Best Project Management Software Comparison — Top 12 Tools for 2023

With the best project management software, you’ll have the tools you need to manage numerous projects with ease and ensure their timely completion. The best software for project management will also help keep you organized, improve your team’s communication, and help you make informed business decisions.

With a market flooded with project management tools, we’ve rounded up and reviewed the best of the bunch to help you find one that ticks all the right boxes for your needs. From the almighty Monday.com through to Quire, you’ll learn what you need to know to make the right choice for you and your business. Let’s dive right in!

Best Project Management Software — Top 12 for Teams 2023

Here is our top list of project management tools, which we will expand upon in later sections:

1. Monday.com  — Overall, the Best Project Management Software in 2023. Be Sure to Take Advantage of the 14-Day Free Trial.
2. ClickUp  — Best Free Project Management Software for 2023. Has a Free Plan + Affordable Paid Plans.
3. Hive  — Best PM Software for Collaboration + Has a Boatload of Integrations and a Free Plan.
4. Awork  — Phenomenal Project Management App for Beginners. Check Out the 14-Day Free Trial Before You Commit.
5. Teamwork  — Best Project Management Tool for Client Management + Has a Lengthy Month-Long Free Trial.
6. Zoho Projects  — Popular PM App for Small Businesses with a 10-Day Free Trial and Handy Zoho Integrations.
7. Bonsai — Superb Task and Project Tracking Tool for Freelancers
8. GanttPro  — Best Construction Project Management Software. Test it With the Free Plan Before Opting for a Paid Subscription.
9. Basecamp  — Leading PM Software for Remote Teams + Has a Generous 30-Day Free Trial.
10. Kintone  — Excellent Project Management Software for Small Teams, Also Has a Solid 30-Day Free Trial.
11. LiquidPlanner  — Impressive PM App for Robust Features + Over 1,000 Integration Options.
12. Quire  — Ideal Project Tracking Tool for Simplifying Workflows, and Has a Staggering 5,000+ Integrations.

Best Project Management Tools  —  Reviewed

In order to decide which software is best for you, it’s important to do your research and compare different products. Let’s go through some of the most popular project management software on the market and see how they compare.

1. Monday  — Overall, the Best Project Management Software in 2023

Monday is a fully flexible application that allows you to work in any Kanban or other technique that best suits your project and team. There are also some helpful workflow tools for automating sections of your business.

This marketing project management software offers a ton of intuitive, useful features that make your life easier and is also one of the top project management software in the UK and one of the best project management tools in Australia.

Features:

1. Multiple Boards  – You can have multiple boards for each project, which makes it easy to track and manage different aspects of the project.
2. Drag and Drop Dashboard  –  The drag-and-drop feature makes it easy to move tasks around and reorganize your board as needed.
3. Custom Fields  – You can add custom fields to your tasks, which can be helpful in tracking specific information about each task.

More information about Monday:

Pricing:

Offers a 14-day trial. The upgrade starts at $8.00/user per month

2. ClickUp  —  Best Free Project Management Software for 2023

ClickUp tops our list as the best software for project management that offers more views than most other programs.

In addition to the standard list, calendar, and task-based tabs you can find in all of these types, it also includes Gantt Charts for those looking at managing their work schedule or planning events with precision — all for free.

Features:

1. 11 Different Task Views  – Including a Kanban board, calendar, and list view. Not only that, as mentioned above; you can get a Gantt and Mind maps view for free. This means that you can customize how you view your work to match the way your brain works best.
2. 100% Customizable  – You can completely change the look of ClickUp to fit your company’s branding or your own personal preferences. This includes changing the font, adding images, and creating custom fields.
3. Page Views  – Chat, Doc, Embed, Form, and Settings. These pages give you important contextual data about your tasks and projects without taking up precious space on your task list.
4. 100% Customizable  –  You can add or remove any of the default features, as well as create your own custom features.
5. Multiple Integrations  – This means that ClickUp can connect to a hundred other apps, giving you even more power to automate your work.

More information about ClickUp:

You can also read our ClickUp review for more information about this project management tool.

Pricing:

Offers a free plan. Upgrade starts at $5.00/user

3. Hive  — Best PM Software for Collaboration

Hive simplifies your work in one unified system with configurable project views, dependencies, infinite projects, and dozens of connectors. This software is a wonderful solution for a varied range of enterprises and work styles since it is used by teams ranging in size from 10 to 1,000 individuals.

