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Planning and tracking your projects has never been easier. Check out our list of the top 5 project scheduling software and find the perfect option for your team.
Learn the basics of project management with this comprehensive guide. We'll cover everything from the planning process to daily project management tasks.
Start your project management career journey by knowing what the CAPM certification is and how it can help you in your career. Read our guide for details.
How to Create a Project Management Plan in 5 Steps
We've made an easy-to-follow guide to help you create a project management plan in X steps. Gain key insights & practical tips to ensure project success.
How AI Is Changing Project Management: Uses, Impacts, & Trends
learn how AI is transforming project management with planning, risk management, decision-making, & team collaboration tools Explore trends & case studies.
10 Best Project Management Software For 2025 By Experts
Discover the best project management software. We’ve reviewed and compared the top project management tools to help you choose the best one for your team.
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The best project management software for 2025 with our expert comparison of top tools. Explore features, pricing, and the best picks for your team!
These are the 10 best project management software options for project managers of every experience level, based on our hands-on experience. We also identified what makes each one stand out so you can pick the right fit for your organization, fast.
We are able to offer our services for free because some vendors may pay us for web traffic or other sales opportunities. Our mission is to help technology buyers make better purchasing decisions, so we provide you with information for all vendors — even those that don't pay us.
Whether you’re leading a growing startup, managing enterprise-scale operations, or just starting with team collaboration tools, project management software is a must-have. These platforms streamline planning, task assignment, communication, resource tracking, and reporting — saving teams hours of manual work every week.
These are our picks for the best project management tools on the market, recently updated with current pricing and expert insights to help you choose the best project management tool for your team. We’ve also identified the key difference maker for each pick — the key aspect of each selection that makes it stand out from the pack.
monday work management is a cloud-based, highly customizable visual project management tool designed to support teams of all sizes and industries. It offers an intuitive, centralized workspace with drag-and-drop functionality, automations, and real-time collaboration features to streamline workflows and boost team efficiency.
monday allows users to tailor views, build dashboards, and choose from ready-to-use templates to manage tasks, track progress, and report results effectively. The platform supports file sharing, portfolio management, calendar syncing, and integrates with email and analytics tools. Some of the standout integrations monday offers include Slack, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Workspace, Outlook, HubSpot, Salesforce, GitHub, GitLab, Jira, and Zapier.
monday.com also offers a free plan for up to two users, along with tiered paid options for growing teams. It also has a mobile app for both iOS and Android devices that has all the necessary collaboration and project management features you can find in the desktop and website applications.
Screenshots
This image showcases how monday.com enables teams to manage tasks and timelines in a centralized workspace. The platform’s visual structure and customizable columns help streamline collaboration and project tracking.
This monday.com view highlights time tracking, workload distribution, and project progress all in one visual dashboard. With customizable widgets and real-time updates, teams can manage deadlines and monitor performance more efficiently. Source: monday
This view demonstrates how monday.com automates task updates and time tracking to keep teams aligned. With status-based triggers and detailed owner timelines, it simplifies planning and enhances accountability across weekly workflows. Source: monday
rack project stages clearly with monday.com’s visual task board. Status colors help teams see progress and address blockers quickly. Source: monday.com
monday.com’s AI assistant helps you draft updates quickly and keeps your team in sync. It’s built right into your task board for smooth, efficient communication. Source: monday
Standout features
monday.com stands out for its features that simplify task assignment, team collaboration, and reporting.
AI assistant for summarizing updates and suggesting next steps: Employ the help of monday’s AI tool to summarize complex topics, rephrase, and provide relevant action items.
Custom dashboards with widgets, KPIs, and workload overviews: Create custom dashboards and reports that clearly spell out project health and performance. Leaders can be confident in times requiring decision-making that will help keep goals and objectives on track.
Unlimited boards, file storage, and interactive docs for paid plans: Keep your work and data organized with unlimited monday boards, save images and other important files in one place, and collaborate with your team in real time with interactive docs.
Drag-and-drop automations, conditional logic, recurring tasks, and an extensive suite of third-party integrations: Get repetitive tasks done fast with easy-to-implement automations and third-party app integrations and tools that allow you to build upon this solution to make monday.com even better for your needs. You can reduce time-consuming manual work with the ability to streamline tasks, notifications, and reporting.
View modes: Timeline, Kanban, Calendar, Gantt, Table, Workload: Monitor project status
Pricing
Free plan: Up to 2 users, basic features
Basic: $9/user/month — for team collaboration
Standard: $12/user/month — adds Timeline and Gantt view, integrations
Pro: $19/user/month — adds advanced reporting, time tracking
Enterprise: Custom — adds SSO, HIPAA, audit logs
monday’s free-forever plan supports up to two users and includes basic project management features. It also allows you to keep records of the past week’s activity, so you can track all changes, see who made what and when. The free plan, however, only allows up to 1,000 items within a board. If you’re managing more complex projects or larger teams and need more than that, opt for the Basic, Standard, Pro, or Enterprise plan, which includes an unlimited number of items.
From the Basic plan and up, users can add unlimited boards and create unlimited docs, where you and your team can collaborate on in real time. Like the free plan, Basic allows tracking of a week’s activity, but those on Standard can track up to six months of activity, Pro allows up to one year, while Enterprise allows up to five years.
All plans include access to monday’s self-serve knowledge base. Customer support via chat and email, along with daily live webinars, is available 24/7 starting with the Basic plan. However, only businesses on the Enterprise plan get a dedicated customer success manager.
Pros and cons
Pros
Modern, visual UI that adapts to all industries
Strong automation, reporting, and integrations
Improved speed and insights with new AI features
Cons
Gantt chart exports are limited to PDF
Tasks can’t link across boards (workaround: mirrored columns)
Why we picked monday work management
We picked monday work management for its ultimate focus on flexibility, allowing users and their teams to take on and manage any type of work. The platform comes with customizable templates, unlimited boards, docs, automations, integrations, dashboards, and multiple views. These features make it ideal for handling diverse workflows, coordinating cross-functional teams, and driving project execution from start to finish.
monday work managament is also visually intuitive and scales with you. The platform is built on the idea that effective scaling starts with centralized work management, and it delivers just that: a platform that enables you to track and manage all your projects in one place without needing to dramatically change how your team works. So whether you’re managing marketing campaigns, sales pipelines, or dev sprints, monday adapts without forcing you to overhaul your workflow.
Finally, monday work management is versatile enough for marketers, devs, agencies, and enterprise teams. This and its ease of use plus deep customization options earn it our top spot.
Smartsheet is a powerful work execution platform that enables teams to plan, execute, and report on projects in real time, making it ideal for both agile and waterfall workflows. The cloud-based software solution offers multiple project views, including Gantt, card, grid, and calendar, to support different team preferences and project types.
Smartsheet is especially popular among teams who are already familiar with tools like Excel, as the platform has an interface similar to a spreadsheet. Team members can collaborate on sheets and share them with other users within and outside the organization. You can comment on and review data within the same sheet at the same time.
Other key features include advanced dashboard reporting, automated update requests, and robust collaboration tools. Smartsheet also excels in resource management, offering visibility into team availability to optimize workload distribution. Its mobile app helps you keep work moving by allowing you to upload photos, mark your current location, scan barcodes, and use offline forms so you can capture information anywhere, even without an internet connection.
Screenshots
Smartsheet’s project dashboard offers a visual summary of task progress, completion rates, and status distribution. Quick shortcuts and charts make it easy to monitor team workload and identify blockers at a glance. Source: Smartsheet
This Smartsheet dashboard integrates real-time reporting tools like Power BI for dynamic data visualization. Users can configure reports using the Report Widget panel to customize display, formatting, and behavior. Source: Smartsheet
This Smartsheet interface lets users create automated workflows from prebuilt templates. Options include alerts, reminders, row movements, and integration with tools like Microsoft Teams.
