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startbuddi vs Asana: an honest comparison

Asana is a work management tool for planning projects in lists, boards and timelines, with goals, portfolios and time tracking on its Advanced plan. startbuddi keeps projects, goals, time, docs, chat and client portals beside customers and invoices, which suits small teams that do client work rather than larger teams coordinating many departments.

We make startbuddi, so we're biased. We've tried to be fair: we list where Asana is stronger, every fact about Asana links to its source, and anything we couldn't confirm on their own site is marked "not published". Checked in September 2026. Spotted something wrong? Tell us and we'll fix it.
startbuddi

startbuddi is best for

Small teams doing client work who want projects, docs and invoices together

Asana logoAsana

Asana is best for

Growing teams that plan projects, goals and portfolios across departments

At a glance

Best for
startbuddiSmall teams doing client work who want projects, docs and invoices together
AsanaGrowing teams that plan projects, goals and portfolios across departments
Free plan
startbuddiYes, the Free plan
AsanaYes, Personal
First paid plan
startbuddiStarter, $29 a month
AsanaStarter, $10.99 USD per user, per month billed annually ($13.49 billed monthly)
Checked
startbuddiPrice book, October 2026
AsanaSeptember 2026

Where each one is stronger

The short version. Asana first, because it does some things better than we do.

Asana logoAsana is stronger at

IntegrationsAsana lists 100+ free integrations, including Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace, plus Salesforce, Tableau and Power BI on Advanced.
Deeper goalsAdvanced adds weighted goals, automatic goal progress and goal reporting at company, team and individual level.
Mobile appsiOS and Android apps are on every Asana plan; startbuddi is web only.
Unlimited free guestsguests are free on every paid Asana plan.
ExportsCSV and PDF export is on every Asana plan.

startbuddi is stronger at

Goals beside client workgoals, key results and billable time tracking sit in the same Work area as projects, customers and invoices.
Clients, projects and invoices togethera project can be linked to a customer record, and its Budget tab pulls project expenses from Money Manager.
Client portals without seatsclients sign in with an email link to follow projects, approve deliverables, message you and see invoices (paid plans; Free can build and preview).
Contracts and e-signatures in Documents15 contract templates, plus signers and signature fields you place on the document before sending.
Whiteboards that become tasksselect sticky notes and turn them into project tasks, with Chip able to brainstorm and group ideas (uses Chip credits).

Feature by feature

Each Asana value links to where we found it. Anything their site doesn't state is marked "not published".

startbuddi and Asana, feature by feature
FeaturestartbuddiAsana
List, board and calendar views Yes YesSource (opens in a new tab)
Timeline and Gantt Yes Starter plan and upSource (opens in a new tab)
Goals and OKRs Yes Advanced plan and upSource (opens in a new tab)
Portfolios Yes Advanced plan and upSource (opens in a new tab)
Time tracking Yes Advanced plan and upSource (opens in a new tab)
ApprovalsProject approvals and client approvals in portals Yes Advanced plan and upSource (opens in a new tab)
Project dashboards Yes Starter plan and upSource (opens in a new tab)
Custom fieldsNot in project settings yet No Starter plan and upSource (opens in a new tab)
Team messagingChannels, DMs and a room for each project Yes YesSource (opens in a new tab)
Docs and e-signatures Yes Not statedSource (opens in a new tab)
iOS and Android appsWeb app only; works in phone browsers No YesSource (opens in a new tab)

What each one looks like

Real screens, captured by us or taken from the official press kit, each dated.

startbuddi: Projects
startbuddi · Projects. Captured from our own account, personal details blurred.
startbuddi: My work as a board
startbuddi · My work as a board. Captured from our own account, personal details blurred.
startbuddi: Goals and OKRs
startbuddi · Goals and OKRs. Captured from our own account, personal details blurred.

Asana's own screens are on Asana's website. We don't show another company's product without a dated capture from a trial or its press kit.

Pricing side by side

List prices as each company publishes them. We never convert currencies.

See startbuddi pricing

startbuddi

  • FreeFree
  • Starter$29 a month
  • Growth$79 a month
  • Scale$199 a month

Prices in US dollars, billed monthly. From our pricing page, updated 7 Oct 2026.

Asana logoAsana

Checked in September 2026. Check Asana's site for current plans.

Switching from Asana

What moving across involves.

  1. Export your projects from AsanaAsana offers CSV and PDF export on every plan. Export the projects you still run so you have a record of open tasks.
  2. Recreate projects and goals in WorkThere is no Asana importer, so start each project from a template or blank and add open tasks by hand. Re-enter active goals and key results in Goals.
  3. Move your client listImport clients from a CSV on the Contacts page, mapping each column, so projects and portals can be linked to them.
  4. Rebuild rules and invite peopleAsana rules do not carry over; rebuild the ones you need in startbuddi Automations (paid plans), then invite teammates and clients.

Sources

Checked in September 2026. startbuddi prices come from our own price book. Asana's website.

Questions people ask

Can I import my Asana projects into startbuddi?

Not directly. Asana exports to CSV and PDF on every plan, and you add open tasks to startbuddi projects by hand or start from a project template.

Does startbuddi have a free plan?

Yes. The Free plan includes Work, Documents and Chat for one seat, with limits such as 3 documents and 1 whiteboard. Every paid plan comes with a 30-day trial.

Does startbuddi have goals like Asana?

Yes. Goals in Work support key results, check-ins and links to projects, and some numbers can update from Money, Contacts and Forms. Asana's goals are on its Advanced plan and above.

Does startbuddi have a mobile app?

No. startbuddi is a web app that works in phone browsers. Asana has iOS and Android apps.

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Try startbuddi alongside Asana.

Start on the free plan with a copy of your contacts and see how it fits before you decide.

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Start with the one thing you need. The rest is there when you're ready.

Free plan available. Every paid plan starts with a 30-day trial.