Lifted Work vs Trello
Comparing tools for your agency? See how Lifted Work—built ONLY for agencies—compares to Trello's generic Kanban boards.
Quick Comparison: Lifted Work vs Trello
| Feature |
Lifted Work
|
Trello |
|---|---|---|
| Built ONLY for agencies | ||
| Client portal included | ||
| Client request management | ||
| Client correspondence tracking | ||
| Time tracking by client | Power-Up, manual setup | |
| AI scheduling for client work | Basic AI only | |
| Multi-client dashboard | Board per client | |
| SOPs attached to tasks | ||
| Upsell features on client portal | ||
| All features included | Power-Ups required |
Why Digital Marketing Agencies Choose Lifted Work Over Trello
Trello is a simple board tool for anyone—startups, teams, personal projects. Lifted Work does one thing: help agencies deliver client work. Here's the difference.
Built ONLY for Agencies
Trello is for everyone. Lifted Work is for agencies only. Everything is organized around clients, not generic boards and cards.
Real Client Portal
Clients get a branded portal with dashboard, feed, and request submission. Trello has no client portal—you'd invite them to see your messy boards.
Client Request Management
Clients submit requests through their portal. Requests flow into your workflow automatically. Trello has no request system.
Client Correspondence Tracking
Client emails flow into their activity feed. All correspondence in context. Trello keeps communication scattered across boards.
Time Tracking by Client
Track time per client for billing and capacity. Trello needs Power-Ups and won't organize by client automatically.
Everything Included
No Power-Ups to hunt for. Client portal, time tracking, AI—all included. Trello nickel-and-dimes you with add-ons.
Detailed Feature Comparison
See exactly how Lifted Work and Trello stack up across the features that matter most for agency operations.
Client Portal & Requests
- Branded client portal with dashboard and feed
- Client request submission and tracking
- Upsell opportunities visible on portal
- Clients see progress 24/7 (no board invites)
- Services page to showcase what you offer
- No client portal
- No client request system
- No upsell/service showcase
- Clients must be invited to boards
- Clients see internal workflow
Client Correspondence
- Client emails flow to activity feed
- Full correspondence history per client
- Internal notes separate from client-visible
- Meeting notes attached to clients
- All communication in one place
- Email-to-board requires Power-Up
- Emails not linked to cards
- Communication scattered across boards
- Card comments only
- No unified client history
Time Tracking by Client
- Time tracking organized by client
- Track time against client budgets
- Billing-ready time reports
- See capacity per client at a glance
- Built-in to every plan
- Time tracking requires Power-Up
- Not organized by client
- Complex setup for agency billing
- Power-Ups vary in quality
- Extra setup required
AI with Client Context
- AI schedules entire months of deliverables
- Prompts saved with full client context
- AI drafts with client voice and history
- Smart task creation from requests
- Included in all plans
- Atlassian Intelligence for summaries
- AI Quick Capture from email/Slack
- Not designed for agency scheduling
- No client-specific context
- General-purpose AI features
Which Tool Is Right for You?
Choose Lifted Work If...
- You've hit the wall with board-per-client and can't see the full picture
- You want clients to see progress without giving them access to internal boards
- You're wasting hours every month manually creating the same recurring tasks
- New team members keep asking "where's the SOP for this?"
- You need one dashboard to see all clients, not 20 different boards
- You want to scale to 20+ clients without your system falling apart
Trello Might Work If...
- You have fewer than 5 clients and simple workflows
- You don't mind clients seeing your internal Kanban boards
- Basic task cards are all you need (no SOPs, no client context)
- You prefer maximum simplicity over structure
- You're just getting started and budget is the only concern
Simple, Transparent Pricing
Lifted Work charges per client managed with unlimited team members included. Trello uses per-seat pricing which adds up as your team grows.
View our pricing" I don't know what I'd do without Lifted Work. "
Frequently Asked Questions: Lifted Work vs Trello
I love Trello's simplicity. Is Lifted Work complicated?
Not at all! Lifted Work is designed to be intuitive while giving you more power. The client-centric organization actually simplifies things—instead of juggling multiple boards, you have one clear view per client. Most agencies find it easier to use than managing Trello boards and Power-Ups.
Can Trello work for agencies with a client portal Power-Up?
There are some third-party Trello integrations that attempt client portals, but they're limited and add complexity. Lifted Work's client portal is built-in, branded to your agency, and designed specifically for client communication. No cobbling together tools.
How does Lifted Work handle recurring tasks compared to Trello?
Trello requires the Card Repeater Power-Up for basic recurring tasks. Lifted Work goes further with AI-powered scheduling—you can describe a month of deliverables in natural language and the AI creates and schedules everything. It's like having a scheduling assistant.
Is Lifted Work more expensive than Trello?
Trello's per-user pricing adds up quickly for larger agencies. Lifted Work's per-client pricing with unlimited team members is often more economical for agencies with 5+ team members. Plus, agency-specific features like client portals and AI scheduling are built-in—no cobbling together tools.
Can I use Lifted Work's Kanban-style views?
Yes! Lifted Work includes flexible views for managing tasks. You get the visual organization you love from Trello, plus client-specific context, AI scheduling, and agency-focused features that Trello can't match.