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What is Project Management Software?
Project Management Software refers to applications that were designed to facilitate project delivery and make it more efficient. Using a project management system, you can set more realistic milestones and deadlines, tie up and automate interdependent assignments, and keep all of your team’s members focused on your deliverables. Show more
Project management software usually offers visual ticklers such as Gantt Charts and time & resource tracking tools. The best performing apps in this category is monday.com. You can also learn more about what is project management software from our detailed guide.Show less
How was this ranking made?
To develop this ranking of best Project Management Software we have researched 1,474 leading tools currently available on the market, studying their features, ease-of-use, client service, offered integrations and mobile support using our unique SmartScoreTM rating system. This ranking has been created by Louie Andre, our software authority responsible for the Project Management Software category.
List of Top 20 Project Management Software
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1. monday.com
Our score: 9.8 User satisfaction: 99%An industry-leading collaboration app for on-site and remote work teams. This leverages tools such as Kanban boards, Gantt charts, and workflow automations to help teams handle any type of project. It also seamlessly integrates with third-party apps to ensure easier adoption and extend its capabilities.
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2. Wrike
Our score: 9.7 User satisfaction: 99%A collaboration software with user-friendly navigation and flexible project views for easier project management. It gives you a bird's eye view of your projects to get a better feel of the progress of your efforts. Moreover, its powerful reporting and analytics tools also help you generate accurate reports with actionable insights.
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3. Smartsheet
Our score: 9.4 User satisfaction: 99%An award-winning enterprise SaaS collaboration solution for organizations of all sizes. The platform combines the familiarity and ease of use of spreadsheets with features such as visual timeline management, file sharing, discussion threads, and automated workflows.
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4. Connectwise PSA
Our score: 8.8 User satisfaction: N/AA compact business suite that combines projects, services, marketing, sales, and finance in a single package. The platform allows users to manage projects and assign tasks while streamlining activities for purchasing, marketing, and customer service. The software's help desk features also enable efficient ticketing and accurate documentation.
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5. Zoho Projects
Our score: 9.1 User satisfaction: 100%A free online project planning and collaboration tool that helps you get your projects done on time and within budget. The software lets you break down projects into smaller milestones, tasks, and subtasks for easier tracking. Users can also collaborate through multiple channels, including chat, feeds, forums, and Wikis.
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6. ClickUp
Our score: 9.0 User satisfaction: 97%A simple and intuitive project management system created for all business types across industries. The cloud-based platform allows teams to collaboratte, meet, and plan together to deliver projects on time.
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7. elapseit
Our score: 8.8 User satisfaction: 100%A comprehensive resource planning, time tracking, and project management platform that provides businesses with tools to be successful from project kickstart to invoicing. It reins in shifting deadlines and requirements between multiple teams, allowing for consistency in an organization's needs and timelines.
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8. ProntoForms
Our score: 8.8 User satisfaction: 96%ProntoForms, a winner of our Best Forms Automation Software for 2019, is a top tool for managing teams and projects. It helps users save costs and effort by automating mobile workflows. The platform also helps remote workers collect data on mobile devices easily, generate insights, and share with the larger team.
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9. Celoxis
Our score: 8.8 User satisfaction: 100%A comprehensive business management suite with a unique blend of project and resource management features. It is highly customizable and generates powerful reports and comes with a dashboard module. It provides easy collaboration and communication tools for teams and clients.
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10. Daylite for Mac
Our score: 8.7 User satisfaction: 92%A Swiss-knife CRM tool ideal for Mac, iPad, and iPhone business users. It helps businesses manage and organize all their CRM data from a single platform. It lets you organize all your emails, contacts, notes, projects, sales opportunities, calendars, and tasks. It is a fully-featured productivity application that lets you keep all your CRM data in a centralized location.
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11. Bridge24
Our score: 8.8 User satisfaction: 95%An extension that integrates seamlessly with Asana, Trello, Basecamp, and AceProject so you can organize, filter, and visualize your data across multiple projects. It also lets you create interactive charts and reports and conduct history investigation on tasks within a project.
