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Best Project Management Software

15 Best Project Management Software for 2024

If you’re managing projects and aren’t using software to help you plan, organize and track projects and communicate with your teams and stakeholders, you’re doing it wrong. If you’re unsure where to get started or which platforms to trust, our best project management software guide is for you.

Brett DayAleksander Hougen

Written by Brett Day (Editor)

Reviewed by Aleksander Hougen (Managing Editor)

Last Updated: 2024-02-06T12:00:00+00:00

All our content is written fully by humans; we do not publish AI writing. Learn more here.

Key Takeaways: What Is the Best Project Management Software?

  1. monday.com — Simply the best project management software for most teams, thanks to a gorgeous interface, easy-to-use tools and affordable plans.
  2. ClickUp — The best choice for remote teams with robust real-time collaboration tools, powerful task management features and many project templates.
  3. Asana — An effective project management platform that’s built to connect with over 200 other apps, and it also offers one of the best free plans in the business.
  4. Zoho Projects — An easy-to-use and well-rounded platform that’s intuitive, affordable and expandable thanks to many first-party integrations.
  5. Trello — The best free project management software tool for large Agile teams who like using kanban boards to manage projects.
  6. Jira — The best software for software and product developers thanks to its kanban boards and backlog management tools.
  7. Wrike — Do-it-all project management software with plenty of task tracking tools and robust security and administration options that make it ideal for scaled projects.
  8. nTask — A wallet-friendly project management suite with tools for planning, organizing, tracking and scheduling.
  9. Leantime — The best software for leaders who need resource and project management tools, plus blueprints for planning simple and complex projects.
  10. Notion — The best software for managers and teams working in content creation fields, thanks to powerful real-time collaboration tools.
  11. Airtable — A highly customizable project management software suite that allows managers to create workflows for multiple projects.
  12. Smartsheet — Brings spreadsheets into the 21st century with powerful coding and task tools that are ideal for many project management methodologies. 
  13. TeamGantt — Gorgeous, easy-to-use Gantt charts make this suite ideal for teams who use traditional project management methods like Waterfall and the Critical Path Method.
  14. Basecamp — One of the best project management platforms for teams who need extensive communication and planning tools.
  15. Freedcamp — An easy-to-use platform with simple tools that’s ideal for small teams who are new to project management.

Projects can be hard to manage, with their many variables and moving parts. Fortunately, project managers these days don’t have to use paper or whiteboards to manage jobs thanks to software that can help plan, organize and track progress. In this roundup, we’ll share the best project management software to use for your next project.

Below, you’ll see that we have listed the best project management platforms for modern managers. We cover what they can do, the tools on offer, how easy they are to use and how much they cost. We know you’re eager to see our recommendations, so we’ll jump right in and help you pick the right project management software for your team. 

  • 04/25/2023 Facts checked

    Our best project management software roundup has been rewritten with new information and a new format.

  • 09/25/2023

    Removed reference to discontinued ClickUp Business Plus plan.

  • 12/27/2023

    Our best project management software guide has been rewritten with new information and an easy-to-read format.

Cloudwards Editor’s Choice: monday.com

Our team of experts picked monday.com as the best project management software. monday.com is one of the easiest project and task management tools to use, thanks to its intuitive user interface and fluid tools that suit many work styles. Add a great list of integrations, powerful automations and affordable plans, and you have a strong project management suite. 

You can try monday.com’s free plan, but we recommend using monday.com’s free trial of the Standard plan to utilize its best features.

How to Choose the Best Project Management Tool: Our Methodology

Our team of experts has spent countless hours testing project management software platforms that are used by small businesses and large enterprises. As we use the software, we carefully grade the platform’s features and how the software performs in critical areas before thoughtfully assigning each category a weighted score. Below are the categories we grade.

Features: We make sure that the software offers managers the views they need to track project progress, plus the tools needed for team collaboration, budgeting and resource allocation, risk management, task planning and more.

Pricing: We look closely at each platform’s plans and ask ourselves if there are robust free plans and paid plans that provide excellent value for money. We compare each platform’s plans against competing software before awarding a score.

User-friendliness: A project management suite that is supposed to help is no good if it’s challenging to use. We test every tool and feature, and spend lots of time with the software to see if the designers have created a user-friendly platform.

Security and Privacy: You can’t be too careful with data, so we dig deep into each piece of software to see what security and encryption tools are in place and what end-user security options are available. We also read every word of each platform’s privacy policy to see if they can be trusted with your data.

