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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.
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learn how AI is transforming project management with planning, risk management, decision-making, & team collaboration tools Explore trends & case studies.
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Key takeaways
Zoho Projects is a versatile project management tool within the Zoho suite of tools that was created for businesses looking for the best way to handle multiple projects from discovery to launch.
Zoho Projects integrates with other Zoho applications and offers useful project management features like accurate time tracking, detailed task management, and multiple project timeline views.
Users highlight Zoho Projects for its affordability, ease of use, and robust functionality.
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To review Zoho Projects comprehensively, I started by trying out the free version, which provided an accessible entry point without financial commitment. I set up a few users and created a new project with tasks to gain hands-on experience with the system’s functionality and user interface. This process allowed me to evaluate the tool’s core features, usability, and overall performance. In addition, I conducted thorough research by reading user and professional reviews, diving deep into the tool’s features, and highlighting its pros and cons. This dual approach of practical testing and detailed research provided a balanced perspective. I also compared the tool to similar software I’ve used to understand its unique strengths and weaknesses. This approach provided a genuine first-hand account from the perspective of a new user who is familiar with similar tools, ensuring an authentic and insightful review.
Zoho Projects is a comprehensive and affordable top project management software solution that is part of the larger Zoho ecosystem of apps but can be used independently. It is designed to help project managers and teams organize, track, and prioritize work. It is making a name for itself among other big names in the market for its user-friendly interface and long list of features that make managing projects a better experience for all teams who use it as a staple in their work day.
Zoho Projects Pros & Cons
Employing Zoho Projects has its advantages and disadvantages. Here’s a quick summary of the pros and cons of using Zoho Projects for project management.
Pros
Affordable pricing: Pricing plans begin at $5 per user per month, making it ideal for small and startup businesses.
Ease of use: It’s easy to set up and navigate around a project, even for those with minimal technical know-how.
Built-in chat: The built-in chat feature creates instant communication within the platform so you don’t have to toggle to another program.
Customization: Users have noted that they like the robust configuration options because they can tailor the software to their specific needs.
Cons
Limited free plan: The free plan is set up to support only three users and two projects.
No phone support: Some users have noted the lack of phone support when they need immediate assistance or cannot find what they need online.
Few third-party integrations: The tool does offer integrations but not as much as what similar platforms provide.
Templates available on paid plans only: Templates and certain advanced features are only available to users on paid plans and can’t be tested prior.
Resource management view: Some users find the resource management view slightly unusual and less intuitive.
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Zoho Projects Key Features
Features that are specific to Zoho Projects that make it different in the marketplace for project management include the following:
Robust dashboard: In addition to standard information auto-presented on the project dashboard, such as task status, overdue items, and today’s work items, the project dashboard includes a Task Progress Chart to see percent complete, a Weekly Digest, and a place to see the Top 5 Go-Getters on your team.
Built-in chat: Zoho Projects includes a built-in chat feature allowing all users to communicate directly within the platform without needing third-party integrations like Teams or Slack.
Task customization: There are many functions within a task that you can customize, such as phase owners, to streamline project management.
Enhanced task reminders: The task reminder system includes options such as daily or specific-day reminders down to a set time, and you can choose anyone associated with the task.
Custom views: Users can create custom views in the Timesheets module based on specific criteria, making it easier to manage and analyze data.
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Zoho Projects Pricing & Plans
Free plan:
Price: $0/month
Users: Up to 3
Projects: Up to 2
Storage: 5 GB
Features: Basic project management features, subtasks, and limited storage
Premium:
Price: $4/user/month, billed annually
Users: Unlimited
Projects: Unlimited projects
Features: Project templates, time tracking, custom views, blueprints, and more
Enterprise:
Price: $9/user/month, billed annually
Users: Unlimited
Projects: Unlimited projects
Storage: 5 GB
Features: Custom fields and status, custom roles and profiles, single sign-on, two-factor authentication, read-only users, and more
Support plans:
Classic support: Included with all plans
Premium support: Available for an additional fee, offers 24/7 support, faster response times, and additional support features
Zoho Projects Setup and Installation
I used the 10-day free trial of Zoho Projects, available on their website, to complete this review. No credit card was required for the trial, which supports up to three users and offers unlimited projects, 120 GB of cloud storage, and premium support. The setup process was quick, requiring just a business email, password, location, and agreement to terms of service.
I was prompted to enter an optional company name to receive a unique URL, a business email address, password, location, and agree to their terms of service and privacy policy. This process was quick and intuitive.
