The work set in the twenty-first century is radically different from the previous decades.
Gone are the days of hierarchy where information was disseminated from top to bottom.
With the internet and new productivity methodologies like Scrum, many companies are shifting to collaborating with the entire team in one place.
For this to happen, you need reliable project management software.
What Is a Project Management Software?
As the name suggests, it is software where you micromanage your project by dividing it into small tasks and assigning those tasks to the proper designations.
For example, if you want to create a new website, you will have to divide your work into multiple units like theme designing, back-end integration, etc. Plus, you will need to assign people to those units and track its progress.
With a project management software, the entire process becomes streamlined and hassle-free.
So what are the best project management software that are available?
Top 8 Best Project Management Software
One can easily find more than 20–30 tools online related to project management. But wasting your time finding tools that will save you time sounds counterproductive at best.
To help you cut the clutter and give you a smaller pool of options, we have compiled a list of the 8 best project management software in 2021.
#1. Wrike
Wrike is a cloud-based software that is based on Kanban. The entire interface is easy and self-intuitive. This is especially beneficial for the new users of the software. The drag-and-drop nature of the interface is another thing that makes the software user-friendly.
It is a fully packed software containing essential features, such as viewing at-risk projects, checking employee availability, team communications, etc.
The software is also available as an Android and iPhone application to keep track of updates on the go.
Features:
- Task management
- Interactive timeline (Gantt chart)
- Real-time newsfeed
- Document collaboration
- Discussions in tasks
- iPhone and Android apps
- Task prioritization
- Customized reports
- Recurrent tasks
- Workload management
- Time-tracking
- Google Docs, Dropbox, Box integrations
- Email integration
Pros
- Multilingual support—it is available in different languages, such as English, German, French, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, and Russian.
- If your team has five or fewer members, Wrike is free.
- It has solid year-round support via email, phone, or chat.
- Proper security protocols are integrated so that sensitive data cannot be compromised.
- Different tools can be added, such as email marketing tools and CRM tools, to increase functionality.
Cons
- It can take a good amount of time to get habituated with the user interface.
- Navigation around the tool can get tough.
Pricing
For a team of less than five members, the product is free. Further, users can use the software through subscription plans—Professional, Business, Marketers, Professional Services, and Enterprise.
The cheapest plan is professional, which starts at $9.80 per month. It gives you all the advanced features for a team of 15 users or less.
Grab it now
#2. Trello
If Google is using your software, you are definitely doing something right.
Trello has an intuitive interface that lets you organize your personal and work projects from a computer, smartphone, or tablet.
Like Wrike, specific apps for iOS and Android platforms are available, which lets you keep track of work on the go.
Features:
- Free or zero pricing for the basic service
- Quick overview on front and back of cards
- An easy organization with tags, labels, and categories
- Drag and drop functionality
- In-line editing
- Real-time sync
- Checklists, with a progress meter
- Easy uploading of files and attachments
- Data filtering
- Archiving of card records (e.g., comments and changes)
- Unlimited member invites
- Deadline reminders
- Discussion through comments
- Email notifications
- Activity log
- Assign tasks
- Voting feature
- Upload attachments
- Information retrieval and back-up
- SSL encryption of data
- Texts and visuals fit any screen size
- Search function
- 10 Supported languages
- Mobile functionality to access boards on the go
- Developer API
Pros
- Its functionality can be increased through power-ups, which are different app integrations.
- It has an easy-to-use user interface. New users can easily adapt with working with the tool.
- There are lots of guides available on how to get the best out of it. Their blog has a lot of helpful content on topics such as productivity, working remotely, etc.
- Mobile-friendly—it supports both Android and iOS platforms.
- There are lots of customization options that can be easily customized to the user’s needs.
Cons
- The tool is better suited for individuals compared to team use.
- To access some basic features, users still have to install them through add-ons.
- The tool is not suitable for working on big projects.
Pricing
Trello offers three plans: Free, Business Class, and Enterprise. The Free plan only has limited features, while the other two offer you premium features.
The Business Class plan starts at $9.99 per user per month.
Let’s give it a Try
#3. Teamwork
Teamwork is an excellent collaboration tool with which one can practically do anything related to work management. Internal chat feature, built-in timer, risk register, Gantt chart, and integrated dashboard are just some of the features you get with Teamwork.
Features:
- Calendar
- Cross Project Dependencies
- Interactive Gantt Charts
- Project Templates
- Risk/Benefit Analyzer
- Scheduling
- Supports Multiple Projects
- Add Recurring Tasks
- Group Tasks by Projects
- Set Priorities
- Task History
- To-Do List
- Document Management
- Messaging or Instant Messaging
- RSS Feed
- Social Collaboration Platform
- Create Budgets
- Forecast Budgets
- Manage Expenses
- Track Burn Rate
- Track Project Hours
- Track Staff Hours
- Email Integration
- Notification Groups
- SMS Notifications
Pros
- The built-in timer app helps users keep track of work and productivity.
- Kanban-inspired board helps to get the best out of the team.
- There’s also solid 24×7 customer support via chat, email, or phone.
- It can be easily integrated with other popular software such as Google Drive and HubSpot.
