10 Best Web Based Project Management Tools Shortlist
Here’s my shortlist of the best web based project management tools:
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Web-based project management tools help you keep track of project data and progress, make sure projects are delivered on time and on budget, and foster collaboration amongst your team (even from different locations). But with so many options available, finding the right fit for your needs is tricky.
I've simplified this process by shortlisting my picks for the best web-based project management tools and sharing my personal experiences using this kind of tool as a project manager.
What is a Web Based Project Management Tool?
Web-based project management tools are software that you can access and operate through a web browser. This eliminates the need for local installations and lets you manage projects from any location with internet access.
These tools offer features for planning, monitoring, and executing projects collaboratively, as well as task management, Gantt charts, document sharing, and reporting functionalities.
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Smartsheet
This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.4.4 -
Wrike
This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.4.2 -
monday.com
This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.4.6
Overviews of the 10 Best Web Based Project Management Tools
Here’s a brief description of each of the web based project management tools on my list, covering what it does best.
monday.com is a scalable, flexible, and secure web-based project management tool that sports some of the most user-friendly and encouraging interface graphics around.
Why I Picked monday.com: The bright colors, gamification of task completion, and easy drag-and-drop mechanisms can encourage software adoption by even the least techy team members make team collaboration easily achievable. On top of the best project management features you also get hundreds of add-ons, widgets, integrations, and automation ensure that every user can design an experience that works best for their unique needs whether its for an individual task or recurring tasks.
Standout Features & Integrations
Features include a teamwork hub, which is a dedicated space where your team can track dependencies, share updates, and resolve blockers together. The tool also supports guest access, so external collaborators like clients or contractors can work alongside your team while you maintain control over shared information.
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.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Can customize your boards to display only what you need most
- Document template gallery is hugely helpful
- Offers a free version of the web-based tool
Cons:
- Reporting is manual & time-consuming
- Timeline & Gantt views locked to Standard Plan and above
Celoxis
Best web-based project management with accounting and financial solutions
Celoxis is an award-winning all-in-one web-based project management software tool that is backed by over 17 years of company experience. It comes packed with good-to-great features not just for small and mid-sized businesses, but also for large enterprises. This project planning tool has been the platform of choice for brands like HBO, Bombardier, KPMG, Tesla, Adobe, University of Washington, and The World Bank.
Why I Picked Celoxis: Celoxis provides powerful yet flexible project portfolio management, time and expense tracking, resource management, financial tracking, document management, and team collaboration. Using Celoxis, project management teams can manage schedules, resources, budgets, costs, invoices, communication, approvals, risks, issues, change requests and other work items from a single online platform.
Celoxis' comprehensive features address the real-world complexities of managing projects across organizations and functions; it excels at planning, delegation, tracking and reporting with great agility and user-friendliness and also serves as a collaboration tool. Celoxis help users plan and manage real-world, diverse project portfolios. It is highly customizable to suit a variety of business needs for every small team and global team out there.
Celoxis comes with full-featured 30-day trial access to allow businesses to not just kick the tires but also to use realistic project scenarios to run through your list of business challenges and software requirements. The help center is packed with easy-to-use self-help resources such as getting started guides, product FAQs, short explainer videos, product documentation manual, and community forums. Celoxis also offers various onboarding packages and instructor-led training modules to help new customers accelerate adoption.
Celoxis Standout Features & Integrations
Features include advanced scenario planning tools that allow you to simulate different resource allocation strategies and evaluate their impact before you commit to a plan. The tool also offer predictive scheduling, which allows you to use historical data and other inputs to create accurate timelines and resource requirements for upcoming projects.
Integrations include 400 applications easily, including Microsoft Project, Excel, Google Drive, Outlook, Salesforce, JIRA, Slack, and Trello. A paid plan via Zapier will unlock even more connection options.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Scheduling tools for geographically distributed teams
- Dynamic project portfolio dashboards
- Includes profit & margin tracking visuals
Cons:
- Only 2GB file space per user included in cloud plan
- Can’t recover deleted data or restore previous versions
- Integration limitations
Zoho Projects is a web-based project management software built for remote teams. Zoho Projects allows users to virtually meet online, converse over chats, discuss issues using comments/tags, or build collaborative documents.
