HacknPlan vs Trello
Learn more about your options and pick the best tool for your team.
Unsure whether to choose HacknPlan or Trello? You've come to the right place.
For years, Trello has been the industry standard when it comes to project management software. It's been a trendsetter ever since it first launched in 2011, popularizing the Kanban approach to project management and serving as an inspiration for many tools that entered the market in the following years — and that includes HacknPlan.
HacknPlan, on the other hand, is a unique project management tool designed specifically for game development projects. While the tool is heavily inspired by Agile methodologies, it is built around the workflow of game development teams and offers a number of unique features.
But that doesn't necessarily mean that all game development teams are better off with HacnkPlan, while Trello is the better option for everyone else. The choice between HacknPlan and Trello is far from clear-cut. In this article, we will take a closer look at both Trello and HacknPlan and examine their strengths and weaknesses.
HacknPlan and Trello compared
HacknPlan and Trello share many similarities. Both tools allow you to easily manage your tasks and track the progress of your projects using a Kanban board.
However, despite the high-level resemblance, there are several fundamental differences that need to be kept in mind when making a decision. Let's dive deeper into what HacknPlan and Trello have to offer and also have a look at other alternatives you may want to consider.
HacknPlan
Pricing: Free, advanced features starting from $4/user/month
Rating on Capterra: 4.3/5
HacknPlan is basically Trello for game developers. It's built around the Agile workflow but has a number of specialized features for managing game development projects.
For example, HacknPlan allows you to assign design elements to tasks. The stock elements include categories like character, level, zone, stage, object, and world. They all add up to what is called the "Game Design Model", which is HacknPlan's attempt to let you put your game design document into the tool.
Overall, HacknPlan is a fairly feature-packed and bloated tool and its interface may take some getting used to. Some users report running into performance issues and struggling with the initial setup.
Why you might prefer HacknPlan over Trello:
HacknPlan is designed to fit the workflow of game development teams.
HacknPlan allows you to not only manage your tasks but also organize your documentation and game assets.
HacknPlan lets you break down your game development project into stages and milestones.
HacknPlan offers advanced reporting functionality about the progress of your project.
What users say about HacknPlan:
"I was using Trello before but I was having issues organizing everything on a giant board. With HacknPlan I split the tasks up between the milestones but the Game Design Model keeps the bigger picture available. Overall, this tool has made me more productive and organized in my game projects."
Looking for more tools similar to HacknPlan? Check out this list of HacknPlan alternatives.
Trello
Pricing: Free, advanced features starting from $5/user/month
Rating on Capterra: 4.5/5
Trello is a great project tool for smaller game development teams and those who find HacknPlan too complex and feature-heavy. It's a tried-and-true tool used by millions of teams and individuals. You will need a separate platform to organize your game design docs, but when it comes to Kanban-style project management, Trello is one of the best tools you can find.
A notable strength of Trello is its extensive selection of Power-Ups that make it easy to integrate it into your unique workflow.
Why you might prefer Trello over HacknPlan:
Trello is fully optimized for project management and doesn't try to do too many things at once.
Trello is easier to get started with, the initial setup requires minimal configuration and can be completed in minutes.
Trello offers fewer features and options than HacknPlan, making it easier for the entire team to get the hang of it.
Trello's selection of Power-Ups and integrations is more extensive than that of HacknPlan.
What users say about Trello:
"Trello is excellent for small game development teams. It has allowed me to organize and keep track of my team's game development project with ease using the Kanban project management methodology we wanted to use for agile development. If you're a small game development team it is by far the best tool you could use to track your game projects."
Looking for more tools similar to Trello? Check out this list of Trello alternatives.
Other alternatives
It should be mentioned that your options are not limited to just HacknPlan and Trello. There are many other great tools that can serve you just as well — or even better. For example, if you like the idea of managing your entire game development project in one tool like HacknPlan, but prefer the simplicity of Trello, consider Nuclino.
Like HacknPlan, Nuclino is a multi-purpose tool that allows you to bring all your game design docs, tasks, feature roadmaps, and game assets together. It's a unified workspace for collaborative game design documentation, worldbuilding, and project planning.
Nuclino allows you to create long-form documents and organize them in a variety of visual ways. The nested list view is handy for organizing and collaborating on your game design documentation in real time. The Kanban board view is great for prioritizing features and planning sprints. The table view can be used to easily sort and filter long lists of game design assets. The mindmap-style graph allows you to visualize the links between different topics, levels, characters, and game assets like in a wiki.
Nuclino items can contain a variety of content, including text, videos, images, files, tasks with due dates and reminders, tables, code blocks, interactive embeds, and more. This allows you to document, share, and collaborate on anything, from game proposals and storyboards to character profiles and concept art. Internal links can be used to easily link related documents and topics together.
All that content can be collaborated on in real time, with every change automatically saved in the version history. Comments and mentions can be used to communicate and exchange feedback asynchronously, preserving the context of every decision.
While both Trello and HacknPlan are packed with features, menus, and buttons, Nuclino is lightweight and clutter-free, with everything you need and nothing you don't. It works right out of the box and requires almost no configuration, so your team can be productive from day one.
You can connect Nuclino to a wide range of other tools, including Discord, Google Drive, Miro, and more, seamlessly integrating it into your game development process.
HacknPlan vs Trello: So which is better?
There is no definitive "winner" when you compare HacknPlan and Trello. Both tools are popular for different reasons, and the best choice depends on your unique requirements and preferences. HacknPlan can be a great fit for larger game development projects and teams who are looking for a powerful, feature-packed solution to support their workflow. And Trello may be a better option for those who are looking for a simple, user-friendly project management tool and don't need all the additional bells and whistles.
On the other hand, if you want the best of both worlds and value both simplicity and flexibility, consider exploring other alternatives, such as Nuclino.
We hope this article has made your decision a little easier and recommend you take all three tools for a spin.
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