Beacon vs Trello
Trello is the friendliest kanban board there is, and that simplicity is exactly why people love it. But a board of cards cannot quote a project, track hours against a budget, or pay the people who did the work. Beacon keeps things simple where it counts and adds the money side.
Project management that runs the whole job. Plan, estimate, track time, watch the budget, and pay the team, built for agencies and dev shops that bill for their work.
Best for small teams and personal projects that want a dead-simple board and nothing more. Free to start, with extras added through Power-Ups.
Feature by feature
The short version. Both handle tasks and projects. Beacon adds the money side that Trello leaves out.
| Feature | Beacon | Trello |
|---|---|---|
| Tasks, boards & projects | ||
| Per-developer estimations with approvals | – | |
| Built-in time tracking | Power-Up | |
| Budget tracked against logged hours | – | |
| Developer payouts & contractor settlement | – | |
| Estimate & payment approvals | – | |
| Client directory | – | |
| Per-client data isolation | – | |
| Roles & permissions | Basic | |
| Activity & audit log | – | |
| Integrations & marketplace | Growing | Power-Ups |
Why teams switch from Trello to Beacon
You outgrew sticky notes
Cards are great until the questions get real. What did we quote, how many hours are left, who gets paid. Beacon answers those without leaving the tool.
Estimates, time, and budget, not Power-Ups
In Trello, each of those is a separate add-on to find and manage. In Beacon they are one connected system.
Pay the people who did the work
Trello has no concept of a payout. Beacon turns completed, approved work into contractor settlement automatically.
Still simple, just complete
Beacon keeps the clean, board-friendly feel while covering the whole project from estimate to payout.
In fairness, where Trello shines
Trello is perfect when you want a simple board and nothing else. For a personal workflow or a small side project, Beacon is more than you need and Trello is a delight. The moment money and hours enter the picture, though, a board runs out of room.
See the whole loop for yourself
Start free, invite a couple of people, and run one project from estimate to payout.