Category: Project Management Tools

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5 Best Workflow Management Software in 2023

Workflow management and business roles being illustrated with different mechanism pieces

Workflow management software empowers you to set up and monitor a defined set of tasks in sequential order. It assists users in collaboration and automation of processes, as well as defining workflows for several processes and applications.

Making the right choices when choosing workflow management software for your business is important. However, there are several options, and choosing the right one may be difficult.

This article will indepthly review the best workflow management software in 2023. 

Quick View on the Best Workflow Management Software in 2023

  • Monday.com – Best overall
  • ClickUp – Best for customization features
  • Asana – Best for the flexibility and collaboration it offers
  • Wrike – Best for automation and incredible user friendliness
  • Zoho Projects – Best for startup and small teams

Product

Workflow Management

Automation

User interface

Integration

Pricing

Monday.com logo

Monday.com

120+ project templates, customizable dashboards, and good visibility

Time tracking, process updates, due date alerts, and task assignments among others.

Intuitive, user-friendly, beautiful, and easy to navigate.

Integrates with other software through Zapier

  • Free: Free (Maximum of 5 seats)
  • Basic: $8/seat/month
  • Standard: $10/seat/month
  • Pro: $16/seat/month
  • Enterprise: Contact monday.com for pricing
Clickup logo

ClickUp

Customizable agile dashboard view, docs, and time tracking

100+ automation

Streamlined, easy to navigate, and color assignment.

100+ integrations

  • Free Forever: Free
  • Unlimited: $5/user/month
  • Business: $12/user/month
  • Business Plus: $19/user/month
  • Enterprise: Contact ClickUp for pricing
Asana logo

Asana

Customization, task assignee, work structuring, and different project views

Automation custom templates, rules feature

User interface is divided into 5. Cool and nice.

Integrates with dozens of other tools.

  • Free Forever: Free
  • Premium: $10.99/user/month
  • Business: $24.99/user/month
  • Enterprise: Contact ClickUp for pricing
Wrike logo

Wrike

Timeline view, Gantt charts, and Kanban board

Simple and easy automation

Highly intuitive and incredibly user-friendly, productive, and fast.

400+ integrations.

  • Free Forever: Free
  • Team: $9.80/user/month
  • Business: $24.80/user/month
  • Enterprise: Contact for pricing
  • Pinnacle: Contact for pricing
Zoho Projects logo

Zoho Projects

Low code workflows, track workflow cycles, mobile application

Blueprint editor, workflow rules

Full-screen design, customization tab, intuitive and friendly.

Enhanced Integration especially with finance apps.

  • Free Forever: Free
  • Premium: $5/user/month
  • Enterprise: $10/user/month

Best Workflow Management Software in 2023 – Quick Verdict

Best Overall – Monday.com. Monday.com is the best overall workflow management software because it is customizable, flexible, and very efficient. It helps you to boost your productivity by streamlining workflows, tasks, and processes. It also integrates well with other software and is good for both small and large teams. 

5 Best Workflow Management Software

The best workflow management software varies greatly depending on your organization and the tasks and processes you plan to carry out. Most offer free options for trial but some can be complex. Here’s a detailed look at the best software management software in 2023. 

Monday.com logo

Monday.com – Best Workflow Software Overall

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Monday.com Review

Monday.com is our top pick out of all the best workflow management software on this list because it is a very efficient and exotic management software. It helps your team to visualize any workflow using customizable and flexible tools. The operating system also allows you to shape your workflow in a way that would boost the alignment, efficiency, and productivity of your team by customizing any kind of workflow to suit your current needs. With Monday.com, it is very easy to manage workflows, tasks, and processes.

Workflow Management

Monday has several features that make workflow seamless and enables you to achieve more. The software features 120+ project templates and over 10 ways in which a user can view work and move faster through processes. It also helps with good visibility ensuring that team members can stay aligned with their work by getting a real-time overview of the work pace. 

You can also customize the dashboards and reports on Monday.com. If you are a workflow manager that sits between teams and the executive suite and is looking for a way to communicate complex data sets through visual dashboards, Monday.com proves very helpful for you.

Automation 

Monday.com provides automation services that can make your project team more efficient. You can automate status updates, email notifications, dependencies, due date alerts, tasks assignment, wonderful time tracking feature, progress updates, and other workflows with the Monday.com software. This automation does not also require any code to set.

User Interface

Monday.com is very intuitive and user-friendly. The user interface is beautiful and easy to navigate. It has multiple layouts to suit your idea of easy working and it is very simple. 

Integrations

Monday.com integrates well with other software. Integrations through Zapier include Typeform, Google Drive, GitHub, Gmail, Slack, Jira, Google Calendar, Trello, Dropbox, and others.

Pricing

Monday.com is affordable especially if you have a large team and you are looking for software that is not too pricey. It also has a free plan so that users can test what it is like to use the software. The mid-tier paid plans range from $8 to $16, but there’s also a higher plan that is custom based on what you need. 

  • Large template library for workflow to jumpstart planning
  • Work OS—A workflow system specifically designed for custom workflow apps
  • Allows for workflow automation
  • Lots of integration
  • Initial customization takes time.
  • The functionality for exporting reports is limited.

Why Did We Choose Monday.com?

We chose monday.com because of the efficiency that it lends to workflow management. You can create plenty of tasks on a board and include the steps that you need to reach the completion of the tasks. The software is also highly customizable and easy to use. Monday.com also allows arrangements of workflow views by list, geographical map, kanban board, or Gantt chart.

Clickup logo

ClickUp – Best for Customization Features

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ClickUp Review

ClickUp has an edge over other workflow management software because of the many integrations and powerful features that it combines. You can also automatically import your work from other tools. ClickUp equips you to oversee the entire workflow of your team. 

Workflow Management

With ClickUp, you can manage any project from start to finish with well-customizable dashboard views that make the workflow processes a breeze. The Chat feature enables collaboration with your team members and you never have to miss a schedule or anything because you’ll get notified. 

You can also track time, docs, and statuses among others so that you can monitor the progress of the work that you assigned to your team. With 15+ customizable views for workflow management, ClickUp’s agile dashboard gives you better insight and updates as well, reducing long, boring, and redundant meetings. 

Automation

ClickUp offers a dedicated automation feature that saves time by automating your routine actions based on certain conditions and triggers. With ClickUp, you can automate your workflow to save time and increase your productivity. With hundreds of automation, you can assign tasks, update statuses, sync with other tools, and post comments, all automatically.

User Interface

ClickUp’s user interface is streamlined and easy to navigate. You can organize your team members into different categories called spaces and group the project in each space as folders. ClickUp also has a UI feature that allows you to assign colors to assignments so that you can quickly tell the ones that are in progress or already completed.

Integration

ClickUp has 100+ integrations. You can connect your existing development workflows with other native integrations for GitLab, Sentry, Figma, GitHub, Bitbucket, and more. While ClickUp can perform the tasks that most of your tools would, you don’t have to replace those tools if you’re not ready. ClickUp can integrate with them well. You can sync your messaging apps, team calendars, cloud storage, and more to keep everything together in one place.

Pricing

ClickUp has a worthy pricing rate because of the features it offers. Like Monday.com, this workflow management software offers a free plan for basic use. 

The intermediate business plans range from $5 – $19  per user every month. There is the enterprise plan which is the highest-tiered plan, but you have to contact the ClickUp sales team to request a quote.

  • Offers good value for money
  • Software is easy to use
  • Has a host of vital workflow management features
  • Good customer support
  • May be too complex for small teams
  • Support is bad

Why Did We Choose It?

We chose ClickUp because of its features, customizability, and ease of use. The built-in Chat feature that allows users to keep all work-related activities within the platform coupled with the automation features is one that you would find very interesting, useful, and applicable.

Asana logo

Asana – Best for the flexibility and collaboration it offers

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Asana Review

Asana workflow management software helps you to build and track processes. It serves as a homemade for all your workflows and helps you to track your work and that of your team. With Asana, you can customize your workflows and track every step of its management using Gantt-chart-like views – all from planning to execution.

Workflow Management

Using Asana as your workflow management software allows you to customize workflow to fit the needs of your team and company so that everyone can carry out their tasks at the right time. The tasks feature helps you to easily create tasks for yourself and assign one to your teammate while the sections feature lets you customize the software to match your workflows and add structure to any project. 

Asana also has the project view that allows you to view your tasks in board, list, timeline, or calendar view. You can use the start and due dates to assign deadlines and make sure that team members complete every task on time. 

With the messages feature, you can discuss the progress of a project to make sure that everyone is on the same page and keep the momentum going. Utilizing the tasks assignee gives the task a clear owner and every team member can know who is responsible for what.

Automation

With Asana, you don’t need to spend time on manual work. You can streamline processes, ensure that your team members do not miss any practical step, and deliver value with automated processes. Asana has the ‘Rules’ feature that you can use to automate tasks so that you don’t spend energy or time thinking about them. Asana does the repetitive stuff for you while you spend more energy on repetitive stuff. 

You can also convert common projects into custom templates. That way, you won’t have to update deadlines whenever there is a new project and there will be a laid down clear process for your team to follow.

User Interface

Asana has a cool and nice user interface divided into the sidebar, header, top bar, main panel, and tasks details pane. You can easily access the homepage, view projects, see messages, and list of tasks among others. 

Integration

Asana easily integrates with dozens of tools and apps that you are already using to track your work. Using Asana ideally means relying on fewer emails between your teammates because integrating the software with Gmail helps to keep your conversations actionable. 

You can also integrate Asana with other tools keeping all your work connected in one place saving time and context that would have been lost when you switch from one software to another.

Pricing

Asana is one of the most affordable workflow and consulting project management software. Like monday.com and ClickUp, Asana offers a free plan for a small team of up to 15 people. The paid plan ranges from $10.99 to $24.99 when billed annually. The highest-paid plan enterprise is not disclosed and you will need to contact the team for the quote.

  • Asana has expansive integration
  • Improves team accountability
  • Available on mobile which means you can work from anywhere
  • Exporting functionality is limited
  • No time tracking features

Why Did We Choose It?

We chose Asana because it is very flexible software. As a user, you can share context, assign ownership with tasks, share files, combine related work, and get instant updates on simple projects and tasks management . You also may not need the paid version if you have a small team.

Wrike logo

Wrike – Best for automation and incredible user friendliness

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Wrike Review

Wrike workflow management software is suitable for teams with five or more users. This software allows managers to customize dashboards, workflows, reports, and request forms. 

You can include a personalized experience through work intelligence, workload management functionality for users and teams, interactive workflow, and shareable dashboards among others.

Workflow Management

Wrike allows you to fully customize your team’s processes with its workflow software. You can automate and deliver your workspace so that you can deliver your best. 

Wrike lets you visualize your priorities in a way that suits you. You can switch between timeline view, Gantt charts, Kanban boards, and more. This helps you streamline workflow and levels your efficiency.

Automation

Wrike’s automation feature is a very simple way to reduce the level of work and repetitive manual tasks. It helps you to speed up your work process and reduce the rate of error. You don’t have to access all the work yourself, you can employ the automation of tasks and projects. 

Wrike’s automation is simple and easy to use, it does not require any form of coding and there is an automation rule constructor to guide you through the process.

Spend less time on easily automated tasks when you allow Wrike to do the heavy lifting.

User Interface

Wrike has an incredibly helpful and user-friendly interface. The platform is highly intuitive and its features make it easy to manage tasks and collaborate among teams. 

Wrike’s UI is designed for faster performance, productivity, and speed. You can see at once which party is responsible for a task, the status, and the due date for your tasks.

Integration

Wrike has over 400 integrations offered natively for 400+ popular platforms allowing you to connect seamlessly with different tools. These platforms include Salesforce, Google, Dropbox, Microsoft, and Marketo.

Pricing

Wrike’s plans are well-priced to scale your business from the ground level. Unfortunately, Wrike’s free plan does not include time tracking. The paid plans range between $9.8 and $25.8 per month, but you’ll need to contact the software teams for their enterprise pricing which is the highest-paid plan.

  • Easily visualize workflow performance
  • Comprehensive modeling of workflow
  • Highly enhances collaboration
  • Workflow is limited to 10 per space
  • The learning curve for utilization is steep

Why Did We Choose It?

We chose Wrike because it offers a variety of solutions no matter the team and the organization. Workflow managers can assess insightful data and use it to improve their performance and that of their team.

Zoho Projects logo

Zoho Projects – Best for startup and small teams

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When it comes to workflow management, Zoho Projects is effective, especially for very small teams. You can use Zoho Projects to track workflow cycles and achieve effective results. This tool also improves collaboration among teammates while ensuring that you gain deep insights into your work cycles and progress.

Workflow Management

Zoho Projects workflow management software allows you to create and manage your workflows even to the smallest of tasks. You can design low-code workflows and execute them with less effort. Whether it is a procurement request or reimbursement claim, you can reject it or approve it with just a few clicks. With its mobile application, you can also monitor workflows and complete important tasks from anywhere with your iOS or Android devices.

Automation

You can automate your tasks processes and work routines by designing workflows with the blueprint editor that Zoho Projects offers. You can set up task states, add the right team members, and automate email alerts and task field updating. This ensures that the right process is followed and project delay is reduced. 

The workflow rules that Zoho Projects also offer allow you to automate every workflow. You can specify the conditions for triggering a certain rule, auto-assign tasks, auto-update fields, and send alerts and notifications.

User Interface

Zoho Projects’ user interface is fast and appealing and comes with a fullscreen design that makes the best use of your display. The convenience and organization that the Zoho interface also offers make it a lot more user-friendly. 

If you’re working on a lot of projects, the ones accessed most recently are displayed first allowing easy switching before them. Moreover, the customization tab on the right panel provides context to the changes you make.

Integration

Zoho Projects provides several enhanced integration, especially with finance apps. You can connect the software with other tools that you use and avoid switching between essential project management tools without leaving Zoho’s interface. This also means there is less chance of losing information and context.

Pricing

Zoho offers a free plan for up to 3 users. Its paid plans are between $4 and $9 which is a very affordable plan, especially for small and midsize teams.

Why Did We Choose It?

We chose Zoho Projects because it is very useful for organizations and employees to collaborate and get work done. This management software is good for startups and small teams as well. Zoho is also constantly updating and improving its software which means that there are more functions to come. Zoho’s pricing plan also makes it one of the best project management software for nonprofits.

  • Practical and fair pricing
  • Good billing and time-tracking features
  • Efficient task and project tracking
  • Dashboards functionality is poor
  • The learning curve is high

Methodology for Workflow Management Software

We considered vital factors before choosing the top workflow management software in 2023. Here are the major aspects of the software that we examined and the essential management methodologies for workflow software we used:

Workflow Management

We properly evaluated the features of the software and how you can use it to manage workflow. We examined how the platforms let you manage work seamlessly using different methodologies. 

Automation

We looked at how each workflow management software allows you to automate your workflow processes. Plus, we mentioned the automation features each software provides. 

User Interface

We described the intuitiveness and style of the user interface of each software. We also assessed if the platform could easily be navigated or if they were difficult to. 

Integration

We looked at how many third-party apps and software each workflow management software in this roundup can integrate with. We also gave some examples of the apps they can integrate with. 

Pricing

We confirmed the plans and their cost for each workflow management software. In addition, we mentioned if the software company offers a free plan. 

How to Choose the Best Workflow Management Software

Identifying Your Needs

Before you choose a workflow management software, you need to identify your specific needs and that of your organization. This includes knowing and understanding the types of workflows and processes that require management, the size of your team, and other requirements. 

When you have a clear idea of what you need, you will understand how to narrow down your options and choose the software that suits you best.

Assessing Your Budget

Workflow management software comes at different prices, starting with free options and ranging across affordable to more expensive enterprise-level solutions. 

You need to assess your budget and understand how much you can spend on a workflow software solution. Know that the cost of the software may sometimes include maintenance fees, so ensure you factor those in as well.

Researching the Available Options

There are several workflow management software options, so you need to research and compare them. 

Look for case studies, reviews, and demonstrations of the workflow software to better understand its features, benefits, and functionality. Plus, consider the reputation and customer support of the vendor, including user reviews as well.

Evaluating the Software Against Your Needs

After identifying some suitable software options, you should evaluate them against the specific needs of your organization. 

Look for features that are essential to you, for instance, workflow management, automation, and integrations with other software. Consider the UI and the ease of use of the workflow management software.

In addition, not all software is suitable for workflow management, for example, software like Classy and Boomerang, are better as nonprofit project management tools and fit nonprofit program management. 

Testing the Software

Finally, it’s important to test the software. Most workflow management software offers free trials which enables you to see how it works in real time. 

When testing, consider the software’s features, functionality, ease of use, and any potential issues that may occur. This will help you choose what is more suitable and serves your needs best.

Frequently Asked Questions on Best Workflow Management Software in 2023

Bottom Line on the Best Workflow Management Software in 2023

The best workflow management software will boost your productivity by streamlining workflows, tasks, and processes, giving excellent outputs. We recommend all five software that has been reviewed in this roundup. 

However, we’re especially drawn to Monday.com because of the efficiency that it lends to workflow management. It is a very intuitive UI, standard integrations, and 120+ project templates among others give you great value for money. 

We hope that our in-depth review has helped you understand the best workflow management software for you and your team.

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5 Best Construction Project Manager Software in 2023

civil engineer and construction worker manager holding digital tablet and blueprints at a construction site

Construction Project Manager Software enables you to plan projects, keep teams together, allocate tasks, meet deadlines, and achieve goals.

With so many construction project management systems available today, choosing the best option for you may be difficult. To help you, we have compiled this list of construction project management software based on the features a project management software should have, pros, cons, and pricing. 

Find out the best software for you and your construction management team.

Best Construction Project Manager Software 

  • Monday.com – Best overall
  • ClickUp – Best for its versatility
  • Asana – Best for project organization
  • Wrike – Best for documentation and resource tracking
  • Zoho Projects – Best for small and mid-size construction teams

Product

Project Scheduling

Cost Management

Document Management

Collaboration and Communication

Resource Management

Quality Control and Safety Management

BIM and 3D Modeling

Mobile Access

Monday.com

Project timelines + create deadlines + set automated reminders + create deadlines

Budget tracker board + equipment tracking + material tracking + labor costs

File attachment + file storage board + search functionality

Leave comments + tag teams + assign tasks

Very detailed resource management view

Quality Control template for process visualization

Integration with other tools and software for easy and streamlined BIM and 3D modeling.

Mobile app

ClickUp

Workload visual chart (goal breakdown, exploration, and tasks dependencies identification)

Cost management template

Identify users + tag users + see document updates + leave comments

Visual knowledge base for real-time edit

Group tasks by members + group tasks by priorities

Customized quality control checklist

Integrates with BIM and 3D modeling software

Mobile app

Asana

Timeline overview + dependencies + assigned team members

Planning + budgeting + cost tracking

Project documentation template for creating and locating construction project

Board and lists for breaking down construction plans to team members

Resource management template for team resources and activities

Reporting and analytics feature for data analyzation

Integrate with some tools like Autodesk 360

Mobile app

Wrike

Project template + customizable workflows + simple task assignments

Efficient resource planning + resource allocation + timeline delivery.

Document editor + integration with other document applications

Mention + task description + task changes + quoting text + emojis + approvals

Easy work allows allocation + flexibility in time and duration change

Premade quality control templates + create your personal templates

Kanban boards + Gantt charts

Mobile app

Zoho Projects

Break down activities + allocate resources + schedule work items

5 different billing methods

Automates documentation processes

In-built chat room.