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12. Infolio
Our score: 8.6 User satisfaction: 94%An all-in-one task and project management suite that's easy to use yet loaded with features that facilitate collaboration. Includes advanced features such as multiple views (list/table/calendar), dedicated project chats, visual collaboration boards, and custom data fields.
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13. Optimy
Our score: 8.5 User satisfaction: 100%All-in-one software that enables corporate foundations to optimize and measure their corporate social responsibility. With Optimy, users can create and tailor their own forms, administer and manage multiple activities from a centralized dashboard. Key features include customizable forms, automated workflows, and data exports and reporting.
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14. JobNimbus
Our score: 8.5 User satisfaction: 94%JobNimbus is a feature-rich CRM and project management solution that is mainly used by construction companies and SMBs. It lets managers organize tasks through its customizable boards and drag-and-drop interface. Contacts are profiled, stored, and designated per project, with the communication tracked by the software. Meanwhile, tasks are automatically populated into a built-in calendar, with notifications sent via mobile and email.
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15. awork
Our score: 8.6 User satisfaction: 94%awork is a powerful project management software that allows users to plan projects, assign tasks, and designate timelines. It has a time tracking feature that lets you monitor the productive times of your team. The platform is also equipped with automation tools so it can perform actions automatically throughout each project.
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16. ActiTIME
Our score: 8.5 User satisfaction: 100%A time tracking software built to help businesses manage employee productivity using a data-driven approach. Aside from timesheets, the app also provides rich functionalities that cover project management and accounting processes.
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17. Zoho Sprints
Our score: 8.5 User satisfaction: 100%A cloud-based project management platform designed for agile teams. Its clutter-free interface only has room for tools essential to agile project management, such as Scrum Boards, highly visual dashboards, and timesheets. Zoho Sprints makes collaborating, tracking, and planning simple but effective with robust features customizable based on the team’s needs (prioritization, feeds, notification, etc.)
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18. CanTicket
Our score: 8.0 User satisfaction: 97%A business productivity tool for task management, time tracking, account management, CRM, and reporting. This software solution increases productivity and simplifies task management.
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19. HedgeGuard Crypto
Our score: 8.0 User satisfaction: 100%An innovative financial technology designed for the buy-side community for optimal portfolio management.
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20. CA Clarity
Our score: 7.5 User satisfaction: 100%Clarity PPM is a Project and Portfolio management (PPM) software that offers businesses an integrated solution to manage their services.
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Table of contents
Industry Report - Project Management Software for 2022
CloudRank™ system is a unique algorithm that our research team uses to evaluate Project Management Software solutions in a detailed and accurate way. The Spring 2022 edition of the ranking was prepared by Louie Andre, our leading expert in the field of Project Management Software, who has authored 1380+ product reviews in this category. The goal of CloudRank™ is to present an unbiased, multi-layered perspective on Project Management Software, considering a wide range of metrics and factors, and educating potentiala customers about both opportunities and challenges associated with each piece of software.
In order to achieve full objectivity the position in our CloudRank™ is based on:
- Expert Score: which involves extensive analysis by our internal team which carefully examined all key elements of each software and testing it in real-life situations
- User Score: which involves an aggregated opinion of actual users of each product whose identity was properly verified
- Market Position: which involves general recognition of a given vendor on the market and reflects its overall popularity and reach
What do the tiers in CloudRank™ mean?
We’ve calculated a score for each product based on the average experience shared by our users in their product reviews and arranged the list in three tiers. You can see the methodology below on how the calculations were made.
- Leaders: those with a User Score of 8.5 or higher; this tier includes products that are currently leaders on the market and are appreciated by both experts and actual users. They always represent the best of what the Project Management Software market has to offer and are all worth trying out if you’re looking for a reliable solution.
- Contenders: those with a User Score between 8 and 8.5; this tier includes high-quality products that still have some minor drawbacks that prevent them from becoming leaders on the market. They always represent well-designed tools that, over time, will most likely develop into market leaders as the missing features are added.
- Rising Stars: those with a User Score between 7 and 8; this tier includes products that have high-potential but still lack some crucial features or services expected from a leading solution. They are products with solid foundations and a vision that makes us eager to see what they will become as their solution improves in the future.
Regardless of their tier, all products included in our CloudRank™ are popular, quality products considered top-performers by our team of experts. Make sure you read a more detailed review of each solution to find one that will work best for your specific needs and budget.
