March 2022 – Management Library

March 31, 2022February 10, 2023

The 10 Best Project Management Tools

The best project management tools are the ones that meet your needs. However, the range of options and factors to consider can often be overwhelming. We’ve boiled down some of the most used and best options to help you make an easier, yet still informed decision.

Quick View

Asana: Best Overall
Trello: Best for Small Projects
Wrike: Best for Tracking Time
ClickUp: Best for Collaboration
monday.com: Best for Large Teams
Hive: Best Based on Features
Microsoft Teams: Best for Remote Teams
Flow: Best for Startups
Roadmunk: Best for Product Management
Confluence: Best for Creative Projects

Asana

Free tier, or $13.49 and $30.49 per user per month pay plans.

Generate easy to read graphs, easy to use, lots of collaboration tools

Large library of tutorials and support docs

A range of integrations are available, including particular partnerships with Harvest, Power Bi, and others

Free Android and iOS apps

Trello

Free to $17.50 per user per month. Custom options available

Part of Atlassian App Ecosystem. Easy to use drag-and-drop interface, automatically generate reports and charts

Library of help article and tutorials, community help, Premium and Enterprise users get priority support

Lots of ‘Power-Up’ options to connect apps, integrate with Atlassian products

Free Android and iOS apps

Wrike

Basic tier is free, paid tiers are $9.80 and $24.80.

Time tracking and timesheets, workload charts, branded Workspace

Help docs, video tutorials, submit help tickets

Large library of common integrations

Free Android and iOS app

ClickUp

Free version, Unlimited for $9, Business for $19, and Business Plus for $29 per user per month

Unlimited file storage, branded views, time tracking

Library of docs, tutorials, and videos. Free one-on-one live coaching

Long list of integrations, some reserved for higher tiers. API for custom integrations

Free Android and iOS apps

monday.com

Free tier and paid tiers for $10, $12, and $20 per user per month

Collaborative documents, workload view, project health status

Library of support docs, videos, and tutorials

Long list of integrations, some limited to higher pay tiers

Free Android and iOS apps

Hive

Free plan, pay tier at $16 with optional add-ons or customizable tier

Time tracking and timesheets, collaborative docs, automated risk tracking

Library of support docs and intro webinar.

Short list includes commonly used apps

Free Android and iOS apps

Microsoft Teams

Free or Essentials for $4 per user per month

(Additional features require Microsoft 365 subscription)

Screen sharing, breakout rooms, meeting recordings, and transcripts

Microsoft support

Part of Microsoft 365, integrates with a long list of apps

Free Android and iOS apps

Flow

Basic is $8, Plus is $12, and Pro is $18 per user per month

Real-time chat, ‘Catch-up’ action log, add new tasks via email

Sparse library of videos and docs, email support

Handful of integrations, more through Zapier

Free Android and iOS app

Roadmunk

Starter is $19, Business is $65, and Professional is $129 per user per month

‘Roadmaps’ to organize projects, reviewers can provide feedback, customer feedback portal

Training videos, help docs, live-chat support

Integrates with AzureOS and Jira, API for custom integrations

No mobile app

Confluence

Free or paid plans at $5.50 or $10.50 per user per month

Plan projects in collaborative ‘pages‘, track page history, embed Jira roadmaps

Large library of guides, videos, and tutorials. Message support

Integrates with Atlassian apps. Loads of integrations and apps

Free Android and iOS apps

Quick Verdict

Best Overall – Asana. It’s easy to use with a range of valuable tools. Among the highlights are easy to create charts with status updates and a wide range of support options.

The 10 Best Project Management Tools

We’ve reviewed some of the best project management software options out there so you can find the right one for your business.

Asana

$0 to $30.49

★★★★★

4.4

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There are few project management platforms that tend to show up a lot, Asana being one of the most common. It’s not just a coincidence. Asana is easy to use and offers some of the best project management tools available. It can work for small teams or scale to larger companies.

One of the most useful tools to the average project manager may be the Status Update feature. With it, you can easily generate graphics detailing project progress, workload, and a number of other key factors. You can also share them with team members, clients, or whoever you choose.

Bottom Line:

While a bit more expensive than some options, Asana can help keep control of even the most complex projects. Read our Asana review to learn more about its features and pricing.

Automatically generate attractive graphs and charts
Easy to use
Large library of tutorials, courses, and other support docs

Relatively expensive

Trello

Free to $12.50

★★★★★

4.2

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Many people may be more familiar with another Atlassian project management offering, Jira. Trello isn’t as heavyweight an app, primarily offering a Kanban-style board with some additions. It might work best for small project teams that follow an Agile approach, but don’t need all the bells and whistles to keep things organized.

The features Trello does offer are useful and make it easy to see a project’s status at a glance. In particular, automations are easy to use and set up.

Bottom Line:

Trello offers a streamlined project management app suited for small projects.

Kanban board-based design
Labels help organize at a glance
Easy to use automations

Limited tools

Wrike

Free to $24.80

★★★★★

4.0

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Wrike just updated their interface, moving more information to the default view. As a result, you can see your inbox, list of to-dos, and current tasks all without clicking a button. It may sound overwhelming, but it’s actually nicely arranged in an easy-to-understand format.

Otherwise, Wrike follows a pretty standard model for online project management software. There are plenty of reporting options, including resource management, project planning, and tracking time. One nice Wrike feature is the ability to track time to specific tasks, making this the best project management software with time tracking on our list.

Bottom Line:

Wrike is well designed, with lots of useful features, though on the more expensive side. Read the Wrike review if you’re interested in this software.

Easy to navigate
Customizable reports
Track time on specific tasks

Pricey

ClickUp

Free to $29

★★★★★

4.0

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ClickUp is loaded with a number of helpful task management features, including native time tracking on tasks. One nice feature is the ability to create collaborative docs and wikis within the app, building a knowledge base for your project.

Options for collaboration include proofing and document editing, and recording videos in-app. Other features are fairly standard for project management software, including project templates, task management, tracking, and analytics. To know more about its pricing and features, check out our ClickUp review.

Lots of support options
Create a wiki for your project
Onboarding guides and services

Limited uses of some features on lower tiers

monday.com

$0 to $20

★★★★★

3.8

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Monday is one of the better-known and well-established project management apps out there. It offers a number of features like to-do lists, collaborative documents, and task assignments that can help keep complex projects organized. There are also options for communicating with team members either in groups or across your organization.

However, a lot of useful features are reserved for more expensive tiers, like unlimited users, integration, dependencies, and others. While it may seem less expensive than a competitor like Asana, you’ll actually pay about the same for similar levels of service. As a result, it probably makes the most sense for larger teams that both need and can afford those costs.

Bottom Line:

Monday.com offers high-quality, if standard, features for a slightly higher cost. Read the monday.com review if you’re interested in going for this tool or the Monday vs Asana article.

Well established
Lots of useful tools
Multiple ways to view info

Useful tools reserved for costlier plans

Hive

$0 to $16

★★★★★

3.5

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Hive has a reasonably simple interface, though as with most project management tools, there is a learning curve. The basics include assigning ‘actions’ and mapping out deadlines with Gantt charts. There is also a collaborative document that can be used for brainstorming and to-do lists, among other things.

Additional features can be added with apps and integrations. The number of integrations is quite small, but the ones on offer connect painlessly to your workspace.

The downside may be the pricing structure. There’s only the free Solo plan, paid Teams plan, and the Enterprise plan. Some Enterprise features can be added to a Teams subscription ala carte, and there is a small additional fee for each one. That could allow you to tailor your cost to your budget, but also pressure your project manager to do without and save money.

Bottom Line:

Hive is a nice platform with an unusual pricing structure, but a great advantage is that you can pay for individual services to tailor features to your needs.

Tracking time options included
Lots of features included with Hive Solo
Tools for deliverable proofing and approval

Complicated pricing structure

Microsoft Teams

Free

★★★★★

3.4

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Microsoft is ubiquitous in the business world, which can make using their product a no-brainer. While the brand name can prompt a few rants, the approach to software is already very familiar to most people. However, Teams isn’t a set of desktop and online project management tools. Microsoft Project fills that slot. Instead, Teams is a platform for teleconferencing and collaboration.

Despite that, Teams can work as a PM platform, as it integrates with a lot of common tools and also provides storage for project data through OneDrive.

Bottom Line:

Teams is an industry-standard for collaborating with team members, but may not have all the features a business needs in a project management platform.

Easy to use teleconferencing
Screen sharing, file sharing, and transcripts
Part of Microsoft 365

Doesn’t offer a number of project management features
Focused on team communication

Flow

$8 to $18

★★★★★

3.3

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Several project management software options have updated their offerings in the last few years, including Asana and Wrike. Flow X, the newest iteration, was released in September 2021. It includes useful additional features like task priority and deadlines to help manage project timelines. Messaging and other new project management tools for collaboration have also been added.

Bottom Line:

Flow was once a personal productivity app that has grown into a full-blown project management platform.

Workload by employee, team, or company
Lower cost
30-day free trial

No free tier
Fewer support documents

Roadmunk

$19 to $129

★★★★★

3.0

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Many other project management software options try to remain flexible, while Roadmunk specializes in product management. It offers project management tools focused for that type of business, including a portal for customer feedback and tools for prioritizing new ideas.

The software offers plenty of team collaboration features and schedule visualization tools. Project managers can rank tasks according to priority, and manage teams by assigning permission levels to each member.

Bottom Line:

Roadmunk offers a complete project management system for creating, releasing, and updating software products.

Chrome extension
Tools for idea prioritization
Handles customer feedback

No mobile apps
Expensive

Confluence

Free to $10.50

★★★★★

3.0

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The standard, modern project management tool focuses on tasks and uses those as building blocks. It makes sense, but Confluence has a different take on how to manage projects. The project is the basic unit, with a page detailing the goal and steps along the way. Graphics, to-do lists, and other features are added to the page by team members with a range of easy-to-use tools.

For some teams, it might be a confusing way to work. However, it may work well for many projects, particularly creative tasks.

Bottom Line:

Confluence takes a holistic view of a project that may work well for creative teams. Read our in-depth review on Confluence to find out if it’s the right choice for you.

Based on pages rather than tasks.
Spaces, sub-pages, and page trees keep things organized.
Easy to use automations.
Dedicated IP address.

Unusual format.

Key Features of a Good Project Management Tool

While the offer to help you manage unlimited projects is a little grandiose, comprehensive project management software can actually make successful projects more likely. All the features they offer can help you manage tasks, track dates, and allow project tracking in a way that once required a large staff and reams of paper.

Most platforms put their attention on project tasks, but it’s how those tasks are used, discussed, and reported that makes a quality project management tool.

Team Management

Most project management tools focus on managing your team to some degree. Whether you’re trying to communicate with your entire team, assign tasks, or manage their time with resource allocation tools, figuring out how to best use their talents is what makes a project a success.

Project Delivery Management

Managers often have to take a larger view, as part of their job may involve project portfolio management. As a result, tools that aid in project planning and balancing multiple projects are vital.

Methodology Suitability

Agile development has taken over in many sectors of business, while in others, traditional project management will probably always be on top. Many organizations are embracing hybrid approaches of one sort or another. Whatever your preference, the best project management platform is one that offers features for the methodology you use.

Risk Management

Risk can mean different things, like issue tracking in the software development process or production delays in manufacturing. Whatever it means to your project, good project management tools don’t just track progress, they help interpret project details and understand the causes of risk.

Reporting

One of the most important project management features is the ability to display information in a clear, understandable way. Gantt charts are often just the start. A quality project management tool can help you understand project progress, resource use, and a host of other factors that are required for informed decision-making.

Perhaps even more importantly, good reporting tools help you communicate those factors to stakeholders and team members.

Finance Management

Perhaps surprisingly, many project management platforms don’t include specific tools for expense tracking, billing, and other financial tasks. In many cases, it’s possible to use different project management tools instead. However, you may find that some platforms integrate with financial tools that you already use, making them more efficient and attractive options.

Collaboration and Communication

Good project management software in modern business requires far more than just task management. It is also often a key collaboration tool, serving as a meeting place and method of communication. Generally speaking, the more team collaboration tools a platform offers, and the easier they are for project team members to use, the better.

Integration With Other Apps

Even the right project management software, the perfect option for your needs, might not have every feature you’d like. The easiest way to pull in a new project management tool is often an integration. Additionally, you may find that some platforms work with apps you already use.

Usability

The ease of using a project management tool is obviously important, though a certain degree of complexity may be inevitable. Perhaps more importantly is whether the tool helps your team complete tasks by fostering team collaboration, reminding them of recurring tasks, and a host of other day-to-day features.

Support

The support offered by a platform is often an important factor for project managers to consider. Managing projects is hard when your PM software keeps going down. A team member flailingly trying to understand a feature is a drain on time and resources. Both ends of the support spectrum are important to keep in mind.

Privacy

Great project management software isn’t so great if your information isn’t secure and under your control. In an age of cloud computing, adequate security is important to everyone.

Choosing the Best Project Management Tool

A project manager often has to use whatever online project management tool their company has chosen. However, when you get the chance to make that decision, follow a few simple steps to find the best project management tools for you:

Shortlist features that are important for you
Define what good project management is for your team
Consider costs and fees

Shortlist Features That Are Important for You

A good project management app will have the features that meet your team’s needs. The best tool for software development teams may not be the best project management software for startups, for example. The best construction project management software would probably be different than either of those.

Define What Good Project Management Is for Your Team

Project managers often have their own approach to problems and it’s important to find a platform that reflects that approach. Are you looking for an option for business process management software, or do you need help herding cats on a creative project?

Consider Costs and Fees

Consider the size of your team and your project planning needs. For individuals and smaller projects, the free plan for project management software tools may be all you need. There are also a range of price points for PM software, so look for one that meets your needs and budget.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for Best Project Management Tools

What Is the Best Project Management Tool to Use?

The best project management software is the one that meets all your needs at a price you can afford. Not every project management software works the same way. However, almost all offer free trials so you can see which is for you.

What Are Commonly Used Project Management Tools?

Common options include:

1. Asana
2. Monday.com
3. Wrike
4. Basecamp

Most follow a task management model, which can be built into a powerful project management tool.

Does Google Have a Project Management Tool?

Google doesn’t have a single project management tool, though when used together, several Google apps could be used as powerful, if simple, project management software.

