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Project management can be an overwhelming job at the best of times. As a project manager, you often face issues like limited visibility into task progress, miscommunications within your team, and unrealistic stakeholder expectations. That's why its so important to be equipped with the right tools.

In my experience testing project management software, I've seen how effective tools can help users organize tasks, enhance communication, and provide clear insights into project timelines. However, with so many options available, it can be challenging to identify the best fit for your needs.

In this article, I’ll share my top picks for project management software, each based on thorough research and real-world testing, to help you find the solution that best addresses your team's challenges.

Why Trust Our Project Management Software Reviews

We’ve been testing and reviewing project management software since 2012. As project managers ourselves, we know how critical and difficult it is to make the right decision when selecting software.

We invest in deep research to help our audience make better software purchasing decisions. We’ve tested more than 2,000 tools for different project management use cases and written over 1,000 comprehensive software reviews. Learn how we stay transparent & our project management review methodology.

Best Project Management Tools Comparison Chart

Review all the tools we just covered in this convenient table where you can see them side-by-side.

Tool Best For Trial Info Price
1
Smartsheet

The list and Gantt chart in Smartsheet are useful for visualizing project timelines and deadlines.

Best for customizable dashboards

30-day free trial

From $9/user/month (billed annually) Website
2
monday.com

Intuitive interface to help you see your important project data at a glance.

Best for workflow automation

14-day free trial + free plan available

From $8/user/month (billed annually) Website
3
Wrike

Wrike allows you to view project statuses and all relevant project information across your entire portfolio.

Best for large projects and scaling

Freemium version available

From $10/user/month (min of 2 seats) Website
4
Celoxis

Celoxis includes a portfolio dashboard where users can view project data across their portfolio.

Best for simplified planning and workflows

14-day free trial + free demo available

From $25/user/month (billed annually) Website
5
Hub Planner

The Gantt tool offers a visual representation of project tasks and their dependencies.

Best for resource scheduling

14-day free trial + free demo available

From $7/user/month (billed annually) Website
6
Productive

Productive's project management features allow users to assign tasks, track progress, and collaborate with team members.

Best for agency projects and budgeting

14-day free trial

From $9/month (billed annually) Website
7
Bonsai Agency Software

Bonsai allows you to manage your projects, budgets, and related tasks within a single dashboard.

Best for end-to-end agency projects

Free trial available

From $9/user/month (billed annually) Website
8
Hive

Plan projects and tasks, on Kanban-style boards, assign team members, and track progress.

Best for collaborative project management

Free plan available

From $5/user/month (billed annually) Website
9
Polaris PSA By Replicon

The project management dashboard of Polaris PSA provides a comprehensive view of ongoing projects, timelines, and task progress.

Best for real-time project insights

14-day free trial

From $6-29/month Website
10
Workzone

Gain greater visibility with a portfolio-to-task level project dashboard. Organize your work by client or department. Break down tasks and easily see status of your work.

Best for comprehensive project visibility

Free trial available

From $25/user/month Website
11
Resource Guru

The resource scheduling feature in Resource Guru lets users effectively plan and allocate resources for various projects.

Best for multi-resource management

30-day free trial

From $4.16/user/month (billed annually) Website
12
Zoho Projects

Get an in-depth view of status for tasks, projects, milestones, bugs, and more.

Best for integration with Zoho Suite

10-day free trial + free plan available

From $4/user/month (billed annually) Website
13
Quickbase

You can design customized workflows and business applications using the system's code-free builder.

Best for process automation

30-day free trial + free demo available

From $35/user/month (billed annually, min 20 users) Website
14
ReptonPOD

Project On Demand allows users to manage a wide range of project functions, from requirements to planning.

Best for comprehensive planning and execution

30-day free trial

From $31/user/month (billed annually) Website
15
Quire

Quire's nested task list view lets you see what needs to be done now and what's happening next.

Best for task breakdown

Free plan available

From $7/user/month Website

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Best Project Management Software Reviews

Here’s my in-depth review and analysis of the best project management software. I’ll walk you through pros and cons, features and functionality, to help guide you to a better understanding of each tool’s capabilities and suitability for your projects.

 

Best for customizable dashboards

  • 30-day free trial
  • From $9/user/month (billed annually)
Visit Website
Rating: 4.4/5

Smartsheet is a dynamic work management platform designed to facilitate collaboration and automate workflows for teams of all sizes.

Why I picked Smartsheet: With automation, you can set up rules to perform repetitive tasks automatically, which saves you time and reduces the chance of human error. For instance, if you need approval every time a task is completed, Smartsheet can automatically send a notification to the right person. This ensures approvals are dealt with on time to avoid slowing down operations.

I also like Smartsheet's reporting and dashboard capabilities. These tools let you see your project's progress in real-time, which can be helpful when it comes to decision-making. You can customize dashboards to display key metrics, so whenever you log in, you can access the information that is most relevant to your work and role.

Smartsheet Standout Features & Integrations

Standout features include a card view functionality that enables teams to manage tasks visually in a Kanban-style layout, which is ideal for agile workflows. Its critical path feature in Gantt charts also highlights dependencies and ensures teams stay on track. Additionally, Smartsheet includes a built-in content collaboration tool that allows users to review, comment on, and approve files directly within the platform.

Integrations include Tableau, Power BI, Adobe Creative Cloud, HubSpot, Dropbox, Gmail, Jira, Okta, Slack, Microsoft Teams, DocuSign, Zapier, and UiPath. 

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Facilitates collaborative project management
  • Allows for automation of tasks
  • Can tailor the tool to specific project management needs

Cons:

  • Not ideal for simpler project management needs
  • Lacks built-in time tracking

Best for workflow automation

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

monday.com is a work management platform that is highly customizable and can help you manage all kinds of projects and workflows.

Why I picked monday.com: I picked this platform because it has the capacity to automate any type of workflow through customization. The automation center is a space where you can build automations from scratch, select templates that have predefined rules, and even leverage integrations to exchange information between monday.com and other tools in your tech stack.

However, while automations are great, you can also find plenty of features that support collaboration and will help connect your team in many ways. Workdocs will invite teams to co-author documentation, forms will let you gather feedback from external stakeholders and users, and proofing features will allow your team to close feedback loops on deliverables.

monday.com Standout Features & Integrations

Features include a budgeting widget that enables teams to track project costs and compare them against estimates in real-time. Additionally, monday.com’s project templates library provides industry-specific templates to streamline setup for different types of projects and ensure best practices are built into workflows from the start.

