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With so many powerful project management tools available today, the process of managing a project has become easier and less complicated.
According to PWC, 77% of high-performing projects use project management software
Are you new to project management? Looking for the best project management tools to start with? If yes, then this article is for you. Here is a list of top 10 project management tools with their key features and pros and cons.
- Trello
- Asana
- Jira
- Zoho Projects
- Wrike
- Monday.com
- ClickUp
- Airtable
- Workzone
- Teamwork
Project management is a job that requires a lot of effort. Managing a team through the initiation phase till the project closure can be extremely challenging especially if you are handling a large team. The more the size of the project, the more complex it is to manage.
Project management tools can help you to organize your project activities and make the job easier for everyone in your team.
What are project management tools?
If you are still wondering what are project management tools and their purpose, here’s an overview.
Let’s start from the basics.
What do project management tools do?
Project management tools are designed to help you manage and organize tasks effectively. PM tools are not only beneficial for project managers but also for other members of a team to keep track of project progress and enable data sharing.
Important activities like project planning, budget monitoring, team communication, timeline tracking, performance monitoring, etc can be easily managed with the help of these tools.
These project management tools or software packages are available for purchase or can be used online free of cost. PM tools differ according to their features and pricing.
Key benefits of using project management tools
Project management tools can play a crucial role in the successful completion of a project. Most well-performing organizations are making use of one or more types of project management software to manage team activities.
Let us now look at the key benefits of using these tools.
1. Trello
Trello is a very user-friendly web-based project management software that relies on the principles of the Kanban framework. Trello is ideal for collaborative tasks where you can visualize tasks in a to-do format.
The key components of Trello include sharing boards, cards, and lists which can be used across teams. Trello has four pricing options viz Free, Standard, Premium, and Enterprise. The paid versions offer better features like automation and admin controls.
Pros:
- Gives Instant Notifications
- User-friendly Interface
- Simple Pricing Structure
- Easy Task Scheduling with Boards & Cards
Cons:
- Always Need Internet Access
- Doesn’t Work Well for Bigger Projects
- Limited Storage for File Uploads
- Cannot Edit or Change Comments
2. Asana
Asana is a cloud-based project management tool that helps you to plan and organize your work. It allows you to track tasks, deadlines, and resources effectively.
You can easily monitor the progress of your project with the help of dashboards and reports. Through the Asana platform, you can assign tasks to other team members and set deadlines.
Asana offers three pricing versions viz Free, Premium, and Enterprise with a paid plan starting from $9.99/month.
Pros:
- Software is Very Easy to Use
- Best Collaboration Features
- Efficient Task Management
- Integrates Easily with Other Apps
Cons:
- Overwhelming for Small & Single Projects
- Limited Task Assignment Features
- Lacks Time Tracking Features
- High Learning Curve for New Users
3. Jira
Jira is a popular project management tool developed by Atlassian. Although it was originally developed as a tracking tool for software developers, later it became popular among many other non-IT industries as well.
It is used for tracking issues, monitoring task progress, and other work updates. Jira allows teams to plan, monitor, release software, pull reports, and automate various tasks.
Jira Software pricing has four plans namely – Free, Standard, Premium, and Enterprise.
Pros:
- Highly Suitable for Agile Project Management
- Helps Teams to Collaborate Easily
- Provides workflows for teams of all sizes
- Easy & Quick Integrations with Other Apps
Cons:
- Configuration is challenging & time-consuming
- User-Interface is not friendly
- Doesn’t Allow Users to Download Reports
- Jira has a limited file size of upto 10 MB
4. Zoho Projects
Zoho Projects is one of the best cloud project management software that helps you track tasks, collaborate, and communicate effectively. This project management tool works well with all types of projects – small or large, simple or complex.
It features Gantt charts which allow you to track project progress and break down projects into small, actionable tasks and milestones. These Gantt charts can also be used for the effective management of resources.
Zoho Projects has a free plan for up to 3 users and 2 projects and two other paid plans starting from $5/user/month.
Pros:
- Suitable for both small-scale & large-scale projects
- Billing and time-tracking features
- Helps to automate recurring tasks
- Integrates with other Zoho products & Third-party products
Cons:
- High learning curve for new users
- Too many features can be overwhelming
- Need Improvement in search functionality
5. Wrike
Wrike is a highly robust and versatile project management software that helps teams collaborate and work faster. The tool makes use of Kanban boards, lists, and Gantt charts to create visual timelines. Wrike allows easy integration with third-party apps like Dropbox and Google Drive.
