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.

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.

— Team at SaaS Corner