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MARKET POSITION
A score between 1 and 10 based on popularity and market reach of each product.
TOTAL score
A score between 1 and 10 based on the average of our Expert Score and User Score.
How does CloudRank™ work?
Market Position
A score between 1 and 10 based on popularity and market reach of each product.
Total Score
A score between 1 and 10 based on the average of our Expert Score and User Score.
CloudRank™ tier
Based on product's total score.
Rising Star
Contender
Front Runners
25 Most Popular Project Management Software
Here is a list of all 25 Project Management Software solutions evaluated with our CloudRank™ analysis. We have compared their features, user satisfaction, market presence and other key factors in an in-depth analysis you can find below:
Our score and features analysis:
}
CloudRank™
Score:9.25
Score:9.25
Customers company size
No. of employees:
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100+
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Our score and features analysis:
}
CloudRank™
Score:9.19
Score:9.19
Customers company size
No. of employees:
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51-100
100+
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Our score and features analysis:
}
CloudRank™
Score:8.90
Score:8.90
Customers company size
No. of employees:
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51-100
100+
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Our score and features analysis:
}
CloudRank™
Score:8.88
Score:8.88
Customers company size
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100+
Best features
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5. Zoho Projects
8.82
Our score and features analysis:
}
CloudRank™
Score:8.82
Score:8.82
Customers company size
No. of employees:
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100+
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Our score and features analysis:
}
CloudRank™
Score:8.78
Score:8.78
Customers company size
No. of employees:
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51-100
100+
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Our score and features analysis:
}
CloudRank™
Score:8.74
Score:8.74
Customers company size
No. of employees:
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51-100
100+
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Our score and features analysis:
}
CloudRank™
Score:8.54
Score:8.54
Customers company size
No. of employees:
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51-100
100+
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Our score and features analysis:
}
CloudRank™
Score:8.53
Score:8.53
Customers company size
No. of employees:
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51-100
100+
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Our score and features analysis:
}
CloudRank™
Score:8.44
Score:8.44
Customers company size
No. of employees:
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51-100
100+
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Our score and features analysis:
}
CloudRank™
Score:8.31
Score:8.31
Customers company size
No. of employees:
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100+
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12. ActiveCollab
8.16
Our score and features analysis:
}
CloudRank™
Score:8.16
Score:8.16
Customers company size
No. of employees:
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51-100
100+
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Our score and features analysis:
}
CloudRank™
Score:8.16
Score:8.16
Customers company size
No. of employees:
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51-100
100+
Best features
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Our score and features analysis:
}
CloudRank™
Score:8.13
Score:8.13
Customers company size
No. of employees:
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51-100
100+
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15. ProjectManager
8.12
Our score and features analysis:
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CloudRank™
Score:8.12
Score:8.12
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100+
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16. Microsoft Project
8.10
Our score and features analysis:
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CloudRank™
Score:8.10
Score:8.10
Customers company size
No. of employees:
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Our score and features analysis:
}
CloudRank™
Score:8.09
Score:8.09
Customers company size
No. of employees:
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51-100
100+
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Our score and features analysis:
}
CloudRank™
Score:8.00
Score:8.00
Customers company size
No. of employees:
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51-100
100+
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Our score and features analysis:
}
CloudRank™
Score:7.89
Score:7.89
Customers company size
No. of employees:
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51-100
100+
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Our score and features analysis:
}
CloudRank™
Score:7.85
Score:7.85
Customers company size
No. of employees:
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51-100
100+
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Our score and features analysis:
}
CloudRank™
Score:7.82
Score:7.82
Customers company size
No. of employees:
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51-100
100+
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Our score and features analysis:
}
CloudRank™
Score:7.69
Score:7.69
Customers company size
No. of employees:
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100+
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Our score and features analysis:
}
CloudRank™
Score:7.57
Score:7.57
Customers company size
No. of employees:
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51-100
100+
Best features
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Our score and features analysis:
}
CloudRank™
Score:7.56
Score:7.56
Customers company size
No. of employees:
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100+
Best features
Worst features
25. Projectplace
7.48
Our score and features analysis:
}
CloudRank™
Score:7.48
Score:7.48
Customers company size
No. of employees:
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100+
Best features
Worst features
Our report covered 25 most popular products from the Project Management Software category. We’ve analyzed their features, performance, integration, customer support, pricing, and several other key buying factors and combined it with feedback from user reviews to come up with the current list of best solutions:
- 2022 Project Management Software Leaders: Wrike, monday.com, Basecamp, Trello, Zoho Projects, Smartsheet, Asana, MeisterTask, Jira
- 2022 Project Management Software Contenders: Teamwork, Podio, ActiveCollab, Workfront, Backlog, ProjectManager, Microsoft Project, ProofHub, Bitrix24, TeamGantt, Paymo, Taskworld
- 2022 Project Management Software Rising Stars: Redbooth, Clarizen, Freedcamp, Projectplace
Wrike is the current leader of the Project Management CloudRank 2022, eking out a few more points over competitors monday.com and Backlog. Wrike outshines the competition with user reviews praising its robustness as an all-in-one project management platform, as well as the functionality offered by its various features.