Source: Smartsheet
This Smartsheet interface shows the “Details Panel” settings where users can configure task fields and layout properties. It allows customization of which data fields appear and how they behave in project views. Source: Smartsheet
Standout features
Work Insights: Generate data on the number of items in progress, the number of tickets opened week over week, and the average time spent resolving open tickets. Get a clear visual of the work your team is doing and use it to make better decisions that will improve your processes.
Multiple views: Organize your work the way you want to with multiple view options including real-time Gantt, Grid, Kanban, and Calendar.
Cross-project dashboards and portfolio tracking: Track a large number of portfolios and ensure nothing falls through the cracks.
Formulas and functions: Perform basic calculations and lookups within a single sheet or across multiple sheets.
Dynamic view: Share specific data slices with clients/vendors and even unlicensed external users for viewing and editing.
Key integrations: Connect to third-party applications like Microsoft Teams, Slack, Zoom, Google Workspace, Tableau and Power BI for external reporting, CRM tools like Salesforce and HubSpot, and Jira and GitHub for managing dev workflows. These integrations make Smartsheet perfect for ops-heavy teams, PMOs, and those managing multiple tools across departments.
Enterprise: Custom pricing — governance, control, premium support
The Pro plan allows a maximum of 10 paid users to create, edit, comment, and view sheets, workspaces, and other items. Business plan and higher enable users to create a unique URL for others to access sheets, reports, and dashboards. Business also allows integration with Adobe Creative Cloud Extension, Power BI, and Tableau.
E-signature via Docusign is available with the Enterprise plan. The plan also includes AI tools for generating formulas, translating and summarizing text, and analyzing data.
All plans include web-based ticketing assistance. A global phone support that is available 24/7 is available with the Business plan as an add-on feature and with the Enterprise plan as a fixed inclusion. Smartsheet also gives users access to an extensive help center, webinars, and solution templates.
Pros and cons
Pros
Familiar spreadsheet-style UI with enterprise-grade tools
Advanced dashboards and cross-project views
Strong automation and integration ecosystem
Cons
Steeper learning curve than beginner tools
Cost-prohibitive for small and midsize entities
Why we picked Smartsheet
We found Smartsheet to be the ideal project management software for fast-scaling companies that need project structure and enterprise-grade flexibility. Smartsheet combines flexibility and scalability with its impressive features specifically designed for teams that need to manage work of varying complexity. Its spreadsheet-style interface makes Smartsheet intuitive for Excel users but powerful enough for large-scale cross-functional projects and programs.
Smartsheet is built for scale. It can scale from a single project to end-to-end work management. It connects businesses on a no-code, cloud-based platform, allowing anyone to create customized solutions. Smartsheet shines in matrixed environments where reporting, visibility, and process control are essential, especially if your team is growing fast.
Unlike traditional project management tools, Smartsheet offers multiple views including Grid, Gantt, Calendar, Table, Board, and Kanban Card, plus timelines with dependencies, automated notifications, AI tools for generating formulas and summarizing text data, as well as Control Center for portfolio management.
Wrike is a highly flexible and powerful project management platform built to support diverse teams, from marketing and design to product management and business operations. Its adaptable interface makes it suitable for various workflows, including agile teams and remote collaboration.
Wrike’s free plan supports unlimited users for basic task management, while paid tiers unlock advanced tools like time tracking, shareable dashboards, custom workflows, and automation features. For enterprises, the platform offers robust security options such as SSO, 2FA, custom roles, and audit logs, which are useful for managing work across hybrid work environments.
Wrike’s mobile application allows users to access their entire network environment, eliminating the need to toggle between multiple apps. Wrike Mobile has an offline mode that lets you continue to get work done without an internet connection, and when you’re back on network, Wrike automatically syncs all information so you don’t lose any important data and you can continue tracking your projects like usual.
Screenshots
Wrike’s table view.
Wrike’s visual proofing feature lets teams leave feedback directly on images and compare file versions side by side. It simplifies creative collaboration by making revision requests clear and actionable. Source: Wrike
Wrike’s custom report builder allows users to select data fields and visualize project metrics in real time. With widgets like pie charts and burndown graphs, teams can track project status and progress effectively. Source: Wrike
Wrike integrates with a wide range of popular business tools, making it easy to streamline workflows and centralize communication. Supported platforms include Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Slack, Zoom, Salesforce, and more. Source: Wrike
Wrike’s task detail view allows teams to collaborate on assignments with comments, approvals, and file attachments. It helps track status updates, assignees, and due dates all in one organized workspace. Source: Wrike
This Wrike task view showcases a hardware-related update with status tracking, comment history, and a built-in comment summarization feature. It enables streamlined collaboration and task reassignment across team members. Source: Wrike
Standout features
AI tools: Generate briefs, plans, and brainstormed ideas using Wrike’s AI content creation feature. The platform’s new AI tools also automate task prioritization, summarizing projects, and general updates.
Enhanced customization: Get a deeper understanding of project KPIs and task progress with Wrike’s fully customizable dashboards. Create custom workflows that align with your specific project management needs. You can add unique statuses within those workflows and apply them to tasks, folders, and projects.
Cross-tagging: Enjoy more visibility into your project with cross-tagging. Create tasks in several work streams without duplicating them, or cross-tag subtasks specifically assigned to you so they show up in your weekly report without causing any changes to the parent task.
Key integrations: Slack, Microsoft Teams, Zoom for communication and collaboration; Salesforce, HubSpot (CRM); Adobe Creative Cloud for marketing teams; GitHub, GitLab, Jira for software development projects; Google Workspace, Outlook, Box, Dropbox. These integrations power marketing operations, product dev, client service, and IT projects alike.
Pricing
Free: Unlimited users, simple task management
Team: $10/user/month — for effective team management, ideal for growing teams
Pinnacle: Custom pricing — advanced reporting and BI, advanced resoirce and capacity planning, locked spaces
Wrike’s free plan allows unlimited number of users, but features included in this tier are limited. Personal work schedules, custom fields and workflows, smart replies and quick reactions in messages, and AI tools are only available starting from the Team plan and up.
Task and subtask management tools are included with all plans. Custom work views are available with the free plan and higher, but if you need access to the Calendar view, Dynamic Gantt chart, and Dashboards, you will need to upgrade to at least the Team plan.
Wrike provides support in eight different languages including English, German, French, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, and Russian.
Pros and cons
Pros
Flexible enough to support any industry or project structure
Prebuilt templates for IT, marketing, dev, HR, and more
Strong security and permission controls
Cons
UI can be overwhelming for small teams
Mobile app still lags behind web version in usability
Why we picked Wrike
We picked Wrike for its holistic approach to team productivity. Unlike other solutions, Wrike covers a wide spectrum of functions — from work initiation and structuring to collaboration, reporting, and integrations. It is also entirely cloud-based and can be accessed instantly by remote workers.
Wrike’s versatility makes it ideal for larger and diverse team needs. It has the ability to support teams with complex workflows or that need their project management system to adapt to very specific processes. From marketing endeavors to software development projects, the tool’s deep customization options make it flexible enough to support any industry or project structure.
Wrike has features like dynamic request forms, templates, and custom item types that are the best fit for unique processes. The tool’s user-friendly dashboard, equipped with enterprise-grade tools, serves well for both one-time projects and ongoing or business-as-usual tasks.
Wrike is a powerhouse for teams with specific process needs, especially when cross-functional visibility, automation, and precision are top priorities. If you want deep customization, Wrike is your tool.
ClickUp is considered one of the best project management software solutions for its generous free plan that supports unlimited users and projects. You can create as much tasks as you need, which you can share with specific permissions. It also grants you full access to multiple view options, including List, Board, Calendar, Gantt, Timeline, and Everything view.
With several task views to choose from, customizable workflows, and newly added AI features, ClickUp is proven to be well-suited for managing complex projects with interdependent tasks across mid- to large-sized teams.
