Project management software is the Rolodex for businesses. It's the glue that holds everything together, the infrastructure that keeps everything organized, and the software that maintains structure and sanity in a busy, competitive, and ever-changing world that's high on demand and short on time.
Project management software helps businesses manage time, resources, budget, scope, and teams efficiently. So, you maximize your output and your profit. In short, it's good stuff.
Here’s our best project management software of 2023 to help you stay organized, and to help your teams collaborate better, even if you're working remotely from home.
Our Top 10 Best Project Management Software & Tools in 2023:
- Monday.com - Best project management software overall
- Smartsheet - Best for its use-case templates
- ClickUp - Best for real-time collaboration
- Asana - Best for managing complex projects
- Wrike - Best for managing projects and ongoing work
- Hubspot - Best for enterprises
- Jira Software - Best for agile project management
- FreshBooks - Best for growing teams
- Netsuite - Best for automated scheduling
- Zoho Projects - Best for integrations & add-ons
This table provides a comparison of the prices, storage sizes, free trials, team collaboration tools, and views of various project management solutions. Different project management packages have their own pros and cons. Weighing the options against your team's needs will help you make an informed decision that best fits your business.
| Compare the Top Project Management Companies | 1  | 2  | 3  | 4  | 5  | 6  | 7  | 8  | 9  | 10  |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reviews | 158 reviews | 142 reviews | 89 reviews | 92 reviews | 67 reviews | Write Review | Write Review | 41 reviews | 26 reviews | 29 reviews |
Price | From $24 per month | $7/user/month | Free to $30.49/user/month | From $9.80 per user per month | From $45/mo | From $0 | From $4.50/mo | By quote only | From $18 per month for 6 users | From $19.99/user/mo |
Storage size | 5GB-unlimited | 5GB - 250GB | Unlimited | 2GB upwards as you go up in plans | Unlimited | 250GB for Standard plan, Unlimited storage for Premium and Enterprise plans | N/A | No limits | From 5GB upwards | No limit |
Free trial | 14-day (Pro plan) | Free plan | 14 days or free account | 14-day | Seven-day free trial | 30-day | Free product tour | 10 days free plan | 30-day | |
Team collaboration tools | Chat, file-sharing, progress tracking | Comments, automations, file sharing, @ mentions | File sharing, mail and messaging integration | Live editor, @mentions, file sharing | Email, live chat, HubSpot Projects | Confluence, Slack, Team Calendars | Discussion area, file-sharing | Real time interactive charting and chat and comment functionalities | File sharing, chat, forums | |
Views | Kanban, Gantt, timeline, calendar, map, chart | Grid, Kanban, Gantt, calendar | Lists, Kanban boards, timelines | List, boards, Gantt, Stream | N/A | Board, timeline, Gantt, form, task | N/A | Dashboard view, visual project mode,and more | Blueprint, kanban, broad, custom views | N/A |
Top 10 Project Management Software Products
- PriceFrom $24
- Team collaboration toolsChat, file-sharing, progress tracking
- Free trial14-day (Pro plan)
monday.com Work OS is a flexible platform you can use to manage all of your team’s projects, processes and workflows in one place. While the platform is intuitive and visually stunning, it’s robust enough for large organizations to manage all of their work across departments. To use monday.com, simply choose one of the 200+ ready-made templates to start within minutes, and fully customize it with 20+ editable columns and dozens of no-code automations. Then import your data from spreadsheets and integrate all of the tools you’re already using for seamless onboarding.
With high-level overviews and automatically updating dashboards created uniquely for any team, everyone can see what tasks are still on the table, where they're holding in a project timeline, approaching deadlines, etc. Team members can also share files, add comments, and communicate directly within the task manager for ultimate transparency and collaboration. You can test drive monday.com and experience the difference.
Pros- Multiple views to choose from
- Task assignment and management
- Track progress with detailed, visual reports
Cons- The Basic Plan is limited
- Higher tiers are a bit pricey
- Price$7/user/month
- Team collaboration toolsComments, automations, file sharing, @ mentions
- Free trialYes
Smartsheet is the enterprise platform for dynamic work. A leading cloud-based platform for work management, Smartsheet empowers organizations and teams to dynamically plan, execute, and report on work at scale, resulting in more efficient processes, innovative solutions, and better business outcomes.
Today, over 90% of Fortune 100 companies and over 75% of Fortune 500 companies rely on the secure, scalable Smartsheet platform to connect the entire enterprise. The single Smartsheet platform gives people a solution flexible enough to adapt to the changing needs of dynamic work across a broad array of departments and use cases.
