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There are seemingly countless cloud-based project management software solutions available, so figuring out which is best for you is tough. You want to plan, manage, and control your projects better, but need to figure out which tool is the best fit. I've got you! In this post I make things simple, leveraging my experience managing big, complex projects, and using dozens of different PM tools to bring you this shortlist of the best cloud-based project management software.

What is cloud-based project management software?

Cloud-based project management software is a tool that helps teams plan, organize, and manage their work over the internet. Unlike traditional software that you install on a specific computer, this software runs on servers in the cloud and can be accessed from anywhere with an internet connection. It lets teams collaborate in real time, share documents and information easily, and keep track of all aspects of a project, like deadlines and budgets. This makes it easier for people who are in different locations to work together and stay updated on the project's progress.

Overviews Of The Best Cloud-Based Project Management Software

Read the individual tool overviews to find what makes this tool great for hosting projects online. The description includes stand-out features, integrations, and pricing information.

1

monday.com

Best for its customization and capacity to handle almost any workflow.

This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.
4.7
8702 reviews

14-day free trial + free plan available

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

monday.com is a great project management software because of the way the tool has done away with a lot of the trimmings of typical management tools and focused on simple, visually appealing layouts that help clarify the sequence of work.

Why I picked monday.com: With this software, you can upload and attach files to cards, comment, mention teammates, and more. It also offers a great project reporting dashboard that can collect data from multiple boards, allowing better tracking abilities of progress. And while monday.com doesn’t offer a complete set of tools for project accounting and invoicing solution as other tools, you can use monday.com to track hours, timelines, and invoices.

Overall, it’s a highly customizable tool that lets you work in whatever methodology—kanban or otherwise—that fits your project and team. You’ll also find some useful workflow tools for automating parts of your process.

monday.com Standout Features & Integrations

Features include resource and project management, agile views, dashboards, automation, collaborative docs, time tracking, mentions, comments, forms, and reporting features.

Integrations include project management apps like Slack, Google Drive, Gmail, Google Calendar, Basecamp, Jira, GitHub, Trello, Dropbox, Typeform and many more, accessible via Zapier.

Its free forever plan is available for up to two users and allows a max of three boards.

Pros

  • Huge focus on collaboration
  • Long list of supported integrations
  • Easy to customize a workflow or Board
  • Helpful visual/color coding customization

Cons

  • Complex pricing rubric
  • Timeline & Gantt views not available in free version
2

Smartsheet

Best for its sheet-based approach to project management

This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.
4.4
7400 reviews

Freemium version available

From $7/user/month

Smartsheet is a spreadsheet-like project management tool that has won a few awards for quickly becoming a favorite business app. It’s an excellent project management software if you’re comfortable working in Excel but want a break from complicated formula.

Why I picked Smartsheet: It performs all the calculations for you across multiple sheets. You can also add customized brand logos and set color themes for individual projects.

In Smartsheet, team members get notified of critical changes in real-time, and the tool provides shared views, detail history, activity logs, automated alerts, reminders, and status reports to keep everyone aligned and informed. The 'critical path' feature highlights all the tasks which directly impact your project completion date to keep an eye on important milestones. Reporting is a strong feature of this tool, with editable summary reports that you can easily export to Excel.

Smartsheet Standout Features & Integrations

Features include workflow automation, dashboards, reports that consolidate multiple sheets, resource management and visualization of tasks in Gantt, calendar, and card views.

Integrations include Microsoft and Google apps, as well as development essentials like Jira, and useful business apps like Salesforce, ServiceNow, Slack, Box, and Tableau. The platform is extensible through a REST API and webhooks.

Non-profit discounts are available under certain conditions. If this is your case, contact their team for more information.

Pros

  • Sheet-to-sheet linking
  • Many project templates & resources
  • Import quickly from Excel, MS Project, Trello, and Google Sheets
  • Easily customizable dashboards

Cons

  • Jira, Salesforce, Dynamics connector limited to Premier plan
  • Changes don’t update in real-time
  • Can't customize chart colors
3

ClickUp

Best for companies looking to consolidate their ops in one tool

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

Freemium plan available

From $9/user/month

ClickUp is a project management software tool with powerful features for managing and completing all your team's projects in one platform.