Why I Picked Zoho Projects: Zoho Projects also provides time tracking, issue tracking, budgeting and portfolio management capabilities for your teams wherever they may be.
The dashboards, reports, and user interface itself are all fully customizable so that users can make Zoho Projects their own. Moreover, automate routine work processes like assigning users to work items, updating fields or sending notifications with workflow rules and blueprints.
Zoho Projects Standout Features & Integrations
Features include advanced dependency management with four dependency types (finish-to-start, start-to-start, finish-to-finish, start-to-finish) to help with scheduling and planning. The tool also includes built-in SLA tracking to make sure deadlines are met by automatically monitoring response times and escalating delays to keep projects on track.
Integrations include Google Drive, Google Calendar, Slack, Github, Bitbucket, and Dropbox. Access even more integrations through Zapier.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Time tracking built-in
- Affordable and free entry-level plans
- Easily connect to other Zoho apps for sales, CRM, marketing
Cons:
- Steep learning curve for maximum benefits
- No premade templates
MeisterTask is a collaborative task management tool that helps teams streamline their workflows and manage projects efficiently. It offers customizable project boards, automation features, integrations with other productivity tools, and real-time communication, enabling teams to work together seamlessly.
Why I Picked MeisterTask: MeisterTask allows project managers to organize and manage tasks in a beautifully designed, customizable environment. Kanban-style project boards allow teams to create streamlined, automated workflows that can be accessed anywhare by app or web browser. Their comprehensive free plan allows for unlimited project members and customizable project boards. Plus, collaboration between free and paid accounts is permitted.
MeisterTask Standout Features & Integrations
Features include a focus mode that can help minimize distractions by allowing you to highlight tasks and temporarily mute notifications to boost productivity during critical work sessions. MeisterTask also offers recurring task templates that can automate the creation of predefined task structures. This it ideal for agile teams managing iterative projects.
Integrations include other Meister Suite products (MindMeister, MeisterNote), Spark, Google products, Outlook, Mailbutler, Slack, Microsoft products, Paperform, Cliq, Github, Bugsnag, PomoDone App, MOCO, Timely, Zendesk, Dropbox, Asana, Trello, and other options. You can connect to an additional 5,000+ apps using Zapier but this may incur additional costs.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Good communication features: commenting, tagging, assigning
- Easy to navigate, user-friendly panel UI
- A supportive free version of the tool for entry-level users
Cons:
- Some detailed task definitions may be difficult to implement
- No offline access at this time
- No analytics for team performance
Kintone is a web-based project management tool used by teams at Volvo Trucks North America, Japan Airlines, Shiseido, and over 23,000 organizations worldwide. Their unique approach to project and task management lets you build a wide variety of customizable “apps” either from scratch, using templates or from your existing spreadsheets, for data management, business processes, and workflows. Kintone apps can be customized for project management, sales CRM, customer databases, expense reports, shared to-do lists, document management, equipment management, product feedback, and much more, making managing multiple projects a breeze.
Why I Picked Kintone: With Kintone you can easily build an online project management app by dragging and dropping elements that you want to see onto the page: rich text fields, date fields, drop-down menus, number fields with built-in calculations, spaces for attachments, user or group selection menus, related data from other apps, tables, and more.
Once you’ve built the project management app you want, you can use it to more easily manage whatever data and tasks you and your team need to track which means it also serves as a collaboration tool. And with custom notifications and reminders as well as detailed permissions settings, your online project management solution can look and work however you want it to.
What makes Kintone particularly great for online project management are the features to filter and prioritize tasks by data field or team member to generate custom reports or project dashboard views, as well as the ability to automate reminders and handoffs between team members for multi-step workflows. Because Kintone is a cloud-based platform, users can also view, edit, and update workflows from a desktop web browser or the platform’s mobile app.
There are so many ways to customize Kintone it can be hard to know where to start. Read the starter blog “What Can You Build with Kintone?” or watch Creating an App from Scratch for a quick look at how the drag-and-drop builder works.
Kintone Standout Features & Integrations
Features include granular permission settings that allow you to manage app, record, and field access, so the right team members are involved in the right conversations. The tool also has a built-in database that allows for collaborative data editing. This means multiple users can update records simultaneously.
