⚡ Quick Verdict:
- Pricing: ClickUp starts at $0 (free plan) or $7/user/month. Keap starts at $299/month (billed annually).
- Best for: ClickUp for project management and team collaboration. Keap for small business CRM, sales automation, and email marketing.
- Key difference: ClickUp is a project management platform. Keap is a customer relationship management and sales automation tool.
- Our pick: ClickUp for most users — broader feature set, lower starting price, and a genuinely useful free plan.
Keap vs ClickUp is one of the more unusual comparisons you’ll find.
One is a CRM built for small businesses and sales teams.
The other is a project management platform used by teams of all sizes.
The right choice depends entirely on what your business actually needs.
Overview
Keap vs ClickUp comparison covers pricing, core features, and ease of use for both tools.
Our sources include published documentation, pricing pages, and user reviews.
Our writers also spent hands-on time with each platform.
Those observations appear in the “What Our Team Noticed” sections below.
What is ClickUp?
ClickUp is a cloud-based project management platform.
It helps teams plan, track, and collaborate on tasks in one workspace.
The platform includes task management, Gantt charts, Kanban boards, and time tracking.
It also has an AI assistant called ClickUp Brain that helps manage workloads.
ClickUp is popular with marketing teams, development teams, and solo workers alike.
ClickUp
ClickUp brings tasks, docs, chat, and goals into one place. It offers a free plan with unlimited users and paid plans starting at $7/user/month.
ClickUp Pricing
Here’s what ClickUp costs in 2026. The free plan is a real option for small teams.
| Plan | Price | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Solo workers and small teams getting started |
| Unlimited | $7/user/month | Growing teams needing more integrations and storage |
| Business | $12/user/month | Teams needing advanced automation and reporting |
| Enterprise | Custom | Large organizations with security and compliance needs |
Pricing verified April 2026.
Free trial: ClickUp offers a 15-day free trial for paid plans. The free forever plan requires no credit card.
Money-back guarantee: ClickUp provides a 30-day money-back guarantee on all paid plans.
📌 Note: ClickUp’s free plan allows an unlimited number of users. This makes it a strong starting point for teams of any size. The Unlimited and Business plans are billed per user per month when billed annually.
⚠️ Warning: When you upgrade your ClickUp plan, your entire workspace upgrades together. All team members move to the new plan at the same time. Budget accordingly if you have a large team.
Key Benefits of ClickUp
Here’s what makes ClickUp worth considering:
- Flexible Task Views: ClickUp includes List, Board, Calendar, Gantt, and Timeline views. Teams can switch between them based on how they prefer to work.
- ClickUp Brain: The built-in AI assistant helps track workloads, summarize tasks, and manage project timelines. It reduces the need to switch between tools for AI support.
- Built-in Time Tracking: ClickUp includes native timers and manual time logging. Teams can track billable hours against estimates without a separate app.
- Automation Templates: Over 100 pre-built automation templates are available. Teams can also build custom automations with simple if-then rules.
- Collaboration Tools: ClickUp includes docs, chat, and a whiteboard feature. All of these live inside the same platform alongside your tasks.
- Free Forever Plan: The free plan supports unlimited users with no time limit. It includes enough features for small teams to manage projects without paying.
What Our Team Noticed
Our writer signed up for ClickUp and spent several days exploring the platform. Here’s what stood out:
ClickUp Pros & Cons
✅ Pros
- Free plan supports unlimited users with no expiry
- 10+ project views including Gantt charts and Kanban boards
- ClickUp Brain AI assistant built into the platform
- Over 1,000 integrations including Slack, Google Drive, and Zoom
- 30-day money-back guarantee on paid plans
❌ Cons
- Interface can feel overwhelming for new users
- No phone support — live chat requires AI chatbot first
- Time tracking features can be cumbersome to use
- Reporting tools are scattered across the platform
What is Keap?
Keap is a CRM and sales automation platform for small businesses.
It combines customer relationship management, email marketing, and payment processing in one tool.
Keap was formerly known as Infusionsoft before rebranding to focus on small business needs.
The platform automates follow-ups, lead scoring, and sales campaigns.
It also includes a dedicated business phone line to keep personal and professional calls separate.