Why I picked ClickUp: You can have project management, task management, and resource management in a centralized workspace, as well as communicate and collaborate with team members and guests.

Task management features include task checklists, subtasks, and task templates, as well as the ability to filter, sort, search for, easily reorder, and view tasks in the manner most convenient for the team. You can also create Gantt charts, calendars, and timelines to visualize tasks.

ClickUp also includes features for creating, sharing, and collaborative editing for Wikis and documents. Users can comment on documents and tasks, assign comments, and chat with other team members for increased communication and collaboration. Reporting features include the ability to create custom dashboards, as well as six built-in report types for team reporting.

ClickUp Standout Features & Integrations

Features include collaborative docs, time tracking, 2-way calendar sync, templates, scrum points, proofing, clips, recurring checklists, and critical path.

Integrations include Slack, G Suite, Hubspot, Toggl Track, Outlook, Loom, Zoom, Sentry, Dropbox, and Zendesk. You can also integrate with 1,000+ apps through Zapier. Finally, its public API is great for custom integrations with your current tech stack.

ClickUp's free plan is robust and includes all primary features.

Pros

  • Free forever plan allows unlimited members
  • Unlimited file storage on all paid account tiers
  • 50+ widgets to customize your dashboard
  • Great interface on desktop, web and mobile app

Cons

  • Read-only guest permissions are limited to paid account
  • Reporting suite is limited to paid plans only
  • Freemium plan limits use of storage, projects, and custom fields
4

Wrike

Best cloud based project management software with enterprise-level security

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

Free plan available

From $9.80/user/month

Wrike is an easy-to-use online project management software that is flexible, adaptable, and configurable for project teams of anywhere from five to an unlimited number of members. The tool enables users to switch between customizable Kanban boards, Gantt charts, and classic workload views.

Why I picked Wrike: You can view project timelines on a Gantt chart, add dependencies through drag-and-drop, and create Kanban boards from several templates.

Wrike allows users to create personal dashboards from task lists, and managers can see team workloads at a glance and adjust resources to maximize employee capabilities and availability. The tool also includes features to create advanced, customizable reports that can be automatically scheduled or exported externally.

Wrike Standout Features & Integrations

Features include task lists, shared calendars, custom workflows and automations, and file sharing, as well as collaboration features such as live editing, commenting, and instant @mentions.

Integrations include 400+ pre-built native integrations with Zendesk, Miro, Tableau, Salesforce, Microsoft Teams, MediaValet, and QuickBooks, as well as with file management software from Microsoft, Google, and Dropbox. Wrike also has a well documented API that you can use to build custom integrations.

Wrike starts at $9.80/user/month, with a free version available. Paid plans come with a free 14-day trial.

Pros

  • Flexible to individual team needs
  • Excellent automations and Kanban board templates
  • Helpful support team and resources for onboarding

Cons

  • Steeper learning curve than other tools on this list
  • Customization options and range of features can be overwhelming
5

Hub Planner

Best to track project costs via a billing rates extension

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

30-day free trial

From $7/user/month (billed annually)

Hub Planner is a cloud-based project management software that helps users plan and execute projects of any size. This software makes it easy to keep your team members informed and up-to-date on the latest developments in a project.

Why I picked Hub Planner: The software lets you assign tasks, track milestones, and monitor their project budgets. It offers a variety of reports and dashboards to help you monitor your project progress, plus tools to optimize your workflow with features such as task dependencies, Gantt charts, and resource utilization reports.

Its built-in messaging system lets you quickly and easily communicate with all your team members in one centralized location. Its detailed activity logs show you exactly what each team member is working on at any given time.

The software’s billing rates extension allows you to see the cost of a project in real time. By entering the billing rates for each team member, you can see how the project cost will change based on the number of hours worked. This feature can also generate client invoices and is especially useful for projects with tight budgets, as it helps users avoid overspending. Hub Planner's flexible reporting tool gives you the ability to customize reports so that you only see the data that's relevant to you.

