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Nowadays, there are seemingly countless online project management solutions available, so figuring out which is best for you is tough. You want to collaborate in real-time, access project information from various devices, and ensure that everyone is working with the latest project data 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 online PM tools to bring you this shortlist of the best web-based project management software.

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, eliminating the need for local installations and enabling you to manage projects from any location with internet access. These tools typically offer a range of features to assist in planning, monitoring, and executing projects collaboratively. Common features include task management, Gantt charts, document sharing, team collaboration spaces, real-time communication tools, and reporting functionalities.

These tools also facilitate document sharing, version control, and centralized storage, ensuring that all project-related information is easily accessible and up-to-date.

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 showing what it does best.

Best interactive and aesthetic UX

  • 14-day free trial + free plan available
  • From $8/user/month (billed annually)
Visit Website
Rating: 4.7/5

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 project management, task scheduling/tracking, resource management, scheduling, budgeting, API, calendar management, Gantt charts, file sharing, time management, email integration, third party plugins, and notifications.

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

Best web based project management tool for remote teams

  • 10-day free trial + free plan available
  • From $4/user/month (billed annually)
Visit Website
Rating: 4.2/5

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 roadmapping, project management, task scheduling/tracking, customer management, prioritization, and notifications.

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

Best for team scheduling, capacity planning, & requesting work

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

Hub Planner software is a resource management tool that helps organizations schedule and allocate personnel, track time, and manage project workflows more efficiently.

Why I Picked Hub Planner: Hub Planner is an excellent tool for web-based project management due to its intuitive interface and extensive feature set, which includes resource allocation, time tracking, and reporting tools. The software's cloud-based architecture allows teams to collaborate and access information from anywhere, while its powerful project scheduling capabilities enable managers to easily track project progress, set milestones, and manage project timelines. Additionally, Hub Planner's customizable dashboards and reporting tools provide managers with real-time insights into team performance and project status, helping to ensure that projects are delivered on time and within budget. With a range of integrations available, Hub Planner can be tailored to meet the specific needs of any organization, making it a versatile and powerful solution for web-based project management.

Hub Planner Standout Features & Integrations

Features include resource management, PTO planning, timesheets, reporting, skills matching, task management, templates, drag and drop scheduler, project budgets, approval flow, smart scheduler, and third-party integrations/add-ons.

Integrations include DIY options via their Hub Planner API and webhook. Or, open an account with Zapier for more options (may incur an additional cost).

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Integration with other tools
  • Built-in reporting tools
  • Effective resource management

Cons:

  • Slight learning curve
  • No mobile support

Best free web based project management tool

  • Free trial available
  • From $8.25/user/month (billed annually) + free plan available
Visit Website
Rating: 4.6/5

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 project management, dashboards, task management, time tracking, custom fields, timelines, filters, reporting & analytics, automations, notifications & alerts, a mobile app, and third-party integrations/plugins. 

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

Best for building custom project workflows

  • 30-day free trial
  • From $24/user/month
Visit Website
Rating: 4.6/5

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 project management, dashboards, resource management, analytics, calendar management, conversion tracking, employee onboarding, forecasting, lead scoring, timesheets, collaboration support, reports, pipeline management, budgeting, and process modeling.

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

Best project management in an all-in-one work management software

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

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 timeline and calendar views, Kanban boards, repeating tasks, project templates, dependencies, client portals, request forms, resource planning, expenses and budgets, and file management.

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

Best web based tool for unlimited project management

  • Free forever plan available
  • From $3.99/user/month (billed annually)
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Rating: 1/5

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 Gantt charts, file sharing, ready-made templates for different workflows, mobile support, project progress, comments and notifications, live activity logs, and permission controls.

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

Best web based project management tool for its robust feature set

  • 14-day free trial + free plan available
  • From $7/user/month
Visit Website
Rating: 4.7/5

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 task scheduling/tracking, project management, resource management, budgeting, contact management, data visualizations, employee database, expense tracking, file sharing, third-party plugins, collaboration support, timesheets, roadmapping, chat, customer management, email integration, feedback management, and process reporting.

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

Best project template gallery

  • From $9/user/month (billed annually)
Visit Website
Rating: 4.4/5

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 project management, task scheduling/tracking, calendar management, timesheets, time management, expense tracking, file sharing, Gantt charts, budgeting, email integration, and lead management.

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

Best for managing teams, projects and clients in one place

  • Free trial available
  • From $10/user/month
Visit Website
Rating: 4.4/5

Bonsai is a complete business management platform for agencies. It helps users streamline their workflows, manage their projects, and manage client relations in a single space.

Why I picked Bonsai: This project management software is designed specifically with the needs of agencies and professional service providers in mind. It has end-to-end project management features including the ability to assign tasks, projects, and clients to different team members and external collaborators, set deadlines, and track progress, ensuring projects stay on schedule.

