Side by side
| Trello | CrewDesk | |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Any kind of project, with boards, lists and cards | Film, video and photo productions |
| Production stages | Lists you name yourself | Five built-in stages from Development to Delivered |
| Tasks | Cards with members, due dates and checklists | Tasks with assignee, priority, status and due date, per production or across all |
| Cast database | Not built in; cards or an add-on | Profiles with photos, sizes and notes |
| Equipment inventory | Not built in | Items with photos, value and storage location |
| Calendar | A calendar view of card due dates | A shared calendar of shoots and events across productions |
| Team conversation | Comments on cards | Built-in chat, by team and by production |
| Roles | Board and workspace permissions | Four roles named for a production office |
| How you pay | Free plan, then per-user subscription | Buy the code, have it adapted, or have it hosted for you |
When Trello is the right choice
If you produce a handful of videos a year with two or three people, a board with a list per stage is enough, it costs little or nothing, and everybody already knows how it works. Do not buy more software than the work needs.
When teams outgrow it
The signs are familiar: a board per production and no view across them, a spreadsheet of actors beside the board, another for gear, and a group chat where decisions are lost. Each piece works; nothing connects them. That is the point at which an application designed around productions saves time.
A note on fairness
This comparison was written by TECHMA, the maker of CrewDesk, from each product's public documentation. Products change: check the vendor's own site before deciding. All product names are trademarks of their owners.