It also includes a file-sharing feature that allows users to upload and share files with other users in the same workspace, to improve team collaboration. All files are encrypted and can only be accessed by users with the correct permissions. Users can simply drag and drop files into the workspace, which will automatically be shared with other users.

Other features include a Gantt chart tool allows you to visualize projects and see how different tasks are interconnected, and an action item feature that tracks tasks to ensure they're completed on time, helping improve productivity and preventing essential tasks from falling through the cracks.

Hub Planner Standout Features & Integrations

Features include a task extension, built-in templates, resource management, resource availability, timesheets with approvals, custom fields, time-off management, and reporting.

Integrations include Basecamp and thousands of third-party applications available through Zapier.

Pros

  • Advanced billing rate extension reduces project overspending
  • Affordable price point
  • Useful communication and collaboration features keep team members on track

Cons

  • 24/7 support not available in 1st pricing tier
  • Specific software integration details are not readily available
6

Zoho Projects

Best for its low price point and user friendly interface

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

Free trial available

From $5/user/month

Zoho Projects is a project management tool that's built with customization features that enable it to adapt to just about any industry. It allows users to virtually meet online, collaborate over chats, discuss comments or collaborate within documents.

Why I picked Zoho Projects: The tool provides Gantt charts with a simple drag-and-drop interface to plan projects, resource utilization charts to plan work allocation, and numerous reports and charts to analyze and track project metrics. Other capabilities include time tracking, issue tracking, budgeting and portfolio management. Users can also automate routine work processes like assigning users to work items, updating fields, or sending notifications with workflow rules and blueprints.

Zoho Projects Standout Features & Integrations

Features include time tracking, issue tracking, budgeting, portfolio management, task management, task automation, blueprints, time and issue tracking, and reporting.

Integrations include tools such as Google Drive, Google Calendar, Slack, Github, Bitbucket, and Dropbox. Access even more integrations through Zapier.

Zoho Projects has a free plan for up to 3 users.

Pros

  • Freemium plan available
  • Integrates with other Zoho solutions
  • Time tracking & timesheets functionality

Cons

  • Vast feature list results in cluttered dashboard
  • Steep learning curve
7

Forecast

Best for AI and automation capabilities

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

Free demo available

Pricing upon request

Forecast is an cloud-based project management software that allows users to manage projects, resources, and finances, and includes capabilities for managing entire portfolios and single project milestones or tasks.

Why I picked Forecast: Its auto-schedule feature assists with project planning by automatically estimating task durations, assigning resources, and setting deadlines. Other AI capabilities include timesheet suggestions based on historical data, cost and budget estimation, and more. The tool can also automatically calculate utilization rates.

The tool also includes Kanban boards, the ability to organize project tasks into sprints, and a variety of charts and reporting features for measuring task progress, project progress, sprint velocity, and more. It can also generate insights and reports on each project's revenue, costs, and profit based on planned and actual work.

Forecast Standout Features & Integrations

Features include resource management, retainer budget-type projects, auto-schedule, project accounting, business intelligence, and AI-based recommendations.

Integrations include several pre-built integrations with Expensify, Hubspot, HiBob, Harvest, Jira, Pipedrive, and Salesforce. It also complements accounting systems like Quickbooks and Xero with PM capabilities.

Pros

  • Includes AI-powered auto-scheduling and time entry suggestions
  • Easy to use, implement, and get up and running
  • Highly flexible and customizable

Cons

  • No browser extension for time tracking
  • No asset management features
  • Minimum of 10 seats
8

Hubstaff

Best online project management software for progress tracking

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

14-day free trial

From $7/user/month

Hubstaff Tasks is a cloud-based project management tool that offers several task organization and progress tracking features. Users can stay on top of projects and collaborate with teams on one platform.

Why I picked Hubstaff: It uses Kanban as its user interface, and you can create task cards and organize them in different columns based on their respective project stages. You can create labels, set deadlines, and attach files to your tasks. The app also lets you communicate with teammates through task comments, which notify them when they are mentioned.

The app has a Sprints view that shows users all the tasks assigned to them in one location, eliminating the need to manually search through each project board. In this view, you can organize tasks by current sprint, future sprint, or backlog.

