10 Best Agile Project Management Software Reviewed For 2024
10 Best Agile Project Management Software Shortlist
Here's my pick of the 10 best software from the 20 tools reviewed.
Get free help from our project management software advisors to find your match.
There are seemingly countless Agile project management software solutions available, so figuring out which is best for you is tough. You want to plan, manage, and iterate on your projects, but need to figure out which tool is the best fit. I've got you! In this post I make things simple, leveraging my experience managing complex iterative projects and using dozens of different Agile PM tools to bring you this shortlist of the best Agile project management software.
Why Trust Our Agile Project Management Software Reviews
We’ve been testing and reviewing Agile project management software since 2011. As project managers ourselves, we know how critical and difficult it is to make the right decision when selecting software.
We invest in deep research to help our audience make better software purchasing decisions. We’ve tested more than 2,000 tools for different project management use cases and written over 1,000 comprehensive software reviews. Learn how we stay transparent & our Agile project management software review methodology.
The Best Agile Project Management Software Comparison Chart
Here is a convenient table where you can compare the tools we just covered in the overviews. If you want to expand your tool research, we have even more tools below!
| Tools | Price | |
|---|---|---|
| Shortcut | From $8.50/user/month | Website |
| monday dev | From $8/user/month | Website |
| Quickbase | From $35/user/month (billed annually, min 20 users) | Website |
| Zoho Sprints | From $3 /user/month for up to 100 users | Website |
| Miro | From $8/user/month (billed annually) | Website |
| FigJam | From $15/full seat/month (billed annually) | Website |
| MeisterTask | From $8.25/user/month (billed annually) + free plan available | Website |
| Kintone | From $24/user/month | Website |
| Trello | From $5/user/month (billed annually) + free plan available | Website |
| Hubstaff | From $4.99/user/month (billed annually) | Website |
Compare Software Specs Side by Side
Use our comparison chart to review and evaluate software specs side-by-side.
Compare SoftwareHow To Choose Agile Project Management Softwarez
With so many different Agile project management software solutions available, it can be challenging to make decisions on what Agile project management software is going to be the best fit for your needs.
As you're shortlisting, trialing, and selecting Agile project management software, consider the following:
- What problem are you trying to solve - Start by identifying the Agile project management software feature gap you're trying to fill to clarify the features and functionality the Agile project management software needs to provide.
- Who will need to use it - To evaluate cost and requirements, consider who'll be using the software and how many licenses you'll need. You'll need to evaluate if it'll just be the project management professionals, or the whole organization that will require access. When that's clear, it's worth considering if you're prioritizing ease of use for all, or speed for your Agile project management software power users.
- What other tools it needs to work with - Clarify what tools you're replacing, what tools are staying, and the tools you'll need to integrate with, such as accounting, CRM or HR software. You'll need to decide if the tools will need to integrate together, or alternatively, if you can replace multiple tools with one consolidated Agile project management tool.
- What outcomes are important - Consider the result that the software needs to deliver to be considered a success. Consider what capability you want to gain, or what you want to improve, and how you will be measuring success. For example, an outcome could be the ability to get greater visibility into performance. You could compare Agile project management software features until you’re blue in the face, but if you aren’t thinking about the outcomes you want to drive, you could be wasting a lot of valuable time.
- How it would work within your organization - Consider the software selection alongside your workflows and delivery methodology. Evaluate what's working well, and the areas that are causing issues that need to be addressed. Remember every business is different — don’t assume that because a tool is popular that it'll work in your organization.
-
Hub Planner
Visit WebsiteThis is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.4.2 -
ClickUp
Visit WebsiteThis is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.4.7 -
Miro
Visit WebsiteThis is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.4.8
Best Agile Project Management Software Reviews
Here’s a brief description of each of the software on my list, showing what it does best, plus some standout features.
Shortcut is a project management platform designed to bring product and engineering teams together, offering a unified experience for planning and development. It features tightly integrated tools for issue tracking, sprint planning, roadmaps, and goals, making it easy for teams to collaborate and stay organized.
