When running a small business, one of the main goals is to establish yourself as a company that has the potential to be bigger. And to achieve that, there is a lot to be done—which makes having streamlined processes and workflows even more important. Employing an efficient project management software solution helps small businesses manage teams better and take projects to completion without falling behind schedule or going over budget.

Take a peek at our 7 best project management software suggestions for project management professionals working in the small business setting.

• monday work management – Best for visual task management
• Wrike – Best for team collaboration
• ClickUp – Best for all-in-one productivity
• Trello – Best for simple project management
• Notion – Best for integrated note-taking and project planning
• Hive – Best for cross-functional collaboration
• Nifty – Best for milestone tracking

Our Picks: Top Project Management Software for Small Business

Here are our picks for top project management tools for small businesses to help you find the best fit for your organization. To put together this guide, we researched over 20 software solutions and whittled the list down to the top 7 choices. In this guide, we highlight the key features, advantages, and disadvantages of each tool, making it easy to compare and choose the right solution for your projects and teams.

monday work management: Best for Visual Task Management

Small businesses often face unique challenges when managing complex projects, and having the right tools can make all the difference. Project templates are a must for simplifying setup and streamlining workflows. monday work management is the perfect solution for small businesses, as it offers a flexible work management platform that helps teams get started quickly—with over 200 customizable templates designed for various industries and use cases.

Standout Features

• Custom dashboards and reporting: Create custom dashboards and reports that clearly communicate project health and performance. Leaders can confidently make decisions to keep goals and objectives on track.
• Collaborative communication: Team collaboration is a top priority. monday.com enables users to share files, comment, and @mention team members, fostering effective communication and collaboration.
• Adaptive workflows: monday.com allows you to create and customize workflows to match your specific processes and needs. This adaptability is a key feature that supports businesses across various sizes, industries, and project types.
• Insightful project tracking: With its highly visual interface, monday.com provides a clear and intuitive way to track project progress. Team members can easily view task statuses, timelines, dependencies, and other essential details for comprehensive project visibility.
• Systematization: monday.com offers easy-to-implement automations and seamless integration with third-party apps and tools. Streamline tasks, notifications, and reporting to enhance efficiency and reduce manual work.

Pros and Cons

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Read our complete monday.com review.

Wrike: Best Choice for Team Collaboration

Wrike is a powerful project management solution well-suited for small businesses—proven by its ability to adapt seamlessly to new work dynamics and making it an ideal choice for team collaboration. Whether you’re managing Agile teams, clients, or remote workers, Wrike’s flexible features can cater to your project management needs. From a free plan for simple projects to advanced paid plans with shareable dashboards, Gantt charts, and automation, Wrike offers a wide range of options for small businesses looking to streamline unique project work and ensure everyone stays connected and up to date on every change throughout the project lifecycle.

Standout Features

• Coordination and communication: Real-time features include comments, file sharing, and @mentions so users can communicate constantly for clarity on project details.
• Dashboards and reports: Create tailored dashboards and reports to share project progress and track work and KPIs.
• Workflow automation: Streamline repetitive tasks and minimize errors using smart automation tools for consistency and the essence of time.
• Task and project planning: Empower teams to plan, assign, and track tasks to stay organized and on schedule.
• Integration and scalability: Plug into third-party apps you are already using and scale the platform as your team and business grow and change.

Pros and Cons

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Read our complete Wrike review.

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ClickUp: Best for All-in-One Productivity

ClickUp serves as a project management hub, uniting teams for seamless planning, organization, and collaboration. Beyond traditional departments, freelancers can connect with vendors, clients, and peers to work as a virtual team. Notably, ClickUp automates multi-step processes involving multiple users. Custom rules define task completion triggers, enhancing efficiency. Users receive timely notifications, ensuring prompt action when needed. Whether you’re managing tasks, documents, or goals, ClickUp streamlines productivity for small businesses. 

Standout Features

• Collaborative document editing: ClickUp allows teams to create, edit, and collaborate on documents within the platform. Whether it’s project proposals, meeting notes, or shared documentation, having a centralized space for collaborative editing streamlines and organizes the feedback process and overall effort between multiple contributors.
• Objectives and OKRs: ClickUp’s Objectives and Key Results framework gives users a goal-driven approach to project management through the ability to set goals and align project tasks with larger business objectives.
• Multitasking and hierarchy: The Bulk Action toolbar makes handling complex projects easier by allowing project managers to manage tasks in bulk and create subtasks for tighter control over dependencies and task details.
• Visual collaboration: ClickUp’s virtual whiteboard feature empowers modern hybrid teams. Whether brainstorming, strategizing, or creating concepts, team members can together draw up and map out plans in real time from anywhere within a connected work area. 

