LayersvsClickUp Complete comparison
Projects, docs, calls and mail, AI, pricing and deployment — from an EU cloud to your own server. Based on public data.
Where Layers goes further than ClickUp
Your own server
Runs in Docker: the first 90 days are a trial, the license is checked on the server itself, and pricing is on request. ClickUp has no self-hosted option: it runs entirely in the AWS cloud.
EU data on every plan
The Layers cloud runs in an EU data center for everyone, free plan included. In ClickUp, choosing a data region such as the EU is Enterprise only.
AI at no extra cost
The AI assistant and MCP come with the plan — there’s no add-on; the amount of AI credits depends on the plan. In ClickUp, AI is an add-on: Brain AI is $9 per user per month, and the free plan gets trial access.
Mail and file editors
Mailboxes, SumDoc and SumSheet in the same window. In ClickUp you can only preview Word and Excel files, and email is sent from tasks.
Why teams choose Layers
What Layers has out of the box
Self-hosting, EU storage and AI aren’t locked behind plans: every team gets the whole workspace.
Self-hosted
You can run Layers yourself. Not ClickUp
According to ClickUp’s help center, the service runs entirely in the AWS cloud, and the self-hosting request is still open on its feedback board. Layers runs in Docker: the first 90 days are a trial, and the admin panel shows how many days are left. Pricing on request: we’ll discuss your team size, support and licence terms.
All about self-hosting →
AI and agents
Agents create tasks — no add-on required
ClickUp has an MCP server on every plan too, but without the Everything AI add-on the free plan gets 100 calls a day. In Layers, AI comes with the plan, no add-on needed: with a token, an agent breaks a plan into tasks, sets assignees and due dates, and the tasks land in the backlog just like ones created by hand.
More about AI →Mail is a module, not email from tasks
In ClickUp you send and receive email from tasks, and the free plan gets one account with 100 uses. In Layers, mail is its own module on every plan — several mailboxes in one window, with folders, labels and threads.
More about Mail →
Editors
Open a contract straight from Drive
In ClickUp you can preview Word, Excel and PowerPoint files without downloading them, and import .docx into Docs. In Layers a contract in Drive opens in the SumDoc editor.
More about Editors →Point by point
Layers vs ClickUp point by point
Fourteen capabilities across work, communication, AI and data — plus what only ClickUp has. Based on public data as of October 4, 2026.
Tasks and docs
Projects and tasks
Sprints, board and deadlines
Yes. Lists, boards, sprints and calendar on every plan
Yes. Sprints, board, milestones, task keys — on every plan
Docs and wiki
Team knowledge base
Yes. Docs on every plan; one wiki below Enterprise
Yes. Page tree, the / menu, version history, publishing with a PIN code
.docx and .xlsx editors
Documents and spreadsheets as files
Partly. Preview for Word, Excel and PowerPoint; .docx can be imported into Docs
Yes. SumDoc and SumSheet open files straight from Drive
Communication
Video calls
Team meetings
Yes. SyncUps in Chat on every plan, up to 200 people; recordings are saved as Clips
Yes. Calls from chat, guests by link, recording from the Plus plan
Chat
Team messaging
Yes. Channels and direct messages; 30 days of history on the free plan
Yes. Groups, threads, reactions, calls from chat
Work mailboxes
Partly. Email from tasks; one account with 100 uses on the free plan
Yes. A module of its own: several mailboxes, folders and labels
AI and agents
AI assistant
Answers about the team’s work
Partly. Brain AI add-on — $9 per user per month; trial access on the free plan
Yes. Included in the plan; AI credits depend on the plan and renew every month
MCP server
Claude, Cursor and other agents
Yes. On every plan; 100 calls a day on the free plan without Everything AI
Yes. Tasks, pages and forms with a scoped token
What ClickUp has
Automations
Rules and triggers
Yes. ClickUp has them: 5 rules and 100 runs a month on the free plan
No. Not yet
Gantt chart
A plan with dependencies
Yes. ClickUp has it, from Unlimited; trial on the free plan
No. Not yet; sprints, board and milestones instead
Single sign-on (SSO)
SAML and SCIM
Yes. ClickUp has it: Google sign-in from Business, SAML and SCIM on Enterprise
No. Not yet: a password, or Google, Yandex, VK sign-in
Data and access
Self-hosted
Run it yourself
No. No: ClickUp runs only in the AWS cloud
Yes. Docker, the license is checked on the server itself, 90-day trial
EU data storage
Where the data lives
Partly. Choosing a region, the EU included, is Enterprise only
Yes. The platform runs in an EU data center, on every plan
Free for teams
Start without paying
Yes. No member limit; 60 MB of storage
Yes. Up to 20 people, no time limit: 5 GB, files up to 25 MB
One window for the whole team
Tasks, docs, calls, chat and mail in one workspace.
