Best Productive Alternatives Shortlist
Here are my picks for the best alternatives to Productive.
Get free help from our project management software advisors to find your match.
If you're finding that Productive isn't the right agency and project management tool for your team, there are lots of Productive alternatives available that can address your unique business needs and team requirements.
Productive might be missing reporting capabilities or a more user-friendly interface, so I've tested and reviewed dozens of alternatives to Productive to help you find a replacement. Here are my recommendations for the best Productive alternatives.
What is Productive?
Productive is an agency management software designed to help you streamline your operations and boost profitability. It consolidates various tools into one platform and offers features such as project management, time tracking, resource planning, budgeting, invoicing, and reporting.
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Compare Specs Side-by-Side
Compare the pricing and specs for each of the tools on my list of the best Productive alternatives below.
Tool | Best For | Trial Info | Price | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Best for milestone-driven progress | 14-day free trial | From $5/user/month (billed annually) + free plan available | Website | |
2 | Best for personal productivity | 14-day free trial | From $1.49/user/month (billed annually) + free plan available | Website | |
3 | Best for integrated team workspace | 30-day free trial | From $4/user/month + free version available | Website | |
4 | Best for freelance business management | 7-day free trial | From $9/user/month (billed annually) | Website | |
5 | Best for teamwork collaboration | 14-day free trial | From $45/month (billed annually) | Website | |
6 | Best for visual task management | Free plan available | From $15/user/month (billed annually) | Website | |
7 | Best for workflow customization | Free plan available | From $11.20/month (billed annually) | Website | |
8 | Best for CRM and project management | Free plan available | From $43/month (billed annually) | Website | |
9 | Best for developer project tracking | Free plan available | Free to use | Website | |
10 | Best for complex project portfolios | 14-day free trial + free demo available | From $25/user/month (billed annually) | Website |
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monday.com
This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.4.6 -
Miro
This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.4.8 -
Ravetree
This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.4.1
Best Productive Alternatives Reviews
Here are my overviews of each Productive alternative. I cover their advantages and disadvantages, key features, and ideal use cases.
Nifty is a project management tool that focuses on milestone-driven progress, helping teams to set and achieve goals effectively. It combines task management, timelines, and collaboration features to keep projects on track and aligned with key milestones.
Why it's a good Productive alternative: Nifty excels in milestone-driven progress, a critical aspect for teams needing to track and achieve project goals systematically. Compared to other tools, Nifty stands out with its emphasis on milestones, ensuring that teams can maintain focus on key deliverables and deadlines.
Standout features & integrations:
Features include milestone tracking, task management, project timelines, collaboration tools, file sharing, and automation.
Integrations include Harvest, Webex, Zoom, Slack, Github, Microsoft Suite, Google Drive, Miro, Typeform, and Zapier.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Offers a free plan and a 14-day free trial
- Focuses on milestone-driven progress
- Centralizes project communication and tracking
Cons:
- Limited template options and customization
- Lack of custom automation
Freedcamp is a versatile project management and collaboration tool designed to enhance personal productivity. It offers a range of features such as task management, time tracking, and calendar integration to help individuals and teams stay organized and efficient.
Why it's a good Productive alternative: Freedcamp combines strategic project management capabilities with user-friendly features that make it ideal for personal productivity. Its flexibility and advanced feature set stand out, particularly for those managing multiple personal projects.
Standout features & integrations:
Features include project tracking, task management, Gantt charts, custom fields, project templates, user-friendly interface, and tools for creating detailed reports, managing issues, and using wikis for documentation.
Integrations include Google Drive, Mailchimp, WordPress, Google Calendar, Google Forms, Microsoft Outlook, ClickUp, Dropbox, and Slack.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Calendar integration
- Time tracking feature
- Comprehensive task management
Cons:
- Limited mobile functionality
- Interface can be overwhelming for new users
Microsoft Teams is a collaboration platform that integrates chat, video conferencing, file storage, and application integration into a single workspace. It’s designed to provide an integrated team workspace, facilitating communication and collaboration.
