17 Best Project Management Software and Tools (2025)

Project management can often feel boring and difficult.

That’s why you need to perfect project management software manage a team with ever-changing tasks.

Software that can create, track, and close a project with great deliverables is the key.

If you don’t want to get stuck on any project or task, I wrote this ultimate guide to the best project management software to help you make smart decisions.

Juggling multiple projects is a pain in the neck. According to survey, 59% of project managers juggle between 2 and 5 projects at a time. 11% run 6 to 10 projects, and 15% run more than 10 at a time.

With a project management tool such as Monday.com, Wrike, Teamwork, ClickUp, and Todoist, you’ll feel more confident in your ‘next’ projects.

In this guide, you’ll discover:

• What the best project management software tools are
• What to consider when choosing project management software
• How to never waste money on project tools with hard-to-use features and expensive plans
• The benefits of using a project management tool to collaborate with your team, efficiently manage tasks, and avoid the back-and-forth emails.

Let’s dive right in.

What Is the Best Project Management Software?

Here are my picks for the best project management software for 2023. After the list, you’ll find an in-depth review of each tool. Enjoy!

1. Monday.com
2. ClickUp
3. Teamwork
4. Todoist
5. TimeCamp
6. Asana
7. Nifty
8. Zoho Projects
9. Trello
10. Airtable
11. Notion
12. Hive
13. Wrike
14. ProofHub
15. BaseCamp
16. Jira
17. MeisterTask

Alright, let’s dive right in. Here’s a breakdown of the 17 best project management software for 2023:

1. Monday.com

Best overall project management software

Monday.com is an all-in-one marketing platform, with project management solutions.

It helps you to manage projects, leads, and budgets with ease. You can also track teams and automate follow-ups.

As one of the leading project management tools available today, Monday’s solution is known for its versatility.

Its affordable price tag and robust feature set make it an excellent choice for sales and marketing teams.

You can also try out Monday Pro 14-day free trial before you make a final decision.  

Monday offers a tiered pricing structure with higher-priced tiers.

The free tier allows users to use the basic project management features, but the cost increases when you add collaboration permissions and advanced features.

Key Features

• Create and customize workflows to fit your needs
• Centralize all your work into one Work OS
• Visual boards that let you manage projects and departments
• Project and Portfolio management
• Manage and collaborate on creative projects

Pros

• A clean and intuitive dashboard environment
• Ideal for larger organizations and teams
• Powerful integrations with your favorite tools (including ActiveCampaign)
• It’s beginner-friendly (easy to learn with lots of resources)
• The time tracking and budget tools are quite easy to use

Cons

• There’s no chat function for team members to interact with (except you integrate Monday with Slack)
• Creating workflows take time (especially in your first attempt)
• The mobile version of Monday.com sometimes gets slow (this could cause the screen to freeze for a few seconds)

Pricing

Monday’s plans and pricing are based on seats (i.e., users). By default, it uses 3 seats as the minimum benchmark for all its paid plans. Here’s a breakdown:

• Individual ($0/free forever): Begin with this forever-free plan and get unlimited plans, unlimited docs, and more. Up to 2 seats allowed.
• Basic ($8/seat/month): Manage all your teams’ work in one place, with unlimited items, unlimited free viewers, etc.
• Standard ($12/seat/month): Collaborate and optimize your team’s processes.
• Pro ($27/seat/month): It’s time to run your teams’ complex workflows, create private boards and docs, chart view, and more.
• Enterprise: You’re expected to contact sales support to get a custom quote. This plan is ideal if your organization is seeking enterprise-grade features.

Note: Save 18% with this annual payment. If you opt to pay monthly instead, expect to pay more.

2. ClickUp

Best all-in-one project management software

ClickUp is an innovative project management software, which allows you to track, manage, and share information between departments and team members.

The platform’s feature set allows users to create to-do lists and assign tasks using a top-down approach.

For example, when a team member has a project that requires several employees to complete, a to-do list will help him to prioritize the work.

The user can also create a notepad to record ideas for future projects.

In addition, a ClickUp notepad can be used for shopping lists, errand lists, and even organizing crazy thoughts.

The best way to maximize productivity with ClickUp is to block out distractions.

With ClickUp, you can organize your work into different workflows.

You can easily manage tasks — by creating rich-text docs. Then, you can attach those documents to projects and collaborate on them in real-time.

Key Features

• Manage simple or complex projects with handy tools
• Communication tools to streamline sales
• Sales pipelines management
• Account and contact management
• Work smarter with clients with real-time chat
• Centralize customer outreach: Every task from a single hub
• A robust and easy-to-understand dashboard

Pros

• Easily initiate, plan, and execute projects with your team members
• The interface is clean and intuitive to use
• Clever project management features, functionality, and implementation
• Create spaces or folders to manage contacts and files with ease
• Easily integrate with 100s of your favorite apps and platforms

Cons

• Customizing the dashboard could be easier (especially for complex projects)
• It takes time to fully master ClickUp. More hands-on demo videos will be great

Pricing

Here’s a breakdown of ClickUp’s plans and flexible pricing options:

• Free ($0/free forever): 100MB storage, unlimited tasks, unlimited members, and more.
• UNLIMITED ($9/member/month): Best plan for small teams, unlimited storage, unlimited integrations, form view, etc.
• BUSINESS ($19/member/month): Mid-sized teams can benefit from this plan. Get Google SSO, unlimited teams, custom exporting, etc.
• BUSINESS PLUS ($29/member/month): Multiple teams can use this plan for team sharing, subtasks in multiple lists, custom role creation, etc.
• ENTERPRISE: Contact sales to get a custom quote. Get every feature that ClickUp has to offer.