What Are the 5 Stages of Project Management?

While often referred to as stages or phases of the project management process, the five process groups found in the PMBOK are types of project functions. They include:

1. Initiation
2. Planning
3. Execution
4. Monitoring and control
5. Closure

Conclusion: Best Project Management Tools

It would be nice if free project management software covered all the bases, but just about all of the most important tools come with a cost. Managing that cost and choosing the platform that fits your needs is the first step to successfully managing a project.

March 31, 2022November 23, 2022

How To Conduct a Payroll Audit For Small Business in 8 Steps

Young male financial manager in the office

Conducting a payroll audit can help your small business reduce employment costs and ensure compliance with federal, state, and local labor laws. Start the process of analyzing your company’s payroll to reveal errors and inefficiencies that reduce your bottom line.

How To Conduct a Payroll Audit in 8 Steps

Your small business payroll audit should have two main goals. First, you want to make sure that you have comprehensive payroll documentation for all your employees, and verify the accuracy of these records. After you fix any errors you uncover, the second step involves finding the issues in your internal processes that led to discrepancies and updating protocols to improve the accuracy of your company’s payroll records.

If you aren’t convinced of the importance of running regular payroll audits, consider these statistics:

Employers paid about $6 billion to the IRS in payroll-related penalties in 2020 alone
A survey from Intuit revealed that 25% of employees have received paychecks that contain errors
18% of employees surveyed by Intuit said they have received a late paycheck, which increases to 32% among those who work for a company with 20 or fewer employees
Kronos reports that nearly half of employees will look for a new job after more than one paycheck error
Up to 30% of U.S. employees are classified incorrectly, according to the National Employment Law Project
45% of small businesses have no accountant or bookkeeper on staff and 25% still have a paper payroll process, as revealed in data collected by Clutch.co

Small businesses are also more likely than larger businesses to experience payroll volatility. This phenomenon is characterized by high levels of turnover and other changes that increase the chances of errors and other issues.

Before You Begin

While the word audit conjures images of endless stacks of paperwork, you can streamline the process with these eight easy steps. Before you get started, you’ll need to gather the necessary reports from your paper accounting records or payroll software system.

Company-wide payroll reports

Also called a payroll register or payroll journal, a comprehensive document that includes all the details of employee compensation, tax withholdings, and deductions

Employee time reports

Details about the number of hours worked per employee per pay period (weekly, bimonthly, monthly)

Individual employee reports

Detailed compensation, withholding information, and deductions for a single employee

Payroll tax reports

Quarterly and annual reports that detail taxable employee compensation and corresponding withholdings and tax liabilities

Cash requirements reports

Information about the amount of money your business needs to process payroll and the allocation of these funds

1. Analyze Your Payroll Roster

Download your payroll roster from your company’s accounting software. Once you have this document in front of you, review your entire payroll to confirm that it doesn’t include “ghost” employees who don’t actually exist, a sure sign of internal fraud. Verify each person’s full legal name, Social Security number, current address, and position at the business.

Take this time to remove anyone who no longer works for the business. This includes workers who are currently out on disability or family and medical leave. If you employ external vendors or contractors, the payroll audit offers an opportunity to check their contracts. Make sure they have been paid only the amount owed under the designated contract period.

2. Check Pay Rates and Hours Worked

Once you verify that your payroll only includes humans who actually work for your company, make sure that they are getting paid the correct amount for the correct number of hours. Unscrupulous employees who have access to the payroll system sometimes increase compensation rates or boost the number of hours someone works so they can embezzle money. The audit should look at every timesheet and paystub for every work for the entire period since you last conducted a payroll audit.

In addition to verifying hours worked and pay rates, make sure that you have accurately distinguished between hourly and salaried employees. You must also ensure the correct classification of exempt and nonexempt employees under the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act. Employees who are nonexempt must receive overtime pay for every hour they work over 40 hours a week. If these workers have not been compensated correctly, adjusting this issue and providing back pay accordingly can prevent state or federal sanctions.

3. Look Closely at Variable Payments

Make sure that any employee payments that diverge from the typical amount are supported by proof of authorization. The journal of your payroll system should have a separate section for variable pay apart from standard salaries and wages. Some of the most common types of variable payments include shift differentials, profit-sharing payments, commissions, and bonuses.

4. Review Off-Cycle Payments

You also want to pay special attention to payroll cycles that occur outside the typical amount. For example, if your company should have had 24 semi-monthly payroll cycles in the year since you last conducted an audit, you need to investigate unexplained extra cycles. While some such variances could be an error or occur when the company issues a bonus or other special incentive, they could also be a red flag for fraud.

5. Perform Payroll Reconciliation

In this step, check each payroll record against the company’s general ledger. This reconciliation represents the most important part of the payroll audit, and it typically takes more time than any other step. Double-checking the journal entries in your business accounting software that correspond to your payroll records ensures that the system transmitted this data correctly. It also confirms the correct calculation of taxable wages and payroll deductions.

6. Check Payroll Records Against Tax Forms

Next, you need to make sure that your payroll records match up with the amounts you reported on IRS Forms 940 and 941. Form 940, filed annually, reports tax your company withheld under the Federal Unemployment Tax Act. On your quarterly Form 941, you report withholding of federal income tax and Federal Insurance Contribution Act taxes. In addition to reconciling your payroll records against your federal tax forms, you also need to check against the corresponding state forms.

7. Locate and Pay Outstanding Tax Bills

Your payroll system likely creates automatic tax liability reports when you owe outstanding tax payments. This may occur if the system fails to make these payments when you hire someone living in a different state and do not enter a specific tax ID number for that state. In this situation, the payroll audit ensures that you can pay the outstanding amount and avoid costly IRS sanctions.

8. Establish or Improve Payroll Protocols

When done correctly, payroll audits should enhance your company’s processes to reduce the potential for errors and fraudulent activity. End each payroll audit with a wrap-up session where you discuss findings and determine how your business can avoid these issues in the future. If you don’t have a solid payroll protocol in place, consider these best practices:

Direct supervisor approval of each payroll run
A weekly deadline for timesheet submission
Documentation in writing for variable payments such as bonuses
Restricted access to payroll on an as-needed basis
A single pay cycle for all employees
Modern payroll software if you don’t already have this technology in place
A paperless reporting process to automate the audit
A regular review of state and federal labor laws to ensure ongoing compliance
A system of checks and balances that divides payroll responsibilities among team members

In addition, if you don’t already have a pay policy in place, establishing this type of document can prevent issues such as employee misclassification, tax underpayment, and accidental and intentional time theft. Your company’s pay policy should include transparent details about employee classifications and determination of salaries, wages, raises, and promotions. This document also details the protocol for processing payroll, making changes to this process, and addressing errors that arise. This level of transparency not only reduces the likelihood of errors but fosters a trusting relationship with your workers.

Benefits of Conducting a Payroll Audit

While you may be reluctant to dedicate valuable internal resources to an annual audit, most small businesses realize a substantial return on this investment. Some of the advantages of conducting regular payroll audits include:

Finding and correcting data entry and calculation errors
Detecting and discouraging payroll fraud
Identifying changes that need to be made, such as removing a terminated employee or adding a raise for a promoted worker
Confirming accurate tax withholdings and payments
Correcting the accounting for sick, personal, vacation and holiday time
Verifying you are paying workers for the correct number of hours
Remaining compliant with state and federal employment regulations
Reducing your risk of an external audit by correcting problems before they are flagged by the IRS
Evaluating the cost of your payroll software and user licenses relative to features and value

Issues in any of these areas could be costly for your business, and without regular audits, multiple problems with payroll can arise and go on for some time without notice.

As your business grows, a payroll audit could reveal the need for an employee audit. With this process, you review the company’s org chart and hiring plan to determine whether it aligns with your organizational goals.

Best Practices for Easy Payroll Audits

If you keep putting off the payroll audit process because you don’t have the time, money, knowledge, or staff, you’re not alone. Fortunately, you can take measures to make the audit easier and detect underlying issues that can cost even more to correct as they persist over time.

Especially if you do not have education in accounting, consider hiring an accountant or bookkeeper to conduct an internal audit on behalf of your business. Engaging professional services can reduce the risk of expensive payroll mistakes as well as save your time for your core business operations. You don’t necessarily have to bring on a full-time staff member; instead, hire a CPA at an hourly rate to help out when needed or outsource this job to a third-party firm.

If you prefer to keep the audit internal, it doesn’t have to take over your life at work. Instead, consider spreading the items on your audit checklist over the entire year and take on just a few tasks each month. You can also delegate the tasks among team members to reduce the workload associated with the audit.

Remember that putting off a payroll audit just means pushing the work down the road. Eventually, you may have no choice but to audit your payroll records when faced with an IRS audit or a U.S. or state Labor Department claim.

Using Accounting Software for Your Payroll Audit

While manually entering payroll may work fine when you have just one or two workers, it dramatically increases your risk for errors in the process of paying your employees. You can also run into issues if you rely on old, outdated software to run payroll. Fortunately, small businesses can choose from several free payroll software options.

When selecting the right accounting software for your payroll audit, consider these factors:

Whether the system can integrate with your company’s existing hardware and software
The software’s ability to issue direct deposits, paper checks, or both
The learning curve associated with using and mastering the system, including available training resources
Whether it offers a self-service portal where employees can enter and verify their own information as needed
The number of employees you have, since some systems limit the number of payroll records you can create

If free software options for payroll don’t quite meet the needs of your business, expect to pay about $30 per month for a flat-fee service or $4 to $12 per month per individual employee access license.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for How to Conduct a Payroll Audit

These are the most common questions small business owners and administrators ask about the process of conducting a successful payroll audit.

Who should conduct a payroll audit?

In most cases, the chief financial officer or lead accountant in your small business is the most appropriate person to conduct an internal payroll audit. Assuming the company uses payroll and accounting software, this individual has all the necessary information at hand to complete the steps above.

You can also hire an external accounting firm to audit your company’s records. Taking this third-party approach could make sense if you have a very small business and manage most of the operations independently.

What internal controls can prevent payroll errors?

Payroll audits can help your small business establish internal controls to reduce the risk of errors and fraud. You should have protocols that require regular updates to login and password information, manager sign-off on time cards and paychecks, frequent error checks, limited levels of system access, and a password tracking log. Avoid making just one person responsible for the entire payroll system.

How often should your small business conduct a payroll audit?

The recommended frequency of audits depends on the complexity of your company’s payroll. When you only have a few employees and limited special circumstances, you can probably get away auditing payroll just once or twice a year. Larger businesses with complicated payroll systems may need to adopt a quarterly audit system to stay on top of possible errors.

How long should the company retain payroll records?

Federal law dictates how long you need to keep records related to paying employees on file. You have to keep employee information, pay stubs, and I-9 forms for at least three years, payroll register and payroll tax forms for four years, and time sheets (including those for independent contractors) for at least two years. Retirement plan records must remain in your payroll system for six years before they can be safely discarded.

In addition, your state may require longer retention of payroll records, so make sure to check those laws as well. Although you can keep records longer than the required timeframe, you may want to clear out your payroll system and remove old information periodically.

What should you do if a payroll audit reveals a serious error?

Sometimes, business owners detect problems with payroll that have persisted for months. If you can’t untangle these issues internally, consider consulting an external CPA firm for a successful resolution.

Are payroll audits legally required?

Your small business does not have a legal obligation to audit your payroll records. However, most financial experts recommend doing so to make sure you pay your workers accurately, detect fraud and errors quickly, and avoid legal sanctions for failure to comply with applicable state and federal labor laws.

Bottom Line on Payroll Audit

Auditing payroll records for your small business can seem like an arduous, expensive process. Fortunately, each time you successfully conduct an audit that results in improvements to your payroll system, you reduce the likelihood of errors. This in turn will streamline and shorten the next planned payroll audit.

Following these simple steps can take the stress out of analyzing your company’s payroll records. If you don’t already have an organized system in place, regular audits can significantly reduce the chance of problems with your company’s payroll.

March 31, 2022March 15, 2023

The Ultimate monday.com Review – Pricing, Features & More

Work operating system (OS) monday.com is popular among companies because it improves the way teams manage and monitor projects. It focuses on project management, which is critical to the success of any business.

monday.com is a potential option for you and your team if you wish to level up your project management methodology, especially if you need a user-friendly, customizable platform to complete multiple business projects. It is well known for its excellent collaboration and integration features.

This project management tool empowers you and your team to complete long-term and short-term projects in an organized, operational efficiency way. Learn about the product’s features, advantages, and disadvantages in this monday.com review.

Our Verdict

monday.com at a Glance

Free to $22+ per seat/month

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monday.com is an adobe creative cloud based OS which is mainly used for project management. Since it is code-free, it makes it simple for you to design workflow apps for your business. These apps can be used to handle your daily routines and responsibilities.

This tool includes workflow templates you can customize to manage your projects with ease. It reduces the manual work of your team by automating some of your key task management. Plus, this flexible platform may be adjusted based on the evolving needs of your business. You can even integrate it with well-known tools and apps to speed up your operations.

monday.com grants you the opportunity to collaborate with your team in a joint workspace. You can use it to track the time of your employees so you can motivate them to meet deadlines. The dashboards provide insightful data which gives you an overview of the progress of your multiple work projects.

monday.com is one of the best options in the global IT project and portfolio management market, a thriving industry which gained a total estimated revenue of $3.88 billion in 2019. At present, over 100,000 teams all over the globe use monday.com to streamline their work processes. After reading this monday.com software review, you can decide for yourself if this product is a perfect fit for your team or not.

Modern user interface (UI) is easy to use and navigate
Highly customizable features
Ideal for managing ongoing work for multiple projects

Confusing pricing of plans
Slow customer support
Best features only available with upper tiers of paid plans

Who monday.com Is Best For

monday.com is best for business teams, managers, and owners who want to become more productive and efficient in the workplace. It is recommended for you if you need to manage several long-term projects that are in progress, not just short-term projects. It can guide you in setting your group project goals and in planning how to achieve these goals through specific tasks.

It is also advisable for you if you would like to establish a culture of openness and transparency among your employees because its multiple project view feature keeps everyone updated on the progress of the whole team. monday.com is a smart choice for you if you needa project management work OS that is easy to use yet feature-packed at the same time.

monday.com Pricing

monday.com offers five plans that vary in terms of pricing and features. Compare the different project management plans to find the right one that matches the budget and needs of your business.

