ClickUp Alternative
Without the Bloat
ClickUp does everything. GitScrum does what agencies actually need. Track time, invoice clients, manage sprints—without 47 features you'll never use.
The honest take
no marketing fluff
ClickUp is a powerful all-in-one workspace with docs, whiteboards, goals, and hundreds of features. If your team uses all of them, stay with ClickUp. If you're an agency drowning in features you don't need—and missing the ones you do (like client invoicing)—GitScrum cuts through the noise.
Choose GitScrum if you
- Bill clients and need native invoicing
- Want client portals, not shared ClickUp views
- Find ClickUp's UI overwhelming
- Need focused tools, not 100+ features
Choose ClickUp if you
- Need docs, whiteboards, and mind maps in one tool
- Use ClickUp's goal tracking extensively
- Have time to configure 100+ features
- Prefer one tool for everything vs. best-in-class
"ClickUp does everything. That's the problem. After consulting with agencies drowning in 100+ features they never touch, I realized: they don't need everything. They need time tracking that flows to invoicing. Client portals that aren't confusing ClickUp views. Sprint planning without 2 hours of configuration. Less features, more focus."
Renato Marinho
Founder, GitScrum
When 'Everything'
becomes too much
ClickUp has 100+ features: Docs, Whiteboards, Goals, Mind Maps, Forms, Chat, Sprints, Gantt, Workload, Dashboards, Custom Fields, Automations... Most agencies use 10% of them.
100+ features in ClickUp
~10% actually used by agencies
2-4 hours to configure properly
Weeks to train team
We build what agencies need. Not what looks good in a feature list. Sprint management, time tracking, client invoicing, client portals. Done.
- Focused feature set
- No configuration paralysis
- Team productive in minutes
- Performance that stays fast
Side by side the facts
What agencies actually need. Not what sounds impressive.
| Feature | GitScrum | ClickUp |
|---|---|---|
| Kanban Boards | Native | Native |
| Sprint Planning | Native Scrum | Via views |
| Time Tracking | Native | Native |
| Client Invoicing | Native | Not available |
| Proposals & Approvals | Native | Not available |
| Change Requests | Native workflow | Not available |
| Client Portal | Native | Shared views only |
| Docs & Wiki | Per-project wiki | ClickUp Docs |
| Whiteboards | Not available | Native |
| Goals & OKRs | Not available | Native |
| Setup Time | 5 minutes | 2-4 hours |
| Interface Complexity | Minimal | Feature-dense |
| Performance | Sub-500ms loads | Can lag on large workspaces |
Client Flow built for agencies
ClickUp has no native invoicing, no proposal workflows, no change request tracking. You need separate tools. GitScrum has it all.
Native Invoicing
Generate invoices from tracked time. Track draft → paid. Client portal for payment.
Proposal Workflow
Create proposals, send for approval, track status. No DocuSign or PandaDoc needed.
Change Requests
Client asks for scope change? Document, get approval, invoice separately. Revenue protected.
Client Portal
Dedicated portal for clients. Progress, approvals, invoices. Not a confusing shared ClickUp view.
ClickUp gets slow
GitScrum stays fast
ClickUp users report lag on large workspaces. Feature bloat has a cost. GitScrum loads in under 500ms—even with thousands of tasks.
Setup in minutes
not hours
ClickUp's flexibility requires configuration. Views, custom fields, automations, ClickApps... GitScrum works out of the box. Most teams run their first sprint in under 5 minutes.
Real cost comparison
for a team of 10
What you actually pay for a team of 10
10 × $8.90
10 × $12
- Unlimited storage
- Dashboards, Goals, Forms
- No invoicing (external tool needed)
The real story behind the tools
Focus vs. Feature Count
ClickUp competes on features: Docs, Whiteboards, Goals, Mind Maps, Forms, Chat, Time Tracking, Gantt... GitScrum competes on focus. We build what agencies need to ship and bill. Not a feature for every possible use case.
