Trello is a simple, visual Kanban tool: cards move across boards for almost any project. Orbit is a simple AI-powered CRM for one person, with a real deal pipeline, a full GTD task system, contacts, and a calendar, all free. If you want flexible boards, Trello fits. If those cards are really deals and people, Orbit fits.
Trello is famous for being easy. Drag a card from one list to the next and you have a working board in minutes. It is flexible enough for editorial calendars, product backlogs, personal projects, or a light sales board, and the free tier goes a long way for small use.
Power-Ups add calendars, automation, and integrations when you need them, and the whole thing stays approachable. For visual project tracking, or a team that thinks in boards, Trello is a proven, low-friction choice. Check their site for current pricing and plan limits.
Side by side on boards, tasks, and the CRM layer Trello does not have.
| Orbit | Trello | |
|---|---|---|
| GTD lists (Inbox, Today, Next, Waiting, Someday) | Model it with lists on a board | |
| Unlimited tasks on the free plan | Free | Free tier has board and card limits, check their site |
| Tasks linked to contacts and deals | ||
| Built-in CRM (contacts and pipeline) | 250 contacts and 1 pipeline free | A board can mimic a pipeline, no real contact records |
| Calendar with drag-to-schedule | Calendar via a Power-Up, check their site | |
| Built-in email inbox | 100 emails/mo free, send and receive | |
| AI assistant | Hiro, with free monthly credits | Check their site |
| Solo-first design | Team boards, works solo too | |
| Free plan | $0 forever, no card | Free tier, check their site |
| Price | Free, or Pro $14/mo | Check their site for current pricing |
Plenty of people run their sales in Trello, one card per lead, lists as pipeline stages. It works until you want the things a board cannot hold: a real contact record, a full history of calls and emails, follow-up tasks tied to the person, and money tracking. That is where a board stops and a CRM begins.
Orbit gives you a real pipeline with drag-between-stages, plus contacts, notes, and a full GTD task system, free for up to 250 contacts and one pipeline. It is a free CRM with the tasks built in, not a board you have to reshape into one. If you mostly need flexible project boards with no contacts, Trello is the lighter, simpler tool, and our Trello alternatives page has more options.
A Trello board can look like a pipeline. Orbit gives you a real one, with the people and tasks attached.
It depends what your board is for. If your cards are really deals and contacts, Orbit is a better fit: it is a free CRM with a real pipeline, tasks, and contact records. If you want flexible boards for any kind of project, Trello stays simpler and lighter.
Yes. Orbit gives you a real deal pipeline with drag-between-stages, plus full contact records, notes, and follow-up tasks tied to each person. A Trello board can mimic a pipeline, but it has no real contact history or built-in email timeline. The free plan covers one pipeline and 250 contacts.
Yes. Tasks, projects, and GTD lists are free on every Orbit plan, with no limit and no credit card. The free plan also includes up to 250 contacts, one pipeline, a calendar, notes, and 100 emails a month from a built-in inbox.
Orbit has a deal pipeline you move cards through by stage, which covers the sales use case people often build in Trello. It is not a general-purpose board tool for any workflow. For flexible project boards, check Trello's site for current features.
Orbit is free forever with no credit card. Pro is $14 a month or $112 a year and adds two-way Google Calendar sync, the Chrome extension, unlimited contacts and pipelines, and more. AI credits are included free every month on every plan.
People running a business mostly alone: founders, consultants, freelancers, and small teams whose Trello board is really a pipeline of deals and people. If you want general project boards with no CRM, Trello may fit better.
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