Why I picked Shortcut: I like that Shortcut's Kanban boards allow teams to visualize their work and track progress in real time. Another significant advantage of Shortcut is its robust sprint planning and iteration management capabilities. The software allows teams to create and manage sprints, track story points, and monitor progress through iteration burndown charts and cumulative flow diagrams.
Shortcut Standout Features & Integrations
Features include roadmaps, customizable workflows, reporting, collaboration tools, Docs for planning and communication, objectives and goal setting, and APIs.
Integrations include Slack, GitHub, GitLab, Google Drive, Dropbox, Google Calendar, Figma, Zapier, ProductBoard, Miro, Zendesk, Notion, and Box.
monday dev is a project management platform specifically designed for product and software development teams adopting agile workflows and practices.
Why I picked monday dev: The platform makes it easy for development teams to manage various agile frameworks, like Scrum and Kanban, in one place. The platform allows teams to create and customize boards that can represent anything from user stories to sprint backlogs, enabling seamless sprint planning and task management.
The drag-and-drop interface makes it easy to move tasks through different stages of development, ensuring transparency and easy tracking of progress. Additionally, the platform’s capacity for setting sprint goals and tracking burndown charts helps teams measure their performance against their sprint targets.
monday dev Standout Features & Integrations
Features include advanced dependency tracking, built-in time tracking, workload management tools, and collaboration features, including real-time updates, @mentions, and document sharing.
Integrations include GitHub, Outlook, Slack, Google Drive, Trello, Jira, Salesforce, Microsoft Teams, and more.
QuickBase is a cloud-based platform that provides a no-code operational agility solution, enabling users to build custom applications for various business needs. The platform is suitable for businesses of all sizes and industries, particularly those looking for a flexible and scalable solution to manage work processes and adapt to business changes, such as those at the enterprise level.
Why I picked QuickBase: With QuickBase, teams can rapidly build, modify, and customize applications without the need for extensive coding knowledge or dependencies on IT departments, empowering users to take control of their projects. The platform's intuitive drag-and-drop interface allows for quick configuration of data fields, workflows, and automations, enabling agile teams to adapt and iterate on their applications in real-time.
Additionally, QuickBase provides robust collaboration features that facilitate agile project management. Teams can leverage its Kanban boards, task tracking, and status updates to visualize project progress, identify bottlenecks, and ensure efficient task allocation. The platform also supports seamless communication and collaboration with features like commenting, notifications, and document sharing, enabling effective teamwork and rapid decision-making.
QuickBase Standout Features & Integrations
Features include enterprise-grade security and compliance tools, mobile capabilities, end-to-end visibility, automation features hat orchestrate workflows, eliminate manual errors, and use automated tools for repetitive tasks, and AI capabilities.
Integrations include Salesforce, Slack, Dropbox, Microsoft Teams, Trello, OneDrive, Quickbooks, Google Drive, SurveyMonkey, Tableau, and Lucidchart.
Zoho Sprints is a digital project management tool designed to support agile teams in planning and tracking their work.
Why I picked Zoho Sprints: I chose Zoho Sprints because it provides a robust set of features that cater to dynamic planning and collaboration, which are essential for agile teams. What makes it different is its focus on visualizing workflows and tracking progress, coupled with user-friendly time tracking capabilities. I believe Zoho Sprints is best suited for agile project collaboration due to its comprehensive approach to managing project ideas, tracking progress, launching increments, and automating the CI/CD pipeline, which supports a smoother agile process.
Zoho Sprints Standout Features & Integrations
Features include roadmapping, project management, task scheduling/tracking, customer management, prioritization, and notifications.
Integrations include Microsoft Office 365, Microsoft Teams, Google Drive, Zapier, Zendesk, and ServiceNow. Integrations via Zapier and Zoho Flow are also supported. Being part of the Zoho ecosystem allows you to connect to several of Zoho’s own services for bug tracking, CRM, accounting, customer service, and more.
Miro is a collaborative online whiteboard and project management software with over 1,000 templates including mind maps, Kanban boards, Gantt charts, product wireframes, research boards, and flowcharts.
