Asana Software Review

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Asana bog logo.

Asana is a cloud-based project management software platform. This review will explore the Asana software tool, highlight its features and benefits, detail its pricing breakdown, highlight the pros and cons of the platform, and touch on alternative options and competition.

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FAQ: What is Asana?

First introduced in 2008 by Dustin Moskovitz and Justin Rosenstein (who were early Facebook employees) Asana is designed to streamline workflows and enhance team communication by providing a centralized platform for task management.

The Asana interface is clean and intuitive, making it easy for users to navigate and prioritize tasks. The platform enables users to create and assign tasks to team members, set deadlines, track progress, and share files and documents. Asana also offers a range of integrations with other popular tools, including Slack, Google Drive, and Dropbox, making it a versatile and flexible solution.

Asana also offers features such as boards, calendars and timelines, allowing teams to view their projects in different formats and gain greater visibility of their progress. Additionally, the tool provides analytics and reporting capabilities, enabling users to track the progress of projects and metrics and identify areas for improvement.

Overall, Asana is an effective project management software platform for teams of any size looking to increase productivity, improve collaboration, and streamline their workflows. Its user-friendly interface, useful integrations, and wide range of features make it a popular choice among teams across various industries.

Asana Overview

The free version of the Asana software tool will help you get started quickly on any project, as well as give you a feel for what the platform can do. Follow these simple steps to set up an account with Asana and create a basic project to track your work.

  1. Head over to https://asana.com/ and click the “get started” link.
Asana “get started” sign up screen.

Asana “get started” sign up screen

  1. Enter an email address and click “sign up”. You can log in with an email address or continue with Google. You will be asked to verify your email address before you can log in.
  2. Continue to account setup and enter a name and password, and then choose a primary role from the drop-down menu. You can select the type of work you do and a main objective to further custom-tailor Asana to your needs.
Asana account set up screen.

Asana account set up screen

  1. You are now ready to set up your first project! Walk through a series of questions and steps that guide you in naming your project, creating a few high-level tasks, and choosing a default view.

Asana project dashboard

  1. You can download Asana for iOS, Android or desktop to work together with your team, or solo from anywhere.
  2. The free version will give you access to Overview, List, Board, Timeline, Calendar, Workflow, Dashboard views, messages, and files for 30 days. After that, you will lose timeline, workflow, and dashboard views until you upgrade to a paid plan.

Asana sample project view option screen

  1. Finally, invite teammates via email to join your project. You can now begin detailing out the work, assigning tasks to key contacts, setting deadlines with reminders, and tracking and reporting on project progress to stakeholders.

How Easy was Setup?

Asana is one of the easiest project management systems to set up and get started. It has a very intuitive interface and is easier to use than most other tools available because they are more complex and have a steeper learning curve. This quick video on their academy website will get you going quicker than you can make a cup of coffee.

Pricing: How Much is Asana?

Asana software offers four pricing plans for individuals and teams, catering for users who are just getting started with project management, all the way up to users and teams managing complex work across multiple initiatives.

Asana Basic Plan: This plan is free and ideal for individuals and small teams just getting started. It includes basic project management software features, three project views (list, board, calendar), basic workflows, select limited integrations, basic reporting, community support for up to 15 team members, and security essentials.

Asana Premium Plan: This plan costs $10.99 per user per month (when billed annually) or $13.49 monthly. It includes more advanced features, such as four project views, private projects, automated workflows, reporting, scaled security and personalized customer support for unlimited users and free guests.

Asana Business Plan: This plan costs $24.99 per user per month (when billed annually) or $30.49 monthly. It includes even more features, such as multiple views for projects, portfolios, and goals, advanced workflows and reporting, resource management including time tracking, custom rules, and an admin console for unlimited users and free guests.

Asana Enterprise Plan: This plan offers custom pricing and includes additional security and compliance features, advanced reporting, and dedicated support. It is designed for larger organizations with complex needs such as centralized visibility, control, and support.

Asana also offers a free trial period for all of its paid plans, allowing users to try out its features for 30 days and determine whether the tool is a good fit for their team before committing to a paid subscription.

How Asana’s Pricing Compares

Asana’s pricing model falls somewhere in between Wrike and monday.com. Asana offers a smaller range of plans that cater to teams of different sizes and needs, with its basic plan being free for teams of up to 15 members. Its premium and business plans are priced similar to Wrike and monday.com’s but do not pose users limits. On the other hand Wrike and, monday.com offer a broader range of plans, including more advanced features and customization options that may be more suitable for larger enterprises. Ultimately, the best choice for your team depends on your budget, size, and specific project management requirements.

