Software for project managers for dummies is one topic that is highly covered these days and not just by my blog but many others as well. Not only does the topic cover a wide variety of issues that are directly related to project managers but also covers other aspects of software that are important to project managers.
Software makes project management easier, so if you want to manage projects successfully, then you need the right software. This article helps you choose the software for project managers for dummies that can be adapted to your company’s needs.
Basecamp
Basecamp is a remote team collaboration tool with simple project management features. If you need collaboration features with simple task lists, Basecamp may be suitable for you.
With Basecamp, you can manage projects using simple task lists. You can assign a task to a team member. Also, you can set a due date for each task.
Task workflows are not customizable in Basecamp. So, tasks are either in the to-do or done status. Team members can discuss tasks using comments. Also, you can schedule milestones or critical events on the project calendar.
Basecamp comes with three ways to collaborate — message boards, team chat, and shared files.
Besides, you can also set up automatic check-ins. So, you don’t have to ask team members for status updates every day.
If Basecamp’s simple to-do lists are a no-go for you, take a look at other Basecamp alternatives as well.
Additional Features
- Get pop-up notifications when tasks and projects change.
- Set work hours to prevent notifications from popping up during non-work hours.
- See everything on your plate on the “My Stuff” screen.
Basecamp Pricing
With Basecamp’s free plan, you can manage up to 3 projects and 20 team members.
The paid plan costs $99 per month. With the paid plan, you can manage unlimited projects and team members. You also add unlimited clients and get access to ready-made project templates.
Todoist
Todoist is a simple project management tool. Instead of visual timelines and boards, it uses simple task-lists.
Every project in Todoist is a set of tasks. Tasks can have subtasks. You can set task priority. Plus, you can organize tasks into sections.
You can assign tasks to a team member. And, other team members can collaborate on the task using comments.
Todoist also provides real-time notifications when a task changes.
Additional Features
- Award karma points for completing tasks.
- Visualize project progress using color-coded charts.
- Keep projects on top of your mind by adding them as favorites.
Todoist Pricing
Todoist’s free plan allows you to manage up to 80 projects. Also, you’re limited to 5 team members per project.
Paid plans range from $3-$5 per user per month. Upgrading to a paid plan gets you file uploads, labels, filters, productivity trends, and role-based access.
Kintone
Best for custom project workflows
Kintone’s customizable platform makes it easy to create custom project workflows you can automate—and then track every step of the way.
Kintone is an all-in-one project management platform for small businesses where teams can safely store data, communicate in real-time, create workflows, and customize business applications, all doable even by non-coders.
With Kintone’s customization features, small businesses are able to manage their entire workflow within one platform instead of a handful of tools (CRMs, expense reports, and inquiry management tools to name a few).
Kintone also gives users the ability to create automated reminders, filter tasks or project phases by data field or team member to generate custom reports or dashboard views, and automate handoffs between team members for multi-step workflows.
Kintone integrates with Slack, Gmail, Google Calendar, Outlook, Tableau, Dropbox, Salesforce, Hubspot, and many more through Zapier.
Kintone costs from $24/user/month with a minimum requirement of 5 users. They offer a 30-day free trial and discounted prices for NGOs and educators.
GanttPRO
Best for Gantt chart templates
GanttPRO lets you break projects into tasks and milestones and keep track of progress.
GanttPRO is project management software that comes with Gantt chart templates for planning, managing, and executing projects such as marketing projects, retail processes, or event planning tasks.
GanttPRO comes with features for work planning and scheduling, and task and resource management. GanttPRO also comes with features for setting up work calendars, tracking time, reporting, communicating with customers, and importing and exporting projects.
GanttPRO integrates with Slack, Google Drive, and Jira Cloud. More integrations are available through their API.
GanttPRO costs from $8.90 user/month and offers a 14-day free trial.
14 days free trial
From $8.90 user/month (for teams); from $15 user/month (for individuals) Check out GanttPRO
Pros
- Online Gantt chart that can be shared with 3rd parties
- Handy Gantt chart templates
- Advanced reporting with statistics
Cons
- No ability to set up recurring tasks
- No free version though there is a fully-featured 14-day free trial
Asana
Great Features, and an Even Better Free Plan
More details about Asana:
- Pricing: Free, or $10.99 per user per month for the Premium plan
- Website: asana.com
Pros:
- Great free plan
- Colorful interface
- Great advanced features
Cons:
- Pricey
Our second pick is Asana, and for two reasons. On the one hand, it’s the best free project management software out there, allowing up to 15 people to use a good chunk of its features without spending a penny. On the other, it has some amazing advanced features, making it a good pick for small companies that aspire to future growth.