Resource utilization chart

Powerful tracking features

Organizes data + integrates with BIM software

Mobile app

Monday.com logo

Monday.com – Best overall Construction Project Manager Software

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Monday.com Review

Monday.com came out overall in our picks of best construction project manager software because of the high level of customization that it offers. You can use a workflow that suits the requirements of your project and team. In addition, this software is an all-in-one project management suite that enables you to completely oversee the business projects of your construction clients.

Project Scheduling

Monday.com provides a visual interface that allows you to plan and schedule your construction projects using a drag-and-drop system. This makes it easy for you to set timelines for your project, assign tasks to your teams, and create deadlines. It is also easy to understand the reports generated on the software’s dashboard. 

Plus, monday.com sends you an automated reminder and notification when tasks are due or deadlines are approaching. This helps you ensure that all your projects are completed on time.

Cost Management

You can create a budget tracker board on monday.com to track the costs of your construction project. This helps you to monitor how much you have spent, the amount you have left, and if you are on track to complete the project within the approved budget. 

In addition to budget tracking, you can track other expenses like equipment, materials, and labor costs. It helps you to ensure accountability and manage costs effectively.  

Document Management

On monday.com, you can attach files to tasks making it easy to store all your relevant documents in one place. These include your construction project plans, proposal contracts, and other vital documents. 

You can also create a file storage board for storing all documents related to the project that you and your team members are working on. Additionally, Monday.com software has search functionality that allows you to quickly find documents by searching for file names or keywords. 

Collaboration and communication

As a construction project manager using monday.com, you can work on documents together with your team members in real-time. You can leave comments on a document, tag your teams for feedback, and assign tasks related to the document. In addition, every member of your team can track changes to a document and see who made those changes. 

This helps to streamline collaboration and communication, ensuring that everyone on your team is on the same page.

Resource Management

Monday.com offers a resource management view that enables all users to see all the resources involved in a project, for instance, equipment and team members. This makes it easy for you to allocate resources effectively as a project manager and avoid overloading your team members with too much work.

Quality control and safety management

Monday.com helps you get all your team members on the same page. As a construction project manager, monday.com provides you with a template that allows every member of your team to visualize processes and progress making the process easier. 

Keeping your team members informed enables planning for quality reviews and scheduling meetings to accomplish tasks. With monday.com, you can also assign roles to specific team members which means proper attention to details that may have been otherwise overlooked.

BIM and 3D modeling

While monday.com does not have inbuilt 3D and BIM modeling features, it offers integrations with other tools and software that you can use to incorporate 3D and BIM into your construction project management. For instance, you can integrate monday.com with tools like Procore and PlanGrid, which offer 3D and BIM modeling capabilities. 

These integrations will help you manage your construction project better on monday.com so that your project can meet its design and safety standards.

Mobile Access

Monday.com offers mobile access through its mobile app which is available for both Android and iOS devices. The mobile app provides access to most of the features that the desktop version of the software has. This allows you to manage your projects, collaborate with your team members, and track projects from anywhere. 

Why did we choose it?

We chose monday.com because it offers something for everyone regardless of your budget. Even if you’re a construction project manager working with a very small team and no budget, monday.com can help you get your project done in no time and with less risk as well. If you own a small two-person team, you can enjoy monday.com for free. If you belong to a large team, monday.com charges for as little as $8 to $16 per team member every month, when you choose the annual billing.

  • The interface is colorful and easy-to-use
  • Simple drag-and-drop charting mechanics
  • Easy automation
  • Free version available
  • Several templates to choose from
  • The steep learning curve with advanced features
  • Frequent glitches with new features

Pricing

  • Free: Free (Maximum of 2 seats)
  • Basic: $8/seat/month
  • Standard: $10/seat/month
  • Pro: $16/seat/month
  • Enterprise: Contact monday.com for pricing
Clickup logo

ClickUp – Best for Its Versatility

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ClickUp Review

ClickUp has an edge over other construction project manager software in this list because it provides a combination of several integrations, minimalist UI, and affordability. This construction project manager software equips project managers to oversee the construction projects of their clients seamlessly and without any hassle.

Project Scheduling

ClickUp is a project management tool that serves as an all-in-one solution for your projects from scheduling to following through timelines. It is software with a workload visual chart that helps you to break down construction project milestones into goals, explore those goals as tasks, identify task dependencies, and define appropriate time estimates for each task. ClickUp is a complete package for your construction projects. 

Cost Management

ClickUp helps you to track all kinds of budgets in your construction project with the project cost management template that it provides. You have everything that you need to track financial goals, calculate your profits, and manage your accounts. The custom dashboards that ClickUp offers also allow you to create high-level reports about how your money is being spent. See your construction project budget allocations, track your actual spending, and see how much profit you make!

Document Management

One amazing feature of ClickUp is that you can identify users by assigned colors. This means that you can tell who a user is and the edits they made to a document. You can edit your work, tag users, see updates, and leave real-time comments on documents for your team members to take action.

Collaboration and Communication

ClickUp makes teamwork more collaborative. You can streamline teamwork with powerful collaboration features that make working together on any type of project easy. You can also edit in real-time with others and keep everyone up-to-date with a visual knowledge base.

Resource Management

ClickUp box view has a completely unique approach to resource management. You can group tasks by assignee to see which of your team members are booked or by priorities to see if any task is overlapping the other. This means that you can monitor whichever of your team members has a full workload and immediately reassign to those who don’t have any. 

Quality Control and Safety Management

With ClickUp, you can ensure that all construction items are completed at the highest quality by using a quality control checklist on the software. You can customize this checklist specifically for your construction project management needs. You will be able to survey the materials inspected, the accuracy of blueprints, and even documentation.

BIM and 3D Modeling

ClickUp’s board view allows you to create custom workflows for BIM and 3D modeling tasks. It also offers integrations with other modeling software like SketchUp and Autodesk. This integration allows you to access and manage BIM and  3D models directly within ClickUp, streamlining and making the workflow easier.

Mobile Access

ClickUp has a mobile app supported on IOS and Android devices.  You’ll find the mobile app useful if you want to use ClickUp faster or have a good offline mode from your mobile device.

Why did we choose it?

We chose ClickUp because it is versatile to fit every kind of project due to its extensive list of features and constant development of new features. ClickUp also offers a free plan with all the functionalities you need to manage a construction project.

  • Over 1,000 integrations to connect with your construction project management tools
  • Over 10 construction management templates to quickly build workflows, schedules, and project dashboards
  • Connect workspaces, dashboards, and workflows with links and dependency relationships
  • Time tracking is sometimes glitchy
  • The mobile app is not very intuitive

Pricing

  • Free Plan
  • Unlimited Plan: $5 per month
  • Business Plan: $12 per month
  • Business Plus Plan: $19 per month
  • Enterprise Plan: Contact Sales
Asana logo

Asana – Best for Its Project Organization

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Asana Review

Asana is a project management tool that helps construction project managers and their teams to see the big picture and approach their individual tasks with ease. As a construction project manager, you may tend to juggle completing projects and deadlines. Asana helps you keep everything together so that you can tackle tasks one at a time. This helps your workflow especially if you are using the software for very basic projects.

Project Scheduling

Asana helps to provide a general overview of your project including the project tasks, timeline, dependencies, and assigned team members. With Asana, you can tell the majority of what you need to know at first glance. This is because Asana outlines all the detailed components of your construction project so that you can track your progress in real-time and ensure that you’re on the right path. 

Cost Management

With Asana, you can plan, budget, and track your construction project spending so that all teams can stay on budget and the overall cost is not overboard. From project coating to kickoff and post-analysis, Asana helps you stay in sync with your team and other stakeholders during the whole process of the construction project completion.

Document Management

Asana has a project documentation template for your construction project documentation process. You can customize this template so that it lists all the documents that you need to create and locate before any new construction project. This means you can keep all your information organized in one, central location, for easy access. The only major issue here is that using Asana for multiple document management may be unsuitable.

Collaboration and Communication

Asana has a board and lists feature that allows you to break down construction project plans into steps so that the people on your project management team can see how their daily tasks level up to meet the main goal. The team communication tool also helps you to manage your team’s work to communicate the right information at the right time. 

Resource Management

Asana has resource management templates that you can use to plan and schedule your construction project team’s resources and activities. This gives you insight and visibility into the total and individual workload of your construction team and helps you improve their performance. 

Quality Control and Safety Management

Asana provides reporting and analytics features that you can use to analyze data related to quality control and safety management. This can include tracking incidents, accidents, and other safety-related data. By analyzing this data, you can identify areas for improvement and make changes to your processes as needed.

BIM and 3D Modeling

You can integrate Asana software with other tools such as Autodesk BIM 360 for incorporating BIM and 3D modeling for your construction projects. This would help you manage your modeling tasks while visualizing the project and ensuring that it meets design standards. 

However, Asana does not integrate with every modeling tool and finding one that integrates well with and suits you may be difficult. 

Mobile Access

Asana has a mobile app that helps you to capture ideas quickly and access information you need to reference again from anywhere both online and offline. Mobile browser access to Asana is not supported so you would need to use the mobile app to access Asana on the go. 

Why did we choose it?

We chose Asana because it helps construction project managers organize their work seamlessly and easily. The calendar view feature that Asana also offers for deadline management makes the software worth it.

  • Digital whiteboard for easy project planning
  • Easy access to resources for teams
  • Lacks a native time-tracking feature
  • Incapable of collaborative document editing 

Pricing

  • Free basic plan
  • Premium plan: $13.49/month
  • Business plan:$30.49/month
  • Enterprise plan: contact Asana sales
Wrike logo

Wrike – Best for documentation and resource tracking

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Wrike Review

Wrike is a construction project manager software that helps you to identify risks in your construction projects with a feature called work intelligence. What makes Wrike unique is that it is not just a construction project management tool, it doubles as a work management tool, which is a little bit different from its counterparts. 

Project Scheduling

Wrike helps you to streamline your project schedules. With the project template that Wrike offers, you can break down your project into parts, develop a checklist for work assignments, and track the work to monitor progress. You can also personalize your dashboard to monitor tasks and all your project schedules.

Cost Management

Wrike helps you map and control your budget. You can enjoy collaboration and streamlined proofing in one place. While Wrike does not offer much when it comes to coat management, it helps you to efficiently plan and allocate resources for timely delivery.

Document Management

All users, including collaborators can use the Wrike document editor. In addition to document management and sharing, Wrike software integrates with other applications that you need to detail your construction process, like Google Sheets. This makes it easy to automate new processes that will speed up the workflow of your business and help you get rid of low-value tasks.

Wrike provides you and your construction project management team with a shared workspace where you can discuss issues, share progress, and see the final version of files. 

The mention feature allows you to mention tasks to be assigned, the task description feature saves any description changes automatically and instantly, and the task change link allows you to see all the changes that were made. There is also the quoting text that enables you to quote and highlight text, the emoji enables you to assign emojis to comments and tasks, and you can use the approvals to set deadlines.

Resource Management

Wrike has an “effort-centric” allocation for resources that enables you to indicate and share task minutes or hours independently from duration. This means that the members of your team can know exactly what to work on and when they should work on it. You can easily visualize work that you assign on an individual level without affecting others. The workload view also allows for flexibility in task adjustment.

Quality Control and Safety Management

Wrike gives you access to pre-made templates designed for expert construction project managers so that it is easy to capture all the essential steps in every project. This means that you can lay a strong foundation for consistent and high-quality output. You can also create your personal project templates with Wrike.

Wrike is not a design or modeling tool itself, but you can use it for streamlining your BIM and 3D projects. For example, you can create and assign tasks for specific design elements at every stage of your construction project. You can track design progress and visualize the project with Kanban boards or Gantt charts. Team members can also collaborate on design files like 3D models and CAD drawings and share them within the platform.

Mobile Access

Wrike is at your fingertips whether you use iOS or Android. With this software, you can be productive from anywhere both at work and on the go.

Why did we choose it?

We chose Wrike because of its customizable dashboard, excellent documentation, and resource tracking to help you locate what you need as a construction project manager.

  • Wrike has an intuitive interface
  • It has a free plan that includes up to 5 users and 2GB of storage
  • Integrates well with cloud storage apps
  • Has limited features for project tracking
  • Does not feature a tool for note-taking.

Pricing

  • Free plan
  • Professional plan: $9.80/month
  • Business plan: $24.80/month
  • Enterprise plan:contact Wrike for a custom quote
Zoho Projects logo

Zoho Projects – Best for small and mid-size construction teams

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Zoho Projects is a construction project management software that is designed to help construction project managers oversee small and mid-size construction projects and companies. Zoho Projects has several integrations that you’ll enjoy. One of them is the ability of the software to help you with project time management and invoicing. The software is also available on mobile for iOS and Android users which means you can access Zoho Projects from anywhere. 

Project Scheduling

Zoho Projects allows you to break down your project activities into smaller approachable chunks. You can also use the software for resource allocation and work schedules. With Zoho Projects, you can view your schedule and timesheet with the software’s time-tracking features. You can use the time sheets to track the planned and actual number of hours.

Cost Management

Zoho Projects allows you to bill based on project hours, issue hours, task hours, or staff hours. You can also bill clients based on fixed costs. This means that you’re not restricted to one form of billing and can manage costs in different ways. You can also select an extra budget tracking method while setting up to track actual costs.

Document Management

Zoho Projects allows you to automate important document processes. For example, access control, revision tracking, search, and retrieval. All the changes that you make will be displayed with dates, notes, and author information. This means that every member of your construction project team can work on the latest and most accurate version of a task.

Collaboration and Communication

Zoho Projects gives you access to real-time collaboration and communication through built-in chat rooms. This allows every member of the construction project team to come together, discuss vital topics and make faster decisions. With Zoho Projects, you can invite participants, create chat topics, and discuss. Your transcripts also stay in the chat room.

Resource Management

Zoho Projects offers users the resource utilization chart. This chart displays only the weekly or monthly allocation schedule for each team member. You can edit tasks from the chart, compare resources to workload, and identify all the resources with the time available.

Quality Control and Safety Management

Zoho Project has powerful tracking features that help you analyze your construction projects and achieve flawless completions. With Zoho, you can stay within the planned constraints of time and objectives while ensuring that the process of construction is safe and that you deliver only quality outcomes.

BIM and 3D Modeling

Zoho is a simple project management software that does not solve BIM and 3D modeling issues. It however offers integration with other BIM and 3D modeling software. It is also helpful for organizing data related to BIM and 3D modeling projects making your construction work easy and seamless.

Mobile Access

Zoho Projects is available and compatible with Android, native iOS, and iPad. Anyplace, anywhere and anytime, can become your desk with Zoho.

Why did we choose it?

We chose Zoho Projects because of the time tracking solutions that it offers. If you are overseeing a small or mid-size construction project management, this software is definitely one you would find useful. Zoho’s pricing plan is also a good non profit project management software.  

  • Paid plans offer great value
  • Very easy to use
  • Capable of project time tracking
  • The resources management view is complicated
  • The free plan does not include templates which means that you cannot know exactly what to expect

Pricing

  • Free plan
  • Basic plan: $5/month
  • Enterprise plan: $10/month

Benefits of Using Construction Project Manager Software

Construction project manager software offers several benefits to construction 

project managers and their teams. These benefits include:

Improved Project Efficiency

As a construction project manager, using project management software will improve the efficiency of your projects. This is because of the tools provided by this software to schedule your tasks, track progress, and manage resources. They will also help ensure that you complete your projects on time and within budget. 

Better Collaboration and Communication

Good collaboration and effective communication are two vital components of every successful construction project. Using construction project management software provides a platform for managers to communicate with their team members in real-time proving the flow of information and reducing errors.

Improved Resource Allocation

Using software like Monday.com or ClickUp provides project managers with a centralized platform to effectively manage project resources like equipment, labor, and materials. This allows better allocation of resources and reduction of waste. 

Real-time Project Visibility

Project management software provides managers and their teams with real-time visibility into the progress of ongoing projects, enabling them to quickly identify and address issues before they become bigger problems. 

Better Quality Control and Safety Management

Using good project management software allows project teams to manage quality control and safety processes more effectively. This helps to reduce the occurrence of accidents and errors on construction sites, leading to safer and higher-quality projects. 

Improved Decision Making

Software like this provides you and your project management team with data-driven insights into project progress, enabling you to make informed decisions about resource allocation and project management. 

Reduced Risk

Using construction project management software will help to mitigate project risks by providing project teams with the tools needed to identify and manage risks effectively. 

Cost Savings

When you use project management software for construction, you will be able to project construction efficiency, reduce waste, and improve the allocation of tasks and resources. This will help to reduce cost Savings on your construction project. 

How to Choose the Best Construction Project Manager Software

A construction project manager software can help you to streamline processes, enhance project management, and improve collaboration among teams. However, with so many available software options, choosing the best one can be challenging. Here are 5 key steps to help you choose the best software for your construction project management needs. 

Identifying Your Needs

Before you choose management software for your construction project, it is important to identify your needs. Different software options offer varying levels of functionality and features so you need to determine what you hope to achieve from using the software. For instance, if you want to manage complex project schedules, you should look for software that has robust scheduling capabilities. If you need to manage budgets, look for software that has budgeting and financial tracking features. 

In addition, not all software is suitable for construction projects, software like Bloomerang and Classy, for instance, are more suitable as nonprofit project management software for nonprofit program management. 

Assessing Your Budget

Construction project manager software ranges in price from free plans to customized pricing options. So it is important to assess your budget before choosing any software. Consider the realistic amount that you are willing to spend and be sure to factor in ongoing costs such as support and subscription fees. 

Know that some software options may offer advanced features at higher prices while other software may offer basic functionality at a lower cost. You should balance your budget with your software needs so that you can know the best fit for your construction project needs. 

Researching the Available Options

Immediately after you have identified your needs and budget, you should research the available construction project manager software options. Look out for comparisons and reviews of different software options and evaluate the ones that fit your specific needs. Consider the features, user interface, integrations, support, and reputation of the software in the construction industry.

Evaluating the Software Against Your Needs

You need to evaluate the software options that you have against your needs. Consider the features that software offers and how they fit into your budget using different methodologies. Is it good enough for your construction team? Does it integrate with the other tools you’re currently using? Does the software offer adequate training resources? By answering these questions, you can evaluate each software option against your specific needs and determine the best option for your team. 

Testing the Software

Before you finally choose a software option, you should test it with your project team. Many software options offer a free demo or trial version that allows you to test its features and functionality. During this phase, ensure that you test its ease of use and performance. 

In addition, ensure to involve key stakeholders in the testing phase, such as project consultants, team members, and other relevant parties.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Best Construction Project Management Software 

Bottom Line on the Best Construction Project Management Software in 2023

The best construction project management software for managers can make you more efficient and help you deliver excellent finished construction projects. We recommend all five platforms that have been reviewed in this list. 

However, monday.com is our best choice because you’ll enjoy using the software regardless of your budget or team size. It also has effective project management features, “essential project management methodologies,” a simple interface, automation, and a free version. We hope our in-depth review will help you choose the ideal construction project management software for you and your team.

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6 Project Management Software for Small Businesses in 2023

A project management software for small businesses on display on a computer screen

Project management software contains a unique combination of tools to help teams stay organized and on top of deliverables. Finding the ideal platform, however, is no easy task. In this article, we researched the best project management software for small businesses to help facilitate your decision.