Client Billing Built-In
ClickUp has no native invoicing. You track time in ClickUp, then export to FreshBooks or QuickBooks to invoice. GitScrum: track time → generate invoice → send to client → get paid. One tool.
Client Experience
ClickUp's 'client sharing' means clients see ClickUp's interface—overwhelming for non-technical stakeholders. GitScrum's client portal is designed for clients: clean, simple, progress-focused.
Performance Philosophy
ClickUp's feature density has a performance cost. Users report lag on large workspaces. GitScrum prioritizes speed: sub-500ms loads, instant Cmd+K search, real-time sync. Performance is a feature.
Configuration Required
ClickUp's flexibility = configuration burden. Views, ClickApps, custom fields, automations... GitScrum ships with sensible defaults. Less time configuring, more time shipping.
Built for agencies that bill
Agencies billing clients
Track time, send proposals, generate invoices, get paid. All in one tool. ClickUp requires 2-3 external tools for this workflow.
Teams overwhelmed by ClickUp
If your team uses 10% of ClickUp and gets lost in the rest, GitScrum's focused feature set is liberating.
Managers needing client transparency
Dedicated client portal with progress, approvals, invoices. Not a shared ClickUp workspace that confuses clients.
Developers who hate slow tools
ClickUp lags on large workspaces. GitScrum's performance is non-negotiable. Cmd+K search, instant board loads, real-time sync.
Where ClickUp wins (honestly)
Teams needing docs, whiteboards, goals
ClickUp's Docs, Whiteboards, and Goals are powerful. If you use them daily, switching means losing them.
All-in-one zealots
Some teams want one tool for everything—even if it's complex. ClickUp's breadth is unmatched.
Heavy automation users
ClickUp's automation builder is more powerful than GitScrum's. Complex workflows with many triggers/actions = ClickUp.
Non-agency teams
If you don't bill clients and don't need invoicing/proposals, ClickUp's general-purpose approach may fit better.
Migration is simpler than you think
Most teams are productive in GitScrum within hours
Export your data
Export tasks and projects from ClickUp as CSV
Import to GitScrum
CSV import maps core fields automatically
Invite your team
Familiar concepts, cleaner interface
Start shipping
No training needed. Run your first sprint in minutes
Common questions
How do agencies bill clients using GitScrum vs ClickUp?
ClickUp has time tracking but no invoicing—you export hours to FreshBooks or QuickBooks. GitScrum: track time → generate invoice → send via client portal → get paid. One workflow, zero exports. Agencies save 3-4 hours/week on billing admin.
What's the real cost difference between ClickUp and GitScrum?
ClickUp Business: $12/user/month. Add invoicing tool: +$5/user. 10-person team: $170/month minimum. GitScrum all-inclusive: $89/month. But the real cost is complexity—ClickUp's 100+ features require configuration time. GitScrum works out of the box.
Can I import my ClickUp workspace to GitScrum?
Yes. Export ClickUp tasks as CSV, import into GitScrum. Tasks, assignees, due dates transfer automatically. Most teams migrate in 2-3 hours. The learning curve? Nearly zero—if you've used any PM tool, GitScrum is instantly familiar.
Is GitScrum actually faster than ClickUp?
Noticeably. ClickUp users on large workspaces report 2-5 second load times. GitScrum: sub-500ms consistently. Cmd+K search is instant. Real-time sync without freezing. We obsess over performance because developers hate slow tools.
When should I NOT switch from ClickUp to GitScrum?
Stay with ClickUp if: you use ClickUp Docs as your team wiki daily, whiteboards are essential for brainstorming, you need 100+ automation triggers, or you have 200+ users with complex permissions. ClickUp's breadth is unmatched—GitScrum trades breadth for focus.
How long does it take to set up GitScrum vs ClickUp?
ClickUp setup: 2-4 hours configuring views, ClickApps, custom fields. GitScrum setup: 5 minutes. Create project, start sprint. We ship with sensible defaults so you're productive immediately, not after a configuration marathon.
Ready to simplify? Try GitScrum free
Less features. More focus. Native client billing.
Free tier available · No credit card required