User reviews currently come from a nearly 50-50 split between small to mid-sized and larger organizations, but the fact that positive comments all point out how effective Wrike is as a project management SaaS reflects how the product can not only cater to the needs of differently-sized clientele, but that regardless of scale, Wrike delivers consistent quality. Perhaps this commitment to quality is also why Wrike is among the few products in the CloudRank grid to sport high mobile support and integration capability metrics.
One can argue that being so neck and neck with Basecamp and Trello may mean Wrike is only .2 points luckier, but throughout the CloudRank grid, products vie for positioning with differences of only a few points. Indeed, the close competition between products does not necessarily mean that any of the higher rankers could top the list at any time. Instead, it reflects the nuanced consideration of features, functionality, customer service, usability, and even third-party integrations and mobile support between leading products—they may all offer similar service levels, but Wrike still beat out the competition and is the only Leader in the CloudRank grid.
Most users of Project Management Software solutions confirm that in most cases these tools allow them to reach the following business goals:
- It enhanced collaboration and teamwork, resulting in seamless planning and execution. [ 86.7% of users ]
- It boosted the efficiency of every employee with improved communication and productivity. [ 87.0% of users ]
- It delegated tasks to the most capable personnel depending on schedule, availability, budget, and skills. [ 86.7% of users ]
- It delegated tasks to the most capable personnel, depending on schedule, availability, budget, and skills. [ 87.0% of users ]
- It helped in effectively managing all resources, assets, and manpower. [ 86.2% of users ]
- It tracked progress and set plausible benchmarks to encourage accountability. [ 86.3% of users ]
How did we select products for this Project Management Software report?
The Spring 2022 version of the report includes a total of 25 Project Management Software products that were compared and analyzed by our team. We selected them based on the following factors:
- Popularity of a given brand in the SaaS market (based on our own market research)
- How popular a given brand is among FinancesOnline users (based on number of mothly readers for each review page)
- Availability of statistical data generated from user reviews of a particular product (we excluded products with not enough data to draw meaningful conclusions)
- The current listing reflects the state of our database and research as of May 2022. An updated version of the report will be released quarterly to keep data fresh and incorporate information about shifts and changing trends in the market.
What are the current Project Management Software trends?
AI, automation, and data are driving project management software developments
With Big Data comes Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the form of machine learning and deep learning. While there are lesser forms of AI already present in SaaS categories like Business Intelligence and Customer Relationship Management—note the Big Data requirement being present and required for both—machine and deep learning are the AI heavyweights slowly but surely coming to nearly every SaaS category.
For project management, these developments will impact real-time scheduling, automated task prioritization, and decision-making e.g. within push- or pull-based processes. According to PMI’s 9th Global Project Management Survey in 2017, respondents noted that among all the projects they’ve undertaken in the past year, 41% are rated as high complexity, so the AI boost would probably be welcome. AI is indeed impacting nearly every technology sector, with 87% of workers report that they expect AI to change their jobs in the next 3 years.