Why I Picked Miro: Miro’s visual platform is built for Agile project management with a wide range of features supporting iterative processes. Its two-way integration with Jira and Azure helps maintain a clear overview of project progress and task dependencies. The planner widget and dependencies app also simplify task organization and visibility, allowing teams to visualize tasks by sprint, status, or team, and how each task is interlinked. Additionally, the platform fosters collaboration and real-time feedback through features like built-in video conferencing, voting, stickies, and comments.
Miro Standout Features & Integrations
Features include infinite canvas, pre-built templates, video conferencing, easy drag-and-drop interface, real-time collaboration, presentation mode, sticky notes, voting, comments, timer, screen sharing, document embedding, and much more.
Integrations include Confluence, monday.com, Zoom, Figma, Asana, Microsoft Teams, Jira, Slack, Google Drive, Box, Airtable, Notion, Azure, and Webex. Some integrations are limited to paid plans only.
FigJam is an online whiteboarding tool designed to facilitate team collaboration, strategic planning, and diagramming. It supports real-time brainstorming, visualization creation, AI integration, customizable templates, and smooth collaboration with Figma.
Why I Chose FigJam: I chose FigJam by Figma as an agile project management tool because it provides a centralized platform where teams can collaboratively define ideas, make decisions, and advance their work. What makes FigJam distinct is its integration of AI features that assist in creating custom templates and visuals, automating routine tasks, and maintaining team alignment. I believe FigJam is best suited for team online whiteboarding due to its support for real-time collaboration, including audio and live chat, and the ability to effortlessly share assets with Figma.
FigJam by Figma offers a comprehensive set of features designed to facilitate team collaboration. With over 300 ready-made templates, users can quickly start sessions for various purposes such as brainstorming and user flows. FigJam also supports inviting external contributors, spotlighting specific discussion points, and sharing assets with Figma for a cohesive workflow.
FigJam Standout Features & Integrations
Features include pre-built project management templates, audio and live chat, stamp and emoji reacts, external collaborator access, calendar and timeline widgets, bitmoji avatars, music player, and mobile app.
Integrations include Figma, Microsoft Teams, Asana, Jira, Mixpanel, and Github.
Best for brainstorming, ideation, and task management in one
MeisterTask is a versatile project management tool that combines intuitive Kanban boards with powerful collaboration and customization features, making it ideal for teams of all sizes. Its seamless integration with MindMeister for brainstorming and ideation, along with robust task automation and real-time communication capabilities, streamlines workflow and enhances productivity across projects.
Why I picked MeisterTask: MeisterTask shines as an Agile project management tool by offering flexible, visual Kanban boards that adapt to the iterative nature of Agile workflows, enabling teams to manage sprints and backlogs effectively. Its strengths lie in facilitating rapid task adjustments, prioritization, and progress tracking, essential for Agile's fast-paced cycles.
The platform supports seamless team collaboration with features for task assignments, comments, and real-time updates, ensuring everyone stays in sync. Integration capabilities with tools like MindMeister for brainstorming and other popular software enhance its agility, making it easier to incorporate into diverse tech ecosystems. MeisterTask's user-friendly interface and customization options empower teams to implement Agile methodologies smoothly, fostering a productive environment that accelerates project delivery and improves outcomes.
MeisterTask Standout Features and Integrations
Features include Kanban boards, task automation, mindmeister integration, customizable workflows, project templates, time tracking, file attachments, due date reminders, collaboration tools, activity streams, mobile apps, secure data encryption, multiple integrations with other tools, personalized dashboards, and flexible project views.
Integrations include Slack, Dropbox, Github, Google Drive, Microsoft Teams, Outlook, Trello, Asana, MindMeister, and hundreds more through a paid plan with Zapier.
Kintone is an agile project management tool used by teams at Volvo, Japan Airlines, Shiseido, LiveWell Colorado, and over 23,000 organizations worldwide. Their unique approach to project and task management lets you build a wide variety of customizable “apps” using a flexible drag-and-drop interface so you can easily make changes and improvements to your apps as you go.
Why I picked Kintone: Apps can be built either from scratch, using templates, or from existing spreadsheets for data management, business processes, and workflow purposes. Kintone apps can be customized for project management, sales CRM, customer databases, expense reports, shared to-do lists, equipment management, product feedback, and much more.
