How to Migrate Between Project Management Tools

Switching PM Tools Without Losing Your Mind

Migrating between project management tools is one of those tasks that sounds simple but can quickly turn into a nightmare. We’ve helped teams migrate between a dozen different PM platforms, and the process is always more involved than anyone expects.

The good news? With proper planning, you can switch tools without losing data, disrupting workflows, or driving your team crazy. This guide covers the full process — from deciding it’s time to move, to getting your team comfortable in the new tool.

Before You Migrate: Is It Really Time to Switch?

Switching PM tools is disruptive. Before you commit, make sure you’re switching for the right reasons:

Good reasons to switch:

• Your current tool genuinely can’t support your workflow
• Costs have increased beyond your budget
• The tool’s development has stagnated or it’s being shut down
• Your team has outgrown the tool’s capabilities
• Integration requirements have changed

Bad reasons to switch:

• A new shiny tool looks cool
• One team member doesn’t like the current tool
• You haven’t fully explored your current tool’s features
• You’re blaming the tool for process problems

If you’re not sure what you need, our guide to choosing business software can help you think through the decision.

Step 1: Audit Your Current Setup

Before you export anything, document what you’re actually using. This step saves enormous headaches later.

What to inventory

• Projects and boards: How many active projects do you have? How many archived ones need to transfer?
• Tasks and cards: Count your active tasks. Check for custom fields, labels, and tags you’re relying on.
• Attachments: What files are stored in your PM tool? How much total storage?
• Automations: List every automation rule. These won’t transfer automatically and need to be rebuilt.
• Integrations: Which third-party tools connect to your PM software? Slack notifications, GitHub syncs, time trackers, etc.
• User permissions: Document who has access to what. Roles, teams, and permission levels.
• Templates: Any project or task templates your team uses regularly.

Clean up before you move

Don’t migrate your mess. This is the perfect time to:

• Archive or delete completed and abandoned projects
• Remove inactive users
• Consolidate duplicate tags and labels
• Delete outdated attachments

Think of it like moving apartments — you don’t pack the junk drawer.

Step 2: Choose Your New Tool

Assuming you’ve already narrowed down your options, here’s a quick reference for common migrations:

Leaving Trello? Check our Trello alternatives guide for detailed comparisons. Most Trello alternatives support direct board imports.

Leaving Jira? Our Jira alternatives guide covers tools that can handle Jira’s complexity without the overhead.

Leaving Asana? See our Asana alternatives roundup for options that match or exceed Asana’s features.

Leaving Monday.com? Most PM tools can import Monday.com’s CSV exports. Look for tools with similar timeline and dashboard features.

Step 3: Export Your Data

Every major PM tool lets you export data, but the format and completeness vary wildly.

Trello exports

Trello exports boards as JSON files. Go to Board Menu → More → Print and Export → Export as JSON. This captures cards, lists, labels, comments, checklists, and member assignments.

What it doesn’t capture: attachments (you get URLs, not files), Power-Up data, and automation rules. Download important attachments manually before deactivating your account.

Jira exports

Jira offers multiple export options:

• CSV export: Filters → export results as CSV. Good for basic issue data.
• XML backup: System → Backup Manager (admin only). Most complete option — includes issues, comments, attachments, workflows, and custom fields.
• Third-party tools: Services like Jira Cloud Migration Assistant can transfer data directly to some targets.

Jira exports tend to be the most complex because Jira itself is complex. Custom fields, workflows, and issue types don’t always map cleanly to other tools.

Monday.com exports

Monday.com exports boards as CSV or Excel files. Click the three-dot menu on a board → Export board to Excel. This captures items, columns, statuses, and basic data.

What’s missing: automations, integrations, file attachments, and activity logs. Monday.com’s data structure is fairly unique, so expect some manual mapping.

Asana exports

Asana lets you export projects as CSV files. Go to the project → dropdown menu → Export/Print → CSV. This gives you tasks, assignees, due dates, sections, and custom fields.

Attachments, comments, and subtask hierarchies need extra attention. Asana’s API can extract more complete data if you’re comfortable with scripting.

