Trello Introduces Collaborator Limit for Free Workspaces

If you’re already acquainted with Trello, you’re likely aware of its intuitive interface, adaptability, and collaborative functionalities, which cater to diverse user needs and objectives.

You’re probably also familiar with Trello’s Free plan, which currently permits an unlimited number of contributors to join the app and manage their work. 

However, Trello is implementing some changes that could significantly impact users on the Free plan.

Let’s delve into these alterations, along with potential solutions to help you navigate through this transition.

Introducing updates to Trello’s Free plan

Starting from April 8, 2024, free Trello Workspaces will be limited to a maximum of 10 collaborators.

The announced change brings both advantages and challenges for users. This strategic move aims to streamline user management and potentially incentivize users to upgrade to paid plans — yet it also poses limitations that may impact workflow efficiency and collaboration dynamics.

Before we delve into the advantages and drawbacks of the collaborator limit, let’s first clarify the definition of collaborators within Trello.

What are collaborators in Trello?

Collaborators include those invited to a board or a Workspace, such as Workspace members, guests, and board members not in the Workspace. Pending invites are also considered collaborators.

Exclusions to collaborator status include members of closed boards, deactivated accounts or Workspace members, and those requesting access pending approval without prior board or Workspace membership.

How Trello will implement the restriction

To ease the transition for teams, Trello will roll out this limitation in two phases:

1. Initial Restriction (Effective April 8, 2024): 

Free Trello Workspaces with 10 or more collaborators will no longer be able to add new members.

2. View-Only Mode Activation (Effective May 20, 2024): 

Workspaces exceeding the 10-collaborator threshold will be switched to view-only mode for their boards. While users can still access the boards within the Workspace, any editing capabilities will be disabled unless the plan is upgraded or the collaborator count is decreased.

Advantages of setting a limit to the number of collaborators

Simplified user administration

On the positive side, this limit simplifies user administration for workspace owners by imposing a clear cap of 10 collaborators. This streamlined approach can prove sufficient

for smaller teams or individual projects where a smaller number of collaborators suffices. 

Enhanced tracking for contributions and responsibilities

Additionally, the defined limit on collaborators enables Workspace owners to better track contributions and responsibilities within their boards and Workspaces, leading to clearer communication and task allocation among team members. 

However, there are notable drawbacks to this new policy.

Downsides of imposing a cap on the number of collaborators

Limiting team member involvement

For larger teams or projects requiring extensive collaboration, the 10-collaborator limit could prove to be restrictive and prevent the involvement of necessary team members, thus influencing the scalability and effectiveness of projects.

Push to upgrade because of restricted features

Moreover, the collaborator limit pushes users to upgrade to Trello’s paid plans, which offer unlimited collaborators along with additional features and functionalities that can enhance productivity and project management capabilities.

Transition to view-only access: potential project interruptions

Furthermore, the transition to view-only access for boards in the Workspaces exceeding the collaborator limit might interrupt current projects. It may call for the adoption of different collaboration tools or upgrades to paid plans, possibly resulting in workflow interruptions and extra expenses.

Additionally, downgrading from paid plans to the Free plan subjects previously unlimited Workspaces to the 10-collaborator limit, significantly affecting workflow continuity and team dynamics for users accustomed to a higher level of collaboration.

Possible solutions to Trello collaborators limit

To diminish the impact of the collaborator limit, affected users can explore several options. 

Upgrading to one of Trello’s paid plans

Firstly, users can consider upgrading to Trello’s paid plans, which offer unlimited collaborators and additional features for enhanced project management. 

Trello’s three different plaid plans are as follows:

• Trello Standard ($5 per user, per month) – best for smaller teams that need basic features,
• Trello Premium ($10 per user, per month) – best for businesses that need admin control, and
• Trello Enterprise ($17.50 per user, per month) – best for enterprise-level organizations.

Features for Workspace admins

Trello has promised to introduce additional admin features that would facilitate collaboration management in the Free plan. You might wait and see how you can utilize them to improve your overall experience.

Removal of inactive or redundant collaborators

Furthermore, a strategic management of collaborator invitations and the removal of inactive or redundant collaborators can help ensure efficient resource allocation and use the available collaborator slots for essential team members.

Transitioning to a different project management platform

If you can’t get over Trello’s new limit, you may also consider.consider switching to a different project management platform that does not impose restrictions on the number of users. 

One such platform is Plaky — an exceptionally accommodating tool that’s highly flexible and user-friendly.

Plaky — Trello’s optimal alternative

Plaky serves as both a project management platform and a productivity tool, providing a customizable, cloud-based solution for planning, tracking, and overseeing different types of work. 

Tailored for businesses across various sizes and industries, Plaky fosters collaboration with features like task management, collaboration, progress tracking, and administration. 

Additionally, Plaky offers a generous free plan with no restrictions on the number of users, projects, tasks, or files. 

Trello is an established veteran in the niche of project management tools, and as such, the app has grown to encompass a number of advanced features that Plaky still lacks — especially in the high end.

However, Plaky is much more accessible and affordable while still offering a robust feature set across all its plans. This makes it an excellent project management tool for small teams, as well as anyone looking for a well-rounded solution at the lower end of the price spectrum.

If you believe Plaky meets your needs for organizing your workload, here’s how you can transfer or import your data effortlessly in just minutes.

How to import data from Trello to Plaky in minutes

To ensure efficient organization and import of data from Trello CSV files into Plaky, the process is divided into 5 clear steps. These steps streamline the process and facilitate a smooth data transfer from one platform to another, enhancing overall efficiency and organization.

Before you start the transfer process, first you need to export your data from Trello boards. 

Every board member can export a board to raw JSON format, which is useful for technical purposes but not easily readable by humans. In Trello Premium Workspaces, boards can be exported to CSV format, which you can open in any spreadsheet program for easy viewing and editing.

• Step 1: Prepare for export in Trello
• Step 2: Import data into a new or existing Plaky board
• Step 3: Generate a table
• Step 4: Map your board data (Select the desired destination group and define item names)
• Step 5: Finalize the import

For a comprehensive guide on successfully importing your boards, refer to our How to import data from Trello into Plaky tutorial. 

Alternatively, don’t hesitate to reach out to our 24/7 support, available to assist you at any time.