Completing a project is hard work with any size of team. Add in remote workers, hard deadlines, and critical status updates and the weekly office meeting just got more complicated.
- Learn why you need a project management solution.
- Find out how to choose the best project management app for your business.
- Choose a project management app based on features, project views, integrations and pricing.
- This article is for business owners and project managers seeking a more efficient way to meet deadlines, collaborate, and streamline pipeline processes.
A project management app can help you automate processes, encourage collaboration, and meet sales goals, but finding one that fits your business can be overwhelming. With a sea of options, diverse pricing structures, and multiple people to onboard, researching the best project management apps is critical for success.
Editor’s note: Looking for the right project management software for your business? Fill out the below questionnaire to have our vendor partners contact you about your needs.
How do you choose a project management app?
A project management app should encompass all of your employees’ tasks, due dates, priorities and status updates. It should improve overall communication, collaboration and the ability to meet deadlines.
Ideally, the project management app will allow online chat or messages within the platform so all communication is easy to track (compared to multiple emails scattered across everyone’s separate email accounts). It will also allow your team to upload files such as images, videos and documents to keep the project organized.
Software that updates in real time can prevent mistakes when workers are spread out across the country or globe. Mobile accessibility can keep projects moving forward even when employees are on the go.
Integrations with marketing tools, design, reporting functions, Google Workspace, etc. allow employees to work seamlessly within the project management app without having to open several tabs or remember multiple passwords. Different views and customizable drag-and-drop features can cater to each employee’s work style.
All of the project management apps below include a free trial, offer responsive customer service, and can scale to meet your current and future business needs.
Asana
If you are a fan of Trello (which we cover below) but need more robust features, Asana is a good choice. Asana provides an all-in-one project management system that can track individual team members and all of the tasks they are working on. The platform updates in real time so you can keep up with the project pipeline’s tasks, notes, workspaces, and tags.
Asana allows you to set permissions for each team member, and team members can share project documents within the platform to eliminate the need for multiple emails.
Available project views
- List
- Board
- Timeline
- Calendar
- Progress
- Forms
Source: Asana
Integrations
Asana integrates with over 200 apps, including 21 built by Asana for seamless integration. Popular integrations include Google Workspace (formerly known as G Suite), Microsoft Teams, Slack, Mailchimp, Dropbox and GitHub.
Customer service
Asana provides how-to documentation, a community forum, the Asana Academy for training on the software, an online onboarding guide, use cases, and an API guide on its website.
All users can contact Asana by email. Asana’s paid plans give access to priority support (customer success managers) and admin controls.
Pricing
Basic plan: Free
- Unlimited tasks
- Unlimited projects
- Unlimited messages
- Unlimited activity log
- Unlimited file storage (100MB per file)
- Collaboration with up to 15 teammates
- List view of projects
- Board view
- Calendar view
- Assignee and due dates
- Project overview
- Project brief
- iOS and Android mobile apps
- Time tracking with integrations
- Over 100 free integrations with your favorite apps
Premium plan: $13.49 per user per month ($10.99 per month if billed annually)
- Timeline
- Dashboards
- Advanced search and reporting
- Custom fields
- Unlimited free guests
- Forms
- Rules
- Milestones
- Admin console
- Private teams and projects
Business plan: $30.49 per user per month ($24.99 per month billed annually)
- Portfolios
- Goals
- Workload
- Custom rules builder
- Forms branching and customization
- Approvals
- Proofing
- Lockable custom fields
- Advanced integrations with Salesforce, Adobe Creative Cloud, Tableau, Power BI
Enterprise plan: Contact Asana for pricing.
- SAML
- User provisioning and deprovisioning (SCIM)
- Data export and deletion
- Block native integrations
- Attachment controls
- Custom branding
- Priority support
Free trial: 30 days (Premium and Business)
Basecamp
Basecamp is best for team collaboration, project organization and file sharing. The platform offers robust integrations, which can cut down on the amount of software you need to run your business. Basecamp uses flat-fee pricing (instead of charging per user), which is a refreshing change from its competitors.
Source: Basecamp
Available project views
- Campfire (informal group chat, no size limit)
- Message boards
- To-dos
- Schedules
- Docs and files (upload files and organize by folder)
- Automatic check-ins (task alerts)
Integrations
Basecamp has several integrations, like Timely and Proposify, but lacks direct marketing integrations. However, the platform does integrate with Zapier (which offers over 750 business apps) and Automate.io (over 50 apps, including Slack, Gmail and Pipedrive), providing you with more options than most businesses need.