Benefits of Using Project Management Software for Small Businesses

It shouldn’t take too much convincing to see the benefits project management software can have on your small business. We’ve captured a few of the top reasons below.

Improved Project Performance and Efficiency

Having a pulse on each of your employee’s workloads allows you to see how each member handles certain tasks and where they perform the best. It will also become apparent when someone is overburdened or simply in over their head. Through careful consideration, you can shift people into more appropriate roles and boost a project’s overall efficiency.

Better Collaboration and Communication

Keeping all your information in one place facilitates teamwork and communication among peers. Instead of random emails floating endlessly through cyberspace, your team can view changes as they happen and reference dialogue down the road. If a user has a question along the way, dropping a note in a chat allows others to offer clarity immediately.

Most project management software allows task and subtask creation, so each member can see precisely what they need to work on and when. When documents are involved, most platforms offer digital storage to attach files directly to open projects.

Real-Time Project Visibility

Project management software allows you to lay out every aspect of your project from start to finish. Subtasks feed into tasks that must be completed for the overall project to wrap up on time. With this approach, it becomes quickly apparent when someone drops the ball or a task falls behind.

Issues will always inadvertently appear, and viewing projects in real time also lets you make modifications when necessary. When labor shortages delay a delivery by a few weeks, you can slide tasks down to compensate.

Better Budget Management

Since project management software allows you to see the whole picture, you also get a bird’s eye view of finances. Most platforms feature custom templates and fields for your tasks, enabling you to add budgetary estimates for tasks right into the app.

As timelines stretch or costs shift, you can manage your budget to make sure you’re still within a safe threshold. With your entire team’s project load at your fingertips, you can also track how much each user is costing you based on workload and how quickly they’re finishing tasks.

Improved Decision Making

Up-to-the-minute reporting tools spit out how your team utilizes resources, ways your scope is shifting, and how close you are to your original project plan. You can run detailed reports with just a few clicks to keep you in the loop without taking up all your time.

Through these reports, you can strategically decide to cut a feature or shift a deadline as projects stall or budgets soar. With collaborative tools, you can bring in your top advisors to share in the decision-making process without having to jump through hoops.

Reduced Costs and Delays

Painting a clear picture of open tasks and project status helps eliminate redundant work and streamline deliverables. Sticking to the script can keep costs down and increase the likelihood of completing objectives correctly the first time.

Maintaining a clear schedule puts everyone on the same page when it comes to deadlines and milestones. Assigning due dates for each task and subtask can keep projects on track and keep delays from creeping in.

Scalability

Project management platforms are designed to grow with your business as you need to introduce more features. Small businesses can start with free versions most companies provide and dive into paid plans offering automation, more views, or integrations when the time is right. Higher-tier options may require a certain number of members before you can move up.

Best Project Management Software for Small Businesses

Our Methodology

As we put together our list of the best project management software for small businesses, we look foremost to pricing and the availability of a free version to get started. We also studied available collaborative tools and customization options your team can use to make the software your own. Finally, we assessed integrations with other popular apps to help save time and money.

Click here for a more detailed description of our methodology.

Software

Pricing

Free Version

Collaboration

Customization

Integrations

Monday.com logo

Monday.com

$8 to $16/month per user

Yes, up to two seats

Assign tasks to individuals, track progress, centralized communication

200+ templates, multiple views, dashboards, over 20 column types

Outlook, Slack, Google, Dropbodecisionsand more

Clickup logo

ClickUp

$5 to $19/month per user

Yes, up to five spaces

Collaborative docs, whiteboards, real-time chat

11 ways to view tasks, dashboard design, widgets

GitHub, Slack, Google Drive, Discord, YouTube, and more

Asana logo

Asana

$10.99 to $24.99/month per user

Yes, up to 15 teammates

In-project chats, team tracking, share files

Unlimited dashboards, custom fields, task templates

Slack, Salesforce, Microsoft Teams, Vimeo, and more

Wrike logo

Wrike

$9.80 to $24.80/month per user

Yes, unlimited members

Centralized conversations, shared workspaces, in-project chat

Organize requests, configurable views, templates, API 

Google suite, Salesforce, OneDrive, Zoom, and more

Zoho Projects logo

Zoho Projects

$5 to $10/month per user

Yes, up to 3 users

Chat boxes, feeds, user forum, share documents

Custom project status, layouts, functions, views

Other Zoho tools, Google, Microsoft, Zendesk, and more

Trello logo

Trello

$5 to $17.50/month per user

Yes, unlimited members

Kanban boards, file storage, activity logs

Plugins for personalization, workspace automations, customizable boards and backgrounds

Slack, Jira, Dropbox, Google Drive, Miro, and more

Monday.com logo

Monday.com: Best Overall Project Management Software for Small Businesses

$8 to $16/month per user

★★★★★

4.8

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Monday.com Review

As you work with your team, Monday.com lets you assign tasks with ease and create a customized layout from over 200 templates where you can track project progress. A free plan for up to two people makes it a great option for startups until you’ve generated some income of your own. As your business grows, it’s possible to test new features for free before paying the modest price increases to unlock them.

Why we chose it: Monday.com’s flexible interface, customizable setup, and long list of integrations make it the best overall project management software for small businesses.

  • Long list of integrations
  • Several customizable options
  • Free plan available
  • Free plan lacks features
  • Lacks some reporting tools
  • No phone support

Pricing

You’ll have three paid price tiers to choose from when signing up for Monday.com, from $8 a head up to $16. Accessing a paid plan requires at least three seats and adds more features the higher you go.

Free Version

Monday.com’s free version is a great tool for getting your business feet yet. Up to two team members have access to all the platform’s interface options and 500 MB of storage. There are some limitations on views and the number of items you can create.

Collaboration

Your team can embed documents in projects for shared viewing or use Monday.com’s whiteboard to plan out your next business move. In the river’s seat, it’s possible to track individual progress and see which projects are falling behind. The Standard plan adds Zoom integration to keep conversations all in one place.

Customization

Over 200 unique layouts put you in complete control of your setup. You can also make use of more than 20 column types to build boards your way. The platform starts you off with multiple views, letting you add more as you move up the pricing ladder. Other customizable options include automations and unlimited seats past the free trial.

Integrations

Monday.com is likely friends with the other business management tools you already use. You can sync your Google Calendar, import and export Excel files, and attach files from your Dropbox account. These apps just scrape the surface of what Monday.com can assimilate with.

Clickup logo

ClickUp: Best Project Management Software for Small Businesses With Flexible Views

$5 to $19/month per user

★★★★★

4.7

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ClickUp Review

ClickUp is all about project management views, even giving free users a shot at Gantts and Timelines that other platforms charge for. You can bring up to five team members into the free version, and each has full access to chat features and file sharing. Customization tools run deep, but making the most of ClickUp’s complicated interface and advanced features will take some work.

Why we chose it: ClickUp’s many views and all-encompassing platform put it near the top of our favorite project management tools.

  • Several available views
  • Several integrations available
  • Deep customization tools
  • Complicated interface
  • Mobile app lacks functionality
  • Learning curve for advanced features

Pricing

Pricing tiers start at $5 monthly per user and climb as high as $19 for the highest assortment of features. Plans differ the most around available views and collaboration tools.  An enterprise plan for large teams is the only spot to access everything ClickUp has to offer. 

Free Version

The free forever version hands your business up to five seats to use as you see fit. It throws a handful of unlimited views your way while giving you a taste of Gantt, Workload, and Timeline options for a limited time. Many collaborative tools and integrations are not available.

Collaboration

Depending on your price tier, ClickUp may limit how much you can share in a collaborative setting. You’ll have to reach the Business level before building custom teams or publicly sharing all your files. At any point, your team can take advantage of chats, in-app video recording, and whiteboards for brainstorming.

Customization

No matter the project management view you fancy the most, ClickUp probably has it. The platform also lets you build in custom statuses, a limited number of automations, and widgets to arrange your dashboard. The moment you start paying for ClickUp, time-tracking widgets and billable reports become available.

Integrations

More than 50 native integrations await you when you join ClickUp as a free member. Some of the most popular apps you can connect with are GitHub, Slack, Zapier, and Google Drive for creating a seamless workspace. In all, ClickUp integrates with more than 1000 apps for your business needs. Unfortunately, most of them remain behind paid tiers.

Asana logo

Asana: Best Free Project Management Software for Small Businesses

$10.99 to $24.99/month per user

★★★★★

4.6

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Asana Review

Asana offers an excellent free version with unlimited access to tasks and projects. The software doesn’t have storage limits at any tier, enabling you to keep all documents of your choosing in one strategic location. There’s plenty of wiggle room to customize the sleek interface to your liking. Features grow significantly when you start paying for the service, but Asana’s price points are a bit high. 

Why we chose it: Unlimited tasks, projects, and activities for up to 15 users make Asana the best free project management software option out there.

  • Excellent free version
  • Crisp, clear user interface
  • Unlimited storage
  • Pricey at higher tiers
  • Limited assignments
  • Clunky mobile app

Pricing

Be prepared to pay $10.99 per user each month the moment you delve into Asana’s paid service tiers. While the number of features increases significantly, it can be hard for smaller businesses to make the jump. Adding more complex tools, such as advanced reporting and time tracking, push that price point to $24.99.

Free Version

Small businesses will likely join Asana for its free version and stay there indefinitely. As long as your team doesn’t grow beyond 15 users, you’ll have free rein on creating tasks and projects while perusing them using a handful of available views. Rudimentary assignments and unlimited storage only sweeten the pot further.

Collaboration

Alongside unlimited storage for documents and ideas, teams can leave unlimited messages in projects and share feedback with one another. As project lead, you’ll be able to assign tasks to different users within a single project. This complete view of work helps your crew tackle the right tasks at the correct time.

Customization

Asana comes pre-loaded with a range of complex and simple project management software tools to customize your layout. Adjustable fields with priorities help the team keep track of what’s most important at any given time. Users can use automation to create custom rules and eliminate repetitive, mundane tasks.

Integrations

Over 200 apps marry with Asana, sharing information back and forth between them. Slack, Salesforce, and Microsoft Teams are among the most used for communication and building a positive customer experience. It’s also possible to link up Microsoft Office files and tools like Adobe Creative Cloud to create fabulous designs.

Wrike logo

Wrike: Best Project Management Software for Small Businesses With Remote Teams

$9.80 to $24.80/month per user

★★★★★

4.5

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Wrike Review

Stellar team collaborative tools put Wrike firmly in the spotlight. Unlimited members, even in the free plan, make the software a suitable choice for consultants who bring on new clients all the time. The user-friendly dashboard may come across as a bit drab, but it gets the job done with easy navigation and scheduling. Paid tiers provide access to Wrike’s comprehensive workflow automation and resource management tools that are second to none.

Why we chose it: Wrike’s work schedule management and email integration help remote teams stay connected and on task.

  • Excellent team collaboration tools
  • User-friendly dashboard
  • Automated workflows
  • Limited views in free version
  • Expensive advanced plans
  • Not beginner-friendly

Pricing

Expect to shell out a pretty penny when moving to Wrike’s paid plans. The Team tier for $9.80 per user monthly is suitable for up to 25 users and eliminates limits on projects and tasks. A considerable price jump to Business at $24.80 per user adds in automations, unlimited dashboards, and reporting. If you need more storage or security, Enterprise and Pinnacle plans may be what you’re after. You’ll have to call Wrike to get quotes.

Free Version

Wrike takes an exotic approach to project management software by offering a free version where you can add as many users as you want. You can build basic tasks and subtasks, but the free plan also incorporates email integration for communicating with remote teams.

Collaboration

Email integration is just the tip of the iceberg for collaborating with fellow members. Users also have the option to centralize conversations with in-project chat. Other perks include shared workspaces for brainstorming and seeing tasks through from start to finish.

Customization

Through Wrike, it’s possible to make use of customized request forms to organize requests by due date, priority, or other metrics that make sense for your team. Customizable libraries and configurable views help track what team members are working on and let you hide irrelevant data to reduce clutter.

Integrations

You can select from 400+ integrations to connect Wrike with other apps you use on a daily basis. Syncing data between software goes one or both ways, so you don’t have to enter information multiple times. Wrike works with sales software like Salesforce and Google’s suite to view documents without having to move from place to place.

Zoho Projects logo

Zoho Projects: Best Project Management Software for Small Businesses for Collaboration

$5 to $10/month per user

★★★★★

4.3

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Team dashboards, thorough communication tools, and file sharing capabilities all keep teams focused and aligned on project goals. Anyone using Zoho’s other apps will be happy to see how well they all communicate with each other across an intuitive user interface. Pricing is geared toward budget-conscious small businesses, but Zoho does lack some depth in its features that apps like Monday.com have.

Why we chose it: Zoho Projects brings about the best collaborative features as part of a well-rounded app.

  • Multiple ways to collaborate
  • Budget-friendly price points
  • Clean and intuitive user interface
  • Lacks depth of features
  • Weak free plan
  • Unreliable search function

Pricing

The max you’ll ever pay for Zoho Projects is $10 per head/month with its Enterprise plan. Here you’ll get to play with unlimited projects, 30 templates, and 120 GB of storage space for pertinent documents. The premium plan at $5 per person cuts back on some of these features while mixing in some customization.

Free Version

Zoho’s free plan is for up to three users but is somewhat lacking in functionality. Two projects and limited storage space are enough to get started, but will soon leave you wanting for more. It does include basic Gantt charting and a calendar for tracking deliverables. Luckily, upgrading to one of the paid options doesn’t come with sticker shock.

Collaboration

Every project has a feed where your team can see the latest chatter in real-time at any time. Zoho Projects also doubles as a communication center, allowing users to create personal or group chat rooms. The forum makes it easy to locate old conversations quickly, and you can convert collaborative efforts into pages to keep static information on specifications, new ideas, and more.

Customization

Zoho Projects gives you the power to customize projects as you see fit with the help of templates and tags. This also includes custom fields and views to capture important data no matter what the task may be. It’s up to you to assign statuses for tasks that clarify who’s on time and who needs to play catch up.

Integrations

It should come as no surprise that Zoho Projects works well with other Zoho apps for CRM, invoicing, and more. With over a dozen in total, it makes sense for anyone already using Zoho to keep things in the family. That said, Zoho also links up to Microsoft, Google, file-sharing software, calendars, and more.

Trello logo

Trello: Best Project Management Software for Small Businesses for Kanban Boards

$5 to $17.50/month per user

★★★★★

4.2

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If Kanban boards are your bread and butter, look no further than Trello. The platform’s simple and intuitive approach allows team members to move from place to place with ease, and anyone can put drag-and-drop automations to use. Trello may be missing some Google and Microsoft integrations but makes up for it with a top-notch free plan.

Why we chose it: Trello is the king of Kanban boards, allowing your small business to go from idea to action in moments.

  • Excellent Kanban board
  • Simple, intuitive to use
  • Solid free plan
  • Missing some Google and Microsoft integrations
  • Doesn’t scale well
  • Limited views

Pricing

For $5 per user/month, Trello gives unlimited boards, custom task fields, and up to 1,000 workspace command runs. Moving to the Premium plan at $10 per user unlocks additional views for your team to play with. The Enterprise level starts at $17.50, giving the full gamut of what Trello brings.

Free Version

Trello’s free plan lets you create an unlimited number of cards with unlimited storage and as many users as you need. You can also tap into no-code automations and a number of templates to personalize your view. Assigning tasks is simple, and you can set up two-factor authentication to keep your information safe.

Collaboration

Your team can use Kanban boards to their hearts’ content for collaborating on projects. The software also lets you store a limitless number of documents, increasing the maximum file size as you move to higher tiers. Teams can check activity logs to capture project changes or revisit old ideas.

Customization

All of Trello’s boards are customizable to meet your company’s demands with a large number of templates. Custom fields become available as you start to pay for the service to log specific business needs. You can also set rules to trigger actions so you don’t have to do it yourself.

Integrations

Trello links and syncs with Slack, Jira, GitHub, and more to save time and effort. It’s unfortunately missing connections with Google and Microsoft that many other project management software options have.

Methodology for the Best Project Management Software for Small Businesses

We considered a number of factors when building a list of the best project management software for small businesses. These methodologies took the top spots. Read on to find out why.

  • Pricing: Product pricing speaks for itself, especially for small businesses without a lot of income. Project management software is an essential tool for any venture, but it does little good if it breaks the bank in the process.
  • Free Version: Because pricing can be an issue, it was important to locate project management software with free versions companies can use to get started. Free versions may lack features or comprehensive tools but are a great way to get your feet wet before spending any money.
  • Collaboration: Even if you have just a few employees, they need to be able to communicate ideas and work together to complete tasks. Collaborative tools allow your team to keep communications and documents in one location and everyone on the same page.
  • Customization: No two businesses are alike, and project management software companies understand this. Customization options let you build the platform of your dreams, down to the ideal layout and the exact information you want to see. It’s also possible to create automations to perform mundane tasks for you, allowing you to focus on more important matters.
  • Integrations: Your project management software is probably one of many tools you use to get the job done every day. When these programs integrate with each other, they can share information so you don’t have to populate the same information in multiple locations. Teams can also sync calendars and keep communications under one umbrella.

How to Choose the Best Project Management Software for Small Businesses

Ready to pick out the best project management software for your small business? These tips will help you make a decision.

Identify Your Needs

Before you do anything else, lay out exactly what your small business needs from project management software. Are there certain views, charts, or reports you can’t do without? What collaboration tools does your team like to use, and how are they most efficient at their tasks?

Also, make a list of the users who will access the platform every day. Some platforms cap the number of seats you can acquire per tier, and prices can skyrocket if you’re not careful.

Consider how tech-savvy your team is as well. Some apps may go over the heads of less technical teams, while others take a drag-and-drop approach anyone can use.

Take note of the other apps your company uses so you know what your project management software needs to integrate with. These integrations could be anything from email and calendars to document sharing or invoicing software.

Assess Your Budget

With a list of what you’re looking for in hand, come up with an educated guess of how much you can budget each month for software. Project management tools should help your bottom line, not send you so deep into the red that you can’t climb back out.

Many platforms start small businesses off with a free version of their software with limited features and functionality. You may not get everything you’re looking for, but it won’t cost you anything, either.

Research the Available Options

Once you know what your budget can handle, it’s time to research available software options. There are a seemingly endless number of options out there, so we recommend starting with our list above.

Evaluate the Software Against Your Needs

As you create a short list of software options that align with your budget, start evaluating each one against your company’s needs. You may have to make some compromises on a certain feature or integration as you settle in on your top picks. Don’t hesitate to throw options out that simply can’t provide what you’re looking for in the budget you have to work with.

Test the Software

After whittling your list down to a handful of choices, see if you can test the software before making a commitment. Most platforms have a free version, but it’s common to find options with free trials giving you a chance to see everything it has to offer.

Best Project Management Software for Small Businesses Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Want to learn more about the best project management software for small businesses? This FAQ may have the answers you’re looking for.

Bottom Line

The best project management software for small businesses fuses project tracking, collaboration, and other features to boost your team’s productivity and performance. Keeping everyone on the same page can save your company time and money and help you make important decisions as challenges arise. We found Monday.com to be the best, thanks to a generous free version, customization tools, and a flexible interface. Any one of the project management software options to make our list could be just what your company needs.