Keap
Keap automates sales and marketing for small businesses. It includes CRM, email campaigns, invoicing, and a visual pipeline — all in one place.
Keap Pricing
Here’s what Keap costs in 2026. Pricing is based on the number of contacts and users.
| Plan | Price | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Keap | $299/month (Billed Annually) | Small businesses needing CRM, sales automation, and email marketing |
Pricing verified April 2026.
Free trial: Keap offers a 14-day free trial with access to all features. No credit card is required to start.
Money-back guarantee: Keap does not publicly advertise a standard money-back guarantee. Check with their team before committing.
📌 Note: Keap’s pricing is based on contact count. Costs increase significantly as your contact list grows beyond 500. Keap also offers a one-time Expert Coaching service for $499 to help with onboarding.
⚠️ Warning: Keap’s pricing can feel steep for newer small businesses. The base price jumps significantly with more contacts. Factor in the additional $30/user/month fee if you have multiple team members.
Key Benefits of Keap
Here’s what makes Keap worth considering for small businesses:
- Sales and Marketing Automation: Keap automates almost every stage of the sales journey. Businesses that use its automation features report saving an average of 10 hours per week.
- Visual Campaign Builder: The Campaign Builder uses a visual flowchart to build automated marketing campaigns. Drag and drop tools make it accessible without technical knowledge.
- Lead Scoring: Keap’s lead scoring feature assesses each prospect’s interest based on engagement level. This helps sales teams prioritize follow-ups.
- Invoicing and Payments: Keap includes built-in invoicing and integrates with numerous payment processing tools. This keeps billing inside the same platform as your CRM.
- Business Line: Keap includes a dedicated business phone line for calls and texts. This separates personal and professional communications without needing a second device.
- Free Migration: Keap’s onboarding includes free migration and a dedicated customer success manager. New users also get checklists, videos, and training webinars to get started.
What Our Team Noticed
Our writer explored the Keap platform during the 14-day free trial. Here’s what stood out from that hands-on time:
Keap Pros & Cons
✅ Pros
- Powerful sales and marketing automation in one platform
- Built-in invoicing and payment processing integrations
- Dedicated customer success manager included with every plan
- Free migration and onboarding support
- 14-day free trial with full feature access
❌ Cons
- Pricing is high compared to most CRM alternatives
- Costs scale up quickly as contact list grows
- Limited project management features compared to dedicated tools
- User community can be inactive for complex questions
Feature Comparison
Here’s a breakdown of how ClickUp and Keap stack up across key categories.
| Feature | ClickUp | Keap |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $0 (free plan) | $299/month (Annually) |
| Free Plan | ✅ | ❌ |
| Project Management | ✅ | ❌ |
| CRM | Limited | ✅ |
| Sales Automation | ❌ | ✅ |
| Email Marketing | ❌ | ✅ |
| Invoicing & Payments | ❌ | ✅ |
| AI Assistant | ✅ (ClickUp Brain) | ✅ (Keap AI) |
| Time Tracking | ✅ | ❌ |
| Best For | Project and task management | CRM and sales automation |
1. Project Management
ClickUp: ClickUp is built from the ground up for project management. It offers a multi-level hierarchy — Workspaces, Spaces, Folders, Lists, Tasks, and Subtasks — for organizing complex projects. Teams can assign tasks, set due dates, and manage entire sprints without leaving the platform.
Keap: Keap is not a project management tool. It focuses on managing customer journeys and sales pipelines rather than internal team tasks. If you need to track sprints, assign team tasks, or manage Gantt charts, Keap won’t cover that.
2. CRM and Lead Management
ClickUp: ClickUp can function as a basic CRM using custom fields and List views. However, it lacks dedicated CRM features like lead scoring, contact records with interaction history, or built-in sales pipelines. It works for simple contact tracking but not for full customer relationship management.
Keap: Keap is purpose-built as a CRM. It tracks every contact record with interaction history, lead scores, and CRM tags. The visual sales pipeline lets teams see exactly where each lead is in the sales process and prioritize follow-ups based on lead scoring.
3. Automation
ClickUp: ClickUp includes customizable automation rules and over 100 pre-built templates. Teams can trigger actions based on task status changes, due dates, or custom conditions. These automations are built for internal workflow management rather than customer-facing sequences.
