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10 Best Desktop Project Management Software In 2023

Best Desktop Project Management Software Shortlist

If you want to see where your favorite tool ranks, this is your happy place.

  1. 1. Wrike — Open multiple tabs and get a better experience than their browser platform.
  2. 2. monday.com — An almost perfect reflection of their browser experience.
  3. 3. ClickUp — The same robust platform, but with offline access to work from anywhere.
  4. 4. Height — Best project management for software developers
  5. 5. Zoho Projects — Collaborative, visual, & feature-rich desktop project management software
  6. 6. Microsoft Project — Reliable software that is best for limited-to-no internet connection.
  7. 7. Trello — An easy-to-learn platform with offline sync in your mobile.
  8. 8. Hive — Lives in your computer as Windows or MacOS dedicated software.
  9. 9. ActiveCollab — Best for small projects with time tracking needs
  10. 10. BLUE — Best for for small businesses with small budgets

Let's talk about desktop project management software. Are you tired of having 15 tabs open at all times, one of them being the project management software you use every day? Would you like to get notifications right on your desktop telling you about the activity in your projects?

This list is a specific branch from our best project management software list. In this post, I will talk about desktop project management software. Believe me when I say it wasn’t an easy feat finding these tools. After several days of research and what felt like Frodo’s journey from the Shire to Mordor, I finally got your winners.

The software on this list is mostly cloud-based project management tools, but digging deeper into the ones that offer you a desktop experience. A software that you install in your computer, lives there, you can configure to give you notifications on your desktop and finally free you from the chains of the browser experience.

You will notice that I’ve highlighted some of them for their ability to provide offline connectivity (look for the word ‘offline’ in brackets) since I believe it is important for you to know which software can work without an internet connection.

Comparison Criteria

What do I look for when I select the best desktop software? Here’s a summary of my evaluation criteria: 

  1. User Interface (UI): Is the tool visually friendly? In the case of the tools who have a SaaS version of it, I will focus on the similarity between the desktop and online versions.
  2. Offline synchronization: I will point out which project management app is good for managing projects on-the-go.
  3. Integrations: I’ll look into the expansion capabilities of each tool through integrations with other productivity software.
  4. Licensing: I will look at the costs of having the desktop version (if any) and how it compares to cloud-based software.

Desktop Project Management Software Key Features

We expect a desktop app and desktop software to have the same features as cloud-based solutions. Let’s list here some of the features that you can find in these project planning tools.

  1. Integrations: Connecting the software to other platforms. i.e. Google apps.
  2. Task management: Ability to track project tasks and move them within the project workflow.
  3. Communications: A place within the software where team members communicate to increase team collaboration across multiple projects.
  4. Automations: Feature that allows you to streamline recurring tasks by allowing the software to trigger actions on your behalf.
  5. Views: Workspaces that show your information in different ways, including task list, Gantt chart, kanban board, and calendar view.
  6. Resource management: A feature where we can see our team’s workload, or how many projects they are assigned to, for example.
  7. Templates: Pre-made content that can serve as a starting point for your projects.
  8. Access Control: The ability to set permissions per user so that only the right people edit the tasks.
  9. Dashboards: Section within the platform where you can monitor the overall progress of your projects.
  10. Time management: Module that helps you track individual tasks and measure their impact on your deliverables.

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Overview Of The 10 Best Desktop Software You Need In 2023

Here’s a brief description of each project management solution to showcase noteworthy features in their desktop environment, and screenshots to give you an idea of the user interface.

1

Wrike

Open multiple tabs and get a better experience than their browser platform.

Wrike is a collaborative work management platform that decided to replicate the browser experience within their desktop app. This added multiple tab functionality gives it on my scale a 10/10 in user friendliness.

Regarding offline mode, the desktop version does not have it. I decided to label this tool as an offline desktop app because their mobile app allows you to work while on the road. So, if you have to travel for work, make sure you download their mobile app so you can keep working offline. Tasks will sync once you regain internet connection.

Wrike offers 400+ pre-built native integrations, including integrations with the most popular file management software from Microsoft, Google, and Dropbox, along with sales and marketing software from Salesforce and Marketo.