Kintone lets you build agile project management apps by dragging and dropping elements that you want to see onto the page: rich text fields, date fields, drop-down menus, number fields with built-in calculations, spaces for attachments, user or group selection menus, related data from other apps, tables, and more. Your agile project management solution can look and work however you want it to.
What makes Kintone particularly great for agile project management is that it empowers project managers to track all facets of their project, from individual tasks and project data to workflows and communication—and then use their findings to rapidly improve their processes as they go. Because the end-users are also the app designers, feedback loops are instant, continuous, and actionable.
There are so many ways to customize Kintone that it can be hard to know where to start. Read the starter blog “What Can You Build with Kintone?” or watch Creating an App from Scratch for a quick look at how the drag-and-drop builder works.
Kintone Standout Features & Integrations
Features include a pre-built application library, enhanced process management, private messaging, real-time custom graphs and charts, and granular permission controls.
Integrations include tools like Slack, Gmail, Google Calendar, Outlook, Tableau, Dropbox, Salesforce, HubSpot, Eventbrite, WordPress, QuickBooks, MailChimp, and many more through a paid plan with Zapier or via API integrations.
Trello is a simple but powerful agile project management tool.
Why I picked Trello: If you’re looking for an easy entry into the world of agile, Trello has one of the shortest learning curves and it’s one of the easiest to get up and running. The tool is free (or at least freemium!) and has to be considered one of the best free agile tools because it’s so intuitive and simple to use.
Being simple also means that it’s limited in features and functionality. Out of the box, Trello has task management and team collaboration, but it’s pretty limited.
For richer functionality you have to start paying for it. The Business class version gives you app integrations or “Power-Ups' which allow you to enable additional functionality such as GitHub, SalesForce, and Slack integrations; Gantt charts; timesheets; reporting; and analytics.
Trello Standout Features & Integrations
Features include templates, automations, power-ups, a board view, dashboards, and reporting.
Integrations include Slack, Jira, Miro, SupportBee, Make, OneLogin, Jell, Paperform, and Salesforce. It also has an integrations with Zapier that you can use to connect to thousands of additional apps.
Hubstaff Tasks is a project management software with multiple task tracking and collaboration features.
Why I picked Hubstaff: Its interface is based on the agile methodology; it lets you organize tasks in different project stages, which are represented by columns. Each task can be categorized using color-coded labels. One of its notable features is custom workflows. These let you automate assigning tasks to team members at different project stages and moving them forward with one click.
You can create checklists within each task and track them from the project view using progress bars. Files can also be attached to task cards, but the free plan only allows up to 100 MB of storage per user. Switching to the sprints view displays all your assigned tasks, organized by sprint. You can move tasks to current or future sprints or to the backlog with a drag-and-drop mechanism similar to Kanban.
Hubstaff Standout Features & Integrations
Features include screen capture & activity tracking, GPS tracking, task management, collaboration, Gantt charts, resource management, time tracking, budget tracking, reporting & analytics, mobile app, invoicing, and third-party integrations.
Integrations include Active Collab, Asana, Breeze, ClickUp, GitHub, GitLab, Insightly, JIRA, LiquidPlanner, Mavenlink, Paymo, PivotalTracker, Podio, Redbooth, Redmine, Teamwork Projects, Trello, Unfuddle, Wrike, Zoho Projects, Slack, Zendesk, Salesforce, QuickBooks, and other apps. You can boost your integration options with a paid plan through Zapier, unlocking hundreds of other possible connections.
Get the PM Software Buyer's Guide
Other Agile Project Management Software
Here are a few more that didn’t make the top agile project management tools list, but are still worth your consideration.
Related Project Management Software Reviews
If you still haven't found what you're looking for here, check out these other related tools that we've tested and evaluated:
- Project Management Software
- Resource Management Software
- Workflow Automation Software
- Time Tracking Software
- Task Management Software
- Collaboration Tools
Selection Criteria For Agile Project Management Tools
Selecting the right agile management software involves a thorough understanding of both the expected features in this type of software and the unique needs of your team or organization. In my evaluation process, I have personally trialed and researched various agile development tools to ensure they meet the criteria most relevant to software buyers. Additionally, I have weighted my criteria to reflect the importance of each factor in my overall assessment.
