monday
monday
1. More Than Just a "To-Do List"
If your impression of project management software is "gray spreadsheets" and "boring checkboxes," monday.com will surprise you.
It calls itself a Work OS. Why?
Because it is not just for assigning tasks; it is a set of visual Lego blocks. You can use it to build any workflow you want:
- Marketing teams use it for Content Calendars.
- Sales teams use it for Client CRM.
- HR teams use it for Applicant Tracking.
- Dev teams use it for Sprint Planning.
2. Core Features Breakdown
1. Board & Columns
This is the soul of Monday. Unlike Excel, Monday's "Columns" have 30+ types:
- Status: Colorful tags (Done, Stuck, Working on it).
- People: Assign owners directly.
- Timeline: Visual bars showing duration.
- Formula: Calculate numbers just like Excel.
2. Automations
This turns Monday into a "Fully Automated Factory." No coding required, just natural language:
- Rule 1: "When [Status] changes to [Done], [Send Email] to [Manager]."
- Rule 2: "When [Date] arrives, [Notify] [Owner]."
This saves teams countless hours of meaningless communication.
3. Multiple Views
Visualize the same Board data instantly in different ways:
- Gantt: Great for project timelines.
- Kanban: Perfect for Agile workflows.
- Calendar: For publishing schedules.
- Dashboard: Aggregate data from multiple boards into one chart for executives.
4. Monday AI
Monday has integrated AI capabilities:
- AI Task Generation: Type "Make a launch plan for a new app," and AI generates specific task lists.
- AI Summarize: Click on a card with 100+ comments, and AI summarizes the conclusion and next steps.
3. Real Use Case: Building a Lightweight CRM
Many SMEs can't afford Salesforce. Monday can replace it.
- Create a Board named "Sales Leads."
- Set columns: Client Name, Contact, Status (New/Negotiating/Won), Value.
- Set Automation: "When [Status] changes to [Won], add [Value] to the [Monthly Revenue] Dashboard."
- Result: A visual sales funnel, from which you can even email clients directly.
4. Pros and Cons
| Feature | Pros | Cons | Advice |
|---|---|---|---|
| UI/UX | Excellent, colorful, fun to use | Too many elements can cause "visual fatigue" | Use "Hide Columns" to keep it clean |
| Flexibility | Build anything you want | Can be unstructured without rules | Establish team conventions early |
| Automation | Logical, integrates with Slack/Gmail | Monthly action limits exist | Check the limits of your plan |
| Pricing | Free plan good for individuals | Pro plan is pricey for small teams | Standard plan is the sweet spot |
5. Conclusion
monday.com is the tool that feels least like a tool.
It turns boring project management into a game-like experience. If your team is tired of rigid spreadsheets or needs a versatile platform that manages both tasks and business processes, monday.com is the winner.
Especially for creative, marketing, and cross-functional teams, the efficiency boost from its visualization and automation is exponential.
Is monday.com free?
There is a free forever plan, but it is limited to 2 seats (Users), making it ideal for individuals or very small teams. To unlock automation, integrations, or more team members, you need a Basic or Standard plan. Most teams prefer the Standard plan.
What’s the difference between monday.com and Asana/Trello?
Trello is a simple Kanban tool, Asana is more of a traditional list-based manager. Monday.com is more like a 'visual database' where columns are highly customizable (status, numbers, people, dates). It can handle not only tasks but also CRM, recruiting systems, and even inventory—making it the most flexible.
What can Monday AI do?
Monday AI can currently: 1) Automatically summarize lengthy task updates; 2) Generate a full project plan from a short instruction; 3) Draft email replies automatically when integrated with Gmail.