Pros- Grid, Kanban, Gantt, reports, and dashboards
- Customizable templates
- Automated update and approval requests
Cons- Steep learning curve
- Less collaboration tools than competition
- PriceFree to $30.49/user/month
- Team collaboration toolsFile sharing, mail and messaging integration
- Free trialFree plan
Asana is a project management software designed to help keep your business on track. The software makes it easy to break down projects into tasks and then assign those tasks to individual team members. Asana offers lists, kanban boards, and Gantt charts, which together, give employees and managers both a macro and micro view of the work that needs to be done.
Asana especially stands out for its flexibility and collaboration tools. Employees can comment on tasks and share updates, and Asana has built-in tools for automating routine work. Plus, it integrates with more than 100 popular business software platforms, including messaging apps like Slack and Microsoft Teams.
Pros- Multiple ways to view your projects and tasks
- Supports automated workflows
- Powerful free plan
Cons- No resource management or budgeting tools
- Pricey for larger teams
- PriceFrom $9.80
- Team collaboration toolsLive editor, @mentions, file sharing
- Free trial14 days
Wrike makes it easy to manage your projects, from inception and planning, to reporting and analysis. Live editing and file management also make it easy to upload documents to a task and edit them directly in Wrike. Wrike also features plenty of collaboration tools and can be integrated with Gmail, Slack and Outlook.
Pros- Extremely affordable and pro plans
- Advanced integrations
- Impressive features even in lower level plans
Cons- Not ideal for small businesses
- Gets pricey as you go up in tiers
- PriceFrom $45/mo
- Team collaboration toolsEmail, live chat, HubSpot Projects
- Free trial14-day
In addition to its well-known CRM software, HubSpot offers project management that draws from the same philosophy of ease and functionality. Its organizational features excel at uniting managers and teams with calendars, emails, and spreadsheets under the banner of one agile app, and collaboration tools that keep all communications anchored in one place. Unique to HubSpot’s project management app are its pre-made to-do lists and customizable templates, which can be saved and reused for similar projects in the future. The tool rounds nicely out with marketing automation features, in-depth analytics, and easy-to-use lead management.
Pros- Widely recognized leader in marketing software
- Customizable templates can be saved for similar projects
- Agile and easy to use
Cons- Paid version costs more than other software
- Steeper learning curve
- PriceFrom $0
- Team collaboration toolsConfluence, Slack, Team Calendars
- Free trialSeven-day free trial
Jira Software is a project manager with over 3,000 app integrations and top features to manage your staff, projects, schedule, and time. The software provides insights and reports on your team and organization’s performance and displays all the information on customizable dashboards to enable you to visualize everything that’s going on within your company.
It offers a free version with basic functions, as well as a free trial, but the other plan prices may be confusing. Even so, you can save when you include more users in the plan. Overall, Jira Software has the tools to meet your project management needs, and it’s worth considering.
Pros- Free trial for seven days
- Pricing plan savings
- Self-managed data center and server option available
Cons- Limited file storage for lower-tier plans
- 24/7 customer support for Enterprise and Premium plans
- PriceFrom $4.50/mo
- Team collaboration toolsDiscussion area, file-sharing
- Free trial30-day
Freshbooks is an invoicing and time-management tool that’s ideal for freelancers and smaller teams. While it lacks some of the features of other project management tools, such as multiple chart views and desktop apps, the cloud-based tool puts its focus on helping freelancers chart their work, organize clients, and stay on top of payment and invoicing needs. To that end, it’s strongest tools, such as customizable invoices, automated payment nudges, and automatic tax calculations, may not speak to larger teams but make Freshbooks a unique and ideal option for freelancers looking to manage all the moving parts of their business.
Pros- Strong invoicing system
- Automated payment nudges
- Great for freelancers
Cons- Limited team collaboration
- No board-based views
- PriceBy quote only
- Team collaboration toolsReal time interactive charting and chat and comment functionalities
- Free trialFree product tour
Developed by Oracle, Netsuite is an enterprise-grade CRM tool that will let you seamlessly connect to data sources. You'll also be able to take advantage of the many features available from Netsuite, including sales forecasting, commission tracking, and detailed task tracking.
Pros- Enterprise grade tools
- Gantt charting
- Common milestone types
Cons- Not suitable for small business
- Custom pricing only
- PriceFrom $18
- Team collaboration toolsFile sharing, chat, forums
- Free trial10 days
While there are a lot of good project management software options out there, few can even come close to Zoho Projects. This company has thought of every possible use case, need, and pain point a manager or team member could come up with while planning and working on a task, and packed the solution into a single, comprehensive project management software.
