kanNINJA vs Trello
Honest about where each one wins.
Trello invented the modern kanban board and it shows. It is simple, free, and beloved. We built kanNINJA because Trello stopped getting better around 2019 — and the work changed.
Trello positions itself as “the visual tool that empowers your team.”
Pick the right tool
Two real answers.
We’d rather you use the right tool than the one we sell. Here is when each one is right.
Pick Trello if
- ○You want the simplest possible board with no learning curve.
- ○Your team already lives inside Atlassian (Jira, Confluence) and the integration matters.
- ○You don't need real-time presence, AI suggestions, or proper time tracking.
- ○You're using the free tier and never plan to upgrade — Trello's free tier is genuinely generous.
Pick kanNINJA if
- ●You want AI as a quiet second pair of eyes, not a Power-Up you have to install.
- ●Real-time presence — seeing your teammate move a card as it happens — matters to your workflow.
- ●You'd like time tracking, custom fields, and analytics in the box, not as paid add-ons.
- ●You care about the craft of the tool itself — drag latency, typography, the feel of using it.
Side by side
Feature for feature.
Trello cards are notes on a board. kanNINJA cards are units of work that the AI watches, the team sees move in real time, and the analytics quietly account for. Same shape, different center of gravity.
| Feature | kanNINJA | Trello |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | Yes — generous on purpose | Yes — limited boards on free |
| Real-time presence avatars | Yes, native | No |
| AI built in | Yes — 12 techniques (Pro) | Atlassian Intelligence add-on |
| Time tracking | Yes, in the card | Power-Up (paid) |
| Custom fields | Yes, native | Power-Up (paid) |
| Cycle time / velocity charts | Yes, in the box | Power-Up (paid) |
| MCP server for AI agents | Yes — 15 tools | No |
| Drag latency Trello’s board view degrades past ~500 cards. | Sub-frame, measured in CI | Noticeable on big boards |
| Pricing entry (paid) | $8 / user / month | $5 / user / month |
Real questions
What people ask about Trello.
- Can I import my Trello boards?
- Not yet. Import is real work and we'd rather build the things you came here for first. For now, the manual copy from Trello is two evenings of work — we won't pretend otherwise.
- Is kanNINJA built on Atlassian?
- No. kanNINJA is independent — built by wizeworks. We have nothing against Atlassian; we just wanted to make different choices about feel and pace.
- Why not just use Trello with Power-Ups?
- You can. The trade-off is that Power-Ups are bolted on — each one has its own settings, its own bills, and its own UI. kanNINJA bakes time tracking, custom fields, presence, and AI into the same surface.
- Is your free tier really free?
- Yes. No card required, no trial that flips to paid, no feature that quietly disables after 14 days. The free tier is generous on purpose.
- How does the AI compare to Atlassian Intelligence?
- Atlassian Intelligence is a sidebar that summarizes. kanNINJA's AI watches how the board actually moves, so it can suggest the next kata in your real workflow — not a generic summary of cards.
- Does kanNINJA have a mobile app?
- Not a native one yet. The web version is mobile-first — touch drag works, the layout adapts, and you can install it as a PWA. Native iOS and Android are on the list.
Try the other answer
One kata away from leaving Trello.
Free until you outgrow it. Most people never do.