The software's project management features integrate directly with its tools for drafting proposals, managing contracts, and processing client payments. Because it offers a fully integrated solution, Bonsai facilitates more efficiency and fewer errors in agency management.

Bonsai Standout Features & Integrations

Features include multiple currency and tax settings, which supports agencies working with international clients. The software also has a built-in automated invoice generator, helping to speed up the billing process. It also offers time tracking and financial reporting features, helping agencies manage team member time and workloads effectively and keep an eye on profitability.

Integrations include Gmail, Google Calendar, Zapier, Slack, QuickBooks Online, Calendly, ClickUp, Trello, Google Drive, Google Sheets, Xero, HubSpot, and more.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Automation for repetitive tasks
  • Client portals available
  • Simple web-based scheduler

Cons:

  • Lack of advanced features
  • May not be best for scalability

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The Best Web Based Project Management Tools Comparison Chart

Here is a table where you can find all the tools we just covered in the overviews.

Tools Price
monday.com From $8/user/month (billed annually)
Zoho Projects From $4/user/month (billed annually)
Hub Planner From $7/user/month (billed annually)
MeisterTask From $8.25/user/month (billed annually) + free plan available
Kintone From $24/user/month
Ravetree From $29/user/month (billed annually, min 5 seats)
Plaky From $3.99/user/month (billed annually)
ClickUp From $7/user/month
Smartsheet From $9/user/month (billed annually)
Bonsai Agency Software From $10/user/month
Compare Software Specs Side by Side

Compare Software Specs Side by Side

Use our comparison chart to review and evaluate software specs side-by-side.

Compare Software

Other Web Based Project Management Tools

Here’s a few more that didn’t make the top list but are still worth your consideration.

How I Selected The Best Web Based Project Management Tools

First of all, I started with web based project management tools that have high user review and satisfaction ratings. Then, using my experience in online project management, I discerned what key criteria were most important for web based project management tools and compared how each of them stacked up against the rest.

Selection Criteria

After careful consideration, I've determined that these are the most important criteria when selecting the best web based project management tools. Here's a brief list outlining the whats and whys of my selection.

User Interface (UI)

The best project management software have interfaces that you can easily navigate because they distribute information appropriately. Therefore, I look at tools that can show you decluttered timeline views, multiple checklists in one place without confusing you, and overall visual elements that are properly distributed.

Key Features

Here are the key features I look for when selecting web based project management tools.

  1. Accessible on any device using apps or browser access
  2. Reliable auto-saving features for all pages and work
  3. Built-in communication, messaging, and tagging
  4. Capacity for unlimited projects and unlimted users
  5. Built-in meeting organization, including note-taking or video conferencing integration
  6. Easy calendars and scheduling with adjustable permissions/edit access
  7. Time tracking and task management overviews for managers on the go

Usability

I look at how easy it is to learn and master the tool. Small teams on tight budgets can benefit from tools that offer good tech support, user support, tutorials, and training. One example of a project management solution with great usability is Basecamp. This tool makes it simple to navigate between projects, create collaborative to-do lists, and navigate intuitively in a short amount of time.

Integrations

Out-of-office PMs may require several different web based solutions in their daily toolkit. So, is the app easy to connect with other web based tools and apps, like time trackers, workflow management software, resource management software, and others?

Pricing

PMs looking for web based software will often need more than one tool to fulfill all their needs. Therefore, low cost or freemium software options are important. Plus, does the web based PM app have simple, scalable costs per user for easy growth? Is any paid plan valuable and scalable? Are paid plans worth what they charge in regards to features and functionality coverage?

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:

  • Choose software that provides role-based access control, allowing you to assign different permissions to users based on their roles and responsibilities.
  • Use strong, unique passwords for user accounts and consider enabling two-factor authentication (2FA) for an added layer of security.
  • Regularly review and update user permissions to ensure that individuals have appropriate access levels.
  • Select software that offers data encryption during transmission and at rest, ensuring that sensitive project data is secure.
  • Read the software provider's security and privacy policies to understand how they protect your data and comply with industry standards and regulations.

Related Reads:

What's Next?

The options presented here offer a great starting point for any project manager looking to improve their project management processes. With these tools, businesses can ensure successful completion of projects by staying organized and on track throughout the entire project life cycle.

Related List of Tools:

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Ben Aston
By Ben Aston

I’m Ben Aston, a digital project manager and founder of thedpm.com. I've been in the industry for more than 20 years working in the UK at London’s top digital agencies including Dare, Wunderman, Lowe and DDB. I’ve delivered everything from film to CMS', games to advertising and eCRM to eCommerce sites. I’ve been fortunate enough to work across a wide range of great clients; automotive brands including Land Rover, Volkswagen and Honda; Utility brands including BT, British Gas and Exxon, FMCG brands such as Unilever, and consumer electronics brands including Sony. I'm a Certified Scrum Master, PRINCE2 Practitioner and productivity nut!