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20 Best Project Planning Software Shortlist

Here's my pick of the 20 best software from the 40 tools reviewed.

The best project planning software helps you streamline project timelines, allocate resources effectively, and stay on track to meet deadlines, so you can focus on delivering results.

With over 20 years of experience as a project manager at leading digital agencies, I've witnessed firsthand how disorganized planning can result in missed deadlines, miscommunication, and wasted resources. My hands-on experience, paired with an additional decade as a software reviewer, has underscored for me the critical importance of utilizing the right tools for achieving success.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through the most effective project planning solutions that will save you time, reduce friction, and help you achieve project goals. For each tool, I’ve carefully researched its key features, pros and cons, and unique qualities to help you find the right fit for your needs.

Why Trust Our Software Reviews

We’ve been testing and reviewing project planning software since 2012. As project managers, we know how critical and difficult it is to choose the right software.

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

Best Project Planning Software Comparison Chart

Here is a table where you can compare the tools we just reviewed in the overviews.

Best Project Planning Software Reviews

Here’s a brief description of the project planning software on my list showing what it does best, plus screenshots to showcase some of the features.

Best project planning software for agencies

  • Free plan available
  • From $10/user/month (billed annually)
Visit Website
Rating: 4.2/5

Wrike is a project planning tool and is ideal for teams of five members to an unlimited number of members. It offers tools for predicting and preventing delays, visualizing deadlines, and monitoring project progress. The tool is highly configurable, allowing users to customize workflows, dashboards, reports, and request forms. For Danilo Coviello, Founder of Espresso Translations, Wrike proved to be a major time-saver: “Wrike saved me 8 hours per week that used to go into scheduling. I now spend that time I have saved on building new relationships with clients.”

Wrike’s interface is highly visual, and allows users to switch between Kanban boards, interactive drag-and-drop Gantt charts, and traditional workload views to understand priorities. Project planning capabilities include task lists, subtasks, schedules, file sharing, and real-time communication and collaboration.

Wrike includes a robust mobile application that allows users to update team members or upload files and photos. Users can switch between calendars, dashboards, and task lists, and keep an eye on notifications and messages. Wrike also has a dedicated help center with interactive training, videos, a ‘Getting Started’ guide, and a thriving community.

Wrike offers a host of pre-built templates, including a phased project template, which can help break a complex project into manageable chunks, as well as a simple project scheduling template. Real-time reporting helps project managers allocate resources and adjust workloads, and requests keep repetitive admin to a minimum.

Wrike includes over 400 pre-built native integrations, including integrations with the most popular file management software from Microsoft, Google, and Dropbox.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Variety of project views met different user needs
  • Holistic, comprehensive task modeling
  • Ease of use and setup

Cons:

  • Drag and drop feature not flexible
  • Commenting system needs to be more prominent
  • Best features limited to Business plan

New Product Updates from Wrike

Streamlining Workspaces with New Updates
Visual of Wrike's custom space templates allowing streamlined workspace setup with various template options.
October 19 2025
Streamlining Workspaces with New Updates

Wrike announces custom space templates, AI Agents in Wrike Labs, and a new Guage widget to improve project management. For more information, visit Wrike's official site.

Best software for planning project workflows

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

monday.com is a colorful, user-friendly, jack-of-all-trades project planning tool for modern teams. You’ll be able to plan, track, and deliver projects using hundreds of visual and customizable templates that make data more digestible. View data as a map, calendar, timeline, or kanban. I also love the ability to automate repetitive administrative tasks, like creating new lead entries according to incoming emails.

monday.com costs from $6/user/month and comes with a free 14-day trial. They offer a free plan for up to 2 users.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Excellent collaborative features
  • Simple organization by dragging and dropping tasks
  • Very easy to invite others, share timelines, and assign tasks

Cons:

  • Best features locked to Standard or Pro versions
  • Automations are not fully customizable
  • No bottleneck identification or assistance

New Product Updates from monday.com

Visualize Board Data with WorkCanvas in monday.com
Data layer in monday.com's WorkCanvas.
October 12 2025
Visualize Board Data with WorkCanvas in monday.com

monday.com has introduced a new feature on WorkCanvas that allows users to visualize and style board data directly on their canvas, enhancing insights and context clarity. For more information, visit monday.com's official site.

Best for dynamic project management through custom workflows

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

QuickBase is a user-friendly platform that helps you plan and manage dynamic workflows and projects. You can use its no-code builder to craft customized applications tailored to your unique business needs. It's a flexible solution that provides various tools to support your project and resource management and workflow automation.