Why it's a good Productive alternative: Microsoft Teams offers an integrated team workspace, combining multiple collaboration tools into one platform. This is essential for teams that require seamless communication, file sharing, and app integration all in one place, making it a standout choice compared to other fragmented solutions.
Standout features & integrations:
Features include real-time collaboration, video and audio calling, instant messaging, file sharing and storage, task management, meeting scheduling, customizable workspaces, and secure communication with data encryption.
Integrations include Microsoft 365 Suite (Outlook, Word, Excel, SharePoint), Trello, Asana, and GitHub.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Customizable through app integrations and Power Automate
- Robust communication tools (chat, video, and voice)
- Comprehensive integration with Microsoft 365 applications
Cons:
- Requires Microsoft 365 subscription for full functionality
- Can be overwhelming for new users due to its many features
Bonsai is an all-in-one business management tool tailored for freelancers, providing solutions for contracts, invoicing, time tracking, and task management. It's designed to streamline administrative tasks, allowing freelancers to focus on their work.
Why it's a good Productive alternative: Bonsai is an excellent alternative to Productive due to its advanced feature suite tailored for freelancers and small businesses. It offers project management, time tracking, invoicing, and contract tools, all designed to streamline workflow and enhance productivity.
Standout features & integrations:
Features include project management, time tracking, invoicing, contract creation, proposal generation, client CRM, task automation, expense tracking, tax planning, financial management and reporting, and integration with popular payment platforms.
Integrations include Google Calendar, QuickBooks, Zapier, and Slack.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Customizable contract templates
- Automated invoicing and payment tracking
- Comprehensive freelance-specific tools
Cons:
- Limited customer support options
- Limited to freelance use cases
ProofHub is a project management and collaboration software. It’s best for teamwork collaboration due to its advanced set of features that facilitate communication, task management, and project tracking.
Why it's a good Productive alternative: ProofHub includes features like task management, time tracking, and online proofing, which are essential for managing collaborative projects. The tool also offers discussion boards, chat, and file sharing to ensure that team members can communicate and share resources efficiently. Additionally, its customizable workflows and project templates help streamline project execution.
Standout features & integrations:
Features include task management, Gantt charts, time tracking, custom workflows, project planning, file sharing and proofing, discussions and chat, calendar and milestones, notes, reports, announcements, and user access controls.
Integrations include Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, and Box.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Customizable workflows and templates
- Comprehensive project management features
- Strong emphasis on team collaboration and communication
Cons:
- Can be overwhelming for small teams or simple projects
- Limited advanced reporting options
Taskworld is a cloud-based project and task management solution. It's best for visual task management due to its visual task boards and project analytics.
Why it's a good Productive alternative: Taskworld offers an advanced set of features that cater to visual task management, which is essential for keeping projects organized and on track. Its user-friendly interface and performance analytics make it a top choice for those who prioritize visual project tracking.
Standout features & integrations:
Features include customizable Kanban boards, timelines, built-in project analytics and reporting tools, task comments, file sharing, and real-time notifications.
Integrations include Google Drive, Zapier, Open API, Google Meet, GitHub, Microsoft Teams, Dropbox, and Slack.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Strong collaboration features
- Built-in project analytics and reporting tools
- Customizable Kanban boards and timelines
Cons:
- Limited advanced customization options for reporting
- May be overwhelming for users not familiar with visual task management
Podio is a project management tool that excels in offering customizable workflows to suit various business processes. It allows users to create custom applications and modify workflows to fit their specific project needs, making it ideal for workflow customization.
Why it's a good Productive alternative: Podio has an exceptional ability to customize workflows, which is vital for teams with unique project management needs. Its flexibility in creating custom apps and adjusting workflows makes it stand out compared to other tools that offer more rigid structures.
Standout features & integrations:
Features include customizable workspaces, task management, automated workflows, file sharing, calendar integrations, real-time collaboration, project reporting, and webforms.