Customer Support: We ensure each platform has a support network to help customers in need. We check to see what contact options are available. We send help requests to see how long it takes to receive a response, and we thoroughly investigate help centers and knowledgebases to ensure they have the articles needed to help end users in a bind.

The 15 Best Project Management Tools

Now you know what we look for in project management software and what we grade it on, it’s time to dive into the meat and potatoes of this roundup. Below, we’ll cover the top 15 project management platforms for project managers.

1. monday.com — Best All-In-One Platform for Most Teams

monday dashboard
monday.com’s dashboards make it easy to keep track of tasks and project activities.

More details about monday.com:

Pros:

  • Beautiful, intuitive interface
  • Comprehensive feature set
  • Affordable plans

Cons:

  • Lackluster free & basic tiers
  • Weak admin & security options in lower plans

monday.com is the best project management system for most teams, thanks to its friendly user interface. The tools — like the kanban boards, calendars, lists, Gantt charts and dashboards — are simple yet powerful due to the wealth of project information they can display. File uploads are easy to manage, and project portfolios help managers organize projects with ease. 

Additionally, monday.com offers a knowledgebase that features easy-to-read articles, a community forum and the monday.com academy that offers various courses and classes, which again enhances the platform’s usability. Security and privacy are also excellent, especially in the medium to high-tier plans. Overall, monday.com is a robust platform that project teams will enjoy using.

monday.com Hands-On Testing: Features & Integrations

monday automations
Automations on monday.com are easy to implement, thanks to a handy automation tool.

Users will have no problems with monday.com thanks to well-designed menus, tools and templates that make managing projects easy. There are integrations and automations that can take care of time-consuming jobs, and they’re effortless to activate. If you want to hit the ground running, monday.com is the platform for you.

monday.com Pricing & Value

monday.com’s free plan is not great, and the Basic plan offers far too little for the price. However, monday.com excels when you move into the $10 per user per month (billed yearly) Standard plan and the $16 per user per month (billed annually) Pro Plan. You can use monday.com’s 14-day free trial and a pro-rated 30-day money-back guarantee. You can learn more in our monday.com review.

Free
  • Maximum users: 2
More plans
Enterprise
  • Enterprise-level features.

2. ClickUp — Best for Remote and Work-From-Home Teams

clickup kanban
ClickUp’s interface isn’t as pretty as others, but it does the job.

More details about ClickUp:

Pros:

  • Feature-packed free plan
  • Robust collaboration tools
  • Plenty of features

Cons:

  • User interface can be clunky
  • Some advanced tools can be confusing

ClickUp is a do-it-all project management system that combines task views like Gantt charts, kanban boards, informative dashboards and lists with project templates that can help managers set up projects with one-click, plus real-time collaboration tools that can make work for remote teams easy.

It offers excellent security features like two-factor authentication and SSO (single sign-on policies). There’s also a robust knowledgebase and university. Plenty of tools help round out ClickUp nicely, including file management, AI (a paid extra) that can help create project timelines, and portfolios that can help you track all the moving parts of your project.

ClickUp Hands-On Testing: Features & Integrations

clickup mindmap
Clickup’s collaborative mind maps allow teams to brainstorm in real time.

ClickUp isn’t quite as intuitive as monday.com, but after a short time, you’ll be able to create projects, assign tasks and communicate with your team without fuss. Some collaboration tools, like mind maps, can be tricky to use, but they’re powerful and shouldn’t be overlooked. ClickUp also offers automations and integrations that connect the platform with other software. 

ClickUp Pricing & Value

If you want to try out ClickUp, you can start with its tremendous free plan. It offers most of ClickUp’s tools but limits their use, which makes it ideal for small teams. ClickUp’s paid plans are also affordable. The Unlimited plan costs $7 per user per month, while the Business plan costs $12 per user per month. ClickUp also offers an Enterprise plan. You can learn more in our ClickUp review.

Free Forever
  • Basic functionality with some limitations

3. Asana — Best Platform for Integrations

asana timeline view
Asana’s views make it ideal for many project management methodologies.

More details about Asana:

  • Pricing: $10.99 per user
  • Website: asana.com

Pros:

  • Integrations, reports & tools
  • Robust free tier
  • Excellent interface

Cons:

  • Paid tiers can be pricey
  • Collaboration tools are not strong

Asana offers an uncomplicated suite of project and task management tools. The views — like Gantt charts, timelines, lists, calendars and kanban boards — make it an ideal platform for those who use traditional, Agile or hybrid project management methodologies. Other features — like file uploads, reports, time tracking and portfolios — help make it a capable platform.