Note: With ClickUp, you save 45% when you pay annually. Get started with the free-forever plan to test the software before upgrading.

3. Teamwork

Best for chat and collaboration

Teamwork is a powerful project management software that lets you create a shared workspace for your entire team.

It also allows you to keep track of client projects and information. It has many features that make it easy to manage multiple projects.

For example, you can organize your team into teams and redistribute tasks. You can also manage a team and assign each member a particular task.

This project management tool has some amazing advanced features.

For example, you can customize your application with as many integrations as you need.

If you have a lot of projects, you can even record the time you spend on each task, which makes it easier to invoice clients.

You can also upload files and comment on tasks. You can also add notes to a task. You can also keep track of all your login and password information.

Key Features

• Get efficient: Custom-built project management tool for client work
• Get organized: Track every billable minute, make it a template
• Get profitable: Everything you need to scale – Help Desk, CRM, Chat, and more
• Set project milestones and see the big picture in your dashboard
• Real-time collaboration tools that keep everyone on the same page

Pros

• It’s easy to use and intuitive (especially when I used it for the first time)
• Easily prioritize urgent projects
• Team collaboration through messaging
• Planning for events and activities is easy
• You can easily make adjustments in your timelines

Cons

• No PDF or image markup is supported
• It doesn’t work in offline mode
• Kanban automation could be improved to give more functionality

Pricing

Teamwork offers 4 pricing packages:

• Free Forever ($0/free): Basic project & task management tools, milestones, 5-user maximum, and more.
• Deliver ($12.5/month or $10/user/month billed annually): 20 project templates, time tracking & invoicing, 3-user minimum, and everyting in the free plan.
• Growth ($22.5/month or $18/user/month billed annually): Maximum of 5 users, 50 project templates, plus everything in Deliver.
• Scale: Get everything in Grow, plus profitability report and advanced features to help you scale confidently. Contact sales for a custom quote.

4. Todoist

Best for efficient organization

One of the best features of Todoist is its ability to create custom filters and views of your tasks.

By default, you get an overview of your Today’s tasks and upcoming tasks. However, by using the advanced filtering options, you can choose to see tasks based on specific tags or criteria.

This feature is especially helpful if you are constantly switching between multiple projects at once.

With the new custom filtering capabilities, you can quickly locate the tasks you need to complete and get right to work.

If you’d like to export your projects, Todoist has an automatic scheduler that reschedules tasks that are overdue.

By using your history of tasks, Todoist makes smart guesses based on your preferences and history.

Key Features

• Powerful collaboration tools
• Project management in real-time
• Alerts and Notifications when there’s a change in your tasks
• Efficient file sharing among team members and departments
• Comment and append notes to tasks and projects
• Robust reporting & analytics

Pros

• It’s easy to forward an email to a project and convert it into a task
• Track progress on complex tasks with ease
• Easy to use interface
• Keep an eye on small tasks that are easily forgettable
• Built-in tools to collaborate effectively with team members
• Great sync across multiple devices

Cons

• Viewing files and notes is a bit confusing (it can be more accessible)
• Use of tags is not clear (it can be easier, especially for beginners)

Pricing

Todoist offers feature-rich plans with cheap pricing options:

• Free ($0): Ideal for starters. 5 active projects, 5 MB file uploads, 3 filters, and more.
• Pro ($4/month or $3/month billed annually): Suitable for power users. 300 active projects, 25 collaborators per project, 100 MB file uploads, and more.
• Business ($6/month or $5/month billed annually): Perfect plan for teams. 500 active projects per member, 50 people per project, team inbox, and more.

5. TimeCamp

Best for time tracking

TimeCamp is a time tracking app that lets you measure your team’s performance.

Also, when you are working on a client project, you can use TimeCamp to analyze productivity and monitor project performance.

You can easily review the time spent on each task. You can also track your offline activities.

The free version lets you analyze employee absences and analyze holiday productivity.

You can also generate invoices with the software based on tracked hours. You can even send these invoices directly to clients.

TimeCamp is very versatile. You can create reports for individual users or teams.

You can also generate reports for individual users or entire teams. You can even view the progress of your projects or employees.

Key Features

• Automated time tracking
• 30+ integrations with your favorite apps
• Unlimited users and projects
• Track a team’s performance for a given project or task
• Easy and insightful reports in one place

Pros

• You can track how many hours a team member spends on a task
• Invoicing is easy with TimeCamp
• Great user interface with visual cues
• Easily accessible on Google Docs
• Seamless integrations with most of the project management tools out there

Cons

• No scheduling and task comparison features (yet)
• It lacks timer notification (this would be a great feature to add)
• The website is a bit slow (it takes more than 5 seconds to load at times)

Pricing

TimeCamp has plans and pricing to suit both small businesses and large organizations:

• Free ($0): Unlimited users, project templates, bulk edit, one integration, etc.
• Basic ($7/user/month): Everything in Free, plus time rounding, custom report, and more.
• Pro ($10/user/month): Get everything in Basic, plus custom user roles, billing rates, invoicing, and timesheet approvals.
• Enterprise: Everything in Pro, plus private cloud implementation, personalized training, and self-hosted server.

Note: Get 10% discount when you pay annually.

6. Asana

Best for small business

Asana is a project management tool that allows you to collaborate with colleagues in the same project.