ClickUp also enables teams to handle all types of work within a single, unified platform. Additionally, it has a mobile app that offers the same level of convenience as the web application so you can stay on top of your tasks even while on the go. ClickUp’s flexibility and depth make it a strong choice for growing organizations looking for a no-cost solution.
Screenshots
This ClickUp workspace shows a list view of tasks organized by project and status, such as “To Do” and “In Progress.” Users can assign tasks, set due dates, and manage priorities with customizable filters and views. Source: ClickUp
This ClickUp workspace features a task list organized by review status, with dropdown tagging and color-coded stages. Users can assign tasks, set due dates, and manage priorities visually and collaboratively. Source: ClickUp
This ClickUp whiteboard view enables visual collaboration with sticky notes, drawings, task links, and team member assignments. It’s ideal for brainstorming sessions and mapping out ideas in real time. Source: ClickUp
ClickUp Brain provides instant AI-generated progress updates based on your team’s recent activity. It helps project managers stay aligned and informed without manual reporting. Source: ClickUp
Standout features
Generous free plan: Get access to unlimited tasks, projects, users, and multiple view types at no cost.
Extensive list of view options: Switch between 15 different task views including, List, Board, Calendar, Gantt, Timeline, Box, and Mind Map, for better visibility and improved efficiency.
AI tools: Employ the help of ClickUp’s built-in AI feature for writing, generating tasks, and summarizing projects.
Real-time collaboration: Utilize in-platform messaging tools, like the chat feature, and tools that allow free and smooth exchange of ideas and feedback, like docs and whiteboards, for enhanced real-time collaboration. Use screen recordings to relay information better.
Hierarchical organization: Organize your work using spaces, folders, lists, and tasks to create a clear image of which ones need to be completed first.
Key integrations: Communication apps like Slack, Microsoft Teams, Outlook, and Zoom; CRM tools like Salesforce; software development platforms like GitHub and GitLab; Zapier, Make, and other native automation tools; as well as Google Workspace. ClickUp’s integration range makes it easy to plug into existing workflows across industries.
Pricing
Free Forever: Unlimited users and tasks, 100 MB storage
Enterprise: Custom — adds SSO, HIPAA, team sharing, white labeling
ClickUp has a generous free plan, which comes with security features like two-factor authentication — a feature that is usually only offered with paid plans. It also grants access to collaborative docs and sprint management features.
Its AI tools, however, are only available with higher-tier plans. This includes the AI notetaker that generates summaries and transcripts from meetings. ClickUp’s advanced reporting tools are also only accessible to users on the Business plan. Those on Enterprise get to enjoy more security features such as custom permissions, custom roles, and advanced public sharing.
ClickUp’s 24/7 support is available starting with the Free Forever plan, so all users are afforded the option to reach out for assistance anytime they need it, regardless of whether they’re subscribed to a paid plan or not. It also provides a knowledge base, training webinars, and onboarding guides. ClickUp also has a community forum and help bot that are accessible for all users.
Pros and cons
Pros
Best-in-class free plan with no user limit
Vast view and layout options for all team types
Collaborative tools like whiteboards and built-in docs
Cons
Free plan limited to 100 MB storage
Task recurrence and time tracking features are limited on the free tier
Interface can be cluttered without customization
Why we picked ClickUp
We chose ClickUp because it offers the most generous free plan on the market. It provides a solid solution for project management and a foundation for users to explore its features and decide if it’s the right choice before committing to a paid plan or exploring other options. ClickUp has the perfect plan for startups or solopreneurs who want powerful project tools without spending a dime. Plus, it is a cloud-based project management tool that scales well into larger use cases, thanks to its deep customization and new AI enhancements.
ClickUp is the ideal entry point into project management. It’s free, powerful, and feature-rich, and when your team outgrows it, you can just upgrade to a paid version and not have to switch to another platform, saving you the time and effort that you would’ve spent transitioning to a completely different tool. This makes ClickUp the smart choice for teams testing the waters or bootstrapping.
Jira, a part of the Atlassian suite of cloud-based applications, is a leading project and issue-tracking tool tailored for development and technical teams. This project management software solution offers powerful task management features that help users plan, track, and complete projects efficiently, including support for recurring tasks.
Jira’s free plan includes access for up to 10 users, and its scalable paid plans come with AI-powered features that help simplify setting up, tracking, and collaborating across work. It also includes multiple views, such as lists, boards, timelines, and calendars, to suit various workflows. Its drag-and-drop form builder, automation rules, and vast library of integrations make it highly customizable for a wide range of project scenarios.
Jira also has mobile apps you can download to respond faster and move work forward from anywhere, anytime, away from your desk. Jira’s web and mobile applications deliver the same capabilities, like issue creation, boards and backlogs, reports, and releases.
Screenshots
This Jira board view helps teams track and manage tasks across statuses like “To Do,” “In Progress,” and “Done.” The Quickstart panel guides users through list setup, timelines, forms, and project personalization. Source: Jira
Jira’s default dashboard provides a central overview of assigned tasks, project access, and recent activity. It helps users quickly navigate their workspaces and stay updated on team progress. Source: Jira
This Jira kanban board provides a high-level view of tasks across “To Do,” “In Progress,” and “Done” columns. Teams can organize work by epics, labels, and custom queries for efficient tracking and collaboration. Source: Jira
This Jira Marketplace page allows users to browse and install apps and integrations to extend Jira’s functionality. Featured tools include time tracking, test management, and workflow automation solutions.
Source: Jira
This Jira report visualizes the average number of days issues remained unresolved over a five-week period. The data table provides supporting metrics, including issue count, total age, and average age per week. Source: Jira
This Jira Sprint Review page summarizes completed work during a sprint, offering a clear breakdown of tasks by category. It helps teams reflect on progress and track contributions to product development. Source: Jira
Standout features
Agile boards: Plan, visualize, and manage work seamlessly using boards that provide teams a shared view of the tasks planned, in progress, and completed.
Backlog management: Make the most of Jira’s backlog, a repository for all project tasks, user stories, and bugs. Organize backlog items according to priority using labels and custom fields to keep the team aligned on which tasks need immediate attention.
Roadmaps: Plan and track work across multiple projects and teams with Advanced Roadmaps. View all the work that needs to be completed in a timeline format and map your upcoming work.
Velocity report: Access the information you need to review all the work completed in each sprint of your last project, and use that data to predict how much work can be completed by the end of each sprint in your next project.
Key integrations: Bitbucket, GitHub, GitLab — for dev workflow automation; Confluence — for documentation and knowledge sharing; Slack, Microsoft Teams — for team updates and alerts; Zoom — for built-in video standups; 3,000+ additional apps via Atlassian Marketplace, including CRM tools.
These features and integrations create a seamless Agile ecosystem for development-focused teams.
Pricing
Free: Up to 10 users — basic agile boards and backlog
Enterprise: Custom — unlimited instances, SAML SSO, 24/7 support
The free plan comes with access to unlimited goals, projects, tasks, and forms, as well as reports and dashboards. User roles and permissions are only available starting with the Standard plan. Features for advanced planning and cross-project dependency management are available with Premium and Enterprise. All plans allow licensing of only one site (or “instance”), except for Enterprise, which allows as many as 150.
Users on the free plan have access to community support, while those on the Standard plan can ask for assistance from the technical support term but only during local business hours and on weekdays. Premium and Enterprise offer 24/7 support. Premium users can ask for help for high-impact issues, while users on Enterprise can get assistance for all technical issues from a senior support team.
Pros and cons
Pros
Deep agile feature set: story points, epics, sprints, and burndown charts
Best-in-class developer tool integrations
Flexible workflows and automation logic
Cons
Steep learning curve for non-technical users
Not ideal for non-software teams without heavy customization
Timeline view is still limited compared to competitors
Why we picked Jira
We picked Jira for its focus on agile project management. This software solution provides the tools and framework for agile teams to manage projects with ease.
