15 Best Project Management Software (September, 2023)

So far, we’ve seen an increase in the complexity of how projects are created, handled, and completed. The need to facilitate effective team interactions and collaboration has also become paramount.

Considering the already complex nature of our profession, selecting the best project management software is essential. Project management software is helpful because it allows businesses to monitor the progress of various projects, resources, allocations, and tasks simultaneously.

With the help of project management software, it’s much simpler to set project timelines, assign tasks, and keep teams organized.

Knowing which project management software is best can be daunting with so many available options. This article will review the top project management software and its benefits and cons to help you decide.

We will also discuss the factors to consider when selecting a project management software and provide recommendations based on different scenarios.

Factors to Consider when Choosing the Best Project Management Software

Picking the best project management software is crucial if you want to smash your project goals effortlessly. It’s important to consider team size, project complexity, budget, integration with other tools and platforms, customer support, and training resources.

These considerations might help you pick software that fits your team’s requirements and achieves your objectives.

Team Size and Project Complexity

When choosing the best project management software, your team size and project complexity are critical factors. Software like Asana or Trello may be sufficient for smaller groups and more straightforward tasks.

However, more robust software like Jira or Microsoft Project may be necessary for larger and more complex groups.

Budget

Choosing the best project management software also depends on your budget. Free options like Google Tasks and Todoist and more expensive enterprise solutions like Wrike and Smartsheet are available.

Choosing software that fits your budget while providing the necessary features and functionality for your team is essential

Integration with Other Tools and Platforms

Integrating with other tools and platforms is vital when choosing the best project management software. Teams increasingly rely on various devices and media, and jumping from one to another can get complicated.

Therefore, selecting the best project management software that can integrate with the other tools you’re already using is essential.

Customer Support and Training Resources

Finally, it’s essential to consider the level of customer support and training resources the project management software offers. Software with a dedicated customer support team and a wide range of training resources can make it easier for your team.

The best project management software should provide customer service that gets up to speed and effectively solves users’ problems.

Comparison of the Best Project Management Software

1. Monday.com

Monday is a powerful project management software that helps teams visualize their progress and collaborate in real time. It is designed to streamline the project management process, making it easy for teams to plan, organize, and track their work.

With Monday.com, teams can easily create and assign tasks, set deadlines, and track project progress.

The software’s intuitive visual interface makes it easy for team members to understand the status of a project at a glance. It also has built-in real-time collaboration tools.

These make it easy for groups to work together in sync regardless of physical proximity or time zone differences. If you’re looking for the best project management software for large and small organizations, then you should consider Monday.

Key Features

1. Visual boards: Monday’s visual boards allow teams to organize and track tasks and projects efficiently. Team members can drag and drop task cards from “To Do” to “In Progress” to “Done” on the boards. This makes it easy for teams to track the project’s progress in one place.
2. Automated workflows: Monday allows teams to create automated workflows that streamline the project management process. For instance, you may set up automated procedures to allocate work to specific team members when certain conditions are satisfied. These automated workflows can save teams time and effort and help to ensure that tasks and projects stay on track.
3. Time tracking: Monday has a built-in time tracking feature that allows team members to easily track their time on tasks and projects. This can help teams understand better how much time is spent on different tasks. Furthermore, it can help managers identify areas where they need to make adjustments to improve efficiency.
4. Real-time collaboration: Monday’s real-time collaboration makes it easy for team members to work together seamlessly, regardless of location or time zone. Team members can chat, share files, and update tasks and projects in real-time. This helps keep everyone on the same page and ensures everyone is working towards the same goals.
5. Integrations: Monday offers various integrations with other tools and platforms, such as Google Drive, Slack, and Zapier. This lets teams link their project management activities to other tools like communication, calendar, and file storage apps. Your team can harness this feature to streamline their workflow and boost productivity.

Pros

• Provides a clear and intuitive way for teams to visualize the progress of a project
• Automated workflows can save teams a lot of time and effort
• Built-in time tracking feature can help teams to understand better how much time is being spent on different tasks
• Real-time collaboration features allow teams to work together seamlessly
• Offers a wide range of integrations with other tools and platforms
• Has a referral program that will enable teams to earn credits toward their subscription

Cons

• Some users may find the learning curve to be relatively high.
• Limited customization options
• Paid software may not be the most affordable option for all teams
• Limited resource management tools
• Expensive pricing model

Plans and Pricing

1. Individual: Starting at $0, the individual plan can accommodate up to 2 users and three boards. You can get over 200 templates and complete docs using the mobile app.
2. Basic: The basic plan starts at $8 and comes with unlimited free viewers and up to 5GB of file storage. However, projects, users, and integrations may be limited.
3. Standard: The Standard plan includes everything in the basics, time monitoring, advanced automation, monthly priority support, and more for $10 per user.
4. Pro: The Pro plan offers all of the Standard plan’s features plus custom integrations, dedicated account management, and data export for $16 per user per month.
5. Enterprise: Dedicated infrastructure, personalized branding, and superior security are included with the Enterprise package, which is designed for large enterprises.

2. Trello

Trello is one of the best project management software that helps groups quickly and visually set priorities and organizes their work. The software uses a Kanban board, wherein users can move cards representing tasks between lists to indicate their status.

Teams can create, assign, and track tasks, set due dates, and communicate in real time with Trello.

Trello can manage simple tasks and large, complicated projects with teams of different sizes and expertise. With its visual, card-based interface, Trello makes it simple for teams to see who is responsible for each task and its requirements.

This powerful tool can help you stay on top of your work and deliver projects on time.