Integrations include pre-built connections to apps like Slack, Google Drive, DocuSign, Gmail, Google Calendar, Jira, GitHub, Trello, Dropbox, Typeform and many more. Additionally, you can connect to thousands of additional apps via Zapier.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Easy to connect to other tools via integrations library.
  • Automations are easy to create and require no coding.
  • Can be customized to fit any workflow.
  • Huge focus on collaboration

Cons:

  • The Gantt view cannot be used to build a project from scratch.
  • Some views have trouble auto-updating.
  • Most core project management features are in the Pro plan.

Best for large projects and scaling

  • Freemium version available
  • From $10/user/month (min of 2 seats)
Visit Website
Rating: 4.2/5

Wrike is an all-in-one project management software with powerful features that can support small and large projects at any organization as it scales.

Why I picked Wrike: I picked this tool because it has been in the market for almost two decades and is trusted by companies like Procter & Gamble, Lyft, and T-Mobile. Wrike has many features that I find useful in digital project management, like proofing and approval workflows and blueprints. This last one lets you save a project with its tasks and keep it as a template for future projects that follow the same structure.

Additionally, Wrike's automated workflows help teams with repetitive tasks. Its AI features can even make smart suggestions for workflow automation based on repetitive tasks that your team engages in. Its AI features also offer content creation, editing, risk predictions, task creation, and summaries of task comments. Wrike also offers 24/7 global support and assistance with onboarding for easier platform adoption.

Wrike Standout Features & Integrations

Standout features include Wrike’s comparison mode, which allows you to overlap two versions of the same file on top of each other and use a scrollable bar to toggle between one and the other. Users can also fully personalize their dashboards with widgets like activity streams and pivot tables.

Integrations in Wrike include 400+ pre-built native integrations that include Asana, Airtable, BambooHR, Chargify, Clearbit, HubSpot, Jenkins, Mailchimp, Replicon, Salesforce, and Slack. Additionally, you can build custom automations using its API.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Worldclass onboarding through video walkthroughs.
  • Right-click context menus allow you to do more with fewer clicks.
  • AI features are available in all plans at no extra cost

Cons:

  • Wrike can quickly become expensive
  • 2FA is locked behind the enterprise plan.
  • Integrations come at an extra cost, regardless of the plan.

Best for simplified planning and workflows

  • 14-day free trial + free demo available
  • From $25/user/month (billed annually)
Visit Website
Rating: 4.5/5

Celoxis is a project management software that combines robust features with AI capabilities to simplify workflows and the planning, execution, and delivery of projects. It offers comprehensive tools that include interactive Gantt charts, real-time dashboards, and advanced resource management, providing visibility and control over projects.

Why I picked Celoxis: Its AI-powered insights go beyond traditional tracking, enabling teams to predict risks, optimize resource allocation, and make data-driven decisions to ensure projects are delivered on time and within budget. What sets Celoxis apart is its ability to adapt to diverse organizational needs. Whether you're managing multi-project dependencies, balancing resource workloads, or tracking financials, Celoxis has the tools. Its intelligent automation also eliminates repetitive tasks like reminders and status updates.

Additionally, the platform’s proactive risk management highlights potential bottlenecks and offers actionable solutions, while predictive analytics forecast outcomes and ensure smarter planning. With both cloud-based and on-premise deployment options, Celoxis is scalable to organizations of any size, making it a versatile solution for industries ranging from IT and consulting to construction and finance.

Celoxis Standout Features & Integrations

Features include an integrated timesheet and expense tracking feature that allows teams to log billable and non-billable hours directly within the platform for streamlined invoicing and budget management. Its scenario analysis tool lets project managers test multiple 'what-if' scenarios to forecast project outcomes. Celoxis additionally offers client portals where stakeholders can view project progress, provide feedback, and upload files.

Integrations include pre-built connections with Google Drive, Outlook, Microsoft Project, Excel, Salesforce, QuickBooks, and hundreds of other tools like Jira, Azure DevOps, Slack & Trello.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Advanced reporting and analytics
  • Highly customizable and flexible
  • All-in-one solution

Cons:

  • No mobile app available
  • May not be suitable for small teams or organizations with fewer than 5 employees

Best for resource scheduling

  • 14-day free trial + free demo available
  • From $7/user/month (billed annually)
Visit Website
Rating: 4.2/5

Hub Planner is a project management and resource scheduling software that helps you manage your team's projects as well as their time.

Why I picked Hub Planner: This software made my list because it's especially good for resource planning and employee time tracking. I like that you can plan your projects with the budgeting system, which covers internal and external billing rates as well as project spend. Dependencies also allow you to connect projects with one another and monitor overlap in resource utilization.

Resource planning is ultimately the heart of the platform, and where it truly shines. I think it's useful that you can create employee schedules and do capacity planning to make sure each project is well-resourced. Employees can track their time in the system, keeping track of billable and non-billable hours and the time required for various tasks.

Hub Planner Standout Features & Integrations

Features include the software's skills matching capabilities, which provide resources based on the specific skills needed for projects and tasks, and then assign staff to projects based on their workloads and capacity. Hub Planner also offers a booking confirmation system that allows team leads to confirm or approve resource assignments.

Integrations include DIY options via the Hub Planner API and webhooks. Additionally, you can access thousands of apps using a Zapier account.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Project budgeting included
  • Well-suited to professional service companies
  • Resource management included

Cons:

  • Project management is not the primary functionality
  • Somewhat rudimentary task management

Best for agency projects and budgeting

  • 14-day free trial
  • From $9/month (billed annually)
Visit Website
Rating: 4.7/5

Productive is an all-in-one project management software designed for agencies. It offers comprehensive tools for managing projects, resources, budgets, and client relationships, all within a single platform.

Why I picked Productive: Productive stands out as a good project management software because of its extensive and integrated features that cover the entire project lifecycle. The platform's project management capabilities include detailed task tracking, Gantt charts for visual timeline management, and a robust workload feature to balance team assignments effectively. 

The software also provides real-time budgeting and profitability tracking, enabling managers to stay on top of project costs and ensure profitability. Additionally, Productive offers tracking and invoicing features for accurate billing and financial transparency as well as resource planning for allocating team time and skills effectively.

Productive Standout Features & Integrations

Features include a Sales CRM that provides a complete view of the sales funnel and helps manage client relationships and sales processes. The platform also includes a comprehensive reporting module that offers customizable reports for in-depth analysis and decision-making. Furthermore, Productive’s automation capabilities help with repetitive tasks, freeing up time for more strategic activities.

