Managing projects can get chaotic fast. One minute, you’re juggling deadlines, and the next, you’re drowning in task lists, emails, and endless meetings. If you're finding it hard to keep everything organized, trust me—you’re not the only one.
Project management tools are here to make things easier. These tools help you keep track of tasks, collaborate with your team, and see the big picture at a glance. Whether you're working solo or managing a big team, the right tool can keep your projects on track and make your workday a whole lot smoother.
But with so many options out there, how do you find the one that fits your needs? You don't want to waste time trying tool after tool only to end up frustrated. That’s why we’ve put together this guide—to help you find the best project management tools that can actually simplify your workflow.
In this article, we’ll explore the best project management tools that users love for their simplicity, features, and ease of use. We’ll cover everything from task management to team communication, so you can pick the tool that works best for your unique needs.
A project management tool is a software application designed to help individuals and teams plan, execute, and control all aspects of a project management process.
It provides a centralized platform where project managers and team members can collaborate, track progress, and manage resources efficiently.
The primary functions of project management tools include resource planning and allocation, time tracking, and communication. They help streamline workflows, facilitate better collaboration, and provide real-time insights into project performance.
These tools are essential for keeping everyone on the same page and ensuring that projects are completed successfully.
Using project management tools offers numerous benefits that can significantly enhance the way you manage projects.
Project management tools help you keep everything organized by providing a clear structure for tasks, deadlines, and resources. This reduces confusion and ensures everyone knows what needs to be done and when.
These tools facilitate better communication among project managers and team members by offering key features like messaging, file storage and sharing, and real-time updates. This ensures that everyone is on the same page and can collaborate effectively.
With built-in time tracking and scheduling features, portfolio management as well as project management tools help you allocate your time and create tasks much more efficiently. This ensures that tasks are completed on time and deadlines are met.
By automating tasks and streamlining workflows, these project management systems and tools can significantly boost productivity. They allow team members to focus on high-priority tasks without getting bogged down by administrative work.
These tools provide insights into resource planning and allocation, helping you manage your team's workload and create project plans to ensure that resources are used efficiently. This can lead to cost savings and better project outcomes.
Project management tools offer full portfolio management with powerful tracking portfolio management and reporting features, allowing you to monitor progress and make data-driven decisions. This helps in identifying task dependencies, potential issues early and keeping stakeholders informed.
Choosing the right project management software tool can be a game-changer for your project’s success. The selection process involves several important criteria to ensure the tool fits your specific needs and enhances your team’s productivity.
Start by understanding your project’s unique requirements. Consider the complexity, duration, and scope of the project. Identify the key tasks and workflows that need to be managed and any specific challenges you face.
Determine your budget for a good project management software tool. While some tools offer free versions, others come with subscription fees. It’s important to find a good project management software tool that provides the best value for money, balancing cost with the key features offered.
Consider the size and structure of your team. Some project planning tools are better suited for small teams, while others are designed to handle large, complex projects with multiple teams. Ensure the tool supports collaboration and communication among your project manager and team members.
Identify the specific features that are essential for your project planning. This could include, time tracking, file sharing, reporting, integrations with other software, and customization options. Make a list of must-have key features to guide your selection.
Most project management tools offer a trial period. Use this opportunity to test the tool with your team. Gather feedback from team members about their experience and ease of use. This will help you make an informed decision and choose a tool that everyone is comfortable with.
Effective use of project management software can significantly enhance your team's productivity and project success. By adopting the right strategies, you can leverage these tools to streamline workflows, improve collaboration, and achieve your project goals more efficiently.
Here are some best practices to help you make the most of your project management software.
Before using any project management software, clearly define your project objectives and goals. This helps in setting the right expectations for project managers and ensures that all team members are aligned.
Most project management tools offer customization options. Tailor the software to fit your specific workflow and processes. This includes setting up custom fields, creating templates, and organizing task views.
Ensure that project statuses are regularly updated to reflect the current state of tasks and projects. This keeps everyone informed and helps in identifying any potential issues early.
Take advantage of automation features to streamline tasks. Automated reminders, task assignments, and notifications can save time and reduce manual errors.
Use the communication and collaboration features of your project management solution to keep everyone connected. Regularly use message boards, comments, and shared documents to facilitate teamwork.
Regularly check the workload views and resource management to ensure that tasks are evenly distributed and resources are utilized efficiently. Adjust assignments as necessary to avoid burnout and ensure balanced workloads.
When setting deadlines, ensure they are realistic and achievable. Factor in the team's capacity and potential obstacles. This helps in maintaining a steady workflow and avoiding last-minute rushes.
Ensure that project managers as well as all team members are adequately trained on how to use the project management software. Provide ongoing support and resources to the project management software development teams to help them make the most of the tool's key features.
Leverage the reporting and analytics features to track projects performance and make data-driven decisions. Regularly review reports to monitor progress, identify bottlenecks, and optimize processes.
Integrate your project management software with other tools you use, such as communication apps, file storage, and accounting software for easy project planning. This creates a seamless workflow and ensures that all your resource management tools work together effectively.
Maintain organized documentation within the project management software. Use folders, tags, and labels to categorize documents, making it easier for team members as well as project managers to find and reference important information.
Periodically review your project management processes and the use of the various project management software solutions. Gather feedback from team members and make necessary adjustments to improve efficiency and effectiveness.
In this section, we will review some of the best project management software available .
For each tool, we will provide an overview, discuss its key project management features, highlight its pros and cons, and detail its pricing.
This will help you compare different options from free project management tools to paid choose the best tool for your needs.
