Trello for Mac: desktop app guide + best Trello alternatives

Task management and productivity often go hand-in-hand. This is especially true as working from home grows in popularity, whether full or part-time, many who spend most of their time looking at a screen for work have found that working from home can be just as rewarding and productive as going to an office.

There are options for staying productive without being in an office. Trello is a popular web-based app for project management, which has been mimicked as a Trello for Mac app. 

Here, we’ll discuss how to use Trello, and some Trello alternatives if you’re not happy with the Trello app for Mac.

Is there a Trello app for Mac? How to download & use the desktop app

All told, Trello is available just about anywhere you want it to be. Its home is on the web, and the native Trello desktop app mimics it directly. The iOS and Android apps feel a bit more native to those platforms, but the utility is the same as Trello Mac.

You can download Trello for Mac directly from the Mac App Store, too. Here’s how:

1. Go to the Trello download in the Mac App Store
2. Click the Get button in the top right corner.
3. Click Open from the Mac App Store, open it from the Finder, or in your control center. 

From there, you will need to log in using your Google or Microsoft credentials, or set up a unique email and password combo as your Trello login.

Trello vs alternatives: Feature comparison table

Here’s a quick comparison of the different features offered by Trello and its alternatives.

App	Best for	Board view	Calendar integration	Automation	Price
Trello	Web-based project boards	Kanban boards	Paid plans only	Limited on free plan	Free, from $5/user/mo
Pagico	Project planning with calendar	Kanban boards + Snapshot	Built-in calendar view	Not available	Setapp Membership  from $9.99 + tax/mo
Be Focused	Deep work with Pomodoro timer	No boards	No calendar	No automation	Setapp Membership  from $9.99 + tax/mo
GoodTask	Apple Reminders power users	No boards	Calendar view included	Task rules available	Setapp Membership  from $9.99 + tax/mo
2Do	Fast list-based tasks	No boards	Calendar view included	Repeating tasks	Setapp Membership  from $9.99 + tax/mo

If you're not sure where to start, the Productivity Tools assistant is a quick shortcut I keep coming back to. Describe how you work, and it points you toward tools worth trying — no endless comparison tabs needed.

Best Trello alternatives for Mac (free & paid options)

Though very popular, Trello likely won’t leave everyone happy. It can suit many needs, but yours may be different, or Trello may be too much for you. You may find that the Trello alternative you’ve decided to try is actually better suited to your needs!

Pagico — Best Trello alternative for calendar-based project planning

Pagico is one of the closest rivals to Trello for Mac, and it does a few things I haven't seen elsewhere.

Instead of centering everything on a board, it keeps your focus on what needs attention right now. The calendar integration is genuinely clever: project tasks sit alongside your meetings and appointments in one view.

I also like that notes live separately from tickets front and center, not buried in a task thread. And Snapshot gives managers a single view of the entire project: progress, problem areas, and timeline. One of the best manager-facing features I've come across.

More on the app:

• Best for: Managing project tasks and calendar in one view
• Platforms: Mac / Windows / iOS
• Available on Setapp: Yes 

 «As a Product Marketing Manager handling multiple projects at once, I need a clear view of tasks, deadlines, and content. Pagico brings everything into one organized place, helping me stay on track and manage progress across campaigns more effectively», says Oleksandra Melnyk, Product Marketing Manager.

Be Focused — Best Pomodoro-style companion to Trello for deep work

If you’re looking at a project management tool because you lack focus, I recommend Be Focused. It’s designed for keeping your nose to the grindstone and your attention limited to the task at hand. It lives in your Mac’s menu bar, which was done to move the app itself out of your way so you can settle in and focus on completing your work.

One of the most interesting features of Be Focused is its project management tooling. You can set projects for the type of work you’ll be doing, as well as the duration you’d like to focus on. An example: you could set a one-hour timer for “writing” and keep your head down until the final bell sounded.

Be Focused lets you schedule breaks and shows you how much time you’ve focused on tasks with its goal tracker. Instead of fiddling with tickets and boards, Be Focused triggers your mind to drill down on the task at hand.

More on the app:

• Best for: Working in intense bursts to boost focus
• Platforms: Mac / iOS
• Available on Setapp: Yes 

 «Be Focused is an app that keeps me on track. I set a 25‑minute timer, dive into writing, and by the break time I’ve written far more than I ever did in a constant 2‑hour session», says Olha Novitska, content writer, expert iOS and Mac app reviewer at Setapp.