Integrations include Slack, Gmail, Google Calendar, Outlook, Tableau, Dropbox, Salesforce, HubSpot, Eventbrite, WordPress, QuickBooks, MailChimp, and many more through a paid plan with Zapier or via API integrations.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Non-profit & education discounts
- Easy to develop forms and workflows
- Simple to learn and use
Cons:
- Mobile version not as good as web
- 5 user minimum for accounts
Ravetree
Best project management in an all-in-one work management software
Ravetree is an all-in-one work management platform that covers project, resource, file, financial, and contact management for businesses.
Why I picked Ravetree: In addition to its project management capabilities, the software can be used for resource management and utilization, employee time tracking, project budgeting, and file management purposes. Each employee can log their time in the software and submit time off requests, which supports the resource planning features. Client portals and request forms can also be set up for customer-facing teams or businesses. As projects progress, the software can keep track of budgets to make sure teams don't overspend.
As for its project management features, teams can get an overview of their works in progress either with a Kanban board or a spreadsheet or calendar view. Users can assign tasks and set deadlines for their work, and set up notifications to make sure they stay updated on progress and what they need to accomplish. Checklists can be added to tasks to outline specific action items, and dependencies can be created for tasks that require sequential completion.
Ravetree Standout Features & Integrations
Features include customizable request forms that speed up project intake and make sure new tasks are aligned with your organizational priorities. The tool also offers a unified CRM so you can manage client relationships, track sales pipelines, and align customer data with ongoing projects in the same platform.
Integrations include Box, Dropbox, Facebook, HubSpot, Instagram, Github, Google Drive, Gmail, OneDrive, Outlook, QuickBooks, and Stripe.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Free trial available
- All-in-one solution
- Personalized onboarding
Cons:
- Limited customization options
- Steep learning curve
Plaky is a web-based project and task management tool that offers unlimited projects and users on its free plan, making it ideal for businesses and teams looking for a cost-effective solution. It allows users to manage tasks, collaborate with their team, and track progress all in one place.
Why I Picked Plaky: It's a simple but versatile platform that offers a wide range of task management capabilities. Users can create to-dos, assign team members, and organize work in a centralized location. The platform also supports team collaboration by providing a space for communication and information sharing, and it enables users to track progress with visibility into deadlines and task statuses. Overall, Plaky is designed to accommodate various types of work, such as client projects, software development, marketing campaigns, and event planning.
Standout Features & Integrations
Features include advanced workspace permissions so you can control access at granular levels and make sure sensitive project information is shared only with the right team members. The tool also has live activity logs that provide transparent audit trails for project changes. This lets you monitor progress and quickly address discrepancies.
Integrations include Clockify for time tracking and Pumble for communication among teams.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Colorful and intuitive interface
- Multiple task management views
- Free plan offers unlimited projects and users
Cons:
- Limited integrations
- Limits to file storage
GanttPRO
Best web based project management tool for web and mobile accessibility
GanttPRO is a web and mobile-based project management tool for in-office, remote, and freelance teams of any size to plan, organize, and manage their work. GanttPRO lets you schedule and track projects, manage tasks, store files, track time, and get insights from reports. You can also export and import projects and use pre-made Gantt chart templates.
Why I Picked GanttPRO: GanttPRO excels at providing an intuitive and visually engaging platform for project managers to schedule tasks, assign resources, and track progress. Additionally, its collaboration tools and integrations with other productivity software make it easy for teams to work together and streamline their workflows.
GanttPRO comes with Gantt chart planning and scheduling features. It is widely used in software development, construction, marketing, retail, healthcare, education, and even event planning.
GanttPRO Standout Features & Integrations
Features include baseline tracking, which allows you to compare current progress against the original plan to identify delays or deviations. The tool also provides a project export feature for sharing Gantt charts and project plans in various formats, such as PDF or Excel. This makes it easy to communicate progress with your stakeholders.