Hubstaff Tasks also lets you create custom workflows, which can automate moving tasks to different project stages and assigning them to team members.

Hubstaff Standout Features & Integrations

Features include client budgets, attendance, custom workflows, invoicing, scheduling, payments & payroll, expense tracking, timesheet approvals, and time-off management.

Integrations include over 30 different tools, including Asana, Breeze, Insightly, Pivotal Tracker, Paymo, Jira, Slack, Payoneer, Gusto, and Salesforce.

Pros

  • Intuitive and easy to navigate interface
  • Team notifications make collaboration simpler
  • Switch between Kanban and Sprints views for better project planning
  • Automate moving tasks forward with custom workflows

Cons

  • No reporting features
  • Only one integration
  • Limited free plan
9

nutcache

Project management tool with mobile time tracking functionality and capable of processing invoices.

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

Free plan available

From $6/user/month (5 users minimum)

Nutcache is an online project management tool with a suite of communication and collaboration tools built into daily workflow processes.

Nutcache features include project management, project budgeting, task management, time tracking, expense tracking, online invoicing, and reporting capabilities. The tool is a collaborative workspace with features for live editing, commenting, and mentions.

Nutcache lets you use custom workflows, divide work into manageable chunks, prioritize tasks, assign multiple members to a task, define budget alerts, set budget tracking by the hour or amount, use KPIs to stay on budget, and has a roadmap of features to come.

Integrations include Dynacom Accounting, PayPal, 2Checkout, Stripe, Authorized.Net, Google Sign In, and GitHub.

Nutcache is free to use for up to 20 users. Paid plans start at $6/user/month with a minimum of 5 users and offer a free trial.

Pros

  • Easy to set up and learn
  • Unique time management features
  • Customizable workflows

Cons

  • No option to create recurring tasks
  • Notes can’t be quickly added to stopwatch
  • Limited customization in the invoicing module
10

PSOhub

All-in-one Project Management seamlessly integrating with all CRMs

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

30 days free trial (no credit card)

From $8.50/user/month

PSOhub is professional services automation (PSA) software that provides all-in-one project management, enabling users to maintain visibility into all facets of the process, from deal won to deliverables and all the moving parts in between. PSOhub was designed with marketing and creative agencies in mind, but it can be used by anyone from accounting firms to architects to managed IT services companies and beyond.

Key features include predictive project management, accessible task management, smart contract management, real-time resource management, time and expense tracking, and invoicing. PSOhub’s best features are its self-driving tools, which automate project setup, milestone alerts, time tracking, and more. While automated and self-driving features handle repetitive and time-consuming tasks, users can focus less on administration and more on serving clients.

Integrations include CRMs like HubSpot, Salesforce, and Dynamics 365 and accounting software like Quickbooks, Xero, and more. Additional integrations are available via Zapier and PSOhub’s API.

PSOhub costs from $8.50/user/month and offers a 30-day free trial.

Pros

  • Robust time tracking tool built-in
  • Excellent integration opportunities
  • User-friendly, easy to onboard

Cons

  • No freemium plan
  • Resource management module limited to highest plan

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The Best Cloud-Based Project Management Software Comparison Chart

Here is a convenient table where you can look at all the tools we just covered in the overviews. If, however, you would like to expand your research, we have more tools below.

Tool Trial Info Price
1
monday.com

Best for its customization and capacity to handle almost any workflow.

14-day free trial + free plan available

From $8/user/month (billed annually, min 3 seats) Website
2
Smartsheet

Best for its sheet-based approach to project management

Freemium version available

From $7/user/month Website
3
ClickUp

Best for companies looking to consolidate their ops in one tool

Freemium plan available

From $9/user/month Website
4
Wrike

Best cloud based project management software with enterprise-level security

Free plan available

From $9.80/user/month Website
5
Hub Planner

Best to track project costs via a billing rates extension

30-day free trial

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

Best for its low price point and user friendly interface

Free trial available

From $5/user/month Website
7
Forecast

Best for AI and automation capabilities

Free demo available

Pricing upon request Website
8
Hubstaff

Best online project management software for progress tracking

14-day free trial

From $7/user/month Website
9
nutcache

Project management tool with mobile time tracking functionality and capable of processing invoices.