Wrike is free for up to 5 users. Paid plans cost from $9.80/user/month and come with a 14-day free trial.

This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.
4.2 2544

Free plan available

From $9.80/user/month

2

monday.com

An almost perfect reflection of their browser experience.

monday.com is a self-proclaimed workOS that is constantly developing new features and products for their users. Mid-2020 was when they re-released the desktop version of their platform and the one being discussed in this review.

The user interface is as friendly as the browser, having the same color scheme, buttons, and visuals around your workspace. Unfortunately for this desktop tool, there is no offline synchronization. This means you will still have to be hooked up to an internet connection if you want to track that project progress.

One final thought. I noticed this app is a little slower with navigation and loading, so bring out all your mindfulness knowledge to let go of the added stress.

monday.com’s integrations include project management apps like Slack, Google Drive, Gmail, Google Calendar, Jira, GitHub, Trello, Dropbox, Typeform and many more, accessible through a paid plan with Zapier.

monday is free for up to 2 users. Paid plans cost from $6/user/month and come with a 14-day free trial.

This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.
4.7 8065

14-day free trial + freemium plan available

From $8/user/month (billed annually, min 3 seats)

3

ClickUp

The same robust platform, but with offline access to work from anywhere.

ClickUp is a force to be reckoned with. This San Diego based productivity platform wants to be a one stop shop for us. Because of that ambition, I found in my research that they are constantly updating their platform, releasing new features every week! Whoa!

Their desktop app has been built as a native app for Windows, MacOS, and Linux. This means it was designed, planned, and adapted to run smoothly on your computer. Visual friendliness is high as it is easy to find your way around it and feels uncluttered.

As you can see in the screenshot above, ClickUp has offline sync for its desktop app! Time to go to that cabin by the lake with no internet service. You’ll be able to keep creating tasks and reminders or tracking time and the app will automatically sync your information when it recovers an internet connection.

ClickUp offers native integrations with Slack, G Suite, Dropbox, and many more tools, as well as over 1,000+ integrations through Zapier.

ClickUp is free with limited storage for an unlimited number of users. Paid plans start at $5/user/month and offer a free-trial.

This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.
4.7 4135

Freemium plan available

From $9/user/month

4

Height

Best project management for software developers

Height is a robust and feature-rich project management app designed to help product managers, designers, and professional agencies manage projects, streamline workflows, and get everyone involved on the same page.

The tool can be accessed and deployed through the web or downloaded and used as an on-premise solution. Both Windows and macOS versions are available to download on the vendor’s official website.

As an all-in-one project management tool that supports desktop and mobile use, Height offers several features that benefit businesses and teams of any size, at scale from visualization tools that include spreadsheets, calendar views, Kanban boards, and Gantt charts to automation tools, task forms, and a code-to-task function.

The code-to-task feature is quite impressive as it allows users to automatically create tasks from code comments. It helps project leads and managers turn //todo into tasks that can be allocated to different team members. This function works with any code editor or integrated development environment (IDE), including VSCode, Xcode, Vim, and Sublime. It also supports up to 38 programming languages, including Python, JavaScript, and Ruby.

The task forms feature enables users to turn incoming requests for work into actual tasks. Task forms are a crucial factor in creating an efficient intake process with the capacity to help standardize work requests. The forms will contain structured sets of questions that need to be answered, which reduce the back-and-forth between project leads and individual team members.

Task forms also allow key stakeholders and clients to submit tasks using shareable links. Project managers can gather and manage requests from clients using the task forms, which can be customized to add company logos and colors.

The Height app is free with unlimited users and tasks. For teams looking for more than what the free version can offer, the paid plan starts from $6.99 per member/month with a 30-day free trial.

30-day free trial available

From $8.50/user/month

5

Zoho Projects

Collaborative, visual, & feature-rich desktop project management software

Zoho Projects is a full-featured project management tool that runs on the desktop. It allows users to collaborate on tasks, track progress, and set deadlines in an organized manner. The user interface can be customized depending on the team’s needs and preferences. Several helpful features include time tracking, task lists, interactive timelines, milestones tracking, analytics reports, and resource allocation capabilities.