Project Management Software Adoption in Organizations
Source: Medium.com
Designed byProject management software need to support mixed methodologies
Scrum, Agile, Lean — there are quite a few project management methodologies typically built around and for specific departmental functionality, such as software development or vehicle manufacturing. Another issue that these directly address is growing project complexity. Yet each style has transferable and translatable benefits in cross-functional teams whose roles may not be as specialized or technical. So what do project managers and teams do? They use hybrid project management methodologies.
Naturally, some methods are gaining more steam compared to others. Agile, in particular, appears to be a project manager’s favorite, with 70% of companies using Agile at least part of the time during their processes. Project management software providers are expected to follow suit, with increasingly more products integrating Agile-specific tools or features to cater to its growing audiences.
Most Used Project Management Software Features
Source: eylean
Designed byProject management software needs to account for various changing values in the workplace
The increasing importance of soft skills in project management and the rise of the freelance, international gig economy — these are just two aspects of workplace that are changing with modern times that impact project management software depending on how much value they bring to the table, and how much they impact project management as a whole.
As modern work forces place an increasing value in “soft skills” that facilitate harmonious teamwork within departments, project managers are expected to take into account how best to frame messaging and communication within their own teams. For project management software, the impact is more subtle: how can they facilitate the smoothest communication functionality taking into account the role of project managers and their soft skills? In the same vein, the international gig economy that has made it normal for team members to not only work from their own home offices, but also come from different continents is also a new consideration for project management software. Indeed, in 2018, 59% of projects had team members in different countries. How can they offer features and functionality that not only transcends cultural and workplace norms and mores but also make it easier for works from all walks of life to use them efficiently?
In any business nowadays, you would see that project management is a very crucial aspect in operations, whether the field is construction, information technology, engineering, or what have you. A lot of businesses nowadays, regardless of their size or scope, use project management software as one of the key tools to make changes in their strategies and to achieve new goals. It should not come as a surprise as online project management can boost the operations of a company or organization and make it better and more competitive—provided that the project management is correctly implemented.
Get to know each product with free trial
Therefore, it is really important that you understand what is project management software and that you select the right project management software platforms for your company, enabling you to efficiently oversee tasks, monitor projects, manage customer relations, do inventory, and keep work-related files, among other business operations. Many successful firms at present see project management solution as a must-have tool.
What kind of project management service would be the best one for your company though? Companies and organizations sometimes tend to select the most popular project management programs out there based on media buzz or a few reports, only to discover that the solution is not the perfect fit for their operations.
To guide business owners like you, here is a quick buyer’s guide on how to select the best Project Management Software, and the list of considerations that you can use before you hop to the next software vendor and immediately purchase one. You may also want to read our top 10 project management software comparisons.
Usually, the best approach is to try out some free trial plans or demo from the most reliable project management software providers to find out more about their key features first. That way you will be able to get a first-hand comparison of the tools before you actually invest money in one of them. The best way to look for the best project management software is to try services that currently have the highest rankings in our SmartScore and Customer Satisfaction Rating in our project management software reviews: Wrike reviews, Nutcache, eXo Platform, JIRA, Workfront, Zoho Projects, ProWorkFlow, Zoho Docs, Procore, Mavenlink, Azeus Convene, TeamDesk, and LiquidPlanner.
Targeted Businesses
- Small businesses use project management tools to manage tasks and be organized.
- Mid-market companies create project management offices with the solution.
- Large enterprises use the software to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
Project Management Software For Enterprises
Project Management software is particularly useful to large companies handling a variety of complex projects at the same time. The ideal scenario for them is to discover that one-size-fits-all project management solution which will help them prioritize information and adapt to ever-changing priorities, standardize the planning process even in their most diverse teams, and avoid risk and unnecessary delays. Luckily for them, the challenge of developing a solid project manager nowadays is to make it as competitive as possible but still packed in a user-friendly interface that won’t require exhausting and costly training or huge investments. What is also important for them is that they get access to a robust analytics suite that helps them work with big data, which is not the case when managing each project individually.
What are Examples of Project Management Software?
- Wrike: Wrike is an online project management software created to make work faster and more efficient in distributed and co-located groups.
- Asana: Asana is a task and project management application for small business as well as larger companies that facilitates team collaboration and communication.
- Trello: Trello is a collaboration software that helps members to discuss a project in real-time.