As a collaborative tool, Asana lets you monitor the progress of individual project components.

Tasks can be created, assigned, and due dates set. You can also share documents with team members.

The platform sends notifications about task statuses, so you can stay on top of all the work. It’s easy to manage projects with Asana.

Asana is flexible enough to work with different teams and types of projects.

The system is easy to customize and allows you to specify the exact tasks you want to track.

This makes Asana different from other project management tools.

Key Features

• Task management tools
• Scheduling and tracking options
• Budget and Expense management
• Integration with accounting software programs
• Gantt Charts, Document management, OKRs

Pros

• Asana reminds you of tasks in a nice way
• Easily communicate with your team members and share files (all in one place)
• You can quickly customize the dashboard to suit your project needs
• The calendar is super easy to use
• Stay on track with tasks (and never miss a deadline)
• The drag-and-drop feature makes it easy upload photos and documents into a task

Cons

• It takes time to learn how to fully use Asana
• It can be a little overwhelming (for new users)
• Limited customization on the “My Tasks” view (it could be improved)

Pricing

Let’s quickly breakdown Asana’s plans and pricing:

• Basic ($0/free forever): Unlimited tasks, unlimited projects, unlimited messages, etc.
• Premium ($13.49/month or $10.99/month billed annually): Everything in Basic, plus Timeline, workflow builder, and more.
• Business ($30.49/month or $24.99/month billed annually): Every feature in Premium, plus Portfolios, Goals, Workload, and more.

7. Nifty

Best for creating project workflows

Nifty is a project management tool that lets you create a clear plan of action for your projects and automate your progress tracking.

The benefits of Nifty project management software are many.

It focuses on team productivity and remote collaboration by centralizing your work on one platform.

With Nifty, you can easily track your progress and ensure transparency. The intuitive interface and UX allow you to create feedback and notes on the fly.

Its powerful project management tools can help you complete a task before its due date, and you can even create time-tracking reports with ease.

Projects can be organized with ease, and teams can collaborate on any task.

The collaborative workspace makes it easier to manage documents, track time, and share ideas.

Key Features

• Set achievable Goals and Timelines
• Collaborate on tasks with your team
• Create docs & wikis for your projects and share with anyone
• Access automated progress reporting across all projects
• Seamlessly import projects, tasks, and data from ClickUp, Asana, Wrike onto Nifty
• Time tracking tools to stay in the loop (never miss a deadline)

Pros

• Managing projects and timelines is easy with Nifty
• Easily break down projects and tasks with multiple variables
• They’re constantly improving the software and adding new features
• It’s easy to set up (especially when you watch demo videos)
• Basic scheduling option to kickstart your project or task

Cons

• It doesn’t support Expense management and purchase order management functionality as Monday does.
• Time Expense could be improved (it’s impossible to edit the previous/past time logs entered)

Pricing

Nifty Project Management solution comes with different plans based on how many team members you’re working with.

• Free ($0/forever): 100 MB, 2 Projects, Unlimited team members, and more.
• Starter ($39/month billed annually): 10 team members, 100 GB storage, 40 projects, unlimited guests & clients, and more.
• Pro ($79/month billed annually): 20 team members, 500 GB storage space, unlimited active projects & guests/clients, and more.
• Business ($124/month billed annually): 50 team members, 1 TB storage, and unlimited projects and guests.
• Unlimited ($399/month billed annually): Contact support to get custom quotes. Unlimited features, and priority support.

Note: Annual plans receive up to 20% discount. Monthly pay-as-you-go plans cost more, keep that in mind.

8. Zoho Projects

Best cloud-based project management solution

Zoho Projects is a cloud-based project management software. It helps you to plan your projects, track work efficiently, and collaborate with your team.

If you’re a business owner who needs a solution for managing several projects, Zoho Projects is the perfect tool for the job.

This online project management tool offers Gantt charts and Kanban boards, as well as task management features.

With this tool, you’ll no longer need to coordinate across five different applications.

Instead, you’ll be able to easily manage your projects in one place, with all the features you need.

You can create a project in a matter of minutes. It has a powerful feature set and can handle teams of any size. You can even customize pricing for teams of any size.

Key Features

• Plan your projects and closely track your tasks
• Collaborate with your team efficiently
• Build your project plan and track task schedule with Gantt charts
• Easy-to-use interface: Switch between different color themes to suit your mood
• Powerful integrations with Zoho apps and third party apps
• Zoho Projects apps can be used on both iOS and Android devices

Pros

• Easily create multiple projects at the same time
• Easy-to-use tools for keeping track of time
• It’s simple to set up and get started
• You can quickly switch dashboard to use advanced features
• The calendar is very intuitive to use

Cons

• Sometimes, you may experience bugs and service outages
• The mobile version could use some improvement (it’s quite slow)
• The Gantt Charts are daunting to understand. More simplified ones will be great

Pricing

Here are the 3 plans and pricing you’ll see at Zoho Projects:

• FREE ($0): 2 projects, up to 3 users, 10MB storage space, and simple task tracking.
• PREMIUM ($5/user/month): Up to 50 users, $3/client/month, unlimited projects, 100GB storage, and more.
• ENTERPRISE ($10/user/month): No upper limit on the number of users, 30 project templates, 120GB storage space, and all the features in PREMIUM.

Note: Save 20% when you switch to annual payment structure. You may start your 14-day free trial to test out Zoho Projects before upgrading to a paid plan.

9. Trello

 Best for everyday use

Trello is great for project management, keeping you organized and on track.