This software really focuses on the overall user experience and goes above and beyond to offer training solutions that will help teams get the most out of the software. Project leaders and enterprises needn’t worry about security, either, as Asana provides multi-factor authentication, single sign-on, 256-bit encryption and SOC Type 2 compliance.

Asana Hands-On Testing: Features & Integrations

asana desktop app
Asana’s desktop app is fully featured and has the same great design as the web version.

Overall, Asana is easy to use, whether you’re using it on the web, via its dedicated desktop app, or with mobile project management apps. Every tool and feature is front and center, and the menus are concise. Asana also offers one of the most comprehensive lists of integrations, supporting hundreds of apps that can help centralize all of your data in one place.

Asana Pricing & Value

You can get started with Asana’s free plan, which supports unlimited projects for up to 10 team members and offers multiple views and integrations. Asana’s paid plans are pricier than the competition. Asana’s Starter plan costs $10.99 per member per month (with annual billing). The Advanced plan costs $24.99 per member per month (when billed annually). You can learn more in our Asana review.

Personal
  • Up to 10 users
Starter
  • Price is per user. unlimited users, expanded features
Advanced
  • Price is per user. unlimited users, even more features
Enterprise
  • Custom pricing, advanced security features

4. Zoho Projects — Best for New Teams

zoho projects interface kanban
Zoho Projects offers a clean user interface and is easy to use.

More details about Zoho Projects:

  • Pricing: $4 per user
  • Website: zoho.com

Pros:

  • Great value for money
  • Easy to learn & use
  • Many first-party integrations

Cons:

  • Lackluster free plan
  • Sterile aesthetics

Zoho Projects is a no-fuss project management solution that’s ideal for new teams, thanks to its straightforward approach to managing projects. You’ll find everything you need for project tracking, including Gantt charts that support task dependencies, kanban boards and calendars, and tools like time trackers and time sheets that can help manage project costs.

It also offers resource utilization charts, reports and team collaboration tools, such as document creators and real-time chat. Zoho Projects might not be the prettiest platform, but it offers excellent resources for new teams who need guidance. Security is also strong, and Zoho offers top customer service with live chat, email and phone support.

Zoho Projects Hands-On Testing: Features & Integrations

zoho dashboard
Zoho’s dashboards can show users many project metrics.

There’s nothing complicated about Zoho Projects. The tools work exactly how you think they should, navigation is straightforward, and dashboards give helpful information. The killer feature, though, is that Zoho Projects integrates with other Zoho platforms, meaning you can make Zoho Projects what you need it to be, as long as you don’t mind signing up for multiple Zoho tools.

Zoho Projects Pricing & Value

Zoho Projects offers a free plan, but it’s only suitable for individual use. The paid tiers start with Premium, which costs $4 per user per month when you pay yearly, and Enterprise, which runs $9 per user per month when billed annually. You can use Zoho’s free trials on paid plans and or use the 30- and 45-day refunds for monthly and yearly memberships. Check out our Zoho Projects review for more details.

5. Trello — Best Trello Boards for Large Teams

trello kanban
Trello’s kanban boards are customizable and easy to use.

More details about Trello:

Pros:

  • Limitless integrations
  • Best kanban board tool
  • Incredible free plan

Cons:

  • Not as versatile as other software
  • Not suitable for complex projects

Trello has excellent task management capabilities. This kanban-centric tool is ideal for large Agile teams that need to track and complete simple projects. The stars of the show are the unlimited users, kanban boards and unlimited integrations, all of which are available in the free plan. Meanwhile, Premium plan members will also find dashboards, Gantt charts, calendars and table views.

It offers templates that suit a variety of industries. There are good security options, including two-factor authentication, and a help section provides plenty of how-to articles. Trello isn’t the most versatile project management app, and communication options are limited, but if you only need kanban boards, there’s no better option for teams working on simpler projects.

Trello Hands-On Testing: Features & Integrations

trello integrations
Users can install unlimited integrations from the free plan and up.

Trello is easy to pick up and use. The drag-and-drop mechanics are so slick and Intuitive that you’ll be creating tasks in no time. Trello supports unlimited integrations and many automations. So although Trello is a fairly simple tool, it can be turned into a project management powerhouse thanks to how many tools it can interact with and how many tasks can be automated.

Trello Pricing & Value

Most teams will be able to use Trello for free, which is almost unheard of these days. You can opt for the $5 per user per month Standard plan if you need custom card fields. If you need the Gantt charts and other views, the $10 per user per month Premium plan is for you.

Trello also offers an Enterprise plan with additional security and admin features. If you want to try Trellos’ advanced features, you can get a free trial of the Premium plan. You can learn more in our Trello review.

