ClickUp is a San Diego-based work management platform that combines tasks, docs, whiteboards, chat, dashboards and automations with its own AI layer, now called Brain2. As of September 2026, the core plans start free and cost $7 to $12 per user per month on annual billing, while AI is a separate add-on from $9 per user per month. It suits teams that want one tool and can invest in setup.
Last updated: September 2026
What is ClickUp?
ClickUp was founded in 2017 by Zeb Evans (CEO) and Alex Yurkowski and is based in San Diego, according to Wikipedia. It raised a $400 million Series C in October 2021 at a $4 billion valuation. ClickUp says it has more than 20 million users, a vendor claim we could not verify independently.
It started as a task manager and has since added docs, whiteboards, forms, goals, time tracking, chat, email and meeting notes. ClickUp AI arrived in February 2023 and was renamed ClickUp Brain in January 2024, according to Wikipedia.
What changed at ClickUp in 2025 and 2026?
- November 2025: ClickUp acquired Qatalog, an AI work hub with permission-aware search across more than 100 enterprise apps, according to Business Wire.
- December 2025: ClickUp 4.0 shipped on December 10 with one global navigation sidebar for tasks, Docs, Chat and AI. Super Agents, AI teammates that work inside the workspace, launched on December 23, and ClickUp acquired Codegen, an AI coding startup whose founder Jay Hack became Head of AI, Reworked reported.
- February 2026: a no-code Super Agent Builder followed, according to ClickUp’s changelog.
- May 2026: ClickUp cut 22% of its staff; CEO Zeb Evans framed it as a move to an AI-first “100x org” with about 3,000 internal AI agents, TechRepublic and TechCrunch reported.
- June 17, 2026: ClickUp launched Brain2, a rebuilt AI platform with shared company memory and model routing, alongside a new standalone Brain MAX mobile app.
Key features of ClickUp
Brain2: the AI assistant inside your workspace
Brain2 replaces the original ClickUp Brain. ClickUp says it draws on every task, doc, decision and conversation in a workspace, remembers roles, preferences and team standards, and routes each request to Claude, GPT or Gemini depending on the task, or to the model you pick. According to the launch release, it builds slide decks, dashboards and working websites and connects to Gmail, GitHub, Figma and Slack. It is live for every customer on web, desktop and mobile, but full use depends on the AI plan you buy.
Super Agents
Super Agents are what ClickUp calls “Brain AI-powered teammates.” Its help center examples include drafting creative briefs, turning meeting notes into follow-up emails, keeping escalation summaries and writing job descriptions from task details. They can be triggered automatically or manually. Building an agent uses no credits, but each run costs 100 to 300 AI credits.
Brain MAX and Talk to Text
Brain MAX is ClickUp’s standalone AI app: desktop for macOS 13 or later and Windows, per the help center, plus iOS, Android and a Chrome extension, per the product page. It offers a choice of models (ClickUp names Brain, Gemini, OpenAI and Claude), cited web search, deep research, image generation and search across connected apps. Talk to Text adds voice dictation; ClickUp’s “4x faster than typing” claim is a vendor figure.
Enterprise search across your apps
Connected Search lets Brain look beyond ClickUp into linked tools, an area the Qatalog acquisition was meant to strengthen. Unlimited enterprise search requires the Everything AI plan; Brain AI gets only a trial.
AI Notetaker
AI Notetaker joins Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Google Meet calls booked in Google or Outlook Calendar, plus ClickUp’s own SyncUps. It saves an overview, key takeaways, next steps and a full transcript as a ClickUp Doc, with video for calls under an hour and audio only for longer ones. Transcription covers more than 100 languages, including Arabic. Each workspace gets 5 free hours per admin, which do not reset.
Tasks, views, docs and whiteboards
The core is still a flexible task hierarchy with many views. Every plan includes unlimited tasks, Kanban boards, calendar view, sprint management and collaborative Docs. Paid plans add unlimited Gantt charts, custom fields, forms, native time tracking, goals and resource management; Business adds mind maps, private whiteboards, timeline views and proofing.
Chat, dashboards and automations
Unlimited includes ClickUp Chat with unlimited message history, email in ClickUp, webhooks and 1,000 automation runs a month. Business adds unlimited dashboards with advanced cards and 5,000 automation runs a month; Enterprise allows 250,000.
Integrations and MCP
ClickUp says it connects to “over 1,000+ tools,” many of them through Zapier, Make and similar platforms. Native integrations include Slack, GitHub, Google Drive, Microsoft Teams, HubSpot, Zoom, Figma and Outlook, with importers from Asana, Trello, Jira and monday.com. Its official MCP server, available on all plans, lets AI clients such as ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor and VS Code read and act on ClickUp data.
Benefits of ClickUp
- Fewer tools to pay for: tasks, docs, chat, whiteboards and meeting notes share one workspace, so AI answers can draw on all of them.