Features:

1. Time-tracking  – Keep track of time spent on tasks and projects to better estimate future work.
2. Flexible Views  – See your projects and tasks in a way that makes the most sense to you, whether it’s by date, priority, or assigned team member.
3. Email Integrations  – Easily connect your email account to Hive and have incoming messages automatically added as tasks.

More information about Hive:

Pricing:

Offers a free plan. Upgrade starts at $12.00/user per month

4. Awork  — Phenomenal Project Management App for Beginners

Awork is the perfect solution for any creative team or project that needs to manage its work in an efficient way. With its intuitive interface, you’ll be able to efficiently adapt it to your day-to-day workflow without hassle.

Features:

1. To-do List  – Keep track of all the tasks you need to do for your current project with an easy-to-use to-do list.
2. Time-tracker  – Monitor how much time you’re spending on each task so you can accurately budget your project.
3. Visual Reports  – Get a clear overview of how your project is progressing with easy-to-read visual reports.

specific information about each task.

More information about Awork:

Pricing:

Offers a 14-day trial. Upgrade starts at $11.76/user per month

5. Teamwork  — Best Project Management Tool for Client Management

Teamwork offers “client” accounts for your external stakeholders for better planning.

Teamwork also has a lot of self-guided training materials, which may be a big help for small businesses that don’t have the time or resources to do 1:1 onboarding of new products across the board.

Features:

1. Client Accounts
2. Multiple integrations
3. Teamwork blog

More information about Teamwork:

Pricing:

Offers a 30-day trial. Upgrade starts at $10.00 per user/month

6. Zoho Projects  — Popular PM App for Small Businesses

Zoho Projects is a project management software that can handle projects of various sizes and complexity levels.

The app includes features that are similar to those found on social networking sites, such as feeds, forums, and debates, and is available for iOS, Android, and other platforms.

Features:

1. Gantt Charts  – Zoho Projects’ Gantt charts allow users to track the progress of their projects and identify any potential bottlenecks.
2. Resource Management  – With Zoho Projects, managers can easily allocate resources to projects and track their utilization.
3. Time Tracking  – The app’s time tracking feature helps managers track the time spent on different tasks and bill clients accordingly.

More information about Zoho Projects:

Pricing:

Offers a 10-day trial. Upgrade starts at $5.00 per user/month

7. Bonsai — Superb Task and Project Tracking Tool for Freelancers

Bonsai’s popularity with freelancers and small businesses is truly unsurprising.

Not only does it offer simple task management capabilities, but it also boasts CRM, accounting (and tax), and time-tracking tools — all under one umbrella to keep your business organized.

Features:

1. Task Management – Bonsai lets you create reusable task templates, invite others to collaborate on projects, filter your to-dos, and add comments to tasks.
2. Time Tracking – Built-in time tracking lets you accurately bill clients, plus you can manually or automatically add entries to your timesheets and add comments to entries.
3. Automation – Bonsai automates your invoicing, client payment reminders, expense tracking, tax deductions, and more to save you and your team ample time.

More information about Bonsai:

Pricing:

Annual billing starts at $17/month, and $24/month with a monthly subscription.

8. GanttPRO  — Best Construction Project Management Software

GanttPRO is an intuitive project management software that allows you to plan and track the progress of your work, no matter where it’s located in a global or local network.

With its powerful features like scheduling tools for meetings with clients; resource tracking databases so everyone knows who has been working on what at any given time — this program will make managing all types of projects easier than ever.

Features:

1. Milestone Feature  –  You can create a list of tasks that need to be completed in order to reach a specific goal, and then track their progress as they are completed.
2. Subtask and Subprojects  – GanttPRO also allows you to break tasks down into smaller, more manageable chunks. You can create a subtask for any specific step in the process, and then track its progress as it moves closer to completion.
3. Resource Management  – GanttPRO’s resource management feature is perfect for keeping track of who is working on what, and when.

More information about GanttPRO:

Pricing:

Offers a free plan. Upgrade starts at $12.00/user per month

9. Basecamp  — Leading PM Software for Remote Teams

Basecamp, an agile project management veteran, was founded in 2004 and now boasts a user base of 3.5 million people. The software touts its capacity to replace a variety of other paying monthly services, including Slack and Dropbox.

While the program isn’t often a comprehensive substitute, it does combine many of the functions of various tools into one system. Scheduling and calendars are provided, as well as real-time chat, private messaging, file storage, and more.

Features:

1. Private Chat  – Private chat is a feature that allows team members to communicate one-on-one as well as in groups. This is a great way to keep everyone up-to-date on the project without having to send out long emails or disturb other workers.
2. Message Boards  – Message boards are another way to keep everyone in the loop. They work like a forum, where team members can post updates, questions, and ideas for others to see and reply to.
3. Email Integration  – Email integration allows team members to receive email notifications for specific events on the project. This way, they can stay updated without having to constantly check the program.