Wrike has a free software version that can be availed for up to 5 users. The paid versions such as Professional, Business, and Enterprise plans come with advanced functions.
Pros:
- Flexible Project Templates
- Robust App with Multiple Features
- Great for Tracking Project Progress
- Easy Integration with Third-Party Apps
Cons:
- Difficult to Navigate for New Users
- Confusing User Interface
- Expensive Compared to Other PM Tools
- Lack of Default Filtering Features
6. Monday.com
Monday.com is an award-winning Project Management tool with a simple and intuitive interface. It is an ideal tool for workflow automation and visual project management.
Monday.com offers a centralized communication and document management platform for team members. It is integrated with excellent analytical and reporting features.
Monday.com offers a free trial plan for up to 2 members and has 3 other paid plans starting at $8/month per user.
Pros:
- Simple & Intuitive Interface
- Advanced analytical & reporting functions
- Smart Integration with Other Management Tools
- Easy Onboarding of New Members
Cons:
- Not Suitable for complex projects
- The software has Only Paid Plans
7. ClickUp
ClickUp is another powerful cloud-based PM tool that helps you to plan, schedule and manage tasks all in a single centralized platform. It includes many useful features like checklists, task templates, filters, search functionalities, calendars, Gantt charts, etc.
ClickUp facilitates effective communication between team members with the help of chat and commenting features. ClickUp also allows you to create customized dashboards based on your project requirements.
ClickUp offers a free plan with all basic features and an Unlimited plan starting at $5/user/month.
Pros:
- Free plan allows unlimited users
- Highly customizable features
- Easy Integration with other tools like G Suite, Slack, etc
- Time estimates for automatic scheduling
Cons:
- Too many features can confuse new users
- Need to improve the user interface
- Limited storage for free plan
8. Airtable
Airtable is a spreadsheet model software that is suitable for tracking inventories and creating to-do lists. It has a centralized database to help a team collaborate and work efficiently. The simple grid-view interface allows you to store, organize and share data. It is a perfect tool designed for the food industry, but it can be customized to suit other businesses as well.
Pros:
- Simple & Easy to use
- Highly customizable software
- Offers Multiple views for the base
- Limited automation and integration features
Cons:
- Lacks focus on collaboration & communication
- More of a database management tool
- Doesn’t present a consolidated view of projects
- Pricing is costly
9. Workzone
Workzone is a cloud-based software designed to help individuals and organizations manage and control their work. It has features for team collaboration, documentation, reporting, resource management, and time tracking. Workzone facilitates the generation of automated email reports with project status.
Workzone has three pricing plans namely Team, Professional, and Enterprise with a starting price of $24/user/month.
Pros:
- Highly Versatile & Powerful
- Effective Reporting Features
- Best Time-tracking Functionality
- Project Dashboard Offers an Overview of all Projects
Cons:
- Higher Learning Curve for Beginners
- Only Paid Plans are Available
- Dashboard Lacks Visual Appeal
- Limited Search Features
10. Teamwork
Teamwork is an efficient project management solution designed to create smarter workflows. It is very easy to use and gives valuable insights regarding the team’s performance. You can assign low, medium, or high priorities to tasks in Teamwork. This project management tool gives a Gantt-style visual presentation of your projects.
Teamwork is widely used in diverse industries like IT, telecom, healthcare, retail, sports, e-commerce, and more. Teamwork can be installed in both iOS and Android systems and through the web.
Teamwork offers a Free Plan for small teams up to 5 members and also 3 other paid plans starting at $10/month per user.
Pros:
- Simple & Intuitive Interface
- Plenty of Customization Features
- Real-time view of project updates
- Efficient time-tracking tools
Cons:
- Not suitable for complex projects
- Limited features available for free plan
- No PDF or image markup tools
Final words on project management tools
We hope that this list of top 10 project management tools for 2023 was informative and useful for you. With so many options out there, choosing the right software for your business can be very challenging. As times change, business needs will also change. Hence, it is always a great idea to note down your project-specific needs and look for suitable software based on them.
For instance, if you are looking for free project management software with basic features, you can consider options like Trello, Asana, or Teamwork.
If you are managing a large project you may use tools such as Zoho Projects or ClickUp.
While Wrike is ideal for marketing projects, Jira is designed for projects which follow Agile methodology.