Integrations include Google Drive, Dropbox, ShareFile, Box, HighTail, OneDrive, Zendesk, Campaign Monitor, Evernote, and FreshBooks.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Integrated workflow automation
- Robust collaboration features including social intranet capabilities
- Highly customizable workflows and applications
Cons:
- Limited built-in reporting features
- Can be complex to set up for new users
Bitrix24 is a versatile platform that combines CRM and project management features into a single tool, making it an excellent choice for businesses looking to manage both customer relationships and project workflows efficiently.
Why it's a good Productive alternative: Bitrix24 offers an advanced solution for both CRM and project management, addressing the needs of businesses that require a unified tool for managing customer interactions and project tasks. It stands out for its ability to integrate these two critical business functions.
Standout features & integrations:
Features include CRM for managing leads, contacts, and sales pipelines, project management tools with Gantt charts and Kanban boards, task management with time tracking, collaboration tools such as group chat and video calls, document management, website and landing page creation, email marketing, and social media integration.
Integrations include Google Workspace, Microsoft Office 365, Mailchimp, and Zapier.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Wide range of integrations
- Social intranet for improved internal communication
- Comprehensive CRM and project management features
Cons:
- Can be complex and overwhelming for new users
- Higher starting price compared to some other tools
Redmine is an open-source project management and issue-tracking tool designed specifically for software development teams. It offers features such as Gantt charts, time tracking, and role-based access control to help developers manage and monitor their projects effectively.
Why it's a good Productive alternative: Redmine is a highly flexible and customizable solution designed for developer project tracking. Its open-source nature allows extensive customization, which is beneficial when comparing project management tools. Redmine's advanced tracking features and support for various development methodologies make it a unique Product alternative.
Standout features & integrations:
Features include flexible role-based access control, issue tracking, Gantt chart and calendar, time tracking, custom fields, news, documents and file management, per project wiki and forums, repository browser and diff viewer, feeds and email notifications, multiple LDAP authentication support, user self-registration, multi language support, and multiple database support.
Integrations include GitHub, GitLab, SVN, Jenkins, and Slack.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Strong issue tracking and time management features
- Supports multiple projects and workflows
- Highly customizable and flexible
Cons:
- User interface can be less intuitive
- Requires self-hosting and technical knowledge
Celoxis is a strategic project management tool designed to handle complex project portfolios efficiently. It offers several features for project planning, tracking, and collaboration, making it ideal for businesses with intricate project needs.
Why it's a good Productive alternative: Celoxis excels in managing complex project portfolios, which aligns with its reputation for handling intricate project details and workflows. Compared to other tools, Celoxis stands out for its extensive features that support large-scale project management and resource allocation.
Standout features & integrations:
Features include advanced scheduling, project tracking, resource management capabilities, Gantt charts, time and expense tracking, reporting tools, and customizable workflows and dashboards.
Integrations include Microsoft Project, Excel, Salesforce, and QuickBooks.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Customizable dashboards and workflows
- Comprehensive resource management tools
- Advanced project planning and scheduling features
Cons:
- Limited customization options for certain reports
- Steeper learning curve for new users
Other Productive Alternatives
Below is a list of additional Productive alternatives that I shortlisted. Check these out if you didn’t find what you were looking for above.