Customer service
For general questions and how-tos, Basecamp offers video tutorials, written guides, and live classes. You can also contact Basecamp by email and receive a response in under 20 minutes during the work hours of 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. (CST), Monday to Friday. However, users have reported speedy responses outside of normal work hours too.
Pricing
Basecamp Personal: Free
- Up to three projects
- 20 users
- 1GB storage space
Basecamp Business: $99 per month
- Unlimited projects
- Unlimited users
- 500GB storage space
- Company HQ (centralized platform for companywide communications)
- Team projects
- Unlimited clients
- Advanced client access
- Project templates
- Priority support
Free trial (Basecamp Business): 30 days; no credit card required, anytime cancellation
monday.com
monday.com provides over 200 visual templates to get you up and running. You can drag and drop over 30 column types to create a custom workflow. You can also automate routine tasks to eliminate busywork and maximize productivity.
You can communicate with team members, add files to projects, and link boards to streamline complex processes. Managers can use the workload view to get a glimpse of what each team member is working on without unnecessary meetings.
Source: monday.com
Available project views
- Table
- Gantt
- Calendar
- Chart
- Kanban
- Form
- Timeline
- Workload
Integrations
monday.com excels in business integrations, listing over 40 in project management, CRM, marketing, software development and more. Its top integrations include Shopify, Google Calendar, Zoom, Zapier, Adobe Creative Cloud, Stripe and HubSpot.
Customer service
monday.com offers an active online user community, extensive documentation of all aspects of the platform, professional services (one-on-one help for an additional cost), video tutorials, and a blog and podcast on its website.
Source: monday.com
All monday.com users, even those on the free plan, have access to 24/7 customer support. (However, paying users receive priority support.) You simply fill out the form on the contact page to get help with your issue.
Pricing
Individual: Free
- Two seats
- Two team members
- Unlimited boards
- Over 200 templates
- Over 20 column types
- iOS and Android apps
Basic: $8 per seat per month
- All Individual plan features
- Unlimited free viewers
- Unlimited items
- 5GB file storage
- Priority customer support
- Custom dashboard based on one board
Standard: $10 per seat per month
- All Basic plan features
- Timeline and Gantt views
- Calendar view
- Guest access
- Automations (250 actions per month)
- Integrations (250 actions per month)
- Custom dashboard that combines up to five boards
Pro: $16 per seat per month
- All Standard plan features
- Private boards
- Chart view
- Time tracking
- Formula column
- Automations (25,000 actions per month)
- Integrations (25,000 actions per month)
- Custom dashboard that combines up to 10 boards
Enterprise: Contact monday.com for pricing.
- All Pro plan features
- Enterprise-scale automations and integrations
- Enterprise-grade security and governance
- Advanced reporting and analytics
- Multilevel permissions
- Tailored onboarding
- Premium support
- Custom dashboard that combines up to 50 boards
Free trial: 14 days (Pro plan)
Smartsheet
Smartsheet provides web-based collaboration tools to streamline your projects. It offers quicker onboarding than rival Wrike. Automation and resource management tools help balance allocations and prevent pinch points.
Available project views
Source: Smartsheet
Source: Smartsheet
Integrations
Smartsheet has over 65 integrations, including logistics tools, accounts payable, Adobe Creative Cloud, and Workplace by Facebook. You can use Automate.io to connect Smartsheet with apps like Gmail, Slack and Salesforce.
Customer service
Individual:
- Help and Learning Center
- Smartsheet Community
- Support by email
- On-demand training (extra cost)
- Instructor-led training (extra cost)
Business:
- Help and Learning Center
- Smartsheet Community
- Support by email
- Support by phone (extra cost)
- Professional support (extra cost)
- On-demand training (extra cost)
- Instructor-led training (extra cost)
Enterprise:
- Help and Learning Center
- Smartsheet Community
- Support by email
- Support by phone
- Professional support (extra cost)
- On-demand training
- Instructor-led training (extra cost)
Premier:
- Help and Learning Center
- Smartsheet Community
- Support by email
- Support by phone
- Professional support
- On-demand training
- Instructor-led training (extra cost)
Pricing
Individual: $14 per month (when billed annually)
- Free users (access for users without a paid license)
- Integration with apps like Google Workspace and Office 365
- Library of free templates
- Data-capture forms
- Automated workflows and tasks
Business: $25 per user per month (when billed annually; minimum of three licenses)
- All Individual plan features
- Dashboards and charts for data visualization
- Activity log
- Reporting
- Connectors (integrations) for extended data analytics
- Group and user management
- Custom branding
Enterprise: Contact Smartsheet for pricing.
