We know how challenging it can be to pick the right project management software. After all, with so many options, it’s easy to become overwhelmed; but fear not. We have analyzed multiple platforms and their features, interfaces, prices, levels of security and more to create a roundup of the best project management software available.
Key Takeaways: Project Management Software
- monday.com is the best project management software due to its flat learning curve, easy-to-use tools and affordable plans.
- If you can’t get along with monday.com, ClickUp and Asana are your next best options, with great free plans and similar toolsets.
- Make sure to take whatever software tickles your fancy for a test drive by taking advantage of free trials.
Below, we’ll break down what each project management app is ideal for, what you get for your money and what makes each platform special. Also, don’t forget to read our roundup of the best free project management software. You’ll find great information there, too.
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04/25/2023 Facts checked
Our best project management software roundup has been rewritten with new information and a new format.
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Overall, monday.com is the best software to manage projects thanks to its user-friendly interface, wide array of workflow management tools and team collaboration features. monday.com is also very affordable.
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While it’s impossible to know the most popular project management tool, we know that monday.com, Asana, ClickUp, Zoho Projects and Trello are top project management software widely used and loved by many.
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All the software we have listed here is easy to use, but if you want to hit the ground running, we highly recommend checking out Trello. Its shallow learning curve makes it ideal for new project managers.
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While it’s impossible to know the most popular project management tool, we know that monday.com, Asana, ClickUp, Zoho Projects and Trello are top project management software widely used and loved by many.\n”}},{“@type”:”Question”,”name”:”What Is the Most Popular Project Planning Software?”,”acceptedAnswer”:{“@type”:”Answer”,”text”:”
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Top Project Management Apps
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5$9.80 / month(All Plans)
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9$7 / month(All Plans)
What Makes the Best Project Management Software?
What makes a piece of software great varies from person to person. However, in general, project management software should offer many valuable tools, good security, an exceptional user experience, plenty of reports and integrations, and more. The platform should provide top-quality customer service, too. Fortunately, all of these things ring true for our top 10 picks.
Without further ado, let’s take a quick look at our favorite project management apps before we get into the finer details of each platform.
- monday.com — The most versatile project management solution around
- ClickUp — Robust task management and communication features
- Asana — A heavyweight general-purpose platform with a slick interface
- Zoho Projects — Feature-packed, affordable and suitable for many projects
- Trello — The best kanban boards around
- Wrike — An all-rounder with powerful reports and a functional interface
- Notion — Ideal for project managers and teams in creative industries
- nTask — An inexpensive and effective project management tool for teams
- Airtable — A powerful spreadsheet-inspired tool for marketers and more
- Leantime — An open-source tool that mixes Lean and Agile methodologies
The 10 Best Project Management Software Providers
Our favorite project management app is monday.com, thanks to its fantastic interface, versatility, powerful tools and affordable plans. Still, there are many other project management platforms that may be more suited to your tastes. Be sure to check out our project management software reviews after you’re done with the list below.
1. monday.com
More details about monday.com:
- Pricing: Free, $8 per month (one-year plan) per user
- Provider website: monday.com
Pros:
- Wonderful user interface
- Robust set of tools
- Great standard & Pro plans
Cons:
- Free & Basic plans are poor
There’s simply no better task management and team collaboration solution than monday.com. The interface is splendid, the software is versatile — thanks to slick kanban boards, Gantt charts and tables — and it natively integrates with many leading cloud storage services and business tools.
In addition, monday.com offers project managers access to many reports, time-tracking tools, activity logs and resource management tools, like workload views. There are advanced features that allow you to set permissions, private workspaces, and you can share documents and collaborate with project team members via a powerful whiteboard tool.
On top of this, monday.com offers users a robust knowledgebase and training academy, making the platform easy to learn. From the ground floor, you also get two-factor authentication and good security. Of course, the project management software features are spread out over monday’s various plans, so be sure to choose wisely.
One Dashboard to Rule Them All
monday.com has impressive dashboards. Highly customizable, the dashboards can show project data from multiple projects via colorful widgets, provided you’re on the Standard plan or above. At a glance, you can see exactly where you and your teams stand and what you need to do to keep your projects moving. The dashboard is one of the best reporting tools found on any platform.