Price

Free (Up to 2 seats only)

$6 per seat / month

$10 per seat / month

$22 per seat / month

Contact monday.com for pricing

Project Tools

Unlimited boards
Unlimited documents

Unlimited boards
Unlimited documents
Projects, viewers, and shareable forms

Unlimited boards
Unlimited documents
Projects, viewers, and shareable forms
Gantt charts

Unlimited boards
Unlimited documents
Projects, viewers, and shareable forms
Gantt charts
Unlimited private boards

Unlimited boards
Unlimited documents
Projects, viewers, and shareable forms
Gantt charts
Unlimited private boards
Tailored onboarding

Automations

N/A

250 actions every month

25,000 actions every month

Enterprise-scale automations

Integration Actions

N/A

250 actions every month

25,000 actions every month

Advanced integrations

Integration Compatibility

Android and iOS apps

Android and iOS apps
Outlook or Gmail email
Google or Outlook calendar

Android and iOS apps
Outlook or Gmail email
Outlook or Gmail calendar
Microsoft Teams
Slack
Todoist

Android and iOS apps
Outlook or Gmail email
Google or Outlook calendar
Microsoft Teams
Slack
Todoist
Salesforce
Jira

Analytics and Reporting

N/A

Basic analytics and reporting dashboards

Powerful analytics and reporting dashboards

Advanced analytics and reporting

Project Portfolio Management

N/A

Simple project portfolio management

Advanced project portfolio management

Advanced project portfolio management plus Premium Support

To be realistic, the pricing of monday.com can be slightly confusing because the monthly cost of each plan can fluctuate depending on how many team members will be using it. Make sure to read the terms thoroughly so you can properly compute the estimated cost if you are interested in subscribing to a plan.

Check out the summary of the monday.com packages so you can select the plan that works best for your business:

Individual: It is ideal for professionals who wish to keep track of their individual work.
Basic: This is suitable for teams who would like to collaborate on simple projects and shared weekly tasks.
Standard: It is widely used among groups that require visual tools and automation for intermediate project planning and monitoring.
Pro: We recommend this for teams that need professional and analytical tools and automation to manage complex projects.
Enterprise: It’s best for teams that can benefit from enterprise-grade business workflows and analytics combined with Premium unlimited support.

monday.com Features

Let’s take a closer look at the key features of the work OS in this monday.com project management review. We will discuss the user interface, multiple project views, time tracking, customizable templates, integrations, customer support, automation, and customizable dashboards features of monday.com.

User Interface

The UI of monday.com showcases building blocks which enables business teams to create or customize project plans in a visual way. It has adjustable tabs and color-coding options which let you organize your tasks into groups. Transferring and arranging data is a breeze because you can drag-and-drop or copy-and-paste content from table to table. Plus, this UI has a modern, trendy design that is aesthetically pleasing.

Multiple Project Views

monday.com lets you view multiple projects at the same time so you can stay updated on your team’s progress. You can create a central timeline which gives you a handy overview of team members, activities, project details, deadlines, and milestones. The broad visibility options also make it possible for you to assess your projects through the Kanban board, Gantt chart, workload, or calendar.

Time Tracking

The time tracking feature of monday.com makes it possible for you to evaluate how much time each team member spends on specific tasks for particular projects.It can be used to measure boost productivity of employees in the office, but it is especially useful in gauging the efficiency of remote workers. This data can give you insight into how to streamline your work processes in the future.

Customizable Templates

The customizable templates are one of the foundational features of monday.com. You can adjust these ready-made guides for your business based on its size and type, as well as the industry you belong to. These templates can be helpful for various workflows, such as project management, marketing, design, software development, HR, sales professionals, and CRM.

Personalized templates make it possible for you to organize your existing contacts, gain new leads, and monitor sales within one central location. These tools motivate you to conceptualize and brainstorm marketing and advertising campaigns through visual techniques. The templates also allow you to oversee your content initiatives through a single calendar.

Integrations

Integrations are one of the notable advantages of monday.com. Aside from being highly functional in its own right, it grants you the opportunity to tap into a vast pool of features of multiple software programs. Its ability to integrate with more than 50 different applications is crucial since you need the combined power of a variety of systems to start and complete work projects.

Connect monday.com to simple programs you use daily to complete basic office tasks, such as Google or Outlook calendar and Gmail or Outlook email. It can also sync with certain Android and iOS apps on your smartphone even when you are on the go. You can use it to coordinate with your team through Slack, Todoist, Microsoft Teams, Salesforce, or Jira. Just take note that while basic integrations are available for all packages, advanced integrations are only accessible for plans with premium pricing.

Customer Support

monday.com offers 24/7 support to customers. Nevertheless, the speed of customer support may be considered as slow-paced by modern standards. On average, the support team of monday.com typically replies in less than an hour. However, you may need a quicker response because technical difficulties can hinder your work productivity.

Automation

monday.com lets you save time by automating some of your work tasks. As soon as one of your team members submits a project idea, the approval group gets a notification. Once the project budget is approved, the project owner gets informed right away. Your entire team gets a notification when the due date finally arrives, while the project owner is alerted in case a task becomes overdue.

Customizable Dashboards

The customizable dashboards of monday.com can be tweaked according to the requirements of your business projects. You can gain insights and big picture through the data that is strategically displayed via the dashboards. You can transform these insights into concrete actions by making informed choices that are based on solid facts, not just on intuition. It will be more convenient for you to access your data by consolidating them into a single, secure platform.

monday.com Customer Reviews

Overall, monday.com has fairly positive customer reviews from G2 and TrustRadius. G2 reviewers commend it for its task prioritization, due dates, and project creation features, although they acknowledge its limitations in terms of critical path and resource allocation. TrustRadius reviewers approve of its board sharing and information sharing capacity, while pointing out its lack of features and adoption features for some apps.

Alternatives to monday.com

You might be interested in other alternatives to monday.com if you are looking for project management software with a lower pricing. Discover how monday.com stacks up to the competition.

Microsoft Project

Microsoft Project is a project management app that is suitable for business teams who need to manage simple and complex projects. monday.com has an edge over Microsoft Project because it is more affordable and it has more collaboration features.

Pricing: $10-$55 per user / month

Wrike

Wrike is a project management software that is appropriate for entrepreneurs that require a simple UI, accurate time tracking, and customizable feature sets. Wrike has a broad range of features like monday.com, but the work OS is less expensive than Wrike.

Pricing: Free to $24.80+ per user / month

ClickUp

ClickUp is aproductivity platform that is ideal for professional teams with team management who wish to simplify the way that they handle work anytime projects. ClickUp is a competitor to watch out for since it has more functions than monday.com, plus it has a lower pricing scheme too.

Pricing: Free to $19+ per member / month

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for monday.com Review

Find out the answers to the most frequently asked questions about monday.com.

Is monday.com Good for Personal Use?

monday.com can be used for personal use by an entrepreneur or professional. The Individual plan is suitable for one or two people since it gives them the chance to use the basic features of the work OS for free. However, the paid plans of monday.com are a better option for business teams since they have advanced features for collaboration.

What Are the Drawbacks of monday.com?

monday.com is a good work OS, but it has a few disadvantages. First, the pricing of plans can be fairly confusing since the total cost may vary based on the number of people who will be using it each month. Next, the customer support service may be considered slow-paced by modern standards. Finally, the best features of monday.com are only available with the higher tiers of paid plans.

Is monday.com Like Jira?

monday.com is similar to Jira since both are well-known project management tools. However, the difference between them is that Jira is more appropriate for technical teams that specialize in software and technology, while monday.com is more suitable for general users in a wide range of industries.

What Is the Difference Between Slack and monday.com?

Slack is a communication platform, while monday.com is a project management tool. On one hand, Slack is an application that lets team members connect and communicate with each other. On the other hand, monday.com is a work OS which enables business teams to collaborate with one another in work projects.

Does monday.com Have a Free Trial?

Yes. monday.com offers a free trial of the pro plan, which is the most advanced package of the work OS. After the trial period expires, you can pay for a plan subscription or request for a limited extension of the trial.

Bottom Line on monday.com Review

Overall, monday.com is a work OS with impressive project management features, although it has a few limitations as well. You and your business teams create workflow apps and may consider monday.com as a viable option if you are serious about enhancing the way that you manage and keep track of your multiple work projects.

March 30, 2022November 23, 2022

Trello vs Asana: Pricing, Features & Ease of Use Comparison

It’s the clash of the titans as we weigh Trello vs Asana, two giants within the project management industry. If you’re searching for the right project management software, it’s virtually impossible to not come across the two.

Trello and Asana are popular among a range of world-renowned companies. Both can be pretty attractive options with their remarkable user-friendliness and enticing free plans. This makes your choice all the much more difficult. But relax, we’ve done the research for you. Continue reading as we bring Trello vs Asana head-to-head to find which of the two is the better choice.

Trello: Best for Kanban-style Project Management

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Trello offers Kanban board-based project management where you can organize tasks and collaborate with your team with ease. It has a very simple and easy-to-use interface but it lacks advanced management features.

Trello is a great choice if you want to visualize your project operations on a large board with multiple lists and cards. It offers a range of integrations as well as automation options to streamline managerial tasks. Creating automation rules is relatively easier too.

Very simple to use
Visual project progression
Easy to onboard new members

Offers basic management features
No financial management tools
Not viable for large projects

Pricing

Free plan
Standard plan starting at $5/user/month
Premium plan starting at $10/user/month
Enterprise plan starting at $7.38 to 17.50/user/month

Asana: Best for Flexibility and Customization

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Asana uses a basic, task-based approach to project management. It lets users manage their workflow with ease by dividing tasks according to themes and in time-related segments: Today, Upcoming, and Later.

Asana has a much broader feature set and is great for small teams following agile project management. It offers multiple management styles including task lists, Gantt charts, and Kanban boards. This project management software also comes with ready-made templates you can use to design your project and also lets you create custom templates.

Offers workload management
Smart project-focused interface
Various management features

No financial management tools
Assigns tasks to one user only
Steeper learning curve

Pricing

Basic plan – free
Premium plan starting at $10.99/user/month
Business plan starting at $24.99/user/month

Trello vs Asana – Pricing & Features Comparison

Trello uses intuitive drag-and-drop functionality to move cards between lists and boards. You can comment on cards, assign them to users and automate functions with rules. It’s cheaper than Asana but lacks advanced management features.

Asana, on the other hand, is a bit more expensive but its price is justified with the range of powerful features it comes with. It offers a great user experience, greater flexibility, and comes with basic reporting features. Being a complete project management suite, Asana trumps Trello in most departments.

Price

Free

$5/user/mo

$10/user/mo

$7-17/user/mo

Free

$10.99/user/mo

$24.99/use/mo

Free trial

N/A

14-day

N/A

30-day

No. of users

Unlimited

Unlimited free guests

No. of boards/projects

10 boards per workspace

Unlimited

Ease of use

Easiest PM software to use. Intuitive drag-and-drop interface.

Easy to use. Has a powerful and refined interface.

Storage

Unlimited (10MB/file)

Unlimited (250MB/file)

Unlimited (100MB/file)

Kanban boards

Gantt charts

Calendar

Reports

Messaging

Time tracking

Color coding

Integrations

Slack, Salesforce, Google Drive, Jira, Adobe XD and 100+ others

Jira, Zoom, Salesforce, Google Drive, Microsoft Teams and 100+ others

Customer support

Online forum support

Phone and concierge support

Support Tickets

Priority phone support

Winner: Asana – It takes the lead when it comes to advanced project management. Asana is a better project management software than Trello in terms of features, flexibility, customizability, and dependency management.

Asana vs Trello: Ease of Use

A smooth UX is crucial for any project management software. The software solution you choose should be easy to operate so that you and your team can get quickly down to the real deal. Asana and Trello are known for their amazing user experience. That’s probably why they’re at the top when it comes to the best project management software. But which of the two is easier to use?

Trello – Simplest Project Management Software

Experts consider Trello to be the easiest to use among the many project management software. Since it uses a highly intuitive Kanban board style, you can easily understand how everything works from the get-go. But that’s also because Trello doesn’t offer a lot of advanced features. One could say that its ease-of-use stems from its simplicity.

Example of a Trello board — Trello gives you an accurate visual representation of your project’s progression
Source: Trello

It’s easy to move cards around using the drag-and-drop function. Other features like comments, assigning users, and setting due dates are all easily accessible. When it comes to automation, Trello attempts to simplify its architecture so everyone can create custom rules. But that’s not always the case, as there’s a limit to what you can automate.

Asana – Incredible UX with Powerful Features

It’s not easy to combine advanced management features with an easy-to-use interface. But that’s exactly what Asana has managed to do. It uses a traditional project management software layout but makes sure users can use all functions with little or no training.

Asana User interface — A power-packed interface.
Source: Asana

Asana puts much more effort into keeping things simple and smooth. It’s not as visually-oriented as Trello, but it tries to keep things as it gives you a range of task management views to select from when planning your project. This makes it convenient for managers who want to work on different projects.

Winner: Trello – a great tool for beginners and simple projects.

Trello vs Asana: Dependency Management

This is a crucial feature for you if you want to follow the waterfall methodology with your project. Some projects require tasks to be completed in chronological order. This means you can’t start on the next task before the previous one is complete.

Trello Dependency Management

Trello doesn’t do very well in this department. It doesn’t have a built-in feature to manage task dependencies. You can add a dependency management feature to your Trello boards with a power-up (integration), Hello Epics. But this comes at an additional cost.

Asana Dependency Management

Dependency management is an area where Asana works better than Trello because you can specify which tasks need to be completed before others can begin.

The timeline view helps identify any bottlenecks or problems where people are idle waiting for other tasks to get done. Asana actually lets you organize these dependencies to solve such problems.

Winner: Asana – Asana has built-in dependency management features while Trello doesn’t.

Trello vs Asana: Project Management Views

Project management views offered by the software matter a lot when you have a specific management style. Ideally, you should be able to switch between different views to suit different projects.

Trello PM View

Trello’s free and standard plans offer the traditional Kanban board view only. You can add additional views with power-ups but at an additional cost. The premium and enterprise plans offer a range of management views including dashboard, timeline, workspace table, calendar, workspace calendar, and map views.

