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Resource management can often feel like a big tangled mess of stakeholder expectations, team dynamics, and budget constraints that takes a lot of time and patience to sort out. That's why having a reliable resource management tool is essential.

Here are my top recommendations for resource management software. I've carefully reviewed and selected each tool based on how it can address common challenges, such as scheduling conflicts, workload disparities, and limited visibility into resource availability. This will give you a clear understanding of which tool will best meet your team’s unique needs.

Why Trust Our Resource Management Software Reviews

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

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

Compare Specs Side-By-Side

Compare the pricing and specs of each tool on my shortlist below.

Tool Best For Trial Info Price
1
monday.com

monday.com allows you to track booked hours, status on assigned tasks, and team member capacity.

Best for simple workload planning

14-day free trial + free plan available

From $8/user/month (billed annually) Website
2
Hub Planner

View capacity and availablility for each team member in one view.

Best for midsize and large companies

14-day free trial + free demo available

From $7/user/month (billed annually) Website
3
Scoro

Plan resources for various tasks and projects using Scoro's utilization tools.

Best for forecasting team utilization

14-day free trial + free demo available

From $26/user/month (billed annually) Website
4
Float

Get real-time visibility into who’s working on what, when, and for which client to easily allocate work and make changes on the fly as projects evolve or new work comes in.

Best for intuitive resource management

30-day free trial available

From $6/scheduled user/month Website
5
Parallax

Parallax allows you to confidently forecast resource assignments across teams, accounts, and projects in real time.

Best for predictive resource management

Free demo

Pricing upon request Website
6
Kantata

Kantata's resource management features include resource forecasting and utilization tools like the one pictured above.

Best for real-time resource utilization

Not available

Pricing upon request Website
7
Runn

Get a real-time overview of your people's utilization and availability from the People Planner.

Best for real-time project tracking

14-day free trial + free plan available

From $10/user/month (billed annually) Website
8
Resource Guru

Resource Guru offers a team calendar with powerful filters for finding resources and assessing capacity.

Best for hassle-free resource booking

30-day free trial

From $4.16/user/month (billed annually) Website
9
Productive

Productive helps agencies create more accurate schedules for optimal utilization rates.

Best resource planning and capacity forecasting

14-day free trial

From $9/month (billed annually) Website
10
MRPeasy

MRPeasy allows you to manage your production resources with a simple Gantt chart feature.

Best for small manufacturers

30-day free trial

From $49/user/month Website

Best Resource Management Software Reviews

Below, you’ll find my choices for the best resource management software and tools. I’ve provided a detailed summary of each, including screenshots, standout features, integrations, and some pros and cons.

Best for simple workload planning

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

monday.com is a flexible work platform to help teams communicate in context and get a big picture of outstanding projects, available resources, and projected timelines.

Why I picked monday.com: I chose monday.com primarily for its smart design and straightforward interface. In my opinion, even team members who are lacking resource management experience can quickly get started planning timelines, assigning project ownership, and managing projects. The monday.com app also gives you the flexibility and power to run your team on the go, which I think is a great feature for busy managers. You can organize your daily work, projects, and teams as well as establish workflow automations, share documents, and create Gantt charts for further clarity.

monday.com Standout Features & Integrations

Features include a dependency tracking feature that ensures task assignments and timelines are automatically adjusted when project dependencies shift. Additionally, monday.com’s time estimation column allows teams to compare planned vs. actual time spent on tasks, which can help improve forecasting accuracy and enable data-driven resource planning.

Integrations include apps like Slack, Google Calendar, Jira, GitHub, Excel, Google Drive, Gmail, Trello, Dropbox, Typeform, and thousands more accessible via Zapier.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Color coded status great for resource overviews
  • Easily create boards dedicated to operational resource tracking
  • New features being rolled out regularly

Cons:

  • Gantt charts locked to mid-level plan
  • May be too robust for small teams
  • Comparatively complex pricing rubric

Best for midsize and large companies

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

Hub Planner is a versatile solution designed for managing resources and projects at scale. It caters to companies with complex resource needs by helping teams allocate workloads and track time effectively. This software is particularly well-suited for organizations handling multiple projects and requiring detailed oversight.

Why I picked Hub Planner: Hub Planner offers advanced scheduling tools that allow you to assign tasks and visualize resource allocation effortlessly. Its timesheets feature integrates seamlessly with scheduling, helping your team track hours and analyze productivity. Additionally, the built-in reporting functionality provides actionable insights for improving project performance. These features are ideal for midsize and large companies managing diverse resources and complex projects.

Standout features & integrations:

Features include a vacation and leave management functionality that enables teams to plan around availability gaps without disrupting project timelines. The platform's resource utilization heatmaps also provide a quick visual overview of under- or over-utilized resources to ensure optimal workload distribution.