Core Agile Project Management Software Functionality (25% of total weighting score): To be considered for inclusion on my list of the best agile project management solutions, the solution had to support the ability to fulfill common use cases. These include:
- Sprint planning and tracking to organize and monitor progress within each sprint.
- Backlog management for prioritizing and refining project tasks and features.
- Scalable collaboration features that allow team members to communicate and share documents seamlessly.
- Integration with other tools to ensure a smooth workflow across platforms.
- Reporting and analytics for tracking project performance and team productivity.
Additional Standout Features (25% of total weighting score): This assessment identifies software that offers innovative and unique features that provide additional value beyond the standard agile project management capabilities. When identifying unique features and functionality not offered by the competition, I looked for:
- Customizable dashboards and reporting tools that provide insights beyond basic project tracking.
- Advanced collaboration tools, such as real-time editing and in-app messaging, that facilitate deeper team engagement.
- Agile-specific features like burndown charts, cumulative flow diagrams, and velocity tracking that are not commonly found in all project management tools.
- Automation features that reduce manual tasks and streamline workflows.
- Mobile app availability and functionality for teams on the go.
Usability (10% of total weighting score): Usability testing is critical for ensuring that team members can efficiently use the project management tool without a steep learning curve. This evaluation focuses on the software's interface design, ease of use, and the overall user experience, ensuring that the tool complements rather than complicates the project management process.
In evaluating usability, I focused on:
- Intuitive interfaces that minimize the learning curve and allow teams to adopt the tool quickly.
- Drag-and-drop scheduling tools for easy task management.
- Clear, uncluttered design that enhances rather than impedes productivity.
- Mobile and desktop app consistency to ensure a seamless user experience across devices.
Onboarding (10% of total weighting score): The onboarding process is pivotal for the swift and successful adoption of any agile project management tool. This criterion assesses the availability and quality of resources like training materials, support services, and user guides that facilitate a smooth transition and quick start for teams of all sizes. I particularly looked for:
- Comprehensive training materials such as videos, templates, and product tours.
- Interactive guides and chatbots that provide immediate assistance.
- Community forums or webinars for learning best practices and troubleshooting.
- Easy data import and integration setup to transition from other tools smoothly.
Customer Support (10% of total weighting score): Strong customer support is essential for resolving issues quickly, ensuring minimal disruption to project workflows. Customer support was evaluated based on:
- Availability of 24/7 support through multiple channels (e.g., chat, email, phone).
- Responsive and knowledgeable support teams that provide actionable solutions.
- Access to a detailed knowledge base for self-service support.
- Community forums for peer-to-peer advice and best practices.
Value For Money (10% of total weighting score): Assessing value for money involves comparing the cost of the software against the features and benefits it offers, ensuring buyers receive the best possible return on investment. Value for money considerations included:
- Transparent pricing models that align with the features and benefits offered.
- Flexible plans that cater to different team sizes and requirements.
- Free trials or demo versions that allow teams to test functionality before committing.
- Overall cost-effectiveness when compared to similar tools in the market.
Customer Reviews (10% of total weighting score): Customer reviews offer invaluable insights into the real-world performance and user satisfaction with agile project management tools. This evaluation considers the consistency and specifics of user feedback, focusing on areas such as usability, support, and the impact on project management processes. I also assessed customer reviews by focusing on:
- Consistency in positive feedback regarding usability, support, and value.
- Specific mentions of how the tool has improved project management processes.
- User experiences with onboarding and adoption within their teams.
- Comparison with previous tools used and the reasons for switching.
This comprehensive evaluation framework ensures that the agile management tools recommended not only meet the standard expectations of such software, but also align with the specific needs, preferences, and challenges of its users, thereby facilitating a more effective and efficient project management process.
