Overview

Upwave was founded in 2017 with headquarters in Tallinn, Estonia, evolving from the time-planning tool Teamweek. It is a project and team collaboration kanban platform centered on visual work management, letting teams plan, track, and deliver work through kanban, timeline, calendar, and portfolio dashboard views.

Upwave sits between lightweight kanban and heavyweight project management: it keeps the simplicity of Trello while adding deeper management through its automation rule engine and portfolio views. The platform supports trigger-condition-action automation, 50+ native integrations, and an open REST API, suiting agile teams that want visibility and control.

Key Strengths

  • 4 Visual Views: Kanban, timeline, calendar, and portfolio dashboard in 1 platform covering task-to-portfolio management.

  • Built-In Automation Rules: 0-code trigger-condition-action configuration for card transitions and notifications; see workflow automation.

  • Portfolio Management: Aggregate multiple projects into 1 portfolio dashboard for unified progress and resource monitoring.

  • 50+ Native Integrations: Covers Slack, Google Drive, Jira, and more; see remote team toolchains.

  • Open API & Webhooks: Custom integration via webhooks and the REST API (2 interfaces).

Product Ecosystem

Kanban & Swimlanes

Cards drag freely across swimlanes with labels, due dates, attachments, and custom fields — the core interface for daily collaboration.

Timeline & Calendar

Gantt-style timeline and calendar views for scheduling, milestones, and dependencies; see project management.

Portfolio Dashboard

Aggregated multi-project view showing health, progress, and KPIs for managers.

Automation & Integrations

Automation rule engine plus 50+ native integrations and REST API/Webhooks; see team communication and document collaboration.

Limitations

  • Limited Automation Depth: Complex cross-app automation trails standalone platforms like Zapier and Make.

  • Fewer Integrations: 50+ integrations is fewer than peers like Asana; niche tools may require API-based builds.

  • Lower Brand Awareness: Less known than Trello and Asana, adding convincing cost in enterprise selection.

Use Cases

  • Agile Team Collaboration (★★★★★): Kanban-driven day-to-day management for dev, marketing, and operations teams.

  • Multi-Project Portfolio Management (★★★★★): Cross-project global visibility for managers; see project management.

  • Remote Teams (★★★★☆): Pair with remote collaboration toolchains for transparency.

  • Deep Cross-App Automation (★★☆☆☆): Pair with Zapier or Make.

Pricing

Plan Price Key Features
Free $0 Basic kanban and member collaboration
Premium $9/user/mo Automation rules, timeline, portfolio dashboard
Enterprise Custom Advanced permissions, audit, dedicated support

Pricing note: Upwave offers a free plan and subscriptions; see the official site for current pricing.

FAQ

  • Upwave vs Trello? Trello is simpler; Upwave adds timelines, portfolio dashboards, and automation rules for stronger management.

  • Does it support automation? Yes, built-in trigger-condition-action automation plus webhook integration.

  • Good for remote teams? Yes, paired with remote toolchains it boosts collaboration transparency.

  • Is there a free plan? Yes, the free plan covers basic kanban collaboration; advanced features require Premium.project management tools guide