Even for complex workflows and projects, this tool is capable of helping your map them out and execute them effectively. Because of its code-free builder, it's easy to set up your workflows and get them up and running quickly. The builder can be used for designing workflows, applications, integrations, and automations, making it a versatile tool to contribute to your various work processes.

Paid plans start from $35 per user, per month, and a 30-day free trial is available.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • User-friendly and quick to learn
  • Helpful and responsive customer support team
  • Highly customizable to suit various industries

Cons:

  • Limited offline access
  • Limited analytics capabilities

Best for comprehensive agency project management

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

Productive is a comprehensive project management software designed to streamline operations for agencies. It offers a robust platform for planning, managing, and executing projects, making it an essential tool for businesses aiming to enhance efficiency and productivity. 

The platform offers Gantt charts for visualizing project timelines and dependencies, which is crucial for keeping projects on track. Additionally, its workload feature allows managers to monitor team utilization, ensuring that resources are allocated efficiently and preventing burnout. The automation tools in Productive also help with repetitive tasks. For example, automations can be set to trigger notifications when an invoice is overdue or when a task status changes.

Another standout feature of Productive is its budgeting and financial management capabilities. With the simple budget editor, users can create and manage budgets with ease, making it ideal for both small and large projects. The platform also supports various billing types such as time and materials, fixed price, and non-billable projects. It also offers project profitability tracking and forecasting.

Key integrations include Jira, Slack, QuickBooks, Xero, Zapier, Google Drive, Sage, BambooHR, and HubSpot.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • User-friendly interface
  • Robust workload and resource management capabilities
  • Good profitability tracking feature

Cons:

  • Could have more integrations
  • Initial setup can take time

New Product Updates from Productive

Productive Launches Dashboards 2.0
Productive Dashboards 2.0 makes reporting clearer and more customizable.
October 26 2025
Productive Launches Dashboards 2.0

Productive has rolled out Dashboards 2.0, introducing upgraded widgets and new formatting options to help teams build clearer and more customizable performance views. For more information, visit Productive's official site.

Best for project planning with AI

  • 14-day free trial + free demo available
  • From $10/user/month (billed annually)
Visit Website
Rating: 4.5/5

Celoxis has powerful planning and scheduling tools that help you build project plans that adapt to real-world conditions.

Celoxis has one of the most flexible and responsive interactive Gantt charts and can effortlessly handle large project plans involving multiple levels of sub-tasks, inter-project dependencies and even multiple resources per task.

Among the many features available, there is automatic scheduling that helps build a reliable project schedule and resource workload, utilization, capacity, and efficiency. These features, in turn, enable data-driven planning and decision-making across the project lifecycle. Ultimately helping you with better resource planning and management.

Celoxis integrates with over 400 business apps, including Google Drive, email and calendar platforms, Jira, Salesforce, Slack, and many more through Zapier. In addition, their API lets you build custom integrations with any other tools you use.

Celoxis is one of the few project management software programs available both in SaaS and on-premise flavors. SaaS costs $22.50/user/month (annually), and on-premise pricing is available upon request. Both require a minimum 5-user sign-up and come with 30-day free trial.

Best for project planning with time-tracking

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

Bonsai Agency Software is an all-in-one business management platform designed to help agencies enhance their operations. It integrates project management, client relationship management, and financial tools into a single, user-friendly interface. 

I like Bonsai for its comprehensive project planning capabilities. You can visualize project timelines using Kanban boards, Gantt charts, and list views, which makes it easier to monitor progress and ensure deadlines are met. Additionally, Bonsai offers real-time tracking of tasks and budgets, helping your team stay on schedule and within financial constraints.

It also has robust time-tracking and resource management tools. Your team can log hours directly within the platform, providing you with accurate data on time allocation across various projects. This insight is crucial for assessing productivity and making informed decisions about resource distribution. Bonsai's resource planning feature allows you to allocate work effectively and monitor workloads in real-time, ensuring that no team member is over or underutilized.

Other features include budget tracking and forecasting, which enable you to keep a close eye on project finances and predict potential scope creep before it occurs. The platform also offers profitability reports, giving you valuable insights into the financial performance of your projects.

Integrations include QuickBooks Online, Zapier, Calendly, Xero, Google Drive, HubSpot, ClickUp, Google Sheets, Notion, Slack, Gmail, and Asana.