Regarding pricing, you’ll find that monday.com is affordable. We recommend you steer clear of the free and $8 per user per month Basic tiers, as they are lackluster, but the $10 per user per month Standard plan and the $16 per user per month Pro plan (when paid annually) are industry leading. There’s also a scalable Enterprise plan for large organizations.
You’ll find monday.com is stellar, whether you’re a large company or a startup — monday.com tops our best project management software for small businesses roundup. It’s by far the best software for project management. You can learn more in our full monday.com review or monday.com pricing guide. You can also try any monday.com plan with the 14-day trial period.
- Maximum users: 2, Kanban Board, & list
- Minimum users: 3, Price per user, Basic features
- Minimum users: 3, Price per user, Expanded features
- Minimum users: 3, Price per user, Advanced features
- Enterprise-level features.
2. ClickUp
More details about ClickUp:
- Pricing: Free, $5 per month (one-year plan) per user
- Provider website: clickup.com
Pros:
- Loaded free plan
- Lots of tools & features
- Affordable plans
Cons:
- Bland user interface
- Not very intuitive software
ClickUp is an all-in-one project management tool that allows you to plan, organize and complete complex projects. It’s a favorite with creative teams, thanks to substantial team collaboration features that help you communicate effortlessly. ClickUp placed highly in our best project management software for startups roundup for many reasons.
ClickUp’s Free Forever plan offers unlimited tasks and plan members, time tracking, sprints, whiteboards, real-time chat, kanban boards and tables, and integration support. The Free Forever plan also provides access to advanced features, with the caveat that you can only use them a set number of times monthly. The four paid plans make ClickUp shine, though.
ClickUp is suitable for large teams thanks to advanced reporting and admin tools: unlimited dashboards, advanced security features, Zapier support, time sheets and schedules. A project manager can plan, delegate and ensure deliverables arrive on time with ease. Our only gripes are that the interface is a little drab and the training materials aren’t very well written.
Track Time & More
Our favorite ClickUp tool — the time-tracking tool — is included in every plan, which means you can easily track projects, track progress and keep tabs on workload management for your entire team. You can quickly and easily create time sheets, estimate resource usage and (with the right plan) make billable time reports within ClickUp. No integrations are needed here, which is always a plus.
It would be remiss of us not to mention other innovative tools, such as ClickUp’s roadmaps, which help you define your goals, and mind maps, which give you a bird’s-eye view of your project.
Regarding pricing, many will find the Free Forever plan plentiful. Still, those who need advanced features can choose from the $5 per user per month (when billed annually) Unlimited plan, the $12 per user per month Business plan, the $19 per user per month Business Plus plan or a scalable Enterprise plan. You can learn more about ClickUp’s plans in our ClickUp pricing guide.
Overall, ClickUp deserves second place on our list of the best project management software. The solid workflow tools, robust team collaboration features and the Free Forever plan make ClickUp an excellent choice. You can learn more in our full ClickUp review or ClickUp info article. You can also try ClickUp with its 14-day trial on paid plans.
- Basic functionality with some limitations
- All prices per user; most limitations removed
- All prices per user; extra features added, especially security
- Even more features added
3. Asana
More details about Asana:
- Pricing: Free, $10.99 per month (one-year plan) per user
- Provider website: asana.com
Pros:
- Many powerful features
- Easy to pick up & use
- Loaded free plan
Cons:
- Can become costly
A list of the best project management software options without Asana would be incomplete. This beefy project management solution matches monday.com (read our monday.com vs Asana guide) and ClickUp (here’s our ClickUp vs Asana guide) in many areas, and it beats them when it comes to the free plan and advanced tools for large teams.
Asana provides tools for Agile workflows, including kanban boards, Gantt charts and lists. There are also information-packed dashboards and a helpful calendar. Asana churns out advanced reports, has robust collaboration tools and native integrations for more than 200 applications. Plus, thanks to many admin options, Asana is perhaps the best tool for large teams.
The mobile and native desktop apps placed Asana well in our roundup of the best project management software for macOS and iOS. It’s just a shame that Asana made plan progression jarring (too many features are withheld for the highest tiers); otherwise, it would have placed higher on this list.