Key Features

1. Kanban-style boards: Trello’s boards provide an easy and visual way for teams to organize and prioritize tasks and projects. Team members can drag and drop jobs from “To Do” to “In Progress” to “Done” on the boards. This allows teams to visualize a project’s development and comprehend its condition easily.
2. Collaboration: Trello offers a wide range of cooperation that allows team members to work together in real time. Teams can assign tasks, leave comments and feedback, and share files. This helps keep everyone on the same page and ensures everyone is working towards the same goals.
3. Integrations: It’s easy to connect other apps and services to Trello. Thus, teams can more easily connect project management with their communication, calendaring, and file-sharing systems.
4. Mobile App: Trello has a mobile app that lets you stay on top of your tasks, projects, and team collaboration. This is an excellent feature for teams that are always on the move and need constant access to their projects.
5. Power-Ups: Trello offers a variety of small add-ons that provide extra functionality to boards. These power-ups range from calendars and voting polls to integrations with other apps like Google Drive, Slack, and more. This can help teams to extend the functionalities of their Trello boards and increase their productivity.

Pros

• Provides an easy and visual way for teams to organize and prioritize tasks and projects
• Offers a wide range of collaboration features that allow team members to work together in real-time
• Has a mobile app that allows you to stay on top of your tasks, projects, and team collaboration on the go
• Offers a wide range of integrations with other tools and platforms
• Offers Power-Ups, small add-ons that provide extra functionality to boards

Cons

• Limited customization options for the boards
• Limited resource management tools for the free version
• Limited reporting and analytics capabilities
• Limited automation capabilities as compared to other project management software

Pricing

1. Free: The Free plan provides access to the core features of Trello, unlimited cards, power-ups per board, and storage. You also get essential collaboration and integration features.
2. Standard: The Standard plan starts at $5 per user per month and includes all of the features of the Free plan. Additional capabilities include unlimited boards, advanced checklists, custom fields, and more.
3. Premium: The Premium plan costs $10 and offers even more advanced features, such as customized workspace views, collections, and admin and security features, amongst others.
4. Enterprise: The Enterprise plan is tailored to large organizations’ needs, costing $17.50. It includes the Premium plan’s features and additional capabilities, such as advanced security, compliance, and Single Sign-On (SSO) integration.

3. ClickUp

ClickUp is an adaptable project management software that offers a one-stop shop for teams to plan, coordinate, and monitor their projects. Features like task management, time monitoring, a calendar, and even goal setting are all available within the app.

Regarding organizing, delegating, and keeping tabs on tasks, ClickUp is among the best tools available for teams.

Teams can work efficiently across time zones and locations with real-time collaboration capabilities and a graphical user interface.

ClickUp is an effective tool for managing projects of any size, from the individual to the enterprise. With ClickUp, you can turn your scattered to-dos into a streamlined symphony of productivity.

Key Features

1. All-in-one solution: ClickUp allows teams to plan, organize, and track their work. The software provides a range of features, including task management, time tracking, calendar, and even goal setting, all in one platform. Teams may manage all parts of their work in one spot, making tracking progress and meeting deadlines easier.
2. Customizable interface: ClickUp’s interface allows teams to customize their task lists and calendars. Users can create custom views, Statuses, workflows, and even custom fields to track specific data. This allows teams to tailor the software to their particular needs and work processes.
3. Time tracking: ClickUp has a built-in time tracking feature that allows team members to track their time on tasks and projects efficiently. This can assist teams in understanding how long different jobs take and help managers find areas where they might increase efficiency.
4. Real-time collaboration: ClickUp’s real-time collaboration makes it easy for team members to work together seamlessly, regardless of location or time zone. Team members can chat, share files, and update tasks and projects in real time, which helps keep everyone on the same page. This helps to ensure everyone is working towards the same goals.
5. Integrations: ClickUp offers a wide range of integrations with over 1000 other tools and platforms, such as Google Drive, Slack, and Zapier. This lets teams easily combine project management with communication, calendar, and file storage technologies to maximize workflow and efficiency. Teams can automate tedious operations and stay updated on projects outside of ClickUp via integrations.

Pros

• Provides an all-in-one solution for teams to plan, organize, and track their work
• A highly customizable interface that allows teams to tailor the layout and design of their task lists and calendars to their specific needs
• Built-in time tracking feature that allows team members to track the time they spend on tasks and projects efficiently.
• Real-time collaboration features that make it easy for team members to work together seamlessly.
• Unlimited file storage for premium users
• Offers over 1000 integrations with other tools and platforms
• Has a goal-setting feature that allows teams to set and track their goals within the platform

Cons

• It may have a learning curve for some users
• Most resource management tools are limited to premium users
• Limited customization options for the goal-setting feature
• Pricing for some of the advanced features is relatively high

Pricing

1. Free: The ClickUp Free plan lets you create tasks, lists, and projects, collaborate, and integrate. You also get 100MB of storage, whiteboards, real-time chat, and other basic features.
2. Unlimited: The Unlimited plan starts at $5 per user per month. It includes all of the Free plan’s features and additional capabilities, such as unlimited storage and a dashboard. You also get the guests with permission features, goals and portfolios, and resource management, amongst others.
3. Business: The Business plan starts at $12 per user per month. It includes all of the Unlimited plan’s features and additional capabilities, such as advanced security, compliance, Google SSO, and unlimited team.
4. Business Plus: The Business plus plan starts at $19 per user per month. In addition to the Business features, Business plus includes team sharing and subtasks in multiple lists. It also comes with custom role creation, custom permissions, and more.
5. Enterprise: The Enterprise plan is tailored to the needs of large organizations and includes all of the features of the Business plan. It has additional capabilities such as enterprise API, Single Sign-On (SSO), custom branding, advanced security, and other features.