Keap: Keap’s automation is focused on sales and marketing. The Campaign Builder uses a visual flowchart for building automated marketing campaigns based on “when-then” scenarios. Keap also automates email follow-ups and notifications based on customer interactions. Businesses that use these features report saving an average of 10 hours per week.
4. Email Marketing
ClickUp: ClickUp does not include email marketing tools. You can track email-related tasks and manage campaigns as projects, but sending email campaigns requires a third-party integration.
Keap: Keap includes a full email marketing suite. Email campaigns can be hyper-targeted using CRM tags and contact segments. Keap claims a deliverability rate of 99.5% for emails sent through its platform. The drag and drop email editor makes building campaigns accessible without design experience.
5. AI Tools
ClickUp: ClickUp Brain is the platform’s built-in AI assistant. It helps track workloads, summarize tasks, answer questions about your workspace, and manage project timelines. It’s available as an add-on across paid plans.
Keap: Keap includes AI-powered tools that draft email copy and suggest optimized automation workflows based on natural language prompts. This reduces the time needed to set up complex marketing automations.
6. Invoicing and Payment Processing
ClickUp: ClickUp does not include invoicing or payment processing. You can track billing as tasks and use integrations, but there’s no native invoicing feature inside the platform.
Keap: Keap includes built-in invoicing and connects with numerous payment processing tools. Businesses can create invoices, collect payments, and track e-commerce transactions without leaving Keap. This is especially useful for small businesses handling repeat business from existing customers.
7. Time Tracking and Resource Management
ClickUp: ClickUp includes native time tracking with manual logging and built-in timers. Teams can track billable hours, set time estimates, and view workload data to prevent burnout. The workload view shows capacity across the entire team.
Keap: Keap does not include time tracking or resource management features. Its focus is on managing customer-facing activities rather than internal team capacity.
⚠️ Warning: ClickUp’s time tracking can be cumbersome to set up for new users. Allow time to configure it correctly before rolling it out to your full team.
8. Integrations
ClickUp: ClickUp integrates with over 1,000 apps including Slack, Google Drive, Zoom, and GitHub. It also supports API access for custom integrations on higher-tier plans.
Keap: Keap integrates with over 2,500 platforms and tools. This wide range of third-party integrations means most small businesses can connect Keap to the tools already in their tech stack.
9. Landing Pages and Lead Capture
ClickUp: ClickUp does not include a landing page builder. Lead capture tools are not part of the core platform. Teams that need lead generation features must connect third-party tools.
Keap: Keap includes a landing page builder with the ability to connect multiple landing pages to the same campaign. Web forms and checkout forms can capture leads directly into the CRM. This keeps the entire lead capture and nurturing process inside one system.
10. Pricing & Cost
| Plan | ClickUp | Keap |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 (unlimited users) | ❌ No free plan |
| Paid | $7/user/month | $299/month (Billed Annually) |
| Business | $12/user/month | — |
| Enterprise | Custom | — |
ClickUp: ClickUp’s pricing is per user per month, making it predictable as your team grows. The free forever plan is a genuine starting point for small teams. For a team of five, the Unlimited plan costs $35/month total — well below most CRM starting prices.
Keap: Keap’s pricing is based on contact count rather than users. At $299/month billed annually, Keap is priced above most project management tools. This reflects its CRM and automation depth rather than simple task tracking.
Different Scenarios
| If You Need… | Choose | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Project and task management | ClickUp | Built specifically for managing projects |
| CRM and sales automation | Keap | Full CRM with pipeline and lead scoring |
| A free plan | ClickUp | Free forever plan with unlimited users |
| Email marketing campaigns | Keap | Built-in email marketing with CRM tagging |
| Invoicing and payment tools | Keap | Native invoicing and payment integrations |
| Team collaboration and docs | ClickUp | Built-in docs, chat, and whiteboards |
| Budget-conscious teams | ClickUp | Lower starting price and free tier available |
💰 Your Budget
ClickUp is the clear choice if budget is a priority. The free forever plan costs nothing, and paid plans start at $7/user/month. Keap starts at $299/month billed annually.