The Best Free Project Management
What makes Asana shine is its free plan, which offers unlimited projects, tasks, logs, storage and more for up to 15 members. In addition, there’s support for integrations and multi-factor authentication, basic reports, and it lets you use boards, lists and calendars. Asana’s free plan is hard to beat, and it is ideal for individuals and small teams.
Unfortunately, Asana is one of the most costly project management solutions listed. The free plan is stellar, but the paid plans are pricey. The Premium plan costs $10.99 per user per month billed annually, and the Business plan costs $24.99 per user per month when you pay yearly.
Regrettably, many task management tools and advanced features are locked behind paywalls, and the platform offers less value than other software. We talk about this more in our Asana review and our Asana pricing guide. With that said, Asana is still a wonderful platform; you just need to be willing to pay for it. You can also try Asana’s paid plans with the 30-day trial.
- Up to 15 users
- Price is per user. unlimited users, expanded features
- Price is per user. unlimited users, even more features
- Custom pricing, advanced security features
4. Zoho Projects
More details about Zoho Projects:
- Pricing: Free, $5 per month (one-year plan) per user
- Provider website: zoho.com/projects
Pros:
- User-friendly software
- Robust team collaboration
- Affordable paid tiers
Cons:
- Compatible with Zoho apps
- Somewhat limited free plan
Zoho Projects is just one part of a large business solutions ecosystem that Zoho has built, but that doesn’t make the project management piece of the puzzle any less compelling. You’ll find a strong array of task management tools, robust collaboration features, time-tracking tools, a splendid user interface and a handy free version.
The software’s interface is colorful and easy to navigate, and the kanban boards, Gantt charts, lists and calendars are intuitive. Zoho is just as comfortable performing basic task management chores as it is tracking and logging bugs and issues, supporting complex projects, creating blueprints and generating reports. Lots of admin and customization features make the platform suitable for large teams, too.
Zoho offers plenty of integrations to help you get more out of the platform and provides users with well-designed mobile apps for Android, iOS and iPadOS. The free plan is great for small teams, thanks to its support for three users and two projects and the inclusion of many core task management tools.
Collaboration Is a Breeze
Collaboration tools are a key component of any project management software. Fortunately, you’ll find quite a few here, and they all work well. You’ll find easy-to-use chat apps that work just like messengers found in social media platforms, feeds that let you see what’s happening in your projects, forums, and, of course, task comments and @mentions.
The forums let managers and team members hold detailed discussions, share files and organize discussions by topic. This feature could easily negate the need for in-person meetings, and that’s always a win. If you need robust communication tools, this software has you covered.
Regarding pricing, Zoho is very competitive. Beyond the free plan, there are just two paid options. First is the Premium plan, which costs $5 per user per month when you pay monthly and $4 per user per month when billed annually. The Enterprise plan is $10 per user per month when billed monthly and $9 per user per month if you pay yearly.
Overall, Zoho Projects’ workflow tools, wealth of admin options and collaboration features make it good project management software. Zoho Projects is ideal for any teams who already use Zoho’s other tools, or anyone looking for an easy-to-use platform that won’t break the bank. Be sure to read our full Zoho Projects review for more information or try Zoho Project’s 10-day trial.
| Plan: | Price | Features |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0.00 | 3 users, 2 projects, Limited storage |
| Premium | $5 (monthly) $4 (yearly–$48 total) |
Unlimited projects, 100GB of storage, 20 project templates |
| Enterprise | $10 (monthly) $9 (yearly–$108 total) |
Unlimited projects, 120GB of storage, 30 project templates, 10 read-only users |
5. Trello
More details about Trello:
- Pricing: Free, $5 per month (one-year plan)
- Provider website: trello.com
Pros:
- Powerful kanban boards
- Class-leading free plan
- Shallow learning curve
Cons:
- Paid plans offer little value
- Limited uses
If you love kanban boards, there’s no better option on the web or your phone — thanks to great mobile apps — than Trello. Trello is a popular project management software that’s straightforward to use. The boards make it easy to track tasks and project progress. There are also plenty of project templates to help get you started. Plus, Trello offers one of the best free plans around, with stellar task management capabilities.