Best for planning multiple projects of varying complexity

  • Free plan available
  • From $4/user/month (billed annually)
Visit Website
Rating: 4.2/5

Zoho Projects is a project planning and management solution that can support multiple projects of any scale or complexity. The platform has tools like Gantt charts, Kanban boards, portfolio dashboards, a built-in issue tracker, and a task automation system with blueprint functionality. The task automation with blueprint feature enables project managers and admins to map out their entire workflow, creating a visual flowchart representation.

Tasks and notifications can be automated, and approval criteria can be set for projects and tasks. The software also has collaboration tools like discussion boards, community forums, and real-time activity feeds. In addition to project planning , users can also benefit from in-depth reporting. The cloud-based software’s reporting tools allow project managers to generate detailed reports to keep track of various aspects of project performance and progress.

Pricing for Zoho Projects starts at $5 per user/month with a 10-day free trial included. A free plan is available for teams of no more than three users.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Robust feature suite for team members and project managers alike
  • Migration from other software providers is available
  • Free plan is available for up to 2 projects and up to 3 users

Cons:

  • Large feature set can make for a steep learning curve
  • Employee scheduling functionality is limited

Best for aligning tasks to goals

  • Free plan available
  • From $8.50/user/month
Visit Website
Rating: 4.3/5

Shortcut is a project management platform built for software teams that need planning tools integrated with agile workflows. It supports iterative planning through timelines, roadmaps, and team-level assignments, helping you organize tasks and keep projects aligned with company objectives.

The platform combines planning structure with visibility features. You can set objectives, connect them to projects, and track progress using iteration views and timelines. Shortcut supports both Scrum and Kanban workflows, so you can choose the planning style that fits your team. Velocity charts and project health indicators give stakeholders insight into how work is progressing, without needing separate tools.

Shortcut also supports customization through custom fields and adjustable workflows, which makes it easier to adapt to how your team works. Docs provide a space to capture context, while WIP (Work in Progress) limits help avoid overload during active sprints. With quick load times and keyboard shortcuts, navigating the platform remains efficient even during heavy project cycles.

Integrations include GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, Slack, and Sentry. Shortcut also offers data imports from Linear, ClickUp, Asana, Pivotal Tracker, Jira, Trello, and its API for custom integrations.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Provides clear visualization of project progress
  • Supports real-time collaboration
  • Scalable for different project sizes

Cons:

  • May be too feature-rich for less complex projects
  • Fewer options for teams not using agile methodologies

Best for visual project planning and collaboration

  • Free plan available
  • From $8/user/month (billed annually)
Visit Website
Rating: 4.8/5

Miro is an online collaborative whiteboarding platform designed to facilitate visual project planning and enhance teamwork. It offers an infinite canvas where users can brainstorm, plan, and execute projects in a highly interactive and visually engaging environment. For Wynter Johnson, Founder and CEO of Caily, Miro stands out as a particularly intuitive and dynamic tool for bringing people together: “I love using Miro for project mapping specifically because it's so intuitive and engaging. It's easy to bring freelancers, consultants, and potential customers into the workspace to show them exactly how things are going. It's an experience that's dynamic without being overwhelming.”

The platform's whiteboard allows users to map out entire projects, breaking down complex tasks into manageable visual components. Miro's rich set of tools, including sticky notes, mind maps, flowcharts, and Kanban boards, helps teams brainstorm ideas, outline workflows, and monitor progress visually. Real-time collaboration is also at the core of Miro's functionality, enabling team members to work together simultaneously, leave comments, and share feedback.

Integrations include Slack, Microsoft Teams, Jira, Trello, Asana, Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, Zoom, Microsoft Office, Notion, Confluence, Salesforce, Airtable, Zapier, and many more.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Users can collaborate on plans in real-time
  • Variety of templates for project planning
  • Infinite whiteboard for various iterations

Cons:

  • Mobile app is limited compared to desktop version
  • No offline capabilities

Best for multiple project views (lists, kanban boards, Gantt charts, etc)

  • 30-day free trial
  • From $14/user/month (billed annually)
Visit Website
Rating: 4.4/5

ProjectManager is a cloud-based project planning software that runs on both Windows and Mac computers with no downloads or complex installation needed. Gantt chart tools help users and their teams plan, schedule, and update projects in real time. You can plan simple workflows or full Agile sprints with powerful Kanban boards, Gantt charts, and task lists. For Conrad Wang, Managing Director at Enable U, the platform’s advanced features made a measurable impact on team efficiency: “The workload view was my go-to for minimizing burnout. I recognized when a support worker's utilization exceeded 130% and transferred tasks before it became a disaster. I also relied on reporting tools to provide polished, client-ready snapshots in minutes—clients saw completion percentages and dependency charts without me layering slides by hand. This transparency reduced weekly status meetings by around a fourth.”

ProjectManagement costs from $15/user/month and offers a 30-day free trial.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Fits well into an Agile framework
  • Easy to use project scheduling
  • Good for costing and construction work monitoring

Cons:

  • Most reports require a manual clean-up
  • No way to sort Agile Boards by project, only by task
  • No way to track and update partially complete tasks

Best project planning software for creative teams

  • Free demo available
  • From $10/user/month (billed annually)
Visit Website
Rating: 4.4/5

FunctionFox is a pretty great project planning tool, but it's an especially good fit for creative teams. It provides easy, visually intuitive project management tools like a simple online timesheet feature that helps you figure out if your billable and nonbillable hours on a project are within your estimates. You can also schedule project milestones, meetings, and actions—everything you'd need to plan out and then carry out projects.

FunctionFox costs from $5/user/month and offers a free demo.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Easy, accessible automatic timer
  • Designed with the creative industry in mind
  • Unlimited number of clients and projects

Cons:

  • Minimal format options for downloading reports
  • No Kanban board planning
  • Has time tracking but no automated time capture

Best for its planning intelligence features

  • Free trial available
  • Pricing upon request
Visit Website
Rating: 4.1/5

LiquidPlanner is a cloud-based project management software that enables users to plan, collaborate on, and deliver projects of all sizes. The software uses a unique "liquid planning" approach that considers the complexities and uncertainties of real-world projects to create more accurate plans and predictions.

Its forecasting engine helps users predict how long a project will take. This engine considers all project tasks and their dependencies and uses statistical analysis to generate a range of possible completion dates. The forecast can be refined by adjusting the input parameters, such as the estimated effort for each task or the project's expected duration.

Liquid Planner offers integrated time-tracking, which can be used to generate reports, helping users optimize their workflow and productivity. The resource leveling feature automatically schedules and reschedules tasks based on each team member's availability and workload, and ensures that no team member is overburdened with work.

Finally, the data customization feature allows users to choose which data points to display and create custom fields to track additional information. A user can track the number of hours worked on a project or the amount of money spent on materials.

Liquid Planner makes their API documentation available for teams who want to build custom integrations with their current digital ecosystem.

Pricing starts at $15 per user monthly.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Custom rate sheets track billable time
  • Uses Monte Carlo simulations for forecasting
  • Free plan available

Cons:

  • Unlimited tasks only available in its Ultimate plan

Best for planning projects, resources, and finances in one system

  • Free demo available
  • From $9/user/month (billed annually)
Visit Website
Rating: 4.2/5

Birdview PSA is a project management software that also provides resource and finance management tools. It helps you plan, track, and manage multiple projects and portfolios, making it a well-suited option for professional service companies. You can create project templates to speed up your planning process and set milestones to mark your progress. Both Gantt charts and Kanban boards are available for progress tracking.

The software has built-in resource planning tools, which you can use to assign team members to projects based on their availability, skills, and workload. Its resource forecasting feature helps you predict upcoming demand and identify potential bottlenecks in advance.

As for financial tracking, you can create budgets, monitor expenses, and generate financial reports to understand how money is allocated across projects. Time tracking and billing are also included, so you can track billable hours and invoice clients accordingly.

The software integrates with other tools including Microsoft Teams, Microsoft Project, Jira, Adobe Creative Cloud, MS Excel, Outlook, Hubspot, Salesforce, Oracle NetSuite, Gmail, Slack, Zoom, Github, Gitlab, HelpScout, HelpDocs, Olark, and other options for time tracking, design, ERP, and accounting software. You can also use their RESTful API to build additional integrations.

Paid plans start from $27 per user per month, when billed annually. A 12-day free trial is also available.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Works with Zapier and Workato for extra integrations
  • Highly customizable and scalable
  • Comprehensive project, resource, and financial management in one

Cons:

  • No free-forever version available
  • Simulations only available in Team plan

Best for enterprise teams from medium to large companies

  • Free trial available
  • From $24/user/month
Visit Website
Rating: 4.1/5

Easy Projects is an award-winning enterprise and portfolio project management platform. It is well suited for medium to large enterprise companies that require a highly scalable and configurable solution yet easy to adopt.

The software is built to plan and deliver on projects that have varying complexity levels, anywhere from simple tasks to more in-depth projects that involve multiple departments. With this in mind, Easy Projects promotes real-time collaboration between executives, project managers, stakeholders, and all other team members.

Their advanced reporting and business intelligence features help project managers and executives present and analyze large amounts of data in beautifully designed interactive reports and dashboards. In addition, resource loading reports provide a quick and easy way to visualize current and expected resource use, so bottlenecks can be avoided. Advanced capabilities include enterprise-grade security, flexible deployment options, and machine learning project forecasting.

Easy Projects integrates with over 2,000 business apps, including MS Outlook, Jira, Salesforce, Hubspot, and Adobe Creative Cloud.

Easy Projects offers pricing details upon request and a free 14-day trial.

Best for PowerPoint timeline visuals

  • Free plan available
  • From $9/month (billed annually)
Visit Website
Rating: 4.3/5

Office Timeline is a project visualization tool that integrates with Microsoft PowerPoint to enable the creation of project timelines, Gantt charts, and other types of project graphics. It offers a desktop add-in for Windows users and a web-based application for broader accessibility, including Mac users via a browser. The tool also provides drag-and-drop functionality and the ability to import data from project management software like Microsoft Project, Excel, Jira, Smartsheet, and Wrike. 

Office Timeline allows users to design and create graphical project slides, offering a way to quickly generate stylish visuals that effectively communicate work to clients, teams, and managers. It is designed to help users produce professional-looking project visuals efficiently, with features such as AutoSave and multilingual support. The add-on is overall recognized for saving users time and effort in the creation of project plans, and it is particularly useful for those who need to share project schedules and timelines with stakeholders.

Pricing for Office Timeline starts at $149/license/year. A free plan is also available.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Provides customizable templates
  • Offers automation features
  • User-friendly interface

Cons:

  • High cost for premium features
  • Lacks collaboration tools

Best for integrated project planning and management

  • 14-day free trial
  • From $29/user/month (billed annually, min 5 seats)
Visit Website
Rating: 4.1/5

Ravetree is an all-in-one project management platform that offers an integrated suite of tools for project planning, management, and customer relationship management (CRM). The software's emphasis on integrating various project management aspects into a unified platform is particularly appealing for businesses seeking streamlined and cohesive project planning processes. 

The platform offers robust support for Agile and traditional project management methodologies, ensuring teams have the flexibility to adapt their project planning to the methodologies that best fit their operational style and business requirements. Ravetree also has a strong focus on collaboration and transparency across all stages of project planning and execution. The platform's shared calendars, document management system, and real-time communication tools ensure that all team members are aligned and informed about project objectives, timelines, and updates. 

Additionally, Ravetree's reporting and analytics capabilities provide invaluable insights into project performance, resource utilization, and progress tracking. Users can even customize reports and dashboards. The platform integrates with Dropbox, Google Drive, One Drive, Outlook, Gmail, Quickbooks, Stripe, GitHub, Instagram, HubSpot, Stripe, and more.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • CRM capabilities
  • Support for Agile methodologies
  • All aspects of project management in one platform

Cons:

  • Could have more integrations
  • Users may feel overwhelmed with the many features

Best for cross-functional project planning

  • 30-day free trial
  • From $8.50/user/month

Height is a project planning software that provides a user-friendly platform for managing projects, tracking progress, and collaborating with team members. It offers an intuitive and responsive interface that allows users to create and manage unlimited projects, tasks, and subtasks.

Height is ideal for companies that handle multiple projects and need an organized way to track work progress. Users can also generate visual reports that showcase team performance, task completion rates, and an overview of all projects, giving essential insights that help decision-making. And pre-built project templates provide users with ready-to-use project outlines, eliminating the need for manual task creation. 

You can create SMART goals using the intuitive goal-setting feature. The software enables teams to set dependencies between tasks to complete each step correctly. Team members can communicate about project updates and discuss assignments in real time. This feature promotes team communication transparency and eliminates communication silos between organizational functions.

Height starts at $8.50/user/month and offers a 30-day free trial and a free plan with unlimited users.

Best project planning software for small teams or small businesses

  • Free plan available
  • From $7/user/month (billed annually)
Visit Website
Rating: 4.7/5

ClickUp is a flexible project planning tool that can accommodate small or large teams who need to-do lists, project management, docs and wikis, spreadsheets, email and chat, events, reminders, goal tracking, time tracking, screenshots and recording features, and resource management. Plus, if you are switching from another PM tool, ClickUp can easily import data from other productivity apps.

ClickUp costs from $6.64/user/month with a freemium plan for simple tasks.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Impressive organization: create folders, sub-groups, and sub-tasks
  • Huge number of customization options
  • Easy to switch between unrelated project plans

Cons:

  • More third-party integrations welcomed
  • Tricky to email with attachments, files sometimes unopenable
  • Steep learning curve due to number of features

Best project template gallery

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

Smartsheet is the best project management software for template galleries and template sets. These starter solutions are packed with pre-built sheets, reports, forms, and dashboards that your users can modify as needed—saving you a ton of time. They have planned for construction estimates, inventory management, Gantt timelines, and customer lifetime value. If you spend a lot of time building documents, Smartsheet’s a great choice.

Smartsheet costs from $7/user/month, with a minimum of 3 users and a maximum of 25 users. They also offer a 30-day free trial.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Quick Gantt charts with easy entry of tasks
  • Reminders and update requests are great collaborative tools
  • Customizable sheets and dashboards for different departments

Cons:

  • Maybe over-engineered for simple projects
  • Changes do not autosave instantly when editing
  • Power users may hit row and cell link limitations

Best for breaking down complex tasks

  • Free plan available
  • From $7.65/user/month
Visit Website
Rating: 4.6/5

Quire is a cloud-based project planning software designed to help teams organize, track, and complete their work more efficiently. It offers a flexible structure that allows you to break down complex projects into manageable tasks and subtasks.

One feature that helps you break down larger projects is its nested lists. This hierarchical structure helps your team focus on specific tasks without losing sight of the overall project goals. Additionally, Quire's Kanban board view allows you to visualize tasks as they move through different stages, making it easier to manage workflows and identify bottlenecks.

The platform even includes a dynamic timeline feature, which provides a Gantt chart-style view of your project's schedule. This helps you plan ahead, track progress, and ensure that deadlines are met. The calendar view complements this by allowing you to drag and drop tasks to set deadlines, keeping your team on track and aligned with project timelines.

Some integrations include Google Calendar, Gmail, Slack, Outlook, Zoho Flow, GitHub, Apple Calendar Sync, Box, Dropbox, Google Drive, and Microsoft Teams.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Easy to collaborate with team members
  • Multiple project views, including lists, boards, and timelines
  • Ability to create nested tasks and subtasks, allowing for detailed project breakdowns

Cons:

  • The mobile version lacks some features available on the desktop
  • Potential for notification overload, especially when working with large teams

Other Project Planning Software

Here are descriptions of a few other tools to try out:

  1. Hive

    Online project planning tool for 3rd party integrations

  2. ClickTime

    For time tracking & project management

  3. Hubstaff

    For agile team planning

  4. Kantata

    For contextual collaboration

  5. Hub Planner by Milient

    Project planning software with built-in budget and resource allocation features

  6. Runn

    Software for analyzing project profitability

  7. PathPro

    For product development teams

  8. Planview Vantage

    For Waterfall and Critical Chain methodologies

  9. ProWorkflow

    Planning tool mobile app for most touchscreen-based devices

  10. Forecast

    For AI work automation

  11. Workzone

    For personal to-do lists and automatic reminder emails

  12. Scoro

    For building and construction management

  13. Basecamp

    For software development planning

  14. Teamwork.com

    For project templates

  15. Planview AdaptiveWork

    Project planning for marketers

  16. Trello

    For task collaboration

  17. TeamGantt

    Free Gantt chart software

  18. OpenProject

    Open source project planning software

  19. KeyedIn

    For project portfolio planning

  20. EasyProjects

    For web design planning

Free Project Planning Software

  1. Nutcache – Pretty generous free plan: free forever for max 20 users (includes unlimited projects, time tracking, some integrations, and more)
  2. Runn – Free for up to 5 users with unlimited projects
  3. TeamGantt – Free forever for up to 3 users and 1 project
  4. Wrike – Free for up to 5 users
  5. Monday.com – Free for up to 5 users
  6. ClickUp – Free for unlimited users with some storage and feature restrictions
  7. Asana – Free for up to 15 users

Selection Criteria for Project Planning Software

When selecting the best project planning software to include in this list, I considered common buyer needs and pain points like the need for seamless team collaboration and managing complex project timelines. I also used the following framework to keep my evaluation structured and fair:

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

  • Creating and managing project timelines
  • Assigning and tracking tasks
  • Collaborating with team members
  • Generating reports and analytics
  • Managing resources effectively

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

  • AI-powered project forecasting
  • Built-in budgeting and cost tracking tools
  • Seamless multi-platform integrations
  • Advanced Gantt chart functionality
  • Robust mobile app capabilities

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

  • An intuitive user interface
  • A minimal learning curve
  • Customizable dashboards
  • A logical navigation structure
  • Responsiveness across devices

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

  • Availability of step-by-step tutorials
  • Inclusion of pre-built templates
  • Access to live webinars or training sessions
  • Quality of interactive product tours
  • Support for easy data migration

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

  • Availability of 24/7 support
  • Response time for inquiries
  • Accessibility of detailed help documentation
  • Quality of chatbot or live chat services
  • Frequency of updates and bug fixes

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

  • Competitive pricing compared to features offered
  • Availability of free trials or demos
  • Flexibility of pricing plans
  • Scalability of cost as team size grows
  • Transparent pricing without hidden fees

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

  • Frequency of mentions of ease of use
  • Feedback on customer support experiences
  • Ratings for feature comprehensiveness
  • Reports of technical issues or downtime
  • General sentiment around value for money

How to Choose Project Planning Software

It’s easy to get overwhelmed by long feature lists and complex pricing. To help you stay focused during your software selection process, here’s a checklist of key factors to keep in mind:

FactorWhat to Consider
ScalabilityEnsure the software can grow with your team’s needs. Look for options that support expanding projects, users, and data without compromising performance.
IntegrationsCheck if the tool integrates with platforms like Slack, Google Workspace, or your CRM. Seamless integrations help reduce data silos and improve efficiency.
CustomizabilityChoose software that allows you to tailor workflows, task types, and reports. Customizable templates can save time and better match your team’s preferences.
Ease of UseA user-friendly interface ensures quicker onboarding for your team. Look for tools with drag-and-drop functionality and simple navigation to reduce learning curves.
BudgetBalance your budget with the software’s value. Look for transparent pricing, free trials, or scalable plans that let you pay only for what you need.
Security SafeguardsVerify that the tool meets security standards, including encryption, role-based access, and compliance certifications to keep your data safe.

In my research, I sourced product updates, press releases, and release logs from various project planning software vendors. Here are some emerging trends I’m watching:

  • AI-Assisted Planning: AI tools now help teams predict risks, adjust schedules, and assign tasks more effectively. For example, AI can flag tasks at risk of delays and suggest resource reallocations.
  • Real-Time Collaboration Upgrades: Enhanced live editing and instant updates are becoming standard, allowing teams to work together on timelines and documents without delays, which reduces email clutter and improves team alignment.
  • Scenario Planning Tools: Many platforms now offer features to simulate potential delays, resource shortages, or budget changes, helping teams adjust their plans accordingly.
  • Sustainability Metrics: Features to measure project sustainability are gaining traction. Teams can track energy usage, material efficiency, and environmental impact to align with sustainability goals.
  • Embedded Video Communication: Built-in video conferencing and screen-sharing tools are being added to project dashboards, enabling meetings and updates without separate platforms. As remote and hybrid teams grow, there's increasing demand for enterprise task management software that combines planning, communication, automation, and resource oversight in one platform.

What is Project Planning Software?

Project planning software is a tool that helps teams create, schedule, and track projects from start to finish, ensuring deadlines are met and resources are used effectively.

This software is utilized by project managers and teams across various industries to organize tasks, allocate resources, and manage timelines. By centralizing all project details, it enhances collaboration, tracks resources, and monitors progress, ensuring that projects run smoothly and are completed on time.

Features of Project Planning Software

When selecting project planning software, look out for these key features:

  • Task management tools: Assigns, prioritizes, and tracks tasks and workflows to ensure nothing is overlooked.
  • Gantt charts: Visualizes timelines and dependencies to manage schedules and deadlines effectively.
  • Resource allocation: Assigns and monitors resources, such as team members or equipment, to optimize usage and avoid conflicts.
  • Progress tracking: Provides real-time updates on milestones and progress to keep teams aligned.
  • Collaboration features: Includes shared workspaces, comments, and file sharing to improve communication and efficiency.
  • Budget tracking: Monitors expenses and compare them against your budget to avoid overspending.
  • Time tracking: Tracks task or project duration, providing insights for better scheduling and planning.
  • Custom reporting: Generates tailored reports to share progress, risks, or results with stakeholders.
  • Scenario modeling: Simulates different project outcomes to plan for potential changes or risks.
  • Integration capabilities: Connects with tools like calendars, email, or accounting software to centralize your workflows.

Benefits of Project Planning Software

Implementing project planning software can offer several benefits for your team and your business:

  • Better organization: Keeps tasks, schedules, and resources in one place, simplifying complex project management.
  • Improved time management: Provides Gantt charts and time tracking tools to help teams stay on schedule and meet deadlines.
  • Enhanced collaboration: Enables teamwork with shared workspaces, comments, and file-sharing features.
  • Clearer accountability: Assigns tasks with deadlines, making it easy to track responsibility and progress.
  • Cost control: Tracks budgets and expenses, helping avoid overspending and manage financial resources.
  • Risk mitigation: Lets you model scenarios and adjust plans to prepare for potential issues in advance.
  • Data-driven decisions: Custom reports and analytics provide insights into performance for better planning decisions.

Costs & Pricing of Project Planning Software

Selecting project planning software requires understanding the various pricing models and plans available. Costs depend on features, team size, add-ons, and more. The table below summarizes common plans, average prices, and typical features included in project planning software solutions:

Plan TypeAverage PriceCommon Features
Free Plan$0Basic task management, limited users, minimal storage, and basic collaboration tools.
Personal Plan$5-$15/user/monthTask management, timeline views, basic reporting, and limited integrations.
Business Plan$20-$50/user/monthAdvanced reporting, Gantt charts, team collaboration tools, resource allocation, and time tracking.
Enterprise Plan$60-$120/user/monthCustom workflows, unlimited users, advanced security, dedicated support, and API integrations.

Project Planning Software Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some answers to common questions about project planning software:

What integrations should I look for in project planning software?

Look for integrations with your email, calendar, file storage, and messaging tools (e.g., Slack, Google Drive, Outlook). It’s also helpful if your software connects to time tracking, billing, and reporting platforms. These integrations reduce manual work, keep all your info in sync, and help you manage projects without switching between apps.

How do I migrate existing project data to new project planning software?

Most tools offer import options via CSV or direct integrations with other platforms. Before starting, clean your old data for accuracy. Many vendors provide setup guides or onboarding help to walk you through the process. If you’re unsure, check if the software has a migration specialist or support service to handle complex moves.

How can project planning software assist in resource management?

Project planning software helps you allocate tasks, set workloads, and track resource availability across your projects. You can see who’s overloaded, reassign tasks, and prevent bottlenecks. Many tools offer dashboards or Gantt charts showing team capacity. This visibility lets you balance work and plan ahead, reducing burnout and improving project outcomes.

Is it possible to customize project planning software to fit workflows?

Yes, most project planning platforms let you tailor workflows to fit your team’s needs. You can edit task stages, create custom fields, set automation rules, and tweak permissions. If you manage unique project types, look for solutions with drag-and-drop builders, template options, or API access so you won’t be forced into a rigid process.

How can project planning software help prevent project delays?

Project planning software helps prevent delays by sending automatic reminders, enabling real-time updates, and showing timeline dependencies. You can spot risks early and rebalance workloads if someone falls behind. Features like critical path tracking and visual timelines let you adjust plans before small delays become bigger problems.

What are the most useful reporting features for project managers?

Project managers should look for customizable dashboards, timeline tracking, and workload reports. The ability to filter by project, team member, or date makes it easier to spot issues. Good software also generates exportable reports for stakeholders so you can share progress, deadlines, and budget status quickly.

What security measures are in place to protect project data?

Leading project planning software typically offers data encryption, role-based access control, and regular backups. Ask about compliance with standards like SOC 2 or ISO 27001. For sensitive projects, choose a platform with audit logs, two-factor authentication, and customizable user permissions to keep your information safe.

How do I choose between tools for complex vs. simple projects?

For complex projects, pick software with advanced features like dependency tracking, workload forecasting, and automation. For simpler needs, lighter tools with straightforward task lists and calendars will keep your team moving without extra complexity. Test several options with trial periods to find a tool that matches your typical project scope.

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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!

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