From backlogs and sprint planning to bug tracking and release management, Jira gives devs and technical teams everything they need to plan, execute, and iterate.
Jira carves out its own space in the project management tool category with its robust integration with software development workflows, particularly agile methodologies. Designed specifically for software development teams, Jira offers powerful features for managing tasks, sprints, and releases using frameworks like Scrum and Kanban, including Scrum and Kanban boards that have been pre-configured and ready for use with Jira’s comprehensive library of templates.
This tailored approach empowers teams to plan, track, and deliver software projects more consistently, boosting collaboration and visibility throughout the process. So if you’re running agile sprints, writing code, or managing releases, Jira is your best bet.
Asana is a comprehensive project and task management tool that offers a user-friendly interface for teams to organize and track work. This cloud-based task management solution provides multiple view options, such as lists, timelines, and boards, to visualize project data and progress.
With a free plan available for up to 15 users, Asana supports task assignments, workflow customization, bug tracking, sprint management, and planning for campaigns and product launches. It also includes features like messaging, file storage, unlimited dashboards, automation, and mobile apps.
Asana’s mobile app comes with features trailor-made for mobile devices. Some of these functions include automatically filling in tasks by transcribing the user’s voice or taking a photo ans turning it into text; archiving, bookmarking, and creating follow-up tasks with just a single tap; and commenting, uploading attachments, and tagging teammates in important updates.
While Asana offers a rich feature set, the inability to assign tasks to multiple users at once can be a limitation in complex workflows, though tagging additional users provides a workaround.
Screenshots
This Asana task view helps users organize and prioritize their daily and upcoming work with custom fields, sections, and due dates. The customizable panel allows full control over task metadata and workflow rules. Source: Asana
This Asana timeline view displays overlapping project schedules, dependencies, and milestones across an annual calendar. It helps teams visualize workflows and stay aligned on priorities and deadlines. Source: Asana
Asana dashboard offers a real-time overview of task progress for the “Customer Stories – Q4” project. It visualizes task status, completion rates, and overdue work using customizable charts and filters. Source: Asana
Standout features
Timeline view: Visualize schedules and dependencies for easy monitoring of deadlines and overall project progress.
Rules automation builder: Streamline repetitive tasks and spend more time on more crucial tasks.
Multiple views: Utilize Asana’s multiple view options, particularly Portfolios and Workload, to manage team bandwidth.
In-platform communication: Improve team communication and collaboration with built-in messaging tool, file sharing, and task comments. Use the @mention feature to automatically add a user as collaborator on a task so they get notified on any new activities and can provide assistance or feedback in a timely manner.
AI tools: Use the AI work assistant to get deadline suggestions, generate summary of recent updates, and flag blockers.
Key integrations: Slack, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams for real-time communication and enhanced collaboration; Google Workspace and Outlook for calendar, task sync, email to task; Salesforce and HubSpot for customer relationship management; Jira and GitHub for hybrid tech teams; and Zapier, Make, and Tray.io for no-code automation
These features and integrations help remote teams work across tools without friction, maintaining visibility and momentum.
Pricing
Personal (Free): Collaborate with up to 10 teammates, unlimited tasks/projects
Asana’s Personal plan offers an abundant set of features including unlimied tasks, projects, messages, and activity log. Even the file storage is unlimited, as long as each file does not exceed 100 MB. However, its AI tools, Asana AI and AI studio, are only accessible for users on the Standard plan or higher. And while Personal grants users access to multiple view options, project views like Timeline and Gantt can only be accessed if you’re on Standard or up.
Users on the Advanced plan have access to unlimited portfolios and time-tracking features. The Enterprise plan is designed for companies managing complex work and larger teams, especially those working remotely, hence the addition of features like guest invite permissions, project admin controls, team membership admin controls, as well as custom branding.
Asana also offers an Enterprise+ plan, which gives users access to more security features and advanced access controls.
The Asana Forum, Asana Academy, Asana Guide, Asana Support, Asana Developer Guide, as well as Asana webinars are available with all plans, including the free tier. The platform’s 24/7 support, however, is only available with the Enterprise and Enterprise+ plans. These higher-level plans also come with weekend support for complex data migrations.
Pros and cons
Pros
Clean, intuitive interface that’s great for visual thinkers
Strong support for collaboration, planning, and communication
Great automation + portfolio tracking for scaling teams
Cons
Doesn’t allow assigning tasks to multiple users
Export options are limited on lower-tier plans
Navigation can get tricky with large projects
Why we picked Asana
We picked Asana because of how it makes remote work easier. With strong visual tools, seamless communication features, advanced automation, and ability to integrate with dozens of top tools and applications, it’s perfect for distributed teams that need to stay aligned, no matter where they are. Its clarity, flexibility, and integrations help global teams move work forward, making Asana one of the best tools for remote collaboration.
Additionally, Asana’s interface is designed with a focus on visual task management and team collaboration. It includes intuitive drag-and-drop functionality, customizable project views, and visually appealing task boards. If you are managing a lot of projects, you can use labels and colors to arrange them the way you need them arranged and make certain projects more visually distinct.
This focus on visual task management increases team productivity and engagement by providing a clear and obvious way to organize tasks, track progress, and communicate priorities. The visual nature of Asana makes it easier for teams to determine project status at a glance, identify bottlenecks, and collaborate for better project outcomes.
Trello is a highly visual, web-based project management tool that uses a kanban-style board to organize tasks into cards and lists. This layout makes it easy for project managers to see what’s being worked on, who’s responsible, and the status of tasks and subtasks.
Trello is easy to navigate, with an intuitive design that allows users to quickly add, move, and prioritize tasks — making it the ideal solution for transforming a list of tasks into an actionable plan. Its flexible setup is perfect for organizing projects in phases and keeping track of deadlines efficiently.
Trello makes on-the-go project management easy with its web app version, desktop app, and mobile application. Its mobile app is built with features that help you stay updated and connected with your team wherever you are, such as adding teammates to your workspace, replying and reacting to updates from a push notification, and scanning images for text using an iOS device.
Screenshots
This Trello board organizes project tasks by status, including resources, meeting prep, to-do items, pending work, blockers, and completed tasks. It’s a visual way to track progress and keep your team aligned.
Source: Trello
This Trello board organizes appointments into columns for “Later,” “This Week,” and “Today,” allowing easy scheduling and tracking. Real-time updates and activity logs help team members stay aligned.
Source: Trello
This Trello card outlines a content strategy task with a checklist and team labels for collaboration. Users can add members, due dates, attachments, and comments to track progress and communicate effectively. Source: Trello
This Trello notification panel displays activity updates such as mentions, card moves, and attachments. It helps users stay informed about team actions and important changes in real time. Source: Trello
This Trello card editing view shows how users can format descriptions with rich text tools. The right-hand panel lets you add members, labels, due dates, checklists, and more to fully define the task.
Source: Trello
Standout features
Kanban boards: Organize your work more efficiently by putting everything on Kanban boards. Make your team’s work more visible and identify bottlenecks easily so you can address them right away.
Workspace views: Bring the tasks that matter the most in one place and eliminate the risk of the most crucial parts of the project falling through the cracks. Save your preferred Workspace view settings and make them available for the rest of the team.
Butler automation engine: Streamlime your workflow with Butler, a no-code automation that is built into your Trello boards. Save time and effort and let Trello’s automation engine take care of repetitive tasks.
AI features: Extract due dates, action items, and priorities from raw text with Trello’s AI tool. Use it to capture your to-dos wherever they arise and organize these tasks in a way that aligns with how you normally work.
Key integrations: Slack, MS Teams, and Zoom for easy updates and collaboration; Google Drive, Dropbox and OneDrive for storing files; GitHub and Bitbucket for dev teams; and Zaper and IFTTT to connect any tool you need.
