The real cost of PM software: a 3-year comparison
You're picking project management software for your team. The pricing page says $10 per user per month. Sounds reasonable. But what does your team actually pay after three years once you add time tracking, SSO and all the seats? The number is usually much higher than the sticker price.
A project management software total cost comparison is a side-by-side breakdown of what a team actually spends on PM tools over a multi-year period. It includes subscription fees, add-on costs for features like time tracking and SSO and the compounding effect of per-user pricing as teams grow.
TL;DR: A 10-person team pays between $2,700 and $8,996 over three years on popular PM tools, before add-ons. With time tracking and SSO included, the real cost climbs higher. Eigenfocus Pro costs $389 once, with everything built in.
How to build a project management software total cost comparison
Most PM tools charge per user per month. That model means your bill grows every time you add someone to the team. Over three years, what looked like $10/month turns into thousands.
Here's what a 10-person team pays on each tool over three years, using annual billing at the tier that includes comparable features (boards, timeline views, custom fields where available).
| Tool | Plan used | Per user/mo (annual) | 3-year base cost (10 users) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asana | Advanced | $24.99 | $8,996 |
| ClickUp | Business | $12.00 | $4,320 |
| Jira | Standard | $7.50 (tier-based) | $2,700 |
| Linear | Business | $12.00 | $4,320 |
| Trello | Premium | $10.00 | $3,600 |
| Eigenfocus | Pro (self-hosted) | One-time | $389 |
| Eigenfocus | Cloud (up to 10) | $39/mo flat | $1,404 |
These are base subscription costs only. The real story starts when you add the features most teams need.
Why the sticker price is misleading in a project management software total cost comparison
The per-user rate on pricing pages is just the starting point. Two features that teams commonly need, time tracking and SSO, are often sold separately or locked behind higher tiers.
Time tracking add-on costs
Not every tool includes time tracking. Here's where it lives in each product:
- Asana: Native time tracking requires the Advanced plan ($24.99/user/mo). The Starter plan needs a separate Timesheets & Budgets add-on at ~$5.99/user/mo.
- ClickUp: Time tracking starts at the Unlimited plan ($7/user/mo). The Business plan ($12/user/mo) includes it.
- Jira: Basic time logging exists (estimate, time spent, remaining). But for timers, timesheets and reports, most teams buy Tempo or a similar Marketplace plugin at $5-10/user/mo.
- Linear: No native time tracking at all. Teams use third-party tools like Everhour or Harvest, typically $5-10/user/mo.
- Trello: No native time tracking. Requires a Power-Up from a third-party provider at $5-10/user/mo.
- Eigenfocus: Built-in time tracking on every plan, including the Free edition. Timers, timesheets and CSV exports. No add-on needed.
SSO add-on costs
Single sign-on is a basic security need for most organizations. Here's what each tool charges:
- Asana: Google SSO on all plans. SAML SSO (Okta, Azure AD) requires Enterprise pricing (~$30-50/user/mo custom).
- ClickUp: Google SSO on Business ($12/user/mo). Full SAML/SCIM requires Enterprise (custom pricing).
- Jira: Requires Atlassian Guard, a separate product at ~$4/user/mo on top of your Jira subscription.
- Linear: Google SSO on paid plans. SAML/SCIM requires Enterprise (custom pricing).
- Trello: Requires Atlassian Guard at ~$4/user/mo, separate from your Trello subscription.
- Eigenfocus: SSO via Google, GitHub and Microsoft included. Custom OIDC provider support included. No extra cost. For details on how SSO works, see our SSO setup guide.
