10 Best Visual Project Management Software Shortlist
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There are seemingly countless project management software solutions that offer visuals, so figuring out which is best for you is tough. You want to have understand project performance through visuals that turn complex data into simple and actionable insights but need to figure out which tool is the best fit. I've got you! In this post I make things simple, leveraging my experience managing big, complex projects, and using dozens of different PM tools to bring you this shortlist of the best visual project management software.
What is visual project management software?
Visual project management software is a specialized tool that leverages visual representations to facilitate project planning, tracking, and communication. It goes beyond traditional text-based interfaces, offering graphical elements such as charts, diagrams, and dashboards to present project information in a more digestible and actionable format.
Visual project management software helps streamline project oversight by providing a visually intuitive platform that fosters better communication with stakeholders, understanding of complex information, and decision-making throughout the project lifecycle.
Overviews Of The 10 Best Visual Project Management Solutions
Here’s a brief description of each of the visual project management software that is featured on this list.
monday.com
Best free plan with bold color-coding of tasks
monday.com is a bold, easy-to-use visual project management software that lets you view your projects, tasks, and milestones in a variety of ways—Gantt chart, calendar views, task lists, Kanban boards, and completion-level bar charts. Each user can build their own visual dashboard using widgets to pull in and display the data they need mostar in their day-to-day.
monday also has in-app commenting and messaging, making for easy workflow collaboration and approvals. Team members can attach documents right into the project space, including graphics, text files, videos, and spreadsheets. Plus, monday.com boasts fully featured iOS and Android mobile apps.
Higher level paid plans will unlock simple, point-and-click automations that can change statuses or send notifications as soon as certain conditions are met. This greatly reduces the organizational and administrative burden on your project management team.
monday.com’s integrations include project management apps like Slack, Google Drive, Gmail, Google Calendar, Jira, GitHub, Trello, Dropbox, Typeform and many more, accessible through a paid plan with Zapier.
monday.com costs from $6/user/month and comes with a free 14-day trial. They offer a free plan for up to 2 users.
ClickUp
Hyper-customizable visual interface to let you emphasize what is important to you.
ClickUp is a project management powerhouse that has a wide range of features and customization options. You can visually customize the overall look and feel of the interface, plus what you see inside your project spaces.
To get the most out of your experience, I recommend you enable the sidebar dark mode and use the modern layout. If you do it, it should look exactly like the screenshot above. Regarding your project spaces, you should know you can add emojis to any field that supports text. Also, dropdown-type fields will let you have background colors so your fields stand out.
Lesson learned: not everything needs a color. Otherwise it will look like the most confusing rainbow you’ve ever seen.
ClickUp offers native integrations with Slack, G Suite, Dropbox, and many more tools, as well as over 1,000+ integrations through Zapier.
ClickUp is free with limited storage for an unlimited number of users. Paid plans start at $5/user/month and offer a free-trial.
FigJam by Figma
Best for a flexible board with real-time collaboration
FigJam is an online whiteboard tool created by Figma. It's a flexible and versatile tool that can be used for various aspects of your project planning and management. Because you start with a blank canvas, it can facilitate everything from brainstorming and ideation to workflow mapping and task tracking. The software comes with several pre-built templates you can draw from, too.
Whiteboards can be customized with stickers, comments, shapes, lines, arrows, images, and more. You can use these boards to map out concepts, ideas, and plans. Templates available cover things like project brainstorm structures, roadmaps, flowcharts, timelines, and more. There's also lots of support documentation available, both from Figma and from the Figma community.
What makes FigJam particularly useful in my opinion is its integration with Figma's design platform. For product and design teams, this is super useful because you can plan, manage, and execute your work all within the same environment.
Native integrations are available for Figma, Microsoft Teams, Asana, Jira, Mixpanel, and Github.
A freemium plan is available for up to 3 boards, and paid plans start from $3 per user, per month.