- Venturz
- Asana
- Trello
- Monday.com
- Wrike
- ClickUp
- Smartsheet
- Jira
- Basecamp
- Notion
- Teamwork
- Airtable
- Microsoft Project
- Zoho Projects
- ProofHub
- Workfront
- Scoro
- LiquidPlanner
- nTask
- MeisterTask
| Name | Best For | Pricing |
|---|---|---|
| Venturz | Startups and small businesses | Free |
| Asana | Task management and team collaboration | Free; Premium starts at $10.99 |
| Trello | Visual project tracking with boards | Free; Business Class at $10 |
| Monday.com | Customizable workflows and automation | Basic plan at $8 |
| Wrike | Complex project management and reporting | Free; Professional at $9.80 |
| ClickUp | All-in-one project management solution | Free; Unlimited at $5 |
| Smartsheet | Spreadsheet-based project management | Pro plan at $7 |
| Jira | Agile project management for software teams | Free; Standard at $7.75 |
| Basecamp | Simple project management and team collaboration | $15 per user |
| Notion | Note-taking and project management combined | Free; Personal Pro at $4 |
| Teamwork | Client work and project delivery | Free; Pro at $10 |
| Airtable | Flexible database and project management | Free; Plus at $10 |
| Microsoft Project | Enterprise-level project planning | Starts at $10 |
| Zoho Projects | Integrated project management suite | Free; Premium at $5 |
| ProofHub | Centralized project and team management | Starts at $45 (flat rate) |
| Workfront | Enterprise work management | Contact for pricing |
| Scoro | Business management with project features | Starts at $26 |
| LiquidPlanner | Predictive project scheduling | Essentials at $15 |
| nTask | Task management and team collaboration | Free; Premium at $3 |
| MeisterTask | Intuitive task management | Free; Pro at $8.25 |
Venturz is a comprehensive free project management software designed to streamline project workflows and enhance team collaboration. It is equipped with robust project management capabilities aimed at optimizing workflow efficiency and fostering seamless collaboration among team members.
Venturz diverse feature set includes tools for task assignment, progress tracking, and resource management, tailored to meet the demands of projects across different industries and scales.
With Venturz, teams can expect enhanced organization through intuitive task and project management apps, improved communication via integrated collaboration tools, and diligent oversight to maintain timelines and financial targets.
- Task Assigning: Venturz allows you to assign tasks to team members easily. You can specify who is responsible for each task and track their progress.
- Meetings: The tool includes integrated meeting features, enabling you to schedule and manage meetings directly within the platform. This helps keep everyone on the same page and facilitates effective communication.
- Reminders: With built-in reminders, Venturz ensures that no task or deadline is forgotten. You can set reminders for important tasks and milestones to keep your project on track.
- Scheduling Start and End Time: Venturz provides robust scheduling capabilities, allowing you to set start and end times for tasks, add team members to tasks, and set priorities. This helps in managing the project timeline efficiently.
- Venturz has an intuitive and user-friendly interface, making it easy for team members to navigate and use the tool effectively.
- The tool offers a wide range of key features that cover all aspects of project management, from task assigning to scheduling and reminders.
- Integrated meeting features and reminders enhance team communication and ensure that everyone is aligned.
- New users might experience a learning curve as they familiarize themselves with the various key features and functionalities.
- Some users may find the customization options limited compared to other management tools.
ClickUp is best project management software designed to bring teams closer together by connecting workflows, documents, real-time dashboards, gantt charts and more. It helps everyone move faster, work smarter, and save time.
ClickUp is a comprehensive solution that integrates knowledge and work across project management platforms, offering tailored views for cross-functional projects and increasing efficiency with automation and reporting. It standardizes and scales project management best practices, making it a versatile tool for various types of teams and projects.
- All-in-One Knowledge and Work Management: ClickUp combines multiple functionalities into a single tool, providing a centralized platform for managing both knowledge and work.
- Tailored Views for Cross-Functional Projects: The platform allows teams to create customized views that suit their specific project needs, enhancing cross-functional collaboration.
- Automation and Reporting: ClickUp offers complete automation features and detailed reporting capabilities to streamline workflows and improve efficiency.
- Standardize and Scale Project Management: The tool helps standardize processes of managing projects, making it easier to scale best practices across the organization.
- ClickUp offers extensive customization options, allowing teams to tailor the tool to their specific needs and preferences.
- It combines multiple functionalities into a single platform, potentially reducing the need for multiple subscriptions and applications.
- Despite its extensive features, ClickUp maintains a clean and intuitive interface that is relatively easy to navigate.
- It is scalable and suitable for teams of all sizes, from individuals and small startups to large enterprises.
- The wide array of features can be complex for beginners, requiring a period of adaptation to fully utilize the tool's capabilities.
- The extensive notification system can sometimes lead to information overload if not properly configured.
- Unlimited Plan: $10 per user per month, best for small teams.
- Business Plan: $19 per user per month, best for mid-sized teams.
- Enterprise Plan: Custom pricing, best for large teams with specific needs. Get a custom demo to see how ClickUp aligns with your goals.
Jira is a free project management software centered around issue and project tracking, making it ideal for teams to create, prioritize, assign, and handle tasks throughout their lifecycle.
Originally developed for bug tracking, Jira has evolved to support various project management methodologies, including Scrum and Kanban, which makes it a favorite among Agile and DevOps teams.
Its customizable workflows, comprehensive reporting tools, gantt charts and extensive marketplace of apps and integrations provide flexibility and adaptability for different project needs.
