A kanban board is an Agile-based project management tool that visualizes a project’s progress. Often, kanban boards have cards that get moved across columns as tasks are completed. Kanban boards break down a project into milestones and tasks, fostering accountability and transparency in team projects.
Kanban board software amplifies the power of kanban teams by visualizing and prioritizing tasks in one central user interface. Team members know their assigned tasks and can track their own progress and, on a macro level, that of their team. Because of their usefulness, kanban boards are a common feature in project management software tools. Let’s take a look at some of the features and benefits of the top kanban software.
Table of Contents
- Best Kanban Board Software and Tools
- Benefits of Kanban Boards for Project Management
- Kanban Software Features
- Our Top Picks
Best Kanban Board Software and Tools
Jira
Jira offers the ability to build kanban boards for large projects and complex workflows. It provides your team with a project overview and ready-to-use workflows that are also customizable and repeatable for future similar projects.
Pros
- Ability to mix and match Agile methodologies
- Bug tracking during app builds/deployments (for software development use case)
- Customizability
- Predictive analytics
- Reporting
- Task prioritization
- Templates
Cons
- Bugs
- Clunky mobile app navigation
- Difficulty with implementation and migration
- Non-reusable reports
- Small default file size limit
Kanbanize
Kanbanize is kanban software for agile project management. It provides visibility across all teams and projects and has built-in features that keep project teams on schedule. For instance, Kanbanize’s work-in-process (WIP) limits feature can be applied to a column, swimlane, or user. This keeps teams on task, eliminates wasteful activities, and prevents scope creep.
Pros
- Access controls
- Automated, configurable workflow management
- Dependencies and connections visibility
- Easy set-up
- Modifiable to reflect project changes
- Overview of multiple workflows in a central interface
- Robust reporting features
- Timeline feature for project visibility
- Time-tracking functionality
- WIP limits
Cons
- Complicated reporting widgets
- Difficulty in finding old/archived cards
- Learning curve
- Too many choices for access control
monday.com
monday.com is another powerful project management solution on the market. Answer a few questions, and the software generates a workspace based on your specific needs. Unlike some solutions on this list, monday.com’s default view isn’t kanban. However, users can create a traditional kanban layout as another view.
Pros
- Automation features
- Collaboration tools
- Customer support
- Customizable, automated workflows
- Time-tracking ability
- Wide range of functionality
Cons
- Necessary workaround to get traditional kanban layout
- Feature breadth can overwhelm users
- Limited or difficult integrations with other tools
- Learning curve
- Limited data linking between boards
Planview
Planview Leankit offers a kanban tool as part of its Enterprise Agile Planning solution. It features horizontal swimlanes that visualize concurrent project goals. With Leankit, users can see dependencies and parallel projects from one central view. If a project changes, it’s easy to modify steps, providing project teams flexibility. Leankit also features analytics for each project. Leankit’s kanban boards are card-based, feature drag-and-drop functionality, and are filterable based on colors or names.
Pros
- Analytics
- Board template library
- Filter capabilities
- Flexible layout
- Task board and checklists for each kanban card
- Unlimited boards
Cons
- User experience not as appealing as that of competitors
- Learning curve
- Limited sub-task granularity
- Not as mobile-friendly as other software
Stackfield
Stackfield is an all-in-one team collaboration and kanban tool for managing tasks, projects, portfolios, and more. Stackfield’s kanban boards have specialized labels. For instance, “Rooms” are workspaces that can be set up by topic, department, or project. “Modules” within each room facilitate communication via discussion boards, pages, files, events, and more. Rooms may be grouped together to form “Room Groups.”
Pros
- Integration availability
- Built-in video conferencing
- Collaboration tools
- Flexible organization
- Granular access controls
- Security features
Cons
- Difficulty to integrate some tools
- Difficult to schedule meetings across calendars and time zones
- Learning curve for Stackfield’s labels
- Limited integrations
- Occasional slow loading time
Trello
Trello is a kanban tool that remains a go-to solution for many business project teams because of its simplicity. Team members can easily access and update tasks and store documents. Build up a standard kanban board with stars, labels, attachments, and more. Trello also allows users to set up multiple workspaces and create custom backgrounds and fields. However, some customization features, as well as additional work views, are only available with higher subscription tiers.
Pros
- Automated bots, tile creation, and more
- Easy to integrate with other tools
- Easy to implement and use
- Enhances organization
- Simple layout
- Task management capabilities
Cons
- Lacking task and sub-task dependencies
- Lacking bulk privacy controls across multiple projects
- Limited filtering abilities
- Limited integrations
Wekan
Wekan is an open-source project management tool that allows users to create multiple boards, multiple swimlanes, create private and public boards, work with templates, collaborate, generate various report types, and more. Wekan makes it easy to identify and address broken cards, orphaned files, and other issues that get in the way of efficient workflow.
Pros
- Compatible with Trello boards
- Customizability
- Ease of use
- Templates
- Visibility into concurrent projects
- WIP limits
Cons
- User interface aren’t as aesthetically pleasing as competitors
- Limited features
- Difficult to use for non-technical users
Asana
One of the most well-known vendors for project management tools, Asana features a powerful, user-friendly kanban board tool. This platform includes a list view, calendar view, file sharing, goals, portfolios, reporting, and an inbox, in addition to customizable kanban boards.
Pros
- Customizable automation rules (in Business version only)
- Collaboration tools
- Drag-and-drop functionality
- Project dependencies
- Reporting tools
- Templates
- User-friendly interface
Cons
- Learning curve
- Lack of viewing options for multiple projects or multiple aspects of one project
- Range of features can overwhelm users
- Not exportable in PDF or Excel formats
Rocketlane
Rocketlane helps improve communication, collaboration, and project visibility for businesses and their customers. Project teams have access to information in real-time. Rocketlane also automatically generates assessments of actual vs. planned project progress.
