Best Project Management App Shortlist
Here’s the shortlist of the best project management apps that I’ll cover in this article, with detailed summaries below:
- 7. monday.com — Best project management app for solving problems in collaboration with larger teams.
- 9. Smartsheet — Best project management app for multiple team members working on tasks in real time.
If you’re looking for a tool that gives you an overview of your project, helps you identify bottlenecks, and keeps your team on track, then you’re in the market for a project management app.
But, in this growing market with fierce competition, how do you know which app will work best for your workflow? How do you decide which software will give you the best value for money? And how can you tell from their convincing pricing page if this app will keep your development teams moving forward so you can meet your milestones?
Easy - I’ve researched and assessed the tools on this list, identified their pros and cons, and highlighted which apps work best for your particular setup. Read on, and easily pick the right project management app for you. Waiting to be convinced of the value of project management software? Then you should check out this article on the benefits and use cases.
If you have general questions about how a project management app works, or how to pick the best option for your organization, take a look at my Frequently Asked Questions section below. You can also review how I picked the software on this list to get more detailed information on my evaluation criteria.
Overviews Of The 10 Best Project Management Apps
Here’s a brief description of each project management app that showcases each app’s best use case, its noteworthy features, and some pros & cons. I’ve also included screenshots to give you a snapshot of their user interface too.
Forecast
Best project management app for those who want to harness AI.
Forecast wants to make your life easier, and it starts by bringing all your tools into one place. Financial reporting, task management, collaboration, and analysis can all be dealt with in the app.
Why I picked Forecast: Forecast has really harnessed the power of AI to bring all the many pieces of data you need to make decisions together. And to help you make better decisions with it.
If you’re tired of switching between 41 tabs as you collect the information you need, Forecast is a great option for you. Take advantage of its intelligent project planning to forecast budget, timelines, and likely bottlenecks, so that you can get ahead of them.
Forecast Standout Features and Integrations
Features include real-time assistance in planning and resourcing from AI-powered insights, workload and capacity information for all your project resources, AI-supported time entries that learn your past behavior, project spending on a portfolio level, and smart invoices.
Integrations include Asana, Google Suite, GitHub and GitLab, Harvest, Hubspot, Outlook, Salesforce, Slack, and Trello. You can connect to thousands of additional apps using Zapier.
Pros
- Real-time reporting capability
- Considerable number of integrations
- Benefit from AI-powered insights into your business
Cons
- Doesn’t integrate with Asana
- Can have a steep learning curve
Hive
Best project management app for hybrid workers.
Hive was built specifically to make project management with hybrid teams easier. Responsive mobile apps, chat facilities, and meeting notes that you can edit collectively all make the hybrid experience more efficient.
Why I picked Hive: For teams using agile while managing hybrid working, Hive improves collaboration, encourages teamwork, and streamlines feedback. You’ll never have to visit the office for an unnecessary meeting again.
Bring everyone closer together (if not physically) with the team scheduler and keep all your team members on the same page by viewing project progress together. While benefiting from all the usual project management tools you’d expect from a high-quality platform.
Hive Standout Features and Integrations
Features include powerful proofing and annotation tools to allow real-time collaboration, drag-and-drop workflow builder and a library of ready-to-go workflow recipes to automate your most common tasks and subtasks, a goal tracker to set and monitor goals across your team, and custom project layouts.
Integrations include Google Drive and Google Suite, Dropbox, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Jira, Slack, Github, Trello, Asana, and Basecamp.
Pros
- Considerable customization opportunities
- Specifically designed for hybrid work environments
- Makes client collaboration easy
Cons
- Limited to 500 automations
- Notification emails can be overzealous
Wrike
Best project management app for enterprise teams who need advanced analytics.
Wrike’s advanced project tracking and analytics make it the perfect choice for project planning with larger teams or complicated timelines. Use their Report Wizard to update stakeholders, or select the exact data you need and create one from scratch.
Why I picked Wrike: Wrike makes keeping everyone in the loop so much easier. When you’re dealing with enterprise-size teams, multiple project workflows, and a calendar full of sprints, you need a powerful project management tool. Wrike knows that up-to-date information is everything, so they update charts, reports, infographics, and analytics every 15 minutes.
Wrike Standout Features and Integrations
Features include a report wizard to build reports from scratch, drag-and-drop timeline view, subtasks, dependencies, milestones, a workload view, customizable folder structure, proofing, automation, and approval workflows.