Pricing
Free: Unlimited cards, up to 10 boards per Workspace
Enterprise: Starting at $17.50/user/month — user management, security,support
Trello’s Free plan also includes unlimited Power-Ups per board. Power-Ups are integrations that connect third-party tools and apps to your Trello board. It also comes with iOS and Android mobile apps, as well as the 2-factor authentication security feature.
The Standard plan has everything in Free, with added functions such as unlimited boards, a huge jump from Free’s 10 per workspace. It also includes a planner, advanced checklists, and custom fields.
Premium users are granted access to Atlassian Intelligence; additional project views including Calendar, Timeline, Table, Dashboard, and Map; as well as admin and security feautures.
The Enterprise plan enables users to build an unlimited number of Workspaces, set up organization-wide permissions, and create organization-visible boards.
Trello’s community support is accessible for Free plan users. Those on Standard can call for support during local business hours, while Premium users can get 24/5 support. Companies on the Enterprise plan have access to 24/7 admin support.
Pros and cons
Pros
Extremely intuitive and easy to learn
Highly visual task tracking with drag-and-drop ease
Great for individual use, client projects, or small teams
Cons
Not ideal for complex workflows or multi-team environments
Boards can get cluttered quickly with too many cards
Power-Up system for more advanced features comes at an additional cost
Why we picked Trello
We picked Trello for its simplicity. It uses Kanban boards and drag-and-drop cards to help teams quickly organize projects, visualize workflows, and get started with zero friction. It’s ideal for individuals, startups, or small teams who value speed and clarity over complexity.
Trello’s simplification and representation of tasks and their priority are its biggest strength and what makes it one of the best project management software solutions on the market. Its boards are a true highlight. These customizable boards represent different projects, with lists indicating workflow stages and cards representing individual tasks. Trello’s visual organization simplifies project management so teams can easily understand project status, track progress, and collaborate to get work done.
All features considered, Trello is the perfect starting point for visual project management. If you want to organize work without a steep learning curve — or just love sticky notes — Trello delivers a streamlined experience for simple task planning.
Notion is a highly adaptable, all-in-one project management platform that offers tools for project management, task tracking, progress monitoring, digital planning, team wikis, vision boards, and more. Its customizable features make it suitable for a wide range of team needs, from creative brainstorming to execution and tracking.
Notion’s visually appealing design and user-friendly interface have gained the tool popularity among creatives who need to collaborate and organize their work in a single, centralized space. It offers multiple project view options that allow you to look at the bigger picture so you can plan accordingly on how your team should go about unfinished tasks and hit your deadlines.
Notion also houses a comprehensive library of more than 30,000 templates, each designed to serve a different purpose — may it be for planning marketing campaigns or preparing for a podcast episode to creating project handover checklists or something as simple as setting personal goals.
Screenshots
This Notion “Getting Started” page provides new users with step-by-step tips to begin organizing content, creating pages, and using formatting tools. It’s designed to help users explore Notion’s powerful features right from the sidebar. Source: Notion
This Notion calendar and timetable layout helps users organize both tasks and daily routines by time and priority. It’s ideal for balancing project deadlines with personal productivity. Source: Notion
A Notion dashboard displays a top section with a monthly calendar view showing tasks with varying priorities such as “Urgent,” “Moderate Priority,” and “Low Priority,” each including checkboxes for completion. Below, a weekly timetable outlines daily routines by time slots from 6:00 AM to 10:00 AM with recurring activities like “Wake up,” “Run 4 Miles,” “Write Content,” and “Blog Post.” Source: Notion
Standout features
Drag-and-drop blocks: Tidy up your Notion pages using the platform’s flexible and customizable blocks.
Schedule syncing: Integrate Notion with Notion Calendar and view and manage all your schedules and commitments in one app. Connect your Notion database to the Calendar and start tracking important projects or events.
Workflow automation: Spend less time on manual, time-consuming tasks and let Notion’s automation tools generate reports, create outlines, write summaries, and more.
Database templates: Jump into a new project quickly using templates that make tedious tasks easier and faster. Explore Notion’s library of templates that are created to assist you at every stage of the process, from drafting creative briefs to preparing for a launch.
Key integrations: Slack, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams for in-app messaging and meetings; Google Calendar, Notion Calendar, Outlook for schedule syncing; Figma, Miro, and Loom for brainstorming and embedding creative assets; and Zapier and Make for automating external workflows.
Notion’s features and integrations make it ideal for design, marketing, product, and hybrid creative-tech teams.
Pricing
Free: For individuals and up to 10 guests, basic blocks and collaboration
Plus: $8/user/month — unlimited file uploads, sharing, version history
Notion’s Free plan has all the features you need to manage personal projects, including basic forms, basic sites, and Notion Calendar. The Plus plan is perfect for small teams or a group of professionals collaborating on a project. This plan allows creation of an unlimited number of collaborative blocks, unlimited file uploads, and unlimited charts.
The Business plan offers enhanced security features such as secure single sign-on, page verification, and private teamspaces that are not visible to anyone except for those who have been added to the space.
The Enterprise plan is specifically for organizations who prioritiza scalability and control. It offers advanced security and controls, audit logs, advanced integrations, and user privisioning.
Priority support is available for users on the Plus plan and higher. Premium support and a dedicated customer success manager are only available with the Enterprise plan.
Pros and cons
Pros
Perfect blend of project management, documentation, and knowledge sharing
Gorgeous, flexible interface with creative freedom
AI and automation features that streamline busywork
Cons
No native time tracking or advanced dashboards
Mobile app occasionally lags with larger pages
Can be overwhelming without initial structure or templates
Why we picked Notion
We picked Notion for how it provides a highly customizable all-in-one workspace for creatives. Its flexibility lets creative teams organize tasks, docs, wikis, design ideas, and meeting notes all in one spot.
Notion is a cloud-based platform tailor-made for those who want one tool for everything, from assigning and managing tasks, exchanging ideas and feedback, brainstorming for new content, and overall planning. If your team likes thinking outside the box, Notion gives you the sandbox to do it all.
Notion also makes note-taking, document collaboration, knowledge management, and database management easy. Its versatility streamlines workflows, eliminating the need to juggle multiple tools. Notion offers teams a wide range of customization options so they can can tailor their workspace to their specific task and collaborate with ease no matter the industry or team size.
You can think of Notion as your digital creative studio, one that houses all the tools you need to move creative projects forward.
Basecamp is a versatile web-based project management tool that integrates team communication features, making it ideal for remote work environments. It helps teams stay organized by offering tools for task management, file sharing, project planning, and real-time updates. With a simple, unified interface, Basecamp enables collaboration through message boards, group chats, and direct messaging.
Basecamp has a mobile app where you can see all of your projects and stay caught up with changes and progress even when you’re not at your desk. The app has a Kanban-style Card Table view that allows you to track tasks easily.
Basecamp, however, does not have a free plan but offers a 30-day free trial. After the trial, you can switch to their lower-tier plan, which costs $15 per user per month. The plan includes access to all features for unlimited users and projects, including to-do lists, scheduling, file sharing, charts, and automated reports.
Screenshots
This is a team chat thread in Basecamp under the “Marketing: Swag” project. Team members react to a Peloton ad, share opinions, and collaborate on potential swag ideas like reusable metal straws. The conversation leads to assigning next steps for further research and task tracking. Source: Basecamp
This is a Basecamp project homepage that brings all key collaboration tools into one organized view. It allows teams to chat, manage tasks, share files, and track deadlines—all in one place for greater clarity and faster alignment. Source: Basecamp
This is Basecamp’s Campfire—a lightweight group chat tool that keeps informal discussions close to the project. It helps teams quickly resolve questions, share links, or flag updates without switching to another messaging platform. Source: Basecamp
Basecamp’s “Building BC3” home screen consolidates project tools like To-Dos, Schedules, Message Boards, and team chats, helping teams collaborate, prioritize, and track project updates in one organized view. Source: Basecamp
The “Card Table” board in Basecamp’s Customer Support project provides a structured workflow with categorized columns like Triage, In Progress, and Ready for Feedback—enabling teams to prioritize, troubleshoot, and resolve support tickets efficiently. Source: Basecamp
Standout features
Lineup view: Create a clear visual timeline of the tasks or projects that were just worked on, what’s currently being worked on, and what projects are coming up next. Add start and end dates to ongoing projects to trigger a lineup tracker that you can see at the top of the project page so everyone knows wihich stage things are at.