GoodTask — Best alternative if you prefer Apple Reminders + Calendar

If you’re thinking, ‘I can just keep track of things with Reminders and Calendar on my Mac,’ GoodTask might be the app you’re looking for. It leans heavily into those two native Apple apps to provide a much better environment for getting things done.

Not only can you create new reminders with GoodTask, but it also lets you schedule them in the same way you would via the Reminders app. There’s also a handy calendar view to see where your reminders have been scheduled.

What we really like is the app’s ability to push reminders around. You can quickly delay something by a few minutes or a few hours, change its category, add sub-tasks, and manage its importance level. It’s a sophisticated way to manage simple to-do items when you don’t need a full project board.

More on the app:

• Best for: Supercharging Apple Reminders 
• Platforms: Mac / iOS
• Available on Setapp: Yes

Already using Apple Reminders? GoodTask makes it actually powerful. Delay tasks, add subtasks, and manage priority, without leaving Apple's ecosystem. Try GoodTask free.

Read also:

• Project Management Software for Mac
• Goal Tracker Apps
• How to Create an Effective Project Plan
• Gantt Chart for Project Management

2Do — Best lightweight task manager alternative to Trello lists

2Do takes all the great things about Trello and boils it down to a fast, performant task management app that keeps you focused and accomplishing your goals. While Trello leans into the Kanban board view, 2Do gets right into the list view as a means to help you manage tasks.

When you add a task, 2Do lets you add or manage tags for the task, add a picture or voice note, set alerts and duration, and schedule it to repeat as needed.

If there’s one really smart feature, it’s voice notes. We like that 2Do allows you to commit a note to a task via voice rather than typing it out. This is especially handy if the task involves someone with a name that is hard for you to pronounce. Sometimes hearing it is more helpful than reading a name.

More on the app:

• Best for: Fast, flexible list-based task management
• Platforms: Mac / iOS
• Available on Setapp: Yes

Trello pricing in 2026: Is Trello still free?

Here’s a quick breakdown of the Trello pricing:

• Free – Unlimited cards, up to 10 boards per workspace, 250 Workspace command runs per month.
• Standard ($5/user/mo) – Unlimited boards, advanced checklists, 1,000 Workspace command runs per month.
• Premium ($10/user/mo) – AI, Workspace views, unlimited Workspace command runs.
• Enterprise (from $17.50/user/mo) – Multi-workspace management, org-wide permissions, and Multi-board guests.

The free tier works well for individuals and small teams, but it can feel limiting when you want to automate tasks.

How to choose the best Trello alternative (quick checklist)

Trello alternatives aren’t really trying to do the exact same thing, so it’s good to know the type of feature you are looking for.

• Team or solo? Trello works great for both, but some alternatives may lean more one way or the other. Pagico works well for personal needs and small teams, while GoodTask and 2Do are mostly personal tools.
• Which kind of views do you want? Trello uses the Kanban style of project management, but is it a priority? If so, Pagico uses the same style, with 2Do using a related list-based task management system. 
• Automation requirements. Trello lets you automate a few tasks, so check whether this option is available if you rely on it for efficiency.
• Integrations. Trello allows you to connect to Slack, Google Drive, Dropbox, and lots of other tools. Before switching, confirm the alternative offers the apps you rely on from day to day.
• Budget. All of Pagico, Be Focused, GoodTask, and 2Do are available on Setapp. If you are a subscriber, you don’t need to pay anything extra to install any of them.

Best Trello alternatives for teams vs personal use

If you are managing a team, Pagico is the closest in this list to a true Trello replacement. It uses a Kanban-style board like Trello and gives managers a snapshot view of how everything is going. It also adds a very useful team chat option, a feature that Trello lacks and forces teams to look for a second collaboration tool.

Pagico also works well for individuals, but you can use GoodTask if you just want to enhance Apple Reminders and Calendar with a better interface. 2Do also works well when you just need a simple list-based task management app.

Best free Trello alternatives (if you're switching to avoid paywalls)

Most task management apps offer a free plan, but it’s hard to find one that’s completely free. If you don’t mind a free plan that will probably push you to higher tiers, you can check out popular Trello alternatives like Notion and ClickUp. However, these are mostly targeted towards larger teams.

If you want something completely free but limited, there are free and open-source alternatives. The best are Taiga, Kanboard, and Wekan. 

Other than that, what comes closest to free Trello alternatives is that if you have a Setapp subscription, you can install task management apps for free. The subscription provides access to Pagico, GoodTask, 2Do, and hundreds of other apps at no extra charge.