- Clarizen: Clarizen is an enterprise-grade system that links robust project management to social engagement and in a unique and easy way.
- JIRA: JIRA is designed to help you capture, assign, and set priorities to your work. It allows you to manage the entire process of application development – from concept to launch.
Get details on the popular apps in this category by reading our comprehensive article on the top 15 project management solutions.
Types of Project Management Software
Project management tools are generally categorized into four main categories:
- In-house or on-premise software: On-premise software refers to solutions that are installed in your company’s office equipment or computer servers. They are regarded as in-house project management tools.
- Individual software: These can be web-based tools that promote project management involving individual projects or tasks.
- Medium-sized systems: These project management tools are web-based and intended as central project management systems.
- High-end systems: These refer to systems that are largely created as central project management systems for top enterprises and large organizations.
Key Features of Project Management Software
When looking for the project management platform that is right for you, below are some key considerations and features:
- Collaborate with your employees in real-time – Project management apps offer communication tools to help teams discuss tasks in real-time. The solution can keep each team member updated and enable them to quickly deal with problems as they arise.
- Document sharing – The software offers document sharing tools to enable users to edit and update project reports, and create systems for communication and transparency.
- Manage project costs – Project management software generally offers tools that help to manage project costs.
- Manage risks, budgets, and forecasting – The software helps you to identify project risks, track budgets, and create forecasts.
- Reporting capabilities – The system offers flexible report formats and helps you access the required data quickly and easily to keep projects on schedule.
- Intuitive to use – Dashboard-based software is easy to install and simple to learn and use. This means faster implementation and ramp-up times.
Benefits of Project Management Software
Look for a platform that can be integrated with the rest of your business operations. A versatile project management software program should allow your business to add users, streamline your various operations, and grow projects and activities, while at the same time reducing the expenses of your company. If you can find a project solution that allows you to incorporate all of these functions, then you find a solution that is worth buying.
Always consider the needs of your business. Ask yourself: what does my company need? Before buying a project management software program, it is always wise to do a meticulous and careful evaluation of your company’s needs first, the number of people who will use the program, and which of a tool’s features can address your company’s needs not only in the present but also the future.
The pricing model is also one key consideration you should watch out for. For example, instead of buying the project management solution outright, why not subscribe to the solution for a month, or even a year? Subscribing to use the features for a month or a year may cost lower than purchasing a software solution, especially when you are not sure if the tool is the perfect one for your business. A lot of solution providers out there offer discounted rates for companies subscribing to an annual plan instead of a monthly one, so it is something that you might want to carefully evaluate. Look for a solution provider that will allow you to quickly add or reduce the number of users or expand certain features. More importantly, look for a vendor that will give you the option to cancel your subscription if you find out later that the project management solution cannot adequately handle the needs of your business. It will also benefit you a lot to check out the various project platforms that offer trial subscriptions for you to gauge in a limited time if the solution has what your business needs.
Before selecting a project management tool, consider getting responses or feedback from the rest of your team, especially the ones whom you think will be using the solution. Check the issues they have, which the tool can hopefully address.
Organizational culture is also a big factor in software adoption success. So, this should be considered together with the technical aspects like workflows and best practices.
Latest Trends
- Remote teams will become mainstream: A recent study by Intuit shows that 40% of workers in the US will be temporary employees, contractors, and freelancers by 2020. These contractors are already working remotely on websites, such as Demand Media, Freelancer.com, and Upwork. Plus, full-time employees are increasingly making use of telecommuting. All this means that projects will continue to use more contract and remote employees in the future.
- BYOD poses challenges: More companies are adopting BYOD (Bring Your Own Device), allowing their employees to use their own laptops, tablets, and smartphones for work purposes. This trend poses new challenges to project managers. They have to ensure the software they use is suitable for multiple platforms. Other challenges are to enhance security and create multiple installation images and new processes. This means project managers have to do more complex work and combine their tasks with help desk function.
- PMTQ: As industries continuously undergo digital transformation, companies will value professionals with high project management technology quotient (PMTQ). This current trend will inevitably pervade most if not all industries in the years to come.