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ClickUp vs Monday: Features, Pricing & Support

Person at work using a laptop on a desk

Managing projects isn’t getting any easier. Thanks to a global pandemic, many businesses now allow workers to work from home full-time. The right project management software may be the only way to keep everything organized and moving in the same direction while having a grasp on how far along your team is on each project. To make that decision easier, we’ve gone through and compared two of the industry-leading apps, ClickUp vs monday.com, so you can see how they stack up against each other.

Quick Comparison: ClickUp vs monday.com

Key Features

Clickup logo

ClickUp

Monday logo

monday.com

File Sharing

5/5

3/5

Time Tracking and Time Management

4/5

3/5

Customization

4.5/5

4/5

Gantt Chart

5/5

4/5

Task Management

4/5

4/5

Collaboration

3.5/5

3/5

Customer Support

3/5

2.5/5

Pricing

3/5

3/5

Overall Rating

3.5/5

★★★★★

3/5

★★★★★

ClickUp vs monday.com: In-depth Analysis

These days, project management software will have all the tools you need to keep things running smoothly. When putting monday.com vs ClickUp, there are some project management tools both offer as core features. However, there are a few distinct features that separate them, as well as having different ways of making themselves user-friendly.

Project management (PM) is a complex topic and the associated tools tend to reflect that complexity. As a result, comparing monday.com and ClickUp feature-by-feature might be a bit overwhelming. 

To keep it simple, we’ve boiled things down to a few key points of comparison. Each point touches on key aspects of project management, so you can get a clear idea of how each option operates.

File Sharing

File storage and sharing in the cloud is a standard part of business, so any good PM software has to offer options along those lines. Both options allow integrations with Google Sheets, Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, and other common cloud storage options. As a result, there are some basic file-sharing functions that both can fulfill equally well.

Additionally, both offer document editors within their apps. Monday describes their work docs as “virtual whiteboards,” which is fairly accurate. It’s possible to bring most project information into a workdoc and even create a Powerpoint-like sort of presentation. Workdocs also allow real-time editing with multiple team members. ClickUp offers a similar notepad, though much simpler and with fewer functions. 

There is one aspect that does set ClickUp apart, which is that every pay tier offers unlimited storage for files. monday.com scales storage with cost and it might be surprised how quickly 5, 20, or even 100 GB are used up. 

Time Tracking and Time Management

Managing time is a critical aspect of project management. Due dates determine schedules while being able to track time goes a long way toward making budget management easier. Both options allow you to track work time. However, that function is reserved for the Pro tier on monday.com. ClickUp offers most of the time tracking functions even on the free plan.

Additionally, both offer integrations when tracking time devoted to weekly tasks, team collaboration, and other aspects of your team’s work.

If you were to make a comparison of monday.com vs. Microsoft Project or ClickUp vs. Microsoft Project, both Monday and ClickUp would rate as affordable options with less robust time tracking. When comparing the two to each other, it’s clear ClickUp comes out ahead on affordability.

Read: Here are our individual review articles on ClickUp and monday.com.

Customization

Every project has to be approached on its own terms. As a result, project management tools have to be adaptable. Both ClickUp and Monday allow for a fair degree of customization, as users are initially offered a blank workspace to build out to their needs. Those boards can be assembled with custom statuses, recurring tasks, and private boards. 

Both have customizable project templates and other tools to make them user-friendly. However, the heart of most customization these days is bringing third-party applications in through integrations. It’s tough to say which has more integrations, ClickUp or monday.com. Likewise, both offer APIs so that users can create their own integrations as well.

While both have similar customization, ClickUp comes out ahead again. monday.com reserves a lot of custom functions for pricier tiers.

Gantt Chart

Gantt charts are a classic tool for project planning. They allow you to visualize multiple aspects of a project at once, as well as identify critical task dependencies. They are an important part of many workflow apps as a result, for example allowing you to coordinate progress for both product releases and the associated marketing campaigns at once. 

Both apps offer Gantt views, which translate task information into a Gantt chart. Additionally, there are several features that both share, such as tracking progress, mapping dependencies, and assigning team members. 

However, the Gantt view might be a more helpful aspect of ClickUp process management simply because it’s more available. As with other features, Monday reserves the Gantt view for the more expensive options. ClickUp allows some use of Gantt charts even at the free tier.

See how the winner matches up against dedicated Gantt chart apps in our ClickUp vs GanttPRO and ClickUp vs TeamGantt reviews.

Task Management

In practical terms, a lot of project management is actually task management. Perhaps as a result, both ClickUp and monday.com are task-focused. They offer a method to create different tasks, track progress, and monitor your team’s work. This is also one case where Monday is just as affordable, as both platforms offer unlimited tasks even at the free tier.

Tasks are highly customizable, so they can be used to manage projects as diverse as your own personal goals, the HR teams’ search for new team members, or bug-tracking progress in your latest piece of software. Seeing each piece progress can be invaluable when it comes to project scheduling. 

Workflow automation is also possible, helping to minimize micromanaging. For example, completing a checklist may trigger a notification, so you don’t have to worry about tasks stalling through inattention.

Both options make checklists available. With monday.com, that’s handled through the work doc feature. ClickUp regards checklists as simpler subtasks, so you can do things like creating checklist templates. 

Collaboration

Team collaboration can be difficult to foster, particularly with remote teams. However, it may be a critical aspect starting with project planning, for example with Agile teams. Again, in this area, ClickUp might pull ahead, due to offering a few more critical features at a lower cost. 

Like most modern project management software, collaboration tools come as part of the basic package, including things like commenting on tasks and even an inbox. Monday also touts its work docs as a collaborative space, allowing multiple users to view and edit at once.

However, a lot of collaboration is going to happen in other apps, so integrations become important. ClickUp offers a lot of helpful native integrations, such as Zoom, Slack, and Microsoft teams so everything can happen in the same space. Integrations are sharply limited with monday.com.

Additionally, ClickUp allows guests to view projects and allows more project members at a lower cost than monday.com.

Customer Support

The flipside of all the excellent adaptability offered by both ClickUp and monday.com is complexity. There will definitely be moments managing projects when you’re not sure how to set something up. When your business is at stake, just clicking around and figuring it out may not be very attractive.

A good customer support team can come to the rescue in those situations. However, with both apps, the majority of support consists of video tutorials and help docs. Both also offer 24/7 support, though with monday.com that consists of a form to fill out. 

ClickUp users, on the other hand, can schedule a free call with a coach who can help. ClickUp also offers to connect you with consultants, experts who can help for a fee. However, all that has to be scheduled rather than offering on-the-spot help.

If you’re hoping for dedicated support, in either case you’re going to have to spring for the Pro/Business or Enterprise packages. 

Pricing

The pricing models for these services tend to be fairly similar. There is a free plan with a small amount of functionality best suited for a small team. The price increases as you add features, from options suitable for small businesses to those for multiple projects or large teams. 

ClickUp may be a better option for small teams, even though you get unlimited users on the free tier. You simply get more for your money at the lower tiers. monday.com is a little less expensive at higher tiers, however. Both apps can be billed annually or monthly, with small savings available when you’re billed annually. Both also offer mobile apps for free.

Read: Best 6 Free Project Management Software in 2022

Overall Winner

The overall winner is ClickUp, narrowly edging out Monday due to a bit more functionality with lower costs. Obviously, personal preference can play a role in comparing project management software, putting monday.com vs ClickUp. They come out even in a lot of ways. Both offer an easily navigable mobile app and desktop version of their service. Both offer an array of some of the best project management tools available.

However, ClickUp offers more for a lower cost, which can be a crucial factor when trying to get an entire team on one service. Additionally, ClickUp works with a wider range of other services. Perhaps most importantly, ClickUp also offers more options for support. Having someone walk you through options in real-time can make a huge difference, even if it may not be available at a moment’s notice.

monday.com may be more attractive if you’re willing to pay for the most expensive tiers, as you get more functions for a lower cost. However, even there ClickUp may offer more, particularly in some areas we haven’t discussed, such as security

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for ClickUp vs monday.com

Bottom Line on ClickUp vs Monday

Choosing the right project management tool is only one of the dozens of critical decisions an owner or project manager has to make while operating their business. However, it’s not one that can be made hastily or without consideration and there are many factors that could sway you in one direction or another.

While ClickUp and monday.com are similar in many ways, there are a few key differences that might make the difference between a successful project and profitless waste of resources. While our choice for most people and situations is going to be ClickUp, Monday is still a great option for some businesses.

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What is a Gantt Chart?

A gant chart template illustration

A Gantt chart is a project management tool used to visualize a project plan. It’s a useful way of showing scheduled tasks and task due dates. Gantt charts help team members and project managers view the start dates, end dates, and milestones of a project in one simple stacked bar chart.

What is a Gantt Chart? 

When it comes to scheduling projects in a way that details all tasks and highlights the progression of events logically, Gantt charts are the answer. Gantt charts work for all types of projects, detailing a timeline of tasks horizontally with start and end dates. 

It is a transparent method of viewing jobs in progress. Gantt charts give a helpful visual depiction of a project, including relationships, phases, and dependencies. You can easily see team workloads, availability, and scheduling through the chart.

Gantt Chart Template
(Source)

Historical Overview of Gantt Charts

In 1910, American engineer Henry L. Gantt was looking for a way to improve production and resource planning for factories and workshops. Alongside a friend, he developed a graph that depicted ‘deliverables vs time’, simplifying many of the processes that were hard for him to track previously. 

Gantt charts were originally made by hand, closely resembling bar-charts, with revisions made manually. Original Gantt charts critical paths were made to follow one another in logical drawn sequences. 

As computers became more advanced, these charts were easily programmed and transferred onto modeling software. Nowadays, you can make Gantt charts quickly and easily, allowing for greater complexity in design. As a well-established tool in project management, Gantt charts are frequently cited in planning documents and contracts. 

Why use a Gantt Chart?

Why would you want to use a Gantt chart? There are many benefits to this type of chart when compared with other project management graphs, all of which make it easier to analyze project development. 

First of all, creating a Gantt chart starts with a project schedule. It details who is involved, task due dates, and what needs to be done. This means that everything you need is all in one place. It also allows for more definitive resource planning, so allocating people and tools is made far more manageable. 

Furthermore, because a Gantt chart clearly displays the progress of a whole project, assessing progress becomes simple. This is especially helpful for project managers. Being able to view the chart in this way also makes identifying problems with ideas and plans much simpler and clearer to amend. 

Because everyone can see the chart, collaboration becomes much easier, and understanding the different tasks within a team is a whole lot clearer. 

What does a Gantt Chart Include?

Here are some key ideas that help better describe Gantt charts.

The Critical Path

This is the longest path on the schedule, often stretching the project’s duration. It highlights every task. Every task with an unmet due date puts the entire project at risk unless the task end date is removed or extended. In typical Gantt charts, due dates are red, so they stand out from other tasks. 

Dependencies

In a nutshell, every task on the Gantt chart is related to a predecessor and a successor, so everything is arranged in a logical order that flows effectively over the process of a project. Sometimes arrows are used to depict the flow of tasks. 

Milestones

Milestones are small points, typically marked without duration on the chart, representing task completion or significant developments in the production of a project. 

How to Read a Gantt Chart

Learning to read a Gantt chart can seem difficult from a distance, much like with any other graphical representation. Luckily, it’s effortless to understand how to read a Gantt chart once you learn how the graph represents data. 

Below are some of the most important features to identify on the chart. 

  • Scale: The scale of the chart works against time. Spanning horizontally (along the X-axis), dates are placed to provide the timescale of a project. This makes it easier to represent the relationship between tasks over time in an orderly way. It also means milestones can easily be recognized over the span of the task. Scale can be counted in days, weeks, or periods. 
  • Bars: Each bar on the chart represents a project task. Through the logical layout of tasks across the timescale, work can be assigned accordingly and given a clear duration that keeps the project as a whole on track. Sometimes, there is an overarching bar along the top of the chart representing the whole project duration.
  • Task Progress: Task progress is measured using percentages displayed on each task bar. Usually, this means a selection of each bar will be colored to depict how much of the project has been completed. Obviously, today’s technology has made processes like these far easier to do using programs like Excel, whereas data like this was hard to display in the past.

When reading the Gantt chart, there are several perspectives from which you can view the data. First, you can see the overview of the whole project in all its scope, starting with tasks, start dates, and due dates. Each task can include sub-tasks, with all sub-tasks needing to be complete. 

This can be further broken down into team member workloads and resource allocation, meaning each individual aspect of the project can be found in one place, with as much or as little detail as needed. It is worth noting, however, that an overcomplicated chart will be harder to read.

Check out our guide on how to use a Gantt chart to learn more. We break down the process of using a Gantt chart into nine easy-to-understand steps. Furthermore, we discuss the top three Gantt chart software for project management.

How to Create a Gantt Chart: Key Steps

Now that you know how to view the Gantt chart, you may be wondering how you can create your own for project management within your company. Whether you’re a freelancer or a manager in a business like advertising, there is value to creating a Gantt chart. 

While plenty of handy tools and project management software products on the market today often automate this process, you can also create Gantt charts using spreadsheet software like Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets. 

There are several steps to creating your own Gantt chart. 

Step 1: To begin, list the project schedule in a table. Place each task in a separate row, with the main project as the title. On the X-axis, add titles ‘start date’ and ‘end date’, then fill in the dates and deadlines accordingly. You can add milestones in the task column and color code or include them as symbols on a completed graph.

Step 2: You need to produce a simple bar chart based on the dates you’ve inserted in the columns. Select your start dates with the header, and make sure not to highlight the whole column, then insert a ‘bar’. Selecting a ‘stacked bar’ is standard practice. 

Step 3: Next, by clicking on your new bar chart, click ‘select data’, click ‘add’ and name your new series, then select your ‘end date’ data. The chart won’t look how you want it to yet. 

Step 4: When you click on your graph and select ‘start date’ in the data source box, a box will open, allowing you to select data. Select your tasks. Now, your graph should list the tasks along the left. 

Step 5: Remove your chart labels. Click on any of the primary bars in your graph, choose to format the data, and remove fill and lines. If your tasks appear in reverse order, you can change that by categorizing the axis in reverse. 

Step 6: Ensure tasks are arranged in order, and data markers are at the top. There are other steps you can take to alter the layout and format of your Gantt chart which pertain to your specific requirements. Additionally, plenty of templates are available both online and in software like Excel, such as the Gantt Project Planner. 

Of course, there are many ways of creating a Gantt chart, and some people prefer to format their chart using Excel or other software manually, while others choose to produce a physical copy of a graph with pen and paper. 

Naturally, these two processes will take longer than automated computer features, but this is more a question of personal choice and how many complications you’ll cause yourself by producing a graph with these methods.

This is why we recommend using software that can automatically create Gantt charts.

Our top three Gantt chart software for project management include:

Each of these software is easy to use and can quickly create comprehensive Gantt charts for your projects. For example, monday.com offers Gantt chart views for each of its plans and customizable workflow templates for all types of projects. 

Gantt Chart Pros

There are numerous advantages to using a Gantt chart for project management: 

  • Gantt charts allow for a transparent and easy view of project progress. Not only does this aid managers in reviewing the work being done by a team, allowing them to allocate work and resources accordingly, but it also aids collaboration within a team because many people are contributing to the same project. 
  • Everyone on a team benefits from viewing the Gantt chart and seeing what work is being done, the deadlines, expectations, and the progress. 
  • Gantt charts are suitable for any sized business. Even if yours is a solo project, setting out your processes can be beneficial. As for big businesses or large projects, the data can be helpful as an overview of something very complicated, allowing you to pluck certain information from a much larger portrait of a job. 
  • Seeing a clear progression of a project visually helps with understanding and digesting the project as a whole. As well as providing a clear overview of the direction the project is heading in, the visual aspect of the Gantt graph simply aids team members in seeing the aims and parts of the wider project. 
  • Scheduling is a massive part of working in a team, ensuring everyone’s workload is fair and that people are playing to their true strengths. With Gantt charts, managers can assign particular jobs to particular skill sets and ensure that employees are best utilized. 

Gantt charts aid in productivity and serve as motivation tools for a team. Everyone is aligned within a common goal as well as in their particular team role. Knowing that there is a specific timeline for the job ensures that everyone aims to complete their work punctually and keeps in mind the temporary nature of the project. 

Gantt Chart Cons

However, there are also some disadvantages to using a Gantt chart:

  • The primary complaint facing the Gantt chart is that the process and the graph itself can easily become too complicated. Some argue that even set up time can be very consuming. Of course, with the advantage of modern technology, time is saved, but this doesn’t necessarily detract from the formatting and planning required for such a graph. 
  • A project too big can easily become a hassle. The chart can become hard to read if you’re trying to insert numerous tasks with numerous team members, resource fields, and descriptions. If the chart’s job is to prepare plans for a project simplistically, it fails when it comes to overcomplicated or incredibly detailed data fields. 
  • Due to the aforementioned complexity of many projects, data is often required to back up your chart. This could be resource management, team hours, or simply descriptions of each individual job on the graph. While this is inevitably a manageable issue, it can easily add up to a very complex job, detracting from the initial point of the Gantt chart. 
  • As mentioned above, setup time can cause issues for a Gantt user. While this is made easier by programs like Microsoft Excel and project management software, it doesn’t take away from the fact that the data has to exist already to be inserted into the graph. 

Although paradoxical, there is an issue that comes with simplifying your Gantt chart. If you make your chart a barebones demonstration of the grander structure of your project, you’re obviously going to miss the details. 

Although, admittedly, there is still something to be said for giving a team access to the grand structure as a sort of grounding in the content. So, projecting your data in another way alongside the chart can be helpful, although time consuming. Alternatively, smaller projects will thrive when placed in the Gantt format. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for What Is a Gantt Chart

Below are a few common questions project managers have about Gantt charts.

Bottom Line on Gantt Charts

Overall, using the Gantt chart correctly makes for an effective tool in project management, meaning you can control all your data and resources in one place. Of course, this is helped hugely by the development of modern automated technology, but regardless, Gantt charts simplify the otherwise hectic job of defining project parameters and plans. 

There’s a reason why the Gantt chart has stood the test of time – it collates and simplifies otherwise complicated jobs and provides much needed clarity in many workplaces. 

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5 Best Project Management Software for Consultants – Our Picks for 2023

Best Project Management Software for Consultants

Project management software for consultants empowers you to supervise client projects efficiently. Plus, it makes it simple for you to collaborate with team members and evaluate project results. Find out which best project management software for consulting firms is the right choice for you.

Best Project Management Software for Consultants

Product

Pricing

Project Management

User Interface

Integrations

Security

Customer Support

Clickup logo

ClickUp

$0- $19/member/month

Business management + Collaboration tools + Project monitoring

Minimalist, list-style UI

1,000+ apps

AES-256 encryption + AWS hosting + AICPA SOC 2 certification + GDPR compliance

24/7 real-time support via phone & chat + Webinars + Free coaching

Monday.com logo

monday.com

$0-$16/seat/month

Business management + Customizable project workflow templates + Dashboard reports

Visual UI w/ building blocks

50+ apps

ISO/IEC certifications +  HIPAA + GDPR compliance

24/7 support via contact form

Hive logo

Hive

$0-$12/user/month

Project workflows + Task automation + Collaboration features + Proofing tools

Adaptable UI w/ multiple views

1,000+ apps w/ centralized dashboard + migration

Workspace security model + 256-bit encryption + Expiring links + ISO accreditation + VDP

Weekday support via email

Accelo logo

Accelo

$24-$39/product/user/month

Business management + Project supervision + Billing tools + Financial reports

Visual UI w/ color-coding

24 apps

256-bit encryption + 2FA + Strong password + Automated account lockout

24/7 support via chat & email

Microsoft Project logo

Microsoft Project

$10-$55/user/month

Project mapping tool + Automated workflows + Report management

Flexible UI w/ multiple views

Microsoft apps

Azure-based platform + AES-256 encryption + TLS + IPsec + Encryption keys

Free basic support via chat + Paid support upgrades

Clickup logo

ClickUp: Best Overall Project Management Software for Consultants

Starts at free

★★★★★

4.75

Visit

ClickUp Review

ClickUp is our top pick out of the best project management software for consultants in this roundup because it combines powerful features, minimalist UI, many integrations, and cost-effective pricing. This all-in-one project management suite equips you to capably oversee the business projects of your consulting firm’s clients.