Although Trello isn’t the most versatile project management system, you’ll find that the boards in the free version and the calendars, timelines and tables in some paid plans are enough. Trello’s cards are highly customizable and make it easy to assign tasks. The interface is easy to navigate, and thanks to automations and unlimited power-ups, you can make Trello work for you.
Unlimited Automations and Power-ups
Trello’s automations and unlimited power-ups help it shine. You’re offered 250 automations per month in the free plan, 500 per month in the Standard plan, and unlimited in the Premium and Enterprise plans, and the unlimited power-ups (integrations). The automations, which are easy to implement, can save you time by doing tedious work for you, while the power-ups can make Trello wildly powerful.
You’ll find power-ups for all the most popular apps, like Slack, Gmail, Microsoft Teams, Google Drive, MailChimp, Harvest and more. There are even power-ups for some relatively obscure platforms, too. Integrations, automations and other tools combine to make Trello a compelling project management option.
Aside from Trello’s free plan, you’ll find three paid plans. First, there’s the Standard plan, which costs $5 per user per month when billed annually. Next, the Premium plan costs $10 per user per month, billed annually. Last, there’s the Enterprise plan, which jumps to $17.50 per user per month when billed annually.
Overall, Trello is fantastic free project management software for your whole team that offers a lot in a package that’s easy to use. Honestly, unless you have a team that needs more versatility and security, the free option is so good that most won’t need to cough up any extra cash.
Trello isn’t the best looking project management platform, but it is still the best kanban app available, especially for those on a tight budget. You can learn more about Trello’s free and paid plans in our Trello pricing guide. You can find out more about the software in our full Trello review, or you can try Trello’s 14-day free trial on paid plans.
- Unlimited users, 10 boards, Unlimited power-ups, Unlimited storage
- Price is per user, Unlimited boards, Custom fields, Invite guests
- Price is per user, Several new views
- Price is per user, Advanced admin & security settings
6. Wrike
More details about Wrike:
- Pricing: Free, $9.80 per month (one-year plan) per user
- Provider website: wrike.com
Pros:
- Enterprise-grade security
- Features galore
- Top-notch reports
Cons:
- Uninspiring interface
- Wild price jumps
- Pricey add-ons
- Teaching aids could be better
Wrike is one of the best project management app options that routinely ranks well in our roundups centered around professional services, like the best project management software for lawyers and the best project management software for creatives. We like Wrike for many reasons, including its great free tier, which supports unlimited users, and Wrike’s reports, which are an analytical manager’s dream.
Despite its drab interface, Wrike is intuitive and efficiently manages projects and tasks. You’ll find the boards, charts, lists and calendars that support tasks and subtasks and good collaboration tools. There are also stellar portfolio management tools, good native desktop apps for Windows and Mac, mobile apps and robust resource management tools.
Wrike has some tricks up its sleeve for the Business plan (and up) with add-ons that make Wrike ideal for marketing teams and that add security through user-controlled encryption keys. You can also integrate with over 400 apps, but you must pay for the Wrike integrate add-on or learn to use the Restful API.
Enterprise-Grade Security
Wrike’s standout feature is enterprise-grade security, which is included in every plan. Wrike stores data on U.S. servers, which are SO 27001, SOC 1 and SOC 2 compliant, and EU servers that meet ISO 27001 and ISAE 3402 standards. To encrypt data, Wrike uses TLS 1.2 and AES-256. Bad actors will have trouble breaking through Wrike’s encryption and security methods.
Unfortunately, Wrike’s pricing and plan progression is wild, with many advanced features being kept behind lofty paywalls. The free plan aside, you’ll find four paid plans. When billed monthly, the Team plan is $9.80 per user per month, and the Business plan jumps to $24.80 per user per month. There are also two scalable tiers, the Enterprise and Pinnacle plans.
Wrike is one of the best project management solutions, especially for those in professional services and for those with large teams. Wrike would rank higher if it weren’t for the feature spread and pricing. You can learn more about Wrike’s features in our Wrike review. You can also try the Wrike paid plans with the 14-day free trial.
- Unlimited users. Basic features.
- Price is per user. Plans for 5, 10 and 15 users.
- Price is per user. No monthly option. Plans for 5 to 200 users.