Asana PM View

Asana offers a greater range of built-in project management views with its free plan. You can visualize your project with a board view, list view, or calendar view in the basic plan. The premium plan comes with a timeline view, forms view, and a few others.

Winner: Asana – It has a range of PM views while Trello offers a Kanban board view only.

Asana vs Trello: Integrations

3rd party integrations are of core importance when evaluating a cloud-based service. The better it integrates with the software you already use, the more useful it is for you. Let’s see how Asana and Trello match up in terms of integrations.

Trello Power-Ups

Trello integrates with other software tools through Power-Ups. It has recently made its Power-Ups unlimited to all users. With more than 130 integrations with different apps, Trello lets you streamline your work operations. Some of its most popular integrations include Jira, Time Tracker by TimeCamp, Crumble, Microsoft Teams, Gmail, Google Drive, and Slack.

Trello’s Power-Ups often come at an additional cost which keeps adding up to the total project management cost.

Asana Integrations

Asana integrates with more than 200 apps. These cover a range of software categories including productivity, communication, finance, reporting, and human resources. Some of the most popular Asana integrations are Microsoft Teams, Microsoft Office 365, Adobe Creative Cloud, Slack, Google Drive, Dropbox, Vimeo, and Canva.

Winner: Tie – Both Trello and Asana have a healthy number of integrations with different apps.

Trello vs Asana: Sharing & Collaboration

Sharing and collaboration are what project management tools are built for. The right software should let all members of your team collaborate with ease. It should also let you share your project with guest users in case you want clients to be able to monitor the progress.

Trello

Trello gives you a basic collaboration ability. It lets you assign tasks to users and add comments to cards. The comments feature lets all members of the team participate in co-creating a deliverable. You can also add an unlimited number of users to a board even if you have the free plan.

You can also invite an unlimited number of guests to your Trello boards. But a lot of users or guests is not always practical because there’s a limit to what Trello can handle. It’s not a great management software for larger, more complex projects so you might never need more than 10-15 members on board.

Asana

Asana’s free plan lets you work with a maximum of 15 users with the basic plan. You’d have to purchase the premium plan if you need to add more members. It lets you share your entire team and projects externally. The premium and free plans let you add unlimited free guests and reporting across multiple projects to easily share progress reports with clients.

Winner: Asana – It lets you share and collaborate on a larger scale than Trello.

Trello vs Asana: Customer Service

Although both management tools are pretty easy to use and there’s very little chance you’d find yourself stuck while using them, customer service is still an important factor. A responsive customer support team matters, no matter what software you’re using.

Some teammates may find it tough to use specific features such as automation rules on Trello or syncing another app with Asana. You wouldn’t want your work operations to come to a halt just because you can’t seem to figure out how a feature works and the support team is taking too long to respond.

Trello Customer Support

Trello has an online forum for free users. While the forum is a valuable resource, it’s not always the quickest way to find a solution. Paid users get phone and concierge support to get their issues resolved by the support team and are only available during office hours, Eastern Time, Monday to Friday.

Asana Customer Support

Free and Premium users can get in touch with the customer service team through support tickets. This means you submit a form or email to communicate your issue and this is not always the fastest option. Only enterprise users get priority phone support.

Winner: Tie – Both Trello and Asana’s customer service teams have a similar performance.

Customer Reviews

Customers are always a great source of information when reviewing a project management software. Customer reviews give you first-hand information on what a software is good at, where it needs improvement and how it has helped their team. Here’s a brief overview of Trello and Asana’s customer reviews from some of the top software reviewing platforms.

Trello Customer Reviews

Trello scores a healthy 4.4/5 average rating for its 12,500 reviews on G2, and an 8.4/10 with 2000+ reviews on TrustRadius. A vast majority of customer reviews share positive feedback on the software, especially for its interface and ease of use.

Asana Customer Reviews

Asana has a 4.3/5 with 8000+ reviews on G2 and a TrustRadius score of 8.5/10 with 1800+ reviews. Although it hasn’t been as widely reviewed as Trello, we can consider the customer reviews to be a tie among the two. Customers mostly praise Asana for its ease-of-use, flexibility, and team management features.

Winner: Tie – Both Trello and Asana share similar customer review scores.

Trello & Asana Alternatives

Wrike

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Wrike gives you greater customizability and works for all types and sizes of businesses. It offers a wide range of project management features. Its price may be a bit higher, but the functionality is worth it. This in-depth review on Wrike summarizes all you need to know about it.

Specialized marketing, creative, and services delivery team packages
Offers in-built time tracking
Analytics tool generates charts automatically

Costlier than other PM software
Templates can’t remove all options
Can’t prioritize tasks

Pricing

Free version.
Professional Plan: $9.80/user/month.
Business Plan: $24.80/user/month.
Enterprise Plan: Inquire for price.

ClickUp

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ClickUp is a leading project management platform. It suits teams of all sizes and is excellent for those working remotely. You can create spaces for different projects with ease and add teams to them accordingly.

Lower cost
Better support options
Free version offers a lot of features

Slows down when you use too many ClickApps
Complicated interface
Lacks workflow management

Pricing

Free
Unlimited: $5/user/month
Business: $12/user/month
Business Plus: $19/user/month
Enterprise: Inquire for price.

Microsoft Project

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Microsoft Project is one of the oldest PM software out there. It has been the go-to management tool for many industry-leading companies for decades. But it’s not as easy to use. MS Project is best for experienced project managers.

Offers projections, baselines, and other features
Review all your projects at once
Advanced project management features

Expensive
Steep learning curve
Slow customer support

Pricing

Plan 1:$10/user/month
Plan 3: $30/user/month
Plan 5: $55/user/month

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for Trello vs Asana

Can Trello and Asana work together?

Yes. You can integrate Trello and Asana through a Trello Power-Up or Unito. This syncs Trello boards to Asana projects and cards to tasks. It also syncs things like, due dates, custom fields, and comments.

Is Trello part of Asana?

No. Trello and Asana are two different project management tools. The two apps can integrate to work together but they’re owned and operated by separate entities.

Does Trello have time tracking?

No, Trello doesn’t offer built-in time tracking. However, you can integrate time tracking with various Trello Power-Ups. Time Tracker by TimeCamp is one such example.

Bottom Line on Trello vs Asana

Asana is a better project management software than Trello in terms of features, flexibility, customizability, and dependency management. Trello is much more limited in the management features its offers, but its simple Kanban board interface makes it a popular choice for beginners and simple projects.

Choose Asana if you have a larger team and want to work on different projects with different management styles. The cost is a bit higher but its features compensate for it. On the other hand, if you prefer visual organization and like a board-based management style, Trello can prove to be an excellent choice.

March 30, 2022February 10, 2023

Gusto vs. QuickBooks Payroll: Comparison Guide for Business Owners

Business Graphs and Charts Concept with PAYROLL word

Gusto and QuickBooks are payroll platforms designed to make it easy for small business owners to automate several functions of their businesses. If you are comparing Gusto vs. QuickBooks Payroll, consider pricing, features, and customer service. Both platforms perform various vital duties, including setting and processing payroll, filing payroll taxes, and managing employee benefits.

While both platforms are functional, Gusto is best for medium-sized businesses that plan to expand to more than 50 employees in the future. Its human resource capabilities and features are good for companies with more extensive HR needs. QuickBooks Payroll is best for smaller businesses who want the flexibility to run payroll through the mobile app or the online platform.

Gusto: Best for Medium-Sized Businesses

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Gusto is a payroll management service that offers many HR functions. The application is used by more than 40,000 small business owners nationwide. It has convenient payroll features, a customer interface, and numerous innovation tools. The platform is great for growing businesses that have more than 50 employees because of its ability to automate many functions.

Gusto makes the employee onboarding process simple for business owners. After entering in a few pieces of information, the platform automatically sends an email to the worker to gather the needed information. Gusto also makes things easy for employers who pay taxes in multiple states.

Gusto’s pricing scheme is fairly straightforward and easy to understand. It offers three plans that are designed to perform different functions to meet various needs. The most affordable plan is the Core Plan, which costs $39 a month plus a cost of $6 per employee. It is a basic plan but still comes with all the features you need to run payroll and perform many HR functions. The most expensive plans feature extra administrative tools.

Gusto’s plans come with features that include automation payroll tools, direct deposits, tax filings, independent contractor services, and unlimited payroll runs. Business owners can also offer health insurance to their employees in most states.

Free trial option for small business owners
Simple and quick to run payroll and benefits for numerous employees
Multiple customer service options

Business owners cannot run payroll via the mobile application
Calculating employee deductions is cumbersome
No weekend customer service options

QuickBooks Payroll: Best for Small Businesses

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QuickBooks Payroll is an excellent choice if you want to integrate your payroll software with an existing QuickBooks Online account. This platform is formulated for businesses with less than 50 employees. It integrates with QuickBooks Online and allows owners to offer same-day direct deposit for employees. Similar to Gusto, QuickBooks Payroll has three plans and enables owners to upgrade or add more services at any time.

However, this is not the best payroll option for paying remote teams. If you have employees or independent contractors in multiple states, you’ll end up paying more in the long run. There are extra monthly fees if you have workers in more than one location.

QuickBooks Payroll’s Core Plan is $45 per month plus an extra cost of $4 per employee. This plan provides comprehensive payroll services, including forms and automated taxes. You can integrate your subscription with QuickBooks Online and set up automatic payroll. This plan also comes with the option to offer employee health benefits.

The Premium Plan is $75 per month plus $8 per employee. This level comes with everything in the Core Plan plus extra features, including workers’ compensation administration and same-day direct deposit services. The most expensive option is the Elite Plan, which costs $125 per month plus a monthly fee of $10.

QuickBooks Online integration feature
Same day and next business day direct deposit options
Extended customer service hours

Extra tax filing fees for Premium and Core plans
Limited HR features for numerous employees
QuickBooks Online integrations are somewhat limited

Gusto vs. QuickBooks Payroll Pricing & Features Comparison

Millions of small businesses worldwide use Gusto and QuickBooks payroll to perform payroll and HR functions. Both allow owners to establish and run employee payroll, manage employee benefits, submit payroll taxes, and complete other accounting functions. Both offer three plans that provide various features for businesses with different needs.

While QuickBooks Payroll’s plans are more expensive, the platform can be integrated with QuickBooks Online to make a comprehensive payroll and accounting system. Gusto is designed for businesses with more than 50 employees, while QuickBooks is best for small companies with fewer workers.

Price

Core Plan: $39 monthly plus $6 per employee

Complete Plan: $39 monthly plus $12 per employee

Concierge Plan: $149 monthly plus $12 per employee

Core Plan: $45 monthly plus $4 per employee

Premium Plan: $75 monthly plus $8 per employee

Elite Plan: $125 monthly plus $10 per employee

Tax Filing and Payments

Federal, state, and local taxes; no multiple state filing fees

Federal and state tax filings

HR and Benefits Features

Comprehensive features including worker profiles and employee offer letters

Limited HR features

Portal Access for Employees

Mobile application

Online platform

Integrations

Any third-party software

Only QuickBooks Online

Mobile Application

No mobile app to run payroll

You can run payroll on the app

Tax Filings & Payments

The government requires all businesses to pay taxes and file returns at the state and federal levels. Companies need to file additional taxes if they conduct business in more than one state. Each company must follow specific tax regulations informed by its location, structure type, and business activity. Using payroll software makes it easier to satisfy tax filing and payments requirements.

Gusto

Business owners can calculate and file federal, state, and local payroll taxes with Gusto. All three plans come with this service. The software pays dues automatically once taxes are filed and accepted. If you need to file and pay taxes in more than one state, there are no fees.

QuickBooks Payroll

All three QuickBooks Payroll plans calculate, file, and pay federal and state payroll taxes. Only the Elite and Premium plans allow owners to file and pay local taxes. Only the Elite Plan enables business owners to pay taxes in multiple locations.

Winner: Gusto. It’s much easier to use Gusto to file local, state, and federal taxes.

HR & Employee Benefits

Managing HR and employee benefits are essential functions for any small business. Effective HR is an integral part of any company culture, from recruiting talent to onboarding employees to administering health insurance. Gusto and QuickBooks both have automation tools that make it easy to perform essential HR functions and keep track of employee data.

Gusto

Gusto has more HR tools than QuickBooks payroll because it is designed for companies with more employees. Its features include employee directories, personalized worker profiles, automated offer letters, employee surveys, and company organizational charts. Gusto’s most expensive plan comes with tools for business owners who want more tools, including unlimited access to HR experts and a dedicated customer service team.

Gusto also has more employee benefits than QuickBooks Payroll. You can offer your employees a range of benefits, including health insurance, college savings accounts, health savings accounts, and commuter compensation.

QuickBooks Payroll

QuickBooks Payroll does not have as many HR features, but its Premium Plan includes an HR resource center and other essential elements. Owners who upgrade to the Elite Plan can access a dedicated HR advisor. Other features include employee handbooks, job descriptions, and onboarding checklists.

Winner: Gusto. You get a lot more HR features and tools with a Gusto plan (and for far less money per month) than with QuickBooks Payroll.

Employee Portal Access

Remote work is more important than ever before, and workers need to access essential features on an online portal or platform. Most companies have eliminated on-site customer time tracking and payroll systems in favor of more flexible options. Both Gusto and QuickBooks allow employees to access portals.

Gusto

Employees can download the Gusto Wallet application on their phones to access paycheck information, view W-2 data, and manage working hours.

QuickBooks Payroll

Called the Workforce, QuickBooks Payroll’s employee platform allows workers to view pay stubs, PTO balances, and W2 information.

Winner: Tie. Both Gusto and QuickBooks Payroll give employees access to important paycheck and tax information through easy-to-use portals.

Integrations

Most small business owners want a comprehensive accounting and payroll system. Companies need to integrate Gusto or QuickBooks with an accounting service to achieve this. Viewing payroll and accounting details on one integrated platform streamlines everyday tasks.

Gusto

Gusto is superior to QuickBooks Payroll because it can be integrated with any third-party accounting, point-of-sale, or time tracking software. Gusto can even be combined with QuickBooks Online.

QuickBooks Payroll

You can only integrate QuickBooks Payroll with QuickBooks Online. If you use another third-party software, you will need to enter your accounting transactions manually.

Winner: Gusto. There are more integration options available with Gusto than QuickBooks Payroll, so you can extend Gusto’s functionality.