Integrations include Jira, Slack, QuickBooks, Xero, Zapier, Sage, BambooHR, Google Calendar, Rippling, and HubSpot.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Robust resource planning and tracking capabilities
  • User-friendly interface that simplifies project management tasks
  • Comprehensive features for financial management and reporting

Cons:

  • Initial setup can be time-consuming
  • Could have more integrations

Best for end-to-end agency projects

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

Bonsai is a comprehensive business management platform designed to consolidate multiple functions, from project management to client and financial management.

Why I picked Bonsai: As a project management software, Bonsai uniquely caters to the multifaceted needs of agencies and other services like consultancies and professional service providers. Its interface allows users to manage projects from inception to completion, integrating tools for drafting proposals, managing contracts, and processing payments. This integration reduces the need to switch between multiple tools, which can be especially useful for agencies working with multiple clients.

Furthermore, Bonsai stands out with its robust time tracking and financial reporting features. These tools help businesses keep a close eye on project hours and budgets, which is crucial for maintaining profitability. The platform also supports multiple currencies and tax settings, which is invaluable for those working with international clients. 

Bonsai Standout Features & Integrations

Features include automated invoice generation, which simplifies the billing process by allowing users to create and send invoices directly within the platform. Additionally, the task management tool enables users to assign tasks, projects, and clients to different team members and external collaborators, set deadlines, and track progress, ensuring projects stay on schedule.

Integrations include Gmail, Google Calendar, Zapier, Slack, QuickBooks Online, Calendly, ClickUp, Trello, Google Drive, Google Sheets, Xero, HubSpot, and more.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Automation for repetitive tasks
  • Simple online scheduler
  • Client portal available

Cons:

  • Lack of advanced features
  • May not be best for scalability

Best for collaborative project management

  • Free plan available
  • From $5/user/month (billed annually)
Visit Website
Rating: 4.6/5

Hive is a project management and collaboration platform that powers teams at Starbucks, Uber, Electronic Arts, and Toyota. As the world's first community-built software, Hive's product roadmap is built entirely on customer requests.

Why I picked Hive: Hive centralizes all your work in one place, offering robust task management, flexible project views, dependencies and intake forms. Hive’s goal tracking, time resourcing and analytics capabilities allow for strategic planning and a transparent understanding of teams' workloads and deliverables.

Uniquely, Hive offers native email integration allowing you to easily turn emails into tasks without jumping from app to app. Choose Hive if you’re in the market for a well-laid-out, comprehensive project management tool that can be scaled up or down based on team needs.

Hive Standout Features & Integrations

Features include an 'Action Cards' feature that allows tasks to be enriched with custom fields, subtasks, and comments, making them a central hub for task-related collaboration. Additionally, Hive’s 'Team Resourcing' tool offers dynamic workload tracking, showing team availability and capacity in real-time to optimize resource allocation.

Integrations include Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Jira, QuickBooks and Slack. Thousands of integrations are available using the no-code Hive Automate app.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Easy to integrate with other tools
  • Intuitive & pleasant UI
  • Great all-in-one option for SMBs
  • Excellent built-in communication features

Cons:

  • Mobile version limited in functionality
  • Vastness of capabilities means steep learning curve
  • Reporting functions could be expanded

Best for real-time project insights

  • 14-day free trial
  • From $6-29/month
Visit Website
Rating: 4.3/5

Polaris PSA by Replicon is a professional services automation tool designed to help your team manage projects more effectively. It offers real-time insights into project metrics, enabling informed decision-making and proactive management. 

Why I picked Polaris PSA: I like that its MissionControl feature provides a centralized dashboard where you can monitor project status, resource allocation, and financials in real-time. This holistic view allows for timely adjustments, helping to keep projects on track and within budget.

Another valuable aspect is its intelligent resource management. Polaris PSA uses AI-driven insights to match team members to projects based on their skills and availability. This ensures optimal resource utilization and helps prevent overloading or underutilizing team members, leading to more balanced workloads and improved project outcomes.

Polaris PSA by Replicon Standout Features & Integrations

Features include financial modeling that lets you simulate various pricing and revenue scenarios to optimize project profitability. The governance feature also helps enforce standard processes and workflows across your organization. Additionally, the analytics component offers real-time insights into key performance indicators.

Integrations include Deltek Costpoint, JD Edwards, MS Dynamics, Oracle, Salesforce, Workday, Quickbooks, Xero, Sage, Atlassian, Servicenow, and Zendesk.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • AI-driven resource management
  • Supports multi-level project and program management
  • Real-time visibility into project status

Cons:

  • Occasional performance issues with large data sets
  • Initial setup can be complex, particularly for new users

Best for comprehensive project visibility

  • Free trial available
  • From $25/user/month
Visit Website
Rating: 4.2/5

Workzone is a great project management software for marketing, agency and operations teams of 10+ users. It's powerful yet still easy to use and adopt. It's been used and developed for 20 years, so the company has built some really useful features. If you’ve had difficulty adopting a tool in the past, Workzone provides every customer with unlimited support run by experienced trainers.

Why I picked Workzone: Some of Workzone's noteworthy features include a useful all-projects dashboard, personalized to-do lists, and an interactive Gantt chart. Workzone also offers secure file management and creative review tools, customizable project intake forms, workload management, time and expense tracking, and powerful reporting. Flexible permissions allow for giving different levels of access to different users, providing extra layers of security and control.

For new teams who aren't used to working with a project management software, Workzone is a smart choice because they assist in implementing the software—their team helps your team build the foundation, processes, and discipline you need to get the most out of the software and use it to manage projects successfully. Their level of support is hard to find—they offer needs assessment, success planning, setup and customization, training, and ongoing coaching.

Workzone Standout Features & Integrations

Features include cross-project dependency tracking that enables teams to link related tasks across multiple projects to ensure smooth coordination and avoid bottlenecks. Workzone also provides advanced email integration, which allows team members to update tasks and communicate progress directly from their email.

Integrations are available with standard industry software, including various communication, IT, file sharing, time tracking, accounting, marketing, and CRM software. You can extend Workzone’s functionality through their extensive APIdeveloper API and Zapier.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Easy template creation from existing projects
  • Thoughtful collaboration so you don’t have to dig for comments
  • Portfolio-to-task level visibility with robust filtering

Cons:

  • Waterfall and board views are separate
  • No video mark-up tool
  • Delayed tasks negatively affect independent tasks on the timeline

Best for multi-resource management

  • 30-day free trial
  • From $4.16/user/month (billed annually)
Visit Website
Rating: 4.7/5

Resource Guru is a resource management tool designed to help teams efficiently allocate and monitor their resources. It offers features that assist in scheduling people, equipment, and meeting rooms, ensuring optimal utilization.

