Our Top Pick
Monday.com
Start free — no credit card required for most plans
Why Event Planners Need the Right Tool
Event planning is deadline-driven, vendor-heavy, and client-facing all at once. A wedding planner juggling 10 events needs to know exactly where each one stands: which vendors are confirmed, what payments are outstanding, which timelines need attention, and what client approvals are pending. Generic to-do lists don't cut it — you need a visual, timeline-oriented system built for this kind of work.
In this guide, we've evaluated the top options based on features that matter specifically for event planners: ease of setup, pricing at small-team scale, integrations with the tools you already use, and — most importantly — whether the tool actually gets used after the first month. These are not generic recommendations. Each pick is chosen because it solves the specific problems event planners face.
The real problem to solve
Event planners managing multiple events simultaneously constantly risk missing vendor deadlines or double-booking resources.
Top 5 Tools — At a Glance
| Feature | Monday.com | Airtable | ClickUp | Trello | Asana |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | ★ 4.6/5 | ★ 4.6/5 | ★ 4.5/5 | ★ 4.4/5 | ★ 4.4/5 |
| Starting Price | Free for 2 users (paid from $9/mo per user) | Free (paid from $20/user/mo) | Free forever plan (paid from $7/mo per user) | Free (paid from $5/mo per user) | Free for 15 users (paid from $10.99/mo per user) |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Best For | Teams that need flexibility to manage any type of work | Teams that need a flexible, visual database without engineering help | Teams that want to consolidate all their tools into one platform | Small teams and individuals that want a simple, Kanban-style task board | Teams that want clear task ownership and project structure |
| Free Trial | Try Monday.com Free | Visit site → | Try ClickUp Free | Visit site → | Visit site → |
In-Depth Reviews
Here's what you need to know about each option before starting a trial.
Monday.com
Top PickThe Work OS that adapts to how your team works
4.6/5
12,500 reviews
Pricing
Free for 2 users (paid from $9/mo per user)
✓ Free plan availableBest For
Teams that need flexibility to manage any type of work
Ideal For
Pros
- ✓Extremely visual and easy to understand at a glance
- ✓Highly customizable — works for almost any team
- ✓Excellent automations that anyone can set up
- ✓Strong integrations with 200+ apps
- ✓Great for client-facing workspaces
Cons
- ✗Can get expensive for larger teams
- ✗Free plan limited to 2 users
- ✗Can become disorganized without good governance
Airtable
Part spreadsheet, part database — fully flexible
4.6/5
6,843 reviews
Pricing
Free (paid from $20/user/mo)
✓ Free plan availableBest For
Teams that need a flexible, visual database without engineering help
Ideal For
Pros
- ✓Incredibly flexible — adapts to almost any workflow
- ✓Multiple views: grid, kanban, gallery, calendar, Gantt
- ✓Powerful automation builder
- ✓Huge template library
- ✓Strong free plan for small teams
Cons
- ✗Can be slow with very large datasets
- ✗Paid plans needed for most serious automations
- ✗Not a true relational database for complex queries
ClickUp
The everything app for work
4.5/5
9,800 reviews
Pricing
Free forever plan (paid from $7/mo per user)
✓ Free plan availableBest For
Teams that want to consolidate all their tools into one platform
Ideal For
Pros
- ✓Most feature-rich free plan in the category
- ✓Extremely customizable at every level
- ✓Docs, whiteboards, and goals built in
- ✓Affordable paid plans
- ✓Regular updates and feature releases
Cons
- ✗Steep learning curve due to feature density
- ✗Can feel overwhelming for simple use cases
- ✗Performance can be slow with large workspaces
Trello
Visual project management for any team
4.4/5
22,000 reviews
Pricing
Free (paid from $5/mo per user)
✓ Free plan availableBest For
Small teams and individuals that want a simple, Kanban-style task board
Ideal For
Pros
- ✓Extremely simple — anyone can start in minutes
- ✓Best free plan in the Kanban category
- ✓Great visual overview of work in progress
- ✓Power-Ups extend functionality significantly
- ✓Excellent mobile apps
Cons
- ✗Limited structure for complex projects
- ✗No native Gantt or timeline view on free plan
- ✗Reporting is minimal
- ✗Can become disorganized without clear card conventions
Asana
Work management for teams
4.4/5
11,200 reviews
Pricing
Free for 15 users (paid from $10.99/mo per user)
✓ Free plan availableBest For
Teams that want clear task ownership and project structure
Ideal For
Pros
- ✓Clean, focused interface
- ✓Excellent task dependencies and workflow features
- ✓Strong portfolio and goals views (paid plans)
- ✓Good free plan for smaller teams
- ✓Enterprise-grade permissions and compliance
Cons
- ✗Less customizable than Monday or ClickUp
- ✗No native time tracking
- ✗Timeline view requires paid plan
How to Choose the Right Tool for Event Planners
Before you start a free trial, answer these three questions honestly:
- Who will actually use this every day? The best tool is the one your team uses consistently — not the one with the most features. If you're a solo operator, complexity is your enemy. If you have a team of 10+, look for tools with strong onboarding and admin controls.
- What does your workflow look like today? The tools that see the highest adoption are ones that fit into existing workflows rather than requiring a complete process overhaul. Look for tools that integrate with software you already use.
- What's your 12-month budget? Most tools start cheap and scale with usage. Run the numbers on what you'll pay at 6 months and 12 months — not just the entry price. Factor in user seats and any add-ons you'll need.
Our recommendation for most event planners: start with Monday.com. Teams that need flexibility to manage any type of work
Ready to get started?
Try Monday.com Free
Most plans include a free trial or free tier — no credit card required. Set up takes less than 10 minutes.
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