Miro
Best for collaborative whiteboards & visualizations
Miro is a collaborative online whiteboard with over 1,000 templates including mind maps, Kanban boards, Gantt charts, product wireframes, research boards, and flowcharts. It’s trusted by 99% of the Fortune 100, and used by teams at TransUnion, HP, Upwork, Cisco, Qlik, and Atkins. Miro’s visual platform is built for hybrid work, and has robust resources for continuous learning like Miro Academy, online events, and a community forum.
One of Miro’s many functionalities is as a project management tool with a focus on interactive, visual work boards. Project management is seamless with built-in video conferencing, Agile workflows, ideation and brainstorming templates, and wireframing tools. Paid plans allow guest and visitor access so you can collaborate with clients and stakeholders.
At The Digital Project Manager, we use Miro to map out content clusters and to visualize content workflows from start (brainstorming ideas) to finish (publishing the content on our site).
Miro has integrations with a whole suite of tools, including Zoom, Figma, Asana, Microsoft Teams, Jira, Slack, Google Drive, Box, Airtable, Notion, Azure, and Webex. Some integrations are limited to paid plans only.
Miro is free to use for unlimited members with up to 3 editable boards. Paid plans start at $8/user/month (billed annually).
Pros
- Free forever plan available
- Intuitive and easy setup
- Built-in communication features for streamlined collaboration
Cons
- Visitor/guest accounts locked to paid plans only
- Zooming can be jumpy on larger projects
- Free version does not allow high-quality export to pdf
Airtable
Best for integrations
Airtable is a super robust and highly customizable visual project management software with smart sorting and filtering capabilities, an assortment of different data visualization styles, and very flexible workflow automations to accommodate any process. It can be tricky to learn all the ins and outs of the system but it’s well worth the effort.
Airtable is so data dense and informationally rich that its internal search function tends to lag behind what is needed for the tool. Don’t let this stop you from trying it out, though, as you’ll definitely find the broad functionality of the system gets you a bang for your buck.
Airtable integrates with Asana, Basecamp, Dropbox, Box, Email, Eventbrite, Evernote, Facebook, Github, Gmail, Google Drive/calendar/contacts, Instagram, JotForm, MailChimp, LinkedIn, MeetUp, Pocket, Slack, SMS, Soundcloud, Stripe, Trello, Tumblr, Twilio, Twitter, Typeform, WordPress, Wunderlist, YouTube, and Zendesk. You can connect to thousands of other apps using Zapier, Workato, Integromat, or Automate.io (may require a paid plan) or leverage their robust API to do the same.
Airtable offers a free plan with some feature and size limitations. Paid plans cost from $10/user/month and come with a 14-day free trial.
Forecast
Best for managing your projects, resources, and finances in one
Forecast is a visual project management software that unites your projects, resources, and financials in one AI-powered platform. Project managers can leverage Forecast’s workflow automation capabilities to create smart schedules, estimate timeframes and budgets, and populate timesheets instantly. Forecast is currently used in over 40 countries by an assortment of agencies, consulting companies, SMBs, and enterprises.
PMs can control the workflow by building out detailed task lists and flagging clear priorities. Task cards allow every team member to easily comment, share files, and register time spent. Everything related to the specific task appears in one place, including dependencies and subtasks. You can put together projects for any type of work: fixed price, time and material, or retainer.
Forecast’s AI learns from previous work and suggests the number of hours you normally register on similar tasks to help you log time faster. You can monitor time registrations from a team perspective and notify each member if they forget to enter something in. Time tracking utilization on a company-wide level is calculated for you for easy alerts, estimates, and reporting.
Forecast integrates with Slack, Microsoft Teams, iCloud Calendar, Google Drive, Google Calendar, Outlook, Harvest, Trello, Asana, GitLab, Github, and dozens more using a paid plan through Zapier. Higher-tier subscriptions include native integrations with Timelog, Xero, QuickBooks Online, JIRA, Azure DevOps, Salesforce, Okta, OneLogin, and Azure Active Directory.
Forecast cost from $29/user/month with a minimum of 10 users and offers a 14-day free trial.