Why I picked Resource Guru: It offers a dynamic schedule view that provides a comprehensive overview of team availability, helping you manage project workloads across different time zones. The software also integrates leave management into work schedules, allowing for easy incorporation of time off and sick days. Furthermore, its customizable booking features let you adjust project schedules and manage bookings according to your needs, while the activity log tracks changes to minimize scheduling conflicts.

Additionally, Resource Guru supports multi-resource bookings, allowing for simultaneous scheduling of multiple team members and resources, and integrates with external calendars like Google Calendar and Outlook for a unified scheduling experience.

Resource Guru Standout Features & Integrations

Features include project forecasting reports that provide insights into project timelines and resource utilization to help identify potential issues early. The platform also offers a daily schedule email that keeps everyone updated on their tasks, which eliminates the need for manual updates, as well as a single resource pool to manage people, equipment, and meeting rooms in one place.

Integrations include Google Calendar, Microsoft Outlook, Apple Calendar, Slack, Salesforce, and other compatible applications that can be connected through Zapier.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Comprehensive reporting features
  • Good leave management system
  • Offers flexibility in managing different types of resources

Cons:

  • Could offer more native integrations
  • Approval workflows are limited to higher-tier plans

Best for integration with Zoho Suite

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

Zoho Projects is a project management application that can handle projects of all sizes and levels of complexity. The tool comes with features that imitate social networking sites such as feeds, forums, and discussions, and is available on mobile for iOS, Android, and other systems.

Why I picked Zoho Projects: For project planning and monitoring, Zoho Projects' Gantt chart features let you break large projects down into manageable sections and actionable tasks, plan and visualize different tasks and milestones, and create tasks lists to help you plan in better detail. Zoho Projects' Gantt charts can also be used for resource allocation, so you can visualize your project schedule and the team's workload. The resource usage table tells you who is available, who is busy, and who is overloaded.

With Zoho Projects, you can define dependencies between tasks and assign them to the right people, schedule events in your calendar, and monitor the percentage of work that's been completed once the work has begun. Automate routine tasks at regular intervals by setting up a recurring task, and set reminder emails for tasks.

You can also create or download project documents, presentations, and spreadsheets, as well as upload and share files for team collaboration. Record the hours spent on tasks and compare them with what you had originally planned. This can be done manually or with the help of an integrated timer. Entries are automatically recorded in your timesheet, and generating invoices from this information requires only a few clicks.

Zoho Projects Standout Features & Integrations

Features include advanced dependency management with four types of task dependencies (Finish-to-Start, Start-to-Start, Finish-to-Finish, Start-to-Finish) for precise scheduling and planning. Additionally, Zoho Projects' in-built SLA tracking for tasks ensures deadlines are met by automatically monitoring response times and escalating delays to keep projects on track.

Integration include several of Zoho’s other services such as Zoho Books and Zoho’s finance suite. The new Zoho marketplace allows 3rd party integrations as well, like Microsoft Office 365, Microsoft Teams, Google Drive, Zapier, Zendesk, and ServiceNow. Integrations via Zapier and Zoho Flow are also supported.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Time-track multiple tasks at once
  • Robust communication features
  • Easy workflow automations
  • Unlimited number of projects

Cons:

  • Lack of file type export options
  • Lacks some reporting features
  • Does not integrate with Quickbooks

Best for process automation

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

QuickBase is a project management platform that focuses on workflow design, automation, and compliance. It provides a no-code application builder to help you craft and manage various business processes.

Why I picked QuickBase: This software made it onto my list because of its versatility and customizability. Because it's such a flexible tool, it can be applied in all different types of work settings and contexts. You can use it to build clear, streamlined processes for your teams, creating consistency and ensuring standardized best practices are followed.

In addition to outlining your core workflows, you can also automate parts of them. The builder allows you to not just map your applications but also to automate tasks and develop integrations with other tools as needed. This helps you alleviate manual workloads, reduce the risk of manual error, and streamline how work gets done across your organization.

QuickBase Standout Features & Integrations

Features include advanced governance tools that allow organizations to maintain compliance by tracking and auditing workflows, ensuring adherence to regulatory standards. Additionally, QuickBase offers real-time collaborative app-building that enables teams to work together to design and refine processes, fostering innovation and reducing development time.

Integrations include Outlook, Microsoft Teams, Google Workspace, Slack, Box, Dropbox, OneDrive, Trello, Asana, Jira, Zendesk, and Docusign, among others.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Highly customizable and flexible to suit various contexts
  • On-premise options with enterprise level plans
  • FDA & HIPAA compliance with higher-tier plans

Cons:

  • Some features come as paid add-ons
  • Not all integrations are available with all plans

Best for comprehensive planning and execution

  • 30-day free trial
  • From $31/user/month (billed annually)

Project On Demand is a project management tool designed to manage time, budget, and quality across the project lifecycle.

Why I picked Project On Demand: Project On Demand is an excellent choice for project management due to its comprehensive feature set that enhances both planning and execution. It offers robust tools for creating and managing projects, allowing users to define requirements, set objectives, and allocate resources effectively. The software's advanced scheduling and budgeting features help keep projects on track and within budget.

Additionally, Project On Demand excels in quality control and stakeholder management. Its integrated risk management and issue tracking tools ensure that potential problems are identified early, allowing for swift resolution. The platform also facilitates clear communication and collaboration among stakeholders, making it easier to keep everyone aligned on project goals. 

Project On Demand Standout Features & Integrations

Features include a 'Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis' feature that enables teams to evaluate and prioritize projects based on a weighted scoring system tailored to organizational goals. Its 'Integrated Quality Gates' tool also ensures that projects meet predefined standards at key phases, which reduces the risk of downstream issues.

Integrations include Microsoft Office 365, QuickBooks, and various CRM systems.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Risk and issue management
  • Good stakeholder management
  • Can handle a wide range of project management functions

Cons:

  • Navigating the platform could be more intuitive
  • Outdated interface

Best for task breakdown

  • Free plan available
  • From $7/user/month
Visit Website
Rating: 4.6/5

Quire is an award-winning project management software for remote teams that aims to simplify workflows and encourage communication and collaboration. It is trusted by hundreds of thousands of users all over the world, including those from big companies across diverse industries such as Google, IBM, Dyson, Nasdaq, and Stanford.

Why I picked Quire: I chose this software because it's built for teams that struggle to take big goals and make them more manageable. I can see how it will help you with this by creating and tracking tasks and subtasks within each greater project item. Three main view modes in Quire include a nested task list view, Kanban view, and timeline view. Quire also helps users manage and track their tasks regardless if they are solo users or working as a team.