Integrations include Microsoft Outlook, Google Calendar, Slack, Zapier, Jira, Trello, Asana, Salesforce, Harvest, and Basecamp.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Powerful & precise built-in reporting
  • Excellent capacity planning & forecasting
  • Search filter for available resources with skill sets & location
  • Easy toggle between user/group

Cons:

  • Need to click into modal for more details on events/projects bookings
  • Editing Custom Fields requires manual input or help from Hub Planner support
  • Need an API or intermediary for MS Teams

Best for forecasting team utilization

  • 14-day free trial + free demo available
  • From $26/user/month (billed annually)
Visit Website
Rating: 4.5/5

Scoro is a resource management software that provides a suite of tools to assist businesses in managing their projects, finances, and resources within a single system.

Why I picked Scoro: I like the platform's robust features that allow users to plan and prioritize work, distribute tasks with a drag-and-drop planner or Kanban task board, and manage time with shared calendars, timesheets, and a built-in time tracker. Scoro also enables monitoring of billable and non-billable hours and ensures accountability for time spent on client work.

Furthermore, the platform has comprehensive forecasting tools that allow managers to gain a clearer view of current capacity levels, shortages, deadlines, and planned events and vacations. This foresight helps avoid over- or under-utilization of staff, leading to better workload balance and increased employee satisfaction.

Scoro Standout Features & Integrations

Features include advanced utilization tracking with real-time dashboards that combine resource allocation, project progress, and financial metrics into a single, cohesive view. Additionally, Scoro’s integrated billing and resource tracking ensure streamlined management of billable hours that enable precise invoicing and better financial oversight.

Integrations include Google Calendar, Microsoft Exchange, Xero, QuickBooks, Sage Intacct, Expensify, Stripe, Jira, Slack, Asana, Dropbox, PayPal, and more.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Robust reporting and analytics
  • Comprehensive view of team utilization
  • Automated invoices

Cons:

  • Learning curve for first time users
  • Limited support for other languages

Best for intuitive resource management

  • 30-day free trial available
  • From $6/scheduled user/month
Visit Website
Rating: 4.3/5

Float is a resource management software that helps professional services teams allocate, scope, and report on client work to improve their profitability. 

Why I picked Float: Float deserves its spot on my list because its scheduling functionality is easy and intuitive, and it’s purpose-built for professional services. On the scheduling front, you can quickly create and assign new allocations to your team within seconds. The schedule view gives you an accurate, high-level overview of your team’s availability and capacity, and you can drill down deeper using Float’s search and filter functionality. I especially love that you can set custom work hours, assign localized public holidays, schedule time off, and add custom tags like location and skills to your people and projects. The platform also includes individual and team-wide utilization rates, rate tracking, and budgeting by hours, all of which are beneficial in the professional services world.  

Float Standout Features and Integrations

Features include Float's time-tracking functionality. When added, you can access pre-filled timesheets and compare your team’s scheduled hours with the actual time spent on tasks to maximize future resource allocation. Real-time reporting lets you track your resource utilization, monitor project budgets, and forecast your team’s capacity. Further features that I think are notable include capacity management, project planning, and estimations.

Integrations include Jira, Asana, Teamwork, Trello, Google Calendar, Outlook Calendar, Slack, and thousands more using Zapier.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • 24-hour support with 30 min response time
  • 99.5% uptime
  • Mobile app for iOS and Android

Cons:

  • Updating staff/personnel list takes time
  • Time tracking requires you to get a higher plan

Best for predictive resource management

  • Free demo
  • Pricing upon request
Visit Website
Rating: 4.8/5

Parallax is a resource planning and forecasting solution that is designed to help increase utilization and is natively built for integrations. In my opinion, it is best suited for marketing agencies, digital services firms, and software development teams looking to take full advantage of modern predictive resourcing and active forecasting to discover measured growth, higher revenue rates, and stronger margins.

Why I picked Parallax: Parallax gained a spot on my list because it does such a great job facilitating resource optimization for digital services companies. The tool gives you the ability to balance workloads, analyze utilization, and match the best available resources to the most suitable projects. I believe that this approach can definitely help optimize team performance and improve overall productivity. Extensive integration capabilities can further extend the platform's functionality.

Parallax Standout Features & Integrations

Features include dynamic demand forecasting that provides real-time insights into future resource needs, allowing teams to proactively address capacity gaps before they become critical. The platform's skills-matching engine also integrates with an advanced database search to pair team members with projects based on expertise, availability, and alignment with project goals.