Backlog
Best for software devs
Backlog is project management and code management united, making it particularly well suited for software development teams who want a modern, visual workspace. Backlog has everything that you would expect from a visual project management tool: sprint planning, communication tools, real-time updates, and a healthy number of workflow-related integrations. Backlog has both an iOS and Android mobile app, as well.
Backlog also has all the stuff that software dev PMS need: issue and bug tracking, remote work support, version controls, and tons of built-in storage space 100 GB for enterprise level plans). You can even add issues directly from whatever email solution you use. They also empower code review and collaboration through Git, Subversion (SVN), and wikis.
Backlog integrates with Typetalk, Cacoo, Nulab Pass, Slack, Redmine, Jira Importer, Jenkins, iCal Sync, email platforms, Google Sheets, and LambdaTest. You can also build your own integrations and add-ons with Backlog's API.
Backlog is free for up to 10 users and 1 project. Paid plans cost from $35/month for up to 30 users and come with a 30-day free trial.
ProjectManager.com
Best looking customizable dashboard
ProjectManager is an online project management solution currently used by over 375K users and counting, including teams from NASA, Volvo, and Ralph Lauren. The tool lets you share projects and collaborate online with features such as Gantt charts, visual dashboards, real-time reporting, and time tracking functionality.
ProjectManager is a highly flexible tool used by teams in construction, manufacturing, IT & dev work, professional services, engineering, product management, and more. It comes with free onboarding and free training to ensure that the tool is set-up to meet the specific needs of your industry and team.
ProjectManager integrates with MS Project, Excel, Office 365, Salesforce CRM, QuickBooks, Xero, Dropbox, Desk.com, JIRA, Hubspot, Slack,Zendesk, Evernote, OneLogin, OneDrive, and the complete Google Suite. They also have a powerful REST API to help you build against internal or external tools.
ProjectManager is free to use for up to 3 users. Paid plans cost from $14/user/month and come with a 30-day free trial.
KeyedIn
Best for making charts pop
KeyedIn is a visual project management tool that combines all of your PMO’s projects, tasks, resources, and reports across a modern, clean interface. Simple dashboard views can flag overdue deliveries, tasks, and actions so that your team can address them quickly. They also offer risk & issue management features: track, manage and resolve risks and issues associated with portfolio projects.
KeyedIn is available in over a dozen languages, inlucing English (US & UK), Spanish (Mexico & Spain), Chinese Manderin, and French. They also offer their services in different hyper-focused modules to address things like manufacturing enterprise resource planning, project portfolio management, or professional services PM.
KeyedIn integrates with Salesforce, Cherwell, JIRA, CAST Software Intelligence, Sage, Microsoft BI, and other apps not listed directly on their site. Their enterprise-level plan boasts support for third-party integrations for things like predictive analytics, IT product analysis, advanced reporting, and AL/machine learning.
KeyedIn costs from $15.30/user/month depending on permissions/feature needs. They also offer a free trial for new users.
nutcache
Best for visualizing project development
Nutcache is a visual project management software with a suite of communication and collaboration tools built into daily workflow processes.
Nutcache features include project management, project budgeting, task management, time tracking, expense tracking, online invoicing, and reporting capabilities. The tool is a collaborative workspace with features for live editing, commenting, and mentions.
Nutcache lets you use custom workflows, divide work into manageable chunks, prioritize tasks, assign multiple members to a task, define budget alerts, set budget tracking by the hour or amount, use KPIs to stay on budget, and has a roadmap of features to come.
Integrations include Dynacom Accounting, PayPal, 2Checkout, Stripe, Authorized.Net, Google Sign In, and GitHub.
Nutcache is free to use for up to 20 users. Paid plans start at $6/user/month with a minimum of 5 users and offer a free trial.