- Issue and Project Tracking: Asana facilitates the creation, prioritization, assignment, and management of tasks and issues within projects. This feature allows teams to break down larger goals into actionable tasks, assign responsibilities, and check progress efficiently.
- Customizable Workflows: One of Asana's strengths is its flexibility in adapting to different team workflows. Users can customize workflows to match specific processes and methodologies used within their organization.
- Agile Project Management: Asana supports Agile project management methodologies such as Scrum and Kanban. Scrum boards help teams plan sprints, organize tasks into backlogs, and check the progress through sprint cycles. Kanban boards visualize workflows, allowing teams to handle tasks as they move through different stages of completion.
- Reporting Tools: Asana provides robust reporting features that offer insights into project's progress and team performance. Users can generate various reports to track projects, task completion rates, identify bottlenecks, and analyze trends over time. These data-driven insights help teams make informed decisions, optimize processes, and allocate resources more effectively, ultimately driving project success.
- Integration Capabilities: Asana's integration capabilities extend its functionality by connecting with a wide range of apps and resource management tools through its marketplace. This integration capability allows teams to streamline workflows by syncing data across project management platforms, automating tasks, and centralizing information.
- Jira offers extensive flexibility and customization options, allowing it to adapt to various project management and tracking needs.
- Strong support for agile methodologies makes it ideal for teams using Scrum or Kanban, with features like backlogs, agile reporting, and boards.
- The availability of numerous integrations through its marketplace enhances functionality and workflows.
- Jira is scalable, accommodating the needs of small teams to large enterprises without requiring significant changes to the toolset.
- Users have reported performance lags, particularly with a large number of issues or customizations.
- The cost can be prohibitive for small teams or startups, especially when factoring in additional costs for premium integrations or apps.
- Standard: $7.16 per user per month, offering essential features to get started.
- Premium: $12.48 per user per month, designed to align multiple teams.
- Enterprise: Custom pricing for advanced analytics, scalability, and security, billed annually.
Zoho Projects the best project management software designed to enhance collaboration and streamline project workflows. It offers a range of features that support task and resource management, automation, time tracking, and detailed discussions.
Zoho Projects is well-suited for teams of all sizes, providing robust tools to manage and track project performance efficiently.
- Task Management: Zoho Projects offers robust management capabilities, allowing users to create, assign, and handle tasks efficiently. This ensures that project goals are clearly defined and executed on time, enhancing overall project productivity and accountability.
- Task Automation and Blueprints: To streamline workflows, Zoho Projects supports task automation. Users can also create blueprints that define standardized workflows for common processes. This feature helps in reducing manual effort, ensuring consistency, and improving operational efficiency across projects.
- Time and Issue Tracking: Effective project management requires accurate tracking of time spent on tasks and management of issues that may arise during project execution. Zoho Projects provides tools for time tracking, allowing teams to monitor task durations and timelines closely.
- Reporting and Forums: Zoho Projects enables users to generate comprehensive reports that provide insights into project progress, task completion rates, and team performance metrics. These reports help project managers and stakeholders make informed decisions and identify areas for improvement. Integrated forums within the platform also promote collaborative discussions among team members, fostering better communication and alignment on project goals and objectives.
- Zoho Projects allows users to track multiple tasks simultaneously, enhancing productivity and time management.
- The tool offers robust communication features, including forums and chat options, ensuring seamless team collaboration.
- Workflow automations make it easy to manage recurring tasks and processes.
- Zoho Projects supports an unlimited number of projects, making it ideal for growing teams and businesses.
- Zoho Projects lacks certain file type export options, which might limit flexibility in sharing documents.
- Some users have noted the absence of certain advanced reporting features.
- The tool does not integrate with QuickBooks, which could be a drawback for teams relying on this accounting software.
- Premium: $5 per user per month, with a 10-day free trial.
- Enterprise: $10 per user per month, with a 10-day free trial.
Height stands out as a great project management software tailored for teams engaged in online course creation and management. Its robust feature set encompasses not only various project management solutions and workflow streamlining but also comprehensive tools for content management and detailed analytics.
This makes Height particularly advantageous for educational and training projects, where precise management of course materials, scheduling, learner engagement, and performance tracking are crucial.
Height's integrated approach ensures teams can efficiently collaborate, track progress, and optimize course development processes, ultimately enhancing both project outcomes and learner experiences.
- Payment Processing: Height integrates payment processing capabilities, enabling seamless management of transactions related to online courses or other services. This feature ensures secure and convenient payment handling for users and facilitates monetization of educational content.
- Content Management: The platform provides robust content management features, allowing users to efficiently organize, manage, and deliver educational content. This includes creating courses, uploading resources, and structuring content in a way that enhances learning experiences for learners.
- Learner Analytics: Height offers detailed learner analytics to track learner progress and performance. These analytics provide insights into how learners interact with course materials, their completion rates, and areas where they may need additional support. This data-driven approach helps educators and course creators improve learning experiences and course effectiveness over time.
- Customizable Landing Page: Users can create and customize landing pages within Height to enhance the user experience and attract potential learners. Customizable landing pages allow for branding, tailored messaging, and clear calls-to-action, helping to convert visitors into enrolled learners effectively.
- Lead Tracking Support: Height includes lead tracking capabilities, enabling users to manage and follow up with potential clients or learners efficiently. This feature helps in nurturing leads through personalized communication, tracking interactions, and optimizing conversion strategies to grow enrollments and engagement.
- Height offers a generous free plan that is suitable for small teams getting started with AI-charged project management.
- The platform includes genuinely useful AI features that simplify the process of creating, selling, and managing online courses.