You can easily see what needs to get done, and you can easily tag specific people or groups.

This eliminates the hassle of scrolling through lengthy email threads. You’ll be able to assign tasks to different people in a matter of seconds.

You can also make notes and attach files to each card. You don’t need to remember the details of each task, and it’s much more efficient to be organized.

Using Trello is easy and convenient. You can create single boards for every project, and you can send invites to team members.

The app also lets you add different features to your boards, such as tags and labels.

It also lets you create and manage your own custom workflows.

Key Features

• View your team’s projects from every angle
• Automate tasks and workflows with Butler automation
• Easy-to-use templates from industry leaders
• Seamless integrations with your favorite tools
• Collaborate, manage projects, new achieve more

Pros

• Great visual overview of taks and team collaboration
• Trello is accessible from different devices
• Easily visualize each task via the project board
• You can execute tasks with good communication and time synchronization
• It’s ideal for managing multiple projects at the same time

Cons

• It’s mobile user interface isn’t very intuitive (it looks completely different from the PC version)
• Most useful features are available only in premium plans
• No easier way to view long list of tasks

Pricing

Trello powers teams around the world with easy-to-use project and task management tools. Here’s a breakdown of the plans and pricing:

• FREE ($0/user/month): Free plan for the entire team, up to 10 boards per Workspace, unlimited cards, and more.
• STANDARD ($6/user/month or $5/month billed annually): Everything in Free, plus unlimited boards, advanced checklists, custom fields, and more.
• PREMIUM ($12.50/user/month or $10/month billed annually): Every feature in Standard, plus Dashboard view, Timeline view, Calendar view, and more.
• ENTERPRISE ($17.50/user/month or $210/user/year): Everything in Premium, plus unlimited Workspaces, public board management, and more.

10. Airtable

Best for smooth project workflows

Airtable is a project management tool that helps you accelerate work, improve workflows, and collaborate with your team.

Its simple interface makes it easy to use. Its different views make it easy to see what’s completed and what’s still left to do.

It’s also compatible with Mac, PC, and mobile devices, making it easy to manage your projects.

Airtable supports collaboration across different team members, which helps in streamlining the project management process.

It offers a number of features to make it a useful tool for project managers. You can set up projects in groups and share them with other team members.

You can also create budgets, add attachments, and even share your files with other members.

Key Features

• Unite every tasks and manage them from one place
• Create custom interfaces to suit every teammate’s style
• Choose from a library of Airtable’s pre-made templates and intuitive design
• Deep integrations with third-party apps
• Gantt and Timeline views
• Field & Table editing permissions

Pros

• Keep track of project statuses with ease
• It’s easy to configure and use
• You can add details to project statuses — such as contact name, when it’s due, etc.
• Easily duplicate tables and create alternate views
• You can quickly collapse the rows and scan current projects (to see who’s working on them)
• Great for small organizations that are looking to manage micro tasks efficiently

Cons

• The mobile version could use some improvement (it’s a bit slow)
• Social sharing isn’t as customizable and shows up with AirTable branding (not a good feeling)

Pricing

Airtable offers 4 plans with flexible pricing to help you pick what’s right for you:

• Free ($0/seat/month): Unlimited bases, 5 creators/editors, 1 app base, and more.
• Plus ($12/seat/month or $10/seat/month billed annually): Everything in Free, plus 3 apps per base, 3 sync integrations, 5,000 records per base, and more.
• Pro ($24/seat/month or $20/seat/month billed annually): Everything in Plus, plus 10 apps per base, 7 sync integrations, 50,000 records per base, and more.
• Enterprise: Contact sales for a custom quotes. Get all the features in Airtable to facilitate advanced customization, security, scale, and support.

11. Notion

Best for workspace and collaboration

Notion is a powerful workspace for every team. It allows you to create your own customized templates and insert any type of content you need.

The Notion app can be used to make presentation slides, and it can be downloaded to your Mac or Windows PC.

Once installed, it’s as easy as dragging and dropping.

You can access and edit existing Notion templates, or create a new one. Once you’ve added your own template, you can share it with others.

Notion also allows you to use it for team collaboration, so you can manage and share your projects with teammates.

Its real-time sharing and doubt-clearing abilities make it a popular choice for project management, writing, and journaling.

Because of its powerful note-taking capabilities, it’s easy to make and edit a variety of documents and add images.

Key Features

• Connect and manage your teams, projects, and docs in Notion
• Keep track of daily tasks and visualize those responsible for them
• Build workflows and customize them to work the way you prefer
• Get inspiration from 1000s of community-made templates, integrations, and events
• Notion is great for managing complex projects and tasks

Pros

• Easy access management within the same organization
• It’s easy to get started with the premade templates
• Easy to use and lots of learning resources (tutorial videos, demo presentations, etc.)
• Notion is fast with a modern user interface
• It supports flexible document organization (everything is a page, which can have subpages for better organization)

Cons

• Sometimes, the structure becomes overwhelmingly difficult to navigate
• No milestones management option
• Direct copy-paste of images isn’t supported

Pricing

Notion comes with both free and premium plans. Here’s a summary:

• Personal ($0/month): Unlimited pages & blocks, sync across devices, API, and more.
• Personal Pro ($5/month or $4/month billed annually): Everything in Personal, plus unlimited file uploads, unlimited guests, and 30-day version history.
• Team ($10/month or $8/month billed annually: Everything in Pro, plus unlimited team members, collaborative workspace, admin tools, and more.
• Enterprise: Contact sales for a custom quote. Get everything in Team, plus custom contract, user provisioning (SCIM), SAML SSO, and more.