Integrations include Hubspot, Slack, Tempo, Salesforce, Jira, Harvest, Microsoft Teams, Asana, and Oracle NetSuite. The integrations approach of the platform ensures you can aggregate the best features of each tool in your current tech stack under one roof.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Excellent predictive reporting capabilities
  • No additional cost for integrations
  • Responsive customer service support team

Cons:

  • No tracking for billable vs. non-billable hours
  • Non-Agile teams may struggle with it

Best for real-time resource utilization

  • Pricing upon request
Visit Website
Rating: 4.1/5

Kantata is a well-rounded tool that bridges the core planning, execution, project accounting, and analysis systems in a single operating environment. It has modules for project management, accounting, resource management, business intelligence, and team collaboration for services teams and agencies.

Why I picked Kantata: What appeals to me about Kantata is their system of dashboards, live time and expense tracking features, and their great documenting system. The resource management module offers real-time utilization and margins at the project and even the task level. From what I've seen, Kantata truly offers a comprehensive RM suite that even includes accounting tools like project costing, budget management, and invoicing. Despite requiring time to really master, Kantata has been widely recognized as being easy to use and learn and I believe that Kantata's benefits are worth the time.

Kantata Standout Features & Integrations

Features include dynamic margin tracking at both project and task levels that provide granular insights into profitability and allow businesses to optimize resources for maximum financial impact. Additionally, Kantata offers access to its BI Consultants, a team of experts who can design custom reports and provide tailored training to ensure your business can maximize the platform’s value while reducing implementation risks.

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.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Easy capacity management
  • Distinguish between soft and firm allocation
  • Good reporting functionality for resource data
  • Resourcing fully integrated with master planning

Cons:

  • Custom reports can be difficult to create without training
  • Proofing solution is an add-on
  • Advanced features are available only in the Premier and Enterprise editions of the application

Best for real-time project tracking

  • 14-day free trial + free plan available
  • From $10/user/month (billed annually)
Visit Website
Rating: 3.7/5

Runn is a real-time resource, demand, and capacity planning tool with integrated time tracking and powerful forecasting capabilities. I think it is a great tool for getting a bird’s-eye view of all projects and people to instantly spot over-bookings and identify resourcing patterns.

Why I picked Runn: I chose Runn for this list because of how easy it is to create project phases and allocations. You can drag and drop assets, as well as toggle between monthly, quarterly, and 6-month views to plan for the short and long term. If you don’t have the right person at the right time, you can use placeholders instead, which I think is an excellent way to visualize when projects or teams will need to scale up and hire more team members to meet workload requirements. Planning out tentative projects also allows you to see how your resourcing plans might change if the work gets confirmed.

Runn Standout Features & Integrations

Features include visualizations for capacity, workload, availability, and billable and non-billable utilization that allow users to examine roles, teams and tags to compare trends and understand which groups are overbooked. Runn also offers built-in timesheets that can help you understand how much time was worked compared to what was planned.

Integrations include apps like Harvest, WorkflowMax, and Clockify for importing project, client, and people data and syncing time entries. With Runn’s API, you can build your own integration to send data across your favorite tools.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Drag-and-drop resource scheduling
  • Intuitive utilization reporting and forecasting
  • Easily identify overbooked/unavailable employees
  • Over-budget predictions
  • Powerful API

Cons:

  • No offline or mobile time tracking
  • Limited number of integrations

Best for hassle-free resource booking

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

Resource Guru is a dedicated resource management software that aims to make resource management user-friendly with quick scheduling tools.

Why I picked Resource Guru: I chose Resource Guru for this list because of its conflict resolution capabilities. Resource management and team collaboration are built in to make resource booking more straightforward, with clash management, leave management, and a waiting list to prevent over-booking. It helps project managers make bookings simultaneously with no chance of stepping on each other’s toes. Clashes are automatically prevented, which I hope will save you a huge headache.

Resource Guru Standout Features & Integrations

Features include individual resource dashboards that allow team members to log in and view their specific tasks, bookings, and priorities in real time. The platform's 'availability bar' also visually displays resource capacity across the team, preventing overallocation and maintaining balanced workloads.

Integrations include calendar apps like Outlook calendar, Calendly, and Google calendar. Thousands of additional apps are accessible through Zapier.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Availability bar for capacity planning
  • Very affordable per-user rate
  • Attractive and flexible UI
  • Daily resource summary emails

Cons:

  • Unable to sort resources by experience level
  • No copy-paste of resource tasks

Best resource planning and capacity forecasting

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

Productive is a versatile platform that offers tools to simplify planning and team collaboration. It helps businesses handle multiple workflows and enables efficient tracking and allocation of resources across projects. The platform also caters to teams in service-oriented industries who need precision in resource planning and project delivery.

