10 Best Project Management Software For Architects In 2024
10 Best Architecture Project Management Software Shortlist
Here's my pick of the 10 best software from the 20 tools reviewed.
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With so many different project management software for architects available, figuring out which is right for you is tough. You know you want to streamline and optimize planning, executing, and monitoring architectural projects but need to figure out which tool is best. I've got you! In this post I'll help make your choice easy, sharing my personal experiences using dozens of different PM tools with various architecture teams and projects, with my picks of the best project management software for architects.
What Is Project Management Software For Architects?
Project management software for architects is a specialized tool tailored to the needs of architectural project planning and execution. It integrates features for design development, task management, resource allocation, client interaction, and collaboration with various stakeholders. This software caters to the unique aspects of architectural work, covering everything from concept to construction.
The benefits of this software include enhanced efficiency in managing complex architectural projects, improved coordination among team members, and streamlined client communications. It offers effective budget tracking, centralized document management, and time-saving capabilities. By using this software, architects can maintain high quality standards, manage risks effectively, and ensure the smooth progression of their projects from initial design to final completion.
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Wrike
Visit WebsiteThis is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.4.2 -
Hub Planner
Visit WebsiteThis is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.4.2 -
Miro
Visit WebsiteThis is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.4.8
Overviews Of The Best Project Management Software For Architects
Here’s my take on the key features and best use case for my list of best project management software for architects.
Scoro is a comprehensive work management software designed for professional service businesses, offering a wide range of features to manage processes, capacity, and margins, and deliver successful projects from beginning to end.
Scoro stands out for its ability to provide project-wide visibility. This feature allows architects to see each project in detail from high-level timelines and budgets to specific tasks, ensuring all aspects of a project are transparent and manageable. Additionally, Scoro's financial management features are seamlessly integrated into its project management framework. This integration allows architects to manage project budgets, expenses, and forecasts within the same platform where they handle their designs and client interactions.
Another significant advantage is Scoro's time management tools. These tools are crucial for architects who need to track billable hours and allocate time efficiently across various projects. The software facilitates detailed time entries and reporting, which helps in maintaining accuracy in client billing and project accounting.
Ravetree is a consolidated work management solution that provides project management tools as well as client management and resource planning features. It allows you to centralize your various work management functions in a single place, and its client-facing features make it a good option for architecture firms working across several portfolios.
The software's project management features let you break projects into tasks, and tasks into action items with checklists. You can save the project plans you create as templates to reuse in the future, saving you time. Tasks can be assigned to specific team members, and you can keep track of your resource utilization with the platform's timeline view, and use time tracking data for future planning.
As for managing your clients, you can use the built-in CRM to store all of their contact data and manage your communications. You can also set up client-facing portals to share key updates and information regarding their projects.
The software integrates with plenty of other tools including Box, Dropbox, Facebook, HubSpot, Instagram, Github, Google Drive, Gmail, OneDrive, Outlook, QuickBooks, and Stripe.
Paid plans start from $29 per user, per month, and a 7-day free trial is available.
Miro is a collaborative online workspace that allows teams to brainstorm, plan, and execute projects in one visual platform. It offers a variety of tools for project management, diagramming, content visualization, and communication.
As a project management software for architects, Miro offers a unique combination of visual and collaborative features tailored to the complex needs of architectural projects. The platform's infinite canvas allows architects to create project plans that include detailed drawings, blueprints, and site layouts. Additionally, Miro’s extensive library of templates, including those for project timelines, Gantt charts, and workflow diagrams, helps architects manage every phase of their projects from initial concept to final execution.
Additionally, Miro’s real-time collaboration capabilities enhance the architectural project management process. Architects can invite team members, clients, and other stakeholders to collaborate on the same board, enabling instant feedback and more efficient decision-making.
Zoho Projects is a cloud-based project management software that enables teams to organize, track, and collaborate on various projects. It offers a range of features including task management, milestone setting, Gantt charts for scheduling, issue tracking for problem resolution, and document management for file sharing.
Zoho Projects offers a project management solution for architects by providing tools that address common challenges in construction projects. For example, the software includes features for planning and accounting for potential delays, managing project budgets, and centralizing project documents to create a single source of truth. It also aims to improve contract clarity, reduce communication gaps among stakeholders, and manage equipment and resources effectively.