More information about Basecamp:

Pricing:

Offers a 30-day trial. The plan is fixed at $99.00/month

10. Kintone  — Excellent Project Management Software for Small Teams

Kintone’s customizable project-tracking software platform lets you build a wide variety of apps for anything from your existing spreadsheets and databases to new, custom-built applications.

Kintone offers 24 built-in templates that can be used as starting points or entirely designed from scratch, which will meet any need within the field, including customer relationship management (CRM), business process automation/outsourcing repository systems, etc.

Features:

1. No-code Project Tracking Apps  – Kintone lets you build custom project management apps without any coding required.
2. Customizable Workflows  – With Kintone, you can easily customize workflows to match your team’s specific needs.
3. Custom Notification -  Kintone’s notification system lets you stay up-to-date on project progress no matter where you are. You can choose to receive email notifications, text notifications, or both.

More information about Kintone:

Pricing:

Offers a 30-day trial. Plan is fixed at $24.00/month per user

11. LiquidPlanner  — Impressive PM App  for Robust Features

With all the features you’d expect from a project management tool, LiquidPlanner is also an excellent way to manage your issue tracker and keep track of resources.

Along with strong reporting that lets users generate reports quickly for any given task or group within seconds. And if nothing else suits what needs doing-, then try out all of its integration; it will provide ways around other business apps seamlessly integrated right into their interface.

Features:

1. Helpdesk Style Issue Tracker  – A help-desk-styled issue tracker is LiquidPlanner’s most distinguishing feature. It lets you track and manage tasks, bugs, and support requests alongside your other project management tasks.
2. Robust Reporting  – LiquidPlanner offers a wealth of reporting options, letting you generate reports quickly for any given task or group within seconds.
3. Cloud Storage  – LiquidPlanner is a cloud-based application, meaning your data is always accessible from wherever you have an internet connection.

More information about LiquidPlanner:

Pricing:

Plan starts at $29.00 per user/month

12. Quire  — Ideal Project Tracking Tool for Simplifying Workflows

Quire was designed for teams that struggle to break down large goals into manageable chunks; it will assist you in creating and tracking tasks and subtasks inside each larger project item.

This platform has three basic view modes: Nested List, Kanban, and Timeline. Quire also assists users in managing and tracking their tasks, whether they are working alone or in a group.

More information about Quire:

Pricing:

The standard plan starts at $9.00/user per month

Best Project Management Software | Compared

While reading a detailed analysis of a tool’s capabilities is preferable, we are sure you would also like a quick glance into where each of the tools mentioned above stands in terms of criteria such as pricing, customer support, integrations, etc.

The table below will give you a good idea of all the tools’ strengths, the availability or non-availability of a trial, and whether they support different types of devices.

Best Free Project Management Software

Believe it or not, quality software doesn’t have to break the bank — especially in 2023. There are a number of great, free project management tools on the market, perfect for small businesses and individual entrepreneurs.

The best part? These tools are often just as good — if not better — than their paid counterparts.

When it comes to free project management software, it’s important to note that many of these programs will be lacking in features or usability due to their low cost. However, if you know where to look, you can find some truly great options.

Here are some of the best free project management software programs on the market today:

1. ClickUp  — The  Best Free Project Management Software

ClickUp is one of the best free project management software that you can use to manage your projects. It offers a great number of features that are easy to learn and use.

You can create tasks, subtasks, and milestones, assign them to specific team members, set due dates and priorities, add files and comments, and track progress.

Unlike any other free tools, all of its features are free. You just need to pay extra if you want to add more users to your team.

Features:

1. Unlimited tasks for free
2. Assign tasks to specific team members
3. Set due dates and priorities
4. Add files and comments
5. Track progress

Pricing:

Offers a free plan. Upgrade starts at $5.00/user

2. Trello  — Best Free Visual Project Management App

One of the best free project management software is Trello. It is a great way to manage projects, tasks, and ideas. You can create boards with cards that represent tasks or ideas.

Cards can be moved between lists as the project progresses. Users can add comments, attachments, and due dates to cards.

Features:

1. User friendly
2. Great for managing projects, tasks, and ideas
3. Customizable boards

Pricing:

Free for up to 10 members. Upgrade starts at $5.00/month

There are also other interesting alternatives to Trello with excellent market project management features.