Quire Standout Features & Integrations

Features include an 'Infinite Nested Task List' feature that allows users to break down large projects into unlimited levels of subtasks, providing unparalleled granularity in task organization. Additionally, Quire supports offline access with automatic synchronization, which ensures team members can continue working on tasks even without an internet connection, making it ideal for remote or on-the-go teams.

Integrations include Slack, Github, Google Workspace, Microsoft, and many more tools, as well as thousands of integrations through Zapier (paid plan required).

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Easy to customize
  • Intuitive user interface & dashboard
  • Excellent for time tracking
  • Free to use

Cons:

  • More integrations needed
  • Mobile app not as robust as web
  • Additional communication tools welcomed

Other Software

  1. Bubble PPM

    For portfolio management

  2. Miro

    For collaborative whiteboards

  3. FigJam

    For creative collaboration

  4. Microsoft Project

    For teams using Microsoft 365

  5. Rocketlane

    Client portals for sharing insights

  6. Nifty

    For milestone tracking

  7. MeisterTask

    For simple project management

  8. Kintone

    For custom applications

  9. Backlog

    For software developers

  10. Teamwork.com

    For remote teams

Other Types Of Project Management Software

Check out our list of project management tools we've identified and tested for specific industry use cases or with particular features.

Project Management Software for:

Project Management Software with:

If you still haven't found what you're looking for here, check out these tools closely related to project management software that we've tested and evaluated.

Video Walkthrough of Project Management Tools

Check out our video on the top project management tools:

Selection Criteria for Project Management Software

We’ve been testing and reviewing project management software since 2012, so we know that selecting the best project management tools requires a detailed analysis of each tool's features and how well it meets specific use cases. My approach is also rooted in extensive personal experience, having tried and researched numerous online tools for project management.

Here’s how I evaluate these project manager tools, broken down into specific criteria, each with its own set of weightings to reflect their importance to the overall selection process.

Core Functionality (25% of total score)
To be considered for inclusion on this list, each solution had to fulfill these common use cases:

  • Creating and managing tasks
  • Assigning tasks to team members
  • Tracking project progress
  • Setting and monitoring deadlines
  • Collaborating on projects

Additional Standout Features (25% of total score)
To help further narrow down the competition, I also looked for unique features, such as:

  • AI-driven task prioritization
  • Seamless integration with other business tools
  • Customizable workflow automation
  • Real-time reporting and analytics
  • Industry-specific templates

Usability (10% of total score)
To get a sense of the usability of each system, I considered the following:

  • An intuitive and well-designed interface
  • A minimal learning curve for new users
  • Responsive performance for large projects
  • Mobile and desktop accessibility
  • Clear and easy navigation

Onboarding (10% of total score)
To evaluate the onboarding experience for each platform, I considered the following:

  • Step-by-step onboarding guides
  • Interactive product tours
  • A library of video tutorials and documentation
  • Customizable templates to get started quickly
  • Regular webinars or live training sessions

Customer Support (10% of total score)
To assess each software provider’s customer support services, I considered the following:

  • 24/7 support channels
  • A detailed and up-to-date knowledge base
  • Live chat support for real-time assistance
  • Timely responses to support tickets
  • Access to a community forum for peer support

Value For Money (10% of total score)
To evaluate the value for money of each platform, I considered the following:

  • Transparent and flexible pricing plans
  • Essential features included in the base plan
  • Scalable options for growing teams
  • Cost balanced with functionality and performance
  • A free trial or money-back guarantee

Customer Reviews (10% of total score)
To get a sense of overall customer satisfaction, I considered the following when reading customer reviews:

  • Ease of use highlighted in user feedback
  • Emphasis on tool reliability
  • Mentions of exceptional customer support
  • Consistent updates and feature improvements
  • Overall value based on user sentiment

How to Choose Project Management 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
ScalabilityEnsure the software can grow with your team, handling increased projects, users, and data without a performance drop.
IntegrationsLook for tools that connect seamlessly with apps your team already uses, like Slack, Zoom, or Salesforce.
CustomizabilityCheck if you can tailor workflows, dashboards, and reports to match your team’s unique processes.
Ease of UseChoose a platform that’s intuitive, minimizes training time, and boosts adoption across your team.
BudgetFactor in upfront costs, recurring fees, and hidden charges. Ensure the software delivers value at a reasonable price.
Security SafeguardsPrioritize tools with strong encryption, user permissions, and compliance with industry standards to protect your data.
Collaboration ToolsLook for features like real-time editing, comments, and shared dashboards to streamline team communication.
Support OptionsConsider the availability of live chat, phone support, or help centers to resolve issues quickly.

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.

Tools for managing software are evolving rapidly, reflecting a clear trajectory toward more intelligent and flexible tools in project management. Here, I have identified several key trends shaping the future of project management technologies:

  • AI Integration and Automation: AI is transforming project management tools by automating tasks such as generating status updates, drafting goals, and optimizing workflows. Machine learning enhances task prioritization, resource allocation, and risk assessment, while AI-driven features like Smart Workflows and Onboarding streamline project setup and team ramp-up processes. Additionally, tools like Smart Digests and Bundles provide quick insights into project changes and apply rules and templates across multiple projects, improving efficiency and scalability.
  • Customization and Flexibility: Project management tools increasingly focus on customization, offering features like Capacity Planning, Goal Templates, and Custom Project Icons. These options enable organizations to align job management software with their unique processes and goals, improving resource management and fostering collaboration across teams.
  • Seamless Collaboration: Modern tools prioritize hybrid work models, supporting both in-office and remote teams with features like cloud-based access, real-time updates, and integrated communication tools. Shared task lists, document sharing, and real-time editing capabilities also help centralize collaboration, while strong mobile and web interfaces enhance accessibility and productivity across locations.
  • Industry-Specific Features: While many project management tools are designed for versatility, many tools now also cater to specific industries with specialized functionalities. For instance, construction project management software often includes on-site reporting tools, while software development platforms emphasize code repository integration.

What is Project Management Software?

Project management software is a tool to help individuals and teams plan, resource, manage, schedule, and organize project tasks and resources to deliver projects efficiently and effectively. Collaboration features keep team and tasks organized, helping to hit milestones, align on deliverables, deliver within budget and timeline constraints, and ultimately meet project goals.

By consolidating project planning, task management, resource allocation, time tracking, and communication into a single tool, personal project management tools allows effective management and control of project variables. Project organization tools can also provide real-time visibility into project status, enabling project managers to make quick decisions and adjust a project to keep it on track.