- Plans for 5 to an unlimited number of users.
7. Notion
More details about Notion:
- Pricing: Free, $8 per month (one-year plan) per user
- Provider website: notion.so
Pros:
- Competitively priced
- Ideal for simple projects
- Real-time collaboration tools
Cons:
- Basic project management
- Free plan only for individuals
Notion is one of the more interesting project management tools in this roundup. Instead of being a straight-up task manager, Notion has been designed for document creation, collaboration and project management, with an emphasis on the first two items in the list.
It has basic task and resource management tools that won’t win any awards, but that help get the job done. You’ll find lists, calendars, timelines, kanban boards, workload planning features, subtask and dependency support, a few integrations and simple checklists. These tools are OK for individuals and small to medium-sized teams working on simple projects.
Notion begins to shine with its collaboration, note-taking and document creation features. Teams can work together in real time on documents and can create wikis to share their knowledge, documents and images. As you can imagine, communication is also handled like a champ.
AI Takes the Wheel
The most exciting feature of Notion is a paid add-on called Notion AI. For $10 per user per month, Notion AI can be added to any plan. The tool works like ChatGPT. For example, you can ask the AI questions or have it create a rough first draft of a document in multiple languages. In addition, you can ask the AI to develop checklists, fix spelling and grammar, and much more.
Notion is affordable. There’s a free plan that includes many of the core features and is suitable for individuals. The first paid plan is called Plus and costs $8 per user per month when billed annually. For $15 per user per month (billed annually), you can get the Business plan, which adds advanced security features. There’s also an Enterprise plan for large organizations.
If you’re looking for the ultimate task management software, Notion isn’t it. It’s competent, for sure, but there are better options. However, if you’re looking for a stellar collaboration tool that lets you manage projects and tasks fairly effectively, Notion might check the box for you. You can learn more about Notion in our Notion review. You can also sign up for the free trial to find out.
- 1 user only, Up to five guests, 5MB file upload limit
- 1 user only, Unlimited guests, Unlimited file uploads, Version history
- Unlimited users, Unlocks workspace, User permission settings
- Advanced security features
8. nTask
More details about nTask:
- Pricing: Free, $3 per month (one-year plan) per user
- Provider website: ntaskmanager.com
Pros:
- Very affordable
- Plenty of tools
- Flat learning curve
Cons:
- Few native integrations
- Clunky navigation
There are many reasons why nTask topped our list of the best cheap project management software. Like all other project management tools listed here, nTask has features that will help guide project managers and teams through their work — being affordable is just a bonus.
nTask offers kanban boards, lists, calendars and Gantt charts. You can set dependencies and create subtasks, track milestones, manage documents, collaborate with team members in real time, track issues, track budgets and create financial summaries. Security and support are also top-notch. You can learn more about its features in our nTask review.
nTask needs more polish regarding its interface, which is not as easy on the eyes as others and has some navigation issues. We also wish there were more native integrations. Still, nTask is excellent for individuals and small- to medium-sized businesses, which is why it made our roundup of the best project management software for freelancers.
Track Time & Meetings
Two more features make nTask a fantastic choice: time tracking and meeting planners. The native time-tracking tool is straightforward and allows you to create time sheets effortlessly. The meeting tool lets you plan meetings and take notes that can be shared with your team and clients. Both are available in the free version and up.
nTask’s free Basic plan allows up to five users and offers many key tools. There are also three paid plans. nTask’s Premium plan costs just $3 per user per month when paid yearly. The Business plan costs $8 per user per month when billed annually. There is also an Enterprise plan.
nTask allows you to track tasks, stay on top of resource allocation and track the progress of your projects. It also saves you lots of money compared to platforms like monday.com, Asana and many other competing tools. If you can work with the interface and are OK using Zapier for integrations, nTask will serve you well. You can try the nTask free plan or request a trial on the Business or Enterprise plans.
- Maximum 5 team members.
- No minimum or maximum team members.
- No minimum or maximum team members.
- Self-hosted option. 50 team members minimum.