12. Hive

Best for high-performing teams

Hive offers useful tools to help you manage projects faster and collaborate better.

If you’re looking for a project management tool that allows you to easily switch between views, you’ve come to the right place.

With Hive, you can view your projects in multiple ways and change the views you need.

You can see them by team members, assign labels, or the overall company.

You can also switch to summary views, which combine several projects into one to get a broader picture of your company’s projects.

Another feature of Hive is its action card feature, which can contain simple to-do lists, task priorities, attachments, and even notes.

Users of Hive project management software have raved about its simplicity and ability to meet deadlines.

The interface is straightforward, and it makes it easy to schedule meetings and set reminders.

Key Features

• Powerful task management tools
• Native chat options to faciliate communications
• Document and video proofing
• Project workflows and templates
• Timesheets and Time tracking
• 1,000+ integrations with third party apps in one centralized dashboard

Pros

• Modern and user-friendly interface
• A robust and proofing review environment (it handles video as well)
• Great communication features for team collaborations and updates
• Easily comment on projects to keep team members in the loop
• You can forward emails directly to Hive to create projects quickly

Cons

• The client management process takes time to fully understand how it works
• You’re not allowed to attach multiple files to a project request

Pricing

Hive gives you the options to choose the plan that works for you:

• Hive Solo ($0/free forever): 2 users, unlimited storage, communicate support, and more.
• Hive Teams ($16/user/month or $12/user/month billed annually): Everything in Hive Solo, plus unlimited users, unlimited storage, and more.
• Hive Enterprise: Contact sales for a custom quote. Get unlimited users and storage, dedicated team, and more.

13. Wrike

Best for large companies

Wrike is a task management tool that helps users manage their projects.

Its powerful dashboard lets you filter tasks and views and has various customizable tools for project managers.

For example, you can use the Wrike kanban style board to prioritize projects, or you can create a Gantt chart to track progress and assign tasks to your team members.

The Wrike app is also free and easy to use. The best thing about Wrike is that it is flexible and easy to use.

Once you’ve registered with Wrike, you can create projects and populate them with tasks.

Each task has a title, description, deadline, and attachments. Each task has a status, and you can change it from “active” to “completed.”

You can also set a special status for your tasks, and even invite other people to join your Wrike account.

You do not need to accept a friend’s invitation before you can start assigning tasks to them.

Key Features

• Customize Wrike to best suit your organizational needs
• Share information with all stakeholders at any time
• Collaborate across teams (eliminate endless email threads)
• Visualize individual tasks (or zoom out for a holistic view of tasks in the portfolio)
• Enterprise-grade security to protect team members and data

Pros

• Easily create review groups with automated notifications
• You can visualize exactly where you team is at the cycle
• Easy team collaboration in real-time
• Easy file sharing
• Keeps everyone on track with quarterly or larger goals
• An intuive Wrike Editor for graphics & videos

Cons

• Complicated folder structures for new users
• Mobile functionality could use some improvement (it’s hard to make comments on files)
• High learning curve at first use

Pricing

Here’s a complete breakdown of Wrike’s plans:

• Free ($0/user/month): 1 – 5 users, task & subtask management, and more.
• Professional ($9.80/user/month): Free plan features, plus shareable dashboards, interactive Gantt charts, 1 to 2 GB storage per user, and more.
• Business ($24.80/user/month): Professional plan features, plus custom workflows, custom fields, request forms and calendars, etc.
• Enterprise: Contact sales to discuss pricing. Unlimited users, password policies, custom access roles, and more.

14. ProofHub

Best all-in-one project management software

ProofHub provides file sharing and document storage for team members, and it also offers a central workspace for collaboration.

There are real-time reporting tools that allow you to stay on top of work progress and project status.

You can even keep track of information regarding the resources assigned to each task, and you can use the centralized discussion area to share and discuss ideas.

You can even set tasks to recur to keep tabs on how your team is doing.

ProofHub is also easy to use and integrates with FreshBooks, allowing you to streamline your accounting and payroll processes.

Because it’s web-based, there’s no need for onsite installation. Its features simplify your workflow by helping you drill down to task-setting and time usage.

Its clear and intuitive interface is easy to use, and it provides you with all of the information you need at a glance.

Key Features

• All-in-one project management tools
• Ultimate control over teams and projects
• Project delivery & on-point team accountability
• Easy to understand and use
• Plan and visualize the pieces of your project in a timeline view
• Customize workflows with as many stages as you want=

Pros

• It’s quick to set up and manage projects & tasks
• Easy to organize team projects in a friendly manner
• Easily drag and drop files from Google drive or Dropbox to your ProofHub account
• It enables a clear and elaborate description and documentation of tasks
• Precisely document the important events and milestones within ProofHub

Cons

• You can’t create or use subfolders for files (this would be a great feature)
• Too many notifications about changes within a project or task

Pricing

ProofHub offers 1 standard plan but pricing is based on number of users you have in your organization or team:

• STANDARD ($50/month or $45/month billed annually): 5 users, unlimited projects, 10GB storage space, and more.
• STANDARD ($100/month or $90/month billed annually): 10 users, unlimited projects, 20GB storage space, and more.

Note: Pricing goes up as the number of users increase.

15. Basecamp

Best all-in-one software for remote working

Basecamp is an all-in-one project management solution that keeps your projects organized, and your teams excited about every project.

One of the best features of BaseCamp is the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.

