One app to replace them all
ClickUp is an all-in-one productivity platform. Trustpilot: 3.3/5 from 454 reviews. Complaints: '5+ seconds to load', 'no UX designer', 'extremely aggressive marketing', crashes. Founded 2017, aims to replace all work tools.
Patterns extracted from real user feedback — not raw reviews.
Users consistently report ClickUp being 'practically unusable — slow, extremely slow.' One user described it as 'the worst tool currently on the market' due to performance. On Safari it 'basically doesn't work at all.' Screen updates don't show for some users while others see them, causing sync issues.
Users report collecting '~50 ClickUp Bug IDs over a couple hundred emails with support' with 'an average turnaround time of ~8 months on bug fixes.' The platform has a public feature request titled 'Fix existing bugs rather than add new features' reflecting widespread frustration. Bugs range from minor loading issues to major data loss.
Users report 'I wasn't always notified when someone assigned me a task.' Missed notifications lead to missed work and deadlines. The notification system's unreliability undermines the core purpose of task management.
ClickUp tries to 'cram in so many features simultaneously that it feels like a cluttered mess.' New users find it 'overwhelming' with too many 'features, settings and customization options.' The same flexibility that makes it powerful also makes it 'confusing when first starting out.' Teams report spending significant time just learning the system.
Users report 'every sprint planning session is a pain' with issues across 'different browsers, OS, connection speed' where 'things load partially, they load and they are not updated.' Board constantly crashes or does not load. Sprint dates cannot be edited. This makes Agile workflows frustrating.
Users report 'the gantt chart bugs and dependency inconsistencies are costing us hours of time to manage.' Dependencies don't work reliably, making project scheduling unreliable. Teams needing proper project scheduling often find ClickUp inadequate.
The mobile version 'needs quite a bit of work - it's less intuitive and crashes often.' Users report the mobile app has 'terrible' support and doesn't match the desktop experience. For teams needing on-the-go project management, this is a significant limitation.
Users discovered that 'attachments, clips, and forms are all completely publicly accessible' because 'they have a link that anyone can access, even without a ClickUp account with no authentication required.' This is a serious security concern for teams handling sensitive data.
Guest seats are 'ClickUp's most overlooked cost driver.' Enterprise customer data shows guest seats can add 15-30% to total contract value if not properly negotiated. Optional add-ons include extra guests at $5/guest/month, extra automations at $10/25,000 actions.
One user was 'locked out of the Notes feature without warning, requiring an upgrade from $10 to $19 per license.' Recent billing changes have left teams 'staring at bills that have jumped tenfold.' The Unlimited plan price increased from $5 to $7 per user.
ClickUp Brain (AI) is a paid add-on starting at $5/user/month for basic features, or $9/user/month for AI Standard, up to $28/user/month for AI Autopilot. This can significantly increase costs - a Business plan at $12 jumps to $17-40 per user with AI features.
Users report 'it takes time for them to reply, or users are unable to speak to a real person.' When reporting bugs, ClickUp often says 'they cannot reproduce the issue' even when users have video evidence. Support described as having 'confusing policies, no communication, and a total lack of accountability.'
Generous free plan with core features
ClickUp's Free Forever plan includes unlimited tasks and members, which is more generous than many competitors. While limited in storage (60MB) and some features, it allows teams to evaluate the platform extensively before paying.
Extremely flexible and customizable
ClickUp offers unparalleled customization with custom fields, views, statuses, and workflows. Teams can configure the platform to match almost any process. The hierarchy system (Workspace > Space > Folder > List > Task) provides granular organization.
All-in-one platform reduces tool sprawl
ClickUp combines tasks, docs, whiteboards, goals, time tracking, and chat in one platform. Teams appreciate not needing separate subscriptions for multiple tools. The 'one app to replace them all' promise resonates with those tired of context-switching.
Competitive pricing compared to alternatives
At $7/user/month for Unlimited (annual), ClickUp is more affordable than Monday.com ($9+) and Asana ($10.99+). The feature-to-price ratio is strong, especially for teams that can work around the bugs.
Multiple view options for different work styles
ClickUp offers List, Board, Calendar, Gantt, Timeline, Workload, Table, and Map views. Teams can switch between views based on preference or task type. This flexibility accommodates different working styles within the same team.
