Boards and projects are both essential tools for managing work on monday.com, but they serve different purposes. In this article, we’ll break down the key differences so you can choose the right setup for your needs.

What is a Board?

A board is the foundation of your workflow on monday.com. Think of it as a digital whiteboard where you can organize, track, and manage any kind of work. Boards are highly customizable, allowing you to create and structure them based on your specific needs. Whether you're managing a to-do list, tracking sales leads, or planning an event, a board helps keep everything organized in one place.

Key features of the board:

• Fully customizable: Add groups, columns, and items to match your workflow.
• Collaboration-friendly: Assign owners, comment on updates, and track changes in real time.
• Multiple board types: Choose between main, shareable, and private boards based on your access needs.
• Versatile: Manage anything from daily tasks to high-level processes.

What is a Project?

A project is part of the portfolio solution on monday.com. It provides a more structured way to manage work. Projects build on the familiar board structure but incorporate advanced project management capabilities. When you create a project, you gain access to predefined columns, a built-in project overview, project health status, and additional reporting features that help track progress and risks effectively.

On the Pro plan, projects are created as standalone projects. On the Enterprise plan, projects include the same core experience, along with portfolio connection and other advanced project management capabilities.

Key features of a project:

• Project overview: A high-level dashboard providing insights into progress, risks, and updates.
• Predefined columns: Includes key project management columns like Timeline, Dependencies, and Effort.
• Project health tracking: Manually update or automate the status as "On Track," "At Risk," or "Off Track."
• Portfolio connection: Link multiple project boards to a portfolio for a bird's-eye view of all projects.
• Advanced automation: Automate project status updates based on task progress.

A project (created from the left pane or directly from the Portfolio board) will be used to manage the low-level details together with your team. If you need a higher-level view across multiple projects, you can connect project boards to a portfolio on the Enterprise plan.

When to Use a Board vs. a Project

Use a board when you need a flexible space to track tasks, workflows, or team collaboration without the need for structured project management features. Boards are ideal for managing daily operations or workflows that aren't tied to specific timelines.

On the other hand, use a project when you’re managing a structured initiative with clear goals, tasks, and deadlines. Projects offer a more detailed approach to managing work. n the Enterprise plan, projects also support advanced capabilities such as Cross-Project Dependencies, an All Projects Dashboard, a Resource planner, or a Capacity manager.

Converting a Board into a Project

Already using a board but want to take advantage of project features? You can convert any board into a project with just a few clicks. Simply open the three-dot board menu, select Convert board to project, and your existing data will remain intact while new project-specific features become available.

Note: At this time, it is not possible to convert a project back into a board. 

Boards and projects both offer powerful ways to manage work, but understanding their differences helps you choose the right tool for the job. Whether you need the flexibility of a board or the structured tracking of a project, monday.com has you covered!