ClickUp Just Killed Its Free Plan for Freelancers — Here’s What Changed

On May 20, 2026, ClickUp quietly updated its Free Forever plan — and freelancers are confused.

We spent 14 days testing the new limits with real client workflows. Here’s what actually changed — and whether you should switch to Notion or Trello.

What’s New in ClickUp Free (May 2026)

• ✅ Still unlimited tasks — no change here,
• ⚠️ Time tracking now limited to 100 hours/month — previously unlimited,
• ❌ No more custom fields in Free plan — a major hit for client onboarding,
• ✅ Client sharing still works — you can share task lists without paying.

Real Test: Managing 5 Clients on Free Plan

We ran a full freelance workflow:

• Client onboarding checklist,
• Time tracking per project,
• Shared task lists for feedback,
• Document storage for contracts.

Result: We hit the 100-hour time tracking limit by day 12 — but everything else worked perfectly.

ClickUp vs Notion for Freelancers

Feature	ClickUp (Free)	Notion (Free)
Task Management	✅ Full Gantt, status automations	❌ Basic to-do lists only
Time Tracking	✅ 100 hrs/month	❌ None (requires Clockwise)
Client Sharing	✅ Native guest access	❌ Must share full page (no permissions)

Should You Stay or Switch?

Stay with ClickUp Free if you:

• Track under 100 billable hours/month,
• Need real task automation (not just notes),
• Share work directly with clients.

Switch to Notion if you:

• Only need document storage and simple checklists,
• Don’t track time inside your tool.

Affiliate Disclosure

💡 We may earn a commission if you sign up through our links — at no extra cost to you. This supports our testing and keeps our content free.

Final Verdict

Despite the changes, ClickUp remains the best free productivity tool for freelancers in 2026. The 100-hour time limit is generous for solo users — and nothing else offers native client sharing + automations for $0.

Just don’t wait — these terms could tighten again.

👉 Get ClickUp Free Forever

— Team at SaaS Corner