Step 4: Map Your Data Structure

This is where most migrations go wrong. Every PM tool organizes data differently:

Before importing, decide how each element in your old tool maps to the new one. Write it down. Share it with your team. Get agreement before you start moving data.

Step 5: Import and Verify

Use built-in importers when possible

Most PM tools have built-in importers for common sources:

• ClickUp imports from Trello, Asana, Jira, Monday.com, and more
• Asana imports from Trello and CSV
• Monday.com imports from Trello, Asana, Jira, and Excel
• Notion imports from Trello, Asana, and CSV

These importers handle the basic data mapping automatically. They’re not perfect — you’ll usually lose some formatting, comments may import as plain text, and attachments might not transfer — but they save hours compared to manual migration.

Verify your data

After importing, check:

• Task counts match (active and completed)
• Assignments are correct
• Due dates transferred properly (watch for timezone issues)
• Custom fields mapped correctly
• Labels/tags are intact
• Comments and history are readable
• Attachments are accessible

Don’t skip this. We’ve seen imports that looked fine at first glance but had scrambled due dates or missing assignments.

Step 6: Rebuild What Didn’t Transfer

Some things never transfer cleanly between tools:

Automations: You’ll need to rebuild these from scratch. Use your audit from Step 1 as a reference. This is also a good time to simplify — not every automation you had was actually useful.

Integrations: Reconnect your Slack channels, GitHub repos, time trackers, and other connected services. Test each one.

Templates: Recreate your project and task templates in the new tool. Again, take the opportunity to improve them.

Dashboards and reports: Custom views, saved filters, and reports need to be rebuilt. Screenshot your old dashboards for reference.

Step 7: Roll Out to Your Team

Don’t force a hard cutover

In our experience, the best migration approach is:

1. Week 1-2: Migrate data and set up the new tool. Only admins and a small pilot group use it.
2. Week 3-4: Pilot group tests with real work. Identify issues and gaps.
3. Week 5: Fix issues, refine workflows, create guides for the team.
4. Week 6: Full team moves to the new tool. Old tool stays read-only for reference.
5. Week 10+: Deactivate the old tool once everyone’s settled.

Help your team adjust

• Create a simple “where to find things” guide mapping old locations to new ones
• Hold a 30-minute walkthrough — not a full training, just “here’s how to do your daily tasks”
• Designate one person as the go-to for questions during the first two weeks
• Be patient — productivity will dip temporarily, and that’s normal

Common Migration Mistakes

We’ve seen these enough times to warn you:

Migrating everything. You don’t need 3 years of archived projects in the new tool. Migrate active work and recent history. Keep an export of the old data as a backup.

Skipping the pilot. Always test with a small group first. They’ll find the problems before the whole team hits them.

Not mapping data structures. Importing a Trello board into Jira without thinking about how lists map to statuses leads to chaos.

Forgetting about mobile. Make sure the new tool’s mobile app works for your team’s needs. Some tools have great desktop experiences but mediocre mobile apps.

Ignoring the human side. People resist change, especially when their daily tools change. Communicate why you’re switching, involve team leads in the decision, and listen to feedback.

After the Migration

Give it at least a month before judging whether the new tool is working. There’s always an adjustment period, and snap judgments during that period aren’t reliable.

After 30 days, check in with the team:

• Is the new tool solving the problems that prompted the switch?
• Are there new pain points?
• What workflows need tweaking?

For broader guidance on tool selection and making sure you’ve picked the right solution, our PM tools guide stays updated with the latest options. And if your remote team is adapting to new tools, our remote teams toolkit has tips for managing transitions across distributed teams.

Final Thoughts

Migrating PM tools isn’t fun, but it doesn’t have to be painful. Plan the migration like you’d plan any project: define scope, set a timeline, assign responsibilities, and build in buffer time.

The biggest factor in a successful migration isn’t the tools — it’s communication. Keep your team informed, involve them in decisions, and give them time to adjust. Do that, and the technical side is manageable.