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The Best Visual Project Management Solutions Software Comparison Chart
Tool | Trial Info | Price | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | monday.com Best free plan with bold color-coding of tasks | 14-day free trial + free plan available | From $8/user/month (billed annually, min 3 seats) | Website |
2 | ClickUp Hyper-customizable visual interface to let you emphasize what is important to you. | Freemium plan available | From $9/user/month | Website |
3 | FigJam by Figma Best for a flexible board with real-time collaboration | Free plan available | From $3/user/month | Website |
4 | Miro Best for collaborative whiteboards & visualizations | Free plan available | From $10/user/month | Website |
5 | Airtable Best for integrations | Free plan available | From $24/user/month | Website |
6 | Forecast Best for managing your projects, resources, and finances in one | Free demo available | Pricing upon request | Website |
7 | Backlog Best for software devs | 30-day free trial | From $35/month | Website |
8 | ProjectManager.com Best looking customizable dashboard | 30-day free trial | From $16/user/month | Website |
9 | KeyedIn Best for making charts pop | Free interactive product tour available | Available upon request | Website |
10 | nutcache Best for visualizing project development | Free plan available | From $6/user/month (5 users minimum) | Website |
Other Visual Project Management Options
Here are a few more that didn’t make the top list. If you need additional suggestions for handy visual PM apps, check these out.
- Notion
Best for remote or hybrid teams
- Height
Best for its free plan with unlimited members, guests, and tasks
- CROOW
Best visual project management software with time tracking
- GanttPRO
Best for building Gantt charts
- Lucidchart
Best to visualize complex data and processes
- Lucidspark
Best infinite canvas for project planning and collaboration
- Bynder
Best digital asset management for visual project management
- Wrike
Best collaborative visual project management software
- Zoho Projects
Best for visualizing projects of varying complexity
- Celoxis
Best visual project management software with real-time financial reporting
- Walling
Best for visually managing project tasks and ideas
- Microsoft Project
Best for integration with MS software like Powerpoint.
- airfocus
Best for scalability, large or small teams.
- Trello
Best for Kanban board task lists.
- Process Street
Best for aesthetic project timelines.
- Teamwork
Best free plan for small businesses that need a visual approach.
- Hive
Best for visual time tracking & timesheets for projects.
- ProWorkflow
Best for visualizing resource management.
- Bubble PPM
Best as an intuitive, easy-to-use visual PM tool.
- Acuity PPM
Best customer support resources.
- Project Insight
Best for appealing analysis reports.
- Genius Project
Best for easy, visual project tracking.
- Forecast.app
Best for visually appealing invoicing documents.
- Odoo ERP
Best open source project management tool
- Scrumwise
Best eye-catching SCRUM software.
- TeamGantt
Best for Gantt charts and other planning.
- Mavenlink
Best for building roadmaps.
- Jira
Best for agile workflows.
- Asana
Best for scalability, large or small teams.
How I Picked The Best Visual Project Management Software
What am I looking for when we select visual tools for review? Here’s a summary of my evaluation criteria:
User Interface (UI)
A clean user interface will help streamline your use of the tool and prevent bottlenecks caused by tool navigation problems. The tools on this list have tons of features that range from task management to team collaboration features. Therefore, it is easy for a UI to look crowded.
Usability
Ideally, you want to reduce the user's learning curve, increase tool adoption, and ensure they can master it. Therefore, I look at the tool's tech support, user support, tutorials, and knowledge bases. I also look into versions of the software on mobile devices.
Integrations
Is it easy to connect with other tools? Any pre-built integrations? Does it connect with whatever project management tool you may already use in your day-to-day? Does it connect to image storage systems like Google Drive?
Pricing
How appropriate is the price for the features, capabilities, and use case? Is pricing clear, transparent, and flexible?
Visual Project Management FAQs
Find answers to common questions other people ask about this topic.
What key features are in visual PM software?
What is the benefit of using visual PM software?
How do you visually track a project?

What's Next?
Have you tried out any visual project management apps listed above? Is there a SAAS visual project management tool that you would add to this list? Sound off in the comments.
Related tool lists:
If you’re still looking, find other types of project management software and overviews in this article.