A Trello alternative that's native.
Trello is a web board built to be shared across a team. Zoro is a native kanban built for one person on iPhone and Mac. If you're a solo founder, freelancer, or indie running your own board and you'd rather have a real Apple app than a browser tab — this page is for you.
The short version
Trello goes everywhere. Zoro goes native.
Trello and Zoro are the two most directly comparable tools here — both are kanban boards, cards you drag between columns. Trello wins on reach: it runs on the web, iOS, Android, and a desktop wrapper, with real-time collaboration, Power-Ups, and Butler automation. Zoro trades all of that away for one thing — being the best single-player board on Apple hardware, with priorities and sizes built in and your data in your own iCloud.
When to pick what
Use the right tool for the job.
Use Trello if…
- You share a board with other people and need real-time collaboration.
- You need to be on Windows, Android, or the web — not just Apple.
- You want Power-Ups and integrations (Slack, GitHub, calendars).
- You want Butler automation rules on your board.
- The generous free tier already covers everything you do.
Use Zoro if…
- You're working solo and nobody else needs to see your board.
- You want your tasks on iPhone and Mac, native and fast.
- You want priorities (P1/P2/P3) and sizes (S/M/L) built in, not faked with labels.
- You'd rather pay $19.99/year (or $59.99 once) than a per-seat subscription.
- You want your data in your own iCloud, not on Atlassian's servers.
Feature comparison
Side by side.
| Feature | Zoro | Trello |
|---|---|---|
| Built for one person | Yes | No — designed around teams |
| List + kanban views | Both | Board (+ list, calendar on paid) |
| Three priorities (P1/P2/P3) | Native | Labels / Power-Up |
| S/M/L effort sizing | Native | Labels / Power-Up |
| Subtasks | Yes Pro | Checklists / cards |
| iPhone + Mac native apps | Yes | iOS + web wrapper desktop |
| Sync between devices | iCloud | Atlassian cloud |
| Where your data lives | Your iCloud | Atlassian's servers |
| Works offline | Yes (local-first) | Limited |
| Team collaboration | No (by design) | Yes (real-time) |
| Power-Ups / integrations | None | Many |
| Automation | No | Butler |
| Runs on Windows / Android | No (Apple only) | Yes |
| Pricing (1 user) | $0, $19.99/yr or $59.99 once | Free, or ~$5–10/user/mo |
Pricing
What you'll actually pay.
Trello's free tier is genuinely generous — for one person it's often all you need. Paid tiers add more boards, automation, and views, but they're billed per seat. Zoro is built for one person from the start: the free tier is unlimited, and the most expensive option is $59.99 once. Trello prices below are around 2026 figures.
Zoro
- Unlimited tasks & projects
- List + kanban, P1/P2/P3, S/M/L
- iCloud sync (iPhone + Mac)
- Weekly review + reflection
- Weekly Review insight cards
- History & Trends — every week kept
- Stats dashboard
- Subtasks, custom statuses
Trello
- Unlimited cards
- Board view, basic automation
- iOS, Android, web
- Unlimited boards, more automation
- Advanced checklists, custom fields
- Calendar, timeline, dashboard views
- More Butler automation, admin controls
What's actually different
The three things you'll feel right away.
Priorities and sizes built in.
In Trello, priority and effort are something you bolt on with labels or a Power-Up. In Zoro they're first-class: every card has a priority (P1/P2/P3) and a size (S/M/L) with no setup. Less configuration, more deciding what's next.
Apple-native, not a web wrapper.
Trello's desktop app is an Electron/web wrapper around the same browser app. Zoro is a real iPhone and Mac app — fast launch, native keyboard, real offline, system dark mode. Designed for the OS, not ported to it.
Your data, your iCloud.
Trello stores your boards on Atlassian's servers. Zoro syncs through your own iCloud Private Database — Apple's encrypted personal store. We don't have a database to lose, sell, or shut down.
Paid once, not per seat.
Trello's paid tiers are a recurring per-seat bill. Zoro is $59.99 once and you're done. No renewal notice, no per-user math, no procurement.
FAQ
Trello vs Zoro, answered.
Is Trello good for one person?
It works fine — the free tier is generous and a simple board is easy to set up solo. The catch is that priorities and effort sizing aren't built in (you fake them with labels or Power-Ups), your data lives on Atlassian's servers, and the desktop app is a web wrapper. A tool built natively for one person, like Zoro, fits the single-player case more closely.
Is Trello free?
Yes — Trello has a genuinely generous free tier with unlimited cards and up to around 10 boards per workspace, plenty for one person. Paid tiers (Standard around $5/user/month and Premium around $10/user/month, billed annually as of 2026) add more boards, automation, and views — and they're priced per seat.
Does Trello have a native Mac app?
Not really. Trello offers a desktop app for Mac, but it's an Electron/web wrapper around the same web app rather than a true native build. Zoro is a real native Apple app on iPhone and Mac — fast launch, native keyboard, real offline, and system dark mode.
What's the best Trello alternative for Apple users?
If you're Apple-only and solo, Zoro is a native iPhone + Mac kanban with priorities and sizes built in, a one-time price, and data in your own iCloud. Things 3 is the best-designed Apple GTD app, and Todoist or TickTick work if you need cross-platform. See our list of the best task managers for solo founders.
Cut the day into pieces.
Zoro opens in summer 2026 on iPhone and Mac. Join the waitlist for the App Store link on launch day, plus a code for half off Pro for life — $29.99 once, not $59.99.
Join the waitlist →