Potential Issues
- Costly programs: Some project management programs can be expensive with little return on investment. You may need to custom design the solution or buy multiple programs. These are difficult to implement and can prove to be costly.
- May complicate simple projects: A project management system may not be ideal for simple projects. They may have complex features that could prove to be counter-productive and end up complicating simple projects. Inappropriate use of project management solutions can, thus, unnecessarily complicate issues.
- Slow and weak workflow adoption: Organizational culture is an important factor when it comes to software and workflow adoption. For software adoption to be a success, attitudes and mindsets need to be aligned. Leadership is crucial when it comes to software adoption or digital transformation in general.
Types of Deployment
Generally, project management platforms have three deployment types: (1) on-premise, (2) cloud-based, and (3) hybrid. However, cloud-based platforms are the most popular today.
- On-Premise. Software tools of this deployment type need to be installed in your office hardware. One great thing about these types is that they allow you to work offline or on LAN. Meaning, you don’t need the internet to access important projects and documents. However, your operations may get bogged down if or when your hardware breaks. Plus, you need internal security measures to keep your data safe.
- Cloud-based. With a cloud-based project management software, you can access your data easily on any device. All you need is an internet connection. Also, one key benefit of using cloud-based platforms is that they allow for faster and easier team collaboration. However, there are cons as well. First, they come in recurring payment plans. Second, you might be forced to work online if the software does not offer an offline mode. Simply put, no internet, no work.
- Hybrid. Only a few project management tools offer hybrid deployments. One of them is Jira. These software products have both on-premise clients and web interfaces that sync with each other. So, with them, your team can do some work offline via LAN and some while on the internet (if they work remotely).
Payment Schemes and Costs
Cost is almost always an issue when it comes to choosing a project management software. So, be sure to take note of the pricing and payment options. Below are the most popular payment schemes today:
- Free. Yes, there are free versions of project management tools out there. You can refer to our FAQ section about them. Also, there are many open-source platforms.
- Monthly Subscription. This is probably the most popular payment scheme among SaaS. This is perfect for trying out new features not included in the free version or if you want to extend your trial period. Usually, this is priced higher than the annual plans. However, it is easier to opt-out of this arrangement in case you find that a particular platform isn’t for you.
- Yearly Subscription. Project management software providers often offer annual plans at a cheaper rate than their monthly subscriptions. Think of this as the SaaS version of “buying wholesale.” The only problem with this is that it is harder to opt-out as you’ve already committed to at least a year’s access.
Pro Tip: You can ease yourself into a long-term payment plan by starting out with a free trial or a free version first. When you are satisfied with the product or need more features, you can try these out for maybe a couple of months with a monthly subscription plan. Then, when you are thoroughly satisfied with the product that you have, maybe its time to upgrade to much cheaper yearly plans.
Bottom line
Sure it may be a bit costly, but investing in the right project management solution that has the best options for you is something that you should do. Once the project management software solution is implemented, it can make your tasks and responsibilities easier by organizing your information and consolidating your projects in a quick-to-use display that can be accessed easily. It should help companies save money and time as well as complete projects faster and better by integrating with the various tools your business has been using regularly.
Check for a project solution that is adaptable and can be changed, depending on the business plans and strategy you have.
In the end, the perfect management software solution is established so your company can organize plans in the quickest as well as the most efficient way for your business.
List of Project Management Software Companies
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Things to consider when you invest in a SaaS
To select a suitable SaaS program for your company, start by asking the following questions:
· Is this cloud system the best program—economically and features-wise?
· Will it be uncomplicated to do long-term business with the cloud provider?
· Is the app easy to use and does it simplify technology?
· Can the product help your company to handle compliance, security, and operational risks?
Find out if other companies have successfully deployed the system. Get proof about the provider being able to offer the desired business value and ROI. Read case studies to learn about the user experiences of other customers. Get references from the provider and find out about the quality of the software and service provided.
Another important aspect to consider is the free trial. Before you make such a vital decision and invest your hard-earned money, be sure if the program actually fits your requirements. You can do this by signing up for the free trial and checking out the system’s tools. Also, find out if the provider can help you to pilot the system. You may need to shell out for the deployment of the pilot, but the fee is worth it as it will give you results and proof points to analyze before you make a key investment.