Asana Features

Asana is jam-packed with useful features every project manager seeks and will find valuable. The software provides a comprehensive set of features that can help teams stay organized, communicate more effectively, and manage multiple projects more efficiently. Here is a high-level overview of Asana’s top features and benefits:

Task Management

Asana enables teams to create and assign daily tasks, set deadlines, and track progress. Break work out into manageable chunks for your team to tackle and create milestones to help visualize checkpoints and measure progress. Use any or all of these features to move through work at the pace you set:

  • Assign project tasks, sub-tasks, and recurring tasks to an owner
  • Group tasks into workflows, and specify timing and deadlines
  • Set milestones to guide and track progress
  • Create custom fields make it easy to track anything you see important to the workflow
  • Track time spent on tasks to support resourcing
  • Determine task dependencies to make it clear when tasks are ready to start, and when they are waiting on others
Asana task management screen.

Asana task management screen

How Task Management Compares

When compared to other popular task management systems like Trello and Basecamp, I find that Asana stands out for its intuitive design, ease of use,  and comprehensive set of features. With Asana, users can instantly create projects, assign tasks to team members, set due dates, and track progress with little to no training. The platform also integrates seamlessly with other tools and applications, allowing for greater flexibility. While other task management systems may have their own unique or more complex task management features and strengths, I think Asana’s combination of user-friendly design and robust features make it an ideal choice for quick projects over other more complex, feature-rich programs.

Project Management

Asana lets you manage projects from start to finish and see who is doing what, by when, and what is left to accomplish. 

Customizable views: Asana offers a range of views such as boards, calendars, lists, and timelines, allowing teams to visualize their complex projects in different formats and gain greater visibility into their progress.

Boards: The board view allows users to organize project tasks in columns, similar to a kanban board, providing a visual representation of progress.

Project overview: Provide detail and clarity on what work is being done and scheduled through status updates, project outlines and briefs, and other details teams will find valuable.

Templates: Choose from pre-built project templates that can be customized to fit the needs of specific projects.

Workload management: Test drive workload management tools, enabling users to view team member workloads and balance workloads across the team.

Custom fields: Asana provides customizable fields, allowing users to track additional information relevant to their projects.

Mobile app: Asana’s mobile app allows users to access unlimited projects and tasks on the go, making it easy to stay productive even when away from the office.

Asana project management dashboard screen.

Asana project management dashboard screen

How Project Management Compares

With a history of using other software solutions, when I compared Asana to other leading project management systems like Jira, Microsoft Project, and Basecamp, I noticed that Asana stands out for its ease of use and flexibility in managing projects of varying sizes. With Asana, users can create and set up smaller projects, invite collaborators, and schedule work in the form of tasks, groups of tasks and subtasks along with deadlines, and track it all instantly and without the need to watch time-consuming training videos and reference tutorials to manage work. 

Collaboration

Work towards common goals with others on your team, communicate and share work, and progress through a variety of Asana collaboration tools. Asana provides a centralized platform for team members to engage in all of these activities together in real-time.

File sharing: Users can share files and attachments with team members, keeping all project-related materials in one place.

Commenting: Asana allows users to comment on tasks, projects, and attachments, facilitating communication and collaboration.

Notifications: Users receive notifications when tasks are assigned to them, when deadlines are approaching, or when changes are made to tasks or projects.

Calendar: Asana provides a calendar view that makes it easy for users to track project due dates and deadlines.

Asana project collaboration feature screen.

Asana project collaboration feature screen

How Collaboration Compares

When set side by side with leading collaboration tools like Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Google Workspace, I noticed that Asana stands out for its ability to manage and track projects and tasks, while also fostering collaboration. With Asana, teams can work together on any task, communicate updates and feedback, and track progress all within the same system. The platform also supports file sharing and commenting, making it easy for team members to collaborate on documents and projects in real-time. While other collaboration tools may have specialized features like video conferencing or instant messaging, Asana’s focus on project management and collaboration make it an ideal choice for teams that need to manage more complex projects while fostering effective communication and collaboration.

Integrations

Asana integrates with a range of other popular tools to bring all of your data together. Choose from apps across categories such as communication, connectors, files, finance and HR, IT and development, marketing and design, productivity, reporting, sales and services, and security and compliance. Popular integrations include working with apps such as Slack, Salesforce, Google Drive, Jira Cloud, and Adobe Creative Cloud, making it a versatile and flexible solution for teams. 