It lets project managers add team members, including client teams, and assign tasks.

Each member can also view the schedule of the other team members, as well as the status of the project.

This way, everyone stays on the same page while working on the same project.

In addition, Basecamp integrates with third-party tools such as Google Docs and GitHub, which means there’s no need to keep track of multiple apps.

In Basecamp, you can create tasks and lists for everyone.

You can assign a responsible person to a task, specify who needs to be notified when a task is complete and add a due date and range.

Key Features

• Create project timelines with notifications
• Task management and communication tools
• Solid APIs to pull in data from other platforms
• Lightweight and easily accessible from any device
• Changes and updates by team members are real time

Pros

• Simply, snappy user interface for managing projects
• Internal communication between team members
• Manage timelines and get work delivered on time
• Organized project management tools for beginners
• Supports video and images within tasks
• Easily add/onboard new members

Cons

• More intuitive permissions controls would be great
• Messy chat threads
• No labels/tags to categorize tasks and micro projects

Pricing

Basecamp Business cost $99/month flat. It includes ulimited projects, unlimited users, and no hidden fees.

Note: You can get started with a free 30-day trial to test out Basecamp before you upgrade to the Business plan.

16. Jira

Best software development tool for agile teams

Jira project management software is an excellent choice for any company that needs to manage a large number of projects.

Its organization allows for easier tracking of different issues and subtasks and is very intuitive.

It also features sumo logic, which helps managers to create meaningful workflows.

These tools can help you save time and money by allowing you to track and prioritize all issues in a single location.

The first thing that Jira does is track the issues for each project.

Then, users can collaborate with one another by adding comments to issues and tagging other stakeholders.

Ultimately, Jira provides valuable data on the status of projects.

Key Features

• Break and manage large, complex projects with Scrum boards
• Keep your teams in sync with roadmaps
• Stay up to date with reports and insights
• Create customizable workflows that align with your style of work
• Seamless integrations with 3,000+ apps and platforms
• Drag and drop automation

Pros

• Easy backlog management with Kanban boards
• Easy and intuitive customizable elements
• Visualize and understand expectations of a project
• Quick integration with development tools such as Slack, Bitbucket or Github
• Teams can start with a project template (to speed up the process)

Cons

• There’s a learning curve to using Jira, especially for new users. Most features and tools can only be mastered with time and experience
• It sometimes lags and delays work progress
• It’s a bit difficult to access old projects (it could be easier)

Pricing

Jira has flexible pricing based on number of users in your team:

• Free ($0/month): Always free for 10 users
• Standard ($75/user/month or $750/1-10 users/year): Perfect for growing teams.
• Premium ($145/user/month or $1,450/1-10 users/year): Suitable for scaling organizations that want to collaborate and track work.
• Enterprise: Contact sales to get custom quotes. 20,000 users, unlimited site limit, and more.

17. MeisterTask

Best project management tool for security

Meistertask is a task management tool for teams. It offers both basic and advanced features.

This program allows you to customize the interface to fit your needs and can import tasks from other task management tools.

Its user-friendly interface and support system is an added plus. It also includes a built-in chat feature, but no native messaging.

Instead, MeisterTask has integration with MS Teams and Slack.

Its user-friendly interface is easy to use and makes managing your projects a breeze.

MeisterTask has several features that allow you to organize your projects and prioritize them according to priority, category, and client.

You can also attach files and attachments to your tasks, and you can even use tags to help organize them further.

Key Features

• Intuitive, online task management tool
• Customizable Kanban-style project boards
• Filter projects by Assignee, Tag, Watcher, Due date, Status, or Schedule
• Personal, private board to pin tasks from any project
• Download reports on completed, overdue, or open tasks
• Create team projects to foster collaboration between team members

Pros

• MeisterTask is quite easy to learn and navigate
• You can easily manage several projects at the same time (and save time)
• Easy to collaborate on projects
• Great for keeping to deadlines (with non-intrusive notifications)
• The privacy features on each project are great

Cons

• Reports and Analytics are limited (lacks visual richness)
• There’s no tab to create a Gantt Chart on MeisterTask

Pricing

MeisterTask comes with 4 pricing plans:

• Basic ($0/month): Up to 3 projects, unlimited project members, limited integration, etc.
• Pro ($4.19/month): Everything in Basic, plus recurring tasks, project groups, automations, agenda, etc.
• Business ($10.39/month): Everything in Pro, plus Timeline, custom fields, activity exports, and more.
• Enterprise: Get custom quotes from the sales team. Everything in Business, plus dedicated account manager, custom security review, compliance exports, and more.

What Is Project Management Software?

Project management software is a collaborative online app that lets you record tasks, their progress, and other relevant details.

It’s also a great way to see what other people are working on, when certain tasks need to be completed, and who is responsible for what.

It’s a great tool for teams who are working together to complete a project.

What are the Different Types of Project Management Software?

How do you figure out the type of project management software to use, since they all perform slightly different tasks?

Based on use case and deployment options, are the 4 types of software tools for effectively managing simple and complex projects:

1. Desktop-based project management software

Many companies choose desktop-based project management software for its flexibility and ease of use.

Also, faster response and security are the two major reasons why organizations choose desktop-based project tools.

The advantages of desktop-based software over its web-based counterparts are numerous.

First, it does not have to deal with the slowdowns and downtimes of the internet.

Instead, it makes use of corporate facilities that are more reliable, faster, and secure than public networks.

Additionally, it has a number of built-in security features that make it more efficient.