Integrations include Slack, Google Drive, and Jira Cloud. More integrations are available through their API.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Advanced reporting with statistics
- Cost and budget management
- Drag and drop functionality
- Handy Gantt chart templates
- Online Gantt chart that can be shared with 3rd parties
Cons:
- No free version though there is a fully-featured 14-day free trial
- No ability to set up recurring tasks
ClickUp
Best web based project management tool for its robust feature set
ClickUp is a productivity platform that helps teams collaborate and manage projects, tasks, and workflows. It offers features such as customizable task lists, project management tools, time tracking, and integrations with other productivity software.
Why I Picked ClickUp: ClickUp's web-based project management app offers over 100 proprietary features to choose from, letting power users highlight what they want and hide what they do not use. Choose simple task lists or more advanced workflows (called 'Statuses') to track updates and progress remotely. Paid plans offer unlimited storage, unlimited users, unlimited dashboards, guests and permissions, goals and portfolios, and custom fields.
ClickUp Standout Features & Integrations
Features include the ability to create, share, and edit documents directly in the tool (rather than linking externally), as well to assign comments in threads to your team members. ClickUp also offers the ability to create and customize reporting dashboards from scratch or via their template library.
Integrations include native integrations with Slack, Google Workspace, Dropbox, and many more tools, as well as over 1,000+ integrations through Zapier (may incur additional costs).
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Gantt charts are easy to read and very flexible in design
- All paid plans offer unlimited file storage space
- Robust free version of the tool available
Cons:
- Creating new projects can be a little confusing at first
- Attaching tasks in emails results in strange formatting
- Free version has no read-only permissions
Not only does Smartsheet have everything you have come to expect from a great web-based project management platform but they also have one of the best project template libraries for every kind project plan you can imagine. Tackle your task list, manage recurring tasks, and track project progress with Smartsheet's many project management features.
Why I Picked Smartsheet: Every subscription tier has access to hundreds of templates sorted by industry or type. Here you’ll have access to your project dashboard, Gantt charts, construction estimators, legal contract management, customer lifetime value (CLV), team productivity documents, performance evaluation sheets, and anything else you can think of.
Smartsheet Standout Features & Integrations
Features include a shared workspace feature that lets teams co-edit project plans, task lists, and schedules together. The tool also offers discussion threads that allow users to attach comments directly to rows, sheets, or dashboards, so that feedback and updates are contextually tied to specific tasks or data points.
Integrations include Microsoft and Google apps, as well as development essentials like Jira, and useful business apps like Salesforce, ServiceNow, Slack, Box, and Tableau. The platform is extensible through a REST API and webhooks.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Live on-demand reporting
- Fantastic dashboard creation and customization
- Ability to quickly add someone as a viewer or editor
Cons:
- Rows and columns are more limited than competitors
- Could use smoother import/export to and from MS Excel
- Dependencies could be more formula driven
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The Best Web Based Project Management Tools Comparison Chart
Here is a table where you can compare each tool on my shortlist side-by-side.
Tool | Best For | Trial Info | Price | ||
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1 | monday.com Access a completely free plan with forms, communication with context, and unlimited viewers. | Best interactive and aesthetic UX | 14-day free trial + free plan available | From $8/user/month (billed annually) | Website |
2 | Celoxis Beautiful and customizable dashboards for every team member | Best web-based project management with accounting and financial solutions | 14-day free trial + free demo available | From $25/user/month (billed annually) | Website |
3 | Zoho Projects Zoho Projects lets you manage and organize tasks and issues easily with the help of Kanban boards that have a simple drag-and-drop interface. | Best web based project management tool for remote teams | 10-day free trial + free plan available | From $4/user/month (billed annually) | Website |
4 | MeisterTask Comprehensive free web based project management for web browsers and smartphones. | Best free web based project management tool | Free trial available | From $8.25/user/month (billed annually) + free plan available | Website |
5 | Kintone Kintone’s customizable platform makes it easy to create custom project workflows you can automate—and then track every step of the way. | Best for building custom project workflows | 30-day free trial | From $24/user/month | Website |
6 | Ravetree Ravetree provides a comprehensive overview of workload allocation and resource availability. | Best project management in an all-in-one work management software | 14-day free trial | From $29/user/month (billed annually, min 5 seats) | Website |
7 | Plaky View your tasks and to-dos with Plaky's visual dashboard. | Best web based tool for unlimited project management | Free forever plan available | From $3.99/user/month (billed annually) | Website |
8 | GanttPRO GanttPRO's dashboard displays project information such as project names, assignees, statuses, and labels. | Best web based project management tool for web and mobile accessibility | 14-day free trial | From $7.99/user/month (billed annually) | Website |
9 | ClickUp Build and store internal or external docs, wikis, knowledge bases, tables, and more. | Best web based project management tool for its robust feature set | 14-day free trial + free plan available | From $7/user/month | Website |
10 | Smartsheet Workers can easily report potential issues on their phones via QR codes posted at job sites. | Best project template gallery | 30-day free trial | From $9/user/month (billed annually) | Website |
Other Web Based Project Management Tools
Here’s a few more that didn’t make my top list, but which are still worth your consideration.
