A project management tool is a tool that is made accessible to managers to enable them to manage projects effectively.
When it comes to big projects, appropriate planning, task assignment, deadline setting, enforcing adherence to those deadlines, and time monitoring are all necessary, while simple projects only need a checklist.
Numerous project management software programs are available, and if you’re unfamiliar with project management, it may be challenging to determine which ones are crucial, helpful, and time-wasters.
Top 10 Project Management Tools
#1. Trello
With built-in features for teamwork, Trello is a top choice for online project management. It is easy to use, lightweight, and simple to understand. It uses boards, lists, and cards for task creation and organization.
Features
- Users can exchange files, post comments, and work together on cards.
- Lack of project tracking tools like Kissflow Project and reporting capabilities.
- It is best suited for individuals or small teams who simultaneously oversee a limited number of projects.
Price:
There is no cost to utilize the fundamental plan. Paid options, however, are available and include automation, integrations, and priority support
#2. Asana
Asana is a versatile SaaS project management platform that emphasizes teamwork. Workflows are used to automate repetitive processes. It allows custom fields and forms and has a variety of straightforward task displays. You may even invite an infinite number of visitors. Additionally, it is possible to create unique rules and approval workflows.
While Asana has a lot to offer in terms of efficiency and teamwork, it handles many essential project management features through integrations, which may not be optimal for many users.
All sizes of enterprises can benefit from it, but freelancers may not find it to their liking.
Price:
Up to 15 users may use the free plan. Tasks can be managed by being seen as lists, events on a calendar, or Kanban board.
Timelines, reports, custom fields, automation rules, and more are supported by their $10.99/month/user premium subscription. When paid yearly, the cost is $24.99 per user each month.
#3. Zoho Project
The well-liked Zoho Projects service aids companies in work management, collaboration, bug tracking, and creating clear reports.
The online project management application includes tools like Gantt charts and the capacity to simultaneously charge time for numerous projects.
In addition, Zoho Projects have a powerful collaboration capability, such as live chat and discussion board sites.
We say the Gantt charts are difficult to use, and the reporting breakdown may not be enough for large teams, according to many users.
The tool itself allows you to share documents.
Pricing:
- There is a perpetually free version with minimal functionality and a small user base.
- They include custom statuses and problem tracking in the $3 Standard plan’s list of features. It can accommodate ten users.
- The $4 Express package may support up to 50 users. You’ll have access to functions like Gantt charts, recurring tasks, and timesheet approvals.
- The Premium package accommodates up to 100 users and costs $5. Its capabilities include resource management, task automation, business rules, and budgeting.
- There is no user cap on the $6 Enterprise plan, which has pricing. Some features include inter-project dependencies, global Gantt charts, and custom roles.
- Each monthly package is based on one user.
#4. Wrike
With the help of the cloud-based project management platform Wrike, you can effortlessly engage with all stakeholders, track your team’s progress, and keep an eye on deadlines. Task management, Gantt charts, a real-time newsfeed, and more sophisticated tools are available.
You might prioritize your chores to expedite the critical work and guarantee that deadlines are reached. It is a strong project management suit due to the numerous integration options. Most first-time users may find the sheer quantity of functions intimidating, and the confusing user interface doesn’t help much.
It’s perfect for various departments within the company, including marketing, software development, and professional services.
Price:
- There is a freemium version with fewer features and room for five users. Paid plans begin at $9.80/user/month.
- The cost of the Business plan is $24.80 per user per month. It supports workflows, time tracking, Gantt charts, and subtasks.
#5. ProofHub
Task lists, Gantt charts, workflows, discussions, calendars, and documents can all be found in one place using ProofHub. It aids in task planning, organization, and monitoring for your team. It makes collaboration both within teams and with outside clients simple. There are many reports, such as resource and workload reports.
ProofHub strongly emphasizes simplicity and provides very few integrations and task management features. It benefits all sizes of enterprises as well as independent contractors.
Price:
In addition to offering a flat cost regardless of user volume, ProofHub has no user cap. There are two different plans: the Essential plan costs $50 monthly, while the Ultimate Control plan costs $99 monthly.
#6. Clarizen
Clarizen is a highly regarded online project management tool for mid to enterprise-sized enterprises. The system only supports web-based project management. Hence the absence of a mobile app may limit its utility for some teams. Although it lacks a to-do list and time tracking, users adore the rich reporting features and ability to monitor resource utilization.
Because it has particular methods for managing workflows, the learning curve is somewhat steep. Enterprise-level project managers, IT organizations, and professional services teams who demand robust, adaptable, and user-friendly web-based project management software would benefit the most from Clarizen.
Price: They do not disclose prices publicly but are available upon request.
#7. Airtable
Features
- Airtable offers the best of both worlds with a database and spreadsheet combined.
- All sizes of enterprises can benefit from its adaptability and simplicity of usage.
- A drawback for specific customers may be the absence of powerful reporting options.
- Data that can be utilized for task management and project planning can be stored in the database.
- The flexible data organization capabilities of Airtable’s spreadsheets are a favorite among many users. Kanban, list, grid, and calendar are just a few examples of the various perspectives.
Pricing:
- Rich field kinds, numerous views, and collaboration are all supported under the free plan for Airtable.
- For businesses needing more data storage, monthly fees start at $10 per user.
- Advanced features from their Pro plan include domain-restricted sharing, customized views, and custom branded forms.
#8. Zenkit
Features
- A well-known project management tool called Zenkit enables you to keep on top of your data, from gathering research and ideas to sharing it with others.
- Teams that prefer an agile approach to their work are the group they primarily aimed it at.