One drawback of Zoho Projects is its limited integration options with third-party tools and services, which may hinder seamless collaboration with other platforms. Additionally there is a learning curve associated with the software's interface and features.
Pricing for Zoho Projects starts at $5/user/month. A free trial is also available.
Best project management, estimate, and invoicing solution
Contractor Foreman is a cloud-based project management software that helps contractors and architects manage their construction projects. It's a comprehensive platform that covers everything from scheduling and budgeting to invoicing and team collaboration. The scheduling tools can be used to create a detailed project timeline with start and end dates, duration, and dependencies between tasks. Users can adjust the schedule if unplanned events occur, or task completion is delayed.
Estimates can be generated through the software, allowing users to create personalized project cost estimates depending on the nature of the project. Architects can customize their estimates, and create detailed breakdowns based on labor, material costs, delivery costs, and other on-site expenses. The invoicing feature helps you track project expenses and generate invoices. It sends automatic reminders to clients for overdue invoices, making the payment process more automated and less time-consuming.
Documents including contracts, invoices, blueprints, images, and more can all be stored in the software, centralizing your project operations in a single place. Integrations with other apps like QuickBooks, WePay, Outlook 365, Google Calendar, CompanyCam, Gusto, and Angi Leads are available. You can also use a paid Zapier account to unlock additional software integrations. A free 30-day trial is available, and paid plans start at $49 per month, billed annually.
Teamwork is an agency management system with triggers to automate your admin and keep projects moving towards completion. Teamwork is great for project planning and team collaboration right in the software.
The tool’s reporting features are helpful for resource planning as you can see reports on projects and individual tasks, which lends itself to forecasting future resources for projects and tasks.
Teamwork has a steep learning curve, as finding the feature or function you are looking for can be difficult amidst the sheer number of them. Some integrations don’t necessarily provide the value that users may be looking for.
Pricing starts at $10/month for 5 users.
Birdview PSA can be used to manage your projects, resources, and finances in the same platform. It helps you plan, track, and manage multiple projects, and is well-suited to the needs of architecture and engineering firms. You can create project templates, set milestones, and monitor your progress with Gantt charts and Kanban boards.
The software's customizable project and task cards are flexible, so you can outline your work however makes the most sense for your business. Each card holds all the relevant information and data for that task or project, and teams can use the built-in messaging and file sharing tools to plan and collaborate.
Resource planning tools are also included in the software. You can assign team members to projects or tasks based on their availability, workload, and skill sets. Employees can track their time in the system, helping you understand how many hours were allocated to specific initiatives. You can also track billable hours, and use this data for more accurate client invoicing.
The software integrates with other tools including Microsoft Teams, Microsoft Project, Excel, Outlook, Oracle NetSuite, Gmail, Slack, and Zoom. Paid plans start from $27 per user per month, when billed annually. A 12-day free trial is also available.
Ideal for firms with 10 or more staff members, Mosaic is the next-generation project and resource management software purpose-built for architecture, engineering, and design firms. Integrating with the firm’s existing ERP or financial software, Mosaic shows you who is doing what, when in one beautiful interface.
Understand what your team can and can’t get done, and balance work across the team to prevent burnout. Identify winning—and losing—projects and clients, so you can do more of what works and less of what doesn’t. Get AI-powered suggestions to instantly assemble project teams with the right skills, availability, and more. Mosaic even forecasts workload to inform hiring and offers the most robust suite of project reporting to enable data-driven decision-making.
Priced at $14.99 per user per month, Mosaic provides a free 30-day free trial. Request a customized product demonstration today.
Taimer has capabilities in sales, project management, finance and accounting, and BI, which makes it a solid option for keeping all your business software and processes in one place.
Additional features relevant to architects include task management, resource scheduling and management, and document management.
As this tool is not specifically created for architects and architecture firms, not all of the features and functionalities are relevant or useful for architects, and it can take some time to sift through the many features to find the information or feature you are looking for.
Taimer starts at around $15/user/month (€13/user/month).
Built specifically around architecture and engineering best practices, this cloud platform is a robust project-based ERP.
Functionalities include project planning, project management, and Business Intelligence (BI). Deltek Ajera is intended for managing the entire project lifecycle, all the way through invoicing and accounting.
Deltek Ajera is known to have a bit of a learning curve, so it lost a few points in the usability section of the evaluation criteria.