4. Asana

Asana is a popular project management software that allows teams to quickly organize and track their work. The software is designed to help teams manage their tasks and projects, collaborate with team members, and share files in one place.

Asana’s straightforward UI lets teams create, assign, and manage tasks, establish deadlines, and track progress in an orderly and effective manner.

Additionally, Asana offers real-time collaboration features that enable team members to work together seamlessly, regardless of location or time zone.

Asana helps streamline your workflow and boost team productivity whether you lead a small or large team. Considering the features offered, Asana’s affordable premium prices make it one of the best project management software.

Key Features

1. Customizable task templates: Asana allows teams to create custom templates for tasks, which helps teams to standardize their work and streamline their processes. This tool enables team members easily create tasks with pre-populated due dates, assignees, and custom fields that they may update.
2. Advanced search and filtering: Asana offers advanced search and filtering options that allow teams to efficiently find and organize tasks and projects. Users can search for functions by keywords, assignee, due date, and more, and they can filter jobs by project, section, or custom fields. This feature makes it easy for teams to stay on top of their work and quickly find the necessary information.
3. Integrations: Asana offers various integrations with other tools and platforms, such as Google Drive, Dropbox, Outlook, Slack, and Zoom. This helps teams easily integrate project management with communication, calendar, and file storage programs, boosting overall workflow and productivity.
4. Portfolio Management: Asana offers a portfolio management feature that allows teams to track and manage all their projects in one place. This provides an overview of all the projects. It also shows the progress of each project and the resources assigned to each project. Project managers can easily keep track of all the projects and plan resources accordingly.
5. Mobile App: Asana helps users manage tasks and projects with an easy-to-use interface. Users can quickly view their jobs and projects and update and progress as they work. Push notifications alert users to new tasks, comments, and updates, so they never miss an important update. Download the free iOS and Android app from the App Store or Google Play.

Pros

• Makes it simple to keep tabs on projects and assignments
• Offers advanced search and filtering options for quickly finding and organizing tasks and projects
• Offers a wide range of integrations with other tools and platforms
• Has a portfolio management feature that allows teams to track and manage all their projects in one place
• Has a workload management feature that helps teams to balance workloads and assign tasks in an efficient way
• Has a mobile app that allows team members to stay on top of their tasks and projects on the go

Cons

• The free version has a limited number of features and integrations
• The interface can be overwhelming for users with a large number of tasks and projects
• Limited customization options for the portfolio management feature
• For certain people, the learning curve may be relatively high.
• No time tracking feature
• Only one assignee per task

Pricing

1. Free: The Free plan provides access to the core features of Asana, including unlimited tasks, projects, messages, and activity logs. It also offers basic collaboration features and integrations.
2. Premium: The Premium plan starts at $10.99 per user per month and includes all of the features of the Free program. The premium plan has additional capabilities such as advanced automation, timeline, workflow builder, unlimited dashboards, and more.
3. Business: The Business plan starts at $24.99 per user per month and includes all of the features of the Premium plan. The business plan includes portfolios, workload, goals, approvals, and proofing.
4. Enterprise: The Enterprise plan is designed for large enterprises and provides all of the Business plan’s features plus dedicated infrastructure, unique branding, and superior protection.

5. Notion

Notion is a comprehensive productivity and organization tool that allows teams to manage their tasks, projects, and knowledge in one place. Users can organize their work using pages, databases, and templates in the software’s unique organization approach.

Notion’s powerful editing tools, including the ability to embed files and media, make it ideal for complex project management teams.

Its flexibility and customization options make it suitable for many use cases. Notion’s real-time collaboration features allow team members to collaborate seamlessly regardless of location or time zone. This makes Notion the best project management software ideal for remote teams and organizations.

Key Features

1. Customization: Notion allows users to create personalized workspaces to organize their work using a combination of pages, databases, and templates. Users can customize their layout to better manage tasks, projects, and knowledge.
2. Advanced editing capabilities: Notion has a powerful editor that allows users to create rich content and embed files and media. This feature makes Notion one of the best project management software. It lets users easily make notes, documents, and project plans and add images, videos, and other multimedia content.
3. Collaboration: Notion’s real-time collaboration feature allows teams to work together seamlessly, regardless of location or time zone. With this, team members can share pages, databases, and templates and work on projects and tasks. Additionally, users can assign tasks, set deadlines, and receive notifications when changes are made to the pages they are following.
4. Integrations: Notion offers many integrations with other tools and platforms, such as Google Drive, Slack, Zapier, and more. This lets teams easily link their project management tasks to other tools like communication, calendar, and file storage apps.
5. Blocks and Pages: Notion’s Blocks and Pages feature allows users to create flexible and modular content, making it easy to organize their work. You can use blocks to create text, images, tables, and more; pages can organize hierarchically. This feature allows users to create a personalized layout that suits their needs and easily navigate through their work.