Why I picked Productive: Productive provides advanced forecasting tools that help your team plan and allocate resources effectively. Its capacity planning feature lets you monitor workloads and team availability, helping you make better decisions about upcoming projects.

Moreover, the platform's time tracking and profitability insights give you a clear picture of where resources are being used. You can also adjust schedules and reallocate team members on the go to maintain productivity and balance.

Standout features & integrations:

Features include role-based resource filters that allow you to assign tasks and allocate team members with precision to ensure the right people are working on the right tasks at the right time. Additionally, the platform’s scenario planning tool empowers teams to test various resource allocation strategies before committing, which helps minimize risks and improve project outcomes.

Integrations include Slack, QuickBooks Online, Xero, Zapier, HubSpot, Jira, Microsoft Teams, Google Workspace, Asana, and Trello.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Quite easy to set up collaborative tasks
  • Plenty of custom tags to choose from
  • Built-in time management can bill multiple business entities

Cons:

  • Mobile app could be faster/more responsive
  • Invoicing and quotation features are limited

Best for small manufacturers

  • 30-day free trial
  • From $49/user/month
Visit Website
Rating: 4.3/5

MRPeasy is a cloud-based MRP software tailored to the unique demands of smaller manufacturers. It offers an all-in-one solution for managing various aspects of production, including inventory oversight, customer relationship management, procurement, and financial workflows.

Why I picked MRPeasy: I chose MRPeasy as the resource management software because of its comprehensive capabilities, which include precise production planning, real-time inventory overview, and seamless integration with various platforms. These features allow you to manage and plan resources months in advance, including materials, equipment, and human resources required. With a customizable central dashboard, you can access a clear view of where you're spending your resources and how you can optimize workflows for production.

MRPeasy Standout Features & Integrations

Features include real-time shop floor reporting that integrates with resource planning to provide live updates on machine and labor utilization. Additionally, MRPeasy offers a robust materials resource planning (MRP) system that combines demand forecasting with inventory tracking, allowing manufacturers to optimize material allocation and avoid shortages or excess stock.

Integrations include Amazon, BigCommerce, Crossfire, Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, HubSpot, QuickBooks, ShipStation, Salesforce, Shopify, Zapier, and more.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Integrates all aspects of the manufacturing process in a single platform
  • Automated production planning features
  • Forecasting of materials and human resources

Cons:

  • May lack advanced features due to the simple platform
  • Technical support can be lacking

Other Resource Management Software Reviews

If you didn’t find what you were looking for above, here are a few more software tools that might fit the bill.

  1. Bonsai Agency Software

    For workload optimization

  2. Acuity PPM

    For project portfolio resource management

  3. Saviom

    For enterprise resource management

  4. Microsoft Project

    For Microsoft users

  5. Anaplan

    For scenario planning

  6. Meisterplan

    For role-based resource allocation

  7. ActiveCollab

    For built-in invoicing

  8. Planview Clarizen

    Enterprise-grade resource management tool

  9. Schedule It

    For scheduling work shifts

  10. KeyedIn

    For the PMO level

  11. Birdview

    For simulating resource loading

  12. PSOhub

    RM that integrates with CRMs

  13. Mosaic

    For capacity planning and headcount forecast

Video Walkthrough of Resource Management Tools

Check out our video on resource management software!

If you still haven't found what you're looking for here, check out these other related tools that we've tested and evaluated: 

Resource Management Software Selection Criteria

Through researching and testing a variety of resource management platforms, I've developed a series of selection criteria to help me determine which project resource planners are worth recommending to users.

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

  • Real-time visibility into resource availability
  • Detailed resource scheduling capabilities
  • Tools for demand forecasting and capacity planning
  • Workforce skill and competency tracking
  • Financial management features for budgeting and cost analysis

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

  • Advanced AI for predictive analytics or specialized tools for industry-specific needs
  • Improved resource visualization tools like interactive Gantt charts or heat maps for resource utilization
  • Customizable dashboards and reporting tools that provide insights tailored to the specific needs of stakeholders within the organization

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

  • An intuitive interface that balances complexity with ease of use (i.e. drag-and-drop scheduling tools or easy filtering and tagging for resource identification)
  • A clear and concise layout that allows for simple resource planning and minimizes the learning curve to improve the overall user experience

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

  • The availability of comprehensive training resources, including video tutorials, interactive product tours, and detailed documentation
  • Access to a variety of templates that help speed up the setup process for new projects or resource allocation plans

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

  • Responsive and knowledgeable customer support teams that are available through multiple channels, such as live chat, email, and phone
  • A robust online community or forum where users can share tips, ask questions, and find solutions from peers