9. Airtable
More details about Airtable:
- Pricing: Free, $10 per month (one-year plan) per user
- Provider website: airtable.com
Pros:
- Pick up & play
- Strong free plan
- Nice-looking tool
Cons:
- Plan price jumps
- Limited native integrations
If you have a thing for spreadsheets, Airtable will rock your world. While Airtable offers Gantt charts, kanban boards, galleries and lists, the platform’s spreadsheets will grab your attention. Still, the overall package is so good, Airtable topped our roundup of the best task management software.
Spread across the various plans, you’ll find real-time communication and collaboration tools, desktop, iOS and Android apps, a no-code interface designer, automations and integrations, dependencies, time and budgeting tools, powerful admin features and robust security options.
All the tools combine to make Airtable suitable for small to large teams working on complex projects. The user interface is pleasant and easy to use, and the free plan comes with many fundamental features that make Airtable great.
Extensions Add Versatility
Airtable allows extensions, which can add everything from reporting features to time-tracking tools, page design elements and web-clipping tools. The extensions are available from the Airtable marketplace. There’s even a thriving community that publishes extensions to GitHub. These extensions make Airtable flexible and highly customizable.
Airtable offers a fairly robust free plan that is ideal for individuals and small teams. Next is the Plus plan, which costs $10 per user per month when paid annually. The Pro plan costs $20 per user per month, paid annually. There’s also a customizable Enterprise plan for large companies.
Overall, Airtable is a superb project management platform that’s easy to use, highly customizable and affordable. If you like using spreadsheets but also want a little more flexibility regarding workflow tools, Airtable would be a solid choice. You can learn more about the features and tools in our Airtable review, or try any Airtable paid plan with the free trial.
- All views (except Gantt), 1,200 record, 2GB file storage
- 5,000 records, 5GB storage
- Gantt view, 50,000 records, 20GB storage
10. Leantime
More details about Leantime:
- Pricing: Free, $7 per month (one-month plan)
- Provider website: leantime.io
Pros:
- Many collaboration tools
- Effective workflow tools
- Can be self-hosted
Cons:
- Plain user interface
- Lacks admin features
- Strange paid plans
Leantime, a platform that made our list of the best open-source project management tools, uses Lean and Agile project management methodologies. What this means is that there are plenty of tools to help you and your team generate ideas, plan projects, and organize, delegate, track and complete project tasks.
Out of the box, Leantime offers nearly every feature in every plan. You’ll find stellar communication tools and task management features like kanban boards, tables and lists — with dependency support — and time-tracking, role-management, reporting and dashboard tools.
Leantime doesn’t have the prettiest interface, but it is practical and easy to use. Plus, being open source, you can host the software on your own servers free of charge. Leantime needs more admin controls, so there are better options for large teams; however, for small- to medium-sized teams, Leantime is ideal.
Blueprint, Idea and Retrospective Boards
Leantime’s blueprint, idea and retrospective boards make it sing. Idea boards allow teams to chat and share documents and images that can help spark ideas for projects. Blueprint boards allow managers and teams to map out entire projects via project briefs and RACI charts, while retrospective boards let groups discuss what did and didn’t work during a project.
The fact that you can plan entire projects and track your tasks from start to finish within Leantime, without the need for integrations, makes the platform incredibly powerful. For remote teams scattered around the globe, having one platform that can handle every stage of a project is a boon.
Leantime is unlike other project management solutions in that they charge per user or project and not for the tools. There is a free plan for unlimited projects (Solopreneur) and one for unlimited users (One Project Wonder). The paid unlimited-projects Team plan costs $7 per user per month paid monthly (the first user is free), while the unlimited-user Business plan is $14.99 per project per month billed monthly (the first project is free).
Two scalable Enterprise plans add LDAP support and audits. Leantime also offers self-hosting at no cost. Leantime is a unique platform that can be used to see projects through from creation to completion. You can learn more in our Leantime review.
- One project, Unlimited users
- Price per user; First user free; Unlimited projects
- Price per project, First project free, Unlimited users
- Adds custom setup, On-premise & cloud instance, LDAP & auditing
- Adds custom setup, On-premise & cloud instance, LDAP & auditing
Honorable Mentions
The top project management tools listed above are the best out there, but there are some other project management software solutions that are excellent at what they do and deserve an honorable mention. With a few tweaks here and there, the project management software listed below could easily break into our top 10.