Pricing for Deltek Ajera is available upon request.
The Best Project Management Software For Architects Comparison Chart
Here is a table you can use to compare all the tools we just covered in the overviews.
| Tools | Price | |
|---|---|---|
| Scoro | From $26/user/month (billed annually) | Website |
| Ravetree | From $29/user/month (billed annually, min 5 seats) | Website |
| Miro | From $8/user/month (billed annually) | Website |
| Zoho Projects | From $4/user/month (billed annually) | Website |
| Contractor Foreman | From $49/user/month (billed annually) | Website |
| Teamwork.com | From $10.99/user/month (min 3 users, billed annually) | Website |
| Birdview | From $27/user/month (billed annually) | Website |
| Mosaic | From $9.99/user/month (billed annually) | Website |
| Taimer | From $16/month/user | Website |
| Deltek Ajera | Pricing upon request | Website |
Compare Software Specs Side by Side
Use our comparison chart to review and evaluate software specs side-by-side.
Compare SoftwareOther Project Management Software for Architects
Here are a few more that didn’t make the top list but are still worth your consideration.
Selection Criteria For Architect Project Management Software
Here's what I considered when evaluating each program:
Key Features
- Design elements – Does the tool let you brainstorm, collaborate, make notes, and wireframe as you build upon ideas and plans?
- Budgeting and accounting – Are there money management features included in the project management tools that architects could benefit from, such as invoicing functionalities? Does the tool allow for tracking billable hours and timesheets to keep track of how much time is being spent per project?
- Versioning and document management – The software should enable you to an see historic versions of a design or of blueprint files before changes, and easily import and export files from tools like Dropbox or Google Docs.
- Asset storage – I looked for software that lets you digitally store and compile different visual, video, and text assets.
- Collaboration – This is fairly standard in project management software, but still important. The tools need to include commenting and the ability to mention coworkers at a minimum.
- Resource management – The tools I looked at needed to offer, at a minimum, tools to set and view project deadlines and dependencies. I also looked for tools that had strong resource planning features, like the ability to view team members' capacities and forecast resource gaps.
- Task management – Does the tool include functionalities for keeping track of tasks and deliverables? Can users set due dates and deadlines, task ownership, and task dependencies?
Integrations
Is it easy to connect with other tools? Any pre-built integrations or add-ons with software that your firm already has in use, such as accounting software or time management software?
Pricing
How appropriate is the price for the features, capabilities, and use case? Is pricing clear, transparent, and flexible?
FAQs About Project Management for Architects
I’ll cover off some essential questions and answers about architect project management software below.
What software do architects use?
Architects at architecture firms and other AEC firms will use a range of software, like project scheduling software (Trello, Asana, Basecamp), accounting for architects (Quickbooks, Sage), and/or design software (AutoCAD, Rino 3D, Sketchup).
What is architecture project management?
Architecture projects are a breed of their own—complex and multidimensional. They bring together technical precision with aesthetic vision, not to mention functionality. Unlike more linear projects, architectural work intertwines with local regulations, environmental impact, and community context. It requires close collaboration with a multi-expertise team, including architects, engineers, contractors, and clients.
Here are a few of the unique aspects of managing architecture projects:
- Project budgets: Of course, budgets and project scopes can change in any industry. But engineering firms need to consider not just upfront costs, but long-term costs of maintenance and operating expenses.
- Complex workflows: The ability to streamline workflows is essential, because multiple people with different specialties will need to jump in and out of the project at different times. Collaboration tools in a project management solution (like file sharing and automated Slack notifications) are also super helpful for this element.
- Legal and regulatory compliance: Architecture projects must adhere to a complex web of building codes, zoning laws, and safety regulations unique to each location. It’s important that these are accounted for from the planning stage through each project milestone, and that future changes to regulations are also considered.
What's the difference between project management software for architects and construction project management software?
Project management software for architects focuses on design collaboration, document sharing, and workflow management specific to the architectural process. Construction project management software, on the other hand, is geared towards on-site project execution, including scheduling, resource allocation, budget tracking, and compliance with safety standards. The key difference lies in the primary user focus: architects versus construction managers.
What Architecture Project Management Software Do You Use?
Have you tried out any PM software for architects listed above, and if you've used it, what did you think of it?
Do you have anything you would add to the list? Let me know in the comments below, and I'll look into adding it to the list!