Pros
- Automatic reminders
- Collaboration
- Ease of use
- Presenter mode
- Project monitoring tools
- Quick, responsive customer support
- Tracking tools
Cons
- Lack of custom tags
- Limited customization/white labeling
- Limited reporting features
- Manual workarounds, i.e. for timeline changes
Wrike
Wrike enables teams to plan and track projects, collaborate in real-time, and automate reports. Wrike’s kanban boards are scalable to accommodate projects of a variety of sizes. It’s easy to set up customizable dashboards and automated processes to speed up project delivery.
Pros
- Analytics
- Automated notifications
- Collaboration
- Customization
- Integrations
- Reporting
- Templates
- Time-tracking functionality
Cons
- Cost
- Collaboration tools need improvement/expansion
- Difficult to share projects with external stakeholders
- Limited filter options
- Limited mobile functionality
Benefits of Kanban Boards for Project Management
Kanban software provides several benefits to project managers and team members:
- Visualizes project progress, identifies bottlenecks, and optimizes workflows
- Analytics and reporting provide insights into productivity
- Promotes and facilitates collaboration
- Supports team accountability
- Balances productivity across team members
- Enhances time management skills
Kanban Software Features
Kanban software typically includes the following features:
- Access controls: This feature ensures that only those involved in a project are authorized to view and edit project tasks
- Analytics and reporting: Provides project managers with insight into team performance, project progress, and other key kanban metrics.
- Collaboration tools: These facilitate communication between project team managers to accelerate and optimize project workflow.
- Integrations: Data to and from existing tools — such as email, calendars, and business intelligence tools — enable project team communication and overall better project management.
- Kanban cards and boards: These are a given in kanban software and tools, as they visualize project progress and workflows.
- Task creation and dependency: Breaking a project down into subtasks, being able to move them visually across the board, and linking tasks within or between projects are all key to managing consistent overall progress towards a goal.
- Time tracking: This is a useful feature to ensure team member accountability and equitable workload distribution.
- WIP limits: These keep guardrails on a project or parts of a project, so that team members don’t take on more than is necessary all at once.
- Workflow visualizations: Visual diagrams and charts of a project’s progress gives managers visibility into whether a project is on track to timely completion.
Our Top Picks
It can be overwhelming to choose kanban board software. That’s why we recommend starting with our top picks below.
1 monday.com
monday.com Work OS is an award-winning no-code work management platform that helps teams manage projects and workflows more efficiently.
Used by 152,000+ customers worldwide, this fully customizable software lets you plan, manage, and track every project in one place. monday.com offers time-saving and easy-to-use features such as automations, time tracking, document sharing, and real-time collaboration. Multiple board views such as Gantt and Kanban help you structure and navigate tasks and projects the way you prefer, and dashboards give a high-level overview of your progress.
In addition, integrations with apps such as Outlook, Microsoft Teams, Gmail, and Excel, allow you to easily continue working with your favorite tools from within the platform. monday.com also offers dedicated solutions, such as monday dev and monday sales CRM, designed to answer the needs of specific industries.
2 Wrike
Wrike is the most powerful work management platform on the market, enabling teams to plan projects and collaborate in real time. Our award-winning software is trusted by 20,000+ companies across the globe, including Sony, Estée Lauder, and Siemens.
Wrike’s customizable features include Gantt charts, request forms, dashboards, cross-tagging, time tracking, and proofing. Integrate with 400+ apps from the likes of Microsoft, Google, and Salesforce. Automate repetitive tasks and achieve 50% faster planning. Work from anywhere with 100% access to your files via our mobile and desktop apps.
Whether you’re a small startup or an established brand, Wrike has the solution for you. Paid plans start at $9.80/user/month. Join our community of 2.3 million — start your free two-week trial today.
3 Smartsheet
Smartsheet is a leading work execution platform that has real-time work management features, collaboration and automation tools. Users are presented with a familiar and easy-to-use spreadsheet-like interface. However, it has enterprise-grade capabilities that even Fortune 500 companies like Cisco, Bayer, HP, and PayPal are confident to adopt in their business. Strong project management features enable teams to utilize different views of real-time data, and switch easily from Gantt, card, grid and calendar views. Smartsheet has automatic update requests, and can be used for waterfall and agile projects, product launch, sprint planning, and more. The resource management feature provides users the visibility who is busy, and who is not, in real-time. They can also attach files, share sheets, get notified, view the activity log, export, email, and print.
4 Workzone
#1 rated with 20 years of real-world use, Workzone offers a suite of carefully chosen features, making it easy for everyone to use. Looking for lasting process change? Difficulty adopting a tool before? Get unlimited support from experienced trainers who will help you create systems & manage projects successfully for years to come. Starting at $200/month for a team of 5. Access the features you need (without the fluff), including collaboration, creative review, resource management, & reporting.
5 Zoho Projects
Zoho Projects is an online project management application that helps its users to plan projects, collaborate with employees and clients, keep track of time, manage documents, and generate charts and reports. Users work on a central platform where they can keep track of progress, discuss ideas, communicate easily and stay updated. It is cloud-based and highly accessible, where user data is kept safe with stringent security systems. The software is also scalable depending on the number of projects, with the option to add more features. Zoho Projects is a cloud-based project management tool that helps you plan your work, track it efficiently, and collaborate with your team wherever they are.