Trends in Agile Project Management Software For 2024
In 2024, the landscape of agile project software is rapidly evolving, reflecting the increasing demands for more efficient, flexible, and collaborative tools. These trends underscore the industry's focus on enhancing collaboration, streamlining iterative planning, and supporting adaptive project execution. Here are several new trends that I have identified and believe will continue to shape the development of agile planning tools in the future.
- Mobile Optimization and Accessibility: The push for mobile optimization and enhanced accessibility features indicates a growing need for agile project management tools to be fully functional on-the-go. This trend is driven by the increasing prevalence of remote and hybrid work arrangements, requiring software that supports anytime, anywhere access to project information, tasks, and collaboration tools, ensuring that team members remain productive and connected regardless of their location.
- Automation and AI-driven Features: The introduction of automation and AI-driven functionalities, such as automated task assignments and AI-based risk assessment, represents the most novel and unusual advancements in the field. These features aim to reduce manual effort, improve accuracy in project forecasting, and optimize resource management, underscoring the push towards leveraging technology to streamline project processes.
- No-code/Low-code Customization: The rise of no-code and low-code platforms within agile planning software development is a significant trend. These platforms enable users to customize workflows, create apps, or automate processes without extensive programming knowledge. This democratization of customization reflects a shift towards making the best agile project management tools more adaptable and accessible to a broader range of users, enhancing their ability to tailor their agile tracking tool to their specific project needs and workflows.
- Enhanced Security and Compliance Features: As cybersecurity threats become more sophisticated, there's a noticeable trend towards enhancing security features within software for agile project management. This includes advanced data encryption, access controls, and compliance with international standards and regulations. These improvements reflect the critical importance of protecting sensitive project data and ensuring that tools adhere to the highest security standards.
- Virtual and Augmented Reality for Project Visualization: The adoption of virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) technologies for project visualization is a novel trend in agile lifecycle management tools that's gaining momentum. These technologies offer immersive ways to visualize project plans, designs, and progress, enhancing stakeholder engagement and providing teams with a more intuitive understanding of project complexities. This trend highlights the industry's interest in leveraging emerging technologies to improve project communication and stakeholder involvement.
These trends indicate that the agile project tracker software market is keenly focused on embracing advanced technologies and providing flexible, scalable solutions. As the demands of project management continue to evolve, these trends will continue to offer valuable insights into the features and functionalities that will drive the future of the top agile project management tools.
What is Agile Project Management Software?
Agile project management software tools support the agile methodology of project management. This approach emphasizes flexibility, continuous improvement, and quick adaptation to change. The best software for agile project management provides tools and features that facilitate this dynamic way of working, allowing teams to plan, execute, and track projects in short, iterative cycles known as sprints.
Agile project management tools help teams stay organized and responsive to changes in project requirements or priorities. It allows for real-time collaboration, making it easier for team members to communicate, share updates, and work together efficiently. Agile softwares typically include features for task tracking, progress reporting, and resource allocation, which helps in maintaining transparency and keeping projects on track. By using agile platforms, teams can improve their productivity, deliver projects faster, and enhance overall project quality.
Features of Agile Project Management Software
Agile tracking software can play a pivotal role in enabling teams to implement the principles of agile methodologies effectively. The best agile software supports the dynamic nature of agile project management, emphasizing continuous improvement, flexibility, and high responsiveness to change. Here, I'll outline the most critical features to look for when selecting the best agile tools for your needs.
- Real-time collaboration: Enables team members to communicate and collaborate on tasks in real time. This feature is crucial because it ensures that all team members are on the same page, thereby enhancing teamwork and speeding up decision-making processes.
- Flexible task management: Offers tools for creating, prioritizing, and updating tasks quickly. The ability to adjust tasks and priorities on the fly is essential for agile teams to respond to changing project requirements and customer feedback effectively.
- User stories and backlogs: Allows teams to capture product functionalities in the form of user stories and manage them in a backlog. This is important for breaking down the project into manageable units that can be prioritized and tackled iteratively, ensuring that the most valuable features are developed first.
- Sprint planning tools: Facilitates the organization of work into sprints, enabling teams to plan iterations effectively. Sprint planning tools are key to defining what work will be accomplished in a set timeframe, making it easier to manage expectations and track progress.
