Quick answer
nTask - nTask wins for most free-tier buyers because it is easier to start, allows up to 5 team members, and covers more day-to-day project management basics before you have to pay.
How the free tiers compare
Asana’s free plan is tighter but more polished in the areas it includes: it gives you unlimited tasks and projects, solid views, and a large integration catalog, but it stops at 2 users and keeps collaboration light. nTask’s free tier is broader for small teams because it supports up to 5 members and includes a wider slice of operational work, including meetings, time tracking, issue tracking, chat support, multiple assignees, and several calendar and messaging integrations. The tradeoff is that nTask is also capped at 100MB storage and is less clearly differentiated by advanced planning and reporting features in the free tier. Once you pay, Asana moves up to a familiar per-seat ladder with more planning, reporting, and automation depth, while nTask stays much cheaper at the entry paid tier and is better suited to cost-sensitive teams that just need more people on the account.
Asana vs nTask free tier, side by side
| AsanaFTV 49 | nTaskFTV 54 | |
|---|---|---|
| Free usersnTask gives a larger free team limit. | Up to 2 users | Up to 5 team members |
| Tasks and projectsBoth allow unlimited core work items in the free tier. | Unlimited tasks and projects | Unlimited tasks and to-do lists; unlimited workspaces |
| File storageAsana does not state an overall storage cap here, only a per-file limit. | Unlimited storage, 100 MB max per file | 100 MB file storage |
| ViewsBoth cover the basics, with different default view sets. | List, board, calendar views | List, grid, calendar views |
| Support / collaboration extrasnTask exposes more operational features in the free tier. | Status updates; 100+ free integrations | Meeting management, task comments, realtime collaboration, 24/5 chat support, 99.9% uptime SLA |
| Credit card requiredOnly stated where the input explicitly provides ftv_no_cc_required. | Required | Not required |
After you outgrow the free tier
Asana scales with per-seat pricing, starting at Starter and moving to higher per-seat tiers for more reporting, automation, and admin controls. nTask is also per-seat, but its paid ladder starts much cheaper and adds storage and business features at a slower price climb. For a small team, nTask is the cheaper path by a wide margin. Asana becomes the more expensive option sooner if you need multiple paid users, while nTask stays cost-light until you need enterprise procurement features or higher storage.
Cost at real usage
| Usage | Asana | nTask |
|---|---|---|
| 1 user on the paid planAsana’s Starter is per seat; nTask’s Premium is also per seat. | $10.99/mo est. billed annually, or $13.49/mo billed monthly | $3/mo billed yearly |
| 3 users on the paid planBased on the stated per-seat monthly prices. | $32.97/mo est. billed annually | $9/mo billed yearly |
| 5 users on the paid plannTask’s free tier already covers up to 5 team members, so many small teams may not need to pay yet. | $54.95/mo est. billed annually | $15/mo billed yearly |
Estimates, not quotes. Usage-based rates change - verify with the vendor's pricing page before committing.
When to pick each one
Pick Asana when…
- You only need 1 to 2 collaborators and want a cleaner project board for tasks and projects.
- You care more about Asana-style planning views like list, board, and calendar than about meeting or issue workflows.
- You expect to lean on integrations with other apps and want a broad free integration set.
- You want to stay on a familiar product path if you think you will later need timelines, dashboards, automations, or goal tracking.
Pick nTask when…
- You need a free plan for a small team of 3 to 5 people.
- You want built-in meeting management and time tracking on the free tier instead of adding them through other tools.
- You manage issue tracking, comments, and multi-assignee work as part of everyday projects.
- You want no credit card required to start and prefer a lower-friction free signup.
- You are sensitive to cost and expect the first paid step to stay very cheap.
Bottom line
For the most common builder case, nTask is the better free-tier choice because it supports a larger small team and includes more of the operational basics without asking for a card. Asana is the better pick if your team is only one or two people and you care more about a cleaner planning workflow plus a stronger upgrade path into timelines, dashboards, and automations. If you expect to pay soon, nTask is much cheaper at entry. If you expect to grow into deeper portfolio-style project management, Asana has the clearer ladder.
Read the full listings: Asana and nTask. Scores use the FTV methodology at /ftv. Browse more head-to-heads on /compare, or see the top-ranked free tiers on /top.