Screenshot of Clickup Hompage
Source: ClickUp

Pricing

ClickUp lands right smack in the middle of the lot when it comes to pricing, although it’s worth paying for because of its first-rate features. It’s more affordable than Microsoft Project and Accelo, but it’s pricier than Hive and ClickUp. Yet along with Hive and monday.com, it’s one of the three solutions that offer a free plan for basic use.

The intermediate business plans range from $5 to $19 per user every month. Take note that the rates for the highest-tier corporate plan aren’t available on the website so you need to contact the sales team of ClickUp to request a quote.

Project Management 

ClickUp has robust project management features which help you conceptualize your consultation strategies for your clients while enabling you to execute your plans through concrete actions.

First of all, it equips you to manage the different aspects of your consulting business, including sales, marketing, HR, finance, design, product, IT, and engineering. As we mentioned in our ClickUp review, you can adapt it to your preferred project method, whether it be Waterfall or Agile methodology.

Plus, the platform is designed to handle teams of all sizes, whether it be a solo professional or a big group with more than 1,000 members. It encourages you to collaborate with your team by letting you host live chats and make comments on action items. It also allows you to add visual widgets for all staff members, such as tasks, statuses, time tracking, sprints, embeds, and docs.

Finally, you can monitor the projects of your clients from start to end by toggling the customizable views. As a result, you may break down simple and complex projects into manageable tasks. You can keep track of the progress of each project through multi-step workflows and to-do checklists.

While the platform is generally simple to use, just be aware that it might take you more time to learn how to use the advanced features of ClickUp.

User Interface

ClickUp has a streamlined user interface (UI) that you can easily navigate. It lets you organize your departments and teams into distinct Spaces, while you can group the projects of each Space into folders. In addition to the task lists, you can assign colors to assignments so you can quickly identify which ones are in progress or completed.

Integrations

ClickUp has the widest integration capability among the contenders, along with Hive. It can integrate with over 1,000 tools to expand its usefulness. Aside from ClickUp Public API, some examples of the many native integrations are communications apps like Slack and Zoom, storage solutions like Google Drive and Dropbox, and virtual assistants like Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.

Security

ClickUp has a fairly comprehensive end-to-end security suite to safeguard the privacy of users. Aside from Amazon Web Services (AWS) hosting, it defends your consulting firm from online dangers through AES-256 encryption, AICPA SOC 2 certification, and GDPR compliance.

Customer Support

ClickUp offers the strongest customer service in the batch. Thanks to the 24/7 real-time support, you can request technical assistance via phone and chat any time, any day, including holidays. In addition to this, you can attend webinars and avail of free coaching so you can bolster your ClickUp expertise.

Why we chose it: We award ClickUp as the overall best project management software for consulting firms because it fuses together useful features, a clean interface, generous integrations, and cost-effective rates.

  • Best value for money
  • Rich project management functionality
  • Easy-to-use UI
  • 1,000+ integrations
  • Round-the-clock support
  • Learning curve for advanced features
  • Corporate pricing unavailable

Pricing:

  1. Free Forever: Free
  2. Unlimited: $5/user/month
  3. Business: $12/user/month
  4. Business Plus: $19/user/month
  5. Enterprise: Contact ClickUp for pricing

*Rates for annual billing

Monday.com logo

monday.com: Best for Customization

Starts at free

★★★★★

4.65

Visit

monday.com Review

monday.com has an edge over other top project management software for consultants because you can freely customize the tools. After all, you may personalize the workflow templates and dashboards based on the requirements of your client projects.

Screenshot of monday.com homepage
Source: monday.com

Pricing

monday.com is the second most affordable consulting management software in the bunch, next to Hive. It’s one of the three project management tools with a free plan for simple use. The mid-tier paid plans range from $8 to $16, while you need to reach out to monday.com to inquire about the pricing for its highest-tier plan.

Project Management

monday.com allows you to tweak the ready-made templates which help you oversee the sales, CRM, marketing, design, and software development aspects of your customer’s business. Plus, it minimizes your manual work through the automation of certain tasks. It also serves as a shared virtual workspace for your whole team. In addition to this, monday.com trains you to create workflow apps without the need for code.

Finally, the cloud-based work OS has adjustable dashboards that let you keep track of the different projects of your multiple clients. These panels provide data that could lead to new actionable insights and business strategies. According to our comparative monday.com review, users find it easy to understand the reports generated by the dashboards.

User Interface

monday.com’s sleek UI comes with building blocks that you can use to start or transform your clients’ projects in a visual way. Also, the drag-and-drop function allows you to move your data from table to table. Lastly, the color-coding options and tweakable tabs make it possible for you to arrange your tasks into categories.

Integrations

monday.com has a middling number of integrations with over 50 compatible apps. It has more integrations than Microsoft Project and Accelo, but much less than ClickUp and Hive. At least, you can perform basic office tasks through Google or Outlook calendar and Gmail or Outlook email. It even connects to some communication tools like Slack, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams and a few CRM platforms like Zendesk and Salesforce.

Security

monday.com keeps your client data protected through its privacy program. It prioritizes online safety by maintaining ISO/IEC certifications, HIPAA, and GDPR compliance. Also, it upholds transparency by sharing key policies with users.

Customer Support

monday.com offers 24/7 customer service, but you can only reach out to the support team by filling up a contact form. At least, you can track your customer support ticket through the official website. Nevertheless, it would have been better if it had phone support like ClickUp.

Why we chose it: We named monday.com as the best for customization among consulting management software because you can tailor the workflow templates and dashboards according to your needs.

  • Customizable project management tools
  • Handy UI building blocks
  • Relatively economical pricing
  • Limited integrations
  • Corporate rates unavailable
  • No phone support

Pricing:

  1. Free: Free (Maximum of 5 seats)
  2. Basic: $8/seat/month
  3. Standard: $10/seat/month
  4. Pro: $16/seat/month
  5. Enterprise: Contact monday.com for pricing

*Rates for annual billing

Hive logo

Hive: Best for Affordability

Starts at free

★★★★★

4.5

Visit

Hive Review

Hive stands out for being the cheapest project management software for consultants in the pack. At the same time, it doesn’t skimp on features despite its inexpensive pricing. Created for users by users, it has a competitive edge because of its expansive third-party integrations.

Screenshot of Hive homepage
Source: Hive

Pricing

Hive is hands-down the most affordable project management app in the group. It’s one of the three solutions that offer a free basic plan, just like ClickUp and monday.com. Also, the mid-tier plan is budget-friendly at $12 per user each month. Take note that it doesn’t disclose the rates for its highest-tier plan so you need to contact the Hive team to get a quote.

Project Management

Hive enables you to supervise the various projects of your clients in a single location through portfolio management tools. The workflows let you keep track of the different stages of your projects for smoother operations. You can use these workflows for both simple and complicated approvals.

Plus, it updates you on pending tasks through its action list so your consulting firm team can promptly meet deadlines. It also automates your repetitive tasks via project and action templates so you can save time and effort.

In addition to this, you and your team may collaborate via native chat. When you meet online, you can list down your next steps as a team via Hive Notes for Meetings. Together, you can transform your meeting agenda into actionable plans. As you carry out your plans, you can monitor the work progress of your staff members through task tracking and timesheets.

Lastly, it improves the quality of your project outcomes by checking the accuracy of documents and videos you produce through proofing and annotation tools.

User Interface

Hive has a very adaptable UI. You can choose from different workflow views, including table, Gantt, status, team, label, and calendar. Also, you can switch from one view to another even while you’re in the middle of working on a project.

Integrations

Hive has the strongest integration capability among its peers, similar to ClickUp. You can integrate the software with more than 1,000 apps. You may link it to cloud storage services like Box, OneDrive, and Google Drive. Also, you could reach out to your team through communication platforms like Slack and Zoom. You can even connect it to CRM platforms like Salesforce and Jira.

As a bonus, you can even consolidate data from various apps into a centralized dashboard. Finally, you can import your tasks if you’re migrating from other project management programs like Trello and Asana.

Security

Hive defends your online privacy through different security protocols. These features include a workspace security model, 256-bit encryption, expiring links, ISO accreditation, and a Vulnerability Disclosure Program (VDP).

Customer Support

Hive’s customer service is limited compared to its competitors, just like Microsoft Project. It only provides customer support via email on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST. This could be inconvenient if you suddenly encounter technical issues outside of working hours.

Why we chose it: We commend Hive as the best for affordability among consulting management software because it’s the most budget-friendly in terms of free and paid plans.

  • Low-cost pricing
  • Numerous integrations
  • Multiple workflow views
  • Migration capability
  • Weekday email support only
  • Corporate pricing not listed

Pricing:

  1. Hive Solo: Free
  2. Hive Teams: $12/user/month
  3. Hive Enterprise: Contact Hive for pricing

*Rates for annual billing

Accelo logo

Accelo: Best for Consultation

 Starts at $24/product/user/month

★★★★★

4.0

Visit

Accelo Review

Accelo is the only project management software in this comparative review that’s specially designed for consultants. This platform was created to increase the productivity and profitability of your service business through billing and reporting tools for consulting firms.

Screenshot of Accelo homepage
Source: Accelo

Pricing

Along with Microsoft Project, Accelo has the most expensive rates in the group. Aside from lacking a free plan, it has the overall priciest rate for the low-tier plan at $24 per product per user every month. Also, it has the second costliest rate for the high-tier plan at $39 per product per user each month. 

Project Management

Accelo assists you in managing several areas of your client’s business, whether you are providing consulting services to individual professionals or large companies. These aspects include projects, sales, billing, tickets, reports, and retainers.

This cloud-based platform lets you track project activities and resources within a centralized platform. The schedule dashboard informs you who is working when, while the task board allows you to supervise daily tasks and deadlines.

Aside from this, the billing tool makes it simple for you to allot your billable hours as a consultant on a daily or weekly basis. It eliminates the need for timesheets and punch clocks. As a result, it’s faster for you to compute and request payments from your clients. By updating you on customer feedback through tickets, you can pinpoint and resolve work issues as well.

Finally, it provides a visual report of business data and financial performance so you can evaluate how much profits your consulting projects are generating.

User Interface

Accelo has a visually-friendly UI that’s straightforward to navigate. It organizes general information into boxes and tabs, while it presents financial data through charts and graphs. Also, it makes use of color-coding to help you spot key items on each page.

Integrations

Although its integration game isn’t as strong as ClickUp and Hive, you can integrate Accelo with 24 apps. These include office programs like Microsoft and GSuite, productivity tools like Mailchimp and Intuit Quickbooks, plus customer relationship management (CRM) platforms like HubSpot and Salesforce.

Security

Accelo minimizes privacy issues through basic security features. These include 256-bit encryption, two-factor authentication (2FA), strong password policies, and automated account lockout.

Customer Support

Accelo provides 24/7 customer service so you can contact the Client Success team day or night. However, it only offers chat and email support, unlike ClickUp which includes phone support.

Why we chose it: We recommend Accelo as the best for consultation because it’s built specifically for consulting firms, thanks to the convenient billing and reporting features for consultants.

  • Consultant-centric project management suite
  • Visual UI
  • Billing & reporting tools for consulting services
  • Costly rates
  • Relatively few integrations
  • No phone support

Pricing:

  1. Plus: $24/product/user/month (Minimum of 5 users)
  2. Premium: $39/product/user/month (Minimum of 5 users)

*Rates for annual billing

Microsoft Project logo

Microsoft Project: Best for Ease of Use

Starts at $10/user/month

★★★★★

3.75

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Microsoft Project Review

Microsoft Project is the project management software for consultants in this roundup that’s most suitable for beginners. Its project mapping features make it a breeze to use even if it’s your first time trying this tool for your consulting firm.

Screenshot of Microsoft Project homepage
Source: Microsoft

Pricing

Microsoft Project is one of the most expensive consulting management software in the group, along with Accelo. It has the priciest rate for the high-tier plan at $55 per user each month. Also, it has the second costliest rate for the low-tier plan at $10 per user each month.

Project Management

Microsoft Project equips you to manage your clients’ projects from beginning to end through the project management tools. As we explained in our comparative Microsoft Project review, you can create automated workflows that clearly show the steps of each process.

Plus, the auto-scheduling feature maps out a calendar by indicating the timeframes for your tasks. It even allows all the members of your consulting team to update tasks at the same time. Lastly, the business intelligence and report management feature keeps everyone on the same page about work matters.

Overall, it’s a simple project management tool to be used for small projects yet utilitarian enough to be used for large projects.

User Interface

Microsoft Project has a very flexible UI. You can view your portfolio in different styles, such as grid, board, Gantt, and Kanban. Depending on your preference, you can look at a project as a simple to-do list or a set of visual boxes with a drag-and-drop function. Also, you can develop master plans that consolidate project data into a single workspace for a bird’s eye overview.

Integrations

Microsoft Project seamlessly integrates with Microsoft Office apps like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote. It particularly works well with Microsoft Teams to encourage collaborative efforts through online meetings, file sharing, and chat capabilities. However, it’s not as adept at third-party integrations compared to most of its peers, especially ClickUp and Hive.

Security

Microsoft Project is considered a secure platform because it’s built on the enterprise cloud Azure. Also, it shields your data through AES-256 encryption, Transport Layer Security (TLS), Internet Protocol Security (IPsec), and encryption keys.

Customer Support

Microsoft Project includes free technical support via chat. If you have the budget for it, you can pay for a support upgrade or a one-time phone support purchase. Since you have to shell out extra bucks for better assistance, the customer service isn’t on par with the other providers, similar to Hive.

Why we chose it: We recognize Microsoft Project as the best for ease of use among project management software for consulting firms because its project mapping tool and multiple portfolio views make it user-friendly. Just keep in mind that it might be too basic for some power users.

  • Simple to use
  • Project mapping feature
  • Native Microsoft app compatibility
  • Relatively basic functionality
  • Limited integrations
  • Paid support upgrade

Pricing:

  1. Project Plan 1: $10 per user/month
  2. Project Plan 3: $30 per user/month
  3. Project Plan 5: $55 per user/month

*Rates for Cloud-based Solutions:

Methodology for Project Management Software for Consultants

We considered important factors as we chose the top project management software for consulting firms. Here are some of the aspects we examined:

  1. Pricing: We checked how much the plans for each project management solution cost. Plus, we took note of whether the company offers a free plan or not.
  2. Project Management: We evaluated which software features you can use to manage client projects using different methodologies. Also, we explained if the platform generates reports that let you evaluate project results.
  3. User Interface: We described the style of the UI of each project management solution. In addition to this, we assess if the system is easy to navigate or not.
  4. Integrations: We confirmed how many and what types of native or third-party apps can be integrated with each platform. Aside from this, we gave a few examples of which apps you can link with the program.
  5. Security: We looked at how each project management software protects the online privacy of your company and clients. Plus, we mentioned which security features are included with the package.
  6. Customer Support: We checked the availability of customer service from every company. Also, we listed down which channels you can use to contact the support team.

Take note that the information in this comparative review reflects the current data at the time of this writing.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for Project Management Software for Consultants

The best project management software for consulting firms can motivate consultants like you to expertly supervise client projects. Discover the answers to common questions about consulting management software.

Bottom Line on the Best Project Management Software for Consultants

The best project management software for consulting firms can transform you into an excellent consultant. We recommend all the five platforms we reviewed in this roundup. Still, we’re especially impressed by ClickUp because it merges together effective project management features, intuitive UI, rich integrations, and great value for money. We hope our comparative review helped you choose the ideal consulting management software for you and your team.

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The Best 7 Project Management Software With Time Tracking

Project management software with time tracking illustration

In businesses large or small, it can be difficult to stay on top of everything that’s going on. Having a firm understanding of productivity and budgeting can spell the difference between success and failure. The best project management software with time tracking offers more than just time tracking in real time.

Automating time tracking can help reduce lost productivity and save a company more than $600,000 per year, according to a recent Journeyx study. It also helps speed up time card calculations (and reduce errors, compared to a paper-and-pen method).

Best Project Management Software With Time Tracking

Software

Price

Time reporting

Tracking in real-time

Enables manual to automatic tracking

Integration with other systems

Teamwork logo

Teamwork

Free to $22.50 per user per month with custom options

Reports on billable hours, overall time

Built-in online time tracking tool

Team members can log hours manually or use an automated timer

Simple, with a long list of apps to integrate with

Wrike logo

Wrike

Free to $24.80 per user per month, custom plans available

Timelog reports by user, date, task, and more

Task timers keep tabs on hours logged while working

Can modify time in a task’s description field

Compatible with most apps, including Github for bug tracking

Celoxis logo

Celoxis

$22.50 per user monthly for the cloud or a one-time fee of $450 for on-premise setup

Several dashboards for time reporting

Every task has a built-in timer

Timesheets available for entering time manually

Integrates well with popular apps like Google Calendar and features a powerful API

Zoho Projects logo

Zoho Projects

Free to $10 per user per month

Timesheet reports and Gantt charts

Enables manual and automatic tracking

Any time not automatically captured can be recorded later

An abundance of proprietary apps and third-party integrations

LiquidPlanner logo

LiquidPlanner

Free to $35 with options for high-volume pricing

Timesheets with cost codes for billable work can be exported

Built-in module for tracking time on different projects

Time not tracked in the module can be entered manually

Can use third-party app Zapier for integrations

Proofhub logo

ProofHub

Flat rate of $50 or $99 per month

Custom time reports of people and projects

Multiple timers available within Timesheets

Track time manually or using timers

Limited integration with Google, Microsoft, and other tools

GanttPRO logo

GanttPro

$8.90 to $15 per user per month, custom options available

Time log reports with several variables

Real-time timers for keeping tabs on hours

Automatically track with timers or enter data later

Limited to Slack, API, Google Drive, and Jira Cloud

Teamwork logo

Teamwork: Best Overall Project Management Software With Time Tracking

Pricing: Free to $22.50 per user per month with custom options

4.8

★★★★★

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Teamwork’s time tracking software makes it easy to decipher where project hours are being spent through a plethora of reporting tools. This software is uncomplicated and features an extensive range of project management and human resources tools. Teamwork is ideal for teams that handle billable client work because of its billing and invoicing capabilities.

Why we chose it: Teamwork is the best overall PM software with time tracking because it’s easy to use, has a beautiful design interface, and offers a comprehensive set of features. You can effortlessly track all time spent on a project across multiple tasks and members with Teamwork’s built-in online time tracker.