Frequently asked questions about Project Management Software
What is the best project management software?
The best project management software in the market is no less than monday.com, the winner of our Best Project Management Software Award for 2019. This popular platform is known for being highly customizable and for being highly visual. It is not just easy to use. Many find it to be enjoyable to use as well.
Its biggest differentiation is its deep ‘if-then’ logic for its automation. This also works well with third-party business systems. For instance, you can configure monday.com to change a task’s status and send you a notification whenever a sale is registered in your ecommerce tool. You can also have monday.com send emails or post on social media and many more with these ‘if-then’ rules.
With this, monday.com acts as a centralized hub for your business. With its flexible and programmable features, it can run multiple projects or even businesses at the same time. Its user interface is very intuitive. And, many feel that it has the best design across SaaS categories.
What are the benefits of project management software?
The benefits of project management software revolve around how it helps teams be on the same page. We’ll outline some of the major benefits of using project management software here.
Keep Track of Projects and People. Managing projects does not only involve the management objectives and tasks. It mainly involves managing people. With a project management software tool, you can keep track of what your staff is doing and how far along with your schedule they are.
Single Source of Truth. It provides businesses with a digital hub and a single source of truth. For instance, you can post project details and specs on most platforms. Plus, you can also keep media and files on it. This way, your team will have the same source and versions of files.
Quick and Easy Collaboration. Most project management software solutions have collaboration tools reminiscent of popular social media platforms. For instance, many sport commenting sections, chat modules, and even ‘likes’. Others even have productivity modules like word processing tools that people can work on collaboratively in real-time.
Integrate Workflows and Systems. Project management software solutions can usually integrate seamlessly with other business applications. Thus, you can let it stand as a hub for different specialized processes with their particular digital support software. You can coordinate and automate seemingly disparate processes from there.
What are the features of project management software?
Not all project management software have the same features. Some generic ones have generic features that are quite flexible for use in any industry. Others are quite specialized for specific industries like field service and consultancy. However, there are universal features among project management software. Here are the major ones below.
Project Tracking. This feature allows you to track the progress of tasks and projects. This allows you to identify bottlenecks, gauge performance, and see who is assigned to certain tasks.
Team Management. This essential set of features allows you to assign and unassign tasks, collaborate, and communicate with your team members.
File Storage. Project management software allow you to keep project files and versions in a single place. Some have built-in file management modules. Others outsource it via integrations with third-party tools.
Dashboards and Reporting. Good project management software solutions include easy-to-understand dashboards to let you know how your projects and staff are doing. Also, these platforms usually include a reporting module with a good amount of analytics so you can optimize your performance.
Security. It is essential for project management software solutions, especially the cloud-based ones, to have extra layers of security. Sensitive company, employee, and customer data are involved in projects. Thus, software providers offer robust security measures, permission rules, and access tools to help you keep your data safe.
What is the easiest project management software to use?
Usually, project management platforms are pretty easy to use. However, there are those that are quite simple thanks to their design. However, some of these easy-to-use tools are too simple for complex business use. Here are three that don’t compromise simplicity for function.
Trello. This project management platform uses an easy Kanban-inspired card scheme that is very easy to use. Each card represents a task and each column represents a phase. Then, you move each card from one column to another to track progress. This makes Trello very intuitive to use. Plus, it has great integration that extends its capability.
Asana. This is a comprehensive project management platform with an intuitive interface reminiscent of social media platforms. It is great for collaboration and keeping multiple projects afloat. Plus, it has a good file storage system available as well.
monday.com. The best project management software being offered today on the market is also very easy to use. You can set up management dashboards easily and customize them to fit your needs. The interface is highly visual and, truth be told, many users find it very enjoyable too.
What is a good free project management software?
There are many good free project management software solution. And, the best free ones are the free versions of top applications. Here are three of the most popular ones.
Wrike. This top platform offers users a free version that can is perfect for small teams. The free plan supports five team members and provides a shared task list.
Trello. The free plan includes unlimited personal boards, unlimited cards, and unlimited lists. Plus, it supports 10MB per file attachment.
Basecamp. Its Basecamp Personal plan is free of charge and free of ads. This is best for freelancers, families, students, and personal projects.
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