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

  • Competitive pricing models that offer clear value for the features and capabilities provided, including transparent billing and flexible plans
  • The availability of free trials or demo versions that allow potential buyers to assess the platform's suitability before committing to a purchase

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

  • High ratings for user satisfaction, particularly regarding ease of use, customer support, and overall impact on project and resource management efficiency
  • Positive feedback on how well the platform scales with the business and adapts to changing needs and growing project complexity

How to Choose Resource Management Software

It’s easy to get bogged down in long feature lists and complex pricing structures. To help you stay focused as you work through your unique software selection process, here’s a checklist of factors to keep in mind:

FactorWhat to Consider
ScalabilityMake sure the software can grow with your team. Look for options that can handle increasing resources, users, and projects without sacrificing performance or usability.
IntegrationsCheck whether the software integrates seamlessly with the tools your team already uses, like project management platforms, CRMs, or accounting software.
CustomizabilityChoose software that lets you tailor your workflows, permissions, and reporting to match your team’s specific needs and industry requirements.
Ease of UseOpt for a platform with an intuitive interface and minimal learning curve so your team can adopt it quickly without frustration.
BudgetMake sure the pricing aligns with your software budget. Consider total costs, including subscription fees, add-ons, and potential scaling costs.
Security SafeguardsPrioritize software with robust security features like encryption, access controls, and regular updates to protect your team’s sensitive data.
Support OptionsLook for reliable customer support through channels like chat, email, or phone, as well as access to a knowledge base or community forum for self-help.
Reporting ToolsAssess whether the software offers detailed reporting features to help you analyze resource usage and improve efficiency over time.

It's worth emphasizing why integrations are especially important:

There are always limitations with these tools. Sometimes you have must-have requirements that the software can’t meet natively, and that’s when people start looking for integrations or workarounds.

Ken Sarmadi

Ken Sarmadi

Asana & monday.com Consultant

In my research, I sourced countless product updates, press releases, and release logs from different resource management software vendors. Here are some of the emerging trends I’m keeping an eye on:

  • AI-driven resource allocation: Software tools are implementing AI features that can predict staffing needs and assign resources based on skill sets, availability, and project priorities. This helps teams avoid overallocation, underutilization, and bottlenecks in complex projects.
  • Scenario planning and modeling: Features for testing “what-if” scenarios are becoming standard. These tools allow you to manage risks and adjust plans quickly, and to visualize the impact of changes like shifting deadlines or reallocating resources without disrupting active projects.
  • Skill mapping and development tracking: Platforms are integrating features that allow you to map team members’ skills and track their growth over time. You'll be able to make sure the right people are assigned to the right tasks and support the team's professional development.
  • Real-time workload insights: Live dashboards can provide instant visibility into team workloads and capacity, as well as replace the need for static reports. You can quickly identify imbalances and adjust assignments to keep projects running smoothly.
  • Sustainability and environmental tracking: Resource management tools are beginning to offer features for tracking sustainability metrics. This can help your business reduce waste and improve environmental impact.

What is Resource Management Software?

Resource management software is a tool that help teams allocate, schedule, and optimize the utilization of their resources to support project goals and objectives. Resources can include personnel, equipment, materials, and more.

The primary purpose of a team resource management tool is to make sure the right resources are available at the right time, in the right quantities, and in the right locations to complete project tasks efficiently and within the allocated budget and schedule.

Features of Resource Management Software

When selecting resource management software, keep an eye out for the following key features:

  1. Workload resource planning: Provides a view to monitor who is doing what, how much time it will take, potential bottlenecks, and who can handle more tasks
  2. Resource allocation automation: Automates the process of assigning tasks with no-code solutions like drag-and-drop builders, and reduces manual effort
  3. Alignment tools: Capacity planning and skill tracking features help match the right people to tasks while making sure workloads remain balanced and realistic
  4. Optimization tools: Provide insights into resource utilization, forecast demand, and budget usage to maximize efficiency and profitability
  5. Collaboration tools: Facilitate communication and coordination among team members and stakeholders

Benefits of Resource Management Software

Here are five primary benefits of using resource planner software:

  1. Efficient resource allocation: By providing insights into resource availability and workload, resources planning software helps you make sure resources are allocated optimally, minimize bottlenecks, and maximize productivity.
  2. Real-time visibility: With real-time updates on resource allocation and project progress, you'll have better visibility into project timelines and resource utilization. This lets you make informed decisions and proactive adjustments.
  3. Improved planning and forecasting: Resource allocation programs facilitate accurate planning and forecasting by analyzing historical data and resource trends, helping you anticipate future resource needs and allocate resources effectively.
  4. Better collaboration and communication: By centralizing resource information and allowing for collaboration among team members, the software fosters better communication, coordination, and alignment of resources with project goals. This also leads to improved project outcomes.
  5. Optimized project performance: Resource utilization software helps you optimize project performance by making sure the right resources are available at the right time, reducing delays, and increasing project delivery speed and quality.

