We’ve created the ultimate buyer’s guide for project portfolio management software, providing a comprehensive overview of five top project portfolio management (PPM) systems on the market.
Our Picks
Best for Strategic Planning
Planview PPM Pro (formerly Innotas) is a cloud-based project portfolio management and enterprise work management solution that gives leadership teams the power to plan, understand, and maximize project portfolios and prioritize them based on strategic objectives. It stands out as a top choice for organizations seeking effective PPM software, especially for those focused on strategic planning. Through its comprehensive array of features designed specifically for strategic management, Planview enables enterprises to synchronize project endeavors and resource allocation with their overarching, future-oriented goals.
Read our review of Planview PPM Pro
Planview PPM Pro’s user-friendly interface, combined with its sophisticated analytics and reporting functionalities, simplifies the process of making well-informed decisions. Its aptitude for refining resource distribution, prioritizing initiatives, and offering immediate insights into project advancement significantly elevates the strategic planning process, making it an indispensable asset for organizations striving to reach their overarching objectives.
Pros & Cons
Pros
Cons
Why we chose Planview PPM Pro
Planview PPM Pro empowers organizations to align projects with strategic objectives, optimize resource allocation, and prioritize initiatives based on their business goals. With its robust features, real-time insights, and user-friendly interface, Planview PPM Pro enhances decision making, fosters collaboration, and offers a comprehensive platform for effective PPM and strategic planning endeavors.
Best for Optimizing Project Portfolios
Celoxis is more than a project management software tool; it also helps users optimize project portfolios while planning, tracking profits, and everything else that is required of the business. The software offers an adaptable range of features curated for strategic management, which empowers businesses to effortlessly synchronize projects with their long-term goals.
Read our review of Celoxis
Celoxis boasts advanced analytics, real-time reporting, and dynamic resource allocation capabilities that elevate the decision-making process. It’s particularly useful for streamlining workflows, prioritizing critical initiatives, and providing comprehensive project visibility. These features establish it as an essential tool for organizations dedicated to improving strategic planning, optimizing operations, and achieving overarching goals.
Pros & Cons
Pros
Cons
Why we chose Celoxis
Celoxis is an excellent selection for project portfolio management, delivering a feature-rich platform that excels in optimizing different types of project portfolios. Through its advanced analytics and real-time reporting, data-driven decisions are empowered. Additionally, its streamlined workflows and prioritization prowess boost operational efficiency. With its proven knack for strategic project alignment and adaptability across business scales, Celoxis stands out as a compelling choice for organizations seeking to enhance project portfolio optimization and achieve long-term success.
Best All-in-One Option
Clarity PPM is a suite of digital project management applications designed to enable businesses of varying sizes to effectively handle tasks such as scheduling, resource allocation, cost estimation, and production. It is a good choice for project portfolio management software because it has a comprehensive range of features that give you everything you need for holistic strategic and operational project portfolio management.
With features to manage projects, portfolios, resources, finances, applications, products, demands, services, and line activities, Clarity PPM covers all the features needed for successful project and portfolio management. As a particular advantage to project and business team leaders, a centralized dashboard is available to create project portfolios and intelligently execute strategic investments.
Pros & Cons
Pros
Cons
Why we chose Clarity PPM
Clarity PPM is a strong option for project portfolio management software because it is a holistic one-stop-shop solution that covers project planning, resource management, financial oversight, and collaboration capabilities. Equipped with a diverse feature set that caters to projects of varying complexity, Clarity PPM streamlines operations, enhances decision-making through real-time reporting, and aligns projects strategically. Its adaptability and scalability position it as a solid solution for organizations wanting to optimize project portfolios and drive efficiencies, all within one unified platform.
Best for Scenario Planning
Meisterplan offers a complete project portfolio management software solution designed to empower organizations in efficient project and resource management. Providing a concise perspective on project portfolios, resource distribution, and capacity planning, Meisterplan enables businesses to enhance their decision-making processes and streamline project management workflows.
Pros & Cons
Pros
Cons
Why we chose Meisterplan
Meisterplan stands out as a strong candidate in the realm of project portfolio management software, providing a comprehensive platform that excels in optimizing project portfolios. Its key strengths include transparent project overviews, efficient resource allocation, and robust scenario planning features. Supported by its user-friendly interface and versatile capabilities, Meisterplan is an appealing option for businesses aiming to elevate strategic alignment, resource utilization, and the overall efficiency of their PPM endeavors.
Best Lightweight PPM Tool
Acuity PPM is a project portfolio management software solution that focuses on tools and features that assist with project prioritization, resource allocation, and overall project portfolio visibility. It diverges from traditional project management software, seamlessly merging project tracking and portfolio management in a single, intuitive interface.
Acuity PPM presents itself as an outstanding option for project portfolio management, particularly for organizations that need more effective project oversight without sacrificing a lightweight approach. With the seamless integration of project tracking and portfolio management within its user-friendly interface, Acuity PPM offers a streamlined solution tailored to the requirements of small and midsize businesses (SMBs). Anchored by essential functionalities that include prioritization, resource allocation, and portfolio visibility, Acuity PPM is a prime choice for a lightweight PPM tool.
Pros & Cons
Pros
Cons
Why we chose Acquity PPM
Acuity PPM is a modern portfolio management solution that gives users a “single source of truth” and enables the strategic agility you need to accomplish your project-level and portfolio-wide goals. It is a lightweight PPM software solution that is intuitive and easy to use. It simplifies your reporting process by centralizing all status reports in one place and offers specialized tools for change management, resource management, and budget management.
Bottom Line: The Best Overall Pick
Each of these PPM solutions excels in specific areas, catering to different organizational needs. Planview Pro PPM stands out for strategic planning, offering robust capabilities to align projects with long-term goals. Celoxis shines in optimizing project portfolios, providing advanced analytics and resource allocation features. Clarity PPM distinguishes itself as a comprehensive one-stop-shop solution, covering a wide range of project management requirements. Meisterplan is ideal for scenario planning, enabling users to simulate and visualize different project scenarios. Acuity PPM is best suited for organizations seeking a lightweight PPM tool that combines project tracking and portfolio management in an intuitive interface.
After careful evaluation, our top recommendation is Planview Pro PPM. This solution provides features that support top-down project portfolio management, resource allocation, what-if scenario planning, strategic alignment goals, new product development (NPD) portfolio management, and comprehensive dashboarding and reporting. Suitable for businesses of all sizes, it offers both cloud-hosted and on-premises options that are backed by a fully functional free trial to explore its capabilities. Moreover, its affordable pricing starts at just $29 per user per month, making it an attractive and accessible choice.
Pricing Comparison
Our Picks | Best For | Starting Price |
---|---|---|
Visit Planview PPM Pro (formerly Innotas) | Best for Strategic Planning | $29 per user per month |
Visit Celoxis | Best for Optimizing Project Portfolios | $20 to 25 per user per month, depending on subscription length |
Clarity PPM by Visit Clarity PPM | Best All-in-One Option | $50,000 per user license for all functionality |
Visit Meisterplan | Best for Scenario Planning | $99 per month for unlimited users and up to 10 resources |
Visit Acuity PPM | Best Lightweight PPM Tool | $99 per month for PPM Essentials, which includes 10 user licenses |
Featured Partners
Project-Management.com may receive a commission from merchants for referrals from this website
Methodology
Read next: 10 Best Project Management Software
FAQs
Professional leaders tasked with project portfolio management should understand the PPM landscape and may want to ask the following types of questions when shopping for PPM software.