Pros

• Offers a personalized workspace where users can organize their work using a combination of pages, databases, and templates
• Has a powerful editor that allows users to create rich content and embed files and media
• Has a database management feature that is powerful and flexible
• Has real-time collaboration features for team members to work together seamlessly
• Offers a wide range of integrations with other tools and platforms

Cons

• The interface can be overwhelming for users with many tasks and projects.
• The mobile app is not as feature-rich as the web version
• Has a steeper learning curve than some other project management tools
• Some users may find the customization options confusing
• Limited automation features on the free version

Pricing

1. Free: The free version includes a collaborative workspace, basic page analytics, and 7-day page history. You also get essential collaboration and integrations with Slack, GitHub & more.
2. Plus: The Plus plan starts at $8 per month. It includes all of the Free plan’s features and additional capabilities, such as unlimited block and page, history, and comments.
3. Business: The Team plan starts at $15 per user per month and includes all of the features of the Personal plan. You also get additional capabilities such as bulk pdf exports, private team spaces, and other advanced permissions.
4. Enterprise: The Enterprise plan has all of the Business plan’s features and is designed for large enterprises. Additional capabilities include a dedicated customer success manager, advanced security, and custom branding.

6. Confluence

Confluence is a collaborative project management software developed by Atlassian. It helps teams to share, organize, and collaborate on projects. It’s widely used for document management, project management, and team collaboration.

Confluence integrates easily with Atlassian tools like Jira and Trello, making it a good choice for teams that already use them. Remote and distributed teams can track progress, share knowledge, and collaborate more efficiently with Confluence.

It’s ideal for teams who want to streamline their workflows, increase transparency and alignment, and improve collaboration and communication.

Key Features

1. Collaborative Workspaces: Confluence allows teams to create shared workspaces to organize and collaborate on their work. This feature helps teams stay organized by sharing information, discussing projects, and tracking progress in one place.
2. Document Management: Confluence offers robust document management features, allowing teams to create, organize and share documents and files. Document management is beneficial for teams that need to manage complex projects and need to store a lot of information.
3. Knowledge Management: Confluence has a knowledge management feature that allows teams to share, store and organize their knowledge in a centralized place. This feature is handy for teams with a lot of information that need access to it quickly. It makes Confluence stand out amongst the best project management software.
4. Integrations: Confluence offers a wide range of integrations with other tools and platforms, such as Jira, Trello, and Slack, allowing teams to connect their project management tasks to other tools easily.
5. Reporting and analytics: Confluence offers reporting and analytics features that allow project managers to track how well their content is performing on the website. This is particularly useful for teams that need to measure performance and make data-driven decisions.

Pros

• Easy to set up a workspace for teams to share, organize and collaborate on their work
• Offers robust document management features
• Offers a wide range of integrations with other tools and platforms
• Includes statistics and reports that help teams monitor their success and refine their strategies.

Cons

• The interface can be overwhelming for users with many tasks and projects.
• Has a steeper learning curve than some other project management tools
• Limited customization options
• It may not be suitable for small teams

Pricing

1. Free: The Free plan provides access to core features of Confluence, including the ability to create pages and basic collaboration features.
2. Standard: Advanced editing, document management, and Atlassian tool integrations are included in the Standard plan, which costs $5.75 per user per month.
3. Premium: The Premium plan starts at $11 per user per month. It includes the Standard plan’s features and additional capabilities, such as advanced analytics, reporting, and priority support.
4. Enterprise: All the benefits of the Premium plan are included in the Enterprise plan, making it ideal for corporations. Additional capabilities include data encryption, guaranteed uptime, and other dedicated infrastructures.

7. Teamwork

Teamwork is one of the best project management software with comprehensive features for teams to manage their projects in one place. It allows teams to collaborate, plan, track their work, and share files and documents.

Teamwork’s unique approach to project management makes it an ideal tool for teams that need to manage multiple projects and clients.

Whether you are a small startup or a large enterprise, Teamwork can help you manage your projects, resources, and team more effectively. Teamwork helps teams plan, execute, and deliver projects on time, within scope, and budget with portfolio management, resource management, automation, and apps.

It also offers a user-friendly interface and integrations with other tools, making it easy for teams to manage their work and improve productivity.

Key Features

1. Portfolio Management: Teamwork’s portfolio management feature allows teams to view, prioritize and manage all their projects in one central location. This feature will enable teams to see the big picture and ensure that all their projects align with their overall goals and objectives.
2. Resource Management: Teamwork’s resource management feature allows teams to manage their team members, assign tasks and projects, and track the availability of their resources. Teams may benefit from resource management because it ensures the correct people are working on the right tasks and that progress is being made.
3. Automation: Teamwork’s automation feature allows teams to automate repetitive tasks and processes and save time and effort. Automation will enable teams to streamline their workflow and improve productivity.
4. Apps: Teamwork offers a wide range of apps that can be integrated into the platform, allowing teams to connect their project management tasks to other tools they use to manage their work, such as communication, calendar, and file storage apps.
5. Time tracking: Teamwork allows teams to track their time on tasks and projects. This feature will enable teams to bill their clients accurately and see where they spend most of their time.

Pros

• Project management
• Team collaboration through messaging.
• Ease of deployment and usability
• Planning for events and activities
• Budgeting for our projects.

Cons

• The interface can be overwhelming for users with many tasks and projects.
• It may not be as user-friendly as some other project management tools
• Limited customization options

Pricing

1. Free Forever: The Free plan provides access to all project management essentials, client work essentials, and some integrations.
2. Deliver: The Deliver plan starts at $9.99 per user per month and includes all of the features of the Free program. It also has more project power, reports, dashboards, user ratings, and badges.
3. Grow: The Grow plan starts at $17.99 per user per month and includes all of the features of the Deliver plan. It also comes with workload management, powerful reports, and advanced budgeting.
4. Scale: The Scale plan is tailored to the needs of large organizations and includes all of the features of the Grow plan. Additional capabilities include resource management, financial management, and advanced project management tools.