Asana integration picker screen.

Asana integration picker screen

How Integrations Compares

Asana has a solid ability to integrate with other applications and tools. When compared to other leading project management tools that offer integrations like Trello, Wrike, and Monday.com, Asana is unique with its comprehensive range of integrations and ease of use. Asana offers integrations with hundreds of tools and applications, including popular business applications like Slack, Dropbox, and Salesforce. While Asana may not offer as many integrations as other more complex tools, I found these integrations make it easy for teams to customize their workflows and streamline their processes. Asana’s integrations are easy to set up and use, with many offering pre-built integrations that require minimal setup. 

Automations

Asana allows teams to simplify workflows and streamline processes through the automation of manual and repetitive tasks and processes, freeing up time for more important work. Users can take advantage of any of these time-saving automations: use rules to automate tasks, create custom rules of your own design, convert common Asana projects into custom templates, create formal submission process work request forms, utilize built-in dependency date shifting, and automatic approvals.

Asana automation rule feature screen example.

Asana automation rule feature screen example

How Automation Compares

Asana’s automation capabilities help teams streamline their workflows and reduce manual tasks. When I compared to other leading project management tools that offer automations like Wrike, Monday.com, and ClickUp, I discovered that Asana is a solid contender. Asana’s automation features, called “Rules,” enable users to set up automated actions based on certain triggers or conditions. These actions can include assigning tasks, setting due dates, and sending notifications to team members. Asana also offers a library of pre-built automation templates, making it easy for teams to get started with automating their workflows. Asana’s automation features are user-friendly and do not require any coding knowledge. Overall, I learned that while other project management tools may offer automation features, Asana’s flexibility, ease of use, and library of pre-built templates make it a great choice for teams looking to streamline their workflows and reduce manual tasks.

Visuals and Reporting

Asana provides visual and reporting capabilities, enabling teams to track project metrics and identify areas for improvement. Dashboards, charts, filters, and goals let you see all the work in real time and from every angle. 

  • Reference “my tasks” to see your space and priorities on a daily basis
  • Use dashboards to view all project data in one place with customized charts you can share
  • View the overall timeline to see all of the work come together
  • The workload real-time overview provides insight into a busy team across projects
  • Monitor the status of all work in your area through portfolios to keep up to date with all of your teams
Asana visualization and reporting feature screen capture.

Asana visualization and reporting feature screen capture

How Visuals and Reporting Compares

Asana offers a range of visualization and reporting features to help teams monitor progress and make data-driven decisions. When I compared Asana’s visualization and reporting features to other leading project management tools that offer visualization and reporting, such as Trello, Wrike, and Smartsheet, I saw that Asana stacks up nicely. Asana’s dashboard provides an overview of project status, including completed tasks, upcoming tasks, and tasks that are overdue. Additionally, Asana offers a range of visualization options, including timelines, calendars, and custom views, which make it easy for teams to track progress and identify potential roadblocks. Asana’s reporting features enable users to create custom reports that provide insights into team productivity, resource allocation, and project status. Furthermore, Asana offers integrations with popular BI and analytics tools, such as Tableau and Power BI, which enables teams to create even more sophisticated reports. I see Asana as a good choice for teams looking to monitor progress and make data-driven decisions.

Pros & Cons of Asana

Advantages

Asana is a powerful project management tool that offers a range of benefits and advantages to teams of all sizes and industries. Here are five of the top Asana pros and advantages:

Easy to use: Asana has a user-friendly interface that makes it easy to navigate and use. This makes it a popular choice for teams who want a tool that is easy to adopt and use effectively.

Team collaboration: Asana provides a centralized platform for team members to communicate, share files and documents, and collaborate on projects in real-time. This can help teams work more efficiently and stay aligned.

Customizable views: Asana offers a range of customizable views, such as boards, calendars, and timelines, allowing teams to visualize their projects in different formats and gain better visibility into their progress. This can help teams stay organized and on track.

Automation: Asana allows teams to automate repetitive tasks and processes, freeing up time for more important work. This can help teams work more efficiently and focus on higher-value tasks.

Integrations: Asana integrates with a range of other popular tools such as Slack, Google Drive and Dropbox, making it a versatile and flexible solution for teams. This can help teams save time and streamline their workflows by working in a single platform.