Mobile Application

Having a mobile application to perform basic payroll transactions is a significant benefit for owners who often travel or do not always have access to a laptop computer. While both Gusto and QuickBooks Payroll are mobile-friendly, QuickBooks offers more features.

Gusto

Gusto’s platform is mobile-friendly, but owners cannot run payroll on the mobile application.

QuickBooks Payroll

QuickBooks offers a no-cost mobile application that can be downloaded on iOS and Android devices. Owners can view reports, file taxes, and run payroll via the mobile app.

Winner: QuickBooks Payroll. Although Gusto’s site is mobile-friendly, QuickBooks Payroll offers a mobile payroll app.

Gusto vs. QuickBooks Payroll Customer Service

Gusto and QuickBooks Payroll let customers talk to live agents via phone and chat. Both platforms also allow customers to send emails to customer service and receive a response within 24 hours.

Gusto

Gusto’s limited customer service hours may be a drawback for business owners. Gusto offers phone, chat, and email support from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT Monday to Friday. Unfortunately, agents are not available on the weekends.

QuickBooks Payroll

QuickBooks offers round-the-clock chat support and weekday and weekend customer service options. Live agents are available Monday to Friday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from
6 a.m. to 3 p.m. PT. QuickBooks is the clear choice for business owners who want more customer support options.

Winner: QuickBooks Payroll. This is a narrow win for QuickBooks Payroll because it offers longer hours of support for customers.

Gusto vs. QuickBooks Payroll Customer Reviews

Gusto and QuickBooks Payroll are both established companies with solid customer satisfaction ratings and many good customer reviews.

Gusto Customer Reviews

Most customers are happy with Gusto’s excellent HR features, affordable plans, and convenient-to-use platform. However, Gusto’s limited customer service hours are a common customer complaint.

QuickBooks Payroll Customer Reviews

Most customers love QuickBooks Payroll’s integration features, excellent customer support options, and add-on features. However, some customers prefer cheaper plans and more HR features. Out of almost 700 online votes, QuickBooks Payroll has an average rating of 4.5/5.

Winner: QuickBooks Payroll. Overall, QuickBooks Payroll gets more favorable reviews than Gusto.

Alternative Payroll Software Options

If you are looking for payroll business software alternatives, there are others on the market.

Paychex

From $39

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Paychex offers some great features not available on other payroll platforms. It is a good option if you want access to worker verification services, pay cards, and employee financial wellness programs.

There are three plans with different pricing levels. The basic plan is Paychex Flex Essentials, which costs $39 monthly plus an additional $5 per employee. Two higher-tiered plans are available and are custom-priced. Read the Paychex review to know more about this tool.

Comprehensive HR and payroll features
Employment verification services
Custom-priced plan options

Some plans do not come with same-day or next-day payroll options
No free trial periods
Limited customer support options on weekends

RUN Powered by ADP

From $59

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RUN Powered by ADP is a good option for businesses that want to customize the features they receive. Owners can mix and match features based on company size and other platforms. All plans include employee onboarding services, workers’ compensation resources, and marketing assistance. You can also offer health insurance and retirement plans through this platform.

RUN has customizable plan pricing, starting at $59 monthly plus $4 per employee.

Custom pricing options based on the company’s desired features
Integrates with various third-party platforms
Features include retirement plans and attendance tracking

Many plan prices not available online
Limited HR functions on lowest-tired plans
Less-than-intuitive platform

Patriot

From $30

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Patriot offers significantly more affordable plans than competitors such as QuickBooks Payroll. The platform also provides HR features, including time tracking tools, 1099 filing services, and guaranteed tax filing accuracy. It is an excellent option for small business owners on a budget.

Patriot’s base plan is the Full-Service Payroll plan, which costs $30 per month plus an additional $4 for each employee. Keep in mind that you will be charged $12 a month if you file payroll taxes in multiple states.

Affordable monthly plans
Free setup options with all plans
Many HR options for companies with many employees

No same-day or next-day direct deposit options
Extra fees for filing payroll taxes in multiple states
Limited customer support options on the weekend

Gusto vs. QuickBooks Payroll: Final Thoughts

When comparing Gusto vs QuickBooks Payroll, there are several factors to consider. Both payroll software choices offer payroll services that can be integrated with an existing account platform to give you a fully functioning system. While both platforms are functional, we prefer Gusto because of its affordable plans and extensive HR features.

Gusto is meant for businesses with more than 50 employees and comes with several excellent features, including convenient payroll options, a customer interface, and numerous innovation tools. Gusto is also a perfect option because it can be integrated with multiple third-party platforms.

March 29, 2022November 23, 2022

Gusto vs ADP Payroll: Which To Choose

PAYROLL word on blue binder place on weekly time sheet and payroll summary report, human resources concept

Are you looking for easy-to-use payroll software for your business that offers full-service features and customer support to answer your questions? This comparison of Gusto vs ADP Payroll software goes into detail to help you determine which is the best choice for your company and needs.

The right payroll service makes it simple to process each payroll run while tracking data and compiling the reports you need to analyze and manage your business. We looked at pricing, payroll processing, tax filing features, direct deposit, employee portal access, and more to discover how these popular payroll software options measure up.

Gusto: Best for Overall Value

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Gusto is a top choice in payroll software. Originally founded in 2012 under the name ZenPayroll, it has developed into a powerhouse payroll and reporting software for customers.

One of the best things about Gusto is that you get access to many important features even with its core plan. Each of the three tiers includes automated payroll and direct deposit for unlimited payroll runs. Tax filing for all levels of government for both W-2 employees and 1099 contractors is also included. Access even more features, such as time-tracking and HR services, with the higher-priced tiers.

Gusto is great to help you with the setup that comes with the start of a new business. Manage every aspect of your payroll and reporting needs with a self-onboarding system. You can automate your payroll tasks to limit errors and help the process run smoothly and handle all the essentials from one convenient and easy-to-use interface.

One of the biggest downsides to Gusto is the limited customer service hours. It is only available Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. PST. Read the Gusto review if this software sounds like the right choice for you.

No hidden fees
No extra cost for tax filing in multiple states
Low-priced option for companies with contractors only and no W-2 employees

Pricier than some other options
Customer support unavailable during the evenings and weekends
No mobile app

Pricing

Gusto gives you a choice of four plan tiers to choose from:

Core at $39 per month plus an additional $6 per employee
Complete at $39 per month plus an additional $12 per employee
Concierge at $149 per month plus an additional $12 per employee
Contractor at no monthly fee and $6 per person

ADP Payroll: Best for Large or Complex Businesses

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ADP Payroll has more than 70 years of experience in the payroll industry, offering you knowledge and expertise you can trust. It has a range of plans to choose from to get what you need from your payroll software.

The area where ADP truly shines is the additional features that make running a large or complex business simple. Higher priced plans assist you with HR support, recruiting, and onboarding. All plans give you access to customer support that is available 24/7, so you can get answers and assistance whenever you need it.

One drawback of ADP Payroll is that you can’t see the cost of all plans upfront to compare them. You must first request a quote after answering some questions about your business to see the prices of plans that may suit your needs. Read the ADP review to learn more about this software.

24/7 customer service availability
Customizable for growing companies
Mobile access

Difficult to access pricing without requesting a quote
Hidden and additional fees
Interface may be overly complex for small businesses

Pricing

ADP Payroll’s prices are hard to find. It has a basic plan that starts at $29 per month plus an additional $5 for each employee. The cost of higher-level tiers is not accessible without requesting a quote.

Pricing & Features Comparison

The price and range of features of your chosen payroll software determine the value you get from the product. You want something that has the capabilities to perform all the functions your business requires, without paying more for services you won’t use.

Go on a deep dive into Gusto and ADP Payroll to learn more about each option. We compare all the major features and considerations that you should take into account when making your selection.

Price

Starting at $39 monthly plus $6 per employee

Quote-based

Ease of Use

Simple interface, lacks a mobile app

Complex for small businesses, excellent for growing companies

Mobile access

Customer Support

Limited to M-F business hours

24/7

Business Size

Ideal for small businesses

Best for large businesses

Employee Portal

Yes, lifetime access

Yes, up to three years of pay history

Direct Deposit

Next-day direct deposit

Available

Reporting and Tax Filing

Federal, state, and local tax filing

Available for multiple states

Federal, state, and local tax filing

Price

The cost of your payroll software is likely one of your primary concerns. You want high value at a reasonable cost. You should also only pay for the payroll services that you need to run your business. Small companies normally don’t require as many bells and whistles as more complex businesses.

Gusto

Transparent pricing and multiple tiers to choose from make Gusto an excellent choice. While its prices are slightly higher than some other competing payroll companies, Gusto is still highly affordable and a great value.

ADP Payroll

ADP Payroll pricing is difficult to determine or compare. The company uses quote-based pricing. This can be a useful way to find the exact plan that meets your business’s needs without paying more than you need. However, the lack of transparent pricing can be frustrating for business owners who are shopping for the right payroll service.

Winner: Gusto. Although it’s hard to know what you’ll pay for ADP for small business payroll, Gusto’s pricing is transparent and relatively affordable.

Ease of Use

Your payroll software must have an interface that is easy to use so you can navigate to the appropriate tool and carry out tasks promptly.

Gusto

This payroll software is simple for most users, although it does lack mobile access. Step-by-step guides and autoprocessing features make it a snap to use.

ADP Payroll

If you have a complex or growing business, ADP Payroll can simplify your payroll and reporting processes. The interface is accessible from both desktop and mobile, with a host of tools and resources available to explain any process you may be unfamiliar with.

Winner: ADP. Both Gusto and ADP are relatively easy to use, but ADP’s mobile app makes the payroll software more accessible.

Business Size

The size of your company plays a big role in determining the right payroll software. Smaller businesses are normally better off with a simple interface, while larger businesses may require access to additional features that make operating the software more complex.

Gusto

Gusto is easy to use for nearly any company size but is especially great for small business payroll. Take advantage of the helpful setup to get started right, knowing you have all the bases covered.

ADP Payroll

If your business is expanding, then ADP Payroll is likely the better choice for you. It has plans that offer a wide range of services, including more complex options for recruiting and HR processes for large businesses.

Winner: ADP. Larger businesses would do better with ADP because it allows more room for growth.

Employee Portal

High-quality payroll software should offer an employee portal for self-service. Managing your business takes a lot of time. You can reduce the inquiries from employees needing access to lost paystubs and past work history by letting them access this information themselves.

Gusto

All of your employees have lifetime access to Gusto’s employee portal. This makes it simple to view pay stubs, prior W-2s, and more.

ADP Payroll

ADP also provides access to an employee portal to access employee pay history. However, your employees can only view three years of past W-2s or 1099s.

Winner: Gusto. Although the employee portals from Gusto and ADP are similar, Gusto’s lifetime access for employees narrowly beats ADP’s three-year limit.

Direct Deposit

Employers and employees alike love direct deposit. It’s fast, simple, and minimizes the risk of late paychecks due to error.

Gusto

Gusto provides next-day direct deposit for your employees.

ADP Payroll

ADP Payroll also offers direct deposit. It’s unclear whether this service is the same day, next-day, or varies by plan.

Winner: Gusto. It’s hard to beat next-day direct deposit.

Reporting and Tax Filing

Keeping track of payroll data and filing the required tax forms is essential for your business. With payroll software, it’s a breeze to create reports for specific periods and file your quarterly and end-of-year tax forms.

Gusto

With Gusto, you can calculate, file, and pay your taxes for federal, state, and local agencies. If you do business in more than one state, you can file in multiple locations without any added fees.

ADP Payroll

ADP Payroll also calculates, files, and pays your federal, state, and local taxes.

Winner: Tie. Both payroll services help you with filing your taxes.

Customer Service

Customer service is a crucial part of any business. The availability and level of service can easily affect the performance of your company and therefore your trust in your payroll software. In a comparison of Gusto vs ADP Payroll customer service, ADP offers better support options.

Gusto

Gusto’s customer support is limited to the hours of 6 a.m. through 5 p.m. PST on Monday through Friday. While this is probably adequate for most businesses that also operate during these hours, the lack of support available on weekends or during the evening falls short. During Gusto’s support hours, you can get assistance by phone, chat, or email.

ADP Payroll

ADP Payroll has superior customer service. Both phone and online chat support are available 24/7. This offers greater flexibility and convenience to run your business whenever you want, without waiting hours or even days to get answers to your pressing questions or concerns.

Winner: ADP. Gusto offers decent support, but ADP gives you more access to its support team through 24/7 phone and chat channels.

Customer Reviews

Both Gusto and ADP Payroll have mainly positive customer reviews. However, the limited availability of Gusto’s Monday through Friday service falls short of the 24/7 options offered by ADP Payroll and has affected some customers’ opinions.

Gusto Customer Reviews

Most customers report a good experience with Gusto payroll software. However, there are some complaints regarding customer service, stating the wait times can be lengthy. Customer favorite features include reliable service, a great web portal, and a direct deposit function. The mobile access is rated as average, while time tracking and integration options are slightly below average. Gusto has received a G2 rating of 4.3 out of 5.

ADP Payroll Customer Reviews

The user-friendly interface that offers step-by-step guidance is a popular customer favorite with ADP Payroll. The straightforward platform makes even complex businesses easy to manage. The mobile app is considered to be excellent, although customer service reviews are mixed. ADP Payroll has a 3.9 out of 5 rating on G2.

Winner: Gusto. Gusto has more favorable reviews than ADP overall, though it’s fair to say both payroll software gets mixed reviews from customers.

Alternative Payroll Software Options

Small business owners can also check out these other payroll software options.

QuickBooks Payroll

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Intuit QuickBooks is a popular accounting software for small businesses. Payroll software from QuickBooks easily integrates with the main platform to offer full-service bookkeeping for small businesses of one to 50 employees.

QuickBooks Payroll is cloud-based and simple to use. You are guided through the various features with step-by-step prompting and explanations. If you have questions, its customer support is excellent, with both phone and chat options available. This is a solid option to handle all your payroll needs, including tax filing and employee portal access.

