Asana vs monday.com (2026): features, security and which one to buy
Asana and monday.com compared on what they do, who they suit, their key features, pros and cons, and what each vendor publishes on security, admin and contract terms, with every fact checked on October 24, 2026.
Asana or monday.com: the short answer
Choose Asana if
- Cross-functional teams that want timelines and unlimited automations from the Starter tier.
- Companies needing EU, Australia or Japan data hosting (Enterprise add-on)
Choose monday.com if
- Small and mid-size teams that want customizable boards and many automations.
- Teams that need data hosting in the US, Germany or Australia.
What are Asana and monday.com?
Asana
Work management platform with list, board, timeline and Gantt views, where resource management and portfolios start at the Advanced tier. Cross-functional teams wanting timelines and unlimited automations early will find the Starter tier sufficient. Anything involving portfolios, goals or resource management means Advanced, and SAML SSO or audit logs mean Enterprise. EU, Australia or Japan hosting is an Enterprise add-on.
monday.com
Board-based work management platform with a 3-seat minimum on paid plans and quote-based pricing above 40 users. Customizable boards and generous automation quotas suit small and mid-size teams. Before signing, count seats: paid plans begin at three, and above 40 users you must request a quote. German, US or Australian hosting is selectable, and time tracking needs Pro.
Asana vs monday.com: features compared
| Asana | monday.com | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Work management platform with list, board, timeline and Gantt views, where resource management and portfolios start at the Advanced tier. | Board-based work management platform with a 3-seat minimum on paid plans and quote-based pricing above 40 users. |
| Best for | Cross-functional teams that want timelines and unlimited automations from the Starter tier. | Small and mid-size teams that want customizable boards and many automations. |
| Company size | Small teams to enterprise. | G2 Learn article reports 63% small business, 29% mid-market, 8% enterprise users. |
| Task views and planning | List, board, calendar on Personal; timeline and Gantt from Starter. | Timeline/Gantt and calendar from Standard. |
| Workflow automation | Unlimited automations from Starter. | 250 actions/month Standard, 25,000 Pro, 250,000 Enterprise. |
| Workload and resource management | Resource management within portfolios on Advanced; organization-wide on Enterprise. | Portfolio and resource management on Enterprise. |
| Time tracking and budgets | Timesheets and Budgets add-on on Starter; time tracking comparing estimated vs actual effort on Advanced. | Time tracking on Pro. |
| Reporting and dashboards | Portfolios and goals on Advanced. | Not published |
| Integrations | Not published | 250 integration actions/month Standard, 25,000 Pro. |
| Free plan or trial | Free plan | Free plan, Free trial |
| Starting price | $10.99 per user/month billed annually (Starter) | $9 per seat/month billed annually (Basic), min. 3 seats |
| G2 rating | 4.4 (13,232 reviews) | 4.7 (15,000 reviews) |
Pros and cons
Asana
Best for
- Cross-functional teams that want timelines and unlimited automations from the Starter tier.
- Companies needing EU, Australia or Japan data hosting (Enterprise add-on)
Not ideal for
- Teams needing SAML SSO or audit logs below Enterprise.
- Very small groups that need more than 2 users free.
monday.com
Cons
- Reviewers often cite price as the main drawback.
Asana vs monday.com pricing
For 20 users on the cheapest plan that fits, monday.com costs $2,160 a year and Asana $2,638 at list price, a difference of $478.
| Asana | monday.com | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | per user | per user |
| Per seat per month | $24.99 per user/month billed annually on Advanced (Starter $10.99 lacks resource management) | $12 per seat/month billed annually (Standard, 3 seats minimum); $19 on Pro for time tracking. |
| Billing | Monthly and annual. | Monthly and annual. |
| 20 users per year | $2,638 (Starter) | $2,160 (Basic) |
| Add-ons | Timesheets & Budgets (Starter, price not published); AI requests $0.50 prepaid / $0.60 pay-as-you-go; Data residency (Enterprise, price not published) | Not published |
Security, admin and contract: Asana vs monday.com
What each vendor states publicly about single sign-on, provisioning, audit logs, data location and the contract. A blank is a question for the sales call, not a no.
| Asana | monday.com | |
|---|---|---|
| SAML SSO | Enterprise (SAML); Microsoft SSO can be required on paid plans. | Not published |
| SCIM provisioning | Enterprise. | Not published |
| Audit logs | Enterprise. | Not published |
| Data residency | Europe, Australia, Japan data centers, opt-in add-on on Enterprise. | US, Germany, Australia data centers; assigned by account creator location. |
| Contract | Monthly plan available; cancel anytime, keep access to period end; no refunds. | Annual paid upfront; yearly plans cancelled within 30 days get partial refund; no refund for downgrades. |
Differences most comparisons miss
Worth knowing about Asana
- SAML SSO, SCIM and audit logs are Enterprise only; paid lower plans only allow requiring Microsoft SSO.
- Data residency (Europe, Australia, Japan) is an opt-in Enterprise add-on.
- No refunds; seat additions come in steps (1 at a time for 2-5 users, 5 up to 30, 10 up to 100)
- Monthly billing costs about 23% more than annual on Starter and Advanced (13.49 vs 10.99; 30.49 vs 24.99)
Worth knowing about monday.com
- Paid plans have a 3-seat minimum; above 40 users a quote is required.
- Per vendor FAQ monthly billing is not discounted and annual saves 18%.
- Resource and portfolio management only on Enterprise; time tracking only from Pro.
- Data is hosted in the US, Germany or Australia based on where the first account creator is located.
Asana vs monday.com: frequently asked questions
Which is better, Asana or monday.com?
It depends on the team. Asana is the stronger pick for cross-functional teams that want timelines and unlimited automations from the Starter tier, while monday.com suits small and mid-size teams that want customizable boards and many automations. Compare the feature rows above against your must-haves before you look at price.
Do Asana and monday.com support SAML single sign-on?
Asana: enterprise (SAML); Microsoft SSO can be required on paid plans. monday.com: not stated on its public pages. Confirm the plan in writing before you compare prices.
Is monday.com cheaper than Asana?
At list price for 20 users on the cheapest plan that fits, monday.com costs $2,160 a year and Asana $2,638. Add-ons, higher tiers and annual versus monthly billing can change that order.
Can I try Asana and monday.com for free?
Asana: free plan. monday.com: free plan, free trial.
Sources
Both columns use the same sources: vendor pricing and product pages, documentation, G2 and company records, checked on October 24, 2026. Full source lists are on the Asana and monday.com reviews.