The Free Trial Trap Most PM tool 'free trials' are designed to convert you to paid before you've made a real decision.
Here's how the trap works: 1. The Credit Card Requirement 'Start your free trial—just enter your card for verification.' What they're really doing: - Betting you'll forget to cancel - Creating friction for cancellation - Starting subscription automatically - Making the default action: pay 2.
The 14-Day Pressure 'Your trial expires in 3 days! Upgrade now!' What's actually happening: - Artificial urgency created - Not enough time to properly evaluate - Team barely onboarded before deadline - Decision forced before data gathered 3.
The Feature Gate 'This feature available in paid plans only.' What you experience: - Essential features locked during trial - Can't test complete workflows - Evaluation incomplete by design - Paid plan seems necessary (because it is, for trial) 4. The Downgrade Punishment 'Returning to free tier will delete your data.' The hostage situation: - Work created during trial held ransom - Lose everything or start paying - Team's investment at risk - Coerced conversion What a Genuine Free Experience Looks Like: No Credit Card Ever: - Sign up with email - Start using immediately - No payment details required - No 'verification' tricks No Time Pressure: - Not a trial—permanently free tier - Use for months before deciding - Evaluate at your own pace - Data doesn't disappear No Feature Gating: - All features available - Test complete workflows - Experience real product value - Make informed comparison No Forced Upgrade: - Stay on free tier indefinitely - Upgrade only when value proven - Add users only when needed - Your choice, your timeline GitScrum's Approach: 2 Users Free Forever means: - Create account (email only) - Invite one teammate - Full access to all features - Use indefinitely—no expiration - No credit card needed ever - No trial countdown - No feature limitations - No data deletion threats When You Add Paid Users: - $8.90/user/month - Add users one at a time - No minimum seats - No annual commitment required - Cancel anytime - Downgrade back to 2 free users - Keep all your data How to Actually Evaluate a PM Tool: Week 1: Setup and Basic Test - Connect your repositories - Import existing issues - Create test project - Invite core team member - Run through basic workflow Week 2-3: Real Work - Use for actual project - Track real tasks - Test GitHub integration with real commits - Log time on real work - Identify workflow gaps Week 4: Team Evaluation - Get teammate feedback - Compare to current tool - Calculate time savings - Assess integration quality - Make informed decision With time-limited trials, you can't do proper evaluation.
With GitScrum's permanent free tier, take the time you need. Comparison: Trial Types | Tool | Trial Type | Card Required | Time Limit | Features | |------|-----------|---------------|------------|----------| | Jira | Free tier | No | None | Limited (10 users, 2GB) | | Monday | 14-day trial | Yes | 14 days | Full | | Asana | Free tier | No | None | Very limited | | ClickUp | Free tier | No | None | Limited (100MB) | | GitScrum | 2 users free | No | None | Full | GitScrum is the only tool offering full features with no time limit and no credit card.
After Your Evaluation: If GitScrum Works: - Add team members at $8.90/month each - Scale up gradually - First 2 always free If GitScrum Doesn't Fit: - Keep using free tier for side projects - No hard feelings - No surprise charges - No cancellation required The Right Way to Start: 1. Sign up with email 2.
Connect GitHub 3. Create a project 4.
Invite a teammate 5. Use for as long as you need 6.
Pay only when you choose to $8.90/user/month when you're ready. 2 users free forever if you're not.
No credit card. No trial pressure.
The GitScrum Advantage
One unified platform to eliminate context switching and recover productive hours.