Integrations include Salesforce, Jira, Github, Google Suite, Miro, Microsoft Teams, Adobe Creative Cloud, Microsoft Sharepoint, Slack, Gmail, and Outlook.
Pros
- High levels of customization
- Enterprise-grade security
- Real time analytics, so you’re never behind
Cons
- The dashboard can be difficult to learn
- Not a good choice for smaller businesses
TeamGantt
Best project management app for those who like to keep things simple.
Team Gantt markets themselves to solopreneurs who want to keep track of everything in their business easily (while name-dropping Intuit and Amazon on their homepage).
Why I picked TeamGantt: Team Gantt really is the most straightforward project management tool out there. Quick to get started, easy to use, and full of useful functions rather than added extras.
With an easy to use interface, a huge collection of project templates, and a library of resources, you can run your business without spending hours clicking through reports and scrolling through lists.
TeamGantt Standout Features and Integrations
Features include a view of all projects in one screen, workload and team availability information, project dashboards, calendar view, list view, planned vs actual timelines, and a mobile app.
Integrations include Slack, Trello, and Dropbox. You can also connect to thousands of additional apps through Zapier, and build custom integrations using its RESTFul API.
Pros
- Calendar and list view available
- Integrated time tracking
- Simple system to learn
Cons
- No desktop notifications
- Lacks robust collaboration functions
GanttPRO
Best project management app for complex projects with multiple deliverables.
Ganttpro takes advantage of the traditional Gantt view to visualize all aspects of your project management. Take your team from baseline, through each sprint, all the way to your end goal.
Why I picked GanttPRO: When you’re juggling complex deliverables and multiple timelines, you need an easy and familiar way to view your project. Ganttpro is built around Gantt chart view in all its functions.
Keep a tight rein on time management with estimated delivery days and time trackers at a glance. Analyze estimated and actual project costs at any stage in the process. And simplify complex projects with the easy-to-use interface.
GanttPRO Standout Features and Integrations
Features include performance analysis against previous tasks, comments and notifications functions to keep your team on track, a learning centre and tutorials to help you make the most of your tool, professional templates to get you started more easily, resource management, and project tracking.
Integrations include Slack, Jira, Google Drive, and Basecamp.
Pros
- Real-time data updates and synchronization
- Drag and drop features make it easy to set up project workflows
- Easy Google sign in means instant collaboration from the very beginning
Cons
- No free plan
- Limited integrations
ClickUp
Best project management app for remote working teams.
Clickup is a powerful, but easy-to-use project management tool that makes it easy to organize projects of any size across distributed teams.
Why I picked ClickUp: Collaboration tools like an online whiteboard and built-in chat feature make Clickup incredibly useful for teams who are working remotely all or some of the time. And the best part? Clickup doesn’t lock any of its tools away behind its premium plan paywall. You get access to all its capabilities even on the free plan.
This makes Clickup a no-brainer for small teams who still need powerful resource management and flexibility. Track time, check in with team members, and encourage team collaboration, while benefiting from 24/7 support (even on the free plan).
ClickUp Standout Features and Integrations
Features include unlimited users, kanban, timeline, spreadsheet and calendar views, a calendar, to-do-list, custom automation builder, and burndown charts for scrum teams.
Integrations include Slack, Hubspot, Gmail, Zoom, Google Calendar, Dropbox, Loom, Zendesk, Github, and Miro.
Pros
- Inbuilt instant messenger and task comment capability
- 24/7 support
- Free plan contains all functions
Cons
- Dashboard doesn’t automatically refresh
- Clunky automation builder
monday.com
Best project management app for solving problems in collaboration with larger teams.
monday.com champion collaboration with their functions. By centralizing all comms and files, cross-team collaboration is so much easier. No one is missing emails, and you’re not chasing down freelancers who are out of the loop.
Why I picked monday.com: What really stands out for me is the value and ease that the app brings to collaborating with large teams. By keeping all communication and files on the platform, you can do away with email threads that are 100 emails long and make sure that everyone is on the same page at any stage in your project.