Centralized file sharing: Make the most of Basecamp’s Docs and Files, a central hub where you can directly share documents, files, images, spreadsheets, and more. Notify everyone involved in the project when you upload a file so they can comment on it and you can make changes as needed.
Automatic check-ins: Ask your team questions and gather their responses in one place. Send questions daily, weekly, or monthly and give team members the opporunity and platform to voice their opinion on important matters. You may also do check-ins simply to find out what everyone is up to or to get to know them better.
Key integrations: Slack, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams for real-time chat and meetings; Google Workspace, OneDrive, and Dropbox for document and calendar syncing; and Zapier to connect the tool with CRMs, time trackers, and invoicing tools.
These features and integrations make Basecamp a strong choice for collaborative work and for creative agencies, consultancies, and client-facing teams who want everything in one spot.
Pricing
30-day free trial
Basecamp Plus: $15/user/month — includes all features
Basecamp Pro Unlimited: $299/month flat rate — unlimited users and storage, ideal for larger teams
Basecamp emphasizees that the core features of the platform are included with every package. Whether you’re subcribed to the Free plan or Pro, you get all the essential fundamentals.
These core features include message boards, Card Tables, Scheduling tools, Docs and Files, and Reports and Automatic Check-ins.
The big difference lies in the number of projects you are allowed to create with your plan. Users on Free can manage only one project, while those on Plus and Pro Unlimited can create unlimited projects. There is also the storage: Free comes with 1 GB storage, Plus includes 500 GB, while Pro offers 5 TB of storage space.
Plus also includes 24/7/365 customer support, while Pro Unlimited offers 24/7/365 priority customer support. Pro Unlimited also grants users Timesheet upgrade and personal onboarding with the Basecamp team.
Pros and cons
Pros
Super simple interface that requires no training
Combines task management and real-time communication beautifully
Great flat pricing model for larger organizations
Cons
Lacks time tracking, Gantt charts, or deep reporting
No free plan for small teams or freelancers
Not ideal for technical project tracking or Agile workflows
Why we picked Basecamp
We picked Basecamp because of how it puts frequently accessed tools and information in one place. It reduces meetings and eradicates scattered chats by providing a calm, centralized space that is easily accessible to all team members — an especially useful feature for remote or hybrid teams.
Basecamp shines where clear communication is more important than complex planning. It’s ideal for collaborative teams who want a single workspace for tasks, files, conversations, and updates, especially when working with clients or external vendors.
Its simplicity and user-friendliness are what earned Basecamp a spot on this list and why it remains a popular choice among project teams, despite the influx of software solutions on the market. It offers a streamlined interface and straightforward features that minimize complexity, providing a smooth learning curve for users. Teams can quickly onboard and instantly utilize the software to manage their work without having to navigate intricate features. Its built-in tools foster real-time communication across teams.
GanttPRO is an excellent project management tool for beginners, offering an intuitive, user-friendly interface and a robust free plan. It’s ideal for users new to project management software, providing essential tools to manage tasks and timelines effectively. Its Gantt chart–based interface helps users keep up with deadlines, project milestones, and important tasks. It also offers features for creating tasks, adding dependencies, and tracking progress, as well as templates for common tasks so you don’t have to start from scratch every time.
As teams grow and their needs become more complex, GanttPRO scales to support more advanced project management features, such as enterprise-level security and dedicated support, making it a versatile solution that evolves with the user’s requirements.
As GanttPRO is a cloud-based software, users can use it to manage their projects using any type of device and with any operating system. GanttPRO’s mobile app is available for download for users on any plan and offers core functionalities like creating tasks, responding to comments, and tracking time.
Screenshots
roject timeline in GanttPRO displaying task durations, dependencies, team assignments, and timestamps. The “Save as baseline” feature helps users benchmark current timelines for tracking progress against future updates. Source: GanttPRO
Time tracking interface in GanttPRO, enabling users to start a timer for a selected task, add contextual comments, and view time log history—supporting accurate time management and billing. Source: GranttPRO
Comprehensive project view in GanttPRO showing the task list, interactive Gantt chart, and team workload tracker—helping project managers plan, assign, and balance resources efficiently. Source: GanttPRO
Standout features
Interactive Gantt charts and elegant drag-and-drop Gantt chart interface: Manage your projects efficiently, from initiation through completion, with interactive Gantt charts in an easy-to-navigate platform. Use these charts to display the data you need to determine how long a project is going to take and what resources are needed to complete them.
Time logs and reports: Use personal time log to see the time you spent on your tasks. Or you can create reports that contain a summary of the time logged by team members, complete with information on the tasks they spent it on, projects they are a part of, and date.
Workload: Determine whether a team member is slacking or has a lot on their plate and reallocate them according to their workload. Give your team the task that aligns with their capacity and ability and keep them motivated.
Key integrations: Slack and Zoom for communication and task notifications; Google Drive, OneDrive, and Dropbox for file attachments and syncing; Jira and Trello to sync tasks for hybrid workflows; and API access and Zapier integration to connect with 3,000+ other tools.
GanttPRO’s features and integrations make GanttPRO capable of growing with your team, especially in industries like construction, event planning, education, and client services.
Pricing
14-day free trial
Core: $7/user/month billed annually — includes core features, Gantt view, and collaboration
Advanced: $10/user/month billed annually — adds advanced scheduling, time tracking, and more integrations
GanttPRO’s least expensive plan, Core, includes key project management features such as powerful Gantt charts, project calendar, and auto scheduling.
Project views like Gantt chart, Board, List, and Dashboard are included with all plan, but Calendar, Portfolio, and Workload are only available starting with the Advanced plan. Those on Advanced also get access to custom fields and project-planning features such as cascade sorting, saving changes in bulk, and saving project templates.
Managing resources is easy with GanttPRO; however, a lot of its more advanced resource management tools cannot be accessed unless you are on the Enterprise plan. These include resource calendars, time tracking, and budget planning and estimation.
All users, regardless of the plan they’re on, can ask for assistance via live chat, email, and from GanttPRO’s learning center and tutorials. However, only teams and organizations who are on Enterprise can get a customer success management and onboarding assistance.
Pros and cons
Pros
Ideal for beginners with a minimal learning curve
Clear visualization of project timelines and task relationships
Robust export and print options for external stakeholders
Cons
No free plan
Lacks Kanban or calendar view for more agile workflows
Invoicing, budgeting, and time billing require integrations
Why we picked GanttPRO
We chose GanttPRO because it makes project planning visual and straightforward, especially for beginners who want a clear overview of timelines, dependencies, and team assignments. With an intuitive Gantt chart interface and easy onboarding, it’s great for users who want to dive into project management without getting overwhelmed by complex, overly technical features. GanttPRO also helps users get organized fast, establishing the importance of clarity and structure.
What sets GanttPRO apart from almost every other project management tool is the way it combines Gantt charts with an interface that is simple and approachable. And unlike other solutions that offer Gantt charts as a secondary feature, GanttPRO places them at the center. Users can easily create, modify, and track project plans using a drag-and-drop interface, making it ideal for individual and team use.
GanttPRO provides powerful functionality without the steep learning curve, which makes it one of the best project management software solutions, especially for teams that prioritize visual project management.
Project management software is a digital tool used to plan, schedule, track, collaborate, and report on projects of any size. These platforms help project managers and their teams stay organized, communicate effectively, and deliver work on time and within budget. Whether it’s assigning tasks, managing resources, or visualizing timelines, project management software centralizes everything into one place.