Zoho Projects is loaded with everything you could possibly hope for. From task management and automation to time tracking, charts, reports, issue tracking, social project management, automation, email notifications, team collaboration, multiple visual views, you name it. Zoho Projects has truly thought of it all. It’s made project management a breeze, thanks to all its careful planning.
Pros- Email notifications
- Task automation
- In-depth charts and reporting
Cons- Learning curve until you get used to all the functions
- Free plan is limited to 1 actual project
- PriceFrom $19.99/user/mo
- Team collaboration toolsYes
- Free trial30-day
Glip from RingCentral puts a lot of other project management software options to shame. Why? For one reason, it offers a free version that is better than most of the competition’s paid-for accounts. With a free account from Glip, you'll get unlimited chat, storage, guest users, integrations, and teams. You'll also receive notifications about tasks, projects, and messages, a totally customizable workspace, file annotations, and a whole slew of third-party integrations so that you can bring all your favorite tools along for the ride.
But it gets better. Glip also has a paid-for account. For the laughably low price of $11.99 a month per user, you get all of the features mentioned above plus more. Things like 500 minutes a month per user for shared video chatting, 24/7 live support, and data retention policies come along with this "major" upgrade. Yes, Glip has definitely started making the competition reconsider their own paltry offerings. And it should make you reconsider paying any more for quality project management software. Learn more about RingCentral's outstanding PM software Glip.
Pros- Cloud data retention
- No time limit on Pro meetings
- Carrier class infrastructure
Cons- No Linux app
- Some users report hang up lags
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monday.com is a visual-based project management tool that because of its color-coded design is exceptionally easy to use. There is a small learning curve however, which is true with most project management software. Hubspot is also known for its accessibility as is especially popular with those new to project management software.
Smartsheet and ProjectManager are two great project management tools that offer Gantt chart viewing. Others include Proggio, Paymo, and Zoho Projects.
SaaS online project management software enables teams to manage projects and collaborate via the cloud. It allows for increased flexibility and faster response times when dealing with complex projects or rapidly changing environments. It is becoming increasingly popular as it enables businesses to scale up their operations with ease and facilitates managing projects across multiple teams, sites, or countries.
The most commonly used project management techniques are Agile methodology, Scrum, Kanban, Critical Path Method (CPM), and Earned Value Management (EVM). Agile methodology is flexible and iterative and focuses on delivering quick results in response to customer needs. Scrum is an Agile approach that focuses on delivering sprints of work over set periods. Kanban is a visual system for tracking progress and project status. CPM is used to identify tasks that must be completed for the project to stay on schedule, while EVM helps monitor progress and assess the cost of a project.
It depends on your specific needs. If you have multiple teams working on different tasks and/or projects, then it might make sense to use more than one project management tool. However, it’s important to consider the costs and time associated with setting up and maintaining multiple tools.
There are a variety of free plans available, including Trello, Asana, and Basecamp. The best option will depend on your team's needs and budget. Trello is best for small teams, Asana is great for larger projects, and Basecamp is best for remote team collaboration.
A Gantt chart is a type of bar graph used in project management that shows a timeline for tasks or activities within a given project. It enables teams to visualize their progress as well as identify potential problems or risks. Gantt charts are good for tracking dependencies, mapping out project plans, and helping to ensure that projects stay on schedule.
Kanban is a popular project management technique that uses cards and boards to visualize tasks and progress. It enables teams to identify bottlenecks and prioritize tasks, leading to a more efficient workflow. One of the main advantages of using Kanban is that it helps teams to focus on completing tasks rather than simply starting them. This makes it a great tool for increasing productivity and delivering projects quickly. Additionally, Kanban can help teams better visualize their progress and adjust their workflow as needed. As they move cards through the board, they’re able to see where tasks are in relation to each other.
The best project management app for small businesses will depend on your industry, project, and team. Many small businesses opt for software that is affordable and easy to set up. Some project management software is free to use, but you may have to pay for software if you need more features such as budgeting, resource management, custom workflows, document management, and version control. Research different options and determine which one will meet your team's needs. Popular project management software for small businesses include Trello, Asana, Wrike, Basecamp, Monday.com, and Microsoft Project.
ProjectManager is cloud-based, like many other project management tools, meaning there's no need to download any software and it can be accessed from your desktop or mobile devices.
What Is Project Management Software?
Project management software is an application that helps organizations manage projects. It enables teams to plan, allocate resources, track progress and collaborate on tasks in order to achieve specific goals.
Project management software typically includes features such as project planning tools, task tracking capabilities, Gantt charts for visualizing progress, resource allocations, and scheduling tools. The software helps make it easier for teams to plan, collaborate, and stay organized.