  • Allows for time tracking in real-time
  • Can set up multiple timers
  • Integrates with many apps
  • Several reporting capabilities
  • No time tracking software available with the free plan
  • Can’t make changes in offline mode
  • Higher learning curve because of all the options available

Pricing: 

Teamwork offers four pricing plans and a 30-day free trial for each plan:

  • Free Forever: $0
  • Deliver: $10/user per month (billed annually) or $12.50/user per month (billed monthly) 
  • Grow: $18/user per month (billed annually) or $22.50/user per month (billed monthly)
  • Scale: Inquire for pricing

Teamwork’s time tracking software is second to none, allowing team members to track hours right within the tasks they are working on. Each user can have multiple active timers open for keeping tabs on hour tracking on several projects simultaneously. Several reporting tools quickly reveal hours spent on individual tasks to help with resource management.

Time management is not available with the free version, requiring you, as a project manager, to spend at least $10 per user per month to access these features. The entire gamut of project management tools only becomes available by paying $22.50 per user, or $18 when billed annually.

With a minimum requirement of three users to use paid versions of the project management software, it may not be cost-effective for startups to use Teamwork. That being said, Teamwork offers a lot of features for small businesses and scales well into medium-sized enterprises and beyond.

Teamwork allows you to create a more transparent process for your clients. Since Teamwork offers you a clear breakdown of how time is spent across client projects, you can provide your clients with better estimates, more accurate billing, and detailed task records. 

You’ll also be able to optimize your time management with Teamwork’s insights and reporting. This gives you a better understanding of how long work really takes so you can better manage your organization’s resources.

In addition to Teamwork’s comprehensive time tracking software, it also offers Gantt charts, resource management, automations, and invoicing for client work. Teamwork is the best project management software with time tracking to use as a collaboration tool for your team. If you want to team up productively and optimize your projects, this software is an excellent solution.

Wrike logo

Wrike: Best Time-Tracking PM Software for Consultants

Pricing: Free to $24.80 per user per month, custom plans available

4.4

★★★★★

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Wrike is an industry-leading enterprise-level project management software that helps businesses accomplish their goals. Doubling as a collaboration platform, Wrike is a flexible hub that allows your team to work together seamlessly. This software offers many advanced features such as Project Risk Prediction, Document Processing, and Smart Replies. 

Why we chose it: Wrike’s user roles allow you to limit what outside parties can see, making it a potent tool for consultants. Your agency teams will still benefit from time features if you can shell out for the Business Plan. Read the ultimate Wrike review here.

  • Great for consulting
  • Timers built into tasks
  • Detailed time reporting
  • Multiple integration options
  • Steeper learning curve
  • Options for time tracking are only available at the top tier
  • Automation features difficult to implement

Pricing:

Wrike offers one free plan and three paid plans:

  • Free: $0/user per month
  • Professional: $9.80/user per month
  • Business: $24.80/user per month
  • Enterprise: Inquire for pricing

Wrike’s plans are well designed to scale with your business from the ground level with a free version for unlimited users. Unfortunately, Wrike doesn’t offer any free time tracking software and requires its Business Plan at $24.80 per user per month to obtain these features. With a minimum requirement of five users, Write isn’t friendly to startups.

At the Business level, Wrike offers a timer for all users except collaborators. Keeping outsiders away from your time management tools makes the platform a candidate for the best PM software for consultants. 

Options for keeping track of time are located right within each task. Wrike’s iOS and Android apps share this functionality, making it stand out among in-house and remote teams alike. The Timelog section is set up for running reports based on the criteria you need.

Wrike allows you to showcase your team’s true value with its online employee time tracking software. With the software, your team can automatically log worked hours, create and lock timesheets, and focus on billable hours. This advanced software improves your task visibility and project processes to avoid delays and maximize productivity.

Celoxis logo

Celoxis: Best Project Management Software With Time Tracking for Customization

Pricing: $22.50 per user monthly for the cloud or a one-time fee of $450 for on-premise setup

4.35

★★★★★

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Celoxis is a strong contender for the best project management software with time tracking because of the value it provides. This software is ideal for medium and large businesses that benefit from customizing their project management tools for optimal team collaboration and productivity. 

Why we chose it: Celoxis features nearly unlimited customization opportunities for project managers to track time across ongoing work.

  • A majority of the site can be customized
  • Features a powerful API tool for custom apps
  • Can invoice based on user or time code
  • Robust resource management
  • No free version
  • Task analysis is limited to Gantt charts
  • Interface can be heavy for smaller teams

Pricing: 

Celoxis offers a cloud plan and an on premise plan that includes a physical server:

  • Cloud: $25/user per month (billed monthly) or $22.50/user per month (billed annually)
  • On Premise: $450/user billed once

Celoxis is somewhat unique in that it does not have a free plan. Instead, the project management software offers a $22.50 per user per month plan if you want to work off the cloud or a one-time $450 fee for setting up a physical server. Neither option speaks well to startups or some smaller businesses.

Looking beyond pricing, Celoxis has reliable time tracking software that gives others a run for their money. With a few clicks, you can add project budgets right alongside time tracking features for easy expense tracking.

Celoxis allows you to easily track time, costs, and billing with its integrated timesheets and expense module. The software features built-in timers, automatic reminders, multi-level approvals, and customizable policies.

Almost every facet of Celoxis is customizable, allowing you the opportunity to construct time management tools as you see fit. If you’re knowledgeable enough, you can build custom apps with the included API to get the most out of your project planning.

Zoho Projects logo

Zoho Projects: Best Time-Tracking PM Software for Small Budgets

Pricing: Free to $10 per user per month

4.25

★★★★★

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Zoho Projects is balanced PM management software with time tracking that’s exceedingly useful for small and growing businesses that don’t have massive budgets. This software features all the crucial tools needed to effectively manage projects. These include timesheets, Gantt charts, and basic resource management tools.

Why we chose it: Zoho Project’s budget price point makes it easy to hit the ground running. Its clean user interface provides the means to manage projects and other tasks from one convenient location.

  • Budget-friendly price points
  • Clean and intuitive user interface
  • Timesheets for locating bottlenecks
  • Lacks depth of features
  • Weak free plan
  • Unreliable search function

Pricing: 

Zoho Project offers one free plan two paid plans that come with a 10-day free trial:

  • Free: $0 (up to three users)
  • Premium: $5/user per month (up to 50 users)
  • Enterprise: $10/user per month (no user limit)

While Zoho Projects doesn’t have free time tracking software, it offers the next best thing. Its large number of time management tools become available for just $5 per user per month. With all features unlocked at the $10 per user price point, Zoho Projects is one of the best cheap project management software options out there.

Zoho Projects lays project time tracking out in an intuitive interface that helps project managers see what they need at a glance. This timesheet is perfect for keeping track of potential bottlenecks that may slow things down in the future.

The employee time tracking software allows you to record every minute spent working on a task. This hassle-free time tracking is accomplished with timesheets and task timers. Each project is equipped with a timesheet where team members can log their task hours. 

Employees can start task timers to log automatically, pause timers when they take breaks, and end the timer to create a new timesheet entry. Afterward, managers can review each timesheet entry and decide to approve or reject them. 

Furthermore, you can integrate Zoho Books or Zoho Invoice to record your expenses, create a budget for your project, or turn your timesheets into invoices for payroll purposes and client billing.

Zoho Projects also offers comprehensive timesheet reports that display the exact time spent on each project and the time spent by each team member. Then, you can optimize your resources and improve productivity by comparing planned task hours with actual task hours. Overall, Zoho Projects provides transparency for you and your clients.

Although the free version is lackluster, it’s a great PM software for startups at its low price point. Larger companies may require additional features that other project management solutions have.

LiquidPlanner logo

LiquidPlanner: Best PM Software With Time Tracking for Plan Options

Pricing: Free to $35 with options for high-volume pricing

4.0

★★★★★

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LiquidPlanner is a powerful PM management software with time tracking that offers advanced and innovative features. Its predictive scheduling allows a project manager to save time on task management while providing options for task and employee time tracking.

Why we chose it: LiquidPlanner is the best project management software for plan options because it offers three distinct pricing plans for every type of enterprise. 

  • Predictive scheduling
  • Timesheets with budget tools
  • Wide range of plans available
  • Automated module to track time
  • Not a lot of integration tools
  • Challenging to learn how to use
  • The “search” function needs improvement

Pricing: 

LiquidPlanner offers three pricing plans with a 14-day free trial:

  • Essentials: $15/user per month (billed annually) 
  • Professional: $25/user per month (billed annually)
  • Ultimate: $35/user per month (billed annually)

LiquidPlanner has several plans available, and even the free plan contains integrated time tracking capability. Project management features only grow as your company moves to the $15, $25, or $35 per user per month plans.

Predictive scheduling estimates when project work will finish based on a number of factors. Dates update automatically as those factors change, taking a lot of guesswork out of managing projects. The rest of LiquidPlanner is not simple PM software and can take a considerable amount of time to learn.

The free project management software version is nothing to scoff at, allowing for only three users, but perhaps a great entry point for startups. Each other plan allows for unlimited users, and LiquidPlanner even offers volume pricing for larger firms.

With a built-in project time tracker, project managers and users can see how long tasks are taking and adjust team members accordingly. Timesheet reports are available with included budget tracking software, but only at the higher-tier plans.

The time tracking tool is useful to figure out how long each task takes to complete and how much to bill your clients. Your clients and employees can turn on a time-tracking module and run it in their browser as they work. The recorded time is then attached to the task in the project and on a timesheet. 

However, you will have to export the timesheet to a separate billing or invoice system since LiquidPlanner doesn’t include them. 

Proofhub logo

ProofHub: Best PM Software with Time Tracking for Flat Rates

Pricing: Flat rate of $45 or $99 per month

4.0

★★★★★

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ProofHub is a straightforward and reliable PM solution that charges a fixed price depending on how many members you have in your organization. This software enables enhanced team collaboration, organization, and project delivery. Along with its time tracking tools, it also offers discussion boards to bring all team and client communication to one central location.

Why we chose it: ProofHub’s monthly flat rate can put time tracking software into the hands of any size enterprise. The project management tools within allow for fast analysis across many projects.

  • Unlimited projects and users for one flat rate
  • Timesheets can be made private
  • Custom time reporting
  • Time estimates for project work
  • Notifications can be overwhelming
  • Limited customization options
  • Calendar feature needs improvement

Pricing: 

ProofHub offers flat-rate pricing depending on how many users you have:

  • 1-5 users: $50/month (billed monthly) or $45/month (billed annually)
  • 6-10 users: $100/month (billed monthly) or $90/month (billed annually)
  • 11-50 users: $150/month (billed monthly) or $135/month (billed annually)
  • 51+ users: Inquire for pricing

ProofHub brings time tracking software to businesses with one flat monthly rate. Limited features with employee time tracking are included in the base package of $50 per month. Upgrading to the Ultimate Plan at $99 per month includes several other tools such as advanced reporting and further customization.

This project management software allows you to build reports on billable and non-billable time by team members. Your team can develop their own timesheets each week or switch between automated timers to track hours spent across different tasks.

There’s also a bird’s eye view for time data that allows for quick employee time tracking on one screen. Time estimates for projects help staff have a better understanding of how long projects should take to help deliver work in a timely fashion.

With ProofHub, you can bring all your time tracking data to one central location using its time management software. You can also export your timesheets and use them for payroll, estimation, time optimization, and client invoicing. 

Like all PM software, ProofHub helps you organize your team and track the status of projects. It enables team collaboration and excels at optimizing projects that include visual materials. However, it doesn’t offer invoicing, budgeting, or resource management tools.

GanttPRO logo

GanttPro: Best Time Tracking PM Software for Gantt Charts

Pricing: $8.90 to $15 per user per month, custom options available

3.9

★★★★★

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If your organization utilizes Gantt charts and needs time tracking, GanttPro offers the perfect solution. GanttPro continues to add features and has been gradually improving since its release in 2015. This software offers seamless communication between your team members and is suited for organizations working on complex projects.

Why we chose it: GanttPro may be named for its Gantt charting capabilities but includes the ability for users to track time with a click.

  • Timers are located within each task
  • Excellent Gantt charts
  • Priced well for companies of any size
  • Can customize and export time reports
  • Must buy licenses in increments of five
  • Limited integrations
  • Need to manually change task end dates

Pricing: 

GanttPro offers three paid plans and no free plans:

  • Individual: $15/user per month (billed annually)
  • Team: $8.90/user per month (billed annually)
  • Enterprise: Inquire for pricing

Gantt charting is GanttPro’s star player and incorporates the tools you’ll need to succeed. The project management software does not limit itself, providing other views for project managers who don’t want to see boxes all day.

In GanttPro, each task has a time tracking tool contained within. Multiple users can record hours logged, and a time log report allows you to gather this information together. You can further add dates and comments and export the data to your hard drive.

GanttPro’s time log report allows you to view all of your time tracking information from one convenient location. You can then customize the data with help of intuitive filters and grouping options. 

The time tracking app offers a solo plan for $15 monthly if you’re a lone wolf. Otherwise, you’ll want to grab the team plan at $8.90 per person monthly. It’s worth noting that GanttPro requires you to buy licenses in multiples of five. There are no free versions available. This should scale well with most businesses, but you’ll be paying more than necessary unless your team size is a factor of five.

GanttPro is ideal for smaller teams looking for low-cost project management software with time tracking and comprehensive Gantt charts.

Methodology for the Best Project Management Software With Time Tracking

We considered a variety of factors to choose the best PM software with time tracking. Obviously, we focused on time tracking features, but there’s more to project management software than time tracking capability.

Time tracking software brings a lot to the table, so consider the features most valuable to your team. Look into a time tracking device, timesheets, integrations, reports, and billing. You should also consider how easy the software is to use and how much it costs, either monthly or annually.

User-Friendliness

Your users won’t be inclined to use clunky software that’s too much of a challenge to figure out. No one wants to spend non-billable time trying to turn on a timer or pull up a report. Easy-to-use software allows your team to continue being efficient and get back to the task at hand.

Costs and Fees

We’d be lying if we said costs and fees aren’t important when picking out project management software. Most software platforms charge per user, so prices can escalate quickly. They also tend to have different tiers that increase in features as your business grows. Ensure the plan you’re looking at meets your budget needs and has the time tracking software you’re looking for.

Will It Suit Your Team Size?

Some project management software requires a minimum amount of users and may not jive with startups. On the flip side, certain plans have a user cap, so plan accordingly.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for Project Management Software With Time Tracking

Below are some of the most popular questions surrounding time management software.

Bottom Line on Project Management Software With Time Tracking

Time tracking software is an essential piece of project management if you’re looking to maximize your efficiency and your team’s. You’ll be able to monitor which projects your users are working on and see which areas are falling behind. 

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Microsoft Project vs Wrike: Who Wins?

Microsoft has been supplying business software for decades, and its weight of experience is hard to overcome. Wrike is one of the best of the new approaches: project management as work management. Microsoft Project offers a robust toolset, but in a battle between Microsoft vs Wrike, it’s Wrike that could be a better choice for small businesses that need flexibility and customization.

Microsoft Project logo

Microsoft Project: Best for Larger Enterprises

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Microsoft Project is a dynamic project management software solution that has all the tools you’d expect as well as a few advanced features that are suited towards larger companies. This software is geared toward users who are experts in project management and work for a big enterprise. 

Since it’s made by Microsoft, you’ll probably want to be a user of the Microsoft family. Products like Word, Excel, Dynamics, and Teams integrate seamlessly with Microsoft Project. Microsoft Project offers tools for project planning and scheduling. It also offers views for Gantt charts, grids, and boards as well as task, time, and team management tools.

  • Robust tools suited for larger enterprises
  • Smooth integration with other Microsoft products
  • Easy time and task progress tracking
  • Steep learning curve
  • Limited integrations with third-party apps
  • Unreliable customer support at times

Pricing

  • Project Plan 1: $10/user per month
  • Project Plan 3: $30/user per month
  • Project Plan 5: $55/user per month
Wrike logo

Wrike: Best for Flexibility and Customization

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Although there are many project management solutions available, Wrike stands out for its easy to navigate UI, accurate time tracking, and specialized feature sets catered towards your specific business. Wrike can fit into any type of business because of its customizability. 

From startups and entrepreneurs to remote teams and established enterprises, Wrike is used as one of the most versatile project management software. However, we recommend chatting with a sales rep from Wrike before purchasing. Wrike offers a lot of different features with sliding scale pricing and additional add-ons, so speaking with a rep ensures you get the best plan. Read the complete Wrike review to learn more about it.

  • Specialized packages for services, marketing, and creative teams
  • Extensive time tracking features that allow time tracking within tasks
  • Offers an analytical tool which automatically generates charts
  • More expensive than other PM software options
  • Difficult to choose the correct plan without assistance from Wrike’s team
  • Cannot add a priority to tasks

Pricing

  • Professional plan: $9.80/user per month
  • Business plan: $24.50/user per month
  • Enterprise plan: Inquire for price
  • Enterprise Pinnacle plan: Inquire for price

Microsft Project vs Wrike: Pricing & Features Comparison

The first thing you’ll notice when comparing the price of Wrike vs Microsoft Project is that one has a free plan. Wrike’s free account comes with many nice features, which include unlimited users, task management, and a couple of helpful views. However, most of the sophisticated project management features users are looking for require a paid subscription.

In those terms, the costs are actually comparable, though Microsoft Project is slightly more expensive. 

Key Features

Microsoft Project logo

MS Project

Wrike logo

Wrike

Pricing

Paid plans start at $10 per member / month

Free Plan + Paid Plans start at $9.80 per member / month

Team Management

Multiple views to track team status and collaboration

View project organization with Gantt charts and task assignments

Project Delivery Management

Tools for estimating and managing workload across multiple projects

Hit every goal with Kanban board software

Risk Management

Offers issue tracking and risk management tools

Offers AI-driven assessment of project health

Reporting

Integrates reporting with other Microsoft Suite tools like Excel

Analytics tool for real-time updates and reports on projects

Finance Management

Timesheet submission features

Offers easy-to-use billing software

Collaboration and Communication

Work together on projects with Microsoft Teams

Can easily send messages across entire teams or to individual colleagues

Integration With Other Apps

Seamlessly integrates with Microsoft Suite products

400+ app integrations with leading software providers

Usability

Can access on any device

Powerful customization but has a learning curve

Support

Multiple support options and Q&A section

Multiple support options and many resources

Privacy

Uses highly encrypted cloud-service technology

Offers enterprise-grade security

Winner: Tie. The prices are actually fairly close and Wrike’s pricing structure has a number of potential add-ons, making things complicated.

Team Management Breakdown

Team management is an area where both of these options shine, though in ways that highlight their different approaches. Both offer a number of familiar project scheduling tools, including Gantt charts and the option to set up a Workload view. As a result, both enable sophisticated resource management, allowing the optimal allocation of team members’ time and resources. The two options also include time tracking.

Microsoft Project

Microsoft Project offers a project management tool for HR managers at a brick-and-mortar company, as well as others like automatic resource leveling. You can also add notes to tasks or projects.

Wrike

Wrike puts a bigger emphasis on the team collaboration aspect, with free messaging and file sharing. Wrike also has the Stream widget, which provides an update on everything that is going on.

Winner: Wrike. Your mileage may vary, depending on your needs. While Microsoft Project is great for the admin side of things, Wrike offers more tools for herding cats or your project team. 

Project Delivery Management Breakdown – Microsoft Project vs Wrike

We’ve mentioned that both Wrike and Microsoft Project are PM software with time and task tracking, enabling efficient project delivery. Both platforms are candidates for the best project management software with project tracking. 