- Smartsheet
For spreadsheet-like project management
- Airtable
For database-driven projects
- Basecamp
For team communication
- ClickUp
For all-in-one tool versatility
- Zoho Projects
For integration with Zoho Suite
- Asana
For workflow customization
- Trello
For visual project planning
- Jira Service Management
For Agile software teams
- TeamGantt
For graphical project planning
- monday.com
For intuitive design interface
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
- Gantt Chart Maker
- Productivity Tools
- Project Tracking Software
- Project Scheduling Software
Productive Alternatives Selection Criteria
When selecting the best Productive alternatives, I considered common buyer needs and pain points related to project management software like resource management and integration with other tools. I used the following framework to keep my evaluation structured and fair:
Core Functionality (25% of total score)
To be considered for inclusion in this list, each solution had to fulfill these common use cases:
- Task management and assignment
- Comprehensive roadmap planning
- Effective resource management and allocation
- Integration with other business tools
- Team collaboration and communication
Additional Standout Features (25% of total score)
To help further narrow down the competition, I also looked for unique features, such as:
- Advanced AI-driven insights
- In-depth analytics and reporting capabilities
- Customizable workflow automation
- Comprehensive mobile app functionality
- Public-facing release notes portals
Usability (10% of total score)
To get a sense of the usability of each system, I considered whether each tool had the following:
- Intuitive interface design
- Drag-and-drop scheduling tools
- Simple dashboard customization
- Responsive design for cross-device compatibility
- Visual clarity in project and task statuses
Onboarding (10% of total score)
To evaluate the onboarding experience for each platform, I considered the following:
- Availability of comprehensive training videos and tutorials
- Pre-built templates for various project types
- Interactive product tours and guides
- Accessible support through chatbots or help docs
- Regularly scheduled webinars for in-depth training
Customer Support (10% of total score)
To assess each software provider’s customer support services, I considered whether each offered the following:
- 24/7 availability through multiple channels
- Responsive and knowledgeable support teams
- Community forums for peer assistance
- Regular updates and clear communication
- Efficient ticket resolution processes
Value For Money (10% of total score)
To evaluate the value for money of each platform, I considered whether tools offered the following:
- Competitive pricing structures
- Transparency in pricing plans
- Availability of free trials or demos
- Cost relative to features offered
- Flexibility in subscription models
Customer Reviews (10% of total score)
To get a sense of overall customer satisfaction, I considered the following when reading customer reviews:
- Feedback on feature updates and improvements
- Overall satisfaction ratings
- Specific feedback on tool performance
- Comments on customer support experiences
- User testimonials on ease of use
Why Look for a Productive Alternative?
While Productive is a good choice of project management software, there are a number of reasons why you might seek out alternative solutions. You might be looking for a Productive alternative because:
- You’re seeking software with more advanced reporting features
- Your team needs better integration with other tools
- You’re looking for more affordable pricing options
- You require a simpler user interface for your team
- Your team is expanding rapidly and needs scalable software
- You need a solution with better customer support in your region
Key Features of Productive
Here are some key features of Productive that your alternative software should be able to replicate or improve upon in order to be a good fit:
- Customizable views: Customizable views let you prioritize tasks and resources by organizing projects in a way that best fits your workflow. This helps maintain focus, streamline project management, and boost productivity.
- Macro view of projects: Tracking progress through macro views allows you to monitor both individual contributions and overall team performance against the project timeline.
- Internal chat tool: An internal chat tool supports communication within the organization and should offer private, group, or company-wide messaging options. This improves collaboration and keeps everyone informed and connected.
- Recurring tasks: Automating recurring tasks eliminates the need for manual recreation, saving time and reducing the risk of oversight. This lets you make sure essential tasks are consistently completed on schedule.
- Add tasks via email: The ability to quickly convert emails into actionable items streamlines task management.
- Set reminders: Customizable reminders help keep timelines on track by sending notifications tailored to individual or project needs. This helps you meet deadlines and complete tasks on time.
- Mute notifications: The option to mute notifications lets you silence distractions and maintain focus on high-priority tasks. This supports uninterrupted work periods and improves productivity.
- Private projects and tasks: Controlling visibility through invitation-only access keeps sensitive projects and tasks secure. This maintains confidentiality and allows for focused collaboration within specific teams.
- Single sign-on: Single sign-on provides a seamless login experience using Google or Microsoft accounts and reduces the hassle of multiple passwords. This improves security and simplifies user access management.
- Secure file-sharing integration: Secure file-sharing integration allows for safe and efficient cloud-based file sharing within the application. This keeps files easily accessible for authorized users and maintains data security.
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