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In this article, I share my top 5 disadvantages of Monday.com that all small business owners must know before diving in.
Monday.com is a widely recognized work management platform that over 225,000 customers use globally.
But while Monday.com offers an array of impressive features, it’s not without its drawbacks!
So, before you commit to using Monday.com to help you effectively manage your projects, customers, products, and other work, weighing the pros and cons is crucial.
In this post, I’ll focus on the top 5 disadvantages of Monday.com so you can determine if it’s the right fit for your business and workflow.
But first, what is Monday.com?
Read more: What Is Monday.com?
What Is Monday.com?
Monday.com is a cloud-based project management and work collaboration platform designed to help teams plan, track, and execute tasks and projects more efficiently.
Known for its visually appealing and intuitive interface, Monday.com offers a flexible and customizable approach to managing workflows.
This makes it suitable for businesses of all sizes and industries!
At its core, Monday.com allows users to create boards (essentially, project workspaces) where they can:
- Organize tasks.
- Assign team members.
- Set deadlines.
- Track progress, and more.
Monday.com was essentially designed as a one-stop shop for enhancing productivity and communication within your team.
But I’m here to talk about the top 5 disadvantages of Monday.com. So, let’s dive in!
Read more: Pros and Cons of Monday.com.
Top 5 Disadvantages of Monday.com
Don’t get me wrong, Monday.com definitely has its strengths! It’s a powerful tool that helps many businesses streamline their workflows and stay organized.
But what are the top 5 things Monday.com doesn’t do so well? It’s time to find out.
1. Free Plan Limitations
Monday.com offers a completely free plan that’s perfect for small teams or startups looking for an affordable platform to manage their work.
And look, the free plan certainly offers a basic set of features that can be pretty useful for smaller-scale operations.
However, there are significant restrictions that you need to consider before fully committing!
Firstly, the free plan is limited to just two users. And there’s no option to add additional team members for an extra cost.
This means that once your team grows beyond two people, you’ll need to upgrade to an expensive paid plan, even if you don’t need many advanced features.
Additionally, while the free plan covers essential work management, it doesn’t include specialized CRM or product development features.
If you need dedicated customer relationship management or product development tools, you must sign up for one of Monday.com’s dedicated CRM or product dev plans.
And unfortunately, neither the CRM nor product dev plans offer free options!
Another downside is that the free plan comes with various limitations on features.
For example, you’re restricted to a certain number of active boards (projects), which can be a real challenge for teams juggling multiple projects and work simultaneously.
Advanced features like integrations and automation (some of Monday.com’s most powerful tools) are also off-limits unless you upgrade.
Additionally, 24/7 support is reserved for higher-tier plans, leaving free users without immediate support.
For growing teams, this means you’ll likely need to move to a paid plan sooner than expected.
Read more: How Much Does Monday.com Cost?
2. Pricing Structure
Next up on this list of top 5 disadvantages is Monday.com’s price-per-user pricing model.
Basically, instead of a flat fee for each plan type, you pay an additional fee for each team member you want to access and use Monday.com.
The ‘Basic’ plan starts at $9 per user per month, while the ‘Standard’ plan is priced at $12 per user per month.
While the platform offers various features at each tier, the per-user cost increases with each new team member, increasing your monthly bill.
As you can imagine, this pricing model can quickly add up as your team expands, sometimes leading to a larger-than-expected budget allocation for this type of software!
If your goal is scalability, it’s essential to factor in how Monday.com’s pricing will impact your long-term costs.
Read more: How To Use Monday.com?
3. Steep Learning Curve
Monday.com is generally praised as a user-friendly, no-code online work management tool.
However, its extensive range of features certainly steepens the learning curve, especially for new users!
Packed with tools, integrations, and powerful features, Monday.com may overwhelm teams not used to such a comprehensive project management system.
Additionally, training and onboarding new users can take time, and getting everyone on the same page can be challenging.
And tasks like setting up boards, tracking detailed project progress, and managing team workflows require a certain level of familiarity with the platform’s complex functionality.
Honestly, Monday.com’s robust feature set could be overkill for teams that only need a simple project and task management tool.
Read more: What Is Monday.com Best Used For?
4. No Built-in Chat
Effective work management is all about team communication and collaboration, right? Well, this is where Monday.com falls short.
Unlike some competitors, such as Basecamp or ClickUp. Monday.com doesn’t include built-in messaging or chat features.
This lack of direct communication tools means users must rely on third-party applications to communicate with their teams or guests.
Luckily, Monday.com integrates with many third-party communication tools, such as Slack.
However, this is just an extra step that can complicate workflows, disrupt work processes, and reduce collaboration efficiency.
If you’re looking for a more streamlined experience where seamless messaging is included within the platform, you’ll need to look elsewhere.
Read more: Slack vs Monday.com.
5. Performance Problems with Bigger Boards
What about when your projects grow, and your boards become more data-heavy?
Unfortunately, users have reported that Monday.com has slower loading times and lags slightly when working with large boards.
This can be especially problematic when teams need real-time access to data or are navigating between different sections quickly!
And honestly, for teams managing dynamic projects with frequent updates, these performance issues can lead to wasted time and decreased productivity.
Constant delays or the need for troubleshooting can take valuable time away from actual project work, leaving team members frustrated and less focused on their tasks.
Stews Final Thoughts
And that is it for this article on the top 5 disadvantages of Monday.com!
There’s no arguing that Monday.com is a powerful and effective productivity tool for many businesses.
However, weighing the disadvantages against the platform’s strengths is always important before committing.
Whether it’s pricing, limitations on features, or performance issues with larger boards, these factors could impact your decision, especially as your team grows and your needs evolve.
My advice? Weigh the potential drawbacks and explore available alternatives before diving straight into Monday.com.
By doing this, you’ll ensure you pick the right work management platform to genuinely boost your team’s efficiency and productivity.
Still not sure if you want to use Monday.com? Check out my comprehensive list and review of the top 10 disadvantages of Monday.com here.
Do you agree with my top 5 disadvantages of Monday.com? Let me know!
