Back to blog

In-depth review of Trello and alternative AI Task Manager tools

Compare Trello with modern AI task managers. See why teams are switching to board-based tools that work with CLI and AI agents—with real examples.

4 min read

If you've ever searched for "Trello alternative," "best task manager for teams," or "AI task management tools," you're in the right place. Trello helped define how many of us organize work with boards and cards. But as teams rely more on the terminal, automation, and AI agents, the need for a task manager that works everywhere—not just in the browser—has grown. This post reviews Trello's strengths, then walks through why tools like KanbanTeam are becoming the go-to for teams that want boards plus CLI and AI support.

Blog image

What makes Trello popular (and where it falls short)

Trello's strength is simplicity: boards, lists, cards, and a clear visual layout. Millions use it for project management, content calendars, and personal task lists. Drag-and-drop, power-ups, and integrations (Slack, Google Drive, etc.) make it easy to get started.

Where Trello struggles is outside the browser. There's no first-class CLI, so scripting and automation are limited. Pricing scales per seat, so a 10-person team pays for 10 licenses even if they only actively use a few boards. For developers and teams that live in the terminal or use AI agents to create and update tasks, Trello often feels like a web-only island.

Great for visual, board-based task management Strong ecosystem of power-ups and integrations No official CLI; automation depends on API and third-party tools Per-seat pricing can get expensive for larger teams

Why teams look for a Trello alternative: CLI and AI

Teams that want to move fast often need tasks created and updated from scripts, cron jobs, or AI agents. A task manager that only works in the browser forces everyone to switch context and click through the UI. That's slow and doesn't scale when you have dozens of tasks or multiple projects.

That's why many teams search for "Trello alternative" or "task manager with API and CLI." They want the same board-based workflow, but with a first-class command-line interface and pricing that doesn't multiply with every user.

KanbanTeam: boards that work in the browser and the terminal

KanbanTeam is built for teams that want Trello-style boards plus a real CLI and AI-friendly workflows. You get the same mental model—boards, columns, cards—but you're not locked into the browser.

Pay per board, not per seat

Unlike Trello's per-seat model, KanbanTeam charges by the number of boards. A 10-person team using 3 boards pays for 3 boards, not 10 seats. That keeps costs predictable and often lower as the team grows.

First-class CLI

You can sign in, create boards, add tasks, and move cards from the terminal. Example:

Install globally via npm

$ npm install -g kanbanteam-cli

Sign in

$ kanbanteam sign-in -e you@example.com -p yourpassword

Create a board and add a task

$ kanbanteam board add -t "Sprint Backlog" $ kanbanteam task add -b sprint-backlog -c todo "Implement auth flow"

Scripts, cron jobs, and CI/CD can create and update tasks without opening the app. That's a big difference from Trello, where automation usually means calling the API yourself or relying on power-ups.

Built for AI agents and automation

Because the CLI is a first-class citizen, AI agents and automation tools can create tasks, update statuses, and list boards without a browser. You get the same visual boards in the web app, but the data is accessible from anywhere. That makes KanbanTeam a strong "Trello alternative" for engineering and product teams that already work with scripts and AI.

Import from Trello

If you're already on Trello, you don't have to start from zero. KanbanTeam's CLI supports importing from a Trello export (CSV), so you can move your boards and cards over and keep your workflow while gaining CLI and board-based pricing.

When to choose Trello vs KanbanTeam

Choose Trello if you want a well-known, purely visual tool with a huge power-up ecosystem and you're fine with per-seat pricing and doing most work in the browser.

Choose KanbanTeam if you want Trello-style boards but need a real CLI, agent-friendly workflows, and pricing that scales with boards instead of seats. Ideal for developers, product teams, and anyone who wants to create and manage tasks from the terminal or via automation.

Bottom line

Trello set the standard for board-based task management. For teams searching for a "Trello alternative" that works with the terminal and AI—without per-seat pricing—KanbanTeam is built for that use case: same boards, plus CLI, agents, and board-based pricing. Try it for your next project and see how it fits your workflow.

Ready to get started? Sign up at KanbanTeam and create your first board—or install the CLI and add a task from the terminal in under a minute.