Google and Microsoft ecosystem options (if you live in Workspace or 365)

If your team runs on Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, there are some obvious places to look before you go all out on a Trello alternative.

Google Tasks and Google Keep are basic, but they are free and already inside Workspace. Neither really has the board view that Trello offers, but they make it easy to manage simple tasks alongside Gmail and Calendar.

On the Microsoft side, MS Planner is very similar to Trello. It’s a full project management tool that uses the Kanban-style board with stacked cards for different tasks. It also integrates with other Microsoft apps, such as Teams and SharePoint.

Migration tips: How to move from Trello to another app

If you’ve decided it’s time to move away from Trello, the process is actually painless.

1. Export your Trello data. On the menu bar, click the menu button (three dots) > Print, export and share > Export as JSON.
2. Check what your new app can import. Most Trello alternatives support importing JSON files, but it’s always good to confirm if you have a project you want to move.
3. Migrate attachments. Files aren’t part of the JSON export file, so download them from Trello and upload them to your new tool.

Don’t just try to replicate everything, as it’s also a chance to see what the new tool offers.

What is Trello? (Boards, lists, cards, and key features)

Trello is a collaborative project management service for use with distributed teams. It can also be used by individuals for things like to-do lists or projects around the home.

The service uses a Kanban style of project management, mimicking a whiteboard. It allows you to create tickets, which are like post-it notes, and apply them to columns on your board. Each column is typically representative of a step in the process of the project; as you move your tickets or cards (however you’d like to refer to them) along the board, it shows their place in the overall process.

You can also view Trello boards as lists, if that’s more pleasing to your eye.

Here are some other great features of Trello:

• Integration. Trello integrates with several other services. It can be used within Google Drive, Slack, Dropbox, Evernote, and more.
• It’s mobile. Alongside the Trello Mac app, it has native apps for Android and iOS to keep you organized on the go.
• Automation. You can set triggers to occur when tickets/cards are moved. If a teammate should take over when a card is moved from one column to another, automation triggers can automatically assign those tickets to them.
• Sub-tasks. Your tickets can have sub-tasks and dependencies, ensuring your project moves along at the pace it’s supposed to without leaving things undone.
• Due-dates. Boards, cards, and sub-tasks can have due dates, ensuring you and your team know the deadlines.

Which Trello alternative is best for you on Mac?

Trello makes task management easy. Many like it for its deep utility, but it’s not always useful. If you’re trying to manage personal tasks or have a small team, Trello may feel like overkill.

This is why I prefer one or more of the apps mentioned today:

• Pagico is a really solid Trello replacement.
• GoodTask and 2Do both scale the feature set of Trello down so you can get things done.
• Be Focused is a great addition to any (or all) of these apps as it fits a niche none have in their quiver.

Four Trello alternatives in one subscription with seven days free. Pagico, GoodTask, 2Do, and Be Focused are all on Setapp — plus 250+ other Mac apps at no extra charge. Browse all apps on Setapp.

Best Trello alternatives – FAQ

Is there a better alternative to Trello?

Yes, there are several alternatives to Trello, but what’s better depends on what you are actually looking for. If you want something a bit different that uses similar logic, Pagico is the best Trello alternative. If Trello feels like overkill for personal tasks, GoodTask and 2Do are much lighter and faster. 

Is there a Trello app for Mac?

Yes, Trello has a Mac desktop app you can download from the Mac App Store.  It looks more like the web version, but that’s still good for continuity.

Is Trello no longer free?

Trello still has a free plan that works well for individuals and small teams. If you need automation, the paid tiers start at $ 5 per user per month. 

Is there a Google alternative to Trello?

The closest Google alternatives to Trello are Google Tasks and Google Keep. Together, they cover basic task and note management, although they don’t replicate Trello's Kanban board view.

I'm leaving Trello. Any recommendations?

If you are leaving Trello to go for something that’s a bit more suitable for personal and small team task management, Pagico is one of the best alternatives. It still uses the Kanban board style but offers more features like team chat and direct Calendar integration. Otherwise, 2Do and GoodTask are great personal task management tools.

What project management software is a good alternative to Trello?

Pagico is a good alternative to Trello for project management as it uses the Kanban board style and integrates quite well with the Calendar. It also has a team chat feature, which Trello lacks.

Are there open-source alternatives to Trello? 

Yes, there are free and open-source alternatives to Trello. Some of the best are Taiga, Kanboard, and Wekan. None has a dedicated macOS app, but they all work well on the browser.