3. Asana  —  Best for Multiple Teams and Projects

Asana is a project management platform that allows you to divide projects into parts and sub-lists, as well as dashboards that show how much of the project has already been accomplished.

You’ll add, rearrange, and finish activities just like in a to-do list app, but with the collaboration and organizing capabilities, you’ll need to operate as a team.

Features:

1. Subtask and subprojects
2. Multiple Integrations
3. Customizable dashboard

Pricing:

Free for up to 15 members. Upgrade starts at $11.00/month

Best Project Management Software for Small Teams

If you are managing a small team, you may feel that software is an unnecessary expense. However, using the right project management software can save you time and hassle — no matter how many people you’re working with.

The best project management software for small teams is likely to be something simple and easy-to-use, without too many bells and whistles. You want a program that will help you keep track of your tasks and deadlines without becoming a hindrance itself.

Here are our top three picks for the best project management software for small teams:

1. Kintone  —  Best Project Management Software for Small Teams

Kintone is a highly customizable app and the best small business project management software.

Their innovative approach to project and task management allows you to create a wide range of customizable “apps” for data management, business processes, and workflows, either from scratch, using templates, or using your current spreadsheets.

Features:

1. No-code Project Tracking Apps
2. Customizable Workflows
3. Custom Notification

Pricing:

Offers a 30-day trial. The plan is fixed at $24.00/month per user

2. Zoho Projects  —  Best for Allocating Tasks for Small Teams

Zoho Projects is a web-based project management software that allows teams to plan, track, and collaborate on projects. Small and mid-sized organizations will benefit from the tool’s scalability.

Features:

1. Gantt Charts
2. Resource Management
3. Time Tracking

Pricing:

Offers a 10-day trial. Upgrade starts at $5.00 per user/month

Best Construction Project Management Software

Construction teams are arguably the most reliant on technology when it comes to project management. Construction project management software helps construction professionals manage and monitor construction projects from start to finish.

Teams in the construction industry have many uses for project management software, such as creating and managing schedules, tasks, and budgets, collaborating with team members, and tracking progress.

There are many different types of construction project management software available on the market. Our experts have narrowed it down to the following three products:

1. GanttPRO  —  Best Construction Project Management Software

GanttPRO is a project management software that uses Gantt charts. It allows you to divide your projects into groups of tasks and subtasks, organize and schedule activities, and establish task durations and dependencies.

GanttPRO plots your projects on Gantt charts, allowing you to make accurate estimations and intelligent resource management decisions.

Features:

1. Milestone Feature
2. Subtask and Subprojects
3. Resource Management

Pricing:

Offers a free plan. Upgrade starts at $12.00/user per month

2. PlanGrid  —  Best Construction Project Reporting Tool

PlanGrid is a construction productivity program that distributes real-time project data to those who need it. PlanGrid’s markup tool allows you to annotate findings by marking up your plans with notes and photographs directly from the field.

Features:

1. Productivity tracker
2. Customizable reports
3. Web-based

Pricing:

Nailgun plan starts at $39.00/month

3. BIM 360  — Best Construction PM Software for Scheduling

BIM 360 is a construction industry-specific online project management solution.

It’s intended to assist project, field, and BIM management in accelerating project delivery, managing project budgets, and conforming to industry standards, safety guidelines, and project requirements.

Features:

1. Quality control tracker
2. Construction tracking
3. Trend report

Pricing:

Contact for pricing

Best Agile Project Management Software

In project management, there is a methodology known as agile. This is a way of working that is focused on change and evolution, rather than planning and control. It can be used for software development, but it can also be applied to other types of projects.

There’s specific agile project management software that can help with this way of working. The best agile project management software will help you to manage your tasks, track your progress, and collaborate with your team.

Click here to find the best agile project management software for 2023.

Best Marketing Project Management Software

Marketing requires many components to come together in order to be successful. For example, you need a good plan, messaging that resonates with the target audience, a way to track and analyze results, and more.

Project management software can help marketing teams coordinate and track their campaigns, and there are a number of different options to choose from. So, which one is the best for your team?

Here are three of the most popular project management software tools for marketing teams:

1. Monday .com — The Best Marketing Project Management Software

Resources and project management modules, as well as some amazing communication tools, are available on Monday.com for organizing marketing initiatives. Users can, for example, attach files to cards, provide comments, name teammates, and so on.

Features:

1. Multiple Boards
2. Drag and Drop Dashboard
3. Custom Fields

Pricing:

Offers a 14-day trial. Upgrade starts $8.00/user per month

2. Kissflow  — Best for Small to Medium-Sized Marketing Teams

Kissflow is a user-friendly project management platform that focuses on collaboration and productivity, all of which are important for busy marketing teams.