If you plan on using your desktop-based project management software with a team, you’ll want to choose one that has an offline mode.

This will allow you to work on your project when you’re away from a computer or lose connection. When you’re online again, all of your changes will be saved and automatically updated.

2. Web-based project management software

If you need a simple, web-based project management tool that can be used over the browser (without having to download and install a piece of software), consider Monday.com or GanttProject.

These programs allow you to plan and manage tasks without a lot of hassle. Key features include time tracking, collaboration, reporting, and expense tracking.

You can also define custom roles and import from Microsoft Project. Then, export your data to HTML, PDF, PNG, and printable charts.

You can also easily compare costs and estimate completion time.

Smartsheet is another top choice. It offers enterprise-grade capabilities and a spreadsheet-like interface.

Smartsheet is used by many Fortune 100 companies — such P&G, Apple, NASA, etc.

The program features different views of real-time data, automatic updates, and the ability to use it for agile and waterfall projects.

3. Mobile project management software

One of the most popular features of a mobile project management application is the ability to manage a work schedule on the go (via mobile phones).

Users can create weekly planners and share them with team members.

Many of these applications have security features and are compatible with other applications such as Dropbox and Google Drive.

While ClickUp is a cloud-based project management software, it comes with popular mobile apps for iOS and Android devices, and the app is highly intuitive and fast.

4. Single-user project management software

Teamwork is a great single-user project management software that allows users to structure a project.

This application also lets users create and manage tasks and milestones, and track progress on those tasks.

They can even add attachments to the tasks to make them more manageable.

Another feature is the “Workload” feature. In addition, this application can be accessed from multiple computers.

It can be used by multiple teams working on a similar project.

What to Look for in Project Management Software

Here are some of the most essential features to look for in project management software:

1. Task Management tools

Task management tools are useful for monitoring the progress of all tasks and sub-tasks.

They also allow you to prioritize tasks according to importance and frequency.

These tools will make managing tasks easier, more effective, and more fun.

The tools of task management software are often configurable and customizable, which means that they can be tailored to meet the needs of different organizations.

There are versions for small/medium-sized teams, cross-functional departments, and globally distributed teams.

2. Ease of use

Project management software must be user-friendly in order to be effective. Employees today want to access their work on the go.

They may even need to use certain features while they’re on the road.

In today’s world, this means a tool that allows you to access all your files and manage your projects from a mobile device.

However, this doesn’t mean that all project management software is created equally.

The first step in choosing a project management software is to determine how many people will be using it.

If it’s for a small business, Trello, Wrike, Basecamp, and Asana will do.

However, if your company is larger and more complex, you may want to consider a more sophisticated solution.

3. Scheduling tools

Good project management software must have scheduling tools for teams to be effective.

Whether you’re working on a single project or a dozen, knowing how to schedule tasks and doing so is crucial for effective team management.

The ability to track leave and absence information will improve the overall workflow and work planning process.

You should be able to add more people to tasks or adjust their priorities based on the information you receive.

It’s also critical that the tool provides customized reporting.

4. Ability to share files internally and externally

When choosing project management software, be sure to consider the options for sharing files.

You can use an FTP server, split and compress files, or even physically deliver files.

With the right software, you can also control who can see what. It’s important to understand the differences between these types of features.

Below, we’ll discuss the benefits of each.

5. Visual dashboards and graphical reports

The visual dashboard of project management software offers detailed information that will help users to understand the status of a project.

It shows the project budget, timeline, tasks, milestones, upcoming deadlines, and discussions. It also provides a way to drill down to specific information that will improve the efficiency of a project.

It’s very important to include the exact status of a task to give it a more precise and accurate estimate.

It is important to note that a dashboard does not replace the use of a dedicated project software application.

6. Real-time reporting

The best project management software will give you real-time reporting so that you can catch problems early and ensure they are resolved before they get out of hand.

This real-time reporting will give you valuable insights into your projects and enable you to make timely decisions.

In addition to being more accurate, real-time reporting will allow you to see all of your projects at one time, making it easier to keep track of the progress of each of them.

7. Security Protocols

Security should be a top priority when selecting a project management software solution.

This includes features that prevent access by unauthorized users, encryption of data, and network stability.

While certain security levels are essential, others are unnecessary, leaving a project vulnerable to hackers.

Ask your chosen provider where its data is stored, and make sure its security standards are up to date.

Additionally, inquire about physical security measures.

Are the facilities fully staffed 24 hours a day? Do they have power backup systems? Do they have fire alarms and smoke detectors?

How to Use Project Management Software

There are 5 distinct stages an organization has to go through to effectively use project management software.

The Project Management Institute (PMI) and project managers around the world have enormous resources about each stage.

Here’s a summarized version, using Monday.com as our key project management software:

Stage 1: Initiating

Getting started with a new project can be tricky. It requires a ton of preparation to ensure that it’s completed on time and within budget.

It’s important to define your project management methodology at this point, too.

When initiating a project, here are things to consider to help you create a solid project foundation:

• Scope of the Project: What are the limits and boundaries for this particular project? This should cover all that will be accomplished in the project and what will not (i.e project objectives). It’s important to establish these boundaries right off the bat to prevent “scope creep.”  
• High-level project overview: All of the resources, goals, and time required to complete a project should be accounted for here. There must be a way to monitor the smooth balance of all these requirements over time.
• Budgets: Every project needs a budget. Be clear about how much is required to achieve a successful project?

A project charter or “Project Initiation Document (PID) are essential requirements for larger projects.