The full 3-year cost breakdown for a 10-person team
Now let's add time tracking and SSO to the base cost. This is the number that matters.
| Tool | Base (3yr) | Time tracking add-on (3yr) | SSO add-on (3yr) | Total (3yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asana Advanced | $8,996 | Included | SAML: custom pricing | $8,996+ |
| ClickUp Business | $4,320 | Included | Google only; SAML: custom | $4,320+ |
| Jira Standard | $2,700 | ~$3,600 (Tempo) | ~$1,440 (Guard) | ~$7,740 |
| Linear Business | $4,320 | ~$1,800 (Everhour) | Google only; SAML: custom | ~$6,120 |
| Trello Premium | $3,600 | ~$1,800 (Power-Up) | ~$1,440 (Guard) | ~$6,840 |
| Eigenfocus Pro (self-hosted) | $389 | Included | Included | $389 |
| Eigenfocus Cloud | $1,404 | Included | Included | $1,404 |
A few things stand out. Jira looks affordable at $2,700 base, but once you add Tempo for time tracking and Guard for SSO, the real cost nearly triples. Linear and Trello have the same pattern. Their base price is moderate, but missing features push the total up.
Eigenfocus Pro self-hosted costs $389 total. That is 20x less than what most teams end up paying for Jira with add-ons and 6x less than ClickUp Business.
How per-user pricing compounds over time
Per-user pricing compounds. Every new hire and every contractor increases your monthly bill for as long as they're on the platform.
Here's how the 3-year base cost scales from 10 to 25 users:
| Tool (plan) | 10 users (3yr) | 25 users (3yr) | Cost increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asana Advanced | $8,996 | $22,491 | +$13,495 |
| ClickUp Business | $4,320 | $10,800 | +$6,480 |
| Jira Standard | $2,700 | $6,750 | +$4,050 |
| Linear Business | $4,320 | $10,800 | +$6,480 |
| Trello Premium | $3,600 | $9,000 | +$5,400 |
| Eigenfocus Pro (self-hosted) | $389 | $389 | $0 |
| Eigenfocus Cloud | $1,404 | $2,124 | +$720 |
With Eigenfocus self-hosted, going from 10 to 25 users costs nothing extra. The $389 one-time price covers unlimited users. On Eigenfocus Cloud, the jump is $720 over three years because pricing uses flat tiers, not per-user math. On Asana Advanced, the same growth costs an additional $13,495.
What features are included at each price point?
Price is only half the picture. Here's what you get for your money across these tools.
| Feature | Asana | ClickUp | Jira | Linear | Trello | Eigenfocus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Board view | All plans | All plans | All plans | All plans | All plans | All plans |
| Timeline view | Starter+ | Business | All plans | All plans | Premium | Pro |
| Grid/Table view | All plans | All plans | All plans | List only | Premium | Pro |
| Custom fields | Starter+ | Unlimited+ | All plans | Limited | Standard+ | Pro |
| Time tracking | Advanced only | Unlimited+ | Plugins needed | Not available | Not available | All plans |
| SSO (Google) | All plans | Business | Free (limited) | Paid plans | All plans | Pro |
| SSO (SAML/OIDC) | Enterprise | Enterprise | Guard add-on | Enterprise | Guard add-on | Pro |
| Self-hosted option | No | No | EOL 2029 | No | No | Yes |
| Per-user fees | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
Eigenfocus includes time tracking, SSO and custom fields in a single purchase. No plugins, no add-ons, no separate subscriptions.
How Eigenfocus keeps costs flat with no per-user fees
Eigenfocus uses a different model. The self-hosted Pro edition is a one-time payment of $389. No per-user fees. No annual renewal. You run it with Docker on your own server. Whether your team is 5 or 50 people, the price stays the same.
For teams that prefer not to manage a server, Eigenfocus Cloud uses flat monthly tiers based on team size: $15/mo for up to 5 people, $39/mo for up to 10, $59/mo for up to 25 and $89/mo for up to 50. Still no per-user math. You pick a tier and know exactly what you'll pay.
This works because Eigenfocus ships the features teams use daily: boards, lists, timelines, grids, custom fields, custom statuses, time tracking and SSO. No marketplace, no plugin ecosystem, no add-on revenue model.