🔌 Your Tech Stack
Keap integrates with over 2,500 tools, while ClickUp connects to more than 1,000 apps. Both cover the major platforms. If you already use Slack, Google Drive, or Zoom, ClickUp’s integrations will feel familiar.
📝 Your Business Strategy
If your focus is managing customers and driving repeat business, Keap fits better. If your priority is organizing internal work, managing projects, and tracking team output, ClickUp is the right call.
🎓 Your Experience Level
Keap provides a dedicated customer success manager, free migration, and training webinars to help new users get up to speed. ClickUp has ClickUp University and live onboarding training but can feel overwhelming due to its wide range of features.
🆓 Free Trials and Demos
Both tools offer free trials. ClickUp’s free forever plan lets you test the platform without a time limit. Keap provides a 14-day free trial with full feature access and no credit card required.
🛟 Support Options
Keap offers phone support Monday through Friday alongside 24/7 chat and email support. ClickUp provides 24/7 live chat but requires interacting with an AI chatbot first. Keap’s phone support gives it an edge for users who prefer direct help.
Switching Guide
Already using one of these tools? Here’s what to expect if you make a switch.
🔄 Switching from ClickUp to Keap?
✅ What you’ll gain:
- A true CRM with contact records, lead scoring, and sales pipelines
- Built-in email marketing and automated sales campaigns
- Invoicing and payment processing inside the same platform
❌ What you’ll lose:
- The free forever plan and low-cost entry pricing
- Gantt charts, Kanban boards, and native time tracking
- Built-in docs, whiteboards, and team collaboration tools
📋 How to switch:
- Export your contact data and task notes from ClickUp as CSV files
- Start your Keap 14-day free trial and use free migration support to import contacts
- Set up your sales pipeline, email campaigns, and automation workflows in Keap
🔄 Switching from Keap to ClickUp?
✅ What you’ll gain:
- A free forever plan that works for unlimited users
- Full project management with Gantt charts, sprints, and task views
- Built-in time tracking and workload management tools
❌ What you’ll lose:
- Built-in email marketing and automated sales campaigns
- Native invoicing and payment processing tools
- Lead scoring and the dedicated sales pipeline CRM
📋 How to switch:
- Export your contact list and campaign data from Keap before canceling
- Sign up for ClickUp’s free plan and import your data using the built-in import tool
- Set up your workspace structure, connect integrations, and assign your team
What Our Review Didn’t Cover
This comparison focused on small business use cases, solo workers, and teams under 50 people. We didn’t evaluate enterprise-level SSO, HIPAA compliance features in ClickUp’s Enterprise plan, or Keap’s behavior at high contact volumes above 10,000 contacts. Pricing behavior at scale, advanced API access, and white-label configurations were also outside the scope of this review. If you’re running a large organization, your experience with both tools may differ from what’s described here.
Final Verdict
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| 💰 Pricing | ClickUp |
| 📋 Project Management | ClickUp |
| 🤝 CRM and Lead Management | Keap |
| 📧 Email Marketing | Keap |
| ⚡ Automation | Keap |
| 💳 Invoicing and Payments | Keap |
| 🤖 AI Tools | Tie |
| 🔌 Integrations | Keap |
| 👶 Ease of Use | Keap |
| 🏆 Overall Winner | ClickUp |
🏆 WINNER: ClickUp
ClickUp wins 3 of the 9 decided categories — plus the overall edge on price and accessibility.
Best for: Teams managing projects, solo workers on a budget, businesses that need task tracking and collaboration in one place
ClickUp and Keap are built for very different purposes.
ClickUp is a project management platform. It excels at organizing tasks, tracking team output, and keeping complex projects on schedule.
Keap is a CRM and sales automation tool. It shines when you need to manage customer relationships, automate follow-ups, and run email marketing campaigns.
Keap wins more individual categories — especially for sales teams managing a customer journey from lead capture to invoice.
But ClickUp wins on accessibility. The free forever plan, lower pricing, and broader use cases make it a stronger pick for most teams.
If your primary need is CRM, sales automation, or email marketing campaigns, Keap is the stronger dedicated tool.