2. Planning

In the planning stage, you set milestones and dates for the project.

When this is done, your team members will be excited and obliged to navigate towards the same goal.

You may want to map out the pattern or methodology the team will follow, which can be Agile, Waterfall, Scrum, Lean, PRINCE2, PMBOK, and Kanban (just to mention a few of the sought-after ones).

The planning phase also covers:

• Picking the team members
• Determining deliverables
• Estimating resources
• Determining associated activities

3. Executing

This is when getting stuff done becomes a priority. You may want to carry out the details of your project plan, which are the deliverables to help specific stakeholders make well-informed decisions.

It’s about managing workflows and suggesting changes and corrective measures to take.

4. Monitoring/Controlling

Project managers can tell where they are at any given point in the project and look forward to getting more stuff done. That’s what monitoring and controlling entail.

Effective monitoring and controlling include:

• Regular, consistent project “check-ins”
• Utilizing project documentation and tracking tools or frameworks, which include Gantt charts, Kanban boards, and team stand-ups. In the end, it’s all about communicating with visual aids and dashboards.

5. Closing

Last but not least, it’s important to close the project, while ensuring that the project deliverables are actualized.

This is when you wrap up all activities and deliver the final product to the client — both internal and external stakeholder.

Benefits of Using a Project Management Software

The benefits of project management software are boundless.

No matter the size of your business (large or small), you’ll have to juggle numerous projects, plans, tasks, and people.

It’s important to have a solution to keep everything organized.

1. Improved team collaboration and task delegation

Project management software improve team collaboration and task delegation.

According to the Queens University of Charlotte, about 75% of employees rate collaboration and teamwork as “very important” when managing any project in the workplace.

Using such software will help employees better understand each other’s responsibilities, get the answers they need, optimize workflows, and ensure happier teams, among other benefits.

They’ll be able to see who has the right skills and knowledge to handle each task, and they can view each other’s status and contact details.

This can help them to delegate tasks to each other and keep the entire project on schedule and on budget.

Using project management software helps teams work efficiently and effectively.

When used effectively, it helps teams to deliver projects quickly and to meet deadlines.

2. Effortless project planning

With project management software, you can keep track of the status of your project at every stage, from the beginning to the end.

You can easily track project costs, time, and resources. The software can also help you document requirements, improve collaboration, and manage communication. 

Whether you’re working on a small or large-scale initiative, a tool like Todoist, ClickUp, or Zoho Projects can help you get things done smoothly.

3. Effective resource management

Managing a company’s resources is critical to the success of any project. Having the right resources will ensure that a project is completed on time.

Managing the resources efficiently is key to avoiding missing deadlines and exceeding budget.

With the right project management software, you’ll be able to see all of the available resources and estimate their costs.

You’ll be able to cut costs by knowing which resources you can allocate to different projects.

4. Managing project budget in real-time

A key benefit of using project management software such as Basecamp or Trello is to monitor every activity as it happens.

Monitoring your project budget in real-time is essential if you want to prevent unforeseen costs and disruptions.

According to this survey, 54% of project managers can’t see their KPIs in real-time.

Furthermore, 50% of them spend more than a day manually aggregating data from multiple sources. Managing your project budget in real-time is key to avoiding costly mistakes.

Using an intuitive dashboard to monitor the budget of a project is an important aspect. It helps you update stakeholders regularly.

5. Easier onboarding of new members

Project management software can also make it easier to train new members. With its collaborative nature, the software can assist with project communications.

Organizations are committing to training their team members and clients. In a study by PMI, 61% of companies provide some form of onboarding training.

A team can use it to organize meetings, create roadmaps, and organize attachments.

The best project management tools are compatible with multiple platforms, making it easier to work with a remote team.

If new members are hesitant to embrace the change, it’s important to offer support from the management team.

How to Choose the Best Project Management Software for You

To choose the right software for your organization, consider the unique needs of your team.

Choosing the right project management software for your company requires careful consideration.

1. User-friendly: Make sure it’s user-friendly and anticipates your needs. It should be intuitive and allow you to perform any action you need without any difficulty.

2. Pre-built templates: The software should also include pre-built templates for common workflows and should allow you to customize them according to your specific needs.

Choosing the right software to manage your projects is important for many reasons.

3. Process matching: For instance, it’s essential that your project management tool matches the processes of your team.

4. User base: It’s also important to consider the number of users that you need to manage each project. If you don’t have many employees, you should choose software that has a large number of users.

Essentially, your team must be familiar with its process — to ensure that it will be easy to use and adapt to changes.

FAQs About Project Management Software

Here are some frequently asked questions about project management software.

Best Project Management Software – Summary

With too many project management software programs out there, how do you choose the perfect one?

While you don’t have to abide by any rules, it makes sense to always choose a project management solution based on key features that you need, pricing, and the pros and cons.

What do you want to accomplish with a project management software? Do you need basic features or you’re ready to experiment with advanced task management tools?

Here are my recommendations for top project management software.

• Monday.com: best overall software
• ClickUp: best all-in-one software
• Teamwork: best for chat and collaboration
• Basecamp: best for remote working
• Notion: best for workspace and collaboration

Now it’s your turn.

Do you have any particular project management tool you want to use? Do you already use software covered (or not covered) here?

Either way, let me know in the comment below right now. I’ll be sure to read and respond to you.

Further reading on Navid.me: Here’s a list of the best photo editing software tools available. You can also check out my guide to the best webinar software and even more in-depth online software reviews here.