Overview

Planio centers work on configurable issues: teams can track status, priority, ownership, dates, completion, time spent, and subtasks. Roles and permissions can control which workflow steps each participant may take, making it useful where teams need more structure than an informal task board provides. Guest access is supported.

Planning spans agile projects and conventional roadmaps, milestones, and Gantt charts. The broader toolset includes a wiki, communication, Git and Subversion hosting, time tracking, file storage, Help Desk, team chat, search, and an email inbox. That breadth can reduce the need to assemble separate project tools, but storage and certain service capabilities vary by tier.

Key features

Configurable project work

Issue fields and permission-controlled workflows let teams shape task tracking around their processes. WIP limits and custom card fields add useful controls for teams using board-based work, while roadmaps and Gantt charts serve teams that need longer-range or dependency-oriented planning.

Repositories, API, and integrations

Git and Subversion hosting sit alongside project work, and Planio provides Redmine REST API functionality with documented OAuth 2 integration. Documented integrations and add-ons include GitHub, Bitbucket, Google Chrome and Apps, Dropscan, and desktop repository clients. This makes Planio worth considering for teams already using Redmine-compatible workflows or repository tooling; it is not simply a standalone task board.

Mobile and security

Free iOS and Android apps let Planio users manage projects and tasks on mobile. Planio says it uses SSL and SSH access controls, firewalls, daily encrypted backups, email encryption, and PCI DSS compliance reviewed by Comodo. Support by email and phone is included on all plans, and existing data imports are free.

Pricing

Planio has a free plan, paid plans billed month-to-month, and a 30-day trial. Its issue and Git and Subversion repository counts are unlimited, but active projects, users, and storage are capped by tier. The low entry prices therefore do not mean unlimited team or file capacity.

Bronze: price not listed; 1 project, 2 users, 10 customers, and 1 GB storage. This is a narrow starting point for a very small team; the two-user cap leaves little room for collaboration.
Silver — 25.00 USD per month: 3 active projects, 5 active users, and 5 GB storage. Storage and Help Desk Pro cost extra. It suits a small team with modest project needs, but add-ons can change the cost.
Gold — 59.00 USD per month: 7 active projects, 10 active users, and 20 GB storage. Storage and Help Desk Pro remain extra, so budget-conscious teams should account for those needs before choosing it.
Diamond — 125.00 USD per month: 15 active projects, 20 active users, and 40 GB storage, with Planio Help Desk and Team Chat included. Storage Pro costs extra. This tier is more suitable for teams that will use those included collaboration tools.
Platinum — 249.00 USD per month: 40 active projects, 45 active users, and 80 GB storage, with Planio Storage, Help Desk, and Team Chat Pro included. It fits larger teams wanting the expanded service bundle without moving to custom pricing.
Enterprise — 449.00 USD per month: 100 projects or more, 100 users or more, and 100 GB storage or more, with custom branding, domain, and customizations possible. Additional charges may apply, so this is for organizations that need larger-scale capacity and tailored setup.

Platforms

Planio supports web, API, self-hosted, iOS, and Android platforms. The mobile apps cover project and task management; the API and Redmine foundation give teams an integration route beyond the web interface.

Who it's for

Planio is best suited to project managers, teams, and start-ups that want issue management, planning, repositories, and communication tools together, especially if Redmine compatibility matters. Small teams should weigh the strict Bronze and Silver seat and project limits, while teams with heavier storage or Help Desk needs should compare the add-on costs with higher tiers. It is less compelling for a buyer who only needs a lightweight board and does not need the broader project-management stack.

Pros and cons

Pro: Configurable issues and role-based workflow permissions suit teams with defined processes rather than one-size-fits-all task tracking.
Pro: Agile planning, roadmaps, milestones, and Gantt charts cover both iterative and conventional project planning.
Pro: Hosted Git and Subversion, a Redmine REST API, and documented integrations make it useful in an existing development stack.
Pro: Email and phone support and free data imports are included across plans, lowering migration and support friction.
Con: Bronze allows only two users and one project, while Silver allows five users and three active projects; teams can hit those ceilings quickly.
Con: Storage and Help Desk Pro are extra on Silver and Gold, and Storage Pro remains extra on Diamond, which complicates cost comparisons.
Con: The broader feature set may be unnecessary for teams seeking only a simple Kanban board.

Alternatives

For a board-focused workflow, compare Kanban Software options and Project Management Software options alongside Planio. Kanban Tool may suit a team looking for a freemium board product: its free plan allows two boards and two users but has no file attachments, while Team is 6.00 USD per month. KanbanFlow offers a no-time-limit free plan with a Kanban board and standard support, and a Premium plan at 5.00 USD per month.

Kanbo has a free tier capped at three projects, three team members, and 500 MB of storage. Kaneo is another freemium option with a self-hosted plan. PLANKA offers a free self-hosted Community edition. SwiftKanban has a free Team plan for three users and two boards. Trello provides a free plan with up to 10 collaborators and 10 boards per Workspace, with 10 MB per file. WeKan offers a free app plan without admin access and a cloud plan at 50.00 USD per year.

Verdict

Choose Planio if your team needs Redmine-based issue management plus planning, repositories, and communication in one hosted service, and can match its tier limits to its workload. Its configurable workflows and breadth are the main reasons to choose it; its project, user, and storage caps—and paid add-ons for storage and Help Desk Pro on lower tiers—are the reasons to look elsewhere if you want a simple board or predictable room to expand.

	Planio	Smartsheet
Free plan	Yes	No
Free trial	Yes	Yes
Paid from	—	$9/mo
Open source	No	No
Platforms	Android, api, iOS, self-hosted, Web	Android, api, extension, iOS, Linux, macOS, Web, Windows
Free plan	Yes	No
Guest access	Yes	Yes
Task views	—	board
Automation rules	—	Yes
Time tracking	—	Yes

Planio vs Smartsheet

Planio

Smartsheet