1. TeamGantt
TeamGantt is a project management tool that’s more versatile than its name lets on. As you’ll find in our TeamGantt review, the software specializes in Gantt charts and does them so well that it tops our roundup of the best Gantt chart software for project management. However, you’ll find calendars, kanban boards and lists here, too.
While TeamGantt does offer a few workflow tools, unless you’re head over heels crazy about charts, you’ll likely want to look elsewhere as this software is very Gantt-forward. On top of class-leading Gantt charts, you’ll find portfolio tools, integration support, time tracking, hourly estimating, workload planning and good customer support.
TeamGantt has a fantastic interface that’s easy to navigate. There are also templates, including many for professionals working in construction industries. Overall, TeamGantt’s features are limited, but the available tools are robust and easy to use.
Regarding pricing, TeamGantt is spendy. There’s a free plan for individuals and small teams, but it’s limited. The paid plans make you pay per manager. If your team uses Gantt charts exclusively, you’ll likely find value in TeamGantt. The software looks good, functions flawlessly and makes team collaboration painless.
- 2 users (1 manager)
- 5 users (per manager)
- Unlimited
- Unlimited
2. Jira
Jira is a fantastic Agile tool that’s based on the kanban methodology. Jira, which made our list of the best free project management tools, is for software developers who want an easy-to-use, feature-rich platform that offers integrations and automations, backlogs, reports, audit logs and plenty of administration features for large teams.
Jira has a great free plan for up to 10 users that supports unlimited projects. There are also three paid tiers: The Standard plan, the Premium plan, and the scalable Enterprise plan. Read our full Jira review to learn more about this powerful software.
- Max. 10 users. unlimited boards, reports and insights; backlog; basic roadmaps; 2GB of storage; community support
- Annual price is for 10 users; with more than 10, annual pricing changes based on the number of users. Monthly pricing changes with teams over 100.
- Annual price is for 10 users; with more than 10, annual pricing changes based on the number of users. Monthly pricing changes with teams over 100.
3. Smartsheet
Smartsheet comes close to the top 10 pieces of project management software but is held back by wild pricing and a user interface that’s not always friendly. Still, there’s a lot to like about this spreadsheet-driven program. Aside from spreadsheets, you’ll find Gantt charts, dashboards, calendars and cards, reports galore, integrations and many add-ons.
Smartsheet offers a limited free plan that supports two sheets with unlimited dashboards and reports. It also offers a Pro plan, a Business plan and an Enterprise plan. Keep in mind that many powerful extras come with an extra fee. Be sure to read our Smartsheet review to learn more.
- Prices per user, Max 10 users Basic features, 20GB file storage
- Prices per user, Three user minimum, Unlimited free users, Expanded features, 300GB file storage
- Advanced features
5. Basecamp
If you and your team are heavy collaborators, Basecamp could be right up your alley with its feature-rich document-sharing tools and chat applications. There are some project management tools, but they’re simple, which is why Basecamp fails to make our top 10. However, the to-do lists, kanban board and hill charts still let you manage tasks effectively.
Basecamp has two paid plans. The Basecamp plan gives you access to every tool, 500GB of storage and free guests. The Basecamp Pro Unlimited plan gives access to every feature, 5TB of storage and more. Learn more in our Basecamp review.
- Per user. Unlimited projects, Unlimited users, All features. 500GB storage.
- Unlimited users. 5TB storage. Priority support.
Project Management Features & Pricing
As a project manager, you need to ensure that project management software has the features needed to support your team and your desired method of working. Below, we’ll take a look at the features you should pay attention to when picking your next project management software.
Task Management & Views
Task management is the meat and potatoes of most project management platforms, but what is task management?
Task management is the act of creating jobs, or tasks with deadlines, for team members and then tracking that task as it moves through various stages of completion. Many tools — such as kanban boards, Gantt charts, lists, dashboards and tables — allow you to do this.
Each task management tool has its pros and cons, and each view works better for different tasks. For example, for simple tasks, a kanban board will be sufficient, while more complex tasks that have dependencies will be better suited to a Gantt chart. As a manager, you need to decide which tools suit your projects and workflow methods, like kanban or scrum, for example.