Because it’s not designed for very complicated projects, it’s ideal for small-to-medium marketing teams looking for a simple platform to communicate on.

Features:

1. Microsoft and G Suite Integrations
2. Multiple Views
3. Project States Feature

Pricing:

Paid plan starts at $9.90 per user, per month

3. Workamajig  — Great for Marketing Teams of Any Size

Workamajig enables your complete creative team to collaborate in one tool, using kanban or agile approaches as needed.

With capabilities for project management, resource management, business analytics, forecasting, and IT & security, this end-to-end creative management solution assists marketing teams in managing projects.

Features:

1. Free Customer Support
2. Multiple Integrations

Pricing:

Paid plan starts at $50.00/user per month

How to Choose a Project Management Software

As we’ve seen in the reviews above, no two software programs are the same. They vary in their features, capabilities, and pricing. So, how do you choose the right one for your business?

There are a few factors you’ll want to consider.

What Are Your Business Needs?

Before making any decisions, you need to know what your business needs. What features does your team need in order to be productive?

Do you need software that can help with tasks such as creating Gantt charts, scheduling projects, or tracking progress? Or do you just need a way to communicate and collaborate with team members?

Make a list of the features you need and then research which software programs have those features. These might include:

• Task management
• Time tracking
• Resource allocation
• Communication tools
• Collaboration tools
• Reporting features
• Integrations with other software programs

You can also find software that’s tailored to specific industries, such as construction or marketing. So, if you know your business falls into a certain category, be sure to look for software specifically designed for it.

What’s Your Budget?

Project management software can vary in price from free to several hundred dollars per month. So, you’ll need to decide what’s an acceptable price for your business.

Keep in mind that some software programs offer discounts for annual subscriptions, and some have free trials so that you can try them before you buy.

It can be tempting to forego the expense altogether but remember that project management software may end up saving you time and money in the long run. The right software can help your team be more productive and organized, which can lead to a more successful business.

How Familiar is Your Team With Technology?

Some programs are more user-friendly than others. So, you’ll need to consider how familiar your team is with technology and choose a program that will be easy for them to learn and use.

Many programs have tutorials and support forums to help you get started. You can also find video tutorials on YouTube or contact the software company’s customer service for help.

If you’re not sure which program is right for your business, ask a friend or colleague who is familiar with project management software for their recommendation.

By keeping these factors in mind, you can choose the project management software that’s best for your business.

Conclusion — What’s the Best Project Management Software?

Project management software is your key to unlocking productivity and organization in your projects. It can also help to ensure that all stakeholders are kept in the loop, deadlines are met, and resources are used efficiently.

Here’s a recap of the market’s best project management software tools:

1. Monday.com  — Overall, the Best Project Management Software in 2023. Be Sure to Take Advantage of the 14-Day Free Trial.
2. ClickUp  — Best Free Project Management Software for 2023. Has a Free Plan + Affordable Paid Plans.
3. Hive  — Best PM Software for Collaboration + Has a Boatload of Integrations and a Free Plan.
4. Awork  — Phenomenal Project Management App for Beginners. Check Out the 14-Day Free Trial Before You Commit.
5. Teamwork  — Best Project Management Tool for Client Management + Has a Lengthy Month-Long Free Trial.
6. Zoho Projects  — Popular PM App for Small Businesses with a 10-Day Free Trial and Handy Zoho Integrations.
7. Bonsai — Superb Task and Project Tracking Tool for Freelancers
8. GanttPro  — Best Construction Project Management Software. Test it With the Free Plan Before Opting for a Paid Subscription.
9. Basecamp  — Leading PM Software for Remote Teams + Has a Generous 30-Day Free Trial.
10. Kintone  — Excellent Project Management Software for Small Teams, Also Has a Solid 30-Day Free Trial.
11. LiquidPlanner  — Impressive PM App for Robust Features + Over 1,000 Integration Options.
12. Quire  — Ideal Project Tracking Tool for Simplifying Workflows, and Has a Staggering 5,000+ Integrations.

There is no one-size-fits-all answer to the question of what the best project management software is. However, the programs we’ve looked at in this article are all excellent choices for different types of businesses and users.

If you’re looking for a comprehensive, all-in-one solution, our pick for the best project management software is Monday.com. It’s great for businesses of all sizes, and its features include task management, collaboration tools, and reporting capabilities.

FAQs

If you’ve still got questions about what project management software is and how it works, we’ve got the answers for you.