If you're evaluating tools and want to see how Eigenfocus handles flat-rate project management, that page walks through the pricing model in detail.
Worked example: a product team switching from Jira
Let's make this concrete. A 10-person product team has been on Jira Standard for two years. They also pay for Tempo ($10/user/mo) for time tracking and Atlassian Guard ($4/user/mo) for SSO.
Current annual cost: - Jira Standard (10 users, tier-based): $900/yr - Tempo time tracking: $10 x 10 x 12 = $1,200/yr - Atlassian Guard: $4 x 10 x 12 = $480/yr - Total: $2,580/year
Three-year projection if they stay: $7,740
If they switch to Eigenfocus Pro self-hosted: - One-time purchase: $389 - Time tracking: included - SSO (Google, GitHub, Microsoft, custom OIDC): included - Total over three years: $389
That's a difference of $7,351. Even accounting for Docker setup and data migration, the math is clear. For teams that prefer not to manage infrastructure, Eigenfocus Cloud at $39/mo costs $1,404 over three years. Still $6,336 less than the Jira stack.
What about tools that include time tracking in the base price?
Asana Advanced and ClickUp Business include time tracking in their subscription. No add-ons needed there. But the per-user model still applies. A 10-person team on Asana Advanced pays $8,996 over three years. On ClickUp Business, it's $4,320. Both grow linearly with every new hire.
Eigenfocus Pro self-hosted at $389 includes time tracking for unlimited users. If you need broader platform features (AI, automations, dozens of integrations), the per-user cost may be justified. If you need project management with time tracking, custom fields and SSO, Eigenfocus delivers that without recurring fees.
Frequently asked questions
Does Eigenfocus really have no per-user fees?
Yes. The self-hosted editions (Free, Essential, Pro) have no per-user fees. You pay once for the edition and add as many users as you want. Eigenfocus Cloud uses flat monthly tiers based on team size, not individual user counts. A team of 8 and a team of 10 pay the same $39/mo.
How does Eigenfocus handle time tracking compared to Jira or Asana?
Eigenfocus includes time tracking in every edition, including the Free edition. You get timers, manual time entry, timesheets and CSV exports. There's no separate plugin or add-on to buy. Jira needs a third-party plugin like Tempo. Asana requires the Advanced plan or a Starter add-on.
Is Eigenfocus source-available? Can I inspect the code?
The Free edition source code is publicly available on GitHub. You can inspect it, run it and verify what it does. The Essential and Pro editions are proprietary. Eigenfocus is source-available (public source), not open source.
Can I migrate from another PM tool to Eigenfocus?
You can export data from most tools (Jira, Trello, Asana, ClickUp, Linear) and import it into Eigenfocus. The exact process depends on the source tool's export format. Since Eigenfocus uses SQLite, your data stays in a local database file that you fully control.
What if I need features Eigenfocus doesn't have?
Eigenfocus focuses on project management fundamentals: boards, lists, timelines, grids, custom fields, custom statuses, time tracking and SSO. It does not have AI features, automation builders, Gantt charts, calendar views or a plugin marketplace. If those are requirements, a different tool may be the better fit. The goal is to do core project management well, not to replace every tool in your stack.
Pick the tool that fits your budget and your workflow
The sticker price of PM software tells you very little. The real cost includes add-ons for time tracking, separate subscriptions for SSO and the compounding effect of per-user pricing as your team grows. Over three years, a 10-person team can spend anywhere from $389 to nearly $9,000.
If your team needs project management with custom fields, time tracking and SSO included, without per-user fees and with the option to self-host, Eigenfocus is worth evaluating. If you need a broad platform with AI, deep integrations and enterprise compliance, the subscription tools on this list serve that market well.
Either way, run the numbers for your team size. The three-year view makes the differences hard to ignore.
Explore how teams use Eigenfocus for project management, or see how multiple board views help teams that have outgrown a single Kanban board.