- Height's interface is designed to be user-friendly, making it accessible even for those new to management tools.
- The inclusion of online challenges helps enhance skills and the overall learning experience.
- The Kanban view in Height is less flexible compared to some other management tools.
- There is a learning curve to master all the features and tools Height offers.
- According to some reviews, customer service can be improved.
- Free Plan: $0, best for small teams getting started with AI-charged project management.
- Team Plan: $6.99 per member per month, billed annually
- Business Plan: $11.99 per member per month, billed annually
Asana is a popular project management tool known for its ability to help teams organize, track, and manage their work effectively. It caters to a wide range of industries and project types, supporting methodologies such as Agile, Scrum, and Waterfall.
Asana, best project management software, aims to streamline work processes, enhance team collaboration, and boost productivity by providing a centralized hub for tasks, projects, and communications. By fostering clarity and accountability, Asana enables teams to align efforts seamlessly with project goals, ensuring timely and efficient project completion.
- Task Management: Asana empowers users to create projects and assign tasks within those projects. Each task can include detailed information such as due dates, descriptions, attachments, and comments. This centralized approach ensures all relevant information is accessible in one location, enhancing transparency and accountability within teams.
- Project Visualization: Projects in Asana can be visualized in multiple formats to suit different needs. Users can opt for a simple list view for straightforward task management, a Kanban board for visualizing workflows and task statuses, or a Gantt chart (Timeline view) for tracking project timelines, dependencies, and milestones. These visualizations provide clarity on project progress and help teams stay organized.
- Collaboration Tools: Asana provides built-in communication tools that enable teams to discuss tasks and projects directly within the platform. Features like comments, mentions, and task followers facilitate seamless collaboration by keeping all project-related conversations centralized and accessible to team members.
- Integration Capabilities: Asana offers extensive integration capabilities with a variety of third-party tools and services, including Slack, Google Drive, and Microsoft Teams. These integrations enhance workflow efficiency by enabling users to connect Asana with their preferred tools for file sharing, communication, and project management.
- Asana offers high customization options, allowing teams to modify the platform to their specific needs.
- Custom fields and templates enable teams to structure their work in ways that best fit their workflows.
- With built-in communication tools, teams can easily discuss tasks and projects directly within the platform, enhancing collaboration.
- Asana integrates with diverse tools, such as Slack, Google Drive, and Microsoft Teams, facilitating seamless workflows and information sharing.
- While Asana is designed to be user-friendly, the wide array of features and customization options can overwhelm new users, requiring some time to learn.
- The cost for premium features might be a barrier for smaller teams or businesses.
- Many of Asana's more advanced features, including timeline views and advanced reporting, are only available in paid plans
- Free Basic Plan: Includes unlimited projects, tasks, and storage; supports up to 15 users; offers list, board, and calendar views.
- Premium Plan: $10.99 per user per month (billed annually), includes Gantt and timeline views, extensive reports, and additional customization options.
Wrike is a versatile and free project management software that offers a wealth of features useful for digital project management. Wrike's automated workflows help teams handle tasks efficiently. Its AI features can make smart suggestions for workflow automation based on repetitive tasks, and they also offer gantt charts, content creation, editing, risk predictions, task creation, and summaries of task comments.
Wrike provides 24/7 global support and assistance with onboarding to facilitate easier platform adoption.
- Proofing and Approval Workflows: Wrike simplifies the feedback and approval process with dedicated proofing and approval workflows. These workflows streamline collaboration by allowing teams to gather feedback, make revisions, and obtain approvals within a structured framework, ensuring project progress remains on track.
- Proofing Comparison Mode: Wrike's proofing comparison mode enables users to overlay two versions of the same file and toggle between them effortlessly. This feature facilitates detailed review and feedback on subtle changes, ensuring accuracy and alignment with project requirements before final approval.
- Wrike Labs: Wrike Labs provides users with access to experimental features and customizations aimed at enhancing the platform's functionality and user experience. This allows teams to explore new capabilities and tailor Wrike to better suit their specific project management needs.
- Personalizable Dashboards: Users can personalize their Wrike dashboards extensively with widgets such as activity streams and pivot tables for multiple projects. This customization empowers teams to create dashboards that align with their workflows and preferences, providing quick access to relevant project information and metrics.
- 400+ Pre-built Native Integrations: Wrike offers over 400 native integrations with popular tools and platforms, including Asana, Airtable, HubSpot, Salesforce, and Slack. These integrations allow seamless data synchronization and workflow automation across different applications, enhancing collaboration and productivity.
- Wrike offers world-class onboarding through video walkthroughs, making it easier for new users to get started.
- The right-click context menus allow users to perform more actions with fewer clicks.
- AI features are available in all plans at no extra cost.
- Wrike can quickly become expensive, especially for larger teams or organizations.
- Two-factor authentication (2FA) is locked behind the enterprise plan.
- Integrations come at an extra cost, regardless of the plan.
- Team: $9.80 per user per month, designed for growing teams with effective team management features.
- Business: $24.80 per user per month, suitable for all teams across an organization with a customizable platform for any use case.
- Enterprise: Custom pricing for large teams with enterprise-grade security and scalability.
- Pinnacle: For teams with complex work needs, offering advanced tools and analytics for complex projects.
Monday is one of the best best project management software that offers a highly customizable and user-friendly platform designed to help teams organize and track their work effectively. It caters to various project management needs, from simple task management to complex project workflows, with a significant focus on collaboration.