Users: Unlimited members
Storage: 60MB total (not per user)
Limitations: No guests, limited automations, no 2FA, no permissions, activity history limited
Users: Unlimited
Storage: Unlimited
Limitations: No advanced automations, no workload management, no SSO, limited activity history (7 days)
Users: Unlimited
Storage: Unlimited
Limitations: No SSO, no advanced permissions, no enterprise security features
Users: Unlimited
Storage: Unlimited
Limitations: Annual contract required, pricing negotiation necessary
Budget-conscious teams willing to work around bugs
At $7/user/month with a generous free tier, ClickUp offers excellent value if your team can tolerate occasional bugs. The feature set is comprehensive for the price.
Teams wanting to consolidate multiple tools
The all-in-one approach (tasks, docs, whiteboards, goals, chat) can replace multiple subscriptions. For teams tired of tool sprawl, ClickUp's breadth is appealing despite its rough edges.
Power users who love customization
ClickUp's extensive customization options are unmatched. If you enjoy configuring workflows, custom fields, and automation, and have patience for the learning curve, ClickUp rewards the investment.
Marketing teams
All-in-one appeal: docs, whiteboards, task management. Marketing teams love having everything in one place without extra tool costs.
Project managers
Dashboards, time tracking, goals, and multiple views. PMs get comprehensive project visibility. But complexity requires training investment.
Engineering teams
Has sprint features but UI can be overwhelming. Engineers often prefer Linear's speed or Jira's maturity. ClickUp tries to do everything which can slow workflows.
Teams needing stable, bug-free software
ClickUp's persistent bugs and slow performance make it unsuitable for teams that need reliable, consistent software. Users report 8-month average bug fix times and issues that persist for years.
Safari/macOS users
Users report ClickUp 'basically doesn't work at all' on Safari. Performance issues are more pronounced on macOS. Teams primarily using Apple products should look elsewhere.
Teams handling sensitive data
The security issue where attachments and forms are publicly accessible without authentication is concerning. Teams with strict security requirements should consider alternatives with better access controls.
Agile teams relying on sprint management
Sprint planning is described as 'painful' with constant loading issues, boards that crash, and inability to edit sprint dates. Teams practicing Scrum/Agile should consider Jira or Linear.
Common buyer's remorse scenarios reported by users.
Teams invest significant time learning ClickUp's complex interface and building custom workflows, only to discover performance degrades as they add more data. What worked during setup becomes unusably slow in production.
Teams build processes around features like Gantt dependencies or automations, then discover these features have persistent bugs. With 8-month average fix times, they're stuck with broken workflows or must rebuild elsewhere.
Teams attracted by the promise of replacing multiple tools discover that while ClickUp does many things, it doesn't do any of them as well as dedicated tools. Docs aren't as good as Notion, sprints aren't as good as Jira.
Teams start with low per-user costs but find AI features, guest seats, and extra automations adding up. Some report bills jumping 'tenfold' due to pricing changes or add-on requirements they didn't anticipate.
Teams discover the mobile app is too buggy and unintuitive for field workers or remote team members. The gap between desktop and mobile experience creates workflow problems.
Scenarios where this product tends to fail users.
ClickUp 'basically doesn't work at all' on Safari. Teams with Mac-primary users or those who can't use Chrome face severe performance issues making the platform unusable.
Agile teams relying on ClickUp for sprint planning hit walls: boards crash, things load partially, sprint dates can't be edited. What should be a quick ceremony becomes a multi-hour ordeal.
Organizations discover attachments and forms are publicly accessible without authentication. Sensitive data may have been exposed. Security-conscious industries (healthcare, finance) face compliance issues.
Small teams with a ClickUp champion can work around bugs. As team grows, not everyone has patience for workarounds. Frustration spreads, adoption fails, and the tool becomes a liability rather than asset.
Automations that work during testing fail intermittently in production. Tasks don't get assigned, notifications don't fire, deadlines are missed. The unreliability undermines trust in the system.
Monday.com
Teams wanting a more visual, stable platform switch to Monday.com. While more expensive, it's described as more polished and reliable for everyday use.
Jira
Development teams needing reliable sprint management and issue tracking switch to Jira. While less pretty, Jira's stability and developer integrations are more mature.
Codecks
Game dev teams have switched to Codecks, with one stating they 'migrated everything and it feels like we can breathe again' after 2 years of ClickUp friction.
Asana
Teams switch for cleaner, more focused experience. Gain: less cluttered UI, faster performance, better mobile. Trade-off: fewer features, more expensive.
Linear
Engineering teams switch for speed and simplicity. Gain: blazing fast UI, keyboard-first, beautiful design. Trade-off: engineering-focused only.
Notion
Teams wanting flexibility switch to Notion. Gain: more customizable databases, better docs. Trade-off: less structured PM workflows.