- Low entry price: Free Forever has unlimited tasks and members; Unlimited costs $7 per user per month billed annually.
- Model choice on one bill: Brain2 and Brain MAX give access to Claude, GPT and Gemini models.
- Open to other AI tools: the MCP server and integrations keep ClickUp from being a closed box.
ClickUp use cases by role
- Project and product managers: sprints, Gantt timelines, dependencies, dashboards and AI-written status reports.
- Marketing and content teams: editorial calendars, briefs drafted by Super Agents, proofing and approval workflows.
- Agencies: time tracking, guests with permission controls and intake forms.
- Engineering teams: GitHub and GitLab integrations, sprint management and the MCP server for coding assistants such as Cursor.
- Founders and operations leads: one workspace for SOPs, goals, meetings and automations.
How much does ClickUp cost?
ClickUp prices its workspace plans and its AI separately. The figures below are from ClickUp’s pricing pages as of September 2026, in USD per user per month.
| Plan | Billed monthly | Billed annually | Key inclusions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free Forever | $0 | $0 | 60MB storage, unlimited tasks and members, 1 form, trial AI access |
| Unlimited | $10 | $7 | Unlimited storage, integrations, Gantt charts and custom fields; time tracking; guest permissions; Chat |
| Business | $19 | $12 | Unlimited dashboards, 5,000 automations per month, Google SSO, mind maps, private whiteboards |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom | SAML SSO and SCIM, audit log, custom roles, 250,000 automations per month, HIPAA available, data residency |
How much does ClickUp AI cost?
| AI plan | Listed price | AI credits | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free (trial) | $0 | One-time trial: 500 per workspace on Free Forever, 1,000 per user on paid plans; does not reset | Trial access to most AI features |
| Brain AI | $9 per user per month (shown against a struck-through $18) | 1,500 per user per month | Brain Assistant, Brain MAX, web search, expanded premium models, standard Super Agents |
| Everything AI | $28 per user per month (shown against a struck-through $68) | 5,000 per user per month | Adds unlimited AI Notetaker, enterprise search, Talk to Text and image generation, plus maximum model access |
The AI pricing page has a monthly/yearly toggle but does not label whether $9 and $28 are monthly or annual rates, and third-party guides disagree, so confirm at checkout. Extra credits cost $10 per 10,000 and do not roll over; Talk to Text is $9 per user per month on its own, and AI Notetaker starts at $12 for 60 hours a month.
According to ClickUp’s help center, the AI fee applies to every workspace member, not just active users. A 10-person Business team on annual billing plus Brain AI therefore pays 10 × ($12 + $9), or $210 a month. The help center still mentions a Business Plus plan, and CloudEagle reported in October 2025 that it remained an in-app upgrade, but it is not on the public pricing page.
ClickUp pros and cons
Pros
- One of the broadest feature sets in work management, from tasks to chat and meeting notes
- Useful free plan with unlimited tasks and members
- Brain2 routes between Claude, GPT and Gemini and uses your workspace as context
- Super Agents can take assigned work, not just answer questions
- AI Notetaker transcribes Arabic among more than 100 languages
- Official MCP server on all plans
Cons
- AI is billed on top of the base plan, and for every workspace member
- Pricing is hard to read: struck-through AI prices, a hidden Business Plus tier and a separate credit system
- The feature depth can make setup slow for small teams
- No native right-to-left support yet: the RTL request, open since 2020 with more than 880 votes, is marked “building now,” and Arabic is not a listed interface language
- The 22% staff cut in May 2026 is worth weighing if you rely on responsive support
How to use ClickUp
- Sign up at clickup.com; a new account starts on the Free Forever plan.
- Create a Space for each team or department, then add Folders and Lists for projects.
- Import work from Asana, Trello, Jira or monday.com, or start from a template.
- Add tasks, assignees, due dates and custom fields, then switch between List, Board, Calendar and Gantt views.
- Connect your calendar, Slack, Google Drive or GitHub.
- Use the trial credits to have Brain summarize a project or draft a status update.
- If the trial proves useful, buy Brain AI or Everything AI and set up a Super Agent.
ClickUp alternatives
- Notion: pick it if docs and wikis matter more than task management; Plus costs $10 per member per month billed annually, and Business ($20) includes Notion Agent, AI Meeting Notes and Enterprise Search.
- Asana: pick it for cleaner, more structured project management; Starter costs $10.99 per user per month billed annually ($13.49 monthly), and paid plans include AI Teammates.
- Monday.com: pick it for visual boards that non-technical teams adopt quickly; Basic starts at $9 per seat per month billed annually, with 1,000 AI credits a month.
- Microsoft Planner: pick it if your company runs on Microsoft 365; Planner Plan 1 is $10 per user per month paid yearly, and the Planner agent needs a Microsoft 365 Copilot license at $30 per user per month paid yearly.