Resource Management Software Costs & Pricing

Below is a breakdown of common resource management software plan types, their average prices, and the features typically included to help you determine which type of plan is right for you:

Plan TypeAverage PriceCommon Features
Free$0Basic resource scheduling, limited projects, basic reporting
Basic$10 - $20/user/monthBetter scheduling, time tracking, basic analytics
Professional$20 - $40/user/monthAdvanced resource planning, real-time collaboration, full project management suite
EnterpriseCustom PricingCustom integrations, advanced security features, personalized onboarding and support
A breakdown of plan types, costs, and features for resource manager software.

You can always upgrade your plan if necessary. Common stages where your company may want to upgrade your pricing plan include:

  1. Growth in team size: When the team expands beyond the limits of the current plan, you might need additional user licenses or seats.
  2. Increased project complexity: When projects become more complex, you'll require advanced features such as improved reporting and analytics.
  3. Need for better support: You might require higher levels of customer support, such as 24/7 support or dedicated account managers, to keep things running smoothly and resolve issues quickly.
  4. Demand for more storage: When your current plan’s storage capacity becomes insufficient as you create project files, documents, and data, you'll need to upgrade to a plan with more storage.
  5. Integrations and customization: When you need more integrations with other software or require customization options that are only available in higher-tier plans, you'll need to upgrade.

New & Noteworthy Product Updates

Below you’ll find my notes and take on the latest and greatest resource management 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 managing resources. 

Q4 2024 Resource Management Software Updates

monday.com Update Notes

monday.com performance dashboard screenshot
monday.com’s new sprint performance dashboard offers insights into sprint metrics, so you can make data-driven decisions throughout the sprint cycle.

The engineering performance dashboard is a new feature in monday.com that integrates with GitHub to provide insights into your development workflows. It tracks key metrics such as time to pull requests and overall cycle time, so you get a comprehensive view of the development process.

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

Currently in beta, the engineering performance dashboard is accessible to users with the GitHub integration enabled. Development teams, project managers, and stakeholders who want to optimize development cycles and improve workflow transparency will find this feature particularly beneficial.

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

Scoro Update Notes

screenshot of ELI in scoro
ELI is Scoro's new AI-powered assistant that provides instant, in-platform guidance to help you quickly navigate features and resolve issues.

In Q4, Scoro introduced ELI, an AI-powered chat assistant designed to improve the user experience by providing instant support and guidance within the platform. ELI offers real-time assistance, helping you navigate features, troubleshoot issues, and optimize your use of Scoro's tools.

ELI aims to help you streamline your workflows by reducing the time you spend seeking help or learning new functionalities. By delivering immediate, context-specific responses, ELI lets you resolve queries swiftly and focus more on your core tasks and less on navigating the platform.

This update is particularly beneficial for project managers, team members, and new users who require quick assistance or are unfamiliar with certain features. ELI's support facilitates a smoother onboarding process and helps maximize the platform's capabilities, so it's a valuable addition if you're aiming to improve productivity within Scoro.

Verdict: Hot! AI may be becoming more commonplace, but it still counts as a hot new trend.

Runn Update Notes

runn filtering feature screenshot
Runn’s new filtering feature allows you to sort team members by job title.

In Q4, Runn introduced a feature allowing you to filter by job title on both the project and people planners. Team members are displayed based on their specific job titles, which allows for more precise resource management, efficient project assignments, and better team organization.

Previously, you could view job titles on the people planner but you couldn't filter, search, or group individuals by this criterion. The new filtering capability provides a streamlined approach to managing personnel according to their roles and seniority levels.

This update is particularly beneficial for project managers, resource planners, and HR professionals who require detailed insights into team composition and need to allocate resources effectively based on job titles. With this feature, you can improve your planning processes and make sure projects are staffed with appropriately qualified personnel.

Verdict: Not. Iteration is always welcome, but this new feature is not particularly innovative.

Kantata Update Notes

kantata pulse score feature screenshot
Kantata’s new pulse score graph visually tracks changes in project sentiment over time, showing trends in happiness, confidence, and collaboration.

In Q4, Kantata released Kantata Pulse, an integrated sentiment tool designed to allow professional services organizations to gather feedback from clients and employees. By automating feedback collection across project phases, Pulse provides you with insights into how clients and team members feel about project progress. This tool helps detect issues early and combines sentiment data with quantitative metrics to give a fuller view of project health.