Integrates easily with your existing QuickBooks accounting software
Fast direct deposit on the same or next day
Automate your tax filing

Additional filing fees applicable with some plans
Must purchase a higher-tier plan to unlock some premium features
Integration is limited unless you have QuickBooks online

Pricing

QuickBooks Payroll offers three plans to select from:

The Core plan costs $45 each month plus an additional $4 for each employee per month; this plan gives you auto payroll and tax features and next-day direct deposit
The Premium plan price is $75 plus $8 per employee for a month’s access, with all the features of QuickBooks Core with same-day direct deposit, HR support, and time tracking
The Elite plan is the highest price at $125 per month plus $10 per employee per month, providing the complete features of QuickBooks Payroll, including expert setup

Paychex Flex

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Paychex Flex offers easy setup and impressive reporting capabilities to file all of your tax forms at the federal, state, and local levels. This scalable payroll software can grow with your business, offering varying tiers to match the size of your company. Another great feature of Paychex is the mobile app, which lets you conduct business from anywhere, at any time. For a more in-depth analysis on this software, check out our Paychex review.

Excellent reporting features
24/7 support available
Mobile app for on-the-go use

Must request a quote to access pricing for higher-tier plans
Some hidden fees associated with setup
Customer support has mixed reviews

Pricing

Get the Essentials plan for $39 per month plus $5 for each employee. All other plans require that you request a customized quote.

OnPay

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OnPay is an affordable payroll service for small and medium-sized businesses. The interface is easy to use and offers unlimited payroll runs. You can pay both W-2 employees and 1099 contract workers. OnPay is a streamlined software that doesn’t have a lot of additional features, but if you are looking for something simple, this is a good choice.

Simplified pricing with one plan that includes everything
Integrates with third-party software
HR support

Best for desktop use
No fast direct deposit
Some customers say that support response times are slow

Pricing

Onpay offers simple pricing. Get access to all payroll features for a base fee of $36 per month with an additional $4 per employee per month.

Bottom Line on Gusto Vs ADP Payroll

After looking more closely at Gusto Vs ADP Payroll software, they both have some excellent features that make them great options for your business. Both are customer favorites with a wide range of services and useful tools. However, Gusto has an advantage over ADP Payroll, making it the overall preferred choice.

Gusto Payroll software gives you access to more features, even with the basic tier package. With both, you can process payroll, offer direct deposit to your employees, and file all required taxes. Gusto’s core package also allows you to administer your company’s health benefits and manage worker’s compensation. You can even complete specialized employee payroll features like wage garnishments for employees. These types of features are only available with ADP Payroll if you enroll in a higher-cost tier.

March 26, 2022February 10, 2023

The Complete Asana Review: Sophisticated and Easy to Use

Many project management techniques were once reserved for large projects with lots of resources. However, many of those techniques can now be easily and painlessly accessed by anyone, using one of a range of cloud-based project management tools. Asana is one of the more popular options, with a reputation for being easy to use.

Being easy to use is great, but does it also offer all the important features you need to organize your project, at an affordable price? Check out our Asana review to find out if it’s a good match for your needs.

5 Things That Make Asana Stand Out From the Crowd

Intuitive and easy to use.
Combines ease of use with high-powered tools for organizing projects.
Attractive, easy to assemble status updates, charts, and other reporting options.
Easily track the progress of several different projects.
Create or edit tasks from nearly any project view.

Where Asana Falls Short

More expensive than some other options.
You may need to pay for more expensive tiers of service for timely support.

Pricing

Asana may not exactly qualify as cheap project management software, but it provides value for money if you need a versatile project management tool. There is a free version that is great for organizing an individual or basic project. You’ll need to upgrade to one of the pay plans for many important features, like task start and end dates, or business quality reporting and analytics. Options include:

Asana Basic: $0, up to 15 users.
Asan Premium: $13.49/user each month.
Asana Business: $30.49/user each month.
Asana Enterprise: Requires inquiry.

The prices are higher than some competitors, such as ClickUp, but you can get a discount if you choose to pay annually. It’s also more complex than some options, such as Basecamp, which offers unlimited users and unlimited teams for a flat rate. However, each of the pay tiers offers a 30-day free trial, giving you a risk-free way to find out if it’s worth the cost.

Team Management

Keeping team communication simple is important, but the primary task of a team manager is often time management. The task scheduler Asana provides is intuitive and flexible, allowing you to assign team members, split off sub-tasks, or add everyone to create a team task. Doing so allows you to track progress, monitor deadlines, and use all of Asana’s other features easily.

The resource management features Asana offers come in a task management tool within the Portfolios feature. The Workload tab provides a way to monitor your team’s time commitments. You can also add the amount of effort a task requires by adding more weight to difficult tasks. Workload also provides access to the task assignments, so you can edit assignments without changing views.

Project Delivery Management

A project can be anything from planning strategic initiatives and company objectives to planning your next sprint. One reason Asana’s project management features are so appealing is how painless it is to switch between multiple projects. There are also many ways to switch between viewing a task and project, whatever tab you happen to be on.

When creating projects, it’s also easy to ‘zoom out’ instead, seeing each project progress percentage at a glance. Each project can also be examined in multiple project views, using bar charts, timelines, and burnup charts. Dependencies can be mapped out in the project Timeline, where milestones can also be used for major completion dates.

Asana lacks a time tracking function, though it has partnered with Harvest and integrates with several other options.

A survey by the Project Management Institute (PMI) shows more than $122 million is wasted per $1 billion invested by companies because of low or bad project performance.

Risk/Issue Management

Screenshot of Asana risk register, project risk management with Asana

Asana provides a tool that allows you to label a project:

On track.
At risk.
Off track.

The tool is available to only the project managers, who can select who it’s shared with as part of a regular status update.

Otherwise, there isn’t a single tracking tool specifically for issue tracking, though there are tools that can work. The Timeline includes a customizable board, for example, into which troublesome tasks can be separated. The same tool can be set up with a range of automations and notifications. Of course, for a complex project, risk management may be split off into a project of its own.

Reporting

Screenshot of Asana reports, project dashboard

The center of each project is the project Timeline, where project managers can see daily tasks in the calendar view, view important messages, and monitor progress. It also provides the tool interface for most reporting features. The Overview provides just that, a quick look at team members, milestones, and objectives. The Overview also offers a simple way to create attractive project updates for even complex projects.

The customizable Dashboard has many reporting options for everyday needs, including burnup charts and other graphic ways of tracking tasks. The Timeline can provide Gantt charts for projects when dependencies are added to tasks. Finally, the Board tab can easily serve as a Kanban board, for Agile reporting.

Finance Management

Though project budgeting is a key aspect of project management, most software leaves that aspect to integrated apps focused on budgeting, invoicing, and so forth. That is an option, with Asana making it easy on a project manager in several ways. For example, integrating with a time tracking app allows for fairly straightforward timesheets, budgeting, payroll, and invoicing.

Asana integrates with another app, Power Bi, for more powerful finance management. It allows the creation of charts to track projected vs actual expenses. Power Bi also allows budget forecasting up to project completion.

Asana has some native tools, such as setting a custom fiscal year for the project.

Collaboration and Communication

Screenshot of adding comments and attachments to a task on Asana

Like any other cloud-based project management tool, Asana puts a lot of effort into making communication easy. It’s straightforward to work with multiple users, including client-project access, as you’re able to grant different levels of permission. Status updates can be shared with the entire team, or just specific stakeholders.

Project collaboration is also easily fostered. Comments can be added at any level, to tasks and also to uploaded files such as a client contract or email campaign. File storage is easy to manage, as a single tab lists all the files uploaded anywhere within that project. Additionally, client-project access can be customized to the project’s needs.

While it is an excellent collaboration tool, it doesn’t have all the features some alternatives offer, such as real-time chat.

Integration With Other Apps

Asana offers a lot of options for task management and monitoring, with nearly every tool revolving around assigning, reporting, or communicating about a task. As we’ve already noted, some important project management tools aren’t native to Asana and will require integrating with an outside app. We’ve mentioned two already, Harvest for time tracking and Power Bi for analytics, but there are many more.

Slack, Microsoft products, and Google products all are easy to integrate. There are many other options as well, with companies providing integrations to join Asana’s partner program.

Artificial Intelligence

Automation of each repetitive daily task allows a project manager to focus on more important things, namely keeping their project organized. Asana offers a number of different ways to set up automatically recurring tasks or send free mail notifications to team members.

Notifications can be sent out when managers assign tasks, tasks are completed, or deadlines missed. You can also set up reminders for your daily social media project posts or other daily tasks.

Other types of automation are aimed at helping you stay organized. For example, the Kanban-style Board will move tasks from section to section automatically, with user-defined rules.

Automation also assists with reporting, allowing the easy creation and sharing of status reports.

Usability

Screenshot of Asana home interface - How to navigate Asana

Everyone’s experience will vary. Overall, most customer reviews share that the service offers a simple project management software that still provides vast capabilities for project planning. The user interface may take a little exploring to figure out, but there is plenty of guidance, including courses providing advice for specific use cases.

Otherwise, it’s possible to assign tasks within moments of signing up. Project templates on offer provide an easy way to organize tasks. It’s also possible to define your own templates, to keep projects consistent across your organization.

The ease of being able to manage tasks from any screen aids in making changes on the fly, allowing a user to track a specific task across Calendar, Board, or Timeline views. And, with their mobile app, you’re never more than a ping away from your team.

Support

Asana is fairly intuitive to use and is supported by a medium-sized library of support documents and tutorials, so any given team member should be able to dive in without a problem. However, when there is a hiccup, it might significantly impact a team’s productivity. When that’s the case, you’ll need to put in a support request and wait for a response.

If you opt for Asana Business or Enterprise, your request will jump to the front of the line, so it gets seen by Asana’s support team more quickly.

Privacy

Security and privacy are some of Asana’s company objectives, described in detail on their website. They make several guarantees, including that they will only share information with third parties you elect to work with. You can also remove or delete information at will. Perhaps most impressively, Asana also allows you to choose where in the world your data is stored, though only if you’re an enterprise customer.

Methodology Suitability

With Asana, you can manage projects organized using either waterfall or Agile methodologies. The flexibility of the system, centered around task assignment, means that it can be built into more complicated projects. However, there are some features that might be better suited to an Agile approach.

In particular, the Board tab of the Timeline seems ready-made to be a Kanban board, tracking the progress of various tasks in a publicly visible way. The Dashboard/update system might work well into a Scrum workflow, detailing the most recent sprint.

On the other hand, the Calendar tab allows dependencies to be mapped out, turning it into a Gantt chart. There are many ways Asana could be used to bring traditional methods into a modern project.

Asana Alternatives

The task-and-project model is one that is commonly used with cloud-based project management software. As a result, there are several similar options out there, with a different project management tool potentially better fitting your needs. Some other project management tools include:

Most other options will also have a mobile app and several other standard offerings. However, other services may not offer all the tools Asana does. For example, Basecamp also uses a task-and-project approach. However, it uses a simpler payment structure, giving up some of the more powerful reporting and analytical tools in exchange. Find out more in our Basecamp review.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for Asana Review

Does Asana Really Work?

Asana seems to work for many people, offering a range of significant project management tools for all types of projects, from individuals all the way up to large companies. It’s generally seen as a very good tool for staying organized and on track with a project. However, you’ll need to pay for Asana Premium, Business, or Enterprise to access many useful features.

Is There Something Better Than Asana?

Asana may not be the right fit for every need. There may be some other options better suited for solo projects, for example. However, customer reviews seem to consider Asana a great project management tool that provides value for money. It strikes a good balance between ease-of-use and powerful tools.

There are some areas where Asana is lacking, however. In particular, it doesn’t offer any tools specifically for invoicing, billing, or other financial aspects of project management. Time tracking also requires integration with another app.

Which Is Better, Jira or Asana?

While both may be simply outstanding software, Jira and Asana fill two different needs. Asana provides a complete project management tool for any sort of project, including task management, Gantt charts, automated workflows, and a range of other features aimed at keeping a project organized.

Jira was originally designed as an issue tracking tool for software development and it has been optimized for use in those sorts of projects. It may work particularly well with Agile methodologies, with features for tracking sprints, for example.

What’s New in Asana?

The most recent updates to Asana offer new functions to Enterprise users. Those features focused on offering a wider range of security features to keep better control of data, such as the ability to limit information or log-ins to specific workstations.

Enterprise accounts can also now require security measures like two-factor authentication. Additionally, several tools for automating account setup and permissions were announced for IT managers.

Is Asana Completely Free?

There is a free version for Asana available, called a Basic account. It’s limited sharply in several ways, however. The Basic tier offers 15 accounts, which is actually more than many alternatives. However, important tools like certain project views, project milestones, and a number of other features require a paid tier.

Most users agree you generally get value for money with Asana, so upgrading may be attractive. However, note that Asana is more expensive than some other options.

Final Thoughts on Asana Review

Asana has struck a difficult-to-find balance, managing to both offer almost all the tools needed for a modern, sophisticated project while also being relatively easy to use. As we’ve seen throughout our Asana review, the result is a powerful tool for keeping your team and organization on task.

However, as the saying goes, you get what you pay for. Access to those powerful tools comes with a higher price tag than some PM software alternatives.

March 25, 2022March 15, 2023

What Is a VoIP Caller & How Does VoIP Work?

A VoIP caller using a voip system to communicate with client

One of the best ways for businesses to connect with customers is through the phone. With phone communication, sales teams reach out to prospects, customers call help centers, and internal teams collaborate.

However, costs quickly add up when businesses are handling hundreds and thousands of calls daily. This makes it necessary to find a solution that is cheaper and more convenient.

We will look at what a VoIP caller is, how to set it up, and why your business should use a VoIP system.

Looking for a premium service? check out Vonage!

If you’re looking for an affordable VoIP that also happens to be one of the best solutions on the market today, look no further than RingCentral. It offers a complete phone system for your business with apps, AI, and automation on a single platform. You can get all of this, including the reliability and unique phone number, for less than $19.99 per month. If you act fast you can take advantage of the current 7-day free trial offer that is happening.

Sign up with RingCentral now.

What Is a VoIP Caller?

VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol, which is a technology that allows you to make calls over the internet instead of a regular phone line. The cloud software will connect you to any phone around the world, by converting your voice into a digital signal that is transferred over the internet and then converted into a regular phone signal.

As a VoIP caller, you enter a phone number (or VoIP number) and dial it through the internet. The receiver’s phone will ring as if coming from another phone, except that it may display “VoIP caller” as the caller ID.