The primary goal of project management software is to make it easier for teams to manage their projects. The software enables collaboration by providing a single workspace for all project-related activities. It also helps teams to stay on track by providing tools to help identify any potential risks or issues that might arise and ensure everyone is doing their part to move the project forwards.
Why Use Project Management Software?
Project management software is a valuable tool for any organization trying to stay organized and achieve its goals. It enables teams to plan, track projects, allocate resources, and collaborate on tasks to complete projects on time and within budget.
Project management software offers many benefits for teams. It can enable teams to communicate effectively by giving them a single workspace to view task status, discuss ideas, and share updates.
This makes it easier for teams to stay organized and on the same page. Teams can create repeatable processes which can be used as templates for future projects. This helps to streamline workflow and ensure consistency across multiple projects.
Project management software provides tools that make it easier to allocate resources and manage workloads. Teams can view available resources and assign tasks according to their skill set or availability. It also enables teams to generate reports quickly and track progress in real time. This helps teams identify any potential issues before they become serious problems and make sure that everyone is working towards the same goal.
Another important benefit is organized and centralized project data. All project data is stored in one central location, making it easy to access and share with team members. This helps teams stay organized and on track with their goals. It's also easier to manage budgets and control costs more efficiently.
There are also many benefits for remote workers because project management software makes it easy for teams to collaborate remotely by providing a unified workspace where they can view task lists, communicate changes or ask questions in real time.
Key Features To Look For
Project management features will vary in importance depending on your business’s size, brand personality, and team members. In general, though, there are some features that you just don’t want to do without. Some of the really important ones include:
Risk projection and management
This helps you to identify potential risks and plan ahead so that you can keep your projects on track. Other features to look for may include an Agile workflow system and time-tracking features.
Management time tracking
Tracking the time spent on tasks helps you manage budgets, understand team performance, and spot potential problems quickly.
Agile workflow system
Project management software which has been designed with an Agile workflow system in mind ensures that you are able to respond quickly and efficiently to changing requirements.
Reporting and analysis
Tracking and analyzing data, such as project progress and performance, is essential for staying on top of things. Good work management software will enable you to generate comprehensive reports so that you can make more informed decisions.
What Can You Do With Project Management Software?
Project management software is a valuable tool for all members of a project. Project managers use project management software to help create and manage tasks, track progress, assign resources, generate reports, and communicate with their teams. They can also use it to coordinate meetings, monitor budgets, and stay organized.
Engineers can use project management software to plan, design, and review projects. They can track their progress on tasks, allocate resources to the right team members and collaborate with other teams in real time.
Developers can use project management software to collaborate with other teams and receive notifications about due dates or changes to the project.
Testers can use project management software to track their progress on tasks, review test cases, assign bugs and measure quality assurance metrics. Project management software is a useful tool for teams of all sizes and roles. It streamlines workflow processes, enables effective collaboration, and helps ensure that projects stay organized and on track.
What are the Differences in Project Management Software?
There are countless differences between the various project management software options available today. From price to feature sets, usability, and more, you’ve got something for everyone. One of the biggest differences you’ll find, though, is between the basic project management software options and the more comprehensive ones.
The first type is a simple tool that has limited functionality but does the job well enough. It's clean, easy to use, and might be the perfect solution for an SMB or startup to get their head around a tough project that needs organizing. These usually have some basic features like integration and team collaboration.
More comprehensive software will include a lot more features and functionality. These might have resource management, finance management, and accounting software included. Comprehensive tools will also give you more sophisticated and powerful options. Such precision will come with a bigger price tag and is usually better for larger businesses.
What Different Types of Project Management Software Are There?
The three main types of project management platforms are individual, collaborative, and integrated.
Individual project management software is designed for personal use. It usually includes task and event tracking features, reminders, notes, and other similar features that make it easier to manage your work.
The most common type is collaborative project management software. This enables teams to communicate and collaborate efficiently on projects. It has tools for assigning tasks, managing resources, tracking progress, and generating reports. This type of software makes it easy for remote teams to stay organized and in sync with each other.
Integrated project management software combines all the features of individual and collaborative project management into one tool. It’s a great choice for larger organizations because it gives them access to powerful tools such as resource planning, budgeting, and reporting capabilities. This type of software also makes it easy for teams to stay connected and work together on projects more effectively.
Other types of project management software include enterprise software—designed for large-scale projects and teams—and Agile project management software. Project management software works well with Agile software development practices because it makes it easy for teams to quickly adapt to changing customer requirements and use an iterative process of breaking down tasks into smaller components.
No matter what type of project management software you choose, it can help streamline workflow processes, improve communication and ensure that projects are completed on time.