Free
  • Unlimited users, 10 boards, Unlimited power-ups, Unlimited storage
Standard
  • Price is per user, Unlimited boards, Custom fields, Invite guests
Premium
  • Price is per user, Several new views
Enterprise
  • Price is per user, Advanced admin & security settings

6. Jira — Best Platform for Product Developers

jira backlog management
Jira’s backlog and issue trackers make it ideal for software development.

More details about Jira:

  • Pricing: $8.15 per user
  • Website: jira.com

Pros:

  • Good backlogs & Scrum boards
  • User-friendly interface
  • Great free & paid plans

Cons:

  • Not very versatile
  • Discounts only for large teams

If you’re a Scrum master looking for Agile project management software suitable for software and product development, Jira is for you. It shines with excellent Scrum boards, unmatched product backlog management tools, issue trackers and seamless integration with Confluence, which lets managers create documents for Scrum events, like retrospective meetings.

On top of powerful boards and task cards, Jira offers file storage, dependency management, detailed reports and numerous security and admin options, including user permissions, disaster recovery tools and mobile device management. Overall, Jira is a one-stop for all things Scrum, and it deserves its place at the top of our best project management tools for Scrum roundup. 

Jira Hands-On Testing: Features & Integrations

jira move
Jira is easy to use, thanks to its simple drag-and-drop boards.

Like its project-management sibling, Trello, Jira is easy to use and features boards that work with simple drag-and-drop mechanics and cards that can contain a wealth of data. Thanks to numerous templates, Jira should not pose problems to Scrum teams. Jira also supports integration, which supports links to other project management and productivity apps. Jira can also quickly automate tasks.

Jira Pricing & Value

You’ll find a comprehensive free plan that’s ideal for teams of 10 or fewer. The Standard plan costs $8.15 per user per month. Premium costs $16 per user per month. Teams with over 100 members (Jira can support tens of thousands of members) start to see plan discounts. You can use Jira’s free trials of its plans, and it also has a 30-day refund policy. Find out more in our Jira review.

Free
  • Max. 10 users. unlimited boards, reports and insights; backlog; basic roadmaps; 2GB of storage; community support
Standard
  • Annual price is for 10 users; with more than 10, annual pricing changes based on the number of users. Monthly pricing changes with teams over 100.
Premium
  • Annual price is for 10 users; with more than 10, annual pricing changes based on the number of users. Monthly pricing changes with teams over 100.

7. Wrike — Best for Scaled Projects

wrike sterile
Wrike has been designed with scaled project management in mind.

More details about Wrike:

Pros:

  • Ideal for enterprise projects
  • Impressive security features
  • Plenty of tools & features

Cons:

  • Bland user interface
  • Expensive paid plans & extras
  • Insufficient training materials

Wrike is a jack-of-all-trades tool that our experts appreciate for its ability to make task management simple and its detailed analytics and reports. Users will find many task management views, including kanban, Gantt, and spreadsheets. There are also AI tools, collaboration features, and resource management tools, like effort allocators and time trackers.

It also has one of the most comprehensive lists of admin and security options. Tools like controlled admin permissions, user types and access controls make this platform ideal for companies and managers who want to scale projects across multiple departments or entire organizations. With Wrike, you can easily track and manage simple and complex projects.

Wrike Hands-On Testing: Features & Integrations

wrike reports
Wrike’s admin tools and security features are incredibly robust.

Wrike looks bland compared to other project managers. Still, Wrike can be navigated quickly thanks to clean tools and logical menus. Reports can be generated rapidly, and third-party integrations can be activated efficiently. We’re not fans of Wrike’s choice to charge for first-party integrations, though they do add many features. Wrike can do many things, and it does them all rather well.

Wrike Pricing & Value

Wrike offers a free plan that supports unlimited members, has enterprise-grade security and many task management and AI tools. However, it starts to falter with its paid plans. The team plan, which supports up to 25 members, costs $9.80 per user per month and oddly removes free plan features. The Business plan jumps to $24.80 per user per month.

There are two more paid accounts, Enterprise and Pinnacle, which are geared toward large enterprises. You must contact Wrtike for a quote, as they’re customizable. You can get a free trial of Wrikes plans, which we recommend using as the company does not offer any refunds. You can learn more in our Wrike review.

Free
  • Unlimited users. Basic features.
Team
  • Price is per user. Plans for 5, 10 and 15 users.
Business
  • Price is per user. No monthly option. Plans for 5 to 200 users.
Enterprise
  • Plans for 5 to an unlimited number of users.