8. Wrike

Wrike is one of the best project management tools that help teams plan, collaborate, and finish projects on time. It’s a handy tool for marketing agencies, service providers, and product developers.

Using Wrike, teams stay organized and avoid mistakes by managing tasks, projects, and workflows in one place.

Users may use it to organize both one-off projects and continuing responsibilities, and it features a user-friendly dashboard with enterprise-grade functionality.

Wrike is the best project management software for teams that manage multiple projects and clients. Elevate your team’s productivity and performance with Wrike, the ultimate project management solution that predicts and prevents risks before they happen.

Key features

1. User-Friendly Dashboard: Wrike’s dashboard is designed to be user-friendly and intuitive, providing teams with a centralized hub to easily view and manage their tasks, projects, and workflows. This allows teams to stay on top of their work and never miss a beat.
2. AI Project Risk Prediction: Wrike’s built-in AI technology makes it one of the best project management software. It predicts potential project risks and helps teams anticipate and mitigate them. This ensures that teams can proactively address issues and keep their projects on track.
3. Workflow Management: Wrike makes it easy to plan, assign, and track tasks, set due dates and priorities, and monitor progress. This streamlines the project management process and keeps teams organized.
4. Collaboration Central: Wrike’s robust collaboration features allow teams to share files, work on tasks and projects, and communicate in real-time. This promotes teamwork and ensures that everyone is on the same page.
5. Real-Time Analytics: Wrike provides real-time analytics to help teams track progress, measure performance, and make better decisions. This allows teams to stay informed and make data-driven decisions with ease.

Pros

• Free account with unlimited projects
• Good dashboard
• Integration with other apps
• Excellent customer service

Cons

• Overwhelming for new users
• Difficult onboarding
• An in-app timer for time tracking is only available on
• It may be too expensive
• Lack of UI Customization
• Only paid plans can access Gantt chart views.

Pricing

1. Free: the free version is available on the web, desktop, and mobile apps. Project and take management features are also available. However, functional task limitations may apply.
2. Team: This plan costs $9.80 monthly and can accommodate up to 25 users. It has unlimited projects, tasks, custom fields, and request forms. Users can also access an interactive Gantt chart, analytic and calendar view, integrations, and more.
3. Business: The Wrike business plan is priced at $24.80, containing all the Team plan features and some additional capabilities. The business plan can house up to 200 users with up to 5GB of storage per user. It also comes with cross-tagging, custom-type items, and more.
4. Enterprise: In addition to all the functions in the business plan, the enterprise plan also offers 5 unlimited users and Single Sign-On (SSO). Two-Factor Authentication, password policies, custom access roles, and customizable user types are also available.
5. Pinnacle: There’s also the pinnacle which is an advanced version of the enterprise plan. This plan contains advanced reporting BI, team utilization, performance dashboard, job royals, and more, in addition to the enterprise features.

9. Microsoft Project

Microsoft’s project, also known as Project Professional or MS Project, is a project management software developed and sold by Microsoft. It helps project managers plan, assign resources, track progress, manage budgets, and analyze workloads. It is the best project management tool for construction, manufacturing, and IT.

Microsoft Project is popular because it is part of the Microsoft Office Suite, a popular choice for many businesses. Managers Users can harness it to track projects, resources, and deadlines. For those working in project management, it offers helpful tools, including Gantt charts, kanban boards, and calendars.

Key features

1. Project Planning and Scheduling: Microsoft Project allows teams to create a project plan, set tasks, assign resources, and set up dependencies between tasks. The Gantt charts and kanban boards are essential for this functionality. This feature allows teams to plan their projects effectively and ensure everything is on track.
2. Resource Management: Microsoft Project allows teams to manage their resources, including people, equipment, and materials. Teams can ensure that the right resources are available at the right time and that everything runs smoothly.
3. Progress Tracking: Microsoft Project allows teams to track the progress of their tasks and projects and to see how they’re doing in real-time. This feature lets teams stay on top of their work and ensure everything is on track.
4. Budget Management: Microsoft Project allows teams to manage their budget and costs and to see how they’re doing in real-time. The software provides a timesheet feature that collects project and non-project time for payroll and invoicing. Harnessing this, teams can stay on top of their budget and ensure everything is on track.
5. Reporting and Analytics: Microsoft Project allows teams to generate reports and analyze data to make better decisions. This feature will enable teams to track how they’re doing and make data-driven decisions.

Pros

• As a Microsoft product, it plays nicely with others from the same firm, such as Office 365, Skype, and SharePoint.
• The interface is very Microsoft-like.
• It’s been around for quite some time, and its characteristics have evolved as time has progressed.
• Microsoft backs it, so you know you can trust it and get the help you need.
• Project managers can use its built-in financial management capabilities to predict costs more accurately.
• It’s available for purchase as a desktop program. Although this may make it seem even more old-fashioned, some businesses still favour it over cloud-based alternatives.
• Users can save time with its premade templates.

Cons

• MS Project Online’s cloud-based solution has drawbacks.
• It may have a steeper learning curve.
• The price of purchasing licenses for team members to use the software’s collaborative capabilities quickly adds up.
• Shareability is limited.

Pricing

1. Desktop Version: Project Standard 2021 costs $679.99, and Project Professional 2021 $1,129.99 for the on-premises edition of Microsoft Project.
2. Project Plan 1: Project Home and Project Online are not included in the $10 monthly fee per user. Project Professional and Project Online are now available in two slimmer forms. Members of the team should consider doing this.
3. Project Plan 3: An adequate solution for managing projects, excluding project portfolio management tools, can be used for $30 per user per month. Both Microsoft Project on your desktop and Project Online are available to you.
4. Project Plan 5: Each user can access Microsoft Project for the web, Project Online, and the desktop software for $55 per month.

