Zoho Projects vs Asana: which should you choose?
Quick answer: Zoho Projects is built for budget-conscious teams, while Asana suits cross-functional teams. For most users Asana is the stronger default, but Zoho Projects can be the better fit depending on your budget and use case.
If you're weighing Zoho Projects against Asana, the right answer depends on your priorities. Below we compare them on pricing, strengths and the use cases each one fits, then give a clear verdict.
Side-by-side
| Zoho Projects | Asana | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | all-in-one PM | work management |
| What it's known for | Affordable, full-featured project management (Gantt, time tracking, blueprints, automation) deeply integrated into the broader Zoho One business suite. | Polished, widely adopted work-management platform with strong task tracking, timelines, portfolios and a deep automation/AI layer for cross-functional teams. |
| Pricing | Free for up to 3 users; Premium from ~$4-5/user/mo; Enterprise ~$9-10/user/mo (billed annually). | Free Personal plan (up to 10-15 seats); Starter from ~$10.99/user/mo; Advanced ~$24.99/user/mo; Enterprise and Enterprise+ custom (billed annually; monthly billing higher). |
| Best audience | Budget-conscious teams, especially existing Zoho users wanting Gantt and time tracking cheaply. | Cross-functional marketing/ops teams scaling from free to enterprise who want polish and many views. |
| Best for | Budget-conscious teams, Zoho One ecosystem users, Gantt and time tracking on a budget | Cross-functional teams, Marketing and ops workflows, Teams scaling from free to enterprise |
| Entry price | Free | Free |
| Biggest strength | Very affordable (Premium from ~$4/user/mo). | Polished, mature UX with one of the widest view sets in the category. |
| Main caveat | Free plan limited to 3 users and a few projects. | Per-seat pricing climbs fast (Advanced ~$24.99/user/mo) for larger teams. |
Features compared
Where they really diverge is in the day-to-day feature set:
Zoho Projects key features
- Gantt charts with critical path and baselines (higher tiers)
- Blueprint automation for custom approval/task workflows
- Time tracking, timesheets and project budgeting
- Task dependencies and inter-project dependencies
Asana key features
- Task, subtask and project management with List, Board, Calendar, Timeline (Gantt) and Gantt-style views
- Workflow Builder and unlimited rule-based automations (paid plans)
- Goals, Portfolios and Portfolio Workload for cross-project tracking
- Forms for standardized intake requests
Pricing tiers side by side
Zoho Projects plans
| Plan | Price | What's included |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Up to 3 users, limited projects, Gantt viewer |
| Premium | ~$4/user/mo (annual) | Unlimited projects, time tracking, Blueprint automation, Gantt |
| Enterprise | ~$9/user/mo (annual) | Custom fields, inter-project dependencies, global Gantt, critical path |
| Ultimate | ~$14/user/mo (annual) | 150 GB storage, custom modules, expanded workflows |
Asana plans
| Plan | Price | What's included |
|---|---|---|
| Personal (Free) | $0 | Capped at 2 users for accounts created after 12 Nov 2025 (older accounts up to 10); no Timeline view, custom fields or automations |
| Starter | $10.99/user/mo (annual) | $13.49 monthly; adds Timeline/Gantt, Workflow Builder, AI, unlimited automations; 2-seat minimum |
| Advanced | $24.99/user/mo (annual) | $30.49 monthly; adds Goals, unlimited portfolios, native time tracking |
| Enterprise / Enterprise+ | ~$35 / ~$45/user/mo | Custom; advanced security, data governance, more AI actions |
Tiers compiled from the vendors' published plans and independent reviews; prices are approximate and change often, so confirm current figures (and your region's taxes) on each vendor's site.
Strengths compared
Where Zoho Projects wins
Full-featured Gantt-and-automation PM at budget pricing, deeply tied into the Zoho One suite.
- Very affordable (Premium from ~$4/user/mo).
- Tight integration with the rest of Zoho One.
That makes it the stronger pick for budget-conscious teams, especially existing Zoho users wanting Gantt and time tracking cheaply.
Where Asana wins
A broad, refined work-management platform that scales from a free personal board to enterprise portfolios.
- Polished, mature UX with one of the widest view sets in the category.
- Strong free Personal plan and a clear upgrade path to enterprise.
That makes it the stronger pick for cross-functional marketing/ops teams scaling from free to enterprise who want polish and many views.
Verdict: choose by fit
Both are good at the job, so let your priorities decide.
- Choose Zoho Projects if you fit its core audience — budget-conscious teams, especially existing Zoho users wanting Gantt and time tracking cheaply.
- Choose Asana if you fit its core audience — cross-functional marketing/ops teams scaling from free to enterprise who want polish and many views.
FAQ
Is Zoho Projects better than Asana?
Asana is the stronger default for most users, but Zoho Projects can be the better fit depending on your budget and use case.
What is the main difference between Zoho Projects and Asana?
Zoho Projects is full-featured Gantt-and-automation PM at budget pricing, deeply tied into the Zoho One suite. Asana is a broad, refined work-management platform that scales from a free personal board to enterprise portfolios.
Which is cheaper, Zoho Projects or Asana?
Both Zoho Projects and Asana offer a free tier, so the real comparison is the paid plans above — pick based on the storage, features and limits you actually need.
Sources
Facts above are drawn from these independent reviews and the vendors' own pages for Zoho Projects and Asana: