23 Best Project Tracking Software To Stay On Schedule In 2025
10 Best Project Tracking Software Shortlist
Here's my pick of the 10 best software from the 23 tools reviewed.
Get free help from our project management software advisors to find your match.
Keeping projects on track isn’t easy. Deadlines, shifting priorities, and roadblocks can make your team feel like they’re always playing catch-up. Fortunately, project tracking software can help you stay organized and feel in-control. These tools do more than manage tasks—they offer a clear view of timelines and progress.
In this article, I’ll share my top picks for the best project tracking tools. After independently testing and reviewing each option, I’ve focused on tools that address common issues like missed deadlines and poor communication. Here, you can survey your options and pick the best tool for you.
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Compare Specs Side-By-Side
Here is a table you can use to compare the tools we just covered in the overviews.
| Tool | Best For | Trial Info | Price | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Best for visual project planning | 14-day free trial + free plan available | From $8/user/month (billed annually) | Website | |
| 2 | Best for resource management | Not available | Pricing upon request | Website | |
| 3 | Best for professional service automation | 14-day free trial | From $6-29/month | Website | |
| 4 | Best for contextual project visibility | Free demo available | Available upon request | Website | |
| 5 | Best for customizable workflows | 7-day free trial | Pricing upon request | Website | |
| 6 | Best for project templates | Freemium version available | From $10/user/month (min of 2 seats) | Website | |
| 7 | Best for agency management | 14-day free trial | From $9/month (billed annually) | Website | |
| 8 | Best for end-to-end agency tracking | Free trial available | From $9/user/month (billed annually) | Website | |
| 9 | Best for portfolio management | 14-day free trial | From $17/user/month | Website | |
| 10 | Best for simplicity and ease of use | 10-day free trial + free plan available | From $4/user/month (billed annually) | Website |
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Monitask
Visit WebsiteThis is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.4.4 -
monday.com
Visit WebsiteThis is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.4.6 -
Smartsheet
Visit WebsiteThis is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.4.4
Best Project Tracking Software Reviews
Below are my detailed summaries of the best project tracking software that made it onto my shortlist. My reviews offer a detailed look at the key features, pros & cons, integrations, and ideal use cases of each tool to help you find the best one for you.
monday is one of the most flexible tools you can use for project management. This software lets you organize tasks, track projects, create goals, and assess employee workload.
Why I picked monday.com: I chose monday.com because it enables you to implement effective work processes using a combination of statuses and priorities. I find that this helps your team members see which task they should work on at a glance. It also presents the information in multiple views, such as Kanban, timeline, Chart, and table. This way, you have the flexibility to track your project according to your preferences.
Additionally, monday.com lets you track your team's progress through customizable dashboards and reports. I like that you can track your team members tasks through the time tracking column in the table view. Once you add the column to your project schedule, each person from your team can start and stop a timer related to their task within that one view.
monday.com Standout Features & Integrations
Features include an automations builder that allows teams to create no-code workflows that automate repetitive tasks, such as status updates, notifications, and task assignments. Additionally, monday.com’s collaborative docs enable teams to work together in real-time on project-related documents, linking them directly to tasks for easy access and enhanced collaboration.
Integrations include Slack, Google Drive, Gmail, Google Calendar, Jira, GitHub, Trello, Dropbox, and many more through a paid plan with Zapier.
Kantata is a SaaS product that's designed to help you keep track of your projects. It's not just a simple task manager, but a comprehensive tool that allows you to plan, track, and manage your projects from start to finish.
Why I picked Kantata: I chose this platform because it's designed for businesses of all sizes. So whether you're a solo entrepreneur or a part of a large corporation, Kantata can cater to your needs. It's also great for teams, as it promotes collaboration and communication, which makes project management a whole lot easier in my opinion.
One of the standout features for me is the Gantt chart. It's a visual timeline that shows you the progress of your project, and it's easy to understand and use. It also has a task management feature that allows you to assign tasks to team members, set deadlines, and track progress. Plus, I like that it has a time tracking feature that helps you keep track of how much time you're spending on each task.
Kantata Standout Features & Integrations
Features include built-in trend analysis features that provide actionable insights into project performance over time to help managers identify patterns and improve decision-making. Additionally, Kantata’s integration platform, M-Bridge, enables businesses to create custom integrations tailored to their unique workflows.
Integrations include pre-built integrations with tools like Expensify, G Suite, Netsuite, Jira, Hubspot, Xero, Salesforce, Slack, Concur, Qualtrics, Dynamics 365, and Quickbooks. They also provide an integration platform called M-Bridge to help you build your own integrations.
Polaris PSA is an advanced Professional Services Automation (PSA) software designed to elevate project management for service-based businesses. With its AI-driven resource allocation, real-time project monitoring, predictive analytics, and customizable reporting, Polaris PSA empowers organizations to optimize resource utilization, make data-driven decisions, and enhance project success rates, ultimately streamlining operations and improving profitability.
Why I Picked Polaris PSA: Polaris PSA sets itself apart from competitors by offering an advanced AI-driven resource forecasting feature. The platform's AI algorithms analyze historical project data, resource availability, and skill sets to predict future resource needs accurately. This proactive approach enables businesses to plan ahead, ensure the right resources are available at the right time, and avoid resource bottlenecks, resulting in optimized project schedules and increased operational efficiency.
A pro tip for working with Polaris PSA is to leverage its customizable reporting and data visualization features to gain deeper insights into your projects and resources. Beyond the standard reports, explore the platform's capabilities to create tailored reports that align with your specific business needs and KPIs.
Polaris PSA Standout Features & Integrations
Features include intelligent labor compliance tools that validate time entries and PTO requests against regional labor laws and organizational policies. Additionally, Polaris PSA’s advanced project portfolio management provides real-time visibility into project health across portfolios. Additionally, Polaris PSA’s AI-driven expense tracking integrates with project budgets to help teams stay within financial constraints while maximizing profitability.
Integrations include SAP, ADP, Salesforce, Quickbooks, Atlassian, Microsoft Dynamics, Sage, Servicenow, Zero, Zoom, Outlook Calendar, Microsoft Teams, Microsoft Azure DevOps, Google Meet, Google Calendar, and other popular business software.
Accelo is a project management and professional services automation tool designed to help professional service businesses manage client work from start to finish. It combines project planning, tracking, and collaboration features to keep your team organized and projects on schedule. With Accelo, you can oversee your projects, time, expenses, tasks, and materials all in one place.
Why I picked Accelo: Accelo's project planning tools let you create detailed project plans with timelines and milestones, making it easier to keep your team on track. The drag-and-drop Gantt charts simplify scheduling and adjustments, so you can respond to changes without disrupting your workflow. This visual approach helps your team understand project timelines and dependencies in context, improving overall efficiency.
Another feature is Accelo's time tracking and budget management. Your team can log billable and non-billable hours directly within the platform, ensuring accurate invoicing and a clear view of project costs. Real-time budget tracking helps you monitor expenses and stay within financial limits, which is essential for project profitability.
Accelo Standout Features & Integrations
Features include client work tracking that seamlessly integrates project, time, and expense management into a unified view, providing unmatched visibility into service delivery. The platform's automated client communication tracking also captures and organizes emails, meetings, and notes across projects to ensure a complete record of client interactions.
Integrations include Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Microsoft Exchange & Microsoft Outlook, Xero, QuickBooks Online, HubSpot, Mailchimp, Salesforce, Stripe, PayPal, Jira, Continuum, Zendesk, Practice Ignition, Google Analytics, and others.
Screendragon is a work management platform designed to help marketing, agency, and professional services teams manage projects, resources, and workflows.
Why I picked Screendragon: One key feature that makes Screendragon stand out is its customizable workflows. You can create tailored workflows that route tasks to the right team members at the right time, ensuring everyone knows their responsibilities and deadlines. This customization helps improve efficiency and keeps projects on track.
I also like Screendragon's resource management capabilities. The platform provides a comprehensive view of your team's capacity, allowing you to allocate resources effectively and avoid overloading team members. This insight helps maintain a balanced workload and ensures projects are adequately staffed.
Screendragon Standout Features & Integrations
Features include advanced task management with Gantt charts and Kanban boards, online proofing tools for real-time collaboration, and AI-driven recommendations for staffing projects based on team members' skills and availability.
Integrations include MS Power BI, Slack, MS Teams, and Zapier.
Wrike is a cloud-based project management software that helps teams organize their workflow, collaborate on different projects, and track their work.
Why I picked Wrike: This software comes with adaptable templates, so it’s easy to create and populate new projects. I chose it because you can customize your tasks and assign them statuses to let your team know what to prioritize. I also love that you can design and assign work schedules, and set due dates for individual tasks.
Wrike helps you track your team’s work with tasks lists, Kanban charts, or Gantt charts. Additionally, it helps you track your team's time by offering both a manual and semi-automatic way of tracking time. All of this information can later be reviewed through custom reporting to extract insights, which I found to be super helpful.
Wrike Standout Features & Integrations
Features include work intake capabilities, such as customizable request forms, that streamline the initiation of projects by capturing detailed requirements directly from stakeholders. The platform’s proofing and approval tools also enable real-time collaboration on creative assets, which reduces feedback loops and ensuring faster project delivery. Additionally, Wrike's project risk prediction feature leverages AI to proactively identify potential bottlenecks or delays.
Integrations include over 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.
Productive is an all-in-one agency management tool, providing features that cover project management, time tracking, budgeting, resource planning, sales tracking, and billing. It is aimed at professional service businesses and agencies that require a centralized system to manage various aspects of their operations.
Why I picked Productive: Productive's project tracking software is designed to assist agencies and professional service businesses in managing their projects effectively. It provides a centralized system for budgeting, resource planning, and reporting, which are crucial for tracking project costs and performance. The project management feature allows for the organization of tasks, setting deadlines, and real-time collaboration among team members.
Time tracking can also record work hours, which is essential for billing and productivity analysis. The platform additionally offers different views, such as Gantt, list, and table views, to visualize project timelines and deliverables. A workload view is available to monitor the allocation of team members and their availability.
Productive Standout Features & Integrations
Features include a built-in sales pipeline that integrates with project tracking to help agencies manage leads and projects within a single platform. Additionally, Productive’s automated invoicing directly links billable hours and expenses to client invoices, reducing manual effort and ensuring accurate billing for every project phase.
Integrations include Jira, HubSpot, Xero, Google Calendar, Exact, Slack, QuickBooks, Fortnox, and Microsoft Outlook.
Bonsai is a business management software that integrates various features for client management, project management, and financial management.
Why I picked Bonsai: As a project tracking software, I like that Bonsai has a comprehensive feature set that includes capabilities to monitor project progress, manage tasks, and facilitate real-time collaboration. The platform allows users to assign tasks to team members, track time spent with timesheets, and view project status with intuitive Kanban boards.
Bonsai takes project tracking a step further with its integrated resource and financial tracking features. Users can allocate resources based on team capacity and build and track different types of budgets, whether it's fixed rates, hourly rates, or retainers. The platform even offers customizable reports and analytics so you can track project profitability, utilization, and billable and non-billable hours.
Bonsai Standout Features & Integrations
Features include contract and proposal integration within project tracking, which helps facilitate smooth transitions from client onboarding to project execution by keeping all related documents organized and accessible. Moreover, the tool's built-in client portal provides a centralized space for communication, file sharing, and project updates, ensuring clients stay informed and engaged throughout the project lifecycle.
Integrations include Xero, HubSpot, Gmail, Google Calendar, Calendly, Zapier, Slack, QuickBooks Online, ClickUp, Trello, Google Drive, Google Sheets, and more.
Bubble PPM is a scalable, highly configurable platform designed for mid- to large size companies looking to improve project tracking and successful delivery of portfolio strategy.
Why I picked Bubble PPM: The Bubble platform is an intuitive PPM Software that’s designed with its end-users in mind. I chose it because it provides a range of customizable dashboards, reports, and tools to support portfolio-oriented company leaders and project delivery teams. I also like that the system offers a range of out-of-the-box tools based on best practices from their many years as a specialist consultancy, so that teams can hit the ground running.
By leveraging a modular and permissions-based platform, the software is easily tailored to current organizational needs. But it can also grow and evolve as the company's needs change, which I appreciate for scalability. Bubble makes it easy for users to see the whole picture or just the views and slices of data that are relevant for their role. I also noticed its in-built notifications help to ensure that users are getting the right Information at the right time, to work proactively and mitigate risks.
Bubble PPM Standout Features & Integrations
Features include process modeling capabilities that allow teams to visualize and optimize workflows, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and best practices. Additionally, the platform's advanced risk assessment tools integrate directly with project tracking, enabling proactive identification and mitigation of potential project challenges.
Integrations include over 400 native integrations with apps like SAP, JIRA, Confluence, MS Teams, Slack, Salesforce, Hubspot, Sailpoint, Power BI, and SSO/MFA. Plus, you can build your own integrations with their powerful API.
Zoho Projects is a powerful project tracker that offers easy-to-use built-in tools for issue tracking, time tracking, and project reporting. As a project tracking solution, Zoho Projects delivers all kinds of information. This includes project progress, budget status, resource capacity, and any potential project issues.
Why I Picked Zoho Projects: Some of the key features of this software that made me choose it for my list are the well-rounded project visibility and reporting capabilities. In my opinion, a good project tracker ensures complete visibility into every aspect of the project, especially when it comes to performance and progress. The built-in project reporting is responsible for providing managers with all the information they need regarding their open and closed tasks, expenses, and the overall performance of their project.
Automated invoicing is another feature that made me want to include this platform. Project managers and stakeholders can easily bill their clients for time and materials that are recorded in the timesheets module, which I found to be super helpful. The system will auto-generate invoices with all the logged activity data from the entire team that worked on the project.
Zoho Projects Standout Features & Integrations
Features include a critical path analysis feature that helps teams identify task dependencies and key activities that directly impact project timelines. Furthermore, Zoho Projects offers advanced issue tracking tools that integrate with its time tracking and reporting features, which enables teams to monitor and resolve project bottlenecks efficiently.
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.
Other Project Tracking Software
Here are a few more tools that did not make it to the top 10, but are good options for you to review.
- Miro
For visual project tracking
- Rocketlane
Client portals for sharing insights
- Nifty
For goal alignment
- Kintone
For building custom project workflows
- Freedcamp
For small teams
- Teamwork.com
For flexibility
- Hubstaff
For managing remote teams
- Jira
For agile projects
- Adobe Workfront
For automated workflows
- FunctionFox
For creative professionals
- Birdview
For resource capacity planning
- GoodDay
For project tracking alerts
- OpenProject
Open source project tracking software
Selection Criteria For Project Tracking Software
When selecting the best project tracking software to include on this list, I considered common buyer needs and pain points like ensuring real-time visibility into project progress and managing task dependencies effectively. I also used the following framework to keep my evaluation structured and fair:
Core Functionality (25% of total score)
To be considered for inclusion on this list, each solution had to fulfill these common use cases:
- Tracking project progress
- Assigning tasks and set deadlines
- Monitoring team workload
- Generating reports and analytics
- Integrating with other project management tools
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
- Customizable dashboards
- Automated workflow triggers
- Time tracking with invoicing integration
- Offline access with automatic sync
Usability (10% of total score)
To get a sense of the usability of each system, I considered the following:
- An intuitive and clean interface
- Drag-and-drop functionality
- Minimal clicks required for common actions
- Mobile and desktop accessibility
- Easy customization without technical expertise
Onboarding (10% of total score)
To evaluate the onboarding experience for each platform, I considered the following:
- Interactive product tours
- Pre-built project templates
- A self-service knowledge base and FAQs
- Live chat or chatbot guidance
- Onboarding webinars or training sessions
Customer Support (10% of total score)
To assess each software provider’s customer support services, I considered the following:
- 24/7 customer support
- Multiple support channels, including chat and phone
- A responsive ticketing system
- An active user community or forum
- SLA-backed response times
Value For Money (10% of total score)
To evaluate the value for money of each platform, I considered the following:
- Transparent and scalable pricing plans
- A free trial or demo version
- Features balanced with cost-effectiveness
- Unlimited users or projects at competitive pricing
- Continuous updates and improvements without additional fees
Customer Reviews (10% of total score)
To get a sense of overall customer satisfaction, I considered the following when reading customer reviews:
- Highlights for ease of use and adoption
- Performance and reliability feedback
- Mentions of customer service responsiveness
- Indications of real-world ROI and productivity impact
- Assessments of long-term user satisfaction trends
How to Choose Project Tracking Software
It’s easy to get bogged down in long feature lists and complex pricing structures. To help you stay focused as you work through your unique software selection process, here’s a checklist of factors to keep in mind:
| Factor | What to Consider |
| Scalability | Make sure the software can handle your team’s growth. Look for flexible user limits, ample storage, and features that scale with project complexity. |
| Integrations | Your project tracking tool should connect with the apps you already use, like Slack, Trello, Jira, or Google Drive, to keep workflows smooth and avoid data silos. |
| Customizability | Every team works differently. Choose a tool that lets you tailor workflows, dashboards, reports, and automation to fit your processes. |
| Ease of Use | A complicated interface slows your team down. Look for a clean layout, easy navigation, and minimal learning curve to help teams get up to speed fast. |
| Budget | Pricing varies widely. Decide if you need advanced features or a basic plan, and watch for hidden costs like add-ons, storage fees, or per-user pricing. |
| Security Safeguards | Your data must stay protected. Look for encryption, role-based access controls, regular backups, and compliance with standards like SOC 2 or ISO 27001. |
| Collaboration Features | Teams need to work together seamlessly. Look for @mentions, file sharing, real-time updates, and comment threads to keep communication clear. |
| Reporting & Analytics | You need visibility into project performance. Choose a tool that offers customizable reports, real-time dashboards, and KPI tracking to monitor progress. |
A good project management tool is flexible enough to handle different kinds of projects but still user-friendly enough for teams that might not be very tech-savvy. It’s about finding that balance.
Trends In Project Tracking Software For 2025
In my research, I sourced countless product updates, press releases, and release logs from different project tracking software vendors. Here are some of the emerging trends I’m keeping an eye on:
- AI and Machine Learning Integration: Artificial intelligence has moved from a concept to a significant component of project tracking software. This trend streamlines smart scheduling, predictive analytics, and risk assessment, enhancing project coordination.
- Advanced Blockchain Applications for Security: The use of blockchain in tracking applications is a notable trend. It boosts project security and data integrity, providing tamper-proof records and secure transactions. This enhances transparency and accountability across the project lifecycle.
- Automated Time Tracking: Project tracking software now often includes automated time tracking to ensure team compliance. These tools offer real-time workload insights, improve efficiency, and support accurate budgeting and resource management.
What Is Project Tracking Software?
Project tracking software is a tool that lets teams plan, monitor, and manage tasks, timelines, and deliverables to ensure projects stay on track and within scope.
It focuses on organizing project details in one place so managers and team members can clearly see what’s done, what’s in progress, and what’s overdue. Commonly used by project managers, team leads, and departments like IT or marketing, this software helps streamline coordination, boost visibility, and improve on-time delivery.
Types of Project Tracking Software
Project tracking software comes in various types to meet the needs of different businesses. Below is a breakdown of common project tracker examples:
- Free Project Tracking Software - Free tools offer core project tracking features like task management and progress tracking, making them ideal for small teams or individuals needing to manage projects without cost.
- Project Tracking Software for Small Businesses - Designed for smaller teams, these platforms provide intuitive project trackers and often integrate with other tools to streamline operations.
- Project Tracking Software for Large Organizations - Large enterprises track multiple projects with advanced features like resource allocation, budgeting, and portfolio-wide progress tracking, ensuring smooth management of complex initiatives.
- Construction Progress Tracking Software - Construction progress tracking software monitors materials, labor, and timelines. It often includes budgeting and compliance tools to ensure safety and cost efficiency.
- IT Project Tracking Software - Designed for IT teams, this type of project tracking system focuses on bug fixes, software development lifecycles, and user support.
- Creative Agency Project Tracking Software - Agencies can use agency management systems and trackers to manage client briefs, feedback loops, and design revisions. They often integrate with collaboration tools for smooth communication across design, marketing, and production teams. If you're wanting to brand your dashboards with your agency or client's branding with minimal coding, we recommend using a white label dashboard software.
- Healthcare Project Tracking Software - For healthcare projects, these platforms manage regulatory compliance, patient data, and equipment to enssure tracking aligns with medical standards and maintains efficiency.
- Manufacturing Project Tracking Software - In manufacturing, tool tracking software supports resource allocation, production timelines, and equipment maintenance to ensure deadlines are met and key tasks are tracked in assembly and production.
Features of Project Tracking Software
When selecting project tracking software, keep an eye out for the following key features:
- Task dependencies: Link tasks together so teams know which steps must be completed before others can start. This helps prevent bottlenecks and keeps projects moving. You can also get more specific with project management software with dependencies.
- Milestone tracking: Sets key project milestones to measure progress against major goals. This ensures teams stay on schedule and stakeholders can track achievements.
- Time tracking: Logs hours worked on tasks and projects to improve time estimates and resource planning. This is especially useful for hourly billing teams.
- Custom workflows: Adapts workflows to match your team’s processes, whether it’s agile sprints, waterfall planning, or something in between. This flexibility helps teams work more efficiently.
- Gantt charts: Visualizes project timelines with interactive Gantt charts that show task durations, dependencies, and deadlines. This makes it easier to adjust plans when things change.
- Real-time collaboration: Allows team members to comment on tasks, share files, and update progress instantly. This reduces miscommunication and keeps everyone aligned.
- Project budgeting: Tracks project costs, sets budgets, and compares estimates to actual spending. This helps prevent cost overruns and ensures financial accountability.
Benefits of Project Tracking Software
Implementing project tracking software can provide several benefits for your team and your business. Here are a few you can look forward to:
- Better project visibility: Keeps teams aligned with real-time updates, progress tracking, and dashboards showing project status at-a-glance.
- Fewer missed deadlines: Uses task assignments, due dates, and reminders to keep projects moving and prevent last-minute rushes.
- More accurate time estimates: Tracks how long tasks take to complete and use past data to improve future project and resource planning.
- Easier collaboration: Allows team members to comment on tasks, share files, and update statuses in one place, avoiding scattered messages.
- Faster problem detection: Spots delays, overloaded team members, or budget overruns early with project insights and predictive analytics.
- Clearer accountability: Assigns tasks with owners and deadlines so everyone knows who’s responsible for what, reducing confusion.
- Better budget control: Monitors spending, compares costs to estimates, and keeps projects within financial limits with built-in budgeting tools.
Costs & Pricing For Project Tracking Software
Selecting project tracking software requires an understanding of the various pricing models and plans available. Costs vary based on features, team size, add-ons, and more. The table below summarizes common plans, their average prices, and features included in project tracking software solutions:
Plan Comparison Table For Project Tracking Software
| Plan Name | Price (per user/month) | Features |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Basic task tracking, limited users and projects, basic reporting |
| Basic | $10 - $20 | Task tracking, simple reporting, basic integrations, limited users and projects |
| Standard | $20 - $50 | Advanced task tracking, time tracking, reporting and analytics, integrations, multiple users/projects |
| Premium | $50 - $100 | Advanced project management features, resource management, advanced reporting, unlimited users/projects |
It's always a good idea to start with a free or basic plan to get a sense of the tool before committing to a larger investment. However, it's also important to research and understand your chosen tool's options for scalability.
Common stages when your company may want to upgrade their pricing plan include:
- Team Expansion: As the team grows, the need for additional user licenses increases.
- Increased Project Load: When the number of active projects increases, a higher tier may offer better management features.
- Advanced Reporting Needs: As the company grows, the need for detailed analytics and reporting becomes crucial for making informed decisions.
- Integration with Other Tools: To integrate project tracking with tools like CRM, accounting, or communication platforms, upgrading tiers may be needed for API access and integrations.
- Enhanced Security and Compliance: For large organizations or regulated industries, upgrading to a tier with advanced security, compliance support, and data protection is essential to safeguard sensitive information.
New & Noteworthy Product Updates
Below you’ll find our release notes and take on the latest and greatest project tracking software product updates. Discover what’s now possible through feature releases, improvements, and updates on web, desktop and mobile apps. Learn what’s new, if it’s hot - or not, and why it matters for tracking projects.
Q1 2025 Project Tracking Software Updates
monday.com Update Notes
On March 2, monday.com released the Item ID Column, which assigns a unique identifier to each item within a board. This identifier can be configured in two ways: either as a randomly generated number or as a custom key defined by the user. By default, the system generates a random number for each item to ensure uniqueness without additional customization.
Users seeking more control can also opt for the "Custom key" setting, which allows them to define specific identifiers that align with their organizational or project-specific conventions. This flexibility enhances item tracking and management, making it easier to reference and locate items based on familiar identifiers.
This feature is particularly beneficial for teams that require precise item identification, such as project managers overseeing multiple tasks, developers tracking issues or features, and operations teams managing inventories or workflows.
Verdict: Hot! Automation + Organization + Customization = Success
Zoho Projects Update Notes
Zoho Projects has added accessibility features to improve the experience for users with visual, auditory, and sensory differences. These include a Reading Mask to reduce distractions, customizable text spacing, and animation controls for motion sensitivity. Users can also adjust cursor and font size, choose font families, and access features like screen reader support, hover text magnification, and strikethroughs for completed tasks.
Accessibility settings can be adjusted through Setup under Personal Preferences, the Quick Access toolbar, or the Sign-out page, which allows users to personalize their interface.
These features are designed to benefit users with visual impairments, cognitive challenges, or those using assistive tech.
Verdict: Hot! Accessibility will always be hot and on trend.
Productive Update Notes
On February 18, Productive launched a Document Style Editor that lets users customize exported PDFs to match their brand. It offers control over typography, page settings, section styling, text formatting, table design, and color schemes. Users can upload custom fonts, adjust margins, and modify headers, footers, and other sections for cohesive, professional documents.
Additionally, a real-time preview panel shows changes across document types like invoices, proposals, and purchase orders. Users can hover over sections to preview edits before applying them. Brand colors can be added via a color picker or by entering RGB, HSL, or HEX codes for consistency.
This feature is ideal for businesses aiming to present polished, branded documents. Marketing teams, brand managers, and administrative staff will find it useful for aligning materials with corporate guidelines.
Verdict: Hot! Branding is everything, after all.
Wrike Update Notes
In January 2024, Wrike rolled out updates to improve user experience and functionality. A key addition, Dark Mode, offers a darker interface to reduce eye strain and enhance visuals. Table View also now supports public links, which allows users to share views externally without a Wrike account.
Request Forms saw major improvements, including support for any blueprints and custom item types in space-level forms. Users can now convert account-level forms to space-level and use all question types as conditional follow-ups, boosting form flexibility.
These updates benefit project managers, team leads, and admins by improving coordination and communication. Dark Mode supports visual preferences, while enhanced Table View and Request Forms offer better data sharing and customization.
Verdict: Not. Dark mode is great for the eyes, but isn’t especially new or different.
Miro Update Notes
In January 2025, Miro launched Catch up (BETA), an AI-powered tool that helps users quickly review board updates and prioritize tasks without combing through every change. It offers a visual summary of edits, highlights key comment threads, and helps teams stay aligned without missing important updates. This reduces time spent on manual reviews, allowing more focus on decisions and execution.
Another key feature is Synced Copies, which lets users embed content from one Miro board into another with real-time updates. Changes to the original are reflected everywhere, ensuring consistency and removing the need for manual syncing. This is especially useful for teams managing multiple projects or collaborating across departments.
These updates help project managers, designers, and teams collaborate more efficiently—Catch up keeps everyone informed, while Synced Copies ensures consistent information across workspaces.
Verdict: Hot! AI is getting more and more normalized, but it’s still a hot new trend in our book.
Nifty Update Notes
On January 3rd, Nifty launched new features to improve date-based workflows and task management. A key addition is Recurring Tasks, which automates tasks on a daily, weekly, monthly, or custom schedule that reduces manual input and supports consistent workflows. This is especially useful for teams managing routine processes or ongoing projects.
Nifty also introduced the Date Difference custom field, which calculates the number of days between two dates in a task. This helps teams track deadlines, measure durations, and manage time-sensitive workflows more accurately to eliminate manual date calculations.
These updates benefit project managers, team leads, and professionals who depend on recurring tasks and precise scheduling to boost productivity and project outcomes.
Verdict: Hot! Automation might not be new, but it is certainly trendy.
Kintone Upgate Notes
In March 2025, Kintone rolled out updates to improve governance and usability. A key enhancement is stricter permission management for app control, which allows only authorized users to configure app settings. This ensures centralized control and better governance.
Error notifications on the Permissions for Records page were also improved. Users can now see clear error messages at the top of the page when issues occur during saving, simplifying troubleshooting.
These updates can benefit system administrators, IT professionals, and plugin developers by offering stronger oversight, improved security, and easier management of record permissions.
Verdict: Not. Permission management is so important for security, but it isn’t especially innovative.
Scoro Update Notes
In March 2025, Scoro released version 25.3 with updates to improve work management. One key enhancement is better visibility of time off in the Planner—time-off hours now appear with a striped yellow background, and clicking the icon under a user’s name shows more details.
To avoid data duplication and ownership issues, Scoro now additionally limits recurring event end dates to 10 years after the start date, which encourages shorter sequences and periodic reviews.
The Activity type filter in the utilization report was also refined. It now includes time entries based on activity type, regardless of the task type, to ensure more accurate reporting.
These updates help project managers, team leaders, and operations staff improve scheduling, resource planning, and reporting accuracy.
Verdict: Not. These are great new features, but not particularly new or exciting.
Rocketlane Upgrade Notes
In January, Rocketlane launched a comprehensive invoicing feature to streamline billing for professional services teams. It supports various billing models—time-and-materials, fixed-fee, and subscription—and handles multi-currency transactions for global use. Approved time logs are automatically converted into invoices, reducing manual work, errors, and billing delays.
To boost efficiency, the system includes customizable approval workflows and a unified dashboard for real-time visibility into billed, paid, and pending invoices, which helps forecast cash flow accurately.
These updates benefit project managers, finance teams, and service organizations by improving billing accuracy and integrating with accounting systems, allowing teams to focus on delivering client value.
Verdict: Hot! Invoicing can be tedious, but it’s so important. Anything to streamline the process is definitely hot.
Teamwork.com Upgrade Notes
In February 2025, Teamwork introduced updates to improve project management and resource planning. One key update is Placeholders, which lets users assign roles to tasks without naming specific team members. This helps managers plan based on required skills, avoid over-allocation, support hiring, and assign personnel when needed.
Teamwork also launched a new Clients View—a centralized dashboard showing client metrics and project statuses. It offers insights into profitability, budget breakdowns, billable vs. non-billable time, and overall project health for better client oversight.
These updates benefit project managers, finance teams, and client managers aiming to optimize resources and understand client projects more deeply.
Verdict: Hot! The more information you can give yourself and the client, the better.
Project Tracking Software Frequently Asked Questions
Find the answers to common questions about this topic.
What does project tracking software do?
Project tracking software keeps projects organized, on schedule, and moving toward their goals. It breaks down big projects into tasks, assigns responsibilities, sets deadlines, and tracks progress in real time. It also makes it easier to spot delays, resource gaps, or bottlenecks early.
Most tools offer dashboards, time tracking, and reporting features, making stakeholder updates simpler. Connected to other apps—like communication or productivity tools—project tracking tools streamline collaboration and keep everyone aligned and motivated.
What’s the difference between project and issue tracking?
Issue tracking is common among customer support and development teams. It focuses on lists of issues that need solving, labeled by how critical they are. Think of checklists where each item is more urgent than the next.
Project tracking, on the other hand, includes time, progress, resource, and issue tracking. It covers many data areas, while issue tracking focuses solely on bugs, problems, and similar items.
A complex project might need both—and that’s okay!
Is there any free project tracking software?
Yes! Budget-conscious teams and small teams rejoice. Like many project management tools, there are free and freemium options for you to choose from. Check out this list of free project management apps.
What are the types of tracking software?
There are plenty of elements of a job or project that you might need to track. Here are some examples of tracking software that you might encounter:
- Time tracking (timesheet apps)
- Task tracking apps
- Budget tracking software
- Construction project tracking software
- PMO tracker or other portfolio-level tracking tools
How do I use project tracking in software engineering?
Software development comes with its share of project tracking needs. Project scheduling and tracking in software engineering are particularly useful to make sure the project stays on track and on budget. As a software engineer, you need some type of tracking and team collaboration tool to ensure your project team doesn’t miss deadlines or bug tracking to keep a record of any issues that need to be addressed before launch.
What is Earned Value Management?
Earned Value Management (EVM) is a data-driven project tracking method used to measure performance based on cost and schedule. It relies on three core metrics: Earned Value (EV), Planned Value (PV), and Actual Cost (AC). These help assess how much work has been completed, what was planned, and what it actually cost.
EVM gives project managers a clear view of budget and schedule variances so they can make informed decisions. It’s especially valuable in complex projects with tight constraints, such as in construction, engineering, defense, and aerospace.
What are the most common challenges faced when implementing project tracking software?
Implementing project tracking software can come with a few challenges. Teams may resist change, preferring familiar workflows. Choosing a tool that fits project needs and budget can also be tough, and new software often has a learning curve.
Integration with existing systems isn’t always seamless, and consistent team adoption can take time. Success depends on balancing functionality, user-friendliness, and how well the tool adapts to the team’s workflow.
How do these project tracking tools facilitate team collaboration across different time zones?
Project tracking tools bridge time zone gaps with real-time updates, shared calendars, and asynchronous communication features. Team members can also update progress on their own schedule while keeping everyone informed.
Furthermore, cloud-based access keeps project data available at all times, enabling global teams to collaborate without delay. It supports continuous teamwork, reducing the impact of geographic barriers.
Can project tracking software integrate with existing enterprise systems like ERP or CRM?
Most project tracking software today is built with integration capabilities that allow smooth connections with systems like ERP and CRM. This streamlines workflows, ensures consistent data across platforms, and improves project visibility.
By linking these systems, teams can get real-time insights into project health, resource allocation, and customer interactions—all from one unified interface. It’s a major advantage for maintaining project coherence and driving efficiency.
What security features are included in project tracking software?
When handling sensitive client data or internal documents, strong security in your project tracking software is essential. Most tools offer role-based access controls to restrict visibility and keep information compartmentalized.
Data encryption—both in transit and at rest—is standard now, and essential. You’ll also want two-factor authentication to keep out unwanted visitors. Some platforms go further with audit trails and automatic backups, which help you stay compliant and recover fast if anything goes sideways.
What's Next?
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