Features of Project Management Software

Selecting the best tool for project management for your team involves understanding the key features that contribute to a streamlined project management process. Here, I highlight the most crucial features to look for when searching for a project managment tool to solve your specific needs.

  1. Task Management - This feature supports task creation, assignment, and tracking to ensure that projects are manageable and team responsibilities are clear.
  2. Collaboration Tools - These tools facilitate real-time communication and collaboration, keeping teams informed and fostering a cohesive work environment.
  3. Resource Management - These features ensure projects stay on budget by allocating, tracking, and optimizing resources like personnel and deadlines.
  4. Project Planning and Scheduling - Features such as timelines, calendars, and Gantt charts track progress and clarify task roles, ensuring plans and deadlines are met.
  5. Reporting and Analytics - Reporting tools provide insights into project performance, resource utilization, and more to help users identify trends and adjust strategies as needed.

Choosing project software with these features can significantly enhance a team's ability to manage workloads, meet deadlines, and track project progress effectively.

Benefits of Project Management Software

Implementing business team management software tools can provide several benefits for your team and your business. Here are a few you can look forward to:

  1. Enhanced Collaboration: Tools used in project management can foster a collaborative environment by providing a central platform for team members to communicate, share documents, and track project updates. This centralized communication eliminates misunderstandings and ensures everyone is on the same page.
  2. Improved Project Planning: Effective planning is crucial for successful project execution. The best tools to manage projects offer features for scheduling, resource allocation, and milestone tracking, enabling users to create more realistic and achievable project plans.
  3. Better Resource Management: Allocating resources efficiently is key to project success. Users can view resource availability, manage workloads, and prevent over-allocation, ensuring optimal use of both human and material resources.
  4. Enhanced Risk Management: Identifying and mitigating risks is easier with a software management tool. It can provide functionality for risk assessment, tracking, and response planning, which helps in minimizing the impact of potential issues on the project.
  5. Data-Driven Decision-Making: With real-time data and analytics, project planning software enables informed decision-making. Users can track performance metrics, analyze trends, and make adjustments to keep the project on track and within budget.

Costs & Pricing for Project Management Software

Other than features, pricing is likely the biggest factor to consider when choosing project management planning tools. PM software costs can vary widely; however, pricing plans typically fall into similar categories and price points across the market.

It is important to understand these categories as you evaluate your options to balance the features you need with a price that suits your budget. The last thing you want is to pay a premium price for common features or features that you won't use.

Here's a breakdown of typical project management plan options and their pricing to help you determine which type of plan will be right for you:

Plan Comparison Table for PM Software

Plan TypeAverage PriceCommon Features
Free$0Task management, basic reporting, limited user access, limited storage
Basic$7 - $15 per user/monthEnhanced task management, project templates, file sharing, basic integrations, all features of Free plan
Intermediate$20 - $30 per user/monthAdvanced reporting, customizable dashboards, more users and storage, additional integrations, all features of Basic plan
Advanced$30+ per user/monthResource management, advanced security, premium support, API access, customizable features, all features of Intermediate plan
A breakdown of plan types, costs, and features for project managment tools.


Take the time to analyze different plans, their offered features, and how they align with your organization's needs and growth to get a sense of the tool management software market and determine what you are willing to pay.

As a general rule of thumb, it is a good idea for smaller teams or those new to online project management to start with Basic plan or even a free project management tool, which can offer essential features without overwhelming complexity. As your team grows or your project needs evolve, upgrading to Intermediate or Advanced plans can unlock more sophisticated tools and customizations.

Common stages where your company may want to upgrade their pricing plan include:

  1. Team Expansion: When a company is hiring more employees or forming new teams, the current pricing tier might not support the increased number of users.
  2. Project Volume Increase: As a company takes on more projects simultaneously, they may move to a higher tier with more comprehensive project management features and higher data capacity.
  3. Advanced Feature Needs: A company will often upgrade when it requires advanced features such as enhanced reporting or security features.
  4. Storage Requirements: An increase in project-related files can push a company to upgrade to a tier that offers more storage capacity and better software management.
  5. Client Management: As a company scales and manages more clients, the need for advanced client management tools can prompt a move to a higher pricing tier.

Ultimately, the right project management tool plan for you should balance functionality with budget, ensuring that the tool you select meets your current needs and can scale with your organization.

New & Noteworthy Product Updates

Below you’ll find our release notes and take on the latest and greatest project management app product updates. Discover what’s now possible through feature releases, improvements, and updates on web, desktop and mobile apps. Learn what’s new, if it’s hot - or not, and why it matters for managing projects. 

Q4 2024 Project Management Software Updates

monday.com Update Notes

monday.com’s new Sprint Performance Dashboard offers real-time insights into sprint metrics, enabling teams to make data-driven decisions throughout the sprint cycle.

The Engineering Performance Dashboard is a new feature in monday dev that integrates with GitHub to provide real-time insights into development workflows. It tracks key metrics such as time to pull request, code review, approval, merge, and overall cycle time, offering a comprehensive view of the development process.

This dashboard includes tables displaying items currently in each phase and their histories, detailing item names, pull request links, story points, owners, and time spent in each phase. These features can also help teams identify bottlenecks and make data-driven decisions to enhance efficiency.

Currently in beta, the Engineering Performance Dashboard is accessible to users with the GitHub integration enabled. Development teams, project managers, and stakeholders aiming to optimize their development cycles and improve workflow transparency will find this feature particularly beneficial.

Verdict: Hot! Accurate data tracking can be difficult, so anything that makes it easier is a great improvement.

Wrike Update Notes

AI Widget Generation in Wrike allows users to create dashboard widgets effortlessly using natural language descriptions.

In Q4 2024, Wrike introduced AI Widget Generation, a feature that enables users to create dashboard widgets using natural language descriptions. By simply typing phrases like "leads by channel" or "leads by month column chart," the system generates the corresponding widgets, streamlining the dashboard customization process. This functionality is currently available in Wrike Labs under the Work Intelligence preview and requires activation to access.

This enhancement is particularly beneficial for project managers, data analysts, and team leads who regularly utilize dashboards for reporting and data visualization. The AI-driven approach reduces the time and effort needed to set up widgets, allowing users to focus more on interpreting data and making informed decisions. Additionally, it lowers the barrier for those less familiar with manual widget configuration, promoting broader adoption of advanced reporting tools within teams.

By leveraging AI, Wrike aims to simplify complex tasks and provide users with intuitive tools that adapt to their needs, fostering a more efficient and user-friendly environment for project management and collaboration.

