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Managing work efficiently can feel like a juggling act, especially when balancing multiple tasks, teams, and deadlines. That’s where Kanban software steps in—a visual approach to task and workflow management that keeps your projects on track and your team aligned. However, with countless Kanban solutions on the market, choosing the right one can be overwhelming.

Using my project management expertise and having tested tools for years, I've gathered the best options available. Whether you're managing a team or running solo, this curated list has something to suit your needs.

What is Kanban software?

Kanban software is a project management tool based on the Kanban methodology where users can move cards across a board to signify progress and visualize the flow of work. Kanban software often includes features such as task assignment, priority setting, real-time collaboration, in-card comments, and analytics to enhance visibility and control over the project's progress.

This visual representation promotes transparency, making it easier for you to identify bottlenecks, track progress, and optimize workflow efficiency.

The Best Kanban Software Comparison Chart

Here is a chart where you can quickly compare the tools we just covered in the overviews.

Overviews Of The 10 Best Kanban Software

Here’s a brief description of each of the Kanban project management software on my list, showing what it does best and including screenshots to showcase some of the features.

Best Agile workflow

  • 14-day free trial + free plan available
  • From $8/user/month (billed annually)
Visit Website
Rating: 4.6/5

monday.com is a scalable, flexible, and secure web-based project management tool that sports some of the most user-friendly and engaging interface graphics around. The bright colors, gamification of task completion, and easy drag-and-drop mechanisms can encourage software adoption by even the least techy team members. PMs can easily establish Agile sprints using Kanban-style cards for every step in the task completion process.

monday is easy to use and boasts a modern, colorful interface. You can access kanban templates to get projects started quickly and then customize each item from there. On their higher level plans, they also offer things like task-based time tracking, workflow automations, and project progress tracking reports and dashboards.

monday.com’s integrations include project management apps like Slack, Google Drive, Gmail, Google Calendar, Jira, GitHub, Trello, Dropbox, Typeform and many more, accessible through a paid plan with Zapier.

monday.com costs from $6/user/month and comes with a free 14-day trial. They offer a free plan for up to 2 users.

Best for building no-code custom apps and workflows

  • 30-day free trial + free demo available
  • From $35/user/month (billed annually, min 20 users)
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Rating: 4.4/5

QuickBase is a cloud-based application development platform that enables businesses to create custom solutions for their unique operational challenges. Known for its versatility and ease of use, QuickBase allows users with little to no coding experience to develop custom applications that streamline processes, manage data, and improve collaboration.

As a Kanban software, QuickBase excels in offering a highly customizable and flexible platform for workflow and project management. Its strength lies in enabling users to create tailored Kanban boards that align perfectly with their specific project needs and processes. QuickBase allows for easy visualization of tasks and workflows, facilitating efficient tracking of progress and bottlenecks in real-time. The platform supports a dynamic approach to project management, where tasks can be quickly and intuitively moved across different stages of the workflow, promoting agility and responsiveness.

Integrations include Salesforce, Microsoft Teams, Google Calendar, Tableau, QuickBase Pipelines, Slack and Zapier.

Pricing for QuickBase starts from $35/user/month (billed annually). A 30-day free trial is also available.

Best for real-time collaboration

  • 15-day free trial
  • From $1/user/month (12 user minimum)
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Rating: 4.1/5

Zoho Sprints is an agile project management software designed to support dynamic teams in planning, tracking, and collaborating on projects. It stands out for its comprehensive suite of features tailored for agile methodologies, particularly for frameworks like Scrum and Kanban.

Teams can manage their sprints, conduct daily stand-ups, set sprint goals, and engage in retrospective meetings using the platform. The software also supports collaboration through features like feeds, comments, and notifications, allowing team members to stay updated and communicate effectively.

As a Kanban software, Zoho Sprints offers intuitive visual Kanban boards, support for crucial features like work-in-progress (WIP) limits, and customizable workflows that cater to specific team processes. Its real-time collaboration features and comprehensive analytics enhance team productivity and decision-making, while its integration capabilities ensure seamless operation within diverse tech ecosystems. 

Zoho Sprints integrates with Microsoft Teams, Google Workspace, Zendesk, Jenkins, GitHub, BitBucket, AWS Code Commit, Zapier, and more. It also integrates with a host of Zoho apps.

Best for agencies

  • Free trial available
  • From $9/user/month (billed annually)
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Rating: 4.4/5

Bonsai is a well-rounded business management platform that's designed to meet the needs of agencies, consultancies, and professional service providers. The software offers end-to-end project management features including the ability to assign tasks, projects, and clients to different team members and external collaborators. Users can also set deadlines and track progress, ensuring projects stay on schedule.

Kanban boards are one of the project views available in the platform, and helps users keep track of where tasks stand in the production pipeline. The software also has tools for client management such as proposal drafting, contract management, and payment processing functionalities. Having all of these capabilities in a single solution makes for more streamlined operations and helps reduce errors.