Microsoft Project

Microsoft Project has tools for estimating workload, along with tools for weighing multiple projects. Additionally, there are several different versions of Microsoft Project with different options. Project Online includes a project board option for Kanban-style management of project tasks. Other versions have other tools.

Wrike

With Wrike, you can create tasks and turn them into milestones, which can be translated into attractive reports with the Analytics tool. You can also set up custom workflows without needing other software.

Winner: Wrike. While Microsoft Project has some portfolio management options, Wrike offers more native tools for shepherding projects to completion. 

Methodology Suitability Breakdown

Every project manager knows the project management phases to follow, regardless of which methodology they follow. Microsoft is credited with an influence on early Agile project management. However, when it comes to Wrike vs Microsoft Project, there’s no question which is friendlier to Agile methods. Let’s discuss how Microsoft Project vs Wrike differ in terms of methodology suitability. 

Microsoft Project

Microsoft Project does offer some tools for Agile methods, like the Board tool we’ve already mentioned. Additionally, you can create burndown charts fairly easily. However, Microsoft Project again leaves much of Agile to other MS software, like Teams. 

Wrike

Wrike’s work OS approach to project management, on the other hand, is a bit kinder to an Agile philosophy. One of the basic views available in even the free tier is the Board, which is basically a Kanban board with tasks sorted by status. 

Winner: Wrike. Microsoft Project suffers from spreading features out among several apps. There are some advantages to that, but in terms of a single piece of software, Wrike offers more. 

Risk Management Breakdown – Microsoft Project vs Wrike

Risk management is the act of identifying and managing threats that can threaten your organization. Project management software can prevent errors by ensuring every aspect of the project is running according to plan.

Microsoft Project

Microsoft Project has a tailored project management tool for both issue tracking and risk management. It allows you to add issues to projects or tasks, along with notes. Additionally, with portfolio management you can compare different scenarios to identify less risky options.

Wrike

Wrike, on the other hand, doesn’t have any specific issue tracking tools. It is possible to use other tools, like Request Forms, to create an issue tracker, however. Additionally, Wrike offers an AI-driven assessment of project health.

Winner: Microsoft Project. Risk management is precisely the sort of administrative task that Microsoft Project does really well.

Reporting Breakdown

While meetings have become a byword for wasted time in many teams, effective presentations are one of the most important tools in a project manager’s toolbox. It keeps team members informed and stakeholders up-to-date. As a result, easy-to-read reports are an important aspect of project management software.

Microsoft Project

There is a range of reporting options with Microsoft Project, particularly some that we’ve already mentioned in regards to resource management like workload. Microsoft wants you to use the Office 365 package, however, which means many options are reserved for Excel, Power BI, and other software.

Wrike

For Wrike, you’ll want to head to the Analytics tool for real-time reports. It will take data from projects like the progress of tasks and workload, then turn it into charts that can be easily read. It becomes easy-to-process information and makes decisions regarding resources. Note that Analytics isn’t free, unfortunately, and is only available for Business and above plans.

Winner: Tie. Microsoft Project leaves many reporting tools for other apps, but they’re also unavailable for all but the most expensive tiers of Wrike. It ends up being a wash.

Finance Management Breakdown – Wrike vs MS Project

Money matters are a central concern to any company, of course, and project management requires close monitoring of the bottom line.

Microsoft Project

Microsoft Project enables project managers to manage costs in a number of ways, including billing and invoicing. It’s also possible to use other advanced features to predict expenses in the future, and reports will detail workload and other various aspects. 

Wrike

Wrike users will find fewer tools. Many businesses have separate financial software, so it’s not unusual for the work OS style of project management software to leave those functions out. Instead, Wrike integrates with a lot of common financial software.

Winner: Microsoft Project. Microsoft simply offers more tools, though Wrike’s setup might be more convenient for some folks. 

Collaboration and Communication Breakdown

Collaboration tools have become a focus of some project management software, particularly the work OS style.

Microsoft Project

As we’ve said, Microsoft users will find that most of those options may be found in other MS products, leaving them out of that trend to some extent.

Wrike

Wrike, on the other hand, is packed with tools for staying in touch with your team. You can send messages to teams, projects, or whole companies. You can also get notifications sent to your business email, or, if you use the mobile app, get notifications in real-time.

Winner: Wrike. There’s no question that Wrike has more built-in tools for collaboration.

Integration With Other Apps Breakdown

Sometimes you need more project management tools that aren’t included in base packages. Seamless access to information in other software is an important consideration, as it can really make life easier and save a lot of money. Both systems have a lot of free integrations, as well as some additional options users can add at an additional cost.

Microsoft Project

Microsoft Project is, of course, part of Microsoft Office 365. It integrates with those tools so that you can send updates of tasks to your team using Outlook, for example. The process for that is supposed to be seamless and easy to set up, particularly as most people are somewhat familiar with Microsoft products.

Wrike

Wrike also has a long list of integrations, including many Microsoft products. Integrations are limited at the Free and Professional tiers. There are also some options that require an additional cost.

Winner: Tie. Comparing Wrike vs Microsoft Project, they may be most similar in the integration options. There are a range of possibilities, but the most useful ones cost more.

Usability Breakdown

Each new user will have a different experience. Additionally, Microsoft Project has both an online version and a desktop client, with a different set of options for each. It can be tough to compare usability, as a result.

Microsoft Project

Microsoft Project tends to put focus on Gantt charts as the main tool for tracking task organization and progress. On every platform, including iPhone, Android, and desktop, notes can be added to tasks. There are also specific tools to help HR, resource management, and other departments.

Wrike

A new user on Wrike might have an easier time, with tutorials and more. It’s easy to create your first project and get to work, whether you’re working with a team or keeping track of a couple of side businesses for yourself. If you do have team members, it will be easy to stay in touch. 

Winner: Tie. User reviews for Microsoft software are often uncomplimentary, but realistically, most people are familiar with the approach. On the other hand, while no one would call Wrike simple project management software, it is fairly intuitive. In either case, it might be possible to just sit down and start working.

Support Breakdown

Depending on which industry you operate in, you may need specialized support to make the most of the PM software. Without proper support, it will be difficult to optimize your usage of the project management tools.

Microsoft Project

Support options for Microsoft Project are quite varied. Microsoft offers a certain amount of free support, though a business will probably want to pay for a support plan for their software. Beyond Microsoft’s offerings, there are contractors who specialize in those products, as well as a range of other sources.

Wrike

Wrike offers access to a range of support options that have become standard for online project management platforms. In addition to tutorials, there are lots of help documents, walkthroughs, a help request form for Wrike’s team, and more. Priority support is an add-on to a more expensive account. 

Winner: Tie. Whether Wrike, Microsoft Project, or another platform, adequate support is always difficult to find. Neither has quite got it right, but there are options to guide you in the right direction.

Privacy Breakdown

You can find a commitment to privacy on the website of either company. Both companies also meet requirements for data security and privacy. In essence, your important project data is safe with Wrike and Microsoft Project. Both also offer some additional security options, including things like two-factor authentication, and encryption keys. 

Microsoft Project

Microsoft Project ensures your data and information is safe with its highly secure and encrypted cloud-service technology.

Wrike

Since its inception, Wrike has made privacy a top priority. Wrike offers enterprise-grade security with a strategy that focuses on five categories: physical, network, system, application, and people. 

Winner: Tie. Your data should be safe with either option. Additional security costs more for either option.

Customer Service

It’s important that your project management software offers consistently reliable customer support. When emergency situations present themselves, you’ll want to be able to reach a representative through chat, email, or phone communication.

Microsoft Project

Microsoft Project offers a comprehensive set of resources through its Project Support section. You can find answers to commonly asked questions about each of the Project plans. There’s also a blog where community members can ask each other questions. Microsoft’s customer service team is also available for a live chat or phone call Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 5 PM central time.

Wrike

Wrike offers a help center that provides interactive training videos and a community forum. It also has a knowledge base that walks you through common problems users have using the software. You can also submit a ticket with your questions and wait for a response from a customer service agent.

Winner: Tie. Both options offer standard customer service options without one rising above the other. 

Customer Reviews

Microsoft Project and Wrike have mostly positive customer reviews. However, this doesn’t mean that users face challenges when using both project management solutions. Both MS Project and Wrike have steeper learning curves than other solutions and a lack of 24/7 customer support.

Microsoft Project Customer Reviews

Most users report an outstanding experience using Microsoft Project. They enjoy MS Project’s integration feature and ability to manage multiple projects for a large enterprise. However, they say that Microsoft Project is optimal for advanced users with complicated projects or large organizations. Microsoft Project has received a G2 rating of 4.0 out of 5.

Wrike Customer Reviews

Wrike users enjoy the platform’s scheduling management and tracking capabilities. The main issues users have is the software’s inability to manage project-related communication. However, customers state that Wrike is user-friendly and offers robust reporting features. Wrike has a 4.2 out of 5 rating on G2.

Winner: Tie. With only 0.2 points separating their ratings on G2, the reviews for both options are similar. Both PM solutions have mostly positive reviews along with slight criticisms.

Alternatives to MS Project vs Wrike

Since there are so many project management software available, it’s important you understand all of your options. If you’re on a budget, you may want to try free project management software first. The three alternatives we cover below may be a better fit for you than MS Project or Wrike.

GanttPRO logo

GanttPRO

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When to use it

GanttPro is a project management solution that offers an intuitive web-based interface that’s ideal for small and midsize businesses. You can plan your project timelines, enable employees to collaborate, and oversee tasks, resources and team members with GanttPRO.

  • Easy to use interface
  • Simple and affordable pricing structure
  • Ability to save and return to previous project versions
  • Limited reporting options
  • Only integrates with Google, Jira, Slack, and an API
  • No free tier

Pricing

  • Individual: $15.00/user per month
  • Team: $8.90/user per month
  • Enterprise: Inquire for price
Zoho Projects logo

Zoho Projects

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When to use it

Zoho Projects is an efficient project management solution for small businesses. It offers robust project scheduling and budgeting features that keep your business running smoothly. This project management software also lets you automate revision tracking and resolve errors in project tasks with its issue management capabilities.

  • Affordable packages
  • Mobile app included
  • Third-party integrations
  • Lacks a few enterprise-level features
  • You must custom build project templates
  • Abnormal resource management view

Pricing

  • Free: $0 
  • Premium: $5.00/user per month
  • Enterprise: $10.00/user per month
Clickup logo

ClickUp

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When to use it

ClickUp is a comprehensive project management suite that manages every aspect of your business. Used by enterprises of any size, ClickUp enables efficiency and automation within your organization. This project management software offers visual widgets which include tasks, statuses, time tracking, and documents.  Read our ultimate ClickUp review to know more.

  • Rich and intuitive functionality
  • Easy to use user interface
  • Cost-effective pricing
  • Steep learning curve for its advanced features
  • Pay per workspace or project
  • Limited features on free tier

Pricing

  • Free Forever: $0
  • Unlimited: $5/user per month
  • Business: $12/user per month
  • Business Plus: $19/user per month
  • Enterprise: Inquire for price

Bottom Line on Microsoft Project vs Wrike

Despite their different approaches, comparing Wrike vs Microsoft Project ends up coming down to a photo finish. However, Wrike pulls ahead in a couple of areas. It provides many of the basic tools MS Project does, like Gantt charts and Workload management. It also helps you keep in contact with your team, collaborate, and track progress, all in one app. The fact that there is a decent free version doesn’t hurt either.

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Confluence Review: Pros, Cons, and Ratings

Confluence logo

Project managers often struggle to find the one software that will fill their needs. It’s not uncommon for team leaders to try out one software, only to migrate to another one. In this Confluence review, we analyze the project management software so you can find out if it’s the right fit for your team. 

Screenshot of Confluence homepage
Source: Confluence

Our Verdict

Confluence logo

Confluence

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Confluence is a remote-friendly workplace collaboration software that enables teamwork, participation, and knowledge sharing. It keeps track of a team’s discussions, decisions, and information. Confluence serves as a company’s primary knowledge management software tool to organize, capture, and preserve your most important assets.

  • Integrates with major software (Google Docs, Jira, Microsoft Teams)
  • Intuitive user interface
  • Supports simultaneous edits of documents
  • Free version allows the creation of unlimited spaces and pages
  • 75+ page templates all organized according to team roles
  • Supports data encryption both in transit and at rest
  • No updates in real-time when documents are being edited
  • One standard view of projects
  • Users cannot chat in real-time unless they integrate an app like Slack

Confluence at a Glance 

The primary feature Confluence offers is its collaborative editor. This tool gives you the power to create project plans, meetings notes, and product requirements. Other users can edit the file simultaneously and view all of your changes. 

Other notable features include Confluence’s accelerated feedback loop, collaboration tools, best-practice templates, and organized workspaces. In terms of pricing, Confluence offers four different plans depending on your team’s size and which features you want. 

Confluence is used by all types of functional departments of any team size. From project management groups and marketing teams to HR, legal, and finance, all teams can use Confluence to collaborate and succeed.

Who Confluence is Best For 

Confluence is for teams of any type and size. The software is dynamic and adaptable to optimize the workflow of all teams. From those with critical, high-stakes projects to those that want to build a strong team culture, Confluence is perfect for both teams. Confluence helps your team make quick decisions, engage openly with one another, and align on the same page and direction.

Screenshot of Confluence website homepage- why confluence
Source: Confluence

Pricing 

Confluence is completely free for individuals and teams with under 10 users. Free users have access to many features, including unlimited spaces and pages, page trees, version control, and unlimited files. However, they cannot access page permissions, page archiving for future reference, and insights.

Confluence logo

Plan

Free (up to 10 users)

Standard

Premium

Enterprise

Price

$0

$55/month and $5/user per month

$105/month and $10.50/user per month

Starts at $97,500/year at 801 users

Unlimited spaces and pages

Apps and integrations

Page insights

Analytics

Team Calendars

Atlassian Data Lake

Alongside the free version, Confluence offers the Standard, Premium, and Enterprise plans. The Standard plan costs $5.50 per user monthly, while the Premium plan costs $10.50 per user monthly. They cost $4.58 and $8.75, respectively, when billed annually. The Enterprise plan is customized, billed annually, and begins when you add more than 801 users. You’ll have to contact sales to get an Enterprise pricing plan.

These paid versions of Confluence have access to almost all of the features, but only the Enterprise has the Single Sign-On feature included by default. The Standard plan does not have access to bulk page archiving, page insights, admin insights, testing strategies, and automation.

Confluence offers a seven-day free trial during which you enjoy all the features that come with the plan you chose. There’s also a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Confluence Features

Team Management

Confluence provides a way for teams to keep track of what everyone is doing. The basic model in Confluence is Spaces and Pages, which create hierarchy lists in terms of priority.

A space is created for a team or a project. In that space, a page is created to describe tasks. Creating a task is simple, almost like writing a post-it note and sticking it up on a board. It involves mentioning a team member, writing their task, and adding the due date. A team member can find their tasks by visiting team pages, their profile, or full task reports.

Confluence has resource filters that help team managers decide who to assign and how much work to assign to them. The filters are teams, users, and roles.

Confluence pages can be personal or public. Team members on a page can see when tasks are assigned to everyone, comment on current projects, and share the company’s documents. Users with the proper permissions can easily update internal documentation. Also, team managers can publish blog posts and create a notification system.

Lightweight Project Management

Confluence is one of many project management tools that does not track time by default, unlike Jira. Instead, the team manager has to install any of the apps in the Confluence marketplace for successful tracking.

The main way to manage projects is to create pages and assign these as tasks to team members with due dates. To map workflows or dependencies, you’ll need to install third-party apps from the Confluence marketplace.

There is only one standard view of pages, but installing macros can present them from slightly different perspectives. To view projects as mind maps, tables, or Gantt charts, install macro functionality from the Confluence marketplace.

Risk & Issue Management

Risk and issue management in Confluence are done by using the Page Properties macro and labels. When you are creating or editing a page, you can use the Page Properties macro to decide if issues are high, medium, or low impact. The macro doesn’t have any custom fields except the Page Properties ID field so that you can label a page to detail potential risks or issues.

Reporting

There is one default Confluence project view—the page view. To be able to view projects in different ways, you have two options. Either build a View page using page properties macros or install a macro from Confluence marketplace. For this reason, Confluence is not the most visual project management software option out there.

Building a view page involves labeling all the pages in your Confluence space and then creating another page that organizes pages using the table functionality according to their labels and page properties. 

Confluence offers users a global dashboard that all team members can see. Team managers can customize the dashboard to show the latest announcements, graphics, Gantt charts (if they have an installed macro), blog posts, and so on. A team admin can even modify the layout of their dashboard, although they lose those modifications and have to reapply them if they upgrade their Confluence plan.

The Confluence dashboard is user-friendly. On the left-hand side is the navigation menu where you move to new updates or assigned work, and on the right is all your project information. It’s not possible to have multiple dashboards, but a team member can select a particular page as their dashboard when they first open the app.

Confluence has a project status report template, but it works in conjunction with Jira. To create a project status report, you must create a new page and select the Status Report template. Embed your Jira Report to fill in the details automatically. If your team doesn’t use Jira, you’ll have to build a new page using the Page Properties macro.

Finance Management

Finances are a critical part of project management. Confluence does not create and send invoices by default, but it does integrate with Jira Core to cover the financial management of a company.

With Jira Core, the financial team manager creates invoices and assigns tasks to those invoices. You can then set the due date and track their progress. 

Jira Core creates financial project reports in tabular forms. There are also budgeting apps available in the Confluence app store.

Communication and Collaboration Platform

Screenshot of Confluence communication and collaboration feature
Source: Confluence

It’s easy to drag and drop files on the same page in Confluence. While adding a file to a Confluence page, you decide who to share the file with. All team members who have access can view and download them. 

In Confluence, files are versioned so that you can see all the steps taken in each file. The default file size limit is 100MB, but the limit can be modified.

For all the Docs articles and Word files used, team members can view, edit, or comment directly in those files. For image files and PDF file types, users must comment on the Confluence page they’re attached to. A good benefit of the software is that multiple users can work simultaneously on the same files.

The only default chat feature is the comment option on pages. For real-time communication, Confluence integrates with apps like Slack and Google Hangouts.

Confluence also integrates with Zoom for video conferencing. You can embed Zoom links in Confluence pages so that team members can join meetings or watch recordings.

Team managers control permissions to decide who gets added to a page, who is assigned a particular task, and who can edit a file. You can invite guests or clients to take a look at certain projects in your Confluence space, and they will have limited access to information. For instance, they can’t search for users or mention someone in the comments on the same page.

Confluence is web-based, but there are free mobile apps for Android and iOS. There is no native PC application, but you can use Confluence FX to install a desktop app.

Integration With Other Apps

Screenshot of Confluence integration options
Source: Confluence

One of the reasons Confluence stands out from other collaboration tools is the deep integration opportunities. Integrating with many apps is important because it increases customization abilities, making the software the only app a team needs to run a project from start to finish.

The first option is Jira—Confluence was originally built for Jira teams. Confluence also features integration with Google apps and multiple MS software like Office 365, and Scroll Word Exporter. It works with Gliffy and Draw.io for charts and diagrams, and other apps that Confluence integrates with include Google Analytics, Command Line Interface, Advanced Tables, Presenter, Trello, Microsoft Teams, Slack, Polls, and Asana.

Artificial Intelligence

Confluence has several AI-powered tools that automate the ordinary tasks of users. One example is the smart search functionality, a search engine AI that improves searching algorithms within Confluence to achieve accurate search results. 