Zoho Projects’ task management feature allows users to organize their tasks into lists and assign them to team members. Tasks can be grouped into larger projects so that team members can easily see what tasks need to be completed for each project. The software includes powerful collaboration tools such as discussion groups, calendar integration, and notifications when changes are made by other users. It provides a centralized location for documents so all team members can always access the same information. Users can track the progress of their projects with the help of Gantt charts, which visualize all tasks related to a project in one place. Zoho Projects helps reduce time spent on manual processes such as creating reports or assigning new tasks since everything is automatically updated in real-time as work progresses. This makes it easier for leaders to quickly evaluate progress from anywhere at any time via the cloud-based interface.

Zoho Projects’ time tracking feature allows businesses to monitor how much time each team member spends on tasks and adjust resources accordingly. It offers reporting tools that allow users to track progress throughout a project's life cycle and generate detailed reports based on activity logs from specific projects or multiple projects simultaneously. These reports are customizable and exportable in multiple formats, including PDFs, spreadsheets, and images, making it easy for teams to review them offline when needed.

Integrations include Microsoft Office 365, Microsoft Teams, Google Drive, Zendesk, and ServiceNow. Integrations via Zapier and Zoho Flow are also supported. Being part of the Zoho ecosystem allows you to connect to several of Zoho’s own services for Sales, Marketing, CRM, customer service, and more.

Zoho Projects costs from $5/user/month and comes with a 10-day free trial.

This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.
4.2 286

10-day free trial + freemium plan available

From $5/user/month

6

Microsoft Project

Reliable software that is best for limited-to-no internet connection.

For all of Gen Z, Microsoft Project is the Asana of years past. This tool was first released in 1984 and was a project manager’s favorite for a long time, you know, before the internet mostly. Although a classic, Microsoft has never stopped reinventing the tool and adapting it to current project needs.

The interface is as friendly as it can be given that it’s based on spreadsheets. The real win comes from its availability as a stand-alone offline desktop software. If you are the only one who needs visibility of the project plan, and travels constantly, this might be your best choice.

The desktop version lacks the integrations that you love from other online tools. If you want to expand your platform’s functionality with integrations though, you should check out Microsoft Project for the web where you can have integrations with the Microsoft suite and more starting at $10/user/month.

MS Project’s one-time license starts at $679.99

This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.
4.5 18

30-day free trial

From $10/user/month

7

Trello

An easy-to-learn platform with offline sync in your mobile.

Known for their Kanban-style task management view, this $425 million acquisition by Atlassian started making its way to our desktops in 2017. When the desktop version was released, Trello had already built a mobile version of their browser experience and gone through the process of mirroring their features on another platform.

Their desktop app clearly shows the results because it feels exactly like the software I used to use back in 2014 at my marketing agency. I’ve always liked how intuitive and visually appealing their boards are. Choosing a background for your board is such a silly thing but I love the feeling that level of personalization gives me.

Regarding offline synchronization, they have it! but only in their mobile app. Better than nothing, right? At least I can get some work done when I travel.

Integrations are called power-ups, and you can add as many as you want to a board regardless of your plan.

Trello has a free plan and their paid plans start at $5/user/month.

This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.
4.4 12685

Free trial + freemium plan available

From $6/user/month

8

Hive

Lives in your computer as Windows or MacOS dedicated software.

Hive is a productivity company based in New York. According to user reviews, one of the main reasons people like it is because of how easy it is to learn, and I agree with them. The first time you get your hands on Hive, as any new user, you begin clicking around. After a few minutes I found myself repeating the phrase “it makes sense”.

Their user interface is intuitive and simple. Anything can be found after a couple of clicks, and can be a good tool to adopt as your operation grows. At a competitive price, it has the features needed for teams of all sizes. Unfortunately for this desktop app, it does not work unless you have an active internet connection.

Hive integrates with Google Drive, MS Teams, Slack, Salesforce, Jira, and many more via a paid plan through Zapier.

