ClickUp CRM alternative: Stack vs ClickUp for Australian businesses
Choose ClickUp if your work is project-heavy and you want planning, docs and time tracking in one tool. Choose Stack if you want a client system that's ready to use: connect Gmail or Microsoft 365 and your pipeline, client records and client portals are set up, with an AI assistant on every plan.
ClickUp is a powerful project management tool, and some small businesses also use it to track leads and clients with lists, custom fields and CRM templates. If you're comparing that with Stack, here's what each one does, where each falls short, and who each suits. We make Stack, so read it with that in mind. Every claim about ClickUp comes from its own published pricing and product pages.
What ClickUp does well
ClickUp covers a huge amount of project work: tasks, docs, chat, forms, goals, Gantt charts, time tracking and dashboards, with a Free Forever plan and paid plans that add unlimited storage, integrations and guest access. Its Unlimited plan also includes email inside ClickUp.
If your business runs on complex projects with lots of moving parts, and you want one tool to plan and track all of it, ClickUp is built for that.
Where ClickUp may not fit
- A CRM is something you set up. ClickUp is a project tool first. Tracking leads and clients means configuring spaces, lists, statuses and custom fields, then keeping that structure in shape as the business changes.
- There's a lot to learn. The depth that makes ClickUp powerful also means many features and settings a small client-based business may never use.
- AI costs extra. ClickUp prices its AI as a separate per-user add-on on top of your plan.
- Pricing is per user. Every paid plan is charged per user, with guest seats tied to how many paid users you have.
What Stack does
Stack is a workspace for Australian businesses that run on client work, from solo designers and consultants to studios of around fifteen people. It's purpose built for clients rather than projects, so the client system is ready when you sign in.
- Your inbox at the centre. Connect Gmail or Microsoft 365 and your mail, calendar and tasks sync both ways. Email and SMS sit in one threaded inbox, with the client's record beside every conversation.
- A sales pipeline. Every enquiry on a board with a clear next step and an owner. Won deals hand straight over to client management.
- Client management. One record for each client, with the people, the work, the files and every conversation, plus onboarding templates and checklists you build once and reuse.
- Client portals on every plan. Each client gets a private page for progress, documents, messages and requests. They sign in from an emailed link, so there's no new account to create.
- A booking page. Clients book themselves into your real calendar availability.
- Penny, your AI assistant. Penny works from your inbox, calendar and tasks. She writes daily briefs and first drafts of replies, and suggests the next step. You approve her drafts before they're sent, and Penny is included on every plan.
What Stack doesn't do yet
Stack isn't a full project management tool. It doesn't have Gantt charts, sprints, time tracking, docs or whiteboards. It also doesn't send proposals, contracts or invoices, take payments or connect to accounting software. If detailed project planning is the core of your work, ClickUp will cover more.
You can keep ClickUp for delivery and use Stack for your clients. Stack is also in public beta. It's young and changing quickly, and you're working directly with the Melbourne team who build it.
Side by side
Setup
ClickUp: build your CRM from spaces, lists, custom fields and templates.
Stack: connect your email and calendar and the pipeline, client records and portals are ready to use.
Project management
ClickUp: its core strength, with Gantt charts, sprints, time tracking and docs.
Stack: client tasks on a board or list, without advanced project planning.
Email, calendar and SMS
ClickUp: email in ClickUp on the Unlimited plan.
Stack: two-way sync with Gmail or Microsoft 365, with SMS in the same inbox and the client record beside each conversation.
Client portal
ClickUp: invite clients as guests, with guest seats tied to paid users.
Stack: a portal for every client on every plan, with an emailed sign-in link instead of a client account.
AI assistant
ClickUp: AI priced as a separate per-user add-on.
Stack: Penny on every plan, working from your inbox and calendar, with her drafts waiting for your approval.
Pricing
ClickUp: Free Forever, then per-user paid plans.
Stack: Pro Workspace for one person, or Team Workspace covering five users in one plan.
Where it's made
ClickUp: based in San Diego, California.
Stack: Australian-owned, built in Melbourne and priced in Australian dollars.
Pricing
ClickUp has Free Forever, Unlimited, Business and Enterprise plans, priced per user in US dollars, with AI as an optional add-on. Check ClickUp's pricing page for current rates.
Stack Pro Workspace, for one person, is A$49 a month. Team Workspace covers five users, and you can add more. Founding offer: the first 100 subscribers pay from A$15 a month for their first 12 months, until 31 October 2026.
Every Stack plan starts with a 14-day free trial, no credit card required. If you don't continue, your workspace becomes read-only and your data is kept. Cancel any time, with no lock-in contract.
Moving your clients across from ClickUp
You don't have to leave ClickUp. Connect your email and calendar, import your contacts from a CSV or vCard file, and run Stack for your client work during the trial while your projects stay in ClickUp. If you're moving a team, email hello@thinkswift.au and we'll help you plan it.
So which one?
If your work is project-heavy and you want deep planning, docs and time tracking in one place, ClickUp is a strong choice. If you'd rather your inbox, pipeline, client records and portals were ready to go without building a CRM inside a project tool, try Stack free for 14 days.