This management platform is great for bigger teams being led by experienced project managers, and it works best when there’s someone at the helm taking ownership of the tool. No more constantly reminding team members of their tasks, and an easy overview at different levels.
monday.com Standout Features and Integrations
Features include intuitive UI, built-in time tracking capability, powerful email and status automations to help save you time, customizable dashboards and templates, collaboration features like file sharing to streamline your processes.
Integrations include Jira Cloud, Outlook and Gmail, Toggl, Salesforce, Google Suite, Adobe Creative Cloud, Microsoft Teams, LinkedIn, SurveyMonkey, and Basecamp. You can also connect manday.com to a paid Zapier account to unlock additional integrations if needed.
Pros
- A simple layout means easier onboarding for new team members.
- More than 120 easily customizable project templates help you get started quickly.
- Being able to attach files to tasks, comment, and tag people.
Cons
- The free version has limited capabilities
- If you want to manage planning sprints, or incorporate CRM features, then you’ll need to purchase additional products from monday.com.
Nifty
Best project management app for teams who need an all-in-one solution.
Nifty wants to bring you project management software all in one neat package. Store documents, manage workflows, and analyze reports all in one place, in multiple views.
Why I picked Nifty: Nifty’s neat interface hides powerful capabilities, like having independent discussion boards per project and zoom integrations. This makes it easy to start a video call with your team. Development teams can use it to turn sprints into milestones easily, legal teams can use it to help them with case management.
In Nifty, projects are structured around milestones and these have tasks within them. Task completion will update progress and make it easy for you to see where you stand. Additionally, you can plan your marketing strategy, keep on top of your resource management, and create reports for the finance department without leaving the app.
Nifty Standout Features and Integrations
Features include discussion boards, collaborative docs, automated insights, a form builder so you can gather requests, roadmap support with live progress bars, and reporting.
Integrations include Harvest, Webex, Zoom, Slack, Github, Microsoft Suite, Google Drive and Calendar, Miro, Typeform, and Basecamp.
Pros
- Built-in chat feature improves collaboration opportunities
- Exceptional file management capabilities
- Free plan lets you trial all features
Cons
- Support only available on premium plans
- Clunky customization
Smartsheet
Best project management app for multiple team members working on tasks in real time.
A project management tool based around spreadsheets, Smartsheet lets you track project progress, and acts as a single source of truth for everyone working on your project. But its standout contribution is its customizable version control and approval process.
Why I picked Smartsheet: Larger, more complicated projects often involve stakeholders working on a particular asset concurrently. Sometimes leading to confusion over which version of a document is the latest, or even important work being deleted. Smartsheet solves this problem by creating 1 proof per row in your sheet, and then setting up reviewing processes that make sense for your workflow.
If Excel and Google Sheets make you happy, but they don’t have the functionality you need for a more complicated project, then Smartsheet is a great option. It provides a simple and familiar interface, without a load of bells and whistles that you don’t really need. But its powerful tools are there when you need them, with amazing reporting functionality that brings information from key sheets together in a single report.
If you make a change to a report, then that change is rolled out to the original sheets. No more outdated information!
Smartsheet Standout Features and Integrations
Features include bi-directional reporting, top-quality data security to keep your information safe, simple to use drag-and-drop automation builder, unlimited sheets, and multiple views.
Integrations include Slack, Jira, Zoom, Google Suite, Salesforce, Webex, Microsoft Teams, Adobe Creative Cloud, Xero, and DocuSign.
Pros
- 350 templates, including one for sprint planning
- Shared Gantt chart feature
- Adapt Smartsheet’s flexible sheets to a wide range of project management methodologies
Cons
- The learning curve can be steep
- The lack of Kanban boards will cause a problem for agile teams
Zoho Projects
Best value-for-money project management app.
Zoho Projects is part of Zoho’s wider suite of business tools, focusing on project management. With a simple interface and core features, it offers an entry-level path to managing your team.
Why I picked Zoho Projects: For small teams, of 1-3 people, Zoho gives you all the tools you need to get started, at a very reasonable price. With its easy-to-use interface you can get started quickly, without the steep learning curve of a more complicated system.
For lean startups, the built-in issue tracker helps development teams keep you apprised of problems. While forums enable longer more involved discussions about tricky bottlenecks.
Zoho Projects Standout Features and Integrations
Features include task dependencies, a Gantt chart view, budgeting, task automation, time tracking, workflow automation, charts, and reporting.