8. nTask — Best for Teams on a Budget

ntask browser list
nTask is an affordable platform with tools and features that match pricier competitors.

More details about nTask:

Pros:

  • Shallow learning curve
  • Many task management tools
  • Incredibly affordable

Cons:

  • Clunky navigation
  • Not many native integrations

nTask might not be on every project manager’s radar, but it should be. Not only is nTask affordable, but it has many of the same tools found in more expensive options. Regarding task management, you’ll find boards, Gantt Charts and lists that let you track project progress. nTask supports dependencies and subtasks, tracks budgets and monitors employee productivity. 

It offers real-time collaboration tools, issue and risk management tracking, and iOS and Android mobile apps. nTask also excels in security, offering two-factor authentication, SSO, custom roles and positions, and provides customers with great support. 

nTask Hands-On Testing: Features & Integrations

ntask workflow management
Although nTask is a fine project management tool, it could use a little polish.

nTask offers a colorful user interface that many will like, but the overall user experience is lacking. Accessing tools and features often requires many clicks, and the menus aren’t the best designed. It also falls short regarding native integrations, but it does offer Zapier support. Should you become stuck, nTask’s knowledgebase will help you get out of a bind. 

nTask Pricing & Value

You can try nTask’s free plan, which supports up to five team members, unlimited workspaces and many tools. There are also three paid plans. Premium, which is ideal for new and small teams, costs $3 per user per month when billed yearly. Business, which is suitable for large teams, costs $8 per user per month when billed annually. There’s also a customizable Enterprise plan. To find out more, check out our nTask review.

Free
  • Maximum 5 team members.
Premium
  • No minimum or maximum team members.
Business
  • No minimum or maximum team members.
Enterprise
  • Self-hosted option. 50 team members minimum.

9. Leantime — Best for Project Planning

leantime blueprints
Leantime’s planning tools are unmatched.

More details about Leantime:

Pros:

  • Excellent planning tools
  • Easy to use
  • Cloud-based or self-hosted

Cons:

  • Limited integration support
  • Limited customizations
  • Weaker security

Leantime is a favorite of our experts, not only because of its project management functionality via easy-to-use kanban boards and Gantt charts, but also because it makes project planning a piece of cake. Leantime features blueprints, risk management tools, idea and business development boards, time trackers, wikis and retrospective tools. 

This project management software is versatile and is just as comfortable with Scrum and sprints as it is with Waterfall methods. Customer service is fantastic, and the help center gets users out of trouble. 

Perhaps the only downside is that Leantime’s security, while still very good, isn’t quite as robust as other project management software. It uses SSL instead of TLS, and it allows for self-hosting which means the responsibility for data security rests with the user. Still, Leantime is open source, which means it can be self-hosted and have its code audited regularly.

Leantime Hands-On Testing: Features & Integrations

leantime ai status
Leantime’s project planning tools are hard to beat.

Leantime’s user interface is dated and offers few customizations, but it’s simple to understand. The tools can be accessed quickly, and forms and features explain their use. Unfortunately, there are few native integrations, which holds the platform back a little. Still, most will find that Leantime offers plenty of tools to manage projects big and small. 

Leantime Pricing & Value

Leantime’s free plan, Core, supports unlimited users and offers all of Leantime’s core tools and views. It also has three affordable paid plans. Core+Strategy costs just $4 per user per month, Core+Strategy+program, which is ideal for big teams, costs $8 per user per month. 

The Everything+AI plan tops out at $10 per user per month. You can try Leantime’s two-week free trial of all the plans. You can learn more in our Leantime review.

Core
  • Unlimited users Multiple Task Views Timelines / Milestones Strategy Boards Goal Management Idea Management Time Tracking & Management
Core + Strategy
  • Price per user Everything in Core, plus Whiteboards Strategic Vision & Descriptions Strategic Anchors (Focus Areas) Automated Goal Management Strategy Docs Strategy Level Files API Access
Core + Strategy + Program
  • Price per user Everything in Core + Strategy, plus Program Kanban Program Timelines Adv. Goal Management Program Idea Boards Program Strategy Boards Program Retrospectives Program Level Files
Per User Pricing
  • Price per user Everything in Core + Strategy + Program, plus AI Status Reports AI Status Updates AI Story Time Priority Support

10. Notion — Best for Content Creation and Collaboration

notion docs
Notion is one of the best platforms for designers and content creators.

More details about Notion:

Pros:

  • Powerful collaboration tools
  • Good selection of features
  • Competitive pricing

Cons:

  • Dreary design
  • Weak free plan
  • Pricey AI tools

Notion is a collaboration and communication tool first, but it has the chops to manage projects on the simpler side. Users will find basic task-tracking tools — like kanban boards, calendars and Gantt charts — that support dependencies and subtasks. Notion also has a great knowledgebase with articles that feature images and videos to help you learn the platform.