Pricing
The models differ: ClickUp charges per user and sells AI separately; Layers charges per person, with every module and AI on every plan.
ClickUp
$7 · $12
Unlimited · Business — per user per month, billed yearly
- Monthly — $10 and $19
- AI is an add-on: Brain AI $9, Everything AI $28 per user
- EU storage and SAML on Enterprise, price on request
- No self-hosted option
From clickup.com/pricing as of October 4, 2026.
Layers
$9
per person per month — teams up to 50
- Up to 50 people — $9, up to 500 — $39
- Every module on every plan, AI with no add-on
- Cloud in an EU data center
- Self-hosted — pricing on request
From layers.md/pricing.
Free for teams of up to 20 — no time limit, no card.
Self-hosted
ClickUp is cloud only. Layers runs on your server too
ClickUp runs in the AWS cloud, and choosing a data region is Enterprise only. The Layers cloud runs in an EU data center on every plan. Self-hosting runs in Docker, the license is checked on the server itself, and the admin panel shows who signed in and from which device.
How to start
Free for up to 20 people
Every module, no time limit, no card: 5 GB per workspace, files up to 25 MB.
Start free →EU cloud
When the team grows — from $9 per person per month, modules aren’t locked by plan.
Pricing →Your own server
Runs in Docker, the license is checked on the server itself; the first 90 days are a trial.
Deploy on your server →How is Layers different from ClickUp?
Both bring tasks, docs, chat and calls into one window. ClickUp is stronger on automations, Gantt charts, time tracking and integrations. Layers adds mailboxes and the SumDoc and SumSheet editors, includes AI on every plan, keeps the cloud in the EU for everyone, and can be deployed on your own server.
How much does Layers cost compared with ClickUp?
Layers is free for teams of up to 20, with no time limit. The paid cloud starts at $9 per person per month, with every module and AI included. ClickUp as of October 4, 2026: Unlimited — $7, Business — $12 per user per month billed yearly, Enterprise — on request; AI is the Brain AI add-on at $9 per user per month (ClickUp pricing).
Can ClickUp run on my own server?
No. According to ClickUp’s help center, the service is hosted entirely on AWS. Layers installs on your server in Docker: the first 90 days are a trial, and the license is checked on the server itself. Pricing on request: we’ll discuss your team size, support and licence terms — write to contacts@layers.md.
Where is the data stored?
In the Layers cloud — in an EU data center, on every plan. On your own server — with you. ClickUp stores data in one of five AWS regions — in the US, Ireland, Singapore or Australia — and choosing a region, the EU included, is Enterprise only.
Does Layers have automations, Gantt charts or SSO?
Not yet. Layers has no automations, Gantt chart, SAML, LDAP or SCIM, and there’s no automatic import from ClickUp yet either. Sign-in is a password, or Google, Yandex, VK and Gosuslugi. If you can’t do without automations and Gantt charts, ClickUp has them.
Does Layers include AI on the free plan?
Yes. The AI assistant is on every plan; the amount of credits depends on the plan and renews every month. Claude, Cursor and other MCP clients connect with a token — no AI key needed. ClickUp’s free plan gets trial access to AI.
Which devices does Layers run on?
In the browser, on macOS, Windows and Linux, on iPhone, iPad and Android. And on your own server.
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ClickUp is a trademark of Mango Technologies, Inc. Compared using public data as of October 4, 2026. Layers is not affiliated with Mango Technologies, Inc.; ClickUp plans and features may change. Logos and names belong to their owners and are used only to identify the product in this comparison.
Sources on ClickUp: clickup.com/pricing, help: Data hosting, help: SyncUps availability and limits, help: Use Email in ClickUp, help: Preview Word, Excel and PowerPoint files, help: What is ClickUp MCP, feedback.clickup.com: Self-Hosted (enterprise), clickup.com/terms.