A Trello alternative from Germany: boards, lists, cards – without the US cloud
You don't want anything complicated. Boards, lists, cards. But your data should stay in Europe – and that is exactly where Trello stops being simple.
Trello is the tool many teams learned to love the kanban principle with. Three columns, a few cards, done. The problem isn't the concept, it is what sits underneath: Trello belongs to Atlassian, runs in the US cloud, and data residency options are limited for many plans.
Anyone looking for an alternative from Germany or the DACH region usually wants two things at once: keep Trello's simplicity and get the data out of the US cloud. Both are possible.
Why the US cloud becomes an issue with Trello
Data storage. Trello data lives in the Atlassian cloud, predominantly on US infrastructure. Genuine EU data residency is only available in a limited way for Trello. For a team with GDPR requirements, that is the sticking point.
Repositioning. Atlassian is refocusing Trello on personal productivity and steering teams toward Jira. If you use Trello with a team, you are building on a product whose roadmap points elsewhere.
AI from the US. When AI features come into play, they run through Atlassian Intelligence and therefore through US providers. Which model sees your card content is not your decision.
Is Claire an alternative to Trello?
Claire is deliberately built for the group that wanted to stay on Trello but no longer can. Claire fits when this applies:
- You want boards, lists and cards – without the weight of Jira.
- Your data should live in the EU, not in the US cloud.
- You would like AI, but under your control instead of as a black box.
- You want a tool for teams – but also for freelancers, small or large.
- A per-head price gets too expensive as the team grows.
Trello and Claire compared
| Comparison | ||
|---|---|---|
| Jurisdiction | USA (Atlassian) | EU, Made in Europe |
| Data storage | US cloud, EU residency limited | data center in Germany (Frankfurt) |
| Core model | boards, lists, cards | boards, lists, cards |
| AI | Atlassian Intelligence, US providers | OpenAI and Claude (Anthropic), plus MCP for Claude and ChatGPT |
| Roadmap focus | personal productivity | teams & freelancers, any size |
| Pricing | per seat | free, only storage beyond 2 GB costs |
Claire's biggest advantages
Same simplicity, European data. Claire keeps the model that made Trello big: boards, lists, cards. Only everything runs in a data center in Germany (Frankfurt) instead of the US cloud.
No tracking, minimal data. Claire sets no tracking or marketing cookies and only processes the data actually needed to run the service. Data minimization isn't an afterthought here, it is the starting point.
AI under control. Claire brings its own AI – and via MCP you work with Claire straight from Claude or ChatGPT: read boards, manage tasks, tick off checklists, write documents, without leaving the chat. Whether and which assistant you connect is your call. AI in Claire is not a bolted-on feature but part of the architecture from the start.
For teams and freelancers. While Trello shifts toward personal productivity, Claire works for both: solo, in a small team or across a large org. Boards and teamwork are unlimited and free – bring in as many people as you want, without paying per head.
Common questions about Trello alternatives
Is there a Trello alternative with servers in Europe?
Yes. Claire stores the core data in a data center in Germany (Frankfurt). That keeps Trello's simplicity without the data ending up in the US cloud.
Is switching from Trello a lot of work?
No. If you know Trello, you know Claire. The model of boards, lists and cards is the same, so the switch is more of a move than relearning.
What happens to Trello?
Atlassian keeps maintaining Trello but refocuses it on personal productivity and nudges teams toward Jira. If you want team boards, it is worth looking for an alternative in good time.
Does Claire cost per user?
No. Claire is free, boards and teamwork are unlimited. The only thing that costs is storage: 2 GB per account are free, after that it is $0.07 per GB.
Verdict: Trello or Claire
Trello remains a good tool for personal boards. But if your team wants to keep the data in Europe and is looking for AI without a black box, there is no way around an alternative.
Claire is built for exactly this gap: the simplicity of Trello, the data in the EU. Try Claire for free. No sales call, no mandatory demo.