Project management software helps you keep on top of all the little details that go into managing a large project. From tasks and checklists to file storage and sharing, project management software can handle just about anything. I’ve reviewed the best project management software of 2017 to give you an idea of what’s available and which software might work for you.
Working with other people on a project is challenging since everyone’s different. We all have our own strong-suits and weaknesses. Luckily, project management tools are available to help spot areas of strength vs. weaknesses for teammates. This post will give you the details you need to decide which software might be best suited for your team.
Trello
Based around the kanban card-based management system, Trello’s simple interface and generous free tier makes it the ideal place for individuals and small teams to get started with basic project management.
Rather than traditional tools designed for managing resources and tracking progress towards a specific end date, kanban-based apps like Trello are more free-form and flexible.
You can manage both individual projects and ongoing workflows equally well, and the board and card metaphors are easy to understand. There’s plenty of power under the hood, with cards able to include images and attached files, hyperlinks, custom dropdowns, due dates, and plenty more.
Once you’re finished with a particular card or an entire board, it can be archived to hide it from daily view while still being accessible if needed in the future.
The basic free tier includes unlimited users and cards, up to 10 boards, and just one “Power-Up” (i.e., integration with other services) per board. Its unlimited storage is restricted to 10 megabytes per file. Paid plans start at $10 per month, with fewer or no limitations.1
There’s very limited reporting built into Trello, and although third-party extensions add more options, you’ll likely still need to look elsewhere if detailed reports are a major requirement. For everyone else, however, Trello is a great place to start with project management. It’s available on the web, mobile, and desktop.
BEST FOR SPEEDY SETUPWrike
If Trello’s approach seems a bit limited, but you don’t have hours to devote to learning and setting up a complex project management tool, it’s time to check out Wrike.
Standard project management features like Gantt charts, useful dashboards, and a comprehensive reporting suite are built in, and getting up and running on a small- to medium-sized project can be done quickly without learning all the ins and outs of a new, complicated system.
A time tracking tool is built in, available to both the individual working on a particular task and whoever is managing the project as a whole. Like those found in other project management tools, it’s not a replacement for a dedicated time tracking system but easily handles most basic requirements.
The interface is functional, and while it could do with a bit of a visual refresh, it is fine for the job. The free plan offers task management, interactive boards and spreadsheets, an account-wide work schedule tool, cloud integrations (Google Drive, OneBox, Box, OneDrive), and two gigabytes of total storage space for unlimited users.
Paid plans are a bit more expensive than some of the competition but open up all of the software’s options, starting with shareable dashboards, interactive Gantt charts, and productivity integrations like MS Projects at the Professional tier ($9.80 per month per user); and adding custom workflows, real-time reports, time tracking, salesforce integration, and five gigabytes of storage per user at the Business tier ($24.80 per month per user). Wrike is available on the Web, along with iOS and Android app versions.2
BEST FOR COLLABORATIONBasecamp
A veteran of the project management world, Basecamp was launched in 2004 and has built a customer base of 3.5 million users.34
The software makes much of its ability to replace several other paid monthly services, from Slack to Dropbox. While it’s not always a complete replacement, the software does take many of the features of those tools and rolls them all into one system. Scheduling and calendars, real-time chat, private messaging, file storage, and more are included.
An uncluttered interface and powerful search tools make it straightforward to find the task, image, or message you’re after, and a strong reporting suite lets you go as wide or deep as required.
Working with clients is handled well, with e-mail integration and the ability to share individual tasks and messages with people outside the organization. Notifications can be customized to your requirements, including shutting them off outside office hours.
Basecamp’s fixed $99 per month pricing makes it an appealing option for larger organizations, but small teams may find better value elsewhere. There’s no free plan, but the length of the 30-day trial is more generous than most. Web, desktop, and mobile versions are available.5
BEST VALUEZoho Projects
Part of a wide suite of productivity tools from the same company, Zoho Projects has nearly all the standard features you’d expect from a project management app, at a particularly affordable price.
Tasks are viewable in either kanban or more traditional styles, with dependencies able to be set between each task. Tools like issue and workflow management, Gantt charts, and customized reporting mean the tool can handle even relatively complex project requirements. There’s also strong integration with other services, both Zoho’s own suite of apps, and those from major players like Google and Microsoft.
Basic time tracking is built in, and although it doesn’t replace a dedicated tracking tool, there are enough features included to make it useful. Contacting other project team members can be done via the built-in chat app, which saves jumping out to external tools like e-mail or Slack.
The free tier is limited to three users, with just 10 megabytes of storage and two projects. It’s sufficient for small projects or getting a feel for the software, however, and all of the paid plans are available on a 10-day trial. Other plans which allow for more more users, more projects, and more storage start range from $5 per user to $10 per user, and you can save 20% if billed annually. Both Web and mobile versions of Zoho Projects are available.6
BEST FEATURESLiquidPlanner
LiquidPlanner is one of those pieces of software that tries to be many things to many people, and unlike most others with such grand ambitions, it generally succeeds.