Pros and Cons

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Read our complete ClickUp review.

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Trello: Best for Simple Project Management

Trello is simplified project management for small business teams. Its kanban-style setup neatly organizes projects into cards and boards, offering a visual snapshot of progress. Picture digital sticky notes on a virtual whiteboard, each representing project phases. It’s an intuitive solution, ideal for small teams tackling task lists and urgent deadlines.

Standout Features

• Customizable boards and lists: Start with a simple list and transform it into a custom board with visually laid-out cards. Trello’s flexible interface gives users the power to instantly structure their workflows by dragging and dropping, as needed.
• Kanban board layout: Trello’s simple visual display of work tasks simplifies planning and organization for teams of any size and project.
• Task management: Easily attach files, images, and links to cards for quick updates and reference.
• Useful integrations: Connect Trello to utilize along with other tools in your available software portfolio for an overall more robust project management experience.
• Up-to-the-minute tracking and notifications: Stay on top of project updates and real-time status changes so you always know who is handling which deliverables and what steps to take next. 

Pros and Cons

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Read our complete Trello review.

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Notion: Best for Integrated Note-Taking and Project Planning

Notion is a versatile project management platform with a feature set that includes project management tools, task management capabilities, team wikis, and vision boards. What makes Notion particularly suited for small businesses is its adaptability. Teams can customize it to meet their specific requirements while enjoying a visually appealing and user-friendly interface. Particularly creative teams can use it to brainstorm, execute, track, and organize all tasks and assets within a single platform.

Standout Features

• ​​Customizable workspace: Jump in and create tailored workspaces that match your specific workflows.
• Integrated scheduling and task management: The scheduling tool and in-page linking make meeting and project planning easy, which helps in keeping teams organized and on track.
• Robust AI capabilities: Notion offers paid AI features to add on to any plan, including generative AI for quick drafts and copy.

Pros and Cons

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Read our complete Notion review.

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Hive: Best Choice for Cross-Functional Collaboration

Hive is a cloud-based project management platform complete with features designed for cross-functional collaboration. Create and organize projects under a parent project, facilitating flexible management of cross-functional initiatives. Hive consolidates projects, tasks, deadlines, requests, approvals, notes, and reminders into one unified platform. With multiple project views such as kanban, Gantt, table, portfolio, and calendar, Hive supports and boosts team coordination and understanding between users across all functions.

Standout Features

• Diverse visualizations: Select from kanban, Gantt, table, portfolio, and calendar views to display your projects and tasks in the most effective format for your needs.
• Adaptable project structures: Hive lets you set up individual projects or group them under a parent project, facilitating smooth cross-functional teamwork.
• Automated task management: Boost productivity by automating task assignments and workflows, making it ideal for expanding teams.
• Integrated Communication: Hive combines messaging, task collaboration, and email functions into a single platform, ensuring streamlined team communication.

Pros and Cons

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Read our complete Hive review.

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Nifty: Best for Milestone Tracking

Nifty is a comprehensive project management tool that brings together teams, objectives, and workflows in one collaborative platform. Tailored for small businesses, Nifty provides an array of features to enhance project management efficiency. It is a great option due to its milestone tracking capabilities with real-time progress updates and customizable development workflows. Whether handling engineering, sales, marketing, or client projects, Nifty simplifies your processes with award-winning user-friendliness.

Standout Features

• Unique user roles and permissions: Set customized access levels for team members to balance security and collaboration. This ensures that sensitive information is protected while promoting teamwork.
• Milestone planning: Establish visual timelines for overarching goals to streamline project management. Progress tracking is automated as tasks are completed, ensuring you stay on course.
• Time tracking and reporting: Monitor productivity with precise time-tracking tools. Generate detailed reports to gain insights into team performance and project progress.
• Portfolio-level organization: Categorize projects into folders by departments, locations, managers, and other criteria. This organization simplifies navigation and oversight across multiple projects.

Pros and Cons

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Read our complete Nifty review.

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