Focus5 vs Trello: a simpler Trello alternative
Trello shows all your work on a board at once. Focus5 shows 5 at a time and one on screen, in an order it picks for you.
Trello is a board of cards you drag between lists. It is easy to learn, it is free for small use, and for a team tracking work through stages it is excellent.
For one person planning a day, a board has a specific problem: it shows everything at once. A column with 40 cards in it is the same overwhelm as a list with 40 rows, in a nicer layout.
Focus5 shows 5 things, then one thing. Here is how they compare.
| Trello | Focus5 | |
|---|---|---|
| Core idea | Cards on a board, moved between lists | Hands you the next task with the clock running |
| Choosing what to do | You decide, every time you open the board | Focus queues them for you, 5 on screen at a time |
| What you see | Every card in every column, at once | Today’s 5, then one task with a timer |
| Focus timer | No, unless you add a Power-Up | Yes, built in |
| Built for | Teams tracking work through stages | One person with too much on |
| Price | Free plan; Standard $5 a user a month billed annually | $29 once, lifetime |
Why people pick Focus5 over Trello
5 on screen instead of a column of 40
A Trello column shows every card in it at once, which is fine for seeing status and bad for starting work.
Focus5 shows 5 at a time and one task in front of you, refilling from the backlog as you tick them off. The other 40 exist; they are just not in your face.
One task, not the whole board
A board is a planning view. It is very good at showing status and very bad at telling you what to do in the next hour.
Focus5 shows one task with a timer running and the rest out of sight. When you finish it, the next one appears.
Nothing to set up
A useful Trello board takes lists, labels, maybe a Power-Up or two, and then some upkeep as the way you work changes.
Focus5 has one layout and you cannot change it. You sign in and you are looking at today.
Add a task by talking
Adding to Trello means a card, a list, and usually a label and a due date.
In Focus5 you talk and it writes the tasks down, dates them and files them for you.
Where Trello is the better fit
Trello is doing a different job, and if it is your job then Focus5 is not a replacement.
You are tracking work through stages. To do, doing, review, done, across a team. That is what a board is for and Focus5 has nothing like it.
You work with other people. Trello has boards, assignees, comments and due dates everybody can see. Focus5 is single player.
You think visually. Some people genuinely plan better looking at a board. Focus5 removes that view rather than offering it.
The free plan covers you. Trello is free for up to 10 collaborators per Workspace, which is more than most personal use needs.
Keep Trello for the board. Focus5 is for deciding what you personally do today.
Who Focus5 is for
Choose Focus5 over Trello if:
- You are planning your own day, not a team’s work.
- Your board looks organised and you still finish two things.
- You want one task in front of you rather than a view of everything.
- You want a timer running while you work.
- You would rather pay once than per user per month.
See Focus5 in action
Frequently asked questions
Is Focus5 a good Trello alternative?
For personal daily planning, yes. For tracking work through stages with a team, no, and nothing here pretends otherwise. Trello is a board. Focus5 queues your tasks and times them one at a time.
How much does Trello cost?
Trello has a free plan for up to 10 collaborators per Workspace. Standard is $5 per user per month billed annually, or $6 billed monthly. Premium is $10 per user per month billed annually, or $12.50 billed monthly.
Does Focus5 have boards or Kanban?
No. It has Today, Agenda and Calendar, and that is all. If a board is how you like to see work, you would miss it immediately.
Can you use Focus5 with a team?
No. It is single player. Trello is the better choice for anything shared.
Can you import Trello cards into Focus5?
No, there is no importer. Most people switching start fresh with today’s five.
Can you try Focus5 without paying?
Every feature is unlocked for your first 7 days, with no card. After that, Today, Agenda, Calendar and 2 books stay free with no time limit.
Compare Focus5 with another app
Focus5 vs Sunsama
Sunsama costs $204 a year and connects to 21 other tools. Focus5 costs $29 once and shows you 5 tasks at a time, one at a time, in the right order.
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Focus5 vs Todoist
Todoist organises your whole list from $5 a month. Focus5 costs $29 once and shows you 5 tasks at a time so you never decide what to do next.
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Focus5 vs TickTick
Both apps have a focus timer. TickTick costs $35.99 a year and leaves you to choose what to work on. Focus5 costs $29 once and chooses for you.
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Focus5 vs Motion
Motion uses AI to build your calendar, from $19 per person a month. Focus5 costs $29 once and just queues your tasks in order, 5 on screen at a time.
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Focus5 vs Things 3
Neither app charges a subscription. Things 3 is Apple only and costs up to $79.97 across devices. Focus5 is $29 once for every device, with a focus queue Things does not have.
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Focus5 vs Notion
Notion makes you build your own task system. Focus5 gives you one you cannot change, and a Focus mode that decides what you do next.
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Focus5 vs Microsoft To Do
Microsoft To Do is free and syncs with Outlook. Focus5 costs $29 once and adds a Focus mode that queues your tasks and times them.
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Focus5 vs Google Tasks
Google Tasks is free and sits inside Gmail. Focus5 costs $29 once and adds a Focus mode that picks your next task and times it.
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Focus5 vs ClickUp
ClickUp runs a whole company’s work. Focus5 runs your next hour: it picks the next task and starts the timer.
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Focus5 vs Superlist
Both apps let you add tasks by talking. Superlist is $59 a year. Focus5 is $29 once and adds a Focus mode that queues them and times them.
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