After setting up my account, I selected the “Education” industry for a team of 2–10 members. I opted to include all available features: task management, reports, phases/sub-projects, issue tracking, time tracking, document management, and forums. I added a contact number and language preference (default English).
Creating a new project using a template initially failed, so I opted to create one from scratch, successfully adding up to three required tasks. I then verified my email, navigated through multi-factor authentication, and updated my profile information. After some navigation issues and refreshing the browser, I restarted the project setup and successfully accessed templates.
In the “Users” area, I added four team members using their email addresses and roles. Despite a user limit warning, I continued as an admin. I added tasks, assigned them to users, and configured details like start/end dates, status, priority, and tags. I later found the option to add task dependencies.
The project dashboard offered multiple views: list, Gantt, and Kanban, with filtering options for tasks, reports, and users. These filters can be saved for future use, enhancing project management flexibility.
Importing a project plan
I next attempted to import a project plan from a spreadsheet into Zoho Projects. Initially, the process was unclear, so I referred to Zoho Projects tutorials and help page for guidance.
First, I created a new project, then imported tasks from within the project by selecting the XLS import option. This can be done from the “…” menu in the upper-right corner of the project screen or via the gear icon on the dashboard’s upper-right navigation band by going to Data Administration > Imports.
During the import process, you can map fields, such as task names and users, but since I hadn’t added user names during setup, I left these fields unassigned. The import took some time, and I had to refresh the system to view the imported tasks. Unfortunately, the import didn’t go as smoothly as expected—my original list of 10 tasks expanded to 16, with each user getting a task and an unexpected task labeled “.csv version of this sheet is available for download here.”
I tried the process again creating a new project and using a CSV file to import a list of project tasks and successfully mapped the fields. However, mapping the users to these tasks required a different CSV file, and I discovered that importing users is not available in the free trial. This functionality is only accessible in paid plans such as Premium or Enterprise. Ideally, I would have imported the users list first, followed by the project task list.
Overall, the import feature could benefit from improved clarity and functionality.
Setting up automations
I attempted to set up an automation to notify the project manager when a task status changes. Although I could see a list of four workflow rules and an option to add a new one, clicking on any of them triggered a message that said “Your current plan does not support this feature. Enable Trial or Upgrade your subscription to access this.” Unfortunately, this functionality is not available in the free trial.
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Integrations with Other Zoho and Third-Party Apps
While there aren’t that many Zoho Projects integrations, the following have been highlighted for how they streamline workflows, foster collaboration, and improve productivity across various aspects of project management
Zoho CRM: Manage customer relationships
Zoho People: Know your teams availability and assign them work
Zoho Desk: Raise tickets and log bugs directly from Projects
Zoho Invoice: Prepare budgets, track expenses, and generate invoices
Zoho Analytics: Review project data and create detailed reports
Zoho Assist: Use remote screen sharing to resolve issues fast
Zoho Books: Create and send invoices.
Zoho Mail: Convert email into bugs or tasks
Zoho Mail: Convert email into bugs or tasks
Zoho Meeting: Host online meetings for quick discussions on work
Zoho Cliq: Get instant notifications in your Cliq channel and add tasks or issues
Zoho Sprints: Work with both waterfall and agile teams
Zoho Expense: Track expenses and create expense reports
Zoho Forms: Add tasks when form submissions are made
Zoho Flow: Integrate with Zoho apps and third-party options
Zoho Bigin: Manage customer pipelines and track client project progress
There are dedicated mobile apps for both Android and iPhone so you can track projects and manage work on the go. Key mobile features include:
Push notifications to stay updated with real-time information about tasks, comments, and other project updates.
Social media-like feeds to quickly view ongoing discussions, work status, and comment threads on active tasks.
The ability to manage tasks, create new ones, track milestones, and post work statuses.
Timesheet module activity to log work hours and view daily, weekly, and monthly timesheets by any user as admin.
View and upload related documents and reference files.
Multiple project schedule views including Gantt and Kanban.
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Zoho Projects Scalability and Customization Options
This versatile tool is scalable and customizable to be set up according to your unique needs:
Scalability
Cloud-based infrastructure is designed to support growth of your business, making it easy to add more users, projects, and data as your team evolves.
A network of global data centers is highly available and experiences minimal downtime.
The Zoho Acceleration Network provides faster response times compared to third-party cloud services so you get the best performance experience.
Customization options
Create custom fields and layouts for any project, task, and milestone to capture the data you need and organize it according to your unique standards.