- Workload View: The workload view allows you to see what all your resources are up to, with a bubble chart indicating each resource's allocation. This helps in balancing workloads and managing resources efficiently.
- App Views: With App Views, you can integrate your favorite apps directly into your projects. For example, you can add a Miro board as a view within your project to access brainstorming session results easily.
- Task Management: Create and handle tasks with customizable fields, due dates, and priority levels. Tasks can be organized into boards, lists, or timelines.
- Automations: Automations are easy to create and require no coding, helping to streamline repetitive tasks and workflows.
- Integrations: Monday integrates seamlessly with various tools, including Slack, Google Drive, DocuSign, Gmail, and Google Calendar. The integrations library makes it easy to connect with other tools you use.
- Monday.com is easy to connect to other tools via its integrations library, facilitating a seamless workflow across different project management platforms.
- Automations are straightforward to create and do not require coding, which simplifies task management.
- The platform can be customized to fit any workflow, making it versatile for different project management needs.
- Additionally, places a huge focus on collaboration, enhancing team communication and productivity.
- The Gantt view cannot be used to build a project from scratch, which might limit its utility for some users.
- Most core project management features are available only in the Pro plan, which could be a limitation for those using lower-tier plans.
- Individual: $0, best for personal use.
- Basic: $9 per member per month, billed annually.
- Standard: $12 per member per month, billed annually.
- Pro: $19 per member per month, billed annually.
- Enterprise: Prices not available online, designed for large organizations with advanced needs.
Smartsheet is one of the best project management software known for its advanced technical functionality and complex capabilities, making it an excellent choice for larger organizations. However, there may be a steep learning curve for users who are not extensively familiar with spreadsheets, and its add-ons can become quite expensive.
- Automated Workflows: With Smartsheet, you can automate your workflows using repeatable blueprints, making project delivery more streamlined, accurate, and fast.
- Content Management: Smartsheet offers robust content management tools, including progress dashboards, automated alerts, and resource management features.
- Detailed Dashboards: Visualize all your project information, team workflow, and organizational goals through data-rich dashboards that provide comprehensive insights.
- Integrations: Smartsheet supports over 100 integrations with other tools, enhancing its functionality and adaptability to different workflows.
- Smartsheet provides advanced tools and complex capabilities, making it suitable for larger organizations with demanding project management needs.
- The platform’s detailed dashboards allow for comprehensive visualization of project data, team workflows, and organizational goals.
- Automated workflows help streamline and accelerate project delivery, ensuring accuracy and efficiency.
- Users without extensive knowledge of spreadsheets might face a steep learning curve when getting started with Smartsheet.
- Additionally, the cost of add-ons can become quite high, which might be a concern for budget-conscious teams or organizations.
- Free: $0, suitable for basic use.
- Pro: $9 per user per month (billed monthly; maximum 10 users).
- Business: $32 per user per month (billed monthly; minimum 3 users).
- Enterprise: Custom pricing for large organizations with specific needs.
Airtable is one of a highly customizable project management programs that allows users to create a solution tailored to their specific needs. It offers a default view similar to a spreadsheet and suggests several templated projects based on your team within the company.
You can start from one of these suggested templates, browse other available templates, or build your own project management app (called a "base") from scratch
- Customizable Projects: Airtable offers extensive customization options, allowing users to tailor every aspect of their projects. From choosing methodologies and view types to configuring column headers, field types, and data validation, Airtable provides the flexibility to create a project management tool that precisely meets specific needs and workflows.
- Templates: Airtable simplifies the initial setup process with a wide range of templates designed for various industries and use cases. These templates provide a starting point, helping users quickly organize their projects and leverage best practices without starting from scratch.
- Marketplace Apps: In the Airtable Marketplace, users can explore and choose from over 80 apps to enhance their project management capabilities. These apps cover integration, analysis, and enrichment functionalities, allowing users to extend Airtable's core features or build custom applications tailored to their unique requirements.
- Integrations: Airtable integrates seamlessly with Zapier, enabling users to automate tasks and workflows across different applications. With Zapier integrations, users can automate actions such as tracking important information updates, receiving notifications for activity within their Airtable bases, and more. This integration enhances efficiency by streamlining processes and reducing manual effort in project management tasks.
- Airtable is the most customizable app on this list, allowing you to build a project management tool that fits your exact needs.
- The availability of numerous templates helps with the initial setup, making it easier to get started.
- Airtable's flexibility and customization options make it a powerful tool for teams that require a tailored solution.
- The setup process for Airtable can be more involved compared to other management tools, requiring some upfront effort to tailor it to your needs.
- Its interface might be less familiar to users accustomed to more traditional project management software.
- Additionally, Airtable has one of the most expensive upgrade options on this list.
- Free Plan: Includes unlimited bases, up to 5 users, 1,000 records per base, and 6 view options (grid, calendar, Kanban, and more).
- Team Plan: $20 per user per month
Trello is a straightforward and visually appealing project management platform that uses Kanban boards to help you organize multiple projects together. It is highly customizable, allowing you to set up boards, lists, and cards to fit your workflow. With a generous free plan that includes 10 boards per workspace and unlimited users, Trello is accessible to freelancers, small teams, and larger organizations.
- Customizable Boards: Trello allows you to create boards from scratch or use templates from various categories such as marketing, sales, design, and team management. You can add lists to represent different stages of your workflow and customize them according to your project needs.
- Visual Task Management: Tasks are represented as cards that can be moved across lists as they progress. Each card can include labels, due dates, members, checklists, images, attachments, and comments, keeping all relevant information in one place.