- There are also lots of tutorials and guides to help new users get started.
Cons
- The interface can be confusing at times to use.
- New users will have to spend a good amount of time learning how to use it.
Pricing
There are four different plans to choose from: Free, Deliver, Grow, and Enterprise. Deliver plan starts from $10 per month (billed annually) or $12.5 (billed monthly). Like all other standard software, an annual subscription saves you more money than the monthly one.
Try Teamwork for Free!
#4. Basecamp
Basecamp is one of the most well-known software in the project management industry, having been part of the industry for the last ten years.
The developers have tried to put up software that integrates services from Dropbox and Slack in one place. Essentially, they want Basecamp to be your all-in-one project management software.
They did a fair job with it and could incorporate all those features in one easy-to-use interface.
Features:
- Calendar
- Interactive Gantt Charts
- Project Templates
- Scheduling
- Add Recurring Tasks
- Set Priorities
- Task History
- To-Do List
- Create Teams/Groups
- Document Management
- Forums
- Messaging or Instant Messaging
- RSS Feed
- Social Collaboration Platform
- Issue History
- Resources Allocation and Forecasting
- Track Project Hours
Pros
- Multiple platform support—Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS.
- Built-in group chat feature—no need to make use of external communication apps such as Slack.
- Unlike some of the other software on this list, Base Camp doesn’t charge on a per-user basis.
- There are lots of detailed tutorials on how to master the tool.
- It gives lots of room for customization.
Cons
- Integrations to the software do not work properly at times.
- There is no support via phone call.
- Their business plan is relatively expensive compared to similar offerings by other companies.
Pricing
Basecamp follows a freemium model. The premium plan is based on a subscription model, which costs $99 per month.
Let’s Try Basecamp right now!
#5. Monday
Previously known as Dapulse, Monday is an efficient project management software. The interface is carefully designed so that users can easily navigate around it. Some of its essential features, such as undo button and geo-tagging, cannot be found on other project management software.
Features:
- Collaborate with team members seamlessly
- Communicate about tasks in the context
- Gauge progress at a glance
- See all of your team’s work at a glance
- Assign tasks to team members
- Keep everyone aligned with automation
- Create custom notifications
- Sync with Gmail and Outlook
- Email updates – send updates by email
- Integrate the platform with Slack, Dropbox, Pipedrive, and more
- Document and manage work all in one place
- Measure your team’s progress and document achievements
- Onboard new employees easily
- Grant user permissions to protect the privacy of certain data
- Upload files directly from Adobe for easy peer review
- Leave live comments on visuals
- Reduce emails and meetings
Pros
- Monday is the only company that offers one-on-one training to resolve all the users’ queries and concerns.
- Complex and big projects can be quickly executed using Monday.
- Slack, Jira, Outlook, etc. help enhance and increase Monday tool’s functionality.
- The Kanban-inspired layout helps increase productivity.
- Monday is available in multiple languages—English, Dutch, German, French, etc.
Cons
- It can take a good amount of time for new users to get adapted to the tool.
- It will cost extra to add a new member for each of the plans.
Pricing
There are four plans to choose from: Basic, Standard, Pro, and Enterprise. Basic plans start at $25 per month.
Let’s Grab Monday Subscription.
#6. ProWorkflow
ProWorkflow helps small & large teams achieve clear visibility and accountability on projects, tasks, billing, and reporting. With ProWorkflow, management, contractors, clients & teams collaborate to stay on top of deadlines easily. The Homepage Dashboard gives a quick overview of your current status for active, finished, and future work.
You can also keep everyone updated with the Messaging Tool. Attach files, choose whether to make them private or public and send them. The tool also features one-click replies. Likewise, the easy-to-use Gantt Style Timeline lets you see a global view of your projects and tasks.
A simple drag-and-drop tool allows you to set dates quickly and track time in the Timesheet. Keep all project information in one organized page with the Project Dashboard. The app is easy to use with drag-and-drop functionality. You can control workflow and workload efficiently.
Quickly create and delegate tasks with the user-friendly Bulk Task Editor. Create a template for similarly structured future projects. Upload and share file the easy way by dragging and dropping files from your desktop.
Features:
- The cloud solution allows you to manage projects and tasks remotely
- The project manager helps you to get organized
- Templates for reports and forms that can be customized
- Dashboards and status summaries
- Easy-to-use scheduling
- Messaging tool with one-click replies
- Branding & configuration
- Contact & company search
- Permission-based access
- Messaging & file sharing
- Time tracker widgets for desktop
- Notifications & alerts
- Timesheet entry options
- Quotes & invoices
- Gantt style timeline
- Import Contacts from template
- Mobile & iPhone application
- Individual & overview reports
- Open API
- Free basic training and support
Pros
- Fantastic PM platform for teams with multiple users all looking to collaborate on projects down to the task level.
- Due dates are great to keep things on time.
- They are a friendly bunch too, which is always good.
- It is great to work with and as they improve the program it gets better and better over time.
- It is not perfect and has gone through growing pains, but is stable and generally usable.
Cons
- Connection through Dropbox is awkward. Does not have nearly enough storage on its own servers for our purposes.
