What is the difference between ClickUp and Plane?

ClickUp is best for Teams that want one tool to replace many, while Plane is best for Teams that want open-source, self-hosted project management. ClickUp starts at $7/user/mo and Plane starts at Free.

Is ClickUp or Plane cheaper?

ClickUp starts at $7/user/mo with a free tier. Plane starts at Free and is free.

Is there a free alternative to Plane?

Both ClickUp and Plane offer free tiers.

ClickUp vs Plane

ClickUp is all-in-one productivity platform combining project management, docs, goals, and whiteboards, while Plane is open-source project management tool for software teams. Self-hostable alternative to Jira and Linear. The biggest difference up front: Plane is free, while ClickUp starts at $7/user/mo. ClickUp is built for teams that want one tool to replace many, whereas Plane targets teams that want open-source, self-hosted project management.

At a glance

	ClickUp	Plane
Best for	Teams that want one tool to replace many	Teams that want open-source, self-hosted project management
Starting price	$7/user/mo	Free
Free tier	✓	✓
Open source	—	✓
Free tier available	✓	✓
Open source	—	✓
Custom Views	✓	—
Cycles	—	✓
Docs	✓	—
Goals	✓	—
Modules	—	✓
Open Source	—	✓
Self-Hosted	—	✓
Time Tracking	✓	—
Views	—	✓
Whiteboards	✓	—

ClickUp

Strengths

Feature-rich — replaces multiple tools
Generous free tier
Highly customizable views and workflows
Good value for money

Weaknesses

Overwhelming number of features — steep learning curve
Can feel slow and buggy
Trying to do too much means nothing is best-in-class
UI can be cluttered

Try ClickUp → Full review

Plane

Strengths

Open source and self-hostable
Clean, modern interface inspired by Linear
Free for unlimited users (self-hosted)
Active development and growing community

Weaknesses

Less mature than established alternatives
Fewer integrations
Self-hosting requires infrastructure management
Some features still in development

Try Plane → Full review

The bottom line

Pricing: Plane is completely free, which makes it the obvious pick if budget is the top concern. ClickUp starts at $7/user/mo, but Free tier with 100MB storage. That cost buys you a more polished or feature-rich experience, so it comes down to whether the extras justify the spend.

Feature gaps: ClickUp offers Custom Views, Docs and Goals that Plane lacks. Plane brings Cycles, Modules and Open Source that ClickUp does not have.

Team fit: ClickUp is geared toward any size teams, while Plane is aimed at small teams teams. Pick the one that matches where your team is today and where it is headed — migrating tools later is always painful.

Open source: Plane is open source, meaning you can self-host, audit the code, and avoid vendor lock-in. ClickUp is proprietary — you are trusting the vendor with your data and uptime.

Where each tool shines: ClickUp's biggest strengths are: feature-rich — replaces multiple tools. generous free tier. Plane's biggest strengths are: open source and self-hostable. clean, modern interface inspired by linear.

Watch out for: With ClickUp, users commonly note that overwhelming number of features — steep learning curve. With Plane, the main complaint is that less mature than established alternatives.

Choose ClickUp if...

Your profile matches its sweet spot: teams that want one tool to replace many
You specifically need Custom Views and Docs
You care about generous free tier
Your team size fits the any size profile ClickUp is designed for
The free tier works for you: free tier with 100mb storage

Choose Plane if...

Your profile matches its sweet spot: teams that want open-source, self-hosted project management
Budget is a hard constraint — Plane is free, ClickUp is not
You need self-hosting, data sovereignty, or the ability to audit source code
You specifically need Cycles and Modules
You care about clean, modern interface inspired by linear