10. Smartsheet

Smartsheet is one of the best project management software for its wide range of features. This software allows teams to manage and automate their workflows and processes, from simple task lists to complex, multi-faceted projects.

As a result, project managers and teams can plan, collaborate, and deliver their projects on time using this software.

The software’s easy-to-use interface, flexible platform, and powerful automation capabilities make it an ideal tool for businesses of all sizes and industries. It is particularly well-suited for teams that need to manage large amounts of data and collaborate on projects in real time.

Key Features

1. Flexible Templates: Smartsheet offers a wide range of templates for various use cases, such as project management, task management, and event planning, making it easy for teams to get started quickly. These templates can be easily customized to fit the specific needs of a team or project.
2. Automation and Workflow: Smartsheet’s automation capabilities allow teams to streamline their workflows and processes, from simple task assignments to complex approvals and data collection. This can help teams save time and effort, improve efficiency, and reduce errors.
3. Collaboration and Communication: Smartsheet allows teams to share and collaborate on projects and tasks in real time, with options for commenting, task assignments, and approvals. This feature promotes teamwork and keeps everyone on the same page.
4. Easy-to-navigate apps: One key feature that sets Smartsheet apart is its easy-to-navigate apps feature. This feature allows users to build intuitive web and mobile apps with no coding skills required. This feature allows users to create custom apps to automate workflows, streamline processes, and improve collaboration.
5. Integrations and Add-Ons: Smartsheet integrates with many popular tools like Google Drive, Microsoft Teams, and Salesforce, allowing teams to connect their work efficiently. Its many add-ons, such as a Gantt chart and time tracking, make it one of the best project management software.

Pros

• Offers a wide range of flexible templates for various use cases, making it easy for teams to get started quickly.
• Automation and workflow capabilities allow teams to streamline processes and save time and effort.
• Real-time collaboration and communication features promote teamwork and keep everyone on the same page.
• Real-time insights and reports allow teams to track progress, measure performance, and make better decisions.
• Integrations and add-ons make it more flexible and adaptable to different use cases.

Cons

• The interface can be overwhelming for new users
• Add-ons required for time tracking and resource management
• Pages do not update in real-time
• It may not be as intuitive as other project management tools
• Some advanced features may require additional setup and configuration

Pricing

1. Free Version: The Free plan provides access to core features of Smartsheet, including task management and basic collaboration features. However, most of these features are limited.
2. Pro: Smartsheet’s pro version costs $7 per month. It offers unlimited sheets, viewers, and views from Gantt to calendars and cards. It also provides up to 20GB of attachment storage and multiple integrations with Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Slack, and more.
3. Business Plan: Besides the pro features, Business also has unlimited editors, users, groups, 1TB attachment storage, unlimited automation, and license management. For $25 per month, you can also access Adobe creative cloud, Tableau, Brand folder, and PowerBI integrations.
4. Enterprise: This plan is highly customizable and includes features from the business plan and more. With enterprise, users get Single sign-on/SAML, directory integrations and account discovery, unlimited attachment storage, custom email domain, and more.

11. Forecast

Forecast is a project management and time-tracking software designed for professional services companies such as agencies, consultants, and freelancers. It helps teams plan, coordinate, and complete projects on schedule by recording time spent on each job.

It is the best project management software for teams that need to track their time and bill clients accordingly.

Forecast’s comprehensive portfolio helps professional services firms optimize operations and finances with intelligent project automation.

Forecast enhances productivity and planning with AI to improve predictability and profitability. It’s ideal for professional services teams such as consultancies, agencies, and service providers.

Key Features

1. Time tracking: Forecast allows teams to track their time spent on tasks and projects and to generate accurate invoices for clients. This feature will enable teams to bill clients accurately and to see how they’re doing in real-time.
2. Project Management: Forecast allows teams to collaborate in real time, assign tasks, and track progress. This will enable teams to stay on top of their work and ensure that nothing falls through the cracks, ensuring projects are delivered on time, within scope, and within budget.
3. Insights & Reporting: Forecast provides real-time data and analytics to track progress, measure performance, and make better decisions. This feature allows teams to stay informed and make data-driven decisions with ease.
4. More robust business decisions supported by AI: Forecast’s AI-based algorithms allow teams to predict project risks. It also lets them optimize resource allocation and improve project performance. Managers could find this helpful for making more vital business decisions and improving the overall performance of their projects.
5. Flexible resource management: Forecast allows teams to manage their resources, including people, equipment, and materials. This feature will enable teams to ensure that the right resources are available at the right time and optimize resource allocation.

Pros

• Offers a comprehensive set of features for teams to plan, collaborate, and deliver their projects on time.
• Allows teams to track their time and bill clients accurately.
• Offers robust collaboration features that allow teams to share files, collaborate on tasks and projects, and communicate in real time.
• Resource management feature allows teams to manage their team members, assign tasks and projects, and track the availability of their resources.
• The reports feature allows teams to track progress, measure performance, and make better decisions.

Cons

• Limited integration options compared to other project management tools
• Limited customization options

Pricing

1. Lite: At $30.97, this plan offers resource management, project management, team collaboration, time management, project budgets, business intelligence, and lite integrations.
2. Pro: Besides the lite features, the pro version comes with financial portfolio reporting, retainer management, and advanced project budgets. Users also get expense management and pro integrations. This plan is best for businesses that optimize their long-term viability strategies financially and operationally.
3. Plus: Organizations that value high productivity and long-term viability will find this model most beneficial. In addition to the pro features, plus also provides project baseline, time locking and time approvals, custom permissions, and audit logging. Data migration & system integration, plus integrations plus Single Sign On (SSO), are also available.