VoIP technology offers services like caller identification and screening, easy digital file sharing, email notifications, call conferencing, and even reports. Examples of VoIP phone services include Nextiva, RingCentral, Facebook Messenger, and Skype.

However, VoIP caller has two meanings. The VoIP system itself and the person calling you using a VoIP system.

Therefore, a VoIP caller is someone calling you from a VoIP system. A VoIP caller is anybody who uses a digital signal to transmit their call through an internet connection, rather than analog phone lines.

With the global VoIP services market expected to reach $102.5 billion by 2026, more and more businesses are making the shift to cloud-calling technologies.

Do Businesses Need To Use a VoIP Service?

Businesses benefit from using a Voice over Internet Protocol service for many reasons, such as:

Better remote team collaboration
Large scale sales campaigns
Reduced spending
Increased scalability
Increased brand awareness
Easy digital file sharing

Leads to Better Remote Team Collaboration

For a business with many remote employees, VoIP systems make it easy and cost-efficient to keep in touch with your team and organize conferences. VoIP technology costs less than a regular telephone service. Businesses with multiple locations often set up VoIP phone systems to operate only within their offices using the business phones and computers.

Enables Large Scale Sales Campaigns

Many businesses use outbound calls to acquire and nurture leads, through cold calling and follow-ups. A VoIP system reduces the cost of constantly reaching out to people over the phone and makes it possible to contact anyone anywhere in the world.

Reduces Spending

VoIP services cost less than a traditional phone service, and they don’t require a lot of costly hardware. Companies can use existing computers and phones and simply download the required software. Moreover, there are free basic VoIP services available as well.

Increases Scalability

Businesses can easily add more lines using the same VoIP number, rather than calling in professionals to install a traditional phone line when they want to expand.

Increases Brand Awareness

VoIP services allow businesses to include custom tags and caller IDs. These IDs can be kept the same no matter which employee is calling a customer. A consistent caller ID increases brand awareness and recognition.

Allows for Easy Digital File Sharing

A VoIP phone system allows users to share digital files during a call. These include documents, images, audio files, and videos. File transmission will depend on the receiver’s device.

Sign up with RingCentral now.

How Does a VoIP Caller Work?

A VoIP caller transmits your audio signal over a broadband internet connection.

VoIP technology converts your voice into data packets that are moved through internet fibers until they get to the area of the receiver. If you’re calling another VoIP phone line, the data packet is converted to audio and connected directly with the receiver. If you’re calling traditional phones, the data packets are converted to regular phone signals before reaching the user.

A VoIP phone system uses the TCP/IP and Intelligent Endpoint protocols. TCP breaks your audio down into data packets while IP transmits it over the internet’s fiber optic cables. The Intelligent Endpoint protocols locate and send signals to the receiver.

How to Set Up & Use a VoIP Caller

Step-by-step guide on how to set up a voip caller system

You need very little equipment when setting up a VoIP phone. Make sure you have access to the internet, an adapter, a software provider, and a phone or computer.

An internet broadband connection is what transmits your signal. The adapter converts your audio to data packets. An adapter is connected to a regular phone or built into a special VoIP phone.

Not every VoIP caller requires an adapter. With a smartphone or computer, you can simply install the VoIP software. Depending on the device you use, you may need to buy a microphone and speaker. If you want to use your existing phones, you may need to install special adaptors.

When you select a VoIP provider such as Nextiva, simply sign up for an account and log into your dashboard. Decide your business hours and build your call flows, then install the desktop software. If you want a VoIP adapter or a softphone, reach out to Nextiva’s sales team.

How to Get a VoIP Number

You will need to sign up with a provider to get a VoIP phone number. VoIP providers have various methods of obtaining a VoIP number, but it’s usually simple depending on your requirements.

Nextiva, for example, gives you a number when you sign up for an account. A VoIP number can be a new number or an existing phone number that you connect to the VoIP through number porting.

Depending on the residential VoIP services of the VoIP caller, you get a fixed or a non-fixed VoIP number.

A fixed VoIP number is tied to your address. This does not limit features. Instead, you have benefits like being able to contact emergency services like 911. However, you pay taxes that come with using that area code.

With non-fixed VoIP telephone numbers, you can choose any area code to use no matter your location. Unlike a fixed number, there is limited access to government and emergency services.

VoIP phone numbers can be connected to different devices. For example, the same VoIP number is attached to a number of computers in a help center. This increases the rate and speed of pickup, because if someone calls, several phones ring at the same time, and the nearest agent picks up. It is also possible to speak with multiple users at the same time.

Get a VoIP Number with RingCentral today.

How Do I Identify a VoIP Caller?

To access VoIP services, a user is assigned a VoIP number. You can identify a VoIP caller by enabling caller ID information or looking up the VoIP number. Enabling caller ID software like Truecaller will automatically look up and display the ID.

Other ways to find out who is calling you with a VoIP phone is to track the number during the call, ask your service provider to provide you with details, or use a reverse phone lookup service.

It is possible to trace a VoIP call after it has ended if you have installed a pocket analyzer. This software saves traffic details during a VoIP call. Look through those details to find the IP address.

Businesses using Nextiva and other providers can customize their VoIP caller ID so that instead of “VoIP Caller”, you will see the brand name. Some callers use VPNs and Proxy servers to prevent IP address lookup. If a caller is doing that, it is probably better to block them.

How to Block VoIP Calls

The easiest way to block a VoIP caller ID is to use your device blocking features. The method varies by device. Sometimes, it is as simple as selecting the number and clicking “Block number.” Other times, you may need to contact your traditional phone system provider and ask that a number be blocked.

You can use caller ID software, sign up for the Do Not Call registry, or reach out to the number and ask not to be contacted again.

VoIP Security Risks

While VoIP is certainly the future of business communication, there are some risks to be aware of. As with most things on the web, VoIP can also be abused by scammers and criminals to damage your business.

By breaching your phone system, hackers can listen to your phone calls, amass phone bills, or steal sensitive information related to your business, yourself, and your customers.

Since VoiP calls are made over the internet, these call systems are prone to many of the risks we see in the digital world.

So what are the most common VoIP Security risks?

Phishing

Phishing is a malicious activity when scammers call using numbers that appear similar to legitimate organizations. These organizations include banks, tax departments, and government agencies. The scammer leaves a message about “suspicious activity” on the recipient’s account and asks the recipient to “verify their identity”.

As such, the victim may share sensitive information such as their bank account details or credit card information. In fact, over 59 million Americans lost money from a phone scam in 2021.

Signs of a phishing attack include:

Extreme urgency from the person on the other line
Unexpected calls from known numbers or reputable organizations
Short and unusual phone numbers on caller ID display
The other person keeps requesting you to verify sensitive information

To prevent phishing, your organization should verify all phone requests, even if they seem to come from your IT department. You also need to train your employees to refuse to disclose sensitive information unless cleared by a supervisor.

DDoS Attacks

DDoS (distributed denial of service) attacks occur when criminals overwhelm a server with data and use up all of its bandwidth. In turn, your network or machine will be unavailable to its users after the DDoS attack disrupts the service.

If you use a VoIP caller and are tagged with a DDoS attack, you can’t make or receive any phone calls. DDoS attacks are on the rise and your business could be at risk. To mitigate DDoS attacks, we recommend using a separate, dedicated internet connection for your VoIP caller.

Virtual Local Area Networks, VLANs, are specifically dedicated for VoIP traffic and prevent DDoS attacks. For VoIP callers sharing across a wide area network (WAN), you can protect your organization from DDoS attack with managed encryption.

Eavesdropping

Eavesdropping is how most criminals steal sensitive information by obtaining passwords, names, and phone numbers. This allows them to take control of voicemail, calling plan, call forwarding, and billing information.

Voice Over Misconfigured Internet Telephone, or VOMIT, is a VoIP hacking technique that takes data and voice packets from calls directly. VOMIT is a form of eavesdropping and converts phone calls into files straight from your business phone system.

To protect your small business from VOMIT attacks and eavesdropping, use a cloud-based VoIP system with the latest call encryption techniques. Reputable VoIP callers come with end-to-end encryption and protect eavesdroppers from listening in on your important phone calls.

Pros & Cons of a VoIP Service for Businesses

In a nutshell, here are the advantages and disadvantages of using a VoIP service in your business.

VoIP Caller Pros

Can reach more people
VoIP calls cost less than traditional phone calls
More features like call forwarding and voicemail to email conversion
Portable
The same VoIP number can be connected to multiple phones
You can speak to multiple people at the same time
Easy to setup and use
Helps team collaboration
Can integrate with other apps like Slack and Zapier

VoIP Caller Cons

May be labeled as spam
Not everyone wants to receive VoIP calls

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for VoIP Caller

Are VoIP Calls Spam?

Some VoIP callers are spam and some aren’t. Chances are that if a brand is not concealing their identity, they aren’t spam calls. The anonymous callers that try to hide their IP addresses are mostly spam.

Why Would Someone Use a VoIP Caller?

People use VoIP technology because of its portability and convenience. A business owner can easily install an inexpensive VoIP software, and use the same VoIP numbers to run their business at full scale. Plus, VoIP phone numbers never change regardless of location, and you can reach almost anybody with a VoIP phone.

Should I Answer VoIP Phone Calls?

It is fine to answer VoIP calls when you can easily identify the caller. If the person calling is actively trying to hide their identity over the internet connection, then it is not advisable to pick up. In these instances, they are usually trying to scam you.

How Do I Block a VoIP Call?

There are many ways to stop VoIP calls. You can use your device settings, a caller ID app, mark the number as spam, contact your provider, and enter the DNC registry.

Conclusion: What Is a VoIP Caller?

A Voice over Internet Protocol phone service affords amazing benefits to both businesses and individuals. Using an internet connection, VoIP calls help businesses and freelancers connect with more prospects, manage sales campaigns, and manage team productivity. To individuals, it gives the ability to reach anyone in the world while traveling, using the same number.

Get your VoIP system set up with RingCentral.

March 24, 2022November 23, 2022

Microsoft Project vs Hive Project Management Software

Microsoft Project and Hive are two of the most popular project management software services on the market. Each has its strengths and disadvantages relating to project portfolio management tools, complete with file and information sharing, time tracking, resource management, third-party integrations, scheduling features, and more.

Quick Comparison: Microsoft Project vs Hive

Ease-of-use

3/5

4.5/5

Project Mapping

3.5/5

4.5/5

Capacity

5/5

4/5

To-Do Lists

3/5

4/5

Integrations

3/5

5/5

Customer support

3/5

4.5/5

Pricing

2/5

4.5/5

Pros

Excellent for large businesses
Power BI for deep analytical insights
Easy time and task progress tracking

Integrates with 1000+ apps
Easy-to-learn chat and file sharing tools
High number of available views

Cons

Steep learning curve required
Average customer support
Limited integrations with third-party apps

No search function for each project
Mobile apps are not as intuitive as desktop version
File deletion is permanent

Overall Rating

★★★★★

3.5/5

★★★★★

4/5

Microsoft Project vs Hive

Microsoft Project and Hive may be similar services, but they each take a different approach to project management software. We looked at the features and functionality of both to compare them, including:

Ease of use.
Project mapping.
Capacity.
To-do lists.
Integrations.
Customer support.
Cost.

Ease of Use

Popular project management and portfolio management software Microsoft Project allows a user to choose from several popular views, including board, grid, and Gantt views. Grid views are arguably the most basic, converting any project into a simple ordered list of tasks with status and due dates and not much else. Another view, Kanban, offers heavy visuals, converting tasks into boxes that can be dragged and dropped to rearrange the order, drag its duration, and more.

Like Microsoft Project, many user reviews have praised Hive project management software for its intuitive platform. It offers six views, including status, team, calendar, label, Gantt, and table. Of the six, Gantt and table view are the most popular, with each functionality offering its benefits on the way teams view and process work.

Another benefit of Hive technology is the ability to convert workflows to different views. Users can flip projects from Kanban to project views and vice versa. Hive also offers mobile apps to be able to check-in when on the go.

Winner: Hive is simple to use, offers plenty of diversity, and is easy on the eyes and mind.

Project Mapping

Microsoft Project offers excellent project mapping and portfolio management functionalities designed to show every step and all processes from project start to finish using flow charts. For starters, it offers an auto-scheduled feature that automatically maps out a calendar for your project by entering scope and designated time frames for each task. Consider this one of the more useful tools for project managers.

It also allows users to create “Master Project Plans” that combine multiple project details into one centralized workspace for a higher-level overview. Subprojects can be tied to master projects, all of which can be viewed using Gantt charts, grid views, and board views.

Hive also offers outstanding project mapping and portfolio management tools, starting with its six views mentioned above. Two of its core methodologies are Kanban and Agile. Kanban boards are a highly visual representation of workflows using customizable task cards flipped to either a Not Started, In Progress, or Completed status. They can be easily dragged and dropped with every status change.

Winner: Hive has a much more simplified interface, a higher number of available views, and easier toggling between different views.

To-Do Lists

Hive offers a comprehensive to-do list feature with milestones. It starts by entering tasks using your “My Actions” list and selecting due dates. Each to-do item is full of options, including the ability to create sub-actions, link a dependent action, and contribute to each task by uploading attachments, adding comments, using action templates, and generating share links for other members of your organization to view.

If to-do lists are an important functionality for you, Microsoft Project has very robust tools. All users have the option to start a to-do list using a blank project file, easily converting them into projects and shareable files. Once tasks are added, a user can indent and outdent tasks to show hierarchy, link tasks to show relationships, and change views.

Winner: Microsoft Projects offers a slightly more simplified to-do list feature than Hive.

Read:

Want to know what happens when you compare ClickUp vs Microsoft Projects? Read our detailed comparison here.

Integrations

Microsoft Project offers a healthy number of integrations for collaboration, most notable with popular Microsoft Office apps Word, Excel, Teams, Outlook, OneNote, and Powerpoint. This allows users to centralize work from multiple apps into one centralized dashboard at the same time.

Hive is very strong with integrations and can connect to third-party applications using the popular Zapier app or native APIs. Some of the more popular apps include Outlook, Salesforce, and Google Drive. Integrations streamline work quickly, for example, a Zoom integration allows users to use video conferencing directly from Hive messaging, eliminating the need to share links to a meeting.