Another is the intelligent filter feature. It decides, based on past activity, which filters a user is more likely to select. According to Atlassian, users choose to use these filters 89% of the time.

Usability

Confluence is intuitive, and the web interface is easy to navigate. A user can see what tasks are assigned to them, and the availability of so many documentation templates allows a user to create a page tailored to their role.

Templates available on Confluence
Source: Confluence

However, new users have a steep learning curve to fully understand creating pages, installing macros, and assigning tasks. For users who have no coding experience, some training and box solutions may be required.

Luckily, Confluence has an in-depth guide and solution documentation. There are hundreds of help articles that detail everything you need to know about managing teams on the software. There’s also a forum where people ask questions, and approved Confluence moderators or fellow users answer them, and a YouTube channel with tutorials.

Support 

Confluence offers a variety of customer support options—a huge library of knowledge base, email support, community support, 24/7 phone, and live chat services. 

Free users have access to just the community, and Standard plan users can only reach customer support during business hours. Premium and Enterprise users have 24/7 access to more complex support.

Privacy

Confluence is GDPR compliant and respects your data and privacy. Your data is secure with data encryption and password policies for all users of the platform, free ones included. The SSO and SCIM policies make the platform extra-secure, but only Enterprise users have included access to these policies; other plans have to pay to subscribe.

Methodology Suitability

Confluence is a fairly cheap project management software that uses the Agile methodology. In particular, it operates the Scrum framework. This is because Jira operates using Scrum, and Confluence was initially built for software development teams.

The most basic features on offer, such as project plans, meeting notes, knowledge bases, and endless templates, make Confluence an ideal workspace for an agile team.

Alternatives to Confluence

Other tools and web-based project management apps similar to Confluence include:

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ClickUp

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What the product is

ClickUp is a comprehensive project management suite. It allows you to track project progress at a glance, create custom workflows, and view a visual representation of workloads.

Who the product is best for

Teams of all sizes use ClickUp, from startups and small businesses to Fortune 500 companies. It helps to organize your team’s tasks and optimizes project management.

How it compares to the product being featured here

ClickUp is a multi-functional platform that has project management and team collaboration capabilities. ClickUp’s free version is more comprehensive than Confluence’s.

Pricing

  • Free Forever: Free
  • Unlimited: $9 per user/month ($5 if billed annually)
  • Business: $19 per user/month ($12 if billed annually)
  • Business Plus: $29 per user/month ($19 if billed annually)
  • Enterprise: Contact sales department of ClickUp
  • Unlimited tasks and members even on the free tier
  • 30-day satisfaction guarantee
  • Two-factor security on all tiers
  • API for wide customization
  • Some useful integrations not available on the free tier
  • Pay per workspace or project
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Asana

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What the product is

Asana is a web and mobile application that helps teams track, organize, and manage their work. It used a Kanban-style list-making 

Who the product is best for

Asana has a broad feature set and is ideal for small teams following agile project management. It offers several management styles such as task lists, Gantt charts, and Kanban boards.

How it compares to the product being featured here

Asana shouldn’t be confused with a full-scale project management platform like Confluence. This is because Asana doesn’t offer resource management tools.

Pricing

  • Basic: Free
  • Premium: $10.00 per user/month
  • Business: $24.99 per user/month
  • Enterprise: You need to contact Asana
  • Offers workload management
  • Smart project-focused interface
  • Various management features
  • No financial management tools
  • Assigns tasks to one user only
  • Steeper learning curve
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Trello

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What the product is

Trello specializes in organizing tasks into forums. Trello offers an extensive view of who’s working on what, which responsibilities are ongoing, and which tasks are complete. 

Who the product is best for

Smaller teams that are looking for Kanban-style project management. 

How it compares to the product being featured here

Trello is more task-oriented than Confluence. Confluence offers more collaboration and engagement among team members. 

Pricing

  • Free: $0
  • Standard: $5 per user/month
  • Premium: $10 per user/month
  • Enterprise: $17.50 per user/month
  • 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
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monday.com

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What the product is

monday.com is a cloud-based platform that allows companies to create their own applications and work management software.

Who the product is best for

monday.com is ideal for teams who want an evolved version of collaborative spreadsheets. You can imagine monday.com as Google Sheets in the hands of a genius designer. 

How it compares to the product being featured here

monday.com is more similar to Asana and Trello than Confluence in terms of project management capabilities.

Pricing

  • Individual: Free (2 seats maximum)
  • Basic: $6 per seat/month
  • Standard: $10 per seat/month
  • Pro: $22 per seat/month
  • Enterprise: Contact monday.com for pricing
  • Unlimited boards and docs on the free tier
  • Wide range of common integrations
  • Customizable automations
  • Several ways to view info
  • Free tier limited to two users
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Basecamp

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What the product is

Basecamp is an online collaboration app that allows users to manage their work together and communicate with one another.

Who the product is best for

Basecamp is ideal for teams that need a tool to collaborate and engage with each other.

How it compares to the product being featured here

Basecamp is extremely similar to Confluence because of its focus on communication. However, Confluence also offers more project management tools.

Pricing

  • Personal: Free
  • Business: $99/month
  • Extremely easy to set up 
  • Flat monthly price for unlimited users
  • Supports integration with many apps and services
  • Communications feel slightly siloed
  • Limited reporting functionality
  • No proofing tools

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for Confluence Review

Below we answer commonly asked questions about Confluence.

Bottom Line on Confluence Review

Confluence is a solid tool that teams of all sizes can use to work together on projects and internal processes. The number of apps that Confluence integrates with makes it possible to customize forms, dashboards, meeting notes, and pages at great lengths. To get the most out of it, Agile teams may want to use Jira alongside it.

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Microsoft Project vs GanttPRO: Head-to-Head Comparison

Work colleagues arguing about Microsoft project vs ganttPRO

If you’re comparing Microsoft Project vs. GanttPRO to decide which is best for your project, you may not have an answer yet. Both products offer excellent tools you need to successfully plan and organize your project, including project scheduling and planning; views for Gantt charts, boards, and grids. But they also vary in substantial ways.

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Microsoft Project: Best for Enterprises

From $10

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Microsoft Project is a powerful project management software product that has all the standard features you’d expect as well as some advanced tools that are geared towards larger enterprises. It has a more comprehensive feature set than GanttPRO and is geared toward users who are experts in project management and work for larger companies. The trade-off is that Project is more difficult to use and pricier. 

You’ll probably also want to be a user of Microsoft’s other suite of paid products, like Word, Excel, Teams, Dynamics, to get the full benefit from it. Microsoft also offers a desktop version of Project, but you’ll have to be running a version of Windows to run it.

Project has tools for project scheduling and planning; views for Gantt charts, boards, and grids; task, time, and team management; and collaboration and reporting tools. The higher tiers Plans 2 and 3 provide resource management tools, and give you the option of installing a desktop client. Finally, Plan 3 provides advanced portfolio selection and optimization tools, demand management, and enterprise resource planning and management.

Features

Microsoft Project

Project planning

Task management

Time management

Resource management

Yes, but only on Plans 2 and 3

Team management

Budget tracking

Reporting tools

Pricing

$10 to $55 per user per month

  • Powerful advanced tools that larger enterprises might require
  • Smooth integration with the Microsoft product family
  • Desktop option provides up-front pricing
  • Steep learning curve
  • More expensive than GanttPRO
  • Limited integrations outside of other Microsoft products

Pricing

Microsoft Project has multiple pricing options. The cloud-based solution has three tiers. Project Plan 1 is $10 per user per month. You’ll pay $30 per user per month for Plan 2. For Plan 3, the cost is $55 per user per month. Plan 2 has everything in Plan 1, plus a resource management feature and a desktop client. You’ll get everything in Plans 1 and 2 in Plan 3, plus portfolio selection and optimization, demand management, and enterprise and resource planning and management.

There are on-premises solutions that are stored locally. Project Standard 2021 is $679.99 and has features similar to cloud-based Plan 1. There is also Project Professional 2021, which is $1,129.99. It adds resource management, the ability to sync with a server, and timesheet submission. Finally, there is Project Server, which is a flexible, scalable on-premises solution that gives demand management and advanced analytics features. The pricing for Project Server is by quote only.

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GanttPRO: Best for Small and Midsize Businesses

From $8.90

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GanttPRO’s project management software offers affordable pricing and an intuitive web-based interface while still offering advanced features, making it an excellent choice for small and midsize businesses. Businesses using GanttPRO will be able to plan their project timelines, oversee tasks, resources, and team members, as well as enable users to collaborate on their work. 

Like with Project, you’ll get grid view, board view, and Gantt chart view. There’s also a portfolio view, which provides a high-level overview of your projects and quick access to resource management and progress tracking.

There are nice features in GanttPRO, like a history and baseline mode, importing and exporting options, and custom and pre-configured templates. GanttPRO also integrates software commonly used by small businesses, such as Slack, Google Drive, and Jira Cloud, as well as an API for custom integrations.

Features

GanttPRO

Project planning

Task management

Time management

Resource management

Team management

Budget tracking

Reporting tools

Pricing

$8.90 to $15 per user per month

  • Intuitive and easy-to-use interface
  • Affordable and simple pricing structure
  • History and baseline mode let you save and return to previous project versions
  • Limited reporting options
  • Only integrates with Slack, Google, Jira, and an API

Pricing:

Individual: $15 per user month (billed annually)

Team: $8.90 per user month (billed annually)

MS Project vs GanttPRO: Pricing & Features Comparison

When comparing GanttPRO vs Microsoft Project, you’ll see that both have features like project planning and scheduling, task management, team management, resource management, time tracking, portfolio management, and budget tracking. However, the implementation of these features differs between the two products in some ways. 

Feature

Microsoft Project logo

MS Project

GanttPRO logo

GanttPRO

Project planning

Yes, with Gantt chart view, grid view, and board view

Yes, with Gantt chart view, grid view, board view, and portfolio view

Task management

Yes

Yes

Time management

Yes

Yes

Resource management

Yes, but only on Plans 2 and 3

Yes

Team management

Yes

Yes

Budget tracking

Yes

Yes

Reporting tools

Yes

Yes

Pricing

$10 to $55 per user per month

$8.90 to $15 per user per month

Project Planning Breakdown

Creating, planning, and monitoring projects is at the heart of project management software. These features relate to the overall management of the project, such as viewing the project, making estimations of time, and identifying key tasks toward project goals.

Microsoft Project

Project gives you a home area where you can create new projects, access important information about existing projects, and open projects. Project allows you to create and manage multiple projects at the same time. Once inside of a project, you can see them in either a grid view, a board view (where tasks are divided up into buckets), or a Gantt chart. 

The interface is quite bare-bones, like an Excel spreadsheet, and it doesn’t give you a lot of information at a glance. In each of these views, you’ll be able to see a list of your tasks, people involved in the project, and any filters you want to be set up around deadlines, progress, or custom labels. There’s a zoom slider that lets you change the date range you are looking at from months down to days.

GanttPRO

GanttPRO’s main project page has multiple views, including Gantt chart, board view, a grid or “workload” view, and a people view. The Gantt chart mode is the default setting where you can get an overview on your project tasks and people involved. You can vary the timescale on the Gantt chart from hours to days to weeks, all the way up to years. 

The main screen also has buttons for filters, exporting charts, and identifying any overdue tasks. There’s a project calendar which lets you set up days with set hours and breaks. GanttPRO has a feature that lets you save a snapshot of your project known as a baseline, that you can use for later reference. You’re also able to look back in the history of the project and revert to previous versions.

Winner: GanttPRO gives you more views, easy access to tools, and an intuitive interface.

Task Management Breakdown

Tasks are the building blocks of projects. Project management software allows you to create and manipulate them in various ways.

Microsoft Project

Once you are in a project, you’re able to add tasks, give them deadlines, and connect them to other tasks via dependencies. The interface is bare and minimalist, though it is interactive and clicking on various tasks brings up information about them. Tasks can be given deadlines and dependencies, which are connections between tasks.

GanttPRO

Like Project, GanttPRO’s project planning tools allows you to create tasks, modify tasks, and remove tasks. You can add tasks through dependencies which are indicated through lines and arrows. Related tasks can be put into groups that lets you organize them visually. You can set deadlines, attach users to the tasks, add related, so-called “sibling tasks,” and track their progress and status. You can set up custom columns about each task with information such as who it’s assigned to, progress made, current status, or end date.

Winner: GanttPRO offers more customization of tasks, including creating subtasks and attaching users to various tasks.

Time Management Breakdown

Time management allows users to keep track of hours spent on tasks using timers and logs and attach those hours to specific tasks.

Microsoft Project

In Project, you’re able to capture project and non-project time on payroll, invoicing, and other business tasks. With the timesheet submission feature, team members are able to submit their timesheets for approval. 

GanttPRO

GanttPRO has a task time tracker tool, which allows team members to track their time either using a timer or with a time log report.

Winner: MS Project lets you track time more easily and apply it appropriately.

Resource Management Breakdown

Resource management allows users to keep track of the various resources used in a project. This typically includes physical resources but also other kinds of resources like shipping costs and labor resources.

Microsoft Project

Only the Plan 2 and 3 tiers of Project have resource management. In Project, there are three kinds of resources: working resources, material resources, and cost resources. People and machines are working resources and require time in Project. Material resources are things like steel, wood, or glass. Finally, cost resources are things that must be purchased, like travel or shipping costs.

GanttPRO

You can track three different types of resources in GanttPRO: labor, materials, and resources with a fixed cost. You can set values to these resources by the hour, item, or a flat cost. These resources can then be assigned to different team members and people. You can assign as many resources to one task as you need. Virtual resources can also be assigned. All of these resources can be tracked and logged. 

GanttPRO has several advanced features when it comes to resources. These include systemic resource request, which lets you use Resource Engagements to request and lock in resources. Another feature are visual heat maps, which allow you to view how resources are used with Capacity heat maps and quickly identify resources that haven’t been optimized. Finally, there are resource analytics, which let you compare resources across standard data and also forecast projected usage.

Winner: GanttPRO wins here simply because it includes resource management as a standard feature for all users, rather than locking it in a higher-priced plan.

Team Management Breakdown

People are a key part of any project, and project management software lets you track what they’re doing and how much time it is taking them.

Microsoft Project

People can be added to projects and assigned tasks. You can then modify their work calendar to take into account working time, vacations, and sick time. People can be shared across tasks using a resource pool that is created under master projects. People can also be given costs.

GanttPRO

With GanttPRO you can add members to your team, set roles for them such as owner, admin, or member, set values for them, and create personalized working calendars. You can then attach members to tasks and give permissions according to their roles and responsibilities.

Winner: Tie. Both MS Project and GanttPRO offer useful team management tools.

Budget Tracking Breakdown

Keeping tabs on your budget is an important part of management. Budget tracking allows you to monitor how much money is being spent on your project based on the cost of tasks and resources.

Microsoft Project

You can make a budget in Project by creating and entering cost values for budget resources that are assigned to the project summary task. Project also has cost tracking, which allows you to compare original cost estimates, actual costs, projected costs, and see the variances between costs at any time and at any level of detail. 

GanttPRO

With GanttPRO, you calculate the cost of your project based on the cost of tasks and resources using a clear visual reporting format.

Winner: MS Project. Although GanttPRO offers a good budget report, Microsoft Project gets more granular with cost tracking.

Reporting Tools Breakdown

Reporting tools are necessary for any project management software, as they give you clear views on a project’s time, budget, tasks, and people. Reports help you ensure your project stays on track and on time.

Microsoft Project

Project has extensive reporting tools, including built-in reports that let you track progress on your projects, resources, programs, and portfolios. There is a Project Overview report that combines tables and graphs to give information about each phase of the project, upcoming milestones and tasks that are late. There are dozens of other kinds of reports that you can use to gather information about specific areas of your project.

GanttPRO

GanttPRO also has reports, but they are more limited. You can create reports for budgeting with details like projects, tasks, assignees, time, cost, and actual cost. There are also time log reports for people in your team, with the same kind of details as with budgeting.

Winner: MS Project offers far more built-in reports than GanttPRO, so you can view project details over a timeline from almost any angle.

Customer Service

Customer service is the service provided by the maker of the project management software, whether that be online resources, chat, email, or telephone communication.

Microsoft Project

Project has extensive online resources that help provide you with the basics of using the software. There are also guides to help you build a project, share and assign resources, or install the desktop hardware. Through their Microsoft 365 business product line, Microsoft also offers technical support through chat with an upgrade option to purchase phone support.

GanttPRO

GanttPRO offers support through a live chat system on their website and through email. You can find documentation on GanttPRO’s website, along with video demos and tutorials to guide you through use of features.
Winner: Tie. Both services provide tech support via live chat and email, and although MS Project provides tech support by phone, it costs extra. GanttPRO doesn’t offer it at all, so it evens out.

Alternative Project Management Options

Still unsure which project management software is best for you after reading through our comparison of GanttPRO vs MS Project? There may be a better option for you.

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TeamGantt

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If you want to stick with the waterfall methodology and are looking for another Gantt project management software, TeamGantt is another amazing option. This PM software is designed to help you monitor project progress and have a clear overview of which tasks are dependent on others. TeamGantt also offers task management and collaboration features. 

If you’re looking for a free Gantt chart software, you’re in luck because TeamGantt offers that! But remember that the free version will only work best for smaller projects with no more than a few people. If you’ve got a bigger team, you might want to look at its paid versions.

  • Great at making exportable charts
  • Drag and drop interface
  • Easy collaboration and organization tools
  • Lacks invoicing tools
  • Lacks budgeting tools
  • Reports lack features of some competitors

Pricing:

Free to $24.45 and $29.95 per user per month

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Wrike

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Wrike is a well designed project management software with lots of useful features. Although it’s on the more expensive side, it’s one of the best project management software for startups. 

Wrike also offers a free plan for small projects. If you want more professional tools, you’d have to pay a small cost. With its recently updated interface with more information visible on the default view, Wrike has made things much more organized and easy to use. You can see your inbox, to-do list, and all current tasks directly without clicking any buttons. 

It offers numerous project templates you can use to get different types of projects started. You can also make custom templates. Read the complete Wrike review to find more about it.

  • Strong customization options
  • Real-time information sharing and updates
  • Premium security features
  • Complex pricing options
  • Limited tasks for free tier.
  • Deployment services cost more

Pricing:

Free to $24.80 per user per month plus an Enterprise plan that needs custom pricing

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Zoho Projects

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Zoho Projects is an easy-to-use and affordable project management solution for SMBs. It gives you features like project scheduling and budgeting. This allows you to define project tasks, assign them to respective teams, estimate costs and follow up task progress with ease.

This PM software solution lets you automate revision tracking, access control and search and retrieval tasks. Zoho Projects also offers document management which helps you share documents with your team easily. Project managers can also resolve errors in project tasks with its issue management features.

  • Affordable Pricing
  • Mobile apps included
  • Integrates with the Zoho suite and many third-party products
  • Lacks some enterprise-level features
  • Project templates must be custom built
  • Unusual resource management view

Pricing

$0 to $10 per user per month

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for Microsoft Project vs. GanttPRO

Microsoft Project Vs GanttPRO Bottom Line 

Overall, we prefer GanttPRO to Microsoft Project. GanttPRO has an easier-to-use interface, more features directed at small and midsize businesses, and a more affordable pricing structure. With that said, if your business already uses the Microsoft suite of products and needs advanced features like demand management or enterprise resource planning and management, then Project might be a better fit.