When shopping for software, make sure the platform and the plan you’re interested in offer the task management tools you need, including support for dependencies and sprints if you work on complex projects. You can either look at the tools on offer from each provider’s website, or you can read our project management software reviews to help you decide.
Communication & Collaboration
A big part of any project management software is communication and collaboration tools. It is vital to be able to share documents and images, and to create, organize, discuss, delegate and follow through on projects from anywhere.
If you value collaboration, ensure your platform of choice has the tools you need before signing off on any new project management software. Be on the lookout for real-time chat tools, portfolio and document management tools, project wikis and how the software handles @mentions.
monday.com has a stout lineup of communication and collaboration tools. Basecamp and Leantime are loaded with features that help bring teams together, and so is Notion.
Integrations & Automations
Project management software always has shortcomings in one area or another. It’s why companies use different software for timekeeping, cloud storage, communication and more. One way you can make your life as a project manager easier is by using project management software with a plan that allows integrations and automations.
Integrations allow you to link your project management software with tools like OneDrive, Google Drive and Dropbox for increased cloud storage, and Slack, Zoom and Microsoft Teams for better communication and collaboration options. Make sure you look for automations, too, as they can ease your workload by performing many tedious and recurring tasks for you.
If your business already uses these apps or many others, look at the information pages of the project management software you’re interested in to see if there are native integrations for them. If not, you can always use Zapier, but native options are always better.
Project Management Pricing Comparison
Regarding pricing, you’ll find that most project management suites follow the same structure. There’s usually a free plan that introduces you to the platform, an intermediate plan that adds a few more features and a medium plan that delivers the most bang for your buck. Then you step up into power user and enterprise plans that cater to large organizations.
In the chart below, we’ve listed all the medium-priced plans of the ten best project management software suites from our list. We have done this as, more often than not, companies will choose these plans thanks to their price-to-feature ratios. Fortunately, most companies let you pay monthly or annually, which is handy.
| App: | Price | Features |
|---|---|---|
| monday.com | $12 (monthly) $10 (yearly) |
Unlimited seats, Unlimited items, 20GB storage, 250 automations, 250 integrations |
| ClickUp Business | $19 (monthly) $12 (yearly) |
Unlimited tasks, Unlimited members, Unlimited Integrations, Unlimited charts, Unlimited teams, Advanced time tracking |
| Asana Premium | $13.49 (monthly) $10.99 (yearly) |
Unlimited essentials, 4 project views, Automated workflows, Reporting, Scaled security |
| Trello Premium | $12.50 (monthly) $10 (yearly) |
Views, Calendar, Timeline, Tables, Dashboard, Map, Admin features, Security features, Data export |
| Zoho Projects | $5 (monthly) $4 (yearly) |
Unlimited projects, 20 project templates, 100GB of storage, Resource management, Gantt charts, Subtasks, Budgets |
| Wrike Team | $9.80 (monthly) N/A (yearly) |
2-25 users, Unlimited projects, Tasks & subtasks, Gantt charts, Calendar & dashboard, Advanced security |
| Notion Plus | $10 (monthly) $8 (yearly) |
Unlimited team blocks, Unlimited file uploads, 30 day page history, Invite 100 guests |
| nTask Business | $12 (monthly) $8 (yearly) |
Unlimited workspaces, Unlimited projects, Unlimited to-do lists, 5GB file storage, Gantt & Kanban views |
| Airtable Plus | $12 (monthly) $10 (yearly) |
Unlimited bases, 5 creators or editors, 3 base extensions, 3 sync integrations, 5GB base attachments |
| Leantime Team | $7 (monthly) N/A (yearly) |
All tools features, Except: LDAP support, Unlimited projects, First user free |
Final Thoughts
Navigating the project management software landscape can be challenging, but hopefully, our list of the best software will help you decide. We like monday.com and feel that it’s the best option for most, thanks to affordable plans and easy-to-use tools. Still, only you can decide which project management software is for you and your team.
Again, don’t shy away from the free trials, and do everything you can to make the right software choice. Do you agree with our list of the best project management software? Which platforms have you used? What software is your favorite and why? Let us know in the comment section, and as always, thank you for reading.
The post 10 Best Project Management Software Tools in 2023 appeared first on Cloudwards.