- Burndown charts: Provides visual representations of remaining work versus time. Burndown charts are vital for tracking the progress of sprints and releases, helping teams to adjust their pace and priorities to meet deadlines.
- Kanban boards: Offers a visual workflow management system to monitor the progress of tasks through different stages. Kanban boards are instrumental in visualizing work, limiting work-in-progress, and ensuring a smooth flow of tasks, which supports continuous delivery.
- Continuous integration/Continuous delivery (CI/CD) tools: Integrates with CI/CD pipelines to automate the testing and deployment processes. These tools are critical for agile teams aiming to deliver high-quality software rapidly and reliably.
- Feedback loops: Enables quick collection of feedback from stakeholders and incorporation into the project. Fast and efficient feedback loops are essential for agile teams to adapt to changes and continuously improve the product based on user input.
- Reporting and analytics: Offers comprehensive reporting tools and analytics for monitoring project health and team performance. This feature is key to providing insights into the project’s progress, helping teams to make data-driven decisions.
- Access controls and permissions: Allows for the management of access rights and permissions for different users. Proper access controls ensure that sensitive information is protected while allowing team members to access the data they need to work effectively.
Agile apps stand out from non-Agile versions through their emphasis on flexibility, collaboration, and responsiveness. Non-Agile software often focuses on rigid planning and extensive documentation up front, while Agile tools are designed to support changing requirements throughout the project lifecycle. Agile tools also prioritize user stories and backlogs, sprint planning, and continuous feedback loops, all of which facilitate a more dynamic and iterative approach to project management. This distinction is crucial for teams looking to adopt Agile methodologies, as it enables them to remain adaptable, customer-focused, and efficient in their work processes.
Selecting the best agile management tools is about finding a toolset that not only supports the technical aspects of project management, but also enhances the agile values of collaboration, adaptability, and customer satisfaction. By focusing on these key features, teams can ensure they have the capabilities needed to navigate the complexities of modern project environments effectively.
Benefits of Agile Project Management Software
Agile project management software is a transformative tool that supports the agile methodology, which emphasizes flexibility, continuous improvement, and customer satisfaction. For businesses considering adopting or enhancing their agile practices, understanding the primary benefits of an agile planning app is crucial. Below, I detail five key advantages that these tools offer to users and organizations:
- Increased flexibility: The best tools for agile project management allow teams to adapt to changes quickly and efficiently. This flexibility ensures that businesses can respond to market changes, customer feedback, and unforeseen challenges without derailing the project, keeping them competitive and relevant.
- Enhanced collaboration: These tools provide platforms for real-time communication and collaboration among team members, regardless of their location. Enhanced collaboration leads to better problem-solving, more innovative ideas, and a stronger sense of unity among team members, all of which contribute to the success of projects.
- Improved project visibility: With features like dashboards, burndown charts, and Kanban boards, stakeholders gain a clear overview of project progress at any time. Improved project visibility helps in making informed decisions, ensuring resources are allocated efficiently, and keeping everyone aligned with the project goals.
- Faster time to market: By facilitating continuous integration and delivery, the top agile software enables businesses to release smaller increments of their product faster. This not only improves customer satisfaction by delivering value more frequently but also allows businesses to stay ahead of the competition by accelerating time to market.
- Higher product quality: Continuous feedback loops and regular iterations mean that any issues are identified and addressed early on in the project lifecycle. Higher product quality is achieved as the software ensures that the final product more closely aligns with customer needs and undergoes thorough testing before release.
By fostering an environment of collaboration, adaptability, and continuous improvement, these tools empower teams to deliver higher-quality products and services, ensuring customer satisfaction and driving business success. Adopting agile project management software is not just about upgrading tools; it's about embracing a philosophy that places adaptability, efficiency, and customer value at the heart of project management.
Costs & Pricing for Agile Project Management Software
When exploring agile project management software, it's crucial for buyers to understand the various plan options and pricing structures available. These platforms typically offer a range of plans to accommodate the diverse needs and budgets of different teams and organizations.