- The traditional methods of project management are also supported, though.
For individuals looking for a flexible solution to their project demands, Zenkit is a reliable project management application that provides a variety of views, reporting, and resource-management capabilities.
Pricing:
There are three premium plans and a free Personal plan available from Zenkit. These plans are business, plus, and enterprise. The number of features and supported projects expands with each tier, with the Enterprise plan providing the most customizability for large enterprises.
#9. MeisterTask
MeisterTask is a virtual project management program for teams collaborating and communicating in real time. It provides a dashboard for activities, backlog management, features that may be customized, file-sharing options, and more.
Even though its revision management features may be improved, it has an aesthetically pleasing user interface.
Pricing:
There are four price tiers for MeisterTask: Basic, Pro, Business, and Enterprise.
- The Basic plan: which is free.
- The Business plan: $10.39/user/month,
- The Pro plan: $4.19/user/month.
- Enterprise Plan: The pricing can be customized according to the user.
#10. Paymo
For small firms and remote teams, Paymo markets itself as a cutting-edge and user-friendly job management system. It has sophisticated planning, scheduling, collaboration, billing, and time-tracking functions. In essence, it makes it possible to manage a project’s lifespan without downloading and paying for various programs.
Pricing
- The annual plans provide you with two more months of use.
- When invoiced annually, the Small Office plan has a monthly user fee of $9.95.
- When invoiced annually, the Business plan has a monthly user fee of $15.
Examples of a Free Project Management Tool
The top 8 free project management tool, include:
- Trello, for visual project management
- For teams, asana
- For individualized task views, click up.
- Wrike offers functions akin to spreadsheets.
- Paymo for independent contractors and small agency teams
- Using Airtable to create a personalized project management app
- GoodDay offers support for several project management techniques.
- Developers use Jira.
What Are the 5 Management Tools?
The five management tools are:
- Benchmarking,
- Employee engagement surveys.
- Customer relationship management.
- Balanced scorecards
- Strategic planning.
Why is a Project Management Tool Necessary?
If you aren’t aware of the advantages of project management tools, you may be living under a rock. We’ve listed some of the most prevalent advantages below:
- Improved collaboration
- Delegation made simpler
- Precise project tracking
- Storage of data centrally
- Seamless communication
- Rapid file sharing
- Time management
- Invoicing automation
- Rapid reporting
Now that you understand the benefits of online project management tools, let’s look at how to select the best one.
How Do You Choose the Best Online Project Management Tool?
Here is a list of the top six aspects of project management tools you must have if you want to lead a successful project.
#1. The Kanban board
Kanban boards are workspaces that let you see your project and are extremely useful in project management. The Kanban board employs a bare board and card system, allowing everyone on a team to see specific tasks and the overall picture of team activity. Citizen development is an excellent example of using a kanban board without writing code.
Kanban was invented by Toyota Motors for its manufacturing facilities and has since been adopted and used in a variety of industries. Kanban boards can be physical, like a whiteboard, or digital, like those generated with the kanban board software.
#2. Task management
A project is a set of tasks that must be done simultaneously to achieve a single goal. Some of these jobs are sequential or dependent on one another. Some tasks can be accomplished concurrently. Each task must be delegated to a member of the project team. The more complicated the project, the more tasks must be managed.
Though it may not sound glamorous, task management is a vital element of project management, and tools that help with task management are essential.
#3. Task lists
The good ol’ to-do list. Even if it is simple, it will assist you and your team in completing the task. Of course, keeping your to-do list in a single, accessible spot that every team member can immediately access is significantly more beneficial.
Effective project management software should contain a to-do list, allowing everyone on the team to check in and see what has been completed and what remains to be done.
#4. Time clock
Every part of your project requires time, yet it might be challenging to determine who spent how much time on specific activities when you finish. Still, perplexed? It becomes more problematic if you have a comparable project coming up; you feel like you should know how much time to allocate to each project task and phase, but if your team hasn’t previously been able to manage their time, it’s a bit of a guessing game. A good time tracker aids in correct billing, astute team management, and meticulous planning.
#5. Collaboration
Collaboration is essential for project completion whether you have a team of two, twenty, or two hundred people. A decent project management system should contain robust collaboration tools so that civil engineers and other team members can interact and collaborate effectively in the same room or worldwide.
Real-time updates, communication, and automatic notifications are all features of online project collaboration tools.
#6. Incorporation
Projects have a lot of moving pieces. When something changes, you must understand the impact of one variable on the others. In other words, seek tools that assist you in examining trade-offs and how resource allocation affects your project’s overall timetable.
#7. Extensive Reporting
Reports are the most excellent way to acquire a strategic overview of the state of the initiatives. You should know how everything progresses by the end of each week or month. Additionally, software that collects all schedule, cost, team performance, and resource usability information into an organized document is essential to look for.
A decent online project management tool allows you to generate project reports that provide you and your team with information about project completion, budget status, inefficiencies, and other topics. Many project management software tools have typical reporting capabilities. It’s even better if those reports can be tailored to your specific project.
Project Management Tool FAQs
What Makes Up Project Management’s Key Success Factors?
Critical success factors (CSFs), also known as Key Results Areas (KRAs), must be performed to a high grade to accomplish the project’s objectives.
Why Should I Use Project Management Software Free Trials?
A free trial gives customers a predetermined time to test a product or service without paying for it.
Conclusion
Project management aids in defining the tasks that will be carried out, who will be responsible for them, and when they should begin and end.
Projects typically advance in stages or steps, although other quick, participatory project management methods are also frequently utilized.
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