How Do You Implement Project Management Software?
Implementing project management software involves a few steps. The first step is to select the right software for your team. You need to consider factors such as the size of your organization and the type of projects you will be working on. Then, you need to decide which features are essential for your team and decide on budget constraints.
Once you’ve selected a project management software, ensure that all members of the team understand how it works and what each feature does. This can be done through training or onboarding sessions so everyone knows how to use it correctly from the beginning.
Finally, you should set up automated processes so tasks are assigned automatically when needed and resources are allocated according to the established methodology. After the project management software has been implemented, it’s important to review its performance and make sure that it’s working correctly for all team members.
How Much Will It Cost Me?
That's a tricky question to answer. How much your project management software will cost you at the end of the day depends on how many users you want and what type of features you're looking for. A basic option like Trello can cost you nothing at all. And if you're an SMB working out of your garage, this is a great option.
Alternatively, enterprise-level plans will run into hundreds of dollars a month. But if you are big enough and your budget can afford it, these plans will deliver the most in terms of functionality and style.
Software as a Service (SaaS) is usually more cost-effective than on-premise software, making it a better option for businesses on a budget. It doesn't require upfront hardware investments, and it can often be deployed quickly. Additionally, SaaS solutions can be scaled up or down depending on the needs of the business and comes with lower maintenance costs. Look for a plan that fits your budget and still offers a nice set of features.
Is My Data Safe with Project Management Software?
Data regulations can vary drastically from country to country. For example, there's a big difference between EU and US laws. In the European Union, organizations are subject to General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which requires them to protect user data and give consumers control over their personal information.
In the US, there are no federal laws that regulate how companies collect, store or use personal data. However, some states have their own set of laws regulating the use and protection of data. It is important to familiarize yourself with all applicable laws before investing in any project management solution.
Why Is Project Management Software Important?
Project management software is a force multiplier. It helps you organize your time and resource management, create reports about business and employee performance, and get a better idea of what’s working and what isn’t. Project management software can also make team collaboration easier and more seamless than ever before.
Without project management software, teams might have a much harder time managing tasks, staying in sync with each other, and meeting deadlines.
The disadvantages of not using project management software can include missed deadlines, miscommunication between team members, difficulty tracking progress, and budget overruns. Without a centralized system in place to keep track of tasks and resources, teams are more likely to experience delays, confusion, and wasted time trying to meet project deadlines.
Having project management software in place helps teams stay organized, improve communication and collaboration, stay on top of deadlines and manage resources more effectively. Project management software can help teams remain flexible and quickly adapt to changing customer requirements or market conditions.
With the right software in place, teams can adjust tasks and resources as needed without losing track of progress or wasting time.
How To Choose Project Management Software for Your Team
Choosing the right project management software for your team is important in ensuring successful projects and achieving goals. The process involves a few key steps:
1. Assessing your needs: Before selecting any software, it’s vital to assess your needs and determine what features are most essential for your team. For example, do you need a mobile app? This will help you narrow down the list of available software and find the one that best suits your team’s needs.
2. Researching options: Once you know what features are essential, it’s time to research the various options available and compare them based on price, features, and user reviews.
3. Testing software: Before committing to any project management software, it’s important to test it out first to make sure it works well with your current processes and meets all of your team's needs.
4. Implementing software: Once you’ve selected the right software, it’s important to set it up correctly and train your team on how to use it effectively. This will ensure that everyone is comfortable with the system and can take full advantage of all its features.
5. Maintaining software: Be sure to regularly review the performance of your project management software and make any necessary updates or adjustments to keep it running smoothly.
Our Methodology: How We Rated the Best Project Management Software
We take a hands-on approach when reviewing project management software. Whenever possible, our team uses trials and demos to see for ourselves what a platform can do. This is the best way to get a feel for how project management software works, how easy it is to learn, and what its limitations are.
When taking a platform for a test drive isn’t possible, we do a deep dive into the software. We contact the software provider’s support team to get clarity on what features are available and how they work. We also dig through support documents to understand how easy a project management platform is to use and what customization options it offers.
For all project management software, we read reviews from small- and medium-sized business users across a variety of industries. This helps us better gauge how different platforms cater to specific types of projects or teams.
Finally, we do an in-depth price comparison. Our goal isn’t just to find the most feature-rich software but to evaluate which platforms offer the best value for your money.
Other Project Management Software We Reviewed
Bottom Line
Having the right project management software in place can make a huge difference for any team. You can say goodbye to missed deadlines, inefficient processes, and miscommunication, and hello to better collaboration, improved communication, and more successful projects.
However, it’s important to assess your team's needs and research various options before making your purchase.