Users can select from multiple currency and tax settings in Bonsai, which supports agencies working with international clients. The software also has a built-in automated invoice generator, helping to speed up the billing process. It also offers time tracking and financial reporting features, helping agencies manage team member time and workloads effectively and keep an eye on profitability.

The software integrates with other tools including Gmail, Google Calendar, Zapier, Slack, QuickBooks Online, Calendly, ClickUp, Trello, Google Drive, Google Sheets, Xero, HubSpot, and more.

Best Kanban software for visualizing project phases

  • 10-day free trial + free plan available
  • From $4/user/month (billed annually)
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Rating: 4.2/5

Zoho Projects is a web-based project management software that offers various features for project planning, execution, monitoring, and collaboration, making it a well-rounded tool for managing projects effectively. Kanban is a project management methodology that emphasizes visualizing work, limiting work-in-progress, and optimizing the workflow. Zoho Projects allow teams to track their work visually, providing a clear overview of the status of each task and the progress of the project as a whole.

Zoho Projects’ Kanban boards are fully customizable, enabling teams to create them based on their workflow and preferences. Teams can create multiple boards for different projects or stages of the same project. Each panel consists of columns representing different stages of the workflow, such as 'To Do,' 'In Progress,' and 'Done.' Teams can also create custom columns to represent specific stages of their workflow.

Using Zoho Projects you can add tasks, assign them to team members, set due dates, and add descriptions and attachments. Each task on the board is represented by a card containing all the relevant job information. Teams can also add labels to tasks to classify them based on their priority, status, or any other category pertinent to their workflow.

You can move tasks between columns by simply dragging and dropping them. This feature enables users to update the status of jobs and track their progress quickly. You can use the filter and search functionality to find specific tasks, making it easy to focus on what matters most.

Zoho Projects provides several features to help teams collaborate effectively. Teams can add comments to tasks, mention other team members, and discuss specific tasks. They can also use the @mention feature to tag team members and notify them of updates or changes to the task.

Zoho Projects integrates with other Zoho apps, commonly used apps by Google (Google Calendar, Drive, Spreadsheets, etc.), and Microsoft (Calendar, Excel, Office 365, OneDrive, Teams, and SharePoint), and other third-party apps such as Basecamp, Jira, Slack, Zendesk, and Zapier.

Zoho Projects costs from $5/user/month for tracking unlimited projects. A freemium plan with limited features, as well as a 10-day free trial, are also available.

Best Kanban software for team communication

  • Free plan available
  • From $8/user/month
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Rating: 4.8/5

Miro is a collaborative online whiteboard with over 1,000 templates including mind maps, Kanban boards, Gantt charts, product wireframes, research boards, and flowcharts. Miro is widely adopted by leading companies and is recognized for fostering team communication and supporting hybrid work environments effectively.

The platform supports a wide range of creative and organizational tasks with features like an intuitive Kanban template, real-time editing, and video calling. Miro also accommodates various forms of idea expression, including images and videos, and provides tools for quick diagramming and an infinite canvas to meet the expansive needs of project management.

Miro additionally includes collaboration tools such as voting and sticky notes, allowing teams to integrate feedback efficiently. Furthermore, Miro offers seamless integrations with essential project documentation tools like Notion and Asana, facilitating smoother workflows.

Miro has integrations with a whole suite of tools, including Zoom, Figma, Asana, Microsoft Teams, Jira, Slack, Google Drive, Box, Confluence, Monday.com, Airtable, Notion, Azure, and Webex. Some integrations are limited to paid plans only.

Miro is free to use for unlimited members with up to 3 editable boards. Paid plans start at $8/user/month (billed annually).

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Built-in communication features for streamlined collaboration
  • Intuitive and easy setup
  • Free forever plan available

Cons:

  • Free version does not allow high-quality export to pdf
  • Zooming can be jumpy on larger projects
  • Visitor/guest accounts locked to paid plans only

Best for brainstorming, ideation, and task management in one

  • Free trial available
  • From $8.25/user/month (billed annually) + free plan available
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Rating: 4.6/5

MeisterTask stands out in the realm of Kanban software by offering a highly visual and intuitive platform for managing tasks and workflows using the Kanban methodology. It allows users to create customizable Kanban boards where tasks are represented as cards that can be moved across different columns or stages, reflecting their current status in the workflow. This visual approach not only makes it easier for teams to understand the progress of individual tasks and projects at a glance but also facilitates smoother transitions between different phases of work.