- Bonsai Agency Software
For managing teams, projects and clients in one place
- ProjectManager
Project portfolio management (PPM) tool
- Wrike
Web based Agile project management tool
- Hive
Web-based PM software for agencies
- Hub Planner
For team scheduling, capacity planning, & requesting work
- Visor
For real-time collaboration with unlimited viewer-only accounts
- PathPro
For community-driven management
- Businessmap
Web-based Kanban software
- Forecast
For managing your projects, resources, and finances all in one
- Kantata
For third party integrations
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How to Choose Web-Based Project Management Tools
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 |
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Scalability | Make sure the tool can grow with your team and support more users, projects, and data over time. |
Integrations | Check whether it works with the tools you already use, like Slack, Zoom, or Google Workspace. |
Customizability | Look for flexible workflows, templates, and settings to adapt the tool to your processes. |
Ease of Use | Prioritize intuitive interfaces and minimal training time so your team can get started quickly. |
Budget | Evaluate pricing plans to make sure the tool fits your budget without compromising essential features. |
Security Safeguards | Confirm the tool has robust data protection measures like encryption and role-based access for sensitive information. |
Collaboration Features | Look for shared dashboards, real-time updates, and task assignments to keep your team aligned. |
Mobile Accessibility | Make sure the tool has a reliable mobile app so you can stay productive on the go. |
Benefits of Web-Based Project Management Tools
Implementing web-based project management tools provides several benefits for your team and your business. Here are a few you can look forward to:
- Improved organization: Centralize tasks, deadlines, and project updates so your team knows where to find everything
- Better collaboration: Share files, assign tasks, and communicate directly within the platform to keep everyone aligned
- Increased productivity: Automate repetitive tasks and track progress to make sure your team is focused on what matters most
- Real-time updates: Stay informed with live notifications and updates whenever changes are made to tasks or timelines
- More flexibility: Access projects from anywhere with an internet connection using a web browser or mobile app
- Simplified reporting: Generate easy-to-understand reports to track performance and share insights with stakeholders
- Scalable solutions: Adjust features and user access as your team or project needs grow over time
Costs and Pricing of Web-Based Project Management Tools
The table below summarizes common plans, their average prices, and typical features included in web-based project management tool solutions:
Plan Type | Average Price | Common Features |
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Free Plan | $0 | Basic task management, limited storage, basic integrations, and simple collaboration tools |
Personal Plan | $5-$15/user/month | Task tracking, personal dashboards, limited customizability, and integrations with popular apps |
Business Plan | $20-$40/user/month | Advanced reporting, team collaboration tools, enhanced integrations, and workflow automations |
Enterprise Plan | $50-$100/user/month | Unlimited storage, advanced security features, custom branding, and priority support |
FAQs About Web-Based Project Management Tools
How can I ensure data security and access control in web-based project management software?
To ensure data security and access control in web-based project management software:
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- Choose software that provides role-based access control, so you can assign different permissions to users based on their roles and responsibilities.
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- Use strong, unique passwords for user accounts and consider enabling two-factor authentication (2FA) for an added layer of security.
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- Regularly review and update user permissions to make sure individuals have appropriate access levels.
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- Select software that offers data encryption during transmission and at rest, so sensitive project data is secure.
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- Read the software provider’s security and privacy policies to understand how they protect your data and comply with industry standards and regulations.
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