For example, a marketing team at a mid-sized company might use Asana to coordinate a product launch. Each team member receives tasks with deadlines, while managers can view progress through Kanban boards and Gantt charts. Files, feedback, and updates stay within the task itself, reducing email clutter and time spent on waiting on approval.
Meanwhile, a software development team could rely on Jira to track bugs, manage sprints, and collaborate using agile methodologies. Developers log issues, update statuses, and collaborate with designers and QA engineers all within the same workspace. Jira’s integration with GitHub and Confluence streamlines code management and documentation.
Even small businesses or freelancers can benefit from tools like Trello or ClickUp. A freelance designer, for instance, might use Trello to manage client projects with boards for “To-Do,” “In Progress,” and “Completed.” This setup keeps clients informed and makes revisions easier to track.
Project management software helps teams assign and monitor tasks, track time, budget, and scope, collaborate in real time, minimize delays and errors, and keep stakeholders aligned. From enterprise giants to remote startups, PM software is a must-have tool for driving productivity, accountability, and success in any project-driven environment.
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What are the different types of project management software?
There are many types of project management solutions to consider. Desktop project management applications offer advanced features, scalability, and security to support multiple users and groups over an internal network. Cloud-based project management tools have made it possible for vendors to offer sophisticated, subscription-based solutions to businesses of all sizes, making it so users can access the tool from any location.
When selecting project management software for your business, these are the main types and formats you’ll need to consider:
Project management programs that reside on the company’s server are called local, on-site, or on-premises. The server is located inside the company’s data center behind a firewall and is managed by the company’s IT employees. A common practice is for a company to purchase a single program license and then customize the package through the purchase of upgrades or updates.
Some companies prefer on-premise project software due to concerns about security as well as long-term costs. When a company runs the software on its private servers, it maintains full control over the storage of data and data security protocols. It also has control over planning and scheduling software updates and minimizing downtime that may be encountered due to automatic product updates inherent in SaaS systems.
PRO TIP: Enterprises with an existing on-premises server set up and more than 50 users can save on monthly subscription costs through the purchase of one-time license fees.
Web-based project management programs are accessible through a software-as-a-service (SaaS) subscription from any internet-connected web browser. These online platforms cater to businesses of all sizes across industries. Users in various locations can access the tool from different devices such as desktops, tablets, and smartphones to get up-to-date project status and information from a central database.
Today’s web-based project management software has a rich set of features that can compete with enterprise systems. Many of these apps provide several methods to visualize project tasks and goal progress, collaborate with coworkers, automate workflows, share files, message team members, and integrate with email.
By expanding their feature sets, web-based project management software solutions also fall into the categories of collaboration software or business process management software. Examples of these solutions include Zoho Projects, Microsoft Project, and Basecamp.
Single-purpose or specialized project software is designed to manage key aspects of simple projects best. These applications specialize in one particular capability, such as task management, scheduling, or time tracking.
PRO TIP: Startups and small businesses often begin with several single-purpose applications before deciding that an integrated project management solution will meet their needs at a lower cost than licensing multiple solutions.
Many project management solutions offer a free tier by project management vendors that also provide various levels of paid service. Free tiers may have more limited features, may be restricted to a few users, or may come with limited personalized support. Small teams and those just testing out a new tool may find these options useful and benefit from free access to help in their decision-making process.
Teams looking for a twist on free management software may benefit from a full-featured open-source option. These tools provide all of the same features you may find in a subscription or local tool and are highly customizable for different project types. However, access to support, implementation help, and custom changes will need to be managed by an in-house or third-party and technically savvy development team.
Not every industry is best served with a standard project management system, so industry-specific software for project management was developed to reduce the amount of customization a company will need upon implementation. Construction, software development, financial services, healthcare, and legal services all require specific industry-related features and customizations that make them better suited to industry work.
What are the most important features of project management software?
Choosing the right project management tool will depend on the size of your team, the complexity of the projects you run, and the project types and use cases you work with. Prospective PM software buyers should look for the following features:
Task management is essential in management software. The best software for project management offers visual task management in Kanban boards, Gantt charts, waterfall dependencies, and burndown charts. Task management should allow authorized users to:
Set dependencies on a task
Create and manage subtasks from larger tasks
Set a task to repeat or recur at a specified time or date
Assign tasks to one or more people
Import a list of tasks from an external file
These tools give a visual representation of project progress that is often easier to understand than a set of lists or items in a spreadsheet.
Project scheduling functionality is one of the most important features of project management software. It promotes organization in large, multiple, and remote teams. It allows the user to set schedules on tasks, create a project timeline with milestones, and determine dependencies and resources. For some, this is an essential project management function. However, for organizations with simple projects, short-duration projects, recurring tasks, or small teams, this may not be as important.
Collaboration tools help solve problems by making communication between team members as close to frictionless as possible. These features ensure that everyone who can see a task or portion of the project can comment, add assets to, and notate changes in the same interface where all of the project information is stored. Visual task representations, messaging, task descriptions, notation features, asset upload capabilities, tags, email integrations, calendar tools, and more are considered collaboration features.
Collaboration tools enable project teams and stakeholders to:
Exchange information
Hold discussions
Send comments or approvals
Put context to project files
Directly message one another
Creative teams may run several smaller projects concurrently and can make use of Gantt charts and cross-team approvals to keep work flowing to reach deadlines. Large teams should use collaboration tools to keep the project up to date, alert team members to major and minor changes, and centralize assets.
A good project management app provides a space for teams to store and manage files directly in the tool or by using an integrated third-party solution. Document management features that are indispensable in PM software include:
A centralized document storage
The ability to attach documents to tasks
The ability to attach notes and comments to uploaded documents
Multiple document uploads using drag-and-drop functionality
Document organization within folders, projects, or custom settings
Version control
Security features that can restrict document sharing to a small team, an entire project, or outside parties
Email and chat features within top project management software will:
Send notifications to individual team members regarding the status of their projects
Send alerts regarding due dates, keywords, or status changes to individuals or the entire team
Make new or update existing tasks via email
Add comments, files, or custom labels to an existing task
Project management programs have reporting functionality included but to varying degrees. Consider the depth of your reporting needs and whether the project software you’re considering meets those needs. Another feature to consider is the ability to export project data to a third-party business intelligence tool if your company has one or is planning to have one.
Helpful reporting features track progress by due date or task type, update stakeholders on resource allocation, list unfinished tasks, use tags to filter data, and estimate on-time delivery.
Time-tracking features in a project management tool help team members track how much time they spend on independent tasks, allow project managers to set ideal time goals for the project, and integrate with a timesheet or payroll app. Teams with long-term projects or that regularly employ contractors may find a PM tool like this especially useful.
In project software options built for large teams or industries with contractors, these features may also be called resource management and include expense tracking features.
Large teams that manage many concurrent, complex projects may need to track each of those projects separately while also retaining the ability to report on and analyze their progression. Project portfolio management software gives companies an interface to run several projects within one or more portfolios.
The project managers and stakeholders can then take a high-level view of project progress, quickly identify bottlenecks, and drill down into problem areas with each project. These tools are also instrumental in team resource allocation and expense tracking across a number of project timelines, as they can show where slack can be taken up by other individuals.
A key feature of project portfolio management software is its ability to scale. These tools can manage unlimited projects with their own separate settings and workflows but have reporting tools that are powerful enough to give a top-level view. Microsoft Project, Jira, and Wrike all provide project portfolio management features.
Mobile access via native project management apps helps all types of teams and is especially useful for distributed or remote teams. It provides a familiar interface and functionality so users can catch up on work, track progress, and message their teammates easily while on the go.
When examining a tool based on whether or not you can use it with your phone, it is important to know the difference between a solution that provides mobile access, one that is optimized for mobile, and a tool that comes with a mobile app.
