grades higher on features and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Trello
Kanban boards with an inbox, planner and built-in automation
How we grade them
| 3.4GPAKanriVery good | 3.8GPATrelloExcellent | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree and open source, with no paid version at all. Its FAQ says the project makes no money. You get unlimited boards, columns and cards. | AStandard is $5 a user a month billed annually, or $6 monthly, which is the cheap end of this category. It brings unlimited boards, AI features, the full Planner and custom fields. Premium doubles it to $10 for the extra views. |
| Free plan and trial | AThe whole app is free on Windows, Mac and Linux. No account, no limits and no usage tracking. | AFree for up to 10 collaborators per Workspace, with up to 10 boards, unlimited cards and unlimited Power-Ups. A small team could stay here for good. The limits you'll feel are 10MB per file and 250 automation command runs a month. |
| Features | BBoards with your own columns, and cards with a rich-text description, sub-tasks, a due date and tags. Trello boards import with all of that intact. But there's no cloud sync or collaboration, and the data file can't be moved into a synced folder yet. | ABoards, lists and cards, an Inbox that catches to-dos from email and Slack, a Planner that brings your calendar in, built-in automation and Power-Ups. Premium adds Calendar, Timeline, Table, Dashboard and Map views, some of them spanning boards. |
| Ease of use | BNo rating is on record for us to go by, so a B. There's no sign-up and nothing to configure. One snag: the app isn't code-signed, so your computer may flag it, and on Apple Silicon Macs you may need a Terminal command to get it open. | B4.3 from about 7,000 App Store ratings, which is a B on our ladder. The idea itself is as simple as they come: a card moves from one list to the next. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWindows, Mac and Linux, so all three desktop systems are covered. But there's no phone app and no web version, and boards don't sync between machines. Importing from Trello is the one link to anything else. | AWeb, Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android. Power-Ups link boards to Slack, Jira, Miro, Microsoft Teams and Gmail, there's a public API, and an MCP server connects Trello to AI tools. |
| Best for | private kanban boards on one computer | simple kanban boards for small teams |
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: Kanri and Trello. How we grade
Where they differ
- Kanri is free. Trello starts at $5 per user / month, billed annually ($6 billed monthly).
- Only Kanri lists a Linux app.
- Only Trello lists a web app.
- Only Trello lists iOS and Android apps.
- Kanri is open source, according to its own site.
- Trello also covers calendar, Gantt & timelines and workflow automation.
At a glance
| Kanri | Trello | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $5 per user / month, billed annually ($6 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | The whole app is free and open source under GPL v3, with no paid version, no account and no usage tracking. The FAQ says the project generates no revenue. | Free for up to 10 collaborators per Workspace: up to 10 boards, unlimited cards, Inbox, unlimited Power-Ups, 10MB per file and 250 automation command runs a month. |
| Free trial | None listed | 14-day free trial of Trello Premium for any Workspace |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Kanri Team | Atlassian |
| Price read from | kanriapp.com | trello.com |
| Checked | Oct 9, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Kanri
- Personal kanban boards kept on one computer
- Solo developers who want boards without an account
- People moving a board off Trello to a local app
Trello
- Individuals and small teams that plan work on kanban boards
- Groups of up to 10 collaborators sharing a free Workspace
- Teams already using Jira or other Atlassian products
Worth knowing
Kanri
- Desktop only: downloads are offered for Windows, macOS and Linux, with no mobile or web version.
- There is no cloud sync or collaboration, and the FAQ says the data file's location cannot be changed yet, so boards cannot be placed in a synced folder.
- The app is not code-signed, so the operating system may flag it as unsafe; Apple Silicon Mac users may need to run a Terminal command if macOS reports the app as broken.
- The README says the project is still in active development, is provided as is, and that users should make regular backups.
Trello
- The Free plan is capped at 10 collaborators and 10 boards per Workspace, with 10MB per file.
- Calendar, Timeline, Table, Dashboard and Map views are only on Premium and Enterprise.
- AI features and full Planner access start on the Standard plan.
- The Enterprise price is an estimate that depends on user count, and the plan is billed annually.
Key features
Kanri
- Boards, columns and cards
- Unlimited boards, each with customizable columns for the stages of a workflow and cards that move between them.
- Card details
- A card can carry a rich-text description written in a Markdown-like format, along with sub-tasks, a due date and tags.
- Local storage with no account
- All data is stored on the computer in a single JSON file. The app needs no internet connection or sign-up and does not track usage.
- Themes and backgrounds
- Light, dark and Catppuccin themes are included, and custom themes and board background images can be set.
- Keyboard and click shortcuts
- Keyboard shortcuts create, rename and delete columns, add cards and change column zoom. Double-clicking renames a card or edits a sub-task without opening the card.
- Import and export
- Boards exported from Trello as JSON can be imported with their columns, cards, descriptions, sub-tasks, due dates and tags. Single boards or all data can be exported as a backup.
Trello
- Boards, lists and cards
- Work is laid out as cards in lists on a board. Cards are unlimited on every plan; the Free plan allows up to 10 boards per Workspace.
- Inbox
- Captures to-dos from email, Slack and other sources into a personal Inbox. It is included on the Free plan.
- Planner
- Brings a synced calendar into Trello so blocks of focus time can be set aside for work. Full Planner access starts on the Standard plan.
- Automation
- Built-in automation is metered by Workspace command runs: 250 a month on Free, 1,000 on Standard and unlimited on Premium.
- Premium views
- Premium adds Calendar, Timeline, Table, Dashboard and Map views, including Workspace-level views that span boards.
- Power-Ups and integrations
- Power-Ups link boards to other tools, with unlimited Power-Ups per board on every plan. An MCP server connects Trello to AI tools.
Plans
Kanri
Free$0
The complete desktop app for Windows, macOS and Linux, with unlimited boards, columns and cards.
Trello
Free$0
Up to 10 collaborators and 10 boards per Workspace, unlimited cards and Power-Ups, and 250 command runs a month.
Standard$5
per user / month, billed annually ($6 billed monthly)
Unlimited boards, AI features, full Planner, card mirroring, custom fields, 250MB per file and 1,000 command runs a month.
Premium$10
per user / month, billed annually ($12.50 billed monthly)
Adds Calendar, Timeline, Table, Dashboard and Map views, unlimited command runs, and admin and security controls.
Enterprise$17.50
per user / month, billed annually ($210 per user a year)
Estimated price that depends on user count. Adds unlimited Workspaces, organization-wide permissions and Atlassian Guard Standard.
Ways to pay less
Kanri
No public discounts listed.
Trello
- Annual discount
Lower per-user price with annual billing
Standard is $5 per user / month billed annually against $6 monthly (about 17% less), and Premium is $10 against $12.50 (20% less).
- Nonprofit
Atlassian nonprofit discount covers Trello
Trello's pricing FAQ confirms a nonprofit community discount. Atlassian's nonprofit program lists 50-100% off its apps, Trello included, for eligible organizations.
- Education
50% off for academic institutions
Atlassian's licensing page lists academic licenses at 50% off Trello Standard, Premium and Enterprise, and classroom licenses for students and teachers at 75% off Standard and Premium.