This tool shines in the collaboration department. Teams can discuss work, create documents, work on pitch decks, form wikis and more. Notion is secure and offers plenty of admin and security features. An AI tool can help create documents and notes, but it’s a rather pricey add-on. Still, Notion is easily one of the best platforms for content creators and design teams.

Notion Hands-On Testing: Features & Integrations

notion project
Notion offers enough tools to track tasks and manage simple projects.

However, Notion is a platform that takes a little getting used to. Navigation isn’t the best, and it can be easy to get a little lost within the various tools. Notion also has a love-or-hate monochrome design. Notion offers many integrations for those who want to connect to other services, but automations aren’t as robust as those in different platforms. 

Notion Pricing & Value

You can use Notion’s free plan, which is ideal for individuals. Alternatively, ts most popular offering is the $8 per user per month annual Plus plan for small teams. There’s a Business plan for larger teams that costs $15 per user per month annually, and an Enterprise plan that requires a call to Notion for a quote. You can learn more in our Notion review.

Free
  • 1 user only, Up to five guests, 5MB file upload limit
Plus
  • 1 user only, Unlimited guests, Unlimited file uploads, Version history
Business
  • Unlimited users, Unlocks workspace, User permission settings
Enterprise
  • Advanced security features

11. Airtable — Best for Teams Who Need Custom Workflows

airtable kanban extension
Airtable has one of the nicest user interfaces our experts have seen.

More details about Airtable:

Pros:

  • Incredibly user friendly
  • Robust free plan
  • Customizable workflows

Cons:

  • Can get expensive
  • Few native integrations

Airtable is unique in project management as it is one of a handful of apps that thrust spreadsheets into the foreground. However, while spreadsheets are the star of the show, users will still find support for kanban, timelines (Gantt charts) and lists. There’s no denying Airtable’s ability to manage tasks, which is why it tops our roundup of best task management software

However, Airtable offers more than task-managing tools. Dig deeper, and you’ll find real-time collaboration tools, reports, dashboards, time tracking, app development and budgeting tools, and many admin and security features. Airtable is a do-it-all platform for project managers in product development, marketing, sales, finance and even human resources.

Airtable Hands-On Testing: Features & Integrations

airtable integration
Airtable doesn’t offer many integrations, but the ones on offer
support the most commonly used platforms.

Airtable is one of the easiest project management suites to use. The app is beautifully designed, the tools are intuitive, and the menus are logical. If you don’t like the workflows on offer, you can create your own and make the platform work how you need it to. There aren’t many native integrations, but Airtable has most of what everyone needs anyway.

Airtable Pricing & Value

You can use Airtable’s generous free plan for up to five editors (users) and includes most of Airtable’s core features. The first paid plan, Team, costs $20 per user per month (annually). The Business plan skyrockets in price to $45 per user per month with annual billing. There’s also a customizable Enterprise plan. Check out our Airtable review for more details.

Free
  • Up to five users. Unlimited bases. 1,000 records, 1GB of storage per base. Revision and snapshot history for two weeks. Views: grid, calendar, form, Kanban board, gallery and list. 100 automations per month.
Team
  • Everything in free, plus unlimited users, 50,000 records and 20GB of storage space per base. Adds Gantt charts and timeline views. 25,000 automations per month.
Business
  • Everything in Team, plus 125,000 records, 100GB of storage per base, 100,000 automation per month. Admin controls, single sign-on (SSO) and premium integrations with third-party services.
Enterprise
  • Everything in Business, plus 500,000 records, 1TB of storage per base, and 500,000 automation monthly.

12. Smartsheet — Best for Spreadsheet Fanatics

user friendliness smartsheet
Smarsheet’s design is dated, but it gets the job done.

More details about Smartsheet:

Pros:

  • Best spreadsheet around
  • Great security & admin tools
  • Plenty of learning resources

Cons:

  • Expensive paid plans
  • Limited free tier

Smartsheet is a spreadsheet-forward tool that’s slightly more traditional than Airtable. The spreadsheets look like those from yesteryear, and they function with formulas. Managers will also find Gantt charts, boards, dashboards, and calendars that help track progress and reports that show key performance indicators. There are also time-tracking and budgeting tools.

This tool excels at managing Agile and traditional projects at scale. There are countless administration and security features to help manage large teams, plenty of automations that allow things to tick along. There’s also a user-friendly knowledgebase and university that can help teams quickly get to grips with Smartsheet’s tools. 