Verdict: Hot! It may still be in the preview stage, but this update has excellent potential to streamline data visualization in the future.

Zoho Projects Update Notes

Zoho Projects' updated task and timesheet settings offer enhanced customization, streamlined task management, and improved time tracking for better project oversight.

In Q4, Zoho Projects enhanced its task and timesheet settings to provide users with greater control and customization over their project management processes. Key updates include the ability to maintain task order even after completion, assign unique prefixes and IDs to tasks, and set task durations in either days or hours. Additionally, users can configure task dependencies, enabling automatic adjustments to successor tasks when predecessor tasks are modified.

For timesheet management, Zoho Projects now offers settings to restrict time logging based on user roles, allowing only task or issue owners, any project member, or associated team members to log time. Users can also enable or disable time logging for closed tasks and issues, set daily and weekly log hour limits, and restrict time logs on holidays, weekends, or during leave periods. These features aim to enhance accuracy and compliance in time tracking.

These updates are particularly beneficial for project managers, team leads, and administrators who seek to optimize task management and time tracking within their projects. By leveraging these customizable settings, teams can improve workflow efficiency, ensure accurate time logging, and maintain better oversight of project timelines and resources.

Verdict: Not. While these updates certainly help make workflows more customizable and efficient, they are not particularly innovative.

Quickbase Update Notes

Quickbase’s new Document Creation feature enables streamlined generation of professional documents like invoices and proposals directly within applications.

The Q4 2024 Quickbase release introduced several enhancements, notably the general availability of the Document Creation feature. This tool enables users to generate documents such as invoices, proposals, and purchase orders directly within their applications. Recent updates include the ability to preview and download PDF versions of document templates, improved header and footer toolbar options for adding current dates, page numbers, and total page counts, and enhanced accessibility of the Document Templates builder page. Additionally, new documents now default to the Letter page size. 

Builders will also be able to include table, summary, and chart reports from any table using the report element in the Document Template builder page. Editable HTML tables will also support grouping rows, providing more flexibility in document formatting. Moreover, the custom email builder now allows the generation and inclusion of documents in scheduled emails, expanding its functionality beyond trigger-based emails. 

Overall, the enhanced Document Creation feature streamlines the process of producing professional documents directly from Quickbase applications, improving operational efficiency and user experience. These updates will be particularly beneficial for application builders and administrators who require efficient document generation and integration within their workflows. 

Verdict: Hot! No one likes switching between multiple applications. The more features you can have all in one place, the better! 

Miro Update Notes

Miro's Docs feature enables users to create comprehensive text documents with AI assistance, integrating diagrams, images, and videos in a unified workspace.

Miro has released several updates to enhance collaboration and customization. Key additions include Custom Shape Packs, which allow users to upload and share personalized shapes, and a Docs feature that supports AI-assisted drafting and integrates diagrams, images, and videos for seamless document creation within the workspace.

Miro has also improved integrations and the user interface. The Microsoft Copilot integration allows Miro boards to be accessed directly in Teams via search prompts, while the AWS Cloud View integration helps visualize AWS infrastructure in Miro, enabling collaborative assessment. Additionally, Miro expanded language support to Polish and Korean and introduced a streamlined UI for easier navigation.

These updates benefit design, project management, and IT professionals aiming to improve team collaboration. Customization options, enhanced integrations with Microsoft and AWS, and broader language support make Miro more accessible, efficient, and effective for a global user base.

Verdict: Hot! AI summarization is a trendy new feature, and expanding the languages available is just one more step to becoming a truly global tool. 

Hub Planner Update Notes

Hub Planner's updated UI simplifies resource and project group management with enhanced design, improved navigation, and unified filtering.

In Q4, Hub Planner updated its user interface to enhance the management of resource and project groups. These groups, which can be created manually or through smart filters, help organize teams and projects efficiently. The latest UI improvements aim to simplify the process of building and managing these groups, making the platform more intuitive and user-friendly.

Key enhancements include a more compact design that occupies less screen space, refined column layouts for better visibility of selections and outputs, and resized buttons for a cleaner interface. Additionally, a unified search function now filters across all columns simultaneously, streamlining the filtering process. These updates are designed to make group management more straightforward and efficient.

Project managers, team leads, and resource coordinators who utilize Hub Planner for scheduling and resource management will find these updates particularly beneficial. The improved UI facilitates quicker navigation and more effective organization of resources and projects, enhancing overall productivity and user experience.

Verdict: Not. Project and resource groups are awesome, but UI updates are not exactly trending.  

Visor Update Notes

Visor's Gantt chart feature can now integrate Asana and Salesforce data, offering unified, real-time project and portfolio management.

In Q4, Visor introduced a new integration with Asana, enabling users to consolidate multiple Asana projects into a single platform. This integration allows for the creation of Gantt charts, dashboards, spreadsheets, Kanban boards, multi-project roadmaps, and capacity planning charts, facilitating seamless portfolio management and collaboration.

The bi-directional integration ensures that any updates made in Visor are reflected in Asana and vice versa, maintaining data consistency across platforms. This feature is particularly beneficial for teams using various SaaS applications, as it eliminates collaboration silos and unifies project data.

Project managers, product managers, and teams seeking to enhance their project visualization and reporting capabilities will find this integration especially valuable. By leveraging Visor's tools, they can achieve clearer alignment with stakeholders and improve overall project management efficiency.

Verdict: Not. An integration with Asana is an amazing update, but it is not new in the landscape of project management software solutions.

Productive Update Notes

Productive’s new retainer rollover hours allow businesses to carry over unused hours from one budget to the next, ensuring better time and resource utilization. 

In Q4, Productive introduced several enhancements to improve user experience and operational efficiency. Notably, the platform now supports retainer rollover hours, allowing users to manage unused hours by carrying them over to subsequent budgets. This feature is beneficial for agencies and businesses that operate on retainer agreements, ensuring better utilization of allocated time and resources. 

The update also includes advancements in automation capabilities, such as the integration of webhooks and the ability to create invoices automatically. These enhancements enable users to streamline workflows by connecting Productive with external applications and automating invoicing processes based on specific budget events. Additionally, reporting functionalities have been improved with the introduction of OR/AND filters and a dedicated bills report, offering more flexible and detailed data analysis. 

These updates are particularly advantageous for project managers, financial analysts, and team leads seeking enhanced control and collaboration within the platform.

Verdict: Hot! Managing money is a sensitive and important part of project management. Anything that makes it easier is a welcome addition! 

Kintone Update Notes

Kintone’s new Maintenance Mode feature allows administrators to temporarily restrict app access to perform updates or checks without disrupting regular users.

