SoftwareDuel

15Five vs Trello

A head-to-head comparison to help you pick the right tool

15Five

15Five is a continuous performance management platform focused on weekly check-ins, OKRs, and employee engagement. It helps managers stay connected with their teams through structured feedback and recognition tools. 15Five is popular with remote and distributed teams that need async communication tools.

Paid pricing · Get Pricing →

Trello

Trello is a visual project management tool based on the Kanban board methodology. It uses cards, lists, and boards to help teams organize tasks and workflows in a simple, visual way. Owned by Atlassian, Trello is one of the most widely used project management tools in the world, known for its simplicity and ease of use.

Freemium pricing · Get Pricing →

Pros

  • Simple and intuitive weekly check-in format that drives adoption
  • Strong OKR and goal-setting tools
  • Excellent manager training and coaching resources
  • Good engagement survey tools with benchmarking

Cons

  • Limited HR functionality beyond performance and engagement
  • No payroll or benefits administration
  • Reporting could be more advanced for data-driven HR teams

Pros

  • Extremely easy to learn and use — teams are productive within minutes
  • Generous free plan with unlimited cards
  • Familiar Kanban interface that most people already understand
  • Large library of power-ups and integrations

Cons

  • Limited project management features beyond Kanban boards
  • Not suitable for complex projects with dependencies
  • Reporting and analytics are basic
  • Timeline and calendar views require paid plan

Our Take

Choose 15Five if companies focused on employee engagement and performance. Choose Trello if small teams and individuals wanting simple, visual kanban-based task management.

Best For

Companies focused on employee engagement and performance

Best For

Small teams and individuals wanting simple, visual Kanban-based task management