Beyond its core Kanban functionality, MeisterTask enriches the project management experience with a suite of features designed to boost productivity and collaboration. It integrates seamlessly with MindMeister, an online mind mapping tool, allowing for a unique and efficient flow from brainstorming and ideation directly into actionable tasks. This integration bridges the gap between initial planning and task execution, a feature particularly appealing to teams that value creativity and innovation in their workflows. Additionally, MeisterTask supports task automation, due date reminders, time tracking, and comprehensive collaboration tools, including file attachments and comments.

Integrations include Slack, Dropbox, Github, Google Drive, Microsoft Teams, Outlook, Trello, Asana, MindMeister, and hundreds more through a paid plan with Zapier. 

MeisterTask costs from $14.50/month (billed annually) and offers a fre trial. 

Best stakeholder/client access controls

  • 30-day free trial
  • From $10.99/user/month (min 3 users, billed annually)
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Rating: 4.4/5

Used by Spotify, PayPal, Disney, and Netflix, Teamwork is a Kanban project management solution that empowers you to manage multiple projects with ease. Users can break down complex projects into multiple levels of tasks and subtasks. It’s great for giving clients or stakeholders a view of your progress—you can customize each stakeholder’s access permissions for everything from adding comments on tasks all the way through to adding tasks, milestones, and even logging time.

Teamwork lets you set triggers for common, recurring actions like assigning tasks at a certain stage to one of your team members. You can use these automations to cut back on administrative duties and focus more on complex and creative work.

Teamwork integrates with Google Drive, Box, OneDrive, Dropbox, Slack, Microsoft Teams, MS Office, Harvest, Quickbooks, Xero, Hubspot, SharePoint, Microsoft Project, SoftSync, and hundreds of others using a paid plan through Zapier.

Teamwork is free to use for up to 5 users and 2 projects. Paid plans cost from $10/user/month for up to 300 projects.

Best for project portfolio management (PPM)

  • 30-day free trial
  • From $13/user/month (billed annually)
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Rating: 4.4/5

ProjectManager is an award-winning Kanban software and project management system that boasts an impressive suite of project portfolio management (PPM) tools. Real-time dashboards, all-in-one roadmaps, and multiple project views are just a few of the features available to users to organize their portfolio, so this goes way beyond Kanban boards. The PPM reporting system is useful, too, giving you a birds-eye-view of data.

ProjectManager is praised by customers for its intuitive and easy to learn design; the robust nature of its project reporting suite; its list of advanced features compared to its competitors; and its ability to scale up and down to accommodate projects and teams of all sizes.

ProjectManager integrates with MS Project, Excel, Office 365, Salesforce CRM, QuickBooks, Xero, Dropbox, Desk.com, JIRA, Hubspot, Slack, Zendesk, Evernote, OneLogin, OneDrive, and the complete Google Suite. They also have a powerful REST API to help you build against internal or external tools.

ProjectManager costs from $15/user/month and offers a free 30-day trial.

Best for custom Kanban workflows

  • 14-day free trial
  • From $4.99/user/month (billed annually)
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Rating: 4.3/5

Hubstaff Tasks is a project management tool with multiple task tracking and collaboration features. Its interface is based on the Kanban 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 Tasks integrates with 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.

Hubstaff Tasks is free for up to 5 users and 10 projects. The premium plan starts at $7/user/month, and includes a 14-day free trial.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Easy to onboard new clients
  • Excellent project management templates
  • Fast to launch & start using
  • Generous freemium plan

Cons:

  • No mobile app
  • Limited 3rd-party integrations
  • No WIP limits

Other Kanban Options

Here are a few more that I didn’t include in the top list, but these are still great tools to check out:

  1. Kanban Zone

    Cross-portfolio Kanban board

  2. Businessmap

    Kanban software for software development teams

  3. SwiftKanban

    Enterprise kanban software

  4. Height

    Kanban for cross-functional resource allocation

  5. Clubhouse

    Free Kanban software

  6. ClickUp

    For customizing your own set of features

  7. Smartsheet

    Kanban + Gantt chart hybrid tool

  8. Celoxis

    For inter-connected project tasks

  9. Wrike

    Project template selection

  10. Shortcut

    For automating workflows with triggers

How I Picked The Best Kanban Software

Here’s a summary of my evaluation criteria. These are things I look for when I evaluate any Kanban solution, and they’re also things to consider when you’re trying to find the right one for your kanban team:

User Interface (UI)

Are the Kanban cards easy to read, manipulate, edit, search, and archive? Is the project roadmap obvious at a glance with real-time details, due date, and drill-down capabilities where needed?

Usability

Does the project management tool offer training, support, and wikis specific to lean work management and Kanban task cards specifically? Can you easily employ work-in-progress limits to keep users focused on what matters most?

Integrations

Kanban apps tend to work in conjunction with other workforce software, as they may not support every element of a team’s day-to-day. Is the tool easy to connect with other tools using an API? Does it work with common PM apps like Jira software, Slack, Asana, GitHub, G Suite, and LeanKit?