Winner: Hive offers integrations with a lot more apps than Microsoft Project, including the most popular ones (e.g. Google Drive, Salesforce, Slack, Microsoft Teams) and lesser-known ones such as Freshbooks for accounting and Marketo.

Customer Support

Microsoft Project has a wide-reaching project community and support resource page that offers online webinars, documentation, videos, white papers, forums, and tutorials on all things Microsoft Project-related. While chat training is offered, there is a heavy reliance on self-help resources, with customer service numbers or dedicated emails harder to come by.

Hive’s customer support options for all project management software features are more visible than Microsoft Project. Users have the option to connect directly to their sales team using an online form where you can ask about anything from integration features to reports. Hive also offers a dedicated service email (help@hive.com) and an on-site webchat assistant also fields questions from new and repeat visitors.

Users also have the option to sign up for a free trial and request a demo. Hive technology offers personalized demos for all types of businesses. Simply fill out the form on the website with your contact information for a customer service representative to get back to you.

Winner: Hive offers the most generous customer support of the two. In addition to online chats and a dedicated phone line for Teams and Enterprise level users, a sales team is on standby to walk new users through a free demo with separate options to request a free trial.

Pricing

Microsoft Project offers two plans for on-premise solutions that use licenses and three package plans for their cloud services:

Project Plan 1 ($10 per user per month) offers Microsoft Project’s basic features, including management of projects, tasks, and reports that do not need any advanced features.
Project Plan 2 ($30 per user per month) includes all of the features of Project Plan 1, with the ability to assign project tasks to resources and use the desktop app, with one license good for up to five PCs per person.
Project Plan 3 ($55 per user per month) offers all of the features of Project Plan 1 and Project Plan 2 with the addition of enterprise-level analytics and resource management tools.

Both on-premise solutions require a one-time fee and allow access to its desktop app, with one license covering one PC per person. It has a lot more robust features, including the ability to connect with Project Online and Project Service, the offering of advanced analytics to choose project proposals based on strategic goals, and other solutions for larger enterprises.

Hive offers a much more simplified plan and pricing structure than Microsoft Project. It offers three plans paid in monthly or annual installments:

Solo (free) allows access for up to two users with unlimited service and a community support function.
Teams ($12 per user per month) is for unlimited users with unlimited storage and time tracking, with the option to add a-la-carte options such as team resourcing and SSO, enterprise security, and controls for $4 per user per month.
Enterprise (custom quote) is the most robust, offering all of Teams’ features with the addition of contract and legal review and the most flexible add-on options like team resourcing and the ability to add external users as part of the package.

Winner: Hive is the clear winner in this category, thanks to its overall cheaper cost and ability to add a-la-carte options for a small nominal user fee per month. It does not overcomplicate pricing plans by splitting cloud versus on-premises (desktop licenses) plans like Microsoft Project, making it less overwhelming for new users or smaller companies.

Overall Winner

In the battle of Hive vs Microsoft Project for small to medium size businesses, our nod goes to Hive. Microsoft Project has a gargantuan infrastructure, yet has many limitations, most notably with collaboration and the ability to share files.

Another key consideration is cost. Hive is considerably cheaper on a per-user per month basis.

All in all, Hive is better served for a small to a medium-sized organization that does not want a steep learning curve in learning a new project workflow tool.

Frequently Asked Questions for Microsoft Project vs Hive

What Is the Best Alternative to MS Project?

The best alternative to Microsoft Project depends on the feature set you are looking for. For simplified feature sets best suited for groups with 10 or fewer members, GanttPro and Hive may be more suitable choices. For real-time collaboration features such as real-time chat and social media integration, ClickUp excels more than Hive and Microsoft Project. Learn more from our Microsoft Project vs GanttPro review.

Is Microsoft Project Outdated?

Microsoft Project is one of the oldest project management tools out there. Today, its calling is with larger businesses, whereas project management tools from ClickUp, Hive, monday.com, and others have fulfilled an important role in managing smaller businesses and teams. In this case, “outdated” is not the correct term to use.

What Is Equivalent to Microsoft Project?

In terms of a sheer number of features, there are many project management tools equivalent to or greater than Microsoft Project. Portfolio management software such as monday.com, Hive, and ClickUp offer equal or more intuitive user interface options, known for their simplicity and accessible design.

Is Microsoft Project Still Relevant?

Yes, Microsoft Project is highly relevant but less so than in years past with the proliferation of new project management tools that have come out on the market. Some of the more notable project management software include monday.com, ClickUp, and Hive.

Final Thoughts on Microsoft Project vs Hive

Microsoft Project and Hive are two of the most powerful project management tools on the market. Each offers its own advantages and disadvantages when we compare ease of use, project mapping, to-do lists, integrations, customer support, and cost.

Consider Hive the superior option when it comes to the learning curve, real-time collaboration tools, and overall simplicity with a heavier reliance on cloud-based apps and third-party integrations to bring the workforce closer together.

March 23, 2022February 16, 2023

ClickUp vs Hive: Which Is the Best Mix of Price & Features?

The services that Hive, ClickUp, Monday, and others offer have become invaluable to good project management. Keeping team members connected, assembling reports, and tracking progress all happen within the software now, as do many other aspects of a business. As a result, choosing the right software is vital.

We’re putting two of the most popular options head to head, ClickUp vs Hive, to see how they stack up. Along the way, you may find that one is the perfect fit for your needs.

Quick Comparison: ClickUp vs Hive

Usability

3.5/5

3/5

Resource Management

4/5

3/5

Collaboration

3.5/5

3/5

Gantt View

3/5

Customer Support

3/5

2/5

Pricing

3/5

2/5

Pros

More features on free plan
Better options for support

Helpful collaboration tools
Some simpler features

Cons

Steep learning curve

Complicated pricing
Lack of support

Overall Rating

★★★★★

3.5/5

★★★★★

2.5/5

ClickUp vs Hive

The art of managing projects focuses largely on methodologies, high-level outlines describing how to keep everything organized. Those are undoubtedly important, but perhaps equally as important are the practical tools that make those methodologies possible. These days, the best project management tool is actually good project management software.

Those tools are apps like ClickUp, Hive, and a whole range of other options. Each is designed to support team members by offering features like creating tasks, managing cost, tracking time, and many other types of functionality.

Every project management program tends to have some of the same options for users, with ClickUp and Hive being no exception. To compare the two, we’ll be looking in detail at ClickUp’s adaptability and the Hive technology on offer, and what you’re getting for your money in each case.

Usability

Usability can mean a lot of different things. Does it have the functionality you need and can you find it when you need to? Ease of use is often at odds with the inclusion of all the features you require. Breaking usability down into discrete categories might help keep things clear, including:

Ease of use.
Integrations.
Agile vs traditional methods.

Ease of Use

It’s important that software fits cleanly into your workflow. If you spend more time figuring the apps out than using them, they’re more a hindrance than a help. Both ClickUp and Hive have a similar interface, including a workspace where you can define tasks and connect with team members.

Both should feel intuitive. Task management consists of creating tasks or ‘cards’ and assigning them to team members. Reporting options are easy to access, as are other services. Using some options, like machine learning-driven automation, is more complicated. One issue mentioned frequently in ClickUp user reviews is the learning curve.

Integrations

Both support a wide range of integrations, though many important ones such as Google Drive are only available on pay tiers. ClickUp has a library of ‘native’ integrations that can be added to projects with a few clicks.

Agile vs Traditional

These approaches often require different tools. Both apps allow you to use Kanban boards and other Agile-focused functionality. However, ClickUp creates sprints and has other useful agile tools. With Hive technology, you’ll have to look to integration for those options.

Resource Management

Resources can be many things, and project management software focuses on tasks and time. As a result, the resource they both focus on is workload. Both offers features for tracking resources and creating reports.

Hive has a resource app that’s available on their pay tier. When task cards are set up with due dates, assignees, and estimates, from the same page you can use the app to:

Monitor your team’s time.
Set work limits for individuals.
Add holidays to your business calendar.

ClickUp has different views which collectively offer the same information. It might be more work, but you’re offered greater flexibility. These features are available, if limited, on every tier. Also available is Pulse, an automation service that offers useful reports for projects.

Collaboration

Communicating effectively is always important, but it becomes more difficult in an era of remote teams all working for the same company. As a result, one important role for this sort of software is fostering team collaboration.

Many of the features are standard, whether you’re looking at ClickUp, Hive, or another option. Commenting on tasks, notes, and elsewhere is possible. A native messaging system includes an inbox. Users can also live chat to keep in contact within the app, rather than using other chat clients. Tasks can have multiple assignees, all communicating through the app.

Hive offers a team inbox, which is useful for direct response marketing and similar efforts. It also allows users to search within comments and messages. To do something similar with ClickUp, you’d have to be using an integration.

If you compare the features, they’re fairly equal. However, as with our ClickUp vs Monday review, ClickUp pulls ahead by offering more at a lower price.

Gantt View

Gantt charts are a foundational tool of project management and are a standard part of this sort of software. Use the tool for tracking workflow, project scheduling, and general project progress.

You can also use them for managing resources and tracking critical paths in important processes. ClickUp and Hive both offer Gantt views to aid in task management, as long as tasks are set up correctly.

Charts in both apps can also be exported if you’d like to include them in company reports, for example, to reassure clients that their marketing campaign is on time. You can also loop in vendors or other suppliers.

See how ClickUp ranks against apps focused on Gantt charts in our ClickUp vs GanttPro and ClickUp vs TeamGantt reviews.

Customer Support

Decent support can be a critical aspect of both services. They’re complicated enough that most users will probably get lost at some point. As we’ve mentioned, one hit to customer satisfaction is the learning curve.

That may be less of an issue if you’re part of a larger company, but if you’ve got a small team, you don’t want to spend time working out how to clear notifications or switch views between projects.

Being able to contact a real person for help is one of the premium features in both cases. With ClickUp, users can schedule a meeting with a live rep for coaching over video conferencing.

Hive offers a similar option for chat training. Otherwise, most support is limited to online webinars, documentation, videos, and so forth.

If help docs aren’t enough, ClickUp can connect you with a paid consultant. Hive doesn’t have a lot else to offer.

Pricing

Usually, project management software offers a subscription, including a free plan with limited services. More features come at each tier with a progressively higher cost. Cost is charged per user, paid either annually or monthly. Both Hive and ClickUp pricing follow this pattern, though with some complications thrown in.

ClickUp offers a great deal of functionality on its free and low-cost plans. Some helpful options do require the more expensive options, including some integration options. Even so, ClickUp is a good option for small businesses or teams.

When you compare to ClickUp, Hive software might seem as if it has a simpler payment structure. There is a free tier for individuals or a small business, and a slightly more expensive business account.

However, the free version lacks a lot of the features you might be looking for. Additionally, some individual features are only available at an additional cost, ala carte style, even with the business tier.

Overall Winner

ClickUp comfortably comes out ahead in our project management software comparison. When we first put ClickUp vs Hive, it seemed like they were pretty close in many aspects. However, when you take a closer look, ClickUp comes out slightly ahead in every case. The differences add up.

Though it may not matter to every business, ClickUp allows unlimited users even on the free plan. While both offer useful ways to monitor progress, ClickUp has a better way of structuring costs. Both are one of the best project management tools available, but ClickUp just offers more.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on ClickUp vs Hive

What Is ClickUp Used For?

ClickUp is a type of project management software. It’s used to keep all the different jobs and responsibilities organized, so that projects can move smoothly to successful completion.

The approach centers on tasks, which you can create in a dashboard and assign to team members. A range of features aid in collaboration for teams, reporting, and other aspects of a business.

Who Is Using ClickUp?

Typical customers can be anything from software development to a health startup. ClickUp mentions a few specific companies that use their service on their webpage. Among them are Google, Booking.com, IBM, and Padres MLB organization.

Is ClickUp Really Free?

You can use ClickUp for free, but you won’t be able to use every feature without paying. ClickUp structures its pricing around subscription tiers. At each tier, more features are made available.

However, the free tier of ClickUp has a lot of functionality, allowing unlimited team members, tasks, and more. It might offer everything a small group or individual needs for a project.

Bottom Line on ClickUp vs Hive

Either Hive or ClickUp might be a good fit for your needs. However, if you want to succeed in business you want to find the best option, rather than one that’s just good enough.

The results might depend on your needs, but all things being equal, ClickUp offers the best mix of price and features. Perhaps as importantly, the software also offers enough help that you can figure out how to use all those fancy features, too.

Quick View

Product

Price

Features

Services and Support

Customization and Integrations

Mobile friendly

Quick Verdict

The 10 Best Project Management Tools

Key Features of a Good Project Management Tool

Team Management

Project Delivery Management

Methodology Suitability

Risk Management

Reporting

Finance Management

Collaboration and Communication

Integration With Other Apps

Usability

Support

Privacy

Choosing the Best Project Management Tool

Shortlist Features That Are Important for You

Define What Good Project Management Is for Your Team

Consider Costs and Fees

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for Best Project Management Tools

Conclusion: Best Project Management Tools

How To Conduct a Payroll Audit in 8 Steps

Before You Begin

Type of Payroll Report

Purpose

1. Analyze Your Payroll Roster

2. Check Pay Rates and Hours Worked

3. Look Closely at Variable Payments

4. Review Off-Cycle Payments

5. Perform Payroll Reconciliation

6. Check Payroll Records Against Tax Forms

7. Locate and Pay Outstanding Tax Bills

8. Establish or Improve Payroll Protocols

Benefits of Conducting a Payroll Audit

Best Practices for Easy Payroll Audits

Using Accounting Software for Your Payroll Audit

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for How to Conduct a Payroll Audit

Bottom Line on Payroll Audit

Our Verdict

monday.com at a Glance

Who monday.com Is Best For

monday.com Pricing

Individual

Basic

Standard

Pro

Enterprise

monday.com Features

User Interface

Multiple Project Views

Time Tracking

Customizable Templates

Integrations

Customer Support

Automation

Customizable Dashboards

monday.com Customer Reviews

Alternatives to monday.com

Microsoft Project

Wrike

ClickUp

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for monday.com Review

Bottom Line on monday.com Review

Trello: Best for Kanban-style Project Management

Asana: Best for Flexibility and Customization

Trello vs Asana – Pricing & Features Comparison

Plan

Trello Free

Trello Standard

Trello Premium

Trello Enterprise

Asana Basic

Asana Premium

Asana Business