From the best free agile project management software, designed for small projects and teams just getting started with agile methodologies, to more comprehensive, feature-rich packages for large enterprises, the right plan can significantly impact your team's productivity and project success. Pricing and included features vary, but common distinctions often relate to the number of users, project capacity, and access to advanced features like automation, reporting tools, and integrations.
Here is a breakdown of typical pricing plans you may encounter as you search for the right tool for your needs:
Plan Comparison Table for Agile Project Management Software
| Plan Type | Average Price | Common Features |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Basic project management, limited users, essential collaboration tools |
| Starter/Basic | $10-20 per user/month | Enhanced project tracking, additional users, basic integrations |
| Standard/Mid-Range | $20-50 per user/month | Advanced reporting, unlimited projects, priority support, more integrations |
| Premium/Advanced | $50-100 per user/month | Portfolio management, custom fields and workflows, advanced analytics, full integration options |
| Enterprise | Custom Pricing | Comprehensive features set, dedicated support, onboarding and training, enterprise-grade security |
Choosing the right plan for agile project management software depends on your team's size, project complexity, and specific needs for collaboration and reporting. Consider starting with an agile project management tool free or basic plan to learn the ropes and then scaling up as your project demands grow.
Agile Project Management Software Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers to common questions other people ask about this topic.
What are the benefits of agile project management tools?
The constant feedback loops embedded within agile methodologies make agile project management great for teams. Some benefits include:
- Encourages communication between clients and end users and helps change the company culture.
- Cuts down on unnecessary steps, making the process simpler.
- Provides more flexibility, improving control over projects.
- Speeds up the process and quickly identifies problems.
- Increases responsibility and encourages a variety of ideas.
What is an agile methodology?
Unlike waterfall, the gist of agile basically is that “every project must be aligned to clearly defined business goals and must focus on the early delivery of products that provide real added value to the business organization,” according to Henny Portman in their article on agile methodologies.
Agile development can use one of 50+ known agile approaches and frameworks, including the very popular Scrum (for which scrum teams might use a specific Scrum tool), its cousin Kanban, or other practices like Extreme Programming (XP), and Feature Driven Development (FDD).
Agile frameworks are adapted and hybridized—there’s no one right way to be agile. Whatever version you follow, you’re working with the basic principles laid out in the agile manifesto, focusing on communication, collaboration, self-organization, and responding quickly to new information.
How is agile useful for software development teams?
Before agile project management, the development team was often beholden to rigid, hierarchical practices with “permission gates” between phases. It was a slow, lumbering process that featured long development cycles and no way to adapt to big changes in scope, budget, or resources. Agile management is the exact opposite.
The agile development process is all about communication, collaboration, and being able to react at whiplash speed to new information and goals. Agile software development ensures that every action is taken and resource spent contributes to predefined business goals, KPIs, and/or provides some sort of ROI. That way, no money or effort feels wasted as the project team struggles to navigate an uncertain roadmap.
Running agile projects means moving quickly, being flexible, and reiterating on work using feedback cycles. By prioritizing communication and collaboration, every agile team member can be sure that they are spending their time on tasks that contribute directly to a set of overarching goals.
Agile PM can be adapted to A) develop a new product from scratch, or B) perform ongoing improvement of already-finished products. Iteration and evolution are key for an agile development cycle, meaning that you can expect multiple iterations and much end-user feedback and product testing. Really, anyone can follow agile development—not just software teams. After all, who doesn’t like being fast and flexible in their work?
Is there free agile PM software?
Yes, there are plenty of free agile project management software, or freemium (an agile project management course free forever plan with limited features or users). For example:
Even if you start using agile PM software for free, you should check out its paid plans to make sure you’re on board with them, as you might grow into those paid plans down the road.
What other project management tools can I use?
If an Agile project management tool isn’t the right fit for your needs, there is plenty of other project management software out there that might suit you better. Check out some of our other project management software reviews:
What's Next?
The topic of agile can be confusing, as many terms overlap and frameworks have many similarities. Therefore, I recommend you start by reading the 3 key similarities between Lean and Agile.
Make sure to subscribe to the Insider Membership newsletter so that you get updates on our latest how-to guides, articles, and podcasts for people who manage digital teams and projects.