- Unlimited Power-Ups: Even on the $0 plan, Trello allows unlimited Power-Ups, enabling additional features such as calendar views, voting options on tasks, and automatic task fading. These Power-Ups enhance Trello's functionality and provide more ways to handle tasks.
- Trello offers super customizable boards with unlimited Power-Ups, making it one of the most flexible project handling tools available.
- Its user interface is highly visual, providing an intuitive and engaging way to manage projects.
- Trello also offers tons of templates to help you get started quickly.
- Free users are limited to Kanban boards, which might not be suitable for all project handling needs.
- Trello's user and team management features require an upgrade to paid plans.
- Free Plan: Includes unlimited cards and members, 10 boards per workspace, unlimited Power-Ups, and 250 automated commands each month.
- Standard Plan: $5 per user per month (billed annually)
Basecamp is an easy-to-use project management platform, particularly beneficial for small teams seeking project management functionality that includes scheduling, collaboration, and monitoring features. It is designed to be straightforward and accessible, making it an attractive option for smaller teams or growing companies looking for a simple project management solution.
- To-Do Lists: Basecamp enables users to visualize workloads and manage tasks efficiently with detailed to-do lists for each project. These lists can include separate notes and attachments, allowing teams to break down complex projects into manageable tasks and collaborate effectively.
- Message Boards: Dedicated message boards in Basecamp facilitate ongoing communication among team members. Teams can discuss project details, share updates, brainstorm ideas, and address issues directly within the platform. This feature promotes transparency, enhances collaboration, and ensures that everyone stays informed about project developments.
- Project Scheduling: Basecamp allows users to set due dates, track project progress, identify potential roadblocks, and integrate with calendars for efficient scheduling of project. By centralizing project timelines and milestones, teams can prioritize tasks, manage dependencies, and ensure that key deadlines are met without missing critical milestones.
- Integrations: Basecamp supports integrations with a variety of third-party apps, enhancing its functionality for software development, project management, and reporting needs. These integrations enable teams to leverage additional tools and services seamlessly within Basecamp, expanding its capabilities to meet specific project requirements and workflows.
- Basecamp offers a user-friendly interface designed to be intuitive, making it easy for new users to start without a steep learning curve.
- By bringing all project-related discussions into one place, Basecamp reduces the clutter and confusion often caused by email chains.
- It enhances accountability with clear task assignments and deadlines, ensuring team members know exactly what is expected.
- Basecamp's design suits various industries and project types, offering a broad set of tools that address most project management and team collaboration needs
- The simplicity of Basecamp comes at the cost of advanced customization options available in other project management tools.
- Basecamp does not have built-in time tracking to monitor the time spent on tasks closely.
- The tool's reporting features are somewhat basic compared to more specialized project management software
- Basecamp: $15 per user per month.
- Basecamp Pro Unlimited: $349 per month (billed monthly; unlimited users).
- Pro Unlimited Plan: Can be added to the main monthly plan for $50 per month.
GanttPRO is a popular project management software particularly beneficial for small teams seeking project planning and management functionality that includes scheduling, collaborating, and resource management features. This best project management software is designed to provide clear task visualization and management capabilities, making it suitable for teams of various sizes and their project planning needs.
- Clear Accountability: Get a big picture of what's getting done and by whom. Increase agility and accountability by visualizing project processes on a transparent online Gantt chart. Access all data, even remotely.
- Rich Feature Set: Take advantage of the powerful features and opportunities. Plan projects, schedule tasks, allocate resources, assign teammates, track changes, and analyze project results - all in one spot.
- Ease of Use: Benefit from an intuitive interface, pleasant UX/UI design, and a short learning curve. Apply ready-to-use templates that will help you get started fast. Receive updates easily and on time.
- Integrations: GanttPRO supports integrations with various third-party apps for additional software development, project management, and reporting capabilities.
- GanttPRO offers a user-friendly interface designed to be intuitive, making it easy for new users to start without a steep learning curve.
- By bringing all project-related discussions into one place, GanttPRO reduces the clutter and confusion often caused by email chains.
- It enhances accountability with clear task assignments and deadlines, ensuring team members know exactly what is expected.
- GanttPRO's design suits various industries and project types, offering a broad set of tools that address most project management and team collaboration needs.
- The simplicity of GanttPRO comes at the cost of advanced customization options available in other project management software tools.
- GanttPRO does not have built-in time tracking to monitor the time spent on tasks closely.
- Additionally, the tool's reporting features are somewhat basic compared to more specialized project management software.
- Basic Plan: $9.99 per user per month
- PRO Plan: $15.99 per user per month
- Business Plan: $24.99 per user per month
Enterprise Plan: Custom pricing for departments and organizations looking for advanced security, control, and support options.
ActiveCollab is a robust project management tool tailored for agencies and freelancers who need to manage client projects, invoicing, and time tracking all in one place. It includes a range of features designed to streamline client management and project workflows, making it an excellent choice for those in need of comprehensive project management capabilities
- Time Tracking and Billing: ActiveCollab includes built-in features for time tracking, billing, and managing expenses. You can estimate and track time for each task, set tasks as billable or non-billable, and manage expenses directly from the task details screen.
- User Permissions: The platform provides capable user permissions that allow you to include clients in your process without exposing sensitive information. You can hide tasks from clients or use the Client+ add-on for a more collaborative user role.
- Workload Management: Manage assignments and team bandwidth effectively by selecting Workload from the left-hand menu, ensuring balanced workloads across your team.
- Reports: Get a comprehensive overview of client invoices, payments, projects, and tasks across the team. Track time and expenses to stay on top of your project finances.