Unlike post-project surveys, Kantata Pulse captures feedback continuously, allows for quicker interventions, and strengthens relationships with clients and employees. The system is flexible, allowing both internal and external surveys without requiring additional user accounts, which improves accessibility and participation rates.

Those likely to benefit from this release include project managers, account administrators, and client success teams who aim to improve project satisfaction and engagement. Kantata Pulse’s structured survey approach delivers actionable feedback, supports informed decisions, and fosters a proactive approach to project management.

Verdict: Hot! Automating feedback and analysis is a great way to make your business better, faster. 

Check out Kantata's most recent pricing information.

Productive Update Notes

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

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

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

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

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

Wrike Update Notes

wrike AI widget generation feature screenshot
AI widget generation in Wrike allows you to create dashboard widgets effortlessly using natural language descriptions.

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

It's particularly beneficial for project managers, data analysts, and team leads who regularly use dashboards for reporting and data visualization. The AI-driven approach reduces the time and effort needed to set up widgets, so you can focus more on interpreting data and making informed decisions. Additionally, it lowers the barrier for those less familiar with manual widget configuration, which means broader adoption of advanced reporting tools within your team.

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

Check out Wrike's most recent pricing information.

Hub Planner Update Notes

hub planner updated user interface screenshot
Hub Planner's updated UI simplifies resource and project management with a better design, improved navigation, and unified filtering.

Hub Planner has recently updated its user interface to improve your ability to manage resource and project groups. These groups, which can be created manually or through smart filters, help you organize teams and projects efficiently. The latest UI improvements simplify the process of building and managing these groups and make the platform more intuitive and user-friendly.

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

Project managers, team leads, and resource coordinators will find these updates particularly beneficial. The improved UI facilitates quicker navigation and more effective organization of resources and projects which can help with your overall productivity.

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

Resource Guru Update Notes

resource guru activity types feature screenshot
Resource Guru’s new activity types feature lets you define custom categories for tasks and apply them to projects for streamlined scheduling and detailed time tracking.

Resource Guru has introduced a new feature called activity types that allows you to categorize various tasks within a project, such as research, planning, design, meetings, or presentations. This categorization provides greater clarity in scheduling and helps you allocate appropriate time to each phase.

With activity types, you can gain detailed insights into time tracking and compare scheduled time and actual hours spent on specific activities. This level of detail helps you identify areas where projects may be deviating from plans so you can make informed adjustments to forecasting and budgeting and ultimately boost productivity.

This feature is particularly beneficial for project managers, team leaders, and resource planners who require a granular understanding of time allocation across different project components.

Verdict: Not. More organization is great, but the idea of categorizing projects is not particularly new. 

Check out Resource Guru's most recent pricing information.

Meisterplan Update Notes

mesiterplan custom project form feature screenshot
Meisterplan's Q4 update allows you to customize the add project form by project type, which improves data entry and lets you capture information consistently.

In Q4, Meisterplan introduced a feature allowing you to customize the add project form for each project type. This lets you specify which fields are included when manually adding new projects, so essential information is consistently captured. By tailoring the form to different project types, you can streamline data entry and maintain uniformity across various project categories.

To configure the add project form, navigate to project types within Meisterplan. Newly added fields are optional by default but can be set as required through a simple drag-and-drop interface. This makes sure you have all the necessary details before a project is added, which helps with data quality and project management efficiency. 

This update is particularly beneficial for project managers and administrators responsible for overseeing project data integrity. By customizing the project creation process, you can enforce data entry standards and make sure all relevant information is collected upfront. 

Verdict: Hot! The more customization the better.

Float Update Notes

float draft project feature screenshot
Float's new draft project status allows you to plan projects privately and test scenarios for budgets, timelines, and resources before publishing them to the live schedule.

In Q4, Float introduced a draft project status feature, which lets you plan projects without affecting the live schedule. You can plan and test scenarios for various project aspects—such as budget, timeline, and resource allocation—within the project plan before making them visible on the schedule. 

The draft status is particularly useful for testing different resource scenarios according to the team's billable rates (without sending them notifications and causing confusion about what they should be working on). Once the project details are finalized, changing the status to tentative or confirmed will make it appear on the schedule and notify the involved team members. 

This feature is especially beneficial for project managers and planners who need to experiment with different project scenarios without disrupting the current schedule. The draft status lets you thoroughly plan and approve project contingencies before implementation.

Verdict: Hot! Nothing gets better without space for experimentation. 

Check out Float's most recent pricing information.

Resource Management Software Frequently Asked Questions

Find answers to common questions about resource management and resource management software.

How do you create a resource plan?