Smartsheet Hands-On Testing: Features & Integrations

smartsheet dashboard
Smartsheet’s customizable dashboards are easy to create.

Unlike its direct competitor, Airtable, Smartsheet can be tricky to use. Navigation can sometimes be a click-fest, menus aren’t the cleanest, and the tools can be cumbersome. Smartsheet does offer over 100 integrations, though, which let you share data between platforms. Automations can also help take care of tedious tasks, which will help free up precious time.

Smartsheet Pricing & Value

Smartsheet offers a free plan, but its features are limited and supports only three team members. We suggest considering Smartsheet’s paid options. Smartsheet Pro costs $7 per user per month when paying annually, but it is limited to 10 users. Business costs $25 per user per month with annual billing. You can learn more about Smartsheet features and plans in our Smartsheet review.

Free
  • 1 user, up to 2 editors, Limited features, 500MB file storage,
Pro
  • Prices per user, Max 10 users Basic features, 20GB file storage
Business
  • Prices per user, Three user minimum, Unlimited free users, Expanded features, 300GB file storage
Enterprise/Premium
  • Advanced features

13. TeamGantt — Best for Easy-to-Use Gantt Charts

teamgantt chart
The charts in TeamGantt are colorful, easy-to-read and intuitive.

More details about TeamGantt:

Pros:

  • The best Gantt chart app
  • Intuitive & easy to use
  • Many guides & classes

Cons:

  • Limited feature set
  • Undesirable free plan
  • So expensive

TeamGantt makes fear-inducing Gantt charts simple and easy to use. Like other specialty platforms, TeamGantt offers calendars, kanban boards and lists to complement the charts, which increases the platform’s versatility. TeamGantt also provides mobile applications that are as useful and well-designed as the web tool.

Aside from the task views, TeamGantt does offer time tracking, collaboration and resource management tools, portfolio management features, and templates for industries that idolize Gantt charts, like construction and RACI charts — but that’s about it. However, its security is excellent, and the platform’s knowledgebase and classes will help you get to grips with the tools and features.

TeamGantt Hands-On Testing: Features & Integrations

teamgantt discussions
TeamGantt offers users a chat tool to help members collaborate on projects.

TeamGantt’s colorful interface, menus and tools make using the platform straightforward. You can be where you need to be within a few clicks. If you’re hoping for many native integrations, you’ll be disappointed, but you can use a service like Zapier to link platforms. Automations are supported in TeamGantt, but there aren’t many, which means more work for you.

TeamGantt Pricing & Value

TeamGantt would sit higher on this list if it weren’t for the cost. The free plan is lackluster and supports only three people and one project. You could consider the Lite plan, which costs $19 monthly per manager (who can have five collaborators). Pro costs $49 per manager per month but features unlimited members. There’s also a scalable Unlimited Everything plan. You can learn more in our TeamGantt review

Free
  • 2 users (1 manager)
Enterprise
  • Unlimited

14. Basecamp — Best for Communication and Planning

basecamp todo
Basecamp mixes collaboration tools with light task and planning features.

More details about Basecamp:

Pros:

  • Great communication tools
  • Straightforward pricing
  • Excellent mobile applications

Cons:

  • No free plan
  • Busy user interface
  • Few project management tools

Basecamp offers project management features, but isn’t the most comprehensive project management tool available. Still, it deserves its place on this list because it mixes simple project management and communication for small teams rather well. 

There are a few task-tracking tools, like to-do lists, kanban boards, lineups (Gantt charts) and hill charts. As simple as they are, they still work and let you assign and track jobs. Meanwhile, Basecamp shines when it comes to collaboration. There is no shortage of tools to communicate and share ideas with team members and clients.

Basecamp Hands-On Testing: Features & Integrations

basecamp integrations
Basecamp can integrate with many platforms.

However, Basecamp is let down by its interface, which relies heavily on dashboards. Fortunately, it’s easy to connect Basecamp to other project management tools like Airtable and Notion and many productivity suites, which expands Basecamp’s capabilities. If you need a solid communication tool with a few task-tracking features for your small team, Basecamp would be a good choice.

Basecamp Pricing & Value

Basecamp does not offer a free plan and has just two paid plans. The Basecamp plan costs $15 per user per month and includes all tools and 500GB of storage. Basecamp Pro Unlimited costs $299 per month when billed annually and features more storage and extra customer support. You can get Basecamp’s free 30-day trial of both plans. Find out more in our Basecamp review.