- Professional Estimates and Invoices: Quickly create and send professional-looking estimates and invoices, and integrate with payment processing or accounting software to streamline your billing processes.
- ActiveCollab offers built-in features for time tracking, billing, and expenses, making it a comprehensive tool for managing client projects.
- The popular project management software provides capable user permissions, allowing you to control client access without exposing sensitive information.
- This project management platform is an excellent choice for agencies and freelancers who need to manage multiple client projects and streamline invoicing and time tracking.
- ActiveCollab is less flexible for use cases beyond client management, which might limit its appeal for some teams.
- Free Plan: Includes unlimited projects and tasks for up to three members, with task dependencies, list and Kanban views.
- Plus Plan: $9.50 per month for three members, includes Gantt and calendar views, project templates, recurring tasks, and more advanced features.
- Pro Plan: For larger teams needing advanced features, contact ActiveCollab for custom pricing.
Visor provides a versatile project management platform featuring custom workflows, project roadmaps, and collaboration tools. It stands out in creating vibrant Gantt charts and spreadsheets that integrate effortlessly with SaaS applications like Jira.
Visor’s detailed view of progress aids teams in maintaining their schedules by highlighting completed tasks, upcoming deadlines, and potential roadblocks, thereby reducing the risk of missed deadlines or delays.
- Custom Workflows and Project Roadmaps: Create tailored workflows and detailed roadmaps to streamline your project management processes.
- Two-Way Syncing: Visor’s two-way syncing ensures that your charts and reports stay accurate without manual updates. This feature also allows the creation of workbooks that combine data from multiple tools, facilitating multi-app workflows.
- Comprehensive Project View: Display a complete view of progress, showing completed tasks, upcoming deadlines, and potential roadblocks. This helps team members quickly identify areas needing attention and take appropriate measures.
- Integrations: Visor integrates with Jira Software, Salesforce, and HubSpot, and allows data imports from Google Sheets and Excel, enhancing its flexibility and usability.
- Visor’s two-way syncing with SaaS apps ensures that charts and reports remain accurate without manual effort.
- The platform’s ability to create multi-app workflows by combining data from multiple tools in one place enhances productivity.
- Live support via phone and video call ensures users can get help when needed.
- Visor also offers free unlimited viewer-only accounts and a free plan that includes two workbooks and five views each.
- Visor may require additional costs for monthly integration sync credits, which could be a consideration for budget-conscious teams.
- The unlimited audit trail feature is locked to the highest plan, potentially limiting access to comprehensive tracking for some users.
- Visor Free: Free plan, includes two workbooks and five views each.
- Visor Pro: $9.00 per license per month.
- Visor Ultimate: $18.00 per license per month.
Adobe Workfront is widely regarded among marketing teams as a robust project management solution, thanks to its comprehensive array of features tailored for handling intricate workflows and large-scale projects.
Despite its higher cost, which reflects its enterprise-grade capabilities, Workfront's features such as Gantt charts, advanced reporting, and detailed dashboards justify its price by empowering teams to manage projects efficiently and ensure alignment with strategic goals.
- Scenario Planner: Workfront’s Scenario Planner allows users to predict and prepare for various situations by creating scenarios and running outcomes to evaluate potential responses.
- Strategic Goal-Setting: This feature helps teams set distinct, measurable goals, ensuring alignment as work progresses.
- Detailed Dashboards: Stay in control with dashboards that provide instant access to the organization or team’s workflow, making it easy to track overall goals or individual projects.
- Integrations: As part of the well-known Adobe group, Workfront seamlessly integrates with most Adobe platforms, including Creative Cloud. However, it offers a limited number of other third-party integrations.
- Adobe Workfront is packed with all the major project management features an average team would need.
- It includes Gantt charts for visual project scheduling and management.
- The reporting functions provide detailed insights into progress and performance.
- Advanced dashboards offer instant access to key project metrics and status updates.
- Strong proofing capabilities ensure efficient review and approval processes.
- Asset management features help in organizing and utilizing project resources effectively.
- Some users report that the latest UX doesn’t quite deliver on ease of use and enhanced collaboration, leading to limited adoption among new users who might default to existing tools.
- The Digital Asset Management (DAM) function is buggy, which can cause delays in publication.
- Pricing for Adobe Workfront's Select, Prime, and Ultimate plans is based on quote, tailored to the specific needs and scale of each organization.
Microsoft Project is part of the ubiquitous Microsoft brand, trusted by millions around the world. It was designed to combine many of the project management functionalities of other Microsoft products into one platform.
It is well-recognized as a strong performer for single projects, though it is less popular for managing multiple ongoing projects
- Interactive Dashboards: While it requires an integration with Power BI, the ability to quickly view overall project and individual progress status through interactive dashboards is a significant advantage.
- Gantt Timeline View: The popular Gantt view allows users to scan for upcoming due dates, roadblocks, and progression, making it easy to manage project timelines.
- Budget Tracking: Optimized for individual projects, this feature helps keep control of expenditures, ensuring projects stay on budget and on time.
- Integrations: Microsoft Project integrates strongly with other parts of the Microsoft ecosystem, such as Outlook, Teams, and SharePoint. It also supports connections to third-party apps like Slack, Google Calendar, Outlook, and HubSpot.
- Microsoft Project offers a robust set of tools for modern teams, including Gantt charts, grid views, and boards, as well as various resource management features.
- It works best alongside other Microsoft products, facilitating proper collaboration and cross-functional work.
- Users may find it frustrating if they are looking for an all-in-one single platform solution, as Microsoft Project works best with other MS products.