Templates give you predefined tasks that can be reused to get an initial project set up in no time.
Embed URLs from third-party applications directly within Zoho Projects, creating web tabs for easy navigation.
Define custom roles and profiles, giving you full control and access to set permissions within the platform.
Automation tools streamline workflows and eliminate manual processes.
Customize the UI setting language preferences and add company logos for a seamless experience.
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Zoho Projects Security and Compliance
Specific security and compliance measures are put in place, making Zoho Projects a reliable and safe place to work, even for companies with strict standard regulations.
The following is taken from their website:
Security protocols
ISO/IEC 27001 Certification: Zoho Projects is certified with ISO/IEC 27001:2013, which sets international standards for information security management systems.
ISO/IEC 27017 Certification: This certification provides guidelines for information security controls specific to cloud services.
ISO/IEC 27018 Certification: This ensures that Zoho Projects follows best practices for protecting personally identifiable information (PII) in the cloud.
Encryption: Data is encrypted both in transit and at rest to protect against unauthorized access.
Regular audits: Zoho undergoes regular security audits and assessments to maintain high security standards.
Compliance standards
GDPR Compliance: Zoho Projects complies with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), ensuring the protection of personal data for users in the European Union.
HIPAA Compliance: Zoho Projects also complies with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), making it suitable for healthcare-related projects.
SOC 1 Type II and SOC 2 Type II: These certifications demonstrate that Zoho Projects meets the standards for financial reporting and security controls.
ISO 9001: This certification ensures that Zoho Projects maintains a quality management system that meets customer and regulatory requirements.
The overall user experience is that it provides everything you need to manage any kind of work. The capability is greatly enhanced by automation, integration with other tools, and regular platform updates.
The interface is user-friendly and comprehensive, featuring a clean, intuitive design with drag-and-drop functionality. The mobile app is easy to use, making on-the-go project management simple. Customizations enhance the experience, allowing users to match existing workflows and tailor views, reports, and dashboards to specific needs.
Some users, however, report certain challenges including a learning curve when setting up advanced features, a limited free plan with only 10 consecutive days of access, and limited support options.
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Comparison with Zoho Projects Competitors & Alternatives
While the platform is a proven choice as a project management tool, there are also several Zoho Projects alternatives that offer similar features and might be a better fit for your organization. Here’s a comparison of Zoho Projects with a few top competitors:
Feature
Zoho Projects
Microsoft Project
Wrike
monday.com
Teamwork
Smartsheet
Ease of Use
User-friendly interface
Steeper learning curve
Intuitive
Highly intuitive
User-friendly
Intuitive
Integration
Integrates with Zoho apps
Limited integrations
Extensive integrations
Many integrations
Good integrations
Extensive integrations
Customization
High customization
Moderate customization
High customization
High customization
High customization
High customization
Collaboration
Strong collaboration tools
Strong collaboration tools
Excellent collaboration tools
Strong collaboration tools
Strong collaboration tools
Strong collaboration tools
Reporting
Comprehensive reporting
Detailed reporting
Detailed reporting
Visual reporting
Detailed reporting
Detailed reporting
Pricing
Free trial, affordable paid plan
Expensive
Affordable
Affordable
Affordable
Affordable
Support
Good support
Good support
Good support
Excellent suppor
Good support
Good support
Use Cases
When researching for industry-specific examples of Zoho Projects being used successfully on project teams, it was clear that companies use Zoho Projects for several different use cases:
Manufacturing: timely delivery of products & streamlining their work.
Digital marketing: creating and managing content creation and campaigns.
Construction: allocating resources and monitoring progress across sites.
Software development: tracking bugs and coordinating sprints.
Event planning: managing budgets and coordinating with vendors.
On the Zoho website, there is a long scrolling list of customer success stories using Zoho Projects for their work and teams. Here’s one of those use cases:
Sparex
Sparex is the UK’s leading distributor of agricultural spare parts, including tractor engines, power tools, beacons, and more. Headquartered in Devon, it operates 18 international subsidiaries across the globe, meeting the demands of the agricultural industry.
The challenge
Before Zoho Analytics, Sparex faced data inaccuracies due to each subsidiary using different systems. This fragmentation led to conflicting data across departments, hindering decision-making. Meetings often stalled as stakeholders questioned the accuracy of the data. To address this, Kristian James was appointed data quality analyst to cross-check data continuously.
