The Best Architecture Project Management Software Shortlist
Here are the 10 tools that made my shortlist as the best overall project management software for architects:
Architectural projects require coordination across a broad array of stakeholders, which is why using a central software to record the activity, notes, changes, approvals, and key dates for a project is so useful for architect firms.
The best programs have a lot of crossover with general contractor (GC) tools and construction management software, except that architects generally don't need to manage subcontracts, estimates, and RFIs to the extent that a GC does.
For that reason, I've included some specialized software as well as general project management software that comes with templates and features that are useful for managing architecture projects.
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.
Projectworks
Best for its robust reporting features
Projectworks is a cloud-based project management software that provides architects with a centralized platform to manage all aspects of a project, from planning and scheduling to budgeting and reporting. It offers a user-friendly interface that simplifies the complexity of project management, making it easier for users to collaborate and communicate effectively. The software allows architects, engineers, and other stakeholders to access the same project data regardless of location. This ability to centralize data ensures all parties involved are working with real-time data and reduces the need to constantly exchange email chains. This also reduces the risk of miscommunication, misunderstandings, or duplication of work.
The platform's dashboard offers a comprehensive view of all the projects architects are working on, including the budget, timelines, and key deliverables. This feature helps users quickly identify projects that are behind schedule or have budget challenges. The software offers a project archive tool that provides a complete record of all project activities.
Projectworks lets users set budgets, track expenses, and analyze costs against project progress. They can allocate costs to specific project phases, monitor expenses in real time, and generate reports for clients and stakeholders. The software offers a comprehensive view of the financials for each project, enabling architects to make informed decisions about budgets and resources.
Pricing is available upon request, and a free trial is available.
Wrike
Best for mid-size and enterprise organizations
Wrike is a collaborative work management platform designed for creative agencies to plan, manage, and complete work at scale.
Project management features include custom workflows, custom dashboards, process streamlining, and collaboration functionalities such as discussion boards, document management, and version control.
One feature Wrike is missing is billing and invoicing capabilities, although it does have a time tracking tool built-in.
Wrike starts at $9.80 per user per month.
Contractor Foreman
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.
Asana
Best for visual project plans
Asana is a project management tool that helps lead architects to create visual project plans for complex projects. The tool has all the project management features that are required or important for keeping projects on track, including tasks and subtasks, due dates, approvals, dependencies, and project templates.
Asana also has a strong portfolio and workload reporting, as well as a suite of admin tools for security, access, and team management.
While Asana has features for communication and collaboration, some users note that it’s easy to lose track of conversations and communications.
Pricing starts at $10.99/user/month.
Mosaic
The must-have planning software for architecture firms
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
Best for CRM capabilities
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).
Deltek Ajera
Best for an all-in-one solution
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.
TeamGantt
Best for creating and maintaining Gantt charts
TeamGantt is a web-based tool with a simple interface for making Gantt charts that can be easily applied to architecture projects. The tool is to drag and drop, which makes it very usable.
TeamGantt also has features for resource and workload management and collaboration, including the ability to view team workloads at a glance, adjust team member availability, track time, and communicate between team members within the software.
TeamGantt works best for smaller and less complex projects, so you may run into some limitations for more complicated projects with lots of phases and task dependencies, or for projects with more team members involved.
TeamGantt starts at $24.95/month.
Notion
Best for customization options and capabilities
Notion is a workspace app that includes boards, tables, lists, document templates, and 30+ types of content that can be manipulated to fit the needs of any architecture project.
The tool is highly customizable, so you can create Kanban boards, to-do lists, and company wikis, as well as catalog design assets and set up projects and tasks in a way that works for you and your team.
Notion is missing a few features that architects might find useful, including Gantt charts, communication tools, and reporting and analytics features.
Pricing for Notion starts at $8/user/month.
monday.com
Best for automation capabilities
monday.com is an intuitive tool for planning, tracking, and collaborating on projects.
The tool includes a robust set of options for automating repetitive and admin tasks, dashboards for tracking and reporting data, and multiple ways to view tasks and projects, including a timeline view, Kanban board view, and calendar view.
Task management features include setting deadlines and dependencies. The tool also includes file sharing capabilities.
This software is missing a few features that architects rely on, including forecasting for future projects and work; version control, which is critical for design; and billing and invoicing features.
monday.com starts at $14/month.
Summary Of The Best Project Management Software For Architects
| Tool | Free Option | Price | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Projectworks Best for its robust reporting features | Free trial available | From $370 /month (for up to 10 users) | Visit Website |
| 2 | Wrike Best for mid-size and enterprise organizations | Free plan available | From $9.80/user/month | Visit Website |
| 3 | Contractor Foreman Best project management, estimate, and invoicing solution | A 30-day free trial is available upon sign-up. | Contractor Foreman’s plans start at $49 per month, billed annually. | Visit Website |
| 4 | Asana Best for visual project plans | Free plan available | From $10.99/user/month | Visit Website |
| 5 | Mosaic The must-have planning software for architecture firms | 30 days free trial | From $9.99/user/month (billed annually) | Visit Website |
| 6 |  Taimer Best for CRM capabilities | Not available | From $16/month/user | Visit Website |
| 7 |  Deltek Ajera Best for an all-in-one solution | Not available | Pricing upon request | Visit Website |
| 8 |  TeamGantt Best for creating and maintaining Gantt charts | 30-day free trial | From $24/manager/month | Visit Website |
| 9 |  Notion Best for customization options and capabilities | Free for 1 admin + 5 guests | From $10/user/month | Visit Website |
| 10 | monday.com Best for automation capabilities | 14-day free trial + freemium plan available | From $8/user/month (billed annually, min 3 seats) | Visit Website |
Other Tools
Here’s a few more that didn’t make the top list. If you need additional suggestions, take a look at these:
- Teamwork
Best for resource management and planning
- Basecamp
Best for communication and collaboration
- ArchiOffice
ArchiOffice is a project management software created specifically for use by architects and architectural firms. It includes time tracking capabilities and works on desktop and mobile.
- WorkflowMax
WorkflowMax is a cloud-based project management software from Xero. It also has lead management, document management, and invoicing capabilities, as well as a good number of integrations.
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?
Value for $: How appropriate is the price for the features, capabilities, and use case? Is pricing clear, transparent, and flexible?
People Also Ask
I’ll cover off some essential questions and answers about architect project management software below.
What software do architects use?
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!