12. Zoho Projects

Zoho Projects is a cloud-based project management software that helps teams plan, communicate, and complete projects on schedule. It is designed to help teams manage and automate their workflows and processes, from simple task lists to complex, multi-faceted projects.

The software’s easy-to-use interface, flexible platform, and powerful automation capabilities make it an ideal tool for businesses of all sizes.

Zoho is the best project management software for teams looking to optimize their project output. Experience effortless teamwork with Zoho, the ultimate tool for managing tasks, customizing workflows, and streamlining collaboration.

Key Features

1. Task Management: Zoho Projects allows teams to plan, assign, and track tasks and set due dates and priorities. This feature will enable teams to stay on top of their work and ensure that nothing falls through the cracks.
2. Customizations: Zoho Projects offers a wide range of customization options, allowing teams to tailor the software to their specific needs. This feature will enable teams to create a workflow tailored to their particular requirements and processes.
3. Team Collaboration: Zoho Projects allows teams to share and collaborate on projects and tasks in real time, with options for commenting, task assignments, and approvals. This feature promotes teamwork and keeps everyone on the same page.
4. Automation: Zoho Projects offers a range of automation features, such as automatic notifications, reminders, and approvals. This feature allows teams to automate repetitive tasks and processes and improve work efficiency.
5. Integrations: Zoho Projects has many integrations with popular tools such as Google Drive, Microsoft Teams, and Salesforce. Its integrations and add-ons allow teams to easily connect their work to other tools they use to manage their work.

Pros

• Offers a wide range of features for teams to plan, collaborate, and deliver their projects on time
• Allows teams to manage and automate their workflows and processes
• The Gantt charts and timelines feature will enable teams to visualize their projects and tasks
• The collaboration and communication feature promotes teamwork
• Has a wide range of integrations with popular tools

Cons

• Some advanced features may require additional setup and configuration
• Limited customization options.

Pricing

1. Free: Zoho offers a free version for only 3 users with 2 projects but limited storage space. Custom status, task management, Gantt chart, project feeds, basic task and issue reports, and mobile apps are also available.
2. Premium: For $5, premium users can access unlimited projects, up to 20 project templates, and 100GB of storage space. Additional benefits include project resource utilization, project Gantt chart, custom views, subtasks, reminders and timers, blueprint automation, and subtasks.
3. Enterprise: Zoho also provides an enterprise package for $10 per month. This plan includes unlimited projects, up to 30 project templates, and 120GB of storage space. Additional benefits include all premium features, portfolio dashboard, Gantt chart, Inter-project dependencies, SLAs for Issues, and SSO, TFA & IP restrictions.

13. Basecamp

Basecamp is a project management and collaboration tool that lets teams organize, track, and manage their work in one place. Its features help teams organize, communicate, and manage time, making it one of the best project management software.

It’s suitable for teams of all sizes and industries and easy for beginners but powerful enough for experts.

With its clean and intuitive interface, Basecamp makes it easy for teams to stay organized and on top of their work. Its features include a home dashboard, to-dos, a campfire chat room, a schedule, and a place to store, share and discuss files.

Additionally, Basecamp offers a range of integrations with other tools, making it easy for teams to manage their workflows and improve productivity.

Key Features

1. Home Dashboard: Basecamp’s home dashboard provides a quick overview of all the projects, to-dos, and relevant messages to the user. This feature lets teams stay on top of their work and easily access the necessary information.
2. To-dos: Basecamp allows teams to create and assign tasks, set deadlines, and track progress. It has an intuitive environment to track projects, deadlines, responsibilities, progress, and details.
3. Campfire Chat Room: Basecamp offers a real-time group chat feature called Campfire. This allows teams to communicate in real time, share ideas and stay on the same page. This feature sets Basecamp as one of the best project management software. It promotes teamwork and makes it easy for teams to communicate with each other.
4. Schedule: Basecamp allows teams to schedule and plan events, meetings, and deadlines. This feature will enable teams to stay on schedule and manage their time efficiently.
5. Store, Share, and Discuss files: Basecamp allows teams to easily share, store and discuss files, including images, documents, and videos. This feature will enable teams to keep all their work in one place and easily access it when needed.

Pros

• Offers a wide range of features for teams to plan, collaborate, and deliver their projects on time
• Allows teams to manage and automate their workflows and processes
• The collaboration feature promotes teamwork
• The communication feature allows teams to communicate easily with each other.
• The file management feature allows teams to keep all their work in one place.
• Customization options allow teams to tailor the software to their specific needs.

Cons

• Some advanced features may require additional setup and configuration
• The premium plan may be too expensive for small startups

Pricing

1. Basecamp: This plan has all basecamp project management features, including 500GB of storage for files and documents. It is priced at $15 per user monthly and is ideal for freelancers, startups, and small teams.
2. Basecamp Pro Unlimited: For $299 monthly (billed annually), this plan can accommodate unlimited users and contains everything in the basecamp plan. Users also get 5TB of file and document storage, optimum customer service, and other benefits.

14. Liquid Planner

Liquid Planner is one of the best software for project management. It offers many features to help teams plan, collaborate, and deliver their projects on time.

The software helps teams manage and automate their workflows and processes, from simple task lists to complex, multi-faceted projects.