The solution
Kristian integrated data from all markets into Zoho Analytics via DataBridge, synchronizing around 15 million rows of live data daily. Using Zoho’s drag-and-drop dashboard builder, he created BI visualizations for key stakeholders, distributed through scheduled emails and Microsoft Teams alerts. The platform’s security controls ensure personalized dashboards for each user. The self-service function empowered colleagues to generate their own reports, reducing custom report requests significantly.
Results
With improved efficiencies and confidence in data accuracy, Kristian’s role as data quality analyst became redundant, allowing him to focus on advanced BI tasks. One significant insight from Zoho Analytics led to a $1.4 million increase in sales by repricing slow-moving stock.
Aside from Sparex, there are three different customer case studies for Zoho Projects that you can download a PDF file of on their Customers page to read in more detail.
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What Users Think of Zoho Projects
The Zoho Projects official website features a user reviews section. External reviews highlight ease of use, great value, high level of customization, as well as time-tracking and built-in chat features. Drawbacks include a lack of phone support, limited third-party integrations, and a restricted free plan. Overall, Zoho Projects is seen as a valuable tool for managing projects and teams, helping them boost productivity and streamline workflows.
Recent Zoho Projects Updates
The latest major update, Zoho Projects 8.0, was released on January 9, 2024. This version bridged the gap between functionality and user experience with several enhancements aimed at improving user experience, including a new UI, editable worksheet view, industry-specific templates, improved navigation, and an upgraded mobile app. More updates were launched later in the year, including task enhancements, Bigin integration, and field-level permissions.
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Zoho Projects Customer Support & Resources
Zoho Projects offers a variety of customer support options if you have questions or need help with something specific. There is a library of help videos depending on where you are in the program, a quick start reference guide, page tours, a knowledge base with articles and videos, a community with thousands of topics to read and follow, and live and recorded webinars plus guest talks posts and blogs. If all else fails and you are stuck on a particular challenge, you can create a support ticket directly from the program interface to address a specific need.
FAQs
Zoho Projects is quite flexible with customization. You can add custom fields to tasks, projects, and issues to capture specific data relevant to your projects. Custom workflows can be defined to automate task processes. You can even customize the layout of your project dashboard, task views (like Kanban boards and Gantt charts), and issue status to match your workflow. Be sure to set up different roles with specific access rights to manage who can see and do what in your project and avoid issues after kick-off.
Yes, Zoho Projects supports a wide range of integrations with both Zoho apps and third-party tools. It integrates seamlessly with Zoho CRM, Zoho Desk, Zoho Books, and Zoho Analytics, among others. For third-party tools, it offers integrations with Google Apps (e.g., Google Drive, Google Calendar), Microsoft Office, Slack, GitHub, Bitbucket, Dropbox, and more.
Zoho Projects provides robust reporting and analytics features that help you track project progress and performance. You can generate various types of reports—such as task reports, timesheet reports, and project summary reports—to gain insights into your team’s productivity and project timelines. Integration with Zoho Analytics allows for advanced data visualization and custom reporting so you can create detailed dashboards and reports and tailor them to specific audiences.
Zoho Projects offers powerful scheduling and timeline management tools. The Gantt chart view allows you to visually plan and track project timelines, ensuring that all tasks and milestones are on schedule. You can easily adjust task durations and dependencies and set baselines to compare planned versus actual progress. The platform also includes features like task reminders and critical path analysis to help keep your project on track and meet deadlines effectively.
Zoho Projects provides a range of support options and resources for users. You can access comprehensive help documentation, video tutorials, and webinars to get started and make the most of the platform. In addition, there is an active community forum where users can ask questions and share best practices. For more personalized assistance, Zoho offers email and chat support with the option to upgrade to Premium Support for 24/7 help and faster response times.
Bottom Line
Zoho Projects stands out as a dynamic project management tool, balancing cost-effectiveness with a suite of advanced capabilities. It integrates smoothly with the Zoho suite, providing top project management features such as time logging, detailed task oversight, and adaptable timeline visuals. While the interface is user-friendly and customizable, beginners might experience a learning curve, and the free tier comes with certain restrictions. Nevertheless, for small- to medium-sized organizations aiming to streamline project workflows economically, Zoho Projects is a worthwhile investment to consider.
A versatile writer, Anne M. Carroll wears multiple hats in the literary and digital realms. As a contributing writer for Technology Advice and Project-Management.com, she shares insights on digital project management within highly regulated industries. Her expertise extends beyond writing—she’s a seasoned copywriter and a career digital project and program management consultant with a history spanning agencies and Fortune 500 organizations.
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