- The templates for invoicing are quite basic and can look a little unprofessional. Not having filters in reports that calculate the number of hours per staff member.
- It can be difficult to figure out how to add or delete contacts and companies.
Pricing
It Provides Free Trial.
Plans start from $10 per month, and there are three different plans to choose from.
Give it a Try.
#7. ClickUp
ClickUp is a cloud-based work platform for all types and sizes of teams and businesses. It combines important business applications and centralizes company information into a single online solution. Assign tasks to team members, manage projects for clients, and collaborate with colleagues on documents. ClickUp provides all the tools and features to complete work in an efficient, visible, and accessible way.
Moreover, the work productivity app allows you to look at work items and data in multiple views for better understanding and faster tracking. Choose list view for to-dos, board view for workflows, box view for dashboards, or Gantt view for project schedules. ClickUp also gives you a calendar view, activity view, mind maps, workload view, table view, and map view, among others.
The software is customizable so you can make adjustments on your workspace, description of work status, colors and themes, and selection of features.
Features:
- Assign Comments
- Resolve Comments
- Filter by Status
- Customize Assignees
- Collaboration Detection
- Image Mockups: Comments & Tasks
- Multiple assignees
- Threaded Comments
- Multi-Task Management
- Super Rich Editing
- Tabs
- Three Different Views
- Custom Statuses
- Simple Statuses
- Priority
- Agile Board View
- Box View
- Progress Percentage
- Hierarchy
- Custom Notifications
- Activity Stream
- Mentions
- Slack Unfurl
- Drag and drop reordering
- Smart Search
- Gantt Chart
- Calendar
- Mobile Apps
- Clear Notifications
- Edit Comments
- Machine Learning
Pros
- Suitable for teams and solo users. ClickUp provides teams powerful tools.
- A suite of features is perfect for managing daily activities.
- The user interface is simple to understand and use, and the integrations help save a team of one valuable time when dealing with multiple apps.
- ClickUp provides great visuals and information from its dashboards. Switching views show different perspectives that result in valuable insight.
- Teams and organizations have to settle with using two or more apps for their projects, and this can pile up costs quickly. ClickUp can replace multiple software needed to manage different types of projects.
Cons
- It maybe could be more simple. Creating a task has so many features you can include that it sometimes may be tough.
- It’s slightly complicated; you could provide tutorials.
- Makes it hard for clients to use it who are unaware of it.
- Creating new projects can be a little confusing at first.
Pricing
There are four different plans to choose from: Free, Unlimited, Business, and Enterprise.
The Unlimited plan costs $9.00 per month. Annual plans billed monthly will cost you less compared to the Annual subscription plan.
Try ClickUp!
#8. Paymo
Paymo is a work and project management solution for small and medium client-based businesses. This solution supports remote work and offers project planning, resource scheduling, team collaboration, file proofing, time tracking, and project accounting within a single suite.
Its project management features enable you to create projects, add tasks with multiple assignees, as well as save them as a template for later use. What’s left is to monitor the project progress (time tracked vs initial budgets) and manage work through one of the four different task views: List, Table, Board, Calendar, and Gantt Chart
Paymo is reasonably easy to learn to use and has a few other nice touches, like the ability to customize user permissions.
Features:
- Project management
- Task management
- Team management
- Resource management
- Financial management
- Time tracking
- Timesheet reporting
- Mobile apps
- Adaptable dashboard
- Personalization
Pros
- As long as you set up everything correctly on the front end, you don’t have to think about it again and it will run in the background.
- If you ever have an issue or questions, they have a chat feature and will usually respond in a couple of hours.
- It tracks accurately your invoicing based on projects.
- Shows stats in graph form for easy reference.
- The live reports are great, showing time spent in the minimums that I’ve set, while also including as much detail as I wish to share.
- The dashboard is a useful tool to provide a snapshot of how hours are spent.
Cons
- Budgets from projects to tasks can be difficult to calculate.
- You can’t start the timer for multiple projects at the same time in the widget.
- No way to have clients request work via forms without external integrations.
- Project table layout categories are strange out of the box and not easy to edit.
Pricing
It provides a free version also.
Paymo offers two plans to choose from Small Office and Business. Their cheapest plan, Small Office costs $11.95 per month per user.
Subscribe Paymo now!
| Software | UI | Extensionsfor Software | Integrated Communication App | CustomerSupport |
| Wrike | Easy to use | Available | Yes | Good |
| Trello | Easy to use | Available | No | Moderate |
| Teamwork | Moderate | Available | Yes | Good |
| Basecamp | Moderate | Not Available | Yes | Moderate |
| Monday | Easy to use | Available | No | Moderate |
| ProWorkflow | Moderate | Available | Yes | Good |
| ClickUp | Moderate | Available | Yes | 24/7 Live Charts |
| Paymo | Easy to use | Available | Yes | Good |
Conclusion
In this pandemic season, but with help of the internet, everyone has started working from home and online. For this work environment to be effective, you need proper tools that can help you distribute work and keep track of progress.
These eight tools are some of the best the market offers and can help you a lot with your work.