The free plan is likely the biggest draw, as it’s just that good. Users get most of the features found in the Premium plan, but with a cap at the aforementioned 15 users and 1,000 tasks. Some smart planning can keep you under that limit, easy. We go into more detail in our article on Asana pricing, but do note that the free plan includes unlimited storage, which is generous.
Using Asana is pretty easy. It works much like monday.com in that you use the list to enter tasks and then sort them through different views. We like monday.com’s interface a smidge better, but that’s likely down to taste. What sets Asana apart aren’t its run-of-the mill features (read our Asana review for more on these), but rather its advanced ones.
Advanced Business Plans & Features
The Business and Enterprise plans include a number of really cool functions for larger companies, like setting milestones and plotting timelines. Though they’re likely not on the top of a small business’ list, it makes Asana an interesting option for a company planning for growth.
That said, these advanced plans are pretty pricey and, truth be told, so is the Premium plan, which is the upgrade from the free plan. With Asana, it seems you either pay nothing or a lot. Still, it’s good value for the money, and we recommend either giving the free version a spin or trying out one of the paid plans with a 30-day free trial.
Deskaway (Brightpod)
Brightpod is a specialized project management system for marketing teams that uses flexibility, visualization, and simplicity to optimize performance. Being designed for marketing project management does not mean that Brightpod can’t work in other industries. For small businesses, the ability to adapt quickly and communicate effectively are paramount for success.
A project management tool like Brightpod can help you achieve that with the following features:
- Excellent visualization
- Task delegation and tracking
- Workflow automation
- Specialized widgets for content and social media strategy
- Task and project management
The pricing structure of Brightpod is also favorable for small businesses. Instead of paying for additional features depending on your requirement, Brightpod allows you to pay one flat rate for all services. You’ll pay for the number of users and projects you can run. Here are the 4 plans they offer:
- Professional ($29/month) – All the features with 5 users, 15 projects, and a maximum 10 GB storage.
- Studio ($59/month) – All the features with 12 users, 50 projects, and 100 GB storage.
- Agency ($99/month) – Unlimited projects for 25 users with 250 GB storage and advanced insights.
- Agency Plus ($199/month) – Unlimited projects for unlimited users with 500 GB storage and multiple add-ons.
Toggl Plan
Toggl Plan is beautifully simple project management software. It’s a tool that needs no training. And, your team can start using it from day one to plan and manage projects.
Toggl Plan comes with three primary features — plan timelines, team timelines, and boards. Depending on your PM method, you can either use timelines or boards to manage your project.
Plan timelines make planning projects a breeze. To plan project tasks, simply drag and drop tasks on the timeline. Also, you can add color-coded milestones to the timeline.
Team timelines help plan your team’s availability and workloads. They offer similar features to the Plan timeline. In addition to the Plan timeline, you can see if your team members are over or underworked on the team timeline.
If you prefer Agile methodologies, you’ll find boards helpful to manage task workflows. Plus, boards are fully customizable. So you can adapt boards to your way of working.
You can assign timeline and board tasks to one or more team members. Team members can work together on tasks using file attachments and comments.
Additional Features
- Manage recurring tasks.
- Track time spent on tasks with the Toggl Track integration.
- Grant role-based access to guests and external team members.
- Get in-app notifications when tasks and plans change.
- Mark a timeline/board as favorite for quick access.
- Track personal work from the “My Work” screen.
Toggl Plan Pricing
Toggl Plan’s free plan is perfect for individuals. You can manage unlimited projects and keep track of unlimited tasks with the free plan.
Paid plans range from $9-$15 per user per month. When you upgrade, you get team timelines, recurring tasks, time-tracking, and role-based access. Also, all paid plans have a 14-day free trial.
Get started with Toggl Plan for free.
Conclusion:
There are so many tools available to make project management a lot easier, but where do you start? Software for Project Managers for Dummies gives you an overview project management software, including packages, add-ons and apps that can improve your productivity.