Pricing

Does the Kanban tool pricing cover the features you would expect like a detailed board view with powerful filters and sorting? Does the tool cover the Kanban method as well as going above and beyond in additional features needed by agile teams? Is the pricing structure flexible, transparent, and scalable?

How to Choose Kanban Software

It’s easy to get bogged down in long feature lists and complex pricing structures. To help you stay focused as you work through your unique software selection process, here’s a checklist of factors to keep in mind:

FactorWhat to Consider
ScalabilityConsider if the software can grow with your team. Look for options that handle increased tasks and users without sacrificing performance or usability.
IntegrationsEnsure it connects with your existing tools, like Slack or Google Workspace, to streamline workflows and maintain productivity.
CustomizabilityCheck if you can tailor the boards and workflows to fit your team's specific processes, which is vital for efficiency and satisfaction.
Ease of UseChoose a user-friendly interface that minimizes training time and helps your team start managing tasks quickly.
BudgetEvaluate the cost against your budget. Look for transparent pricing and free trials to assess value without commitment.
Security SafeguardsPrioritize software with robust security features like encryption and role-based permissions to protect your sensitive project data.
Mobile AccessIf your team is often on the go, ensure the software provides a reliable mobile app for managing tasks anywhere.
SupportOpt for a vendor offering strong customer support, including tutorials and live assistance, to solve issues swiftly.

Honestly, it's a lot to digest—and there's a lot of pressure to get it right so I'd suggest using our project management software advisory service to help you shortlist project manager tools that'll be a good fit for you and your organization's specific needs.

Features of Kanban Software

When selecting kanban software, keep an eye out for the following key features:

  • Collaboration: Facilitates teamwork by allowing users to share tasks, communicate through comments, and integrate with tools like Slack or email.
  • Task management: Enables users to create, assign, and track tasks, ensuring that all team members are aware of their responsibilities.
  • Road-mapping: Assists in planning product releases and managing backlogs, helping teams prioritize tasks and features effectively.
  • Idea mapping: Supports structuring ideas into tasks, stories, and epics, which can be crucial for product development and project management.
  • Time tracking: Although not always built-in, some kanban tools can integrate with extensions to track time spent on tasks, aiding in productivity analysis.
  • Customizable workflows: Allows teams to tailor processes to their specific needs, such as swimlanes, filters, and item nesting for better visualization.
  • Integration capabilities: Offers seamless integration with other software tools, enhancing the overall functionality and connectivity of the workflow.
  • User feedback management: Collects and prioritizes user feedback to ensure that product development aligns with customer needs and expectations.

Best Practices When Using Kanban Software

Using Kanban software is easy. However, using it correctly is what distinguishes a good project manager from a great one! Here are 5 ways in which you can use kanban boards the right way:

1. Define and limit Work in Progress (WIP)

Set WIP limits for each column to ensure the team focuses on completing tasks before starting new ones. For example, if the "In Progress" column has a WIP limit of 3, only 3 tasks can be worked on at any given time.

2. Use clear and consistent labels

Use color codes, tags, or categories to identify priorities, task types, or assignees. For instance, use red for high-priority tasks or green for low-priority ones.

3. Regularly review and update the board

Hold daily or weekly reviews to ensure tasks are updated, completed tasks are archived, and blockers are addressed. This can be part of a daily stand-up or retrospective.

4. Break down tasks into manageable chunks

Divide larger tasks into smaller, actionable subtasks that can move through the board more quickly. For example, a project phase can have subtasks like "Research," "Drafting," and "Review."

5. Continuously optimize the workflow

Use metrics like lead time (time from task creation to completion) and cycle time (time from start to finish) to identify inefficiencies. Adjust WIP limits, reallocate resources, or refine workflows as needed.

Kanban Software - Frequently Asked Questions

New to the Kanban methodology? Just need to know more about your new tools? Whatever you need, here are some answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs) about Kanban software.

kanban software logos list

Which Kanban Software Do You Use?

Now that you’ve read about some of the best kanban board software, find more about agile project management and 8 other popular project management methodologies. I also think you will benefit from our ultimate guide to burndown charts and learning the difference between Kanban and Scrum.

Related tool lists:

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Ben Aston
By Ben Aston

I’m Ben Aston, a digital project manager and founder of thedpm.com. I've been in the industry for more than 20 years working in the UK at London’s top digital agencies including Dare, Wunderman, Lowe and DDB. I’ve delivered everything from film to CMS', games to advertising and eCRM to eCommerce sites. I’ve been fortunate enough to work across a wide range of great clients; automotive brands including Land Rover, Volkswagen and Honda; Utility brands including BT, British Gas and Exxon, FMCG brands such as Unilever, and consumer electronics brands including Sony. I'm a Certified Scrum Master, PRINCE2 Practitioner and productivity nut!