- It may not be as effective for managing multiple ongoing projects.
- Project Plan 1: $10 per user per month
- Project Plan 3: $30 per user per month
- Project Plan 5: $55 per user per month
- On-Premises Solutions: Priced differently
Notion is one of the most adaptable, multi-functional project management platforms available today. With features supporting project management, team wikis, vision boards, and more, teams can customize Notion to meet various needs.
- Drag and Drop Organization: Virtually all commands within Notion can be launched by typing “/” and dragging and dropping elements to rearrange and organize.
- In-Page Linking: Easily link to other pages within your workspace by using the “@” command, making navigation simple and efficient.
- Scheduling Tool: New for 2024, users can now schedule meeting times directly from their personalized calendar within Notion, helping busy creative teams stay on schedule.
- Robust AI Features: Notion offers extensive AI capabilities, including generative AI for quick drafts and copy. These AI features are paid add-ons available with any plan.
- Templates: Notion includes hundreds of free templates for projects, wikis, docs, and even personal use.
- Guest Access: Up to 10 guests can use Notion for free, with integrations, basic analytics, and more.
- Customization: Users can add emojis, custom labels, headers, and more to every project and wiki page, enhancing personalization and organization.
- Notion's colorful, aesthetically pleasing design and easy-to-use interface make it simple for creative teams to brainstorm, execute, track, and organize within one central application.
- It includes robust AI features that enhance productivity and creativity.
- The platform offers a wide range of templates and customization options to suit various needs.
- Notion lacks some of the more advanced project management features, such as dashboards, that some teams may require.
- Some users report issues with the mobile app, particularly with crashing and lagging.
- Notion’s export options are extremely limited compared to other solutions.
- Plus: $10 per seat per month
- Business: $15 per seat per month
- Enterprise: Contact sales for pricing
Todoist is a powerful and user-friendly, project management app and tool designed to help users stay organized and on top of their tasks. With features that emphasize prioritization, collaboration, and customization, Todoist is a versatile solution for both personal and professional use.
- Prioritization and Reminders: Todoist allows you to highlight priorities, set favorites, and receive reminders to ensure important tasks are completed on time.
- Project Sharing: Share projects with team members through delegations and notifications, making collaboration seamless.
- Customizable Task Views: Customize how you view your tasks with boards, themes, labels, and filters to suit your workflow.
- Visualizations and Integrations: Use visual tools to track progress and integrate Todoist with other apps to create a centralized workspace.
- Task Management: Easily add, modify, and update tasks. Change due dates, set recurring tasks, and make notes or updates for thorough management.
- Audit Trail: Maintain a record of completed tasks, which can be useful for audits.
- User-Friendly Interface: Todoist is visually pleasing and designed for ease of use, ensuring a smooth user experience.
- Integration with Other Todoist Accounts: Sync and manage tasks across different Todoist accounts for comprehensive project management.
- Highlights priorities, favorites, and reminders to keep tasks organized.
- Facilitates project sharing and collaboration through delegations and notifications.
- Customizable task views with boards, themes, labels, and filters.
- Offers visualizations, integrations, and a centralized workspace for efficiency.
- Provides a record of completed tasks for audit purposes.
- Easy to make notes/updates for tasks, modify tasks, change due dates, and set recurring tasks.
- Visually pleasing and user-friendly interface.
- Integrates well with other Todoist accounts.
- Does not always update to the current day, which can be inconvenient.
- Free plan offers fewer capabilities compared to paid options.
- Starters: Free
- Pro Access: $4 per month, billed annually
- Business Access: $6 per user per month, billed annually
Bonsai is a comprehensive project management tool designed to streamline workflow and improve team efficiency. With a variety of features and integrations, Bonsai is a versatile solution for managing projects, billing, and team collaboration.
- Workload Management and Utilization: Provides a clear picture of how your team and projects are progressing, helping to ensure balanced workloads and effective resource utilization.
- Automated Invoice Generation: Simplifies the billing process by allowing users to create and send invoices directly within the platform, saving time and reducing manual effort.
- Task Management: Enables users to assign and create tasks, projects, and clients to different team members and external collaborators. You can set deadlines and track progress to ensure projects stay on schedule.
- Integrations: Bonsai integrates with a wide range of tools, including Gmail, Google Calendar, Zapier, Slack, QuickBooks Online, Calendly, ClickUp, Trello, Google Drive, Google Sheets, Xero, HubSpot, and more, enhancing its functionality and connectivity.
- Automation for Repetitive Tasks: Streamlines workflows by automating routine tasks, increasing efficiency and productivity.
- Simple Online Scheduler: Facilitates easy scheduling of meetings and appointments.
- Client Portal Available: Provides clients with access to project information, enhancing transparency and collaboration.
- Lack of Advanced Features: May not offer some of the more sophisticated project management features found in other tools.
- Scalability Issues: Might not be the best choice for large-scale projects or rapidly growing teams.
- Starter: $21 per month + $10 per user per month
- Professional: $32 per month + $10 per user per month
- Business: $66 per month + $10 per user per month
- Scale: Custom pricing (book a demo)
Choosing the right project management tool is crucial for the success and efficiency of any team. The right tool can streamline workflows, enhance collaboration, and ensure that projects stay on track and within budget.
By carefully evaluating your team's specific requirements, such as task management, resource allocation, and integration capabilities, you can choose project management software that not only meets your immediate needs but also supports your long-term growth and productivity.
Remember, the right project management tool can transform how your team works together, making complex projects more manageable and improving overall project outcomes.
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