Hive is free for up to 2 users. Paid plans cost from $12/user/month and come with a 14-day free trial.

This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.
4.6 417

14-day free trial

From $16/user/month

9

ActiveCollab

Best for small projects with time tracking needs

Starting as an open source project, ActiveCollab has been in the market for over a decade. Although not one of the top contenders in productivity tools, this product checks all the boxes for this list.

After using it for a few minutes, it was clear to me that this is a friendly interface. The layout is consistent throughout the different modules, which makes it easy to find your way around it. With a list, column, and timeline view, it has all the necessary ingredients for you to bake your next project.

ActiveCollab has both a mobile and desktop (beta) version of their software, but there’s no offline mode on any of them.

They have a free plan and their paid plans start at $6.25/user/month with a 14-day free trial.

This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.
4.3 80

14-day free trial

From $6.25/user/month (free up to 3 users)

10

BLUE

Best for for small businesses with small budgets

Bloo, founded in 2018, is a project management tool that wants to serve small businesses. Their price point is lower than other software companies of the category and removes the ‘per user’ payment that we’ve gotten so used to. Flat fee for the month, people!

Their desktop application can be installed through your Google Chrome browser, and it requires an internet connection to work. The interface is very friendly, as you can see in the screenshot. Testimonials from users point out the same thing as well as how easy it is to learn to use it.

If you are looking to do some offline work, their mobile apps (iOS & Android) have offline mode! As the platform is updated every month, we might see offline mode in their desktop app soon.

Integrations: None. Automations: yes.

Pricing flat fee at $50/month.

This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.
3.8 22

$50/month

The 10 Best Desktop Software You Need In 2023 Summary

Tool Free Option Price
1
Wrike

Open multiple tabs and get a better experience than their browser platform.

Free plan available

From $9.80/user/month Visit Website
2
monday.com

An almost perfect reflection of their browser experience.

14-day free trial + freemium plan available

From $8/user/month (billed annually, min 3 seats) Visit Website
3
ClickUp

The same robust platform, but with offline access to work from anywhere.

Freemium plan available

From $9/user/month Visit Website
4
Height

Best project management for software developers

30-day free trial available

From $8.50/user/month Visit Website
5
Zoho Projects

Collaborative, visual, & feature-rich desktop project management software

10-day free trial + freemium plan available

From $5/user/month Visit Website
6
Microsoft Project

Reliable software that is best for limited-to-no internet connection.

30-day free trial

From $10/user/month Visit Website
7
Trello

An easy-to-learn platform with offline sync in your mobile.

Free trial + freemium plan available

From $6/user/month Visit Website
8
Hive

Lives in your computer as Windows or MacOS dedicated software.

14-day free trial

From $16/user/month Visit Website
9
ActiveCollab

Best for small projects with time tracking needs

14-day free trial

From $6.25/user/month (free up to 3 users) Visit Website
10
BLUE

Best for for small businesses with small budgets

Not available

$50/month Visit Website

Other Options

This space will be populated with your recommendations on desktop software that other project managers can take advantage of when working on their next project. Let me know in the comments!

  1. Merlin Project

    Gantt, kanban, and mind mapping for macOS

  2. Smartsheet

    Google Chrome app integrated with Google’s suite

  3. Teamwork

    Native desktop app that works exactly as the browser app

  4. RationalPlan

    Project management software that follows PMBOK guidelines

What is desktop project management software?

Project management desktop software refers to tools that live in your computer and are independent from browser applications that live inside one of the tabs in your internet browser.

Desktop software should perform the same as cloud-based software, offering task management, resource management, and collaboration options to name a few.

What do you think about this list?

There you have it! A list of software you can consider for your team or company if you are looking to move away from apps that only live inside browsers. If you have tried any software other than the ones on this list and think it should be considered, let me know in the comments.

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By Galen Low

I am a digital project management nerd, a cultivator of highly collaborative teams, and an impulsive sharer of knowledge. For the past decade, I've been shaping and delivering human-centered digital transformation initiatives in government, healthcare, transit, and retail. I'm also the co-founder of The Digital Project Manager and host of The DPM Podcast.

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