Integrations include the rest of the Zoho ecosystem, Google Suite, Outlook and Gmail, Microsoft Teams, Jira, Basecamp, Dropbox, Github and Gitlab, Slack, and Zendesk. You can also connect other apps to a paid Zapier account to unlock additional integrations, if needed.
Pros
- Reasonable pricing
- No integration or automation limit on any plans
- Swift learning curve if you already use other Zoho products
Cons
- Custom automations, 24/7 support, and custom fields are only available in the top tier paid plan.
- Charges for guest access
Top Project Management App Comparison Chart
Here’s a convenient table that contains all the details you need to compare these options side by side.
Tool | Free Option | Price | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Forecast Best project management app for those who want to harness AI. | 14-day free trial | From $29/user/month | Visit Website |
2 | Hive Best project management app for hybrid workers. | 14-day free trial | From $16/user/month | Visit Website |
3 | Wrike Best project management app for enterprise teams who need advanced analytics. | Freemium version available | From $9.80/user/month | Visit Website |
4 | TeamGantt Best project management app for those who like to keep things simple. | 30-day free trial | From $24/manager/month | Visit Website |
5 | GanttPRO Best project management app for complex projects with multiple deliverables. | 14-day free trial | From $7.99/user/month (billed annually) | Visit Website |
6 | ClickUp Best project management app for remote working teams. | Freemium plan available | From $9/user/month | Visit Website |
7 | monday.com Best project management app for solving problems in collaboration with larger teams. | 14-day free trial + freemium plan available | From $8/user/month (billed annually, min 3 seats) | Visit Website |
8 | Nifty Best project management app for teams who need an all-in-one solution. | 14-day free trial | From $9 /user/month | Visit Website |
9 | Smartsheet Best project management app for multiple team members working on tasks in real time. | Freemium version available | From $7/user/month | Visit Website |
10 | Zoho Projects Best value-for-money project management app. | 10-day free trial + freemium plan available | From $5/user/month | Visit Website |
Other Options
Here are a few more worthwhile options that didn’t make the best project management app list:
- Celoxis
Best project management app for teams who want to focus on resource management.
- Height
Best project management app to bring different teams together
- ProofHub
Best for teams that do a lot of content creation, with proofing capabilities, workflow management, task management, and fixed pricing plans.
- FunctionFox
Best for creative teams
- MeisterTask
Best for WIP limits
- awork
Best work management for agencies, consulting and tech
- Asana
Best online task management software for complex projects.
- LiquidPlanner
Best for teams that need automated scheduling and forecasting software.
- Podio
Best for development teams who need Citrix freemium cloud-based project management and collaboration services with 99.99% uptime and a fully exposed front-end API.
- Jira
Best for software development teams who need an issue and project tracking tool.
How I Picked the Best Project Management App
If you’re wondering how I selected the 10 best project management apps for this list out of the hundreds out there, let’s take a look at my process. First, I evaluated and compared a wide range of project management apps with positive user ratings.
After determining my long list, I used the selection criteria below to see how each platform stacked up against the next one. I also drew on my years of digital project management experience to pinpoint the features that I know add a lot of value. This left me with the 10 tools we’ll assess today.
Here’s a short summary of the main selection and evaluation criteria I used to develop my overviews of the best project management app for this article:
Customization
No one project is the same, and for a project management tool to be useful to you, you’ll need at least some element of customization. I’ve chosen apps that are at least partly customizable so that they can work for you.
Ease of use
When you’re staring down deadlines, you don’t have 2 weeks to work out how a new piece of software works. I’ve measured these apps based on how quickly you can hit the ground running with them.
Functionality
These project management tools are full of useful functions like templates, workflows, and automation that actually make your life easier.
Software Integrations:
You need everything to just work together, so I’ve chosen tools that integrate seamlessly with your invoicing software, google calendar, and all the other essential platforms that keep your projects running smoothly.
Pricing
You’re running a lean project management machine, so these tools have sensible pricing in their paid plans, or even free versions. I also mention free trial information and if there are demos available to you.
Project Management App FAQs
Find answers to common questions about project management apps.
What is the best project management app?
What should a project management app have?
What is the easiest app for project management?
What’s Next?
Now you’ve found the best project management app for you, why not learn how to get your first project started? Or write a usable project plan?
To stay in the loop, and get the latest insights from top thinkers in the niche, sign up to the DPM newsletter now.