The software’s easy-to-use interface, flexible platform, and powerful automation capabilities make it an ideal tool for businesses of all sizes and industries. Liquid Planner is also one of the best project management software because it offers a wide range of premium plans.

Key Features

1. Target Finish Driven Alerts: Liquid Planner lets teams set project finish dates and sends alerts when a task is about to miss its deadline. This feature allows teams to stay on top of their work and ensure nothing falls through the cracks.
2. Workload view: Liquid Planner allows teams to view and manage their workload at a glance. This feature will enable teams to optimize their workload and deliver projects on time.
3. Open API: Liquid Planner offers an open API that allows teams to integrate the software with other tools and systems. This feature improves efficiency and will enable teams to work how they want.
4. Data Customization: Liquid Planner allows teams to customize the data they want and how they want to see it. This feature will enable teams to make the software work for them and improve performance.
5. Integration with Slack: Liquid Planner can be integrated with Slack, allowing teams to receive real-time notifications and updates on their projects and tasks. This feature improves communication and will enable teams to stay on the same page.

Pros

• Offers a wide range of features for teams to plan, collaborate, and deliver their projects on time
• Allows teams to manage and automate their workflows and processes
• Target finish-driven alerts enable teams to stay on top of their work and ensure nothing falls through the cracks
• The workload view will enable teams to optimize their workload and deliver projects on time
• Open API will allow teams to integrate the software with other tools and systems
• Data customization allows teams to make the software work for them and improve performance
• Integration with Slack enhances communication and allows teams to stay on the same page

Cons

• Some advanced features may require additional setup and configuration
• Limited integration options

Pricing

1. Free: The free plan offers the essential features of Liquid planner but is limited to 3 people, 6 resources and 10 projects, and 300 tasks. However, users can upgrade it anytime to harness the software’s full potential.
2. Essential: This plan is priced at $15/ per user monthly and is ideal for medium-sized portfolios and teams. Its features include predictive scheduling, automatic resource levelling, priority-based planning, integrated time tracking, smart schedule bars, a built-in learning academy, and more. Users are unlimited, with 5000 tasks and 50 projects.
3. Professional: For $25, this plan includes advanced features from essential, in addition to timesheet review and exports, rate sheets, and custom codes. Users are unlimited, and it comes with 50000 tasks and 500 projects.
4. Ultimate: This plan has all the features from professionals and some added capabilities. It offers Single Sign-On, access roles, project access control, member groups, and open API. For $35, gain unlimited tasks, projects, and users.

15. Paymo

Paymo is a web-based project management with many features to help teams plan, collaborate, and deliver their projects on time. Its intuitive UI allows teams to manage and automate their workflows and processes, from simple task lists to complex, multi-faceted projects.

The software offers an easy-to-use interface, a flexible platform, and powerful automation capabilities. This makes Paymo the best project management software for businesses of all sizes and industries.

Key Features

1. Task management: Paymo allows teams to create, assign and track tasks, set deadlines, and monitor progress. This feature makes it easy for teams to stay on top of their work and ensure nothing falls through the cracks.
2. Time tracking: Paymo allows teams to track their time on tasks and projects and generate detailed time reports. This feature will enable teams to understand how much time they spend on different tasks, which helps them optimize their workload and deliver projects on time.
3. Planning and scheduling: Paymo offers a range of planning and scheduling tools, including a Gantt chart, calendar view, and task dependencies, that allow teams to visualize their project’s tasks and subtasks and identify potential issues.
4. Resource management: Paymo allows teams to manage and schedule resources, assign tasks, and track time. This feature will enable teams to optimize their workload and deliver projects on time.
5. File management: This feature makes Paymo stand out as one of the best project management software. It allows teams to store, share and discuss files, images, and documents related to their projects, and keep all project-related information in one place.

Pros

• Offers a wide range of features for teams to plan, collaborate, and deliver their projects on time
• Allows teams to manage and automate their workflows and processes
• The task management feature makes it easy for teams to stay on top of their work and ensure nothing falls through the cracks
• Time tracking feature allows teams to understand how much time they are spending on different tasks
• Planning and scheduling tools allow teams to visualize their project’s tasks and subtasks and identify potential issues
• Resource management feature will enable teams to optimize their workload and deliver projects on time

Cons

• Some advanced features may require additional setup and configuration
• Limited integration options

Pricing

1. Free: The free version includes all the essential features necessary for project management. However, it is limited to 1 user, 3 clients, and 50 tasks. The free version lets you view tasks in various formats, native time tracking, unlimited invoice, and guest access.
2. Starter: At $4.95, users can access everything in the free version in addition to unlimited clients and up to 100 tasks. You also get project templates, unlimited estimates and expenses, In-App tech support, 25GB storage, and integrations.
3. Small Office: The small office plan provides users with everything in the starters package and more for $9.95. Additional capabilities include Unlimited tasks and time entries, meta-Kanban board, live time report, active timer, 50GB storage, and recurring tasks.
4. Business: Business offers everything in Small Office with some additional capabilities. For $20.79, users gain free onboard training, employee scheduling and workload, 500GB storage, priority support, and more. You also get Gannt charts, portfolio Gannt charts, online remote assistance, and employee leave management, amongst others.

Conclusion

Ultimately, the project management software you select should align with your team’s needs and goals. You’ll need to consider the size of your team and how intricate your project processes are.

If your team uses other essential applications within the process, it’s best to pick software that integrates with these.

Of course, your available budget will be a significant deciding factor. However, bear in mind that ease of use, training, and support are all essential when introducing a team to new software.

The best project management software will be easy to learn and offer an accessible customer support team to field any queries.

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