In addition to being a powerful way of running traditional projects, with all the features you’d expect, LiquidPlanner performs equally well as a helpdesk-style issue tracker and general resource management tool.
Strong reporting is built in, along with integration with major cloud storage providers. There’s also Zapier support, so you can build your own automated connections with other business tools as needed.7
One-off pieces of work can be assigned to any user or group, and the impact of that extra work on the people performing it is automatically taken into account when estimating project deliverables.
With extra features comes extra complexity, of course, and while LiquidPlanner does a good job of explaining some of its trickier aspects and then getting out of the way, it still requires a greater time investment to set up, learn, and master than many of its competitors. For that reason—not to mention the cost—it’s better suited to larger teams and organizations than small, ad-hoc groups.
LiquidPlanner doesn’t offer a free tier, although you can trial various plans for two weeks. Plans start at $29 per month per user (with annual billing) for a maximum of 50 projects, and go up from there.8
BEST FOR BIG PROJECTSMicrosoft Project
Microsoft Project has been around since 1984 in one form or another, and it’s still the preferred tool of many experienced project managers. With its higher pricing and steep learning curve, it’s very much aimed at those responsible for very large, complex projects who have the expertise, time, and budget to get the most out of this comprehensive tool.
MS Project looks and feels like other Microsoft Office apps, but with few tutorials or hints, it can be daunting for newcomers to the project management space. Trained professionals, however, will appreciate the extremely granular detail available for each task and resource, whether that resource is a specific person, role, physical material, or something else.
Reporting is similarly powerful, with both pre-built and customizable reports that can be quickly exported to Microsoft PowerPoint for those inevitable management summaries. Integration with non-Microsoft tools is limited, however.
MS Project can be tacked onto an existing Office 365 subscription, at a couple of different price points, or purchased as a one-off piece of software to be installed on a single computer.
In 2021, Microsoft dropped the tiered naming convention of Essentials, Professional, and Premium and replaced it with Project Plan 1, Project Plan 3, and Project Plan 5, leaving the majority plan features unchanged. Features differ between tiers, but subscription prices for Plan 3 (formerly Professional) start at $30 per month per user.9
BEST FOR POWERFUL SIMPLICITYTeamwork Projects
If you’ve ever been daunted by the sheer complexity of using a fully fledged project management system, it’s well worth taking a look at Teamwork Projects. Despite its full feature set, the app’s interface is straightforward and easy to use, doing a good job of surfacing useful information without throwing endless lists and complex charts at its users.
Tasks are viewable as kanban boards or traditional lists, and the sensible menu options help avoid the need to dig through multiple screens to find the detail you need.
As with many other similar tools, Teamwork Projects lets you automate various actions, both within the app itself and using outside tools and services. These sort of integrations can be a real time saver, although you’ll need to devote some effort to the initial setup.
The company offers several pricing options, from the limited free tier that only permits two projects and has limited storage space, through to a high-end enterprise version. Most smaller teams will get by on the $10 per month per user plan, since it includes unlimited users, 300 projects, and 100 gigabytes of storage space. All paid tiers offer a 30-day free trial. Mobile apps are available for iOS and Android, along with the standard Web view.10
FAQs
What Are Project Management Software Tools?
Project management software tools enable teams, small businesses, and individuals to keep track of projects in all their stages. These software tools can be used to work collaboratively and remotely on a project, add notes and deadlines, track progress, and make updates. Some software tools include search functions and email integration as well as organizational tips.
Who Uses Project Management Software Tools?
Project management software tools are used by:
- Work teams
- Small business owners
- Individuals managing multiple projects
- Remote workers
- Sales teams
- Contractors and construction workers
How Much Do Project Management Software Tools Cost?
Project management software tools vary from basic versions to more complex versions with built-in integration and search functions. There are free versions and paid versions, and some software tools offer monthly paid subscriptions. Expect to pay from $10 to $99 per month, depending on how many users you have and what specific features you need.
Are Project Management Software Tools Worth the Cost?
Project management tools can be especially helpful in a team or remote work setting. They let multiple people work together in one space and collaborate, make notes, and meet deadlines. If you’re just getting started and want to try out the software, it’s a good idea to try a free version. However, if you’re a large company or have multiple team members, it’s typically worth the cost to pay for project management software and get the job done.
Conclusion
Managing projects is not easy. Creating clear brief of requirements, tracking of milestones and, of course, communication of all data is not the easiest thing to do. That’s why I’m always on the lookout for new tools to help me manage my projects. For the past few months I’ve been doing research on project management software so that I could improve my current workflows.