Here are the 3 main steps you can take to create a resource plan:

  1. Identify the different types of resources needed to complete the project. Resources could include team members, equipment, meeting rooms, or anything that’ll be required as part of the project process.
  2. Quantify the amount of each type of resource required. To quantify the resources, you’ll need to consider the resources and estimate their effort on the project.
  3. Schedule the consumption of each resource within the project. To schedule the resources, you’ll need a project schedule so you know who to book, when, and for how long.

You can read our full guide to creating resource management plans for more detail.

What are 3 resource management techniques?

Three common resource management techniques include resource forecasting, leveling, and smoothing.

  1. Resource forecasting involves creating a plan for the resources that will be required to deliver a project. It often occurs in the initial phases of a project, even as early as the sales process. A resource forecast estimates the resources and effort that will be required for the project, which helps determine the project timeline, project budget, and the project estimate that will be put forward to the client.
  2. Resource leveling is a technique where you have flexible start and end project dates. This flexibility comes from putting your resources first and trying to level the workload as evenly as you can given your project resources.
  3. Resource smoothing is the opposite of the leveling technique. In this one, you know you have to finish the project by a certain date which cannot be changed. Because time is your priority here, try to make the most efficient use of your resources. This is accomplished by avoiding peaks and troughs of resource utilization.

How do you calculate project resources?

A simple way to calculate the level of effort required is to look at past project performance and compare it with the current project plan to identify the current project team velocity.

You can then use the formula: current velocity/project estimate = resources required.

It’s important to calculate resources needed for a project so that you take the right amount of the team’s time. Resource too little, and they won’t have enough time to complete the work, and if you resource too much, you might inadvertently be pushing them to waste time or work slowly to fill in the time.

Do I need resource management software?

Yes, you do. Managing your team and its resources with resource management software means you’ll benefit from the right people working on the right things at the right time. It maximizes utilization, keeps people and projects on track, and makes sure projects get the resources they need to be delivered successfully.

Should I still be using spreadsheets for resource management?

Managing resources with spreadsheets is typically inefficient, error-prone, and lacking in essential features like budget tracking, time tracking, and real-time collaboration. Spreadsheets may handle basic resourcing, but they fall short of providing the robust tools needed for effective resource management.

However, a growing number of tools have evolved in recent years to fix the problem of resource management in Excel and create something better than the free resource management tools that actually brings additional business value on top of keeping everything organized.

What can you do with resource management software?

Sometimes referred to as resource capacity planning software, it’s a type of project management tool that lets you plan, allocate, and then track who’s working on what project, when, and for how long.

This software makes it easy for all stakeholders to see the resource availability and capacity of the organization and the available skills. Then, you can schedule and provide reporting to show historical and forecasted resource utilization.

Some software also has project management software features. These make it easy to plan, schedule, and reschedule projects, tasks, and resources in the same tool.

Learn more about the use cases for resource management software here.

What's an example of an effective resource management system?

An effective resource management system is one that lets you see your resources, the projects and tasks they are assigned to, gives you a visual representation of how busy they are, and gives you options to balance the workload. It can be as simple as an Excel spreadsheet or Google sheet. However, it’s one that lets your organization deploy the resources at its disposal as efficiently and effectively as possible to make sure your project progresses smoothly.

An effective system lets your organization conduct resource planning in a way that maximizes the utilization of available resources and considers the availability of staff, their skills, their preferences, their location and timezone, and maps them against projects and organizational goals.

Is Jira a resource management tool?

No. Jira is an issue and project-tracking software that is not designed as a native resource management tool. Therefore, it does not allow you to see detailed information on your team at an individual level.

However, if you are using Jira or planning to use it, here are three workarounds to Jira resource planning.

How do these software options facilitate collaboration between remote teams?

Resource management software facilitates collaboration among remote teams by providing tools that allow easy communication, project visibility, and real-time updates. These platforms often include features such as shared calendars, task assignments, file sharing, and integration with communication tools like Slack or Microsoft Teams. By centralizing information and resources, you can stay aligned on the project’s objectives, regardless of physical location.

Are there flexible pricing options or discounts for non-profits?

Many resource management software providers recognize the unique financial constraints of non-profit organizations and offer flexible pricing models, including discounts or even free tiers with limited capabilities. It’s best to directly inquire with the software providers as these options may not be widely advertised.

Additional Resource Management Software Reviews

If you're looking for a different type of resource management software, check out the reviews below:

What's Next?

Resource management tools can help you create a culture of retention by mitigating the risk of burnout. So what are you waiting for? To learn more about resource allocation, check out our complete guide to workload capacity. Or if you'd like to explore what you can do with Excel a little longer, here's an example and free template on resource allocation.

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!