Frequently asked questions
Is ClickUp free?
Yes. The Free Forever plan costs nothing and includes unlimited tasks and members, collaborative Docs, Kanban boards, calendar view and sprint management, but only 60MB of storage and one form. It also includes a small trial of ClickUp’s AI features. Paid plans start at $7 per user per month on annual billing, or $10 monthly, as of September 2026.
How much does ClickUp AI cost?
ClickUp sells AI separately from its workspace plans. As of September 2026 its AI pricing page lists Brain AI at $9 per user per month with 1,500 credits and Everything AI at $28 per user per month with 5,000 credits. The fee covers every workspace member. Check the checkout screen for whether the price you see is monthly or annual.
What is the difference between ClickUp Brain, Brain2 and Brain MAX?
ClickUp Brain was the name of ClickUp’s AI from January 2024. Brain2, launched on June 17, 2026, is the rebuilt version with shared company memory and routing between Claude, GPT and Gemini. Brain MAX is the standalone app for Brain2, available on Mac and Windows and, according to ClickUp, on iOS, Android and as a Chrome extension.
Does ClickUp support Arabic?
Partly. AI Notetaker can transcribe Arabic among more than 100 supported languages, but Arabic is not among the interface languages listed in ClickUp’s help center, and native right-to-left layout is still a feature request marked “building now” in September 2026. Test the layout with your own Arabic content before rolling ClickUp out.
Which AI models does ClickUp use?
According to ClickUp’s Brain2 announcement, Brain routes requests between Claude, GPT and Gemini models based on the task, or lets you choose a preferred model. The Brain MAX page lists Brain, Gemini, OpenAI and Claude models. Access to premium models is described as “expanded” on Brain AI and “maximum” on Everything AI.
Is ClickUp Business Plus still available?
Business Plus no longer appears on ClickUp’s public pricing page, which lists Free Forever, Unlimited, Business and Enterprise. ClickUp’s help center still refers to Business Plus, and CloudEagle reported in October 2025 that it remained available in-app. If you are on it today, check your billing page before renewing.
Does ClickUp train AI on my data?
ClickUp says Brain2 is SOC 2, ISO 42001, HIPAA and GDPR compliant and that no third-party AI provider stores or trains on customer data. These are vendor statements. HIPAA terms are listed on the Enterprise plan, so regulated teams should confirm contract details with ClickUp’s sales team.
Verdict
ClickUp in September 2026 is one of the most complete AI work platforms available: Brain2, Super Agents, AI Notetaker and enterprise search sit on a mature project management core, and the Free and Unlimited plans are priced well. The trade-offs are complexity and cost: once AI is added for every member, a Business workspace costs well above its $12 headline price.
Choose ClickUp if your team wants to replace several tools and will invest in setup. Use the AI trial before paying, and prefer annual billing. Asana or monday.com are simpler for project management; Notion fits docs-first teams. Arabic-speaking teams that need an Arabic, right-to-left interface should wait for native RTL support.
Sources
- ClickUp pricing
- ClickUp Brain AI pricing
- ClickUp Launches Brain2: Your Company’s AI (Business Wire, June 17, 2026)
- ClickUp Updates and Changelog (2026), ClickUp
- ClickUp Brain MAX
- What is the Brain MAX desktop app? (ClickUp Help)
- ClickUp Brain AI feature availability and limits (ClickUp Help)
- ClickUp AI add-on availability and limits (ClickUp Help)
- Purchase or cancel ClickUp add-ons (ClickUp Help)
- What are Super Agents? (ClickUp Help)
- AI Notetaker and Meetings Hub feature availability and limits (ClickUp Help)
- Use AI Notetaker to take notes and record meetings (ClickUp Help)
- Supported languages for AI Notetaker (ClickUp Help)
- Change your account language, region, and time and date formats (ClickUp Help)
- What is ClickUp MCP? (ClickUp Help)
- ClickUp integrations
- Right-to-Left Text Support (ClickUp Feedback)
- ClickUp Acquires $25.4M-Funded Qatalog to Accelerate AI Convergence (Business Wire)
- ClickUp Acquires Codegen to Power Project Management, Work Management Super Agents (Reworked)
- ClickUp launches Super Agents, introduces AI coworkers inside its workspace (LAFFAZ)
- ClickUp Cuts 22% of Staff as CEO Pushes AI-First ‘100x Org’ Model (TechRepublic)
- What ClickUp’s mass layoff tells us about the future of work (TechCrunch)
- ClickUp (Wikipedia)
- ClickUp Pricing 2026: How to Control the Real Cost of Seats, Tiers, and Brain AI (CloudEagle)
- Notion pricing
- Asana pricing
- monday.com pricing
- Microsoft Planner plans and pricing