Overall, Asana is a powerful project management tool that can help teams stay organized, communicate more effectively, and manage projects more efficiently. Its ease of use, team collaboration features, customizable views, automation capabilities, and integrations are just some of the reasons why it is a popular choice among teams of all sizes and industries.

Disadvantages

Asana is a powerful project management tool with a range of benefits and advantages, but like any tool, it also has some potential drawbacks. Here are five of the top Asana cons and disadvantages:

  1. Complexity: Asana’s extensive set of features and options can make it overwhelming for some users, especially those who are new to project management tools. The learning curve can be steep, and it may take some time to become proficient in using the platform effectively.
  2. Pricing: Asana’s pricing model can be expensive for some teams, especially those with large numbers of users or complex workflows. The higher-tier plans may not be feasible for small businesses or startups.
  3. Limited time tracking: Asana’s time tracking features are limited, which can be a disadvantage for teams who need to track time spent on specific tasks or projects in more detail.
  4. Limited reporting: Asana’s reporting capabilities are basic, which can be a disadvantage for teams who need more detailed insights into project progress and team performance.
  5. Limited flexibility: Asana’s structure and layout can be limiting for some teams who need a more flexible tool that can adapt to their specific needs and workflows.

While Asana offers many benefits and advantages, it may not be the right fit for all teams. Its complexity, pricing model, limited time tracking and reporting features, and limited flexibility are some of the potential drawbacks to consider when evaluating the software. However, for teams that need a robust and powerful project management solution, Asana may still be a great option.

Review Methodology

This review methodology involves a thorough exploration of Asana’s features, usability, and functionality. I have been using Asana for an extended period to test its performance, and have also read through the software’s documentation to gain a better understanding of its capabilities. This review is based on using the free plan to set up and test a basic project, in addition to extensive research of Asana’s user reviews and case studies, to gain insight into how the software has helped other businesses streamline their operations. I have consulted with colleagues and peers as well as other project managers who have used Asana to gather their perspectives and experiences with the platform. As such, this review considers various sources of information to provide a comprehensive evaluation of the software’s capabilities.

Asana Alternatives & Competitors

Each of these alternatives provides a unique set of features and benefits, making it important to evaluate them based on the specific needs and requirements of your team.

Trello Atlassian logo.

Trello 

This highly visual project management tool uses kanban-inspired boards and cards to organize daily tasks and projects. It is popular among small and medium-sized businesses due to its user-friendly interface and customization options.

monday.com logo.

monday.com

monday Work Management (often called monday.com) provides a variety of templates and integrations to help teams manage tasks, projects, and workflows. It is known for its flexibility and customizable features.

Jira Software logo.

Jira Software

Atlassian’s project management tool for software development teams provides a range of agile project management features, including scrum boards, burndown charts, and sprint planning.

The Basecamp logo.

Basecamp

Basecamp is a project management tool that is known for its simplicity and ease of use. It provides features such as task management, file sharing, and messaging, making it a popular choice for small businesses and freelancers.


Read our Basecamp review.


The Wrike logo.

Wrike

Wrike is a project management tool that provides features such as task management, time tracking, and project planning. It is known for its robust reporting and analytics capabilities, which can help teams track progress and identify areas for improvement.


Visit wrike.com.


Three Key Takeaways

Here are three key takeaways from our detailed software review of Asana:

  1. Asana is a comprehensive project management tool that offers a wide range of features and benefits that make it a popular choice among teams across various industries. 
  1. Asana’s customizable views, automation capabilities, and integrations make it a versatile and flexible solution that can adapt to the specific needs and workflows of different teams.
  2. Asana’s pricing model can be expensive for some teams, and its limited time tracking and reporting features and limited flexibility may be a disadvantage. However, overall, Asana is a great option for project managers looking for a robust and powerful tool to help them manage and organize workflows.

Why Try Asana?

A project manager should consider trying out Asana because it is a powerful project management tool that can help teams stay organized, collaborate more effectively, and manage projects more efficiently. Its customizable views, automation capabilities, and integrations make it a versatile and flexible solution that can adapt to the specific needs and workflows of different teams. Asana’s user-friendly interface and extensive set of features make it easy to use, and its centralized platform for communication and file sharing can help teams stay aligned and work more efficiently. Overall, Asana is a great option for project managers looking for a robust and powerful software tool to help them manage workloads.


Read More: Top 10 Project Management Software

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