Basecamp
  • Per user. Unlimited projects, Unlimited users, All features. 500GB storage.
Basecamp Pro Unlimited
  • Unlimited users. 5TB storage. Priority support.

15. Freedcamp — Best for Small Teams

freedcamp gantt chart
Freedcamp offers a clutter-free interface that’s ideal for inexperienced teams.

More details about Freedcamp:

Pros:

  • Inexpensive plans
  • User-friendly tools
  • Open-source software

Cons:

  • Few integrations
  • Security behind paywalls
  • Free plan for individuals only

Freedcamp is an open-source project management tool featuring a clutter-free interface that won’t trip up new or inexperienced teams. Users will discover many task views, including kanban boards, lists, dashboards and Gantt charts, time tracking, file editing, reports and storage, and password management tools.

On top of the tools mentioned above, there is the usual gamut of tools for enhanced security. Being open-source means Freedcamp’s code can be regularly audited for critical errors, which further enhances security. There are tools for collaboration, like wikis and a comprehensive knowledgebase for help. What makes Freedcamp impressive is its incredibly affordable plans.

Freedcamp Hands-On Testing: Features & Integrations

freedcamp reports
Freedcamp’s reports are easy to generate and understand.

The strength of Freedcamp lies in its easy-to-use tools. Adding tasks, team members and due dates is simple. Reports are easy to find and read. Menus are indicated via icons, which teams familiar with apps will understand immediately. Views are hidden behind a frustrating cog, but it’s not a deal breaker. The biggest negative is the lack of platform integrations, which limits Freedcamp’s versatility.

Freedcamp Pricing & Value

Freedcamp offers a free plan for individuals. There are three paid plans: Pro, which costs $1.49 per user per month (billed annually); Business, which costs $7.49 per user per month when paying yearly; and Enterprise, which costs $16.99 per user per month with annual billing. You can try any Freedcamp plan free for 14 days. Check out our Freedcamp review for more details.

Free
  • Unlimited users, Unlimited projects, Basic functions
Pro
  • Price per user, Storage integration, Table view
Business
  • Price per user, Templates, Gantt charts, Custom fields
Enterprise
  • Price per user, Security options, 14-day trial

Upcoming Project Management Trend: Artificial Intelligence

The biggest trend in project management apps at the moment is AI tools that can help automate tasks, send emails, create notes and help generate project plans. Most of the top project management suites have already rolled out their tools, but even platforms like Leantime are getting in on the action. Be prepared to pay extra for the convenience of AI, though.

Benefits of Using Project Management Tools

Managing projects can be complicated at the best of times. Fortunately, project management software can take away some of the weight on a project manager’s shoulders. 

Below, we’ll list the most common ways modern software can help managers deliver projects and deliverables on time and within budget.

  • Budget planning — These tools allow managers to set initial estimates, track expenses as they occur, and make sure the project doesn’t experience scope creep.
  • Task management — Managers can quickly see where each task sits in the pipeline and can ensure that all tasks have an assignee, a due date and subtasks, if needed.
  • Reports — Key performance indicators — such as unassigned, assigned and completed tasks, time spent on jobs, costs, and individual team member performance — can be tracked via reports. This information allows a manager to adjust workloads and projected end dates quickly. 
  • Risk management — Thanks to risk-management tools, managers can list potential risks before the project starts, devise plans to overcome them, and share them with their team and stakeholders.
  • Collaboration — Tools like chat apps, mind maps, whiteboards and document creation tools allow teams to work together to solve problems and share creative ideas.
  • Resource management — Project management tools allow leaders to see where their resources are and if employees have too much or too little work.

Final Thoughts

Many project management software options exist for project managers and teams from all walks of life. All the suites have pros and cons, and are suitable for specific jobs or everything. The hardest thing to do is pick the right software for you. Hopefully, our roundup of the best project management software has helped you decide which way to turn. 

Have you used any of the tools we have mentioned? If so, which is your favorite? Do you plan to take any of the options listed above for a spin to see if they can do a job for you? Let us know in the comments, and as always, thanks for reading.

FAQ: Best Project Management Software

  • Projects with their many moving parts and variables can quickly get out of hand without proper management. A seasoned project manager can help keep simple and complex tasks on track, on time and under budget, and can help companies and their projects avoid scope creep.

  • Project management software helps project managers and their teams plan projects, organize resources, track and manage tasks, and communicate with team members far and wide. These software suites can increase team efficiency, reduce waste, manage risks and help teams produce high-quality deliverables on time.

  • monday.com is powerful project management software that’s the best overall tool thanks to its user-friendly interface and easy-to-use tools.

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