- All Business plan features
- Unlimited sheets
- WorkApps (no extra cost for licensed users)
- Single sign-on with Active Directory integration
- Automation of adding users
- Approved domain sharing
- Configurable file storage options
- Customizable user experience
- System and group admin features
Premier: Contact Smartsheet for pricing.
- All Enterprise plan features
- Dynamic view
- Data uploader
- Calendar app
- DataMesh (data-mapping feature)
- Pivot App (data analysis and reporting feature)
- Premium support
- Connectors (integrations) for Salesforce, Jira and Microsoft Dynamics 365
Free trial: 30 days; instant access, no credit card required
Trello
Trello is a top choice for small businesses that are moving beyond the common spreadsheet. It is also a good choice for personal use, since its free plan offers many useful features. If you need plug-and-play project management software with great security and a mobile app, Trello will not disappoint.
Source: Trello
Available project views
- Card (Kanban)
- Additional project views with integrations
Integrations (Power-Ups)
Trello offers a large variety of Power-Ups, which are integrations that can boost the features of your Trello boards. Integrations include Google Drive for adding files directly into a project card, Slack for communication and collaboration, and Planyway, which adds a calendar, timeline, and time tracker.
Customer service
Trello has written documentation on its website to answer frequently asked questions. You can also ask the Trello Community for a quick answer or email Trello’s support specialists.
Pricing
Free: $0 per month
- Unlimited cards
- Unlimited members
- Up to 10 boards
- One Power-Up per board
- Unlimited storage (10MB per file)
- 50 automated command runs per month
- Unlimited activity log
- Assignee and due dates
- iOS and Android mobile apps
- Two-factor authentication
Business Class: $10 per user per month if billed annually ($12.50 if billed monthly)
- All Free plan features
- Unlimited boards
- Unlimited Power-Ups
- Dashboard view
- Timeline view
- Team table view
- Calendar view
- Map view
- Advanced checklists
- 1,000 automated command runs per team plus 200 per user (up to 6,000 per month)
- Unlimited storage (250MB per file)
- Admin and security features
- Team board templates
- Collections
- Observers
- Single-board guests
- Custom backgrounds and stickers
- Saved searches
- Priority support
- Google Apps sign-on
- Simple data export
Enterprise: Contact Trello for pricing.
- All Business Class plan features
- Organization-wide permissions
- Organization-visible boards
- Public board management
- Multi-board guests
- Attachment permissions
- Power-Up administration
- Unlimited automated command runs
Free trial: 14 days; no credit card required
Workfront
Workfront features enterprise work management, time tracking and portfolio management. It was founded in 2001 (formerly AtTask). In December 2020, Workfront was acquired by Adobe Inc.
Source: Workfront
Workfront helps you automate workflows and customize forms and reports. The platform can be configured for any size of team in any industry. You can streamline projects and collaborate with your team whether you are in the same office or spread out across the globe. Workfront also provides top-in-class compliance, data privacy, and information security.
Available project views
- Gantt
- Kanban
- Calendar
- Map
- Budget
- Critical path
Integrations
Workfront integrations are accessible in three ways: It offers built-in integrations, and you can access more integrations through Workfront API and/or Workfront Fusion 2.0.
Built-in integrations include Adobe Creative Cloud, Dropbox, Google Workspace, Microsoft Office 365, SharePoint, Salesforce, Slack and Zoom. Workfront API can be used by a development team, whereas Workfront Fusion 2.0 can be used by non-developers to create custom integrations without advanced technical knowledge.
Customer service
Workfront provides documentation on its website to answer common questions, including e-books, training, videos and webinars. You can contact Workfront directly by phone, email or 24/7 live chat support.
Pricing
Workfront’s pricing is personalized for each client. It charges a yearly fee based on the type of license and the plan you choose – Team, Pro, Business or Enterprise.