In Q4, Kintone introduced several updates to enhance application management and user experience. A key feature is the new Maintenance Mode, which allows administrators to temporarily make apps private during essential updates and checks. While in this mode, regular users are notified of the app's unavailability, ensuring that only administrators can access and modify settings.

Additionally, Kintone has revamped its front-end architecture, particularly within the Kintone Marketplace, to facilitate faster product improvements. This overhaul includes updates to the design and layout of settings pages, enhancing user navigation and interaction. Furthermore, the REST API now supports streamlined management of inline editing permissions, allowing users to retrieve and update these settings across multiple apps more efficiently. 

These updates are particularly beneficial for system administrators and developers who require greater control over app accessibility and maintenance. 

Verdict: Hot! No one likes to have their work interrupted by updates, but this new feature makes interruptions much more manageable. 

ClickUp Update Notes

The new Custom Relationships feature in ClickUp allows users to filter views and reports based on tailored data connections for more precise insights.

ClickUp's Release 3.36 introduces several enhancements aimed at improving user experience and productivity. Notably, users can now filter views and reports by Custom Relationships, allowing for more tailored data insights. Additionally, Microsoft Teams link previews enable users to view shared Teams content directly within ClickUp tasks, Docs, and Chat, reducing the need to switch between applications. 

The update also includes a new 'My Work' page for mobile users, consolidating tasks, events, and calendar entries into a single, organized view grouped by day. This feature facilitates efficient task management on-the-go, allowing users to create tasks, view event details, and complete reminders with ease. 

These enhancements are particularly beneficial for project managers, team leads, and mobile users who require streamlined workflows and improved integration between communication platforms.

Verdict: Hot! Better data, better integration, and better mobility, all in one update! 

Project Management Software FAQs

Here are some of the frequently asked questions I receive about project management software.

Why Use Project Management Software?

Project management software can help your team streamline workflows, optimize resources, and make data-driven decisions, making it an essential tool for modern project execution. With features like resource allocation, collaboration tools, task scheduling, risk management, budgeting, and reporting, project management software enhances efficiency, improves visibility, and ensures accountability. Moreover, by providing real-time insights into progress, it empowers teams to anticipate roadblocks, control costs, and make timely adjustments to stay on track.

How Do You Implement Project Management Software?

Implementing project management programs will look very different depending on the size of your organization.

  • For a small company, it’s counting how many people need access to the software, buying the licenses, and configuring the product.
  • For a mid-sized organization, it triggers a change management project. Planning for a new tool requires addressing the existing system, which, good or bad, is familiar to users. Implementing a PM tool involves engaging with affected users and securing stakeholder buy-in.
  • For a large corporation, it means managing change alongside strategy. At the enterprise level, choosing a new tool requires evaluating its impact on users, projects, goals, and overall strategy. Combine this with the security demands of such a large-scale implementation, and it quickly becomes complex.

Whatever the size of your organization, I suggest you schedule a demo with the vendor, inquire about training and configuration support, and ensure your budget accommodates both implementation and future growth.

What Can You Do with Project Management Software?

Project management platforms allow you to streamline your work.

  • You can collaborate with your team in a centralized platform, comment on tasks, tag people who need to get involved in the conversation and have stakeholders interact with the project through portals or guest accounts.
  • You can enhance your visibility to everyone on the team of the project timeline. This will help keep your team aligned and alert them when the timeline has shifted.
  • You can automate parts of your work that are repetitive, such as pinging individuals when a task is completed, or approvals are received.

Should I Choose Software Based on My PM Methodology?

Yes, your PM methodology directly impacts the features you need and influences your choice of software. For example, traditional methodologies like Waterfall require task lists, dependencies, and milestones, while Agile approaches like Kanban prioritize board views for visual task management and collaboration. Additionally, agile project management tools, such as Jira or Trello, often provide features specifically designed to support sprints, backlog management, and iterative workflows.

Moreover, since Kanban boards and other methodology-specific features often appear in higher-tier plans, your methodology will also affect your budget and choice of software plan.

What is the Easiest Project Management Software to Use?

Easy project management tools are both that is easy to use and easy to learn. Although this might be different from person to person, I do have a list of some tools that fit this criteria, like Wrike, monday.com, and Hive.

In this list of the easiest project management software, I compare them and give them start ratings based on ease of use and available documentation.

What is the Best Project Management Software for Small Business?

The best project management software for small business is Zoho Projects, Trello, Asana or any other simple project management tool. A solution that offers a decent amount of features for a low price per user, and can scale with you as you grow.

What is the Best Free Project Management Software?

If you are interested in a list of free and freemium options, have a look at our list of free project management software. However, you'll often find that these tools aren't really free - there are always limitations. While some restrict the number of users, others limit the number of projects, file storage space, or have a much steeper learning curve.

Otherwise, open source project management software exists, like ProjectLibre, but it comes at a cost, usually in terms of usability and functionality.

Finally, if you're really strapped for cash, you can use Google Workspace or Microsoft Office (Excel, PPT, and Word), though the features and functionality will be lacking.

Security and Data Privacy Within Project Management Software

Security and data privacy are critical in online task management tools to protect sensitive information, comply with regulations, build trust, prevent unauthorized access, maintain data integrity, ensure business continuity, and minimize both internal and external threats.

Therefore, improper security measures mean that data can be vulnerable to unauthorized access, theft, or breaches, potentially leading to significant financial and reputational damage.

Here are some of the security features you can expect to see:

  • Compliance with European standards: With GDPR came a revolution in how SaaS companies handle data privacy for their customers. The common theme is for these companies to work with the hosting services of massive companies, like Amazon, and have servers in different parts of the world.
Author's Tip

Author's Tip

Some vendors allow you to select the location where you would like your instance to be hosted. Make sure you ask.

  • Data encryption: Data encryption keeps your information hidden from 3rd parties. This encryption is normally in transit and at rest. This means your information is protected while being sent or simply stored.
  • Security certifications: Expect the vendor to be certified in ISO 27001, SOC2 Type I, Type II, CSA STAR, and similar.

Some vendors will be more transparent than others when displaying their security and data privacy information, but they all have it. If you cannot see that right away, ask for clarification during your demo call.

project management software logos list

What's Next?

Choosing a project management software can be very hard. Remember that if you want to have more information about a specific use case, you can always schedule a demo with the vendor. This will clarify how the tool can solve the particular problems you are trying to solve.

The Digital Project Manager has tons of useful content to help you win at work! You can stay up to date by subscribing to the Insiders Newsletter. New content and interesting PM-related conversations will drop into your inbox every week.

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!