Mobile access simply means you can access the software using a mobile device, like a phone or tablet.
Optimized for mobile means that the software is designed with mobile users in mind, ensuring that anyone who uses the tool from their mobile device has a positive experience. Part of this is making sure the software functions well on a smaller screen.
A mobile app refers to a standalone software application created for mobile devices. Most PM vendors offer mobile app solutions, either as OS-native (iOS, Android) or HTML5-based web apps.
The best program management software has a solid core of PM features that allow users to manage an entire project effectively. It also has multiple integrations directly or via APIs for features and data sources outside of the project management tool. A flexible solution can readily integrate with many top project management software services in use by companies today, such as Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Salesforce, or Dropbox.
Zoho Projects, Wrike, Asana, and many other project management vendors offer a lot of integrations to connect to many other types of business software.
When used for external clients, management software will help teams with additional features such as white labeling, custom branding, or customization settings. These features often appeal to sales and marketing agencies and global or multinational corporations who want to adapt their tool to meet language and cultural requirements.
Support documentation is critical for onboarding new and existing team members, allowing newcomers to learn the tools quickly and providing troubleshooting and tutorials for more experienced team members.
When considering PM system options, pay attention to whether the tool you want offers support in the form of all or any of the following:
Help desk articles
Support videos
Periodic educational webinars
In-software tooltips
Chatbots
Email or phone support
Some tools offer email and phone support only to paying subscribers, while others offer only online documentation or customer forums for paid plans. If you think your team will need personalized support, look for tools with good support ratings.
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What to consider when purchasing project management software?
Business Type
Key considerations
Industry-specific use cases (with tool examples)
Small business
Simple, affordable solutions
User seats
Easy visualizations
Creative freelancers can use ClickUp for flexible task tracking.
Startups or marketing teams benefit from Trello’s Kanban-style simplicity.
Small construction or retail shops can get started quickly with GanttPRO.
Agencies that prioritize team communication may prefer Basecamp.
Midsize business
Better integrations and time-tracking features
Scalable reporting and dashboards
Fast-growing teams in retail or manufacturing may choose Smartsheet for automation and form-based workflows.
Remote teams like NGOs or tech firms can thrive using Asana for transparent task assignment.
Creative teams can centralize docs and projects with Notion.
Enterprise
Security, admin controls, and scalability
Deep integrations with ERP and BI tools
Enterprise IT, HR, or operations teams benefit from monday work management for customizable workflows and team dashboards
Engineering or legal teams prefer Wrike for tailored permissions and detailed workflows
Software development teams at scale use Jira for Agile and Scrum methodologies
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Recent trends in project management
One emerging trend in project management is the presence of AI tools in project management software. AI now plays a crucial role in enhancing efficiency and decision-making and is used to predict outcomes, allocate resources, and make recommendations by quickly analyzing all project parameters and team member details.
There is also the focus on automation. Automating routine tasks such as scheduling, reporting, and risk management is a game-changer, significantly reducing manual effort and time spent on repetitive work. Advanced automation features in modern project management tools now go beyond simple task reminders — they dynamically update project timelines, auto-generate reports, assign work based on capacity, and even detect at-risk tasks before they become delays.
For example, in monday work management, a marketing agency can set up automation rules to reassign overdue tasks, notify stakeholders when a milestone is reached, or trigger budget updates when a task is marked complete. This reduces the need for constant check-ins and manual updates, helping teams stay productive and aligned, especially when managing multiple campaigns at once. As a result, teams spend more time doing the work and less time managing it.
Implementing a hybrid of project management methodologies is another trend that has become more visible in the field. A combination of elements of both agile and traditional waterfall approaches, in particular, is prevalent across teams. It requires a project manager or lead to build both ways into a master timeline to accommodate all teams and the work they perform.
Data-driven decision-making is also now widely observed among project management professionals. Enhanced data analytics help project managers improve forecasting, optimize workflows, and make smart decisions when it comes to scheduling, budgets, and allocating resources. Data drives accuracy and smart decisions whether you are planning, forecasting, allocating, or optimizing.
More people are seeing the benefits of creating fllexible work environments as well. This involves predominantly remote teams with adaptable work hours, locations, and schedules. Project managers must embrace a fluid approach to accommodate these flexibilities, including seamless onboarding for team members stepping in during leave of absence, sick time, or planned time off. The key lies in agile scheduling and task management to make sure operations run smoothly despite varying circumstances.
Use of all-in-one platforms has also seen a rise. These are project management solutions that can handle everything from initial planning to reporting. By integrating with other software and tools, they allow you to create a customized process and system for all of your projects. These platforms are collaborative and give you insight into real-time updates and 24/7 access to critical data.
Lastly, project management offices. PMOs have evolved significantly. Once purely administrative, they now play a strategic role. PMOs align with business goals, manage portfolios of work, and drive organizational change. Virtual PMOs and centralized oversight committees give much-needed support to diverse teams.
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Tips for rolling out project management software for your business
Companies should carefully plan how they roll out new project management software. The responsible project manager must make sure they have the support and approval of major stakeholders, from C-level executives to end users on the project team. From there, project managers should create a schedule that allocates time for learning how to use the software before taking on a major project. That way, each and every project will be set up properly.
It is highly recommended that project managers or anyone in charge roll out the software with a small group first to gather feedback and identify challenges so they can address issues before the software is rolled out with the rest of the organization.
Finally, be ready with onboarding and training materials, as well as support documentation, to ensure individuals don’t have to spend too much time learning about these project management programs and can quickly pivot back to their normal workloads.
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FAQs
Among the most widely used project management software today are Asana, monday.com, Jira, and Trello. They are mainly used by project management professionals across different industries who are in need of a tool with a wide range of features.
Identifying the best project management software platform can be complex due to the extensive range of available options and the diverse preferences across industries and teams. Each platform boasts unique strengths and features, tailored to various project types and workflows. The decision often hinges on factors like team size, project intricacy, industry demands, and individual preferences. This article lists the current top ten platforms to consider for your project management needs.
The main types of project management software include:
Traditional project management software: These platforms focus on the project lifecycle, including scope definition, scheduling, resource allocation, and task management using methodologies like Waterfall.
Agile project management software: Designed for iterative and collaborative agile project management methodologies like Scrum and Kanban, Agile project management software emphasizes flexibility, adaptability, and continuous improvement. These tools come with features like sprints, epics, and stories.
Hybrid project management software: These platforms combine features of both traditional and Agile project management methodologies to accommodate diverse project needs. Features include task lists, critical paths, kanban boards, and issue tracking.
Collaborative project management software: These tools prioritize teamwork, communication, and real-time collaboration, often integrating task management, file sharing, and communication features.
Resource management software: These tools are built specifically to address the challenges associated with resource allocation, workload balancing, and capacity planning. Resource planning can be difficult for larger remote and remote teams and these software solutions help with managing work to be completed on time, within budget, and up to quality standards.
Each type of project management software caters to different project management approaches and methodologies, allowing teams to choose the best fit for their specific project requirements and workflows.
Kristoffer is a results-driven professional based in the Philippines with over five years of experience in the media analytics industry. He has a proven track record in operations management, data analytics, community management, writing, research, and marketing. A natural leader, Kristoffer excels at motivating teams, managing projects, and delivering measurable results. With strong analytical and problem-solving skills, he combines business acumen with a passion for leveraging data and technology to solve real-world problems.
project-management.com is dedicated to providing modern tools, latest news, and best practice references for every project professional and business organization. The discipline of project management has continued to receive growing interest and attention over the past decades. Especially today, the importance and relevance of the project manager for any kind of undertaking is unquestionable. However, the challenges of modern society, business relationships and latest technology are also testing their competency and ability to deliver successful projects. Since its launch in 2001, PMcom has been featuring pertinent articles, management software and productivity tool reviews, books, interviews, training sites and other e-learning resources to help people be more productive and successful in their chosen path.
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