Free trial: Available upon request
Wrike
Wrike is best for larger teams and businesses that employ remote workers. This project management platform features several dashboard views, integration capabilities, a time tracker and a mobile app. Its new Work Intelligence AI feature offers automated risk projections, voice command functionality, and document processing.
Source: Wrike
Available project views
- Gantt
- Table
- Timelog
- Wrike (custom)
- Files
- Board
- Analytics
Integrations
Integrations are available as an add-on to the Business plan or higher. With the add-on, you can connect Wrike to popular business apps like QuickBooks, Mailchimp and Salesforce.
Customer service
Free Wrike account:
Standard (paid and trial Wrike account):
- Email, help center chat, phone
- 24/5 availability
- 24-hour response time
Premium (paid Wrike account with purchase of premium support):
- Email, help center chat, dedicated phone line, workspace chat
- 24/7 availability
- One-hour response time
- Extra cost with subscription
Pricing
Free: $0 per month
- Five users
- Board view
- Task management
- File sharing
- Real-time activity stream
- Spreadsheet view
- Basic integrations (Google Drive and Microsoft Office 365)
- Desktop and mobile app
- Cloud storage integrations (Google Drive, Dropbox, Box, Office 365 and OneDrive)
- 2GB of storage space
Professional: $9.80 per user per month (billed annually)
- All Free plan features
- Up to 200 users
- Task and subtask management
- Gantt chart
- Advanced integrations (MS Project, Excel, RSS)
- Shareable dashboards
- Collaborators
- Storage space starting at 5GB
Business: $24.80 per user per month (billed annually)
- All Professional plan features
- Up to 200 users
- Custom fields and workflows
- Shared real-time reports with scheduled notifications
- Report templates
- Graphical analytics
- Calendars
- Request forms
- Project and task approvals
- Time tracking
- User groups and permissions
- Salesforce integration
- Branded workspace
- Storage space starting at 50GB
- Automation engine
Enterprise: Contact Wrike for pricing.
- All Business plan features
- Five unlimited users
- Active Directory integration
- SAML 2.0 single sign-on
- Two-factor authentication
- Password policies
- IT-controlled admin permissions
- Advanced user access controls
- User audit reports
- Network access and compliance policies
- Integration with business intelligence tools
- Storage space starting at 100GB
- Automation engine
Add-on services:
- Wrike for Marketers
- Wrike for Marketers Performance
- Wrike for Professional Services
- Wrike for Professional Services Performance
Free trial: 14 days; call to set up.
Zoho Projects
Zoho Projects is an all-in-one project management solution. The platform features a customizable CRM, collaboration apps, finance, automation, human resources, IT, AI data, and sales and marketing tools. You can even sell custom extensions, apps, or solutions through the Zoho Marketplace, which gives you access to Zoho’s 60 million users across the globe.
Source: Zoho
Available project views
- Gantt
- Calendar
- Kanban
- Dependency
- Milestones
- Classic (task detail)
- Plain (task and subtasks)
Integrations
Zoho Projects provides 13 in-house apps along with over 25 direct integrations. Its popular integrations include Google Workspace, Microsoft Office 365, Dropbox and Slack. Zoho also partners with Zapier to significantly increase its integration options.
Customer service
Zoho customer service is available in both classic (free) and premium (paid) support options. If you have the free version of Zoho, you can utilize its knowledgebase, how-to videos and email support.
If you are on a paid monthly plan, you may call during business hours (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) or send an email. If you opt for a premium support plan, you will have access to 24-hour Zoho Projects support Monday through Friday, with an average six-hour response time. However, premium support costs $990 per year on top of the monthly subscription costs.
Pricing
Free: $0
- Three users
- Two projects
- 10MB storage
- One project (pages and chat)
- Read-only chronology Gantt chart
- Basic reports
Premium: $5 per user per month ($4 if billed annually)
- Up to 50 users
- Unlimited projects
- 100GB storage space
- 20 project templates
- All projects (pages and chat)
- Editable Gantt charts (within projects)
- Advanced reporting
Enterprise: $9 per user per month ($10 if billed annually)
- No upper limit
- Unlimited projects
- 120GB storage space
- 30 project templates
- All projects (pages and chat)
- Editable Gantt charts (across projects)
- Advanced reporting
Free trial: 10 days; no credit card required