More of ClickUp Compared
Here’s how ClickUp stacks up against other project management tools:
ClickUp vs Asana
ClickUp wins on: Lower pricing at every tier, a genuine free plan with unlimited users, and ClickUp Brain for AI-assisted task management
Asana wins on: Cleaner interface for teams new to project management, stronger timeline and workload views out of the box
ClickUp vs Monday.com
ClickUp wins on: More customizable views including Gantt and Calendar, better value per user on paid plans, and a more feature-complete free tier
Monday.com wins on: More polished onboarding experience, better visual dashboards for non-technical teams
ClickUp vs Trello
ClickUp wins on: Far more project views beyond Kanban, built-in time tracking, and automation capabilities that Trello requires Power-Ups to match
Trello wins on: Simpler interface that newer users can learn in minutes, less overwhelming for small personal projects
ClickUp wins on: Dedicated project management structure with sprints and Gantt charts, stronger task assignment and tracking features
Notion wins on: Better document and wiki management, more flexible database structures for knowledge bases
More of Keap Compared
Here’s how Keap compares to other CRM and sales automation platforms:
Keap wins on: Stronger built-in sales automation for small teams, dedicated business phone line, and more accessible onboarding with a customer success manager
HubSpot wins on: More powerful free CRM tier, broader marketing suite at higher plans, and a wider range of native integrations
Keap wins on: Native invoicing and payment processing, a dedicated business line, and a visual pipeline built for small business sales teams
ActiveCampaign wins on: More advanced email marketing automation, stronger segmentation tools, and lower entry pricing for email-focused businesses
Keap vs GoHighLevel
Keap wins on: More established platform with longer track record, stronger onboarding support with free migration and dedicated coaching
GoHighLevel wins on: White-label options for agencies, broader funnel builder features, and bundled SMS and voice marketing tools
Keap vs Pipedrive
Keap wins on: Built-in email marketing and landing page builder, invoicing tools, and a more complete automation suite for non-sales tasks
Pipedrive wins on: Cleaner sales pipeline interface, lower starting price, and better fit for pure sales teams who don’t need marketing automation
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Keap used for?
Keap is used for CRM, sales automation, and email marketing. Small businesses use it to manage customer relationships, automate follow-ups, build sales pipelines, and process invoices. It was formerly known as Infusionsoft before rebranding to focus on small business needs.
What is ClickUp used for?
ClickUp is a project management platform used for planning, tracking, and collaborating on tasks. Teams use it for sprint management, Gantt chart planning, time tracking, and document collaboration. It also includes an AI assistant called ClickUp Brain for managing workloads.
Is ClickUp actually free?
Yes, ClickUp’s free forever plan is genuinely free with no time limit. It supports unlimited users and includes enough features for small teams to manage projects. Paid plans start at $7/user/month and add more storage, integrations, and advanced automation.
Is Keap easy to use?
Keap includes strong onboarding support to reduce the learning curve. Every plan includes a dedicated customer success manager, free migration assistance, and training webinars. According to Keap’s documentation, some users are able to set up the system in as little as 20 minutes.
Which is better, Keap or ClickUp?
It depends on what you need. ClickUp is better for project management, team collaboration, and budget-conscious teams. Keap is better for sales teams that need a CRM, email marketing campaigns, sales automation, and payment processing. The two tools rarely compete for the same user.
What are the key differences between Keap plans and ClickUp plans?
Keap plans are priced by contact count — starting at $299/month billed annually — and focus on CRM, e-commerce tools, advanced automations, and invoicing. ClickUp plans are priced per user per month starting at $7, and cover project management, unlimited storage on higher tiers, and guest access. ClickUp also offers a free forever plan, while Keap offers only a 14-day free trial.
Does ClickUp let you manage tasks and score leads?
ClickUp is built to manage tasks across complex projects, but it does not score leads natively. To score leads or handle third-party integrations for CRM purposes, you’d need Keap or a dedicated CRM tool. For a full ClickUp review before deciding, see our breakdown at fahimai.com/clickup. If you want to manage tasks as well as score leads, running both tools together is a common setup for small businesses.
Is Keap CRM good for e-commerce businesses?
Keap CRM includes e-commerce features like checkout forms, payment processing, and order management tools that work well for small e-commerce businesses. It connects with third-party integrations for additional e-commerce functionality. ClickUp does not offer e-commerce tools natively, so Keap is the stronger pick for businesses that sell products online.
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