Free plan available

From $6/user/month (5 users minimum) Website
10
PSOhub

All-in-one Project Management seamlessly integrating with all CRMs

30 days free trial (no credit card)

From $8.50/user/month Website

Other Cloud-Based PM Software Options

Here are other online software options that did not make it to the top 10 but are worth your consideration.

  1. GoodDay

    Work management platform with support for Scrum, Kanban, and more.

  2. Favro

    Best online project management software for agile methodologies

  3. CROOW

    Best online project management software with time tracking

  4. Height

    Best for its Mac and Windows desktop clients

  5. GanttPRO

    Best online project management software for Gantt charts

  6. Kintone

    Best for its easy creation of custom project workflows you can automate

  7. Teamwork

    best online project management software for customizability and flexibility

  8. Celoxis

    Best for project portfolio management and collaboration

  9. Ravetree

    Best cloud based PM software for professional service providers

  10. Visor

    Best for real-time collaboration with unlimited viewer-only accounts

  11. ESPMI

    Best online project management software for organizations that manage a diverse portfolio

  12. Kissflow

    Project management software with minimalistic user interface for easy navigation

  13. Basecamp

    An all-in-one online project management software for busy teams that need a streamlined workflow experience with minimal fluff

  14. Scoro

    Online project management with customizable real-time dashboards where you can track the metrics, charts, conversions and actionable items

  15. Trello

    Agile project management tool with modest plans for startups and integrations with over 100 popular apps

  16. Avaza

    Powerful collaboration with email enabled-discussions and 50+ real-time reports that can be customized and scheduled for automatic delivery.

  17. Freedcamp

    Intelligent project management system used by Airbnb and Google with iOS, Android, and desktop applications

  18. Asana

    Lightweight task management interface that uses kanban-style cards to visually organize tasks, statuses, and deadlines

  19. OpenProject

    Web-based open source project management software to support teams along the entire project management life-cycle.

How I Picked The Best Cloud-Based Project Management Software

I evaluated and compared the most popular project management tools on the market, both for their reviews and user interface. Then I weighed factors that make software a good option for project management, such as the ones that follow.

User Interface (UI)

I looked for tools that had intuitive interfaces that helped me create projects easily. I find it important to have an interactive interface where I can quickly organize my project tasks.

Key Features

  • Cloud storage - The ability for all your information to live on the vendor's cloud, saving you a lot of moolah in infrastructure expenses.
  • Gantt chart and/or Kanban board – Does the software have graphs and charts to support task and project timelines, including dependencies and deadlines? A Gantt chart can make it easier to track complex projects, while a Kanban board can give you a quick look at the work to be done.
  • Communication – Does the tool make it easy to collaborate and communicate with your team? Some tools will even break outside of company boundaries and let you communicate with external stakeholders and contributors (like freelancers).
  • Task lists – The tool should make it clear what needs to be done, by whom, and by what deadline.
  • Customizable Reporting – Can you easily pull data from the software and visualize it in a variety of formats?

Usability

I searched for tools that can streamline your projects, rather than becoming a bottleneck. This includes intuitive navigation and extra information we can grab from knowledge bases, training videos, and learning academies.

Integrations

The beauty of cloud-based PM software is that it can connect to other tools via the internet. Therefore, I look at any pre-built integrations to tools like Airtable, Jira software or the Microsoft Office suite. I looked at all the ways in which the software can expand its capabilities. This also includes connections through third-party software, and any APIs available for you to build custom integrations.

Pricing

I searched for information regarding the tool's pricing, free trials, free versions and any discount information relevant to acquiring the software.

Cloud-Based Project Management Software FAQs

Find out answers to common questions about this topic.

online project management software logos list

What's Next?

Once you decide on a project management software, I suggest you learn how to get the most out of a demo. You may also want to check out how to build a Gantt chart and create a project kickoff that will leave everyone with open mouths.

Related tool lists:

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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. Ben's a Certified Scrum Master, PRINCE2 Practitioner and productivity nut.