Are you looking for ways to better manage your projects and improve team productivity? Project management apps can help you track your progress on projects, collaborate with team members and stay on top of your work at all times.
But with the wide variety of options on the market today, how do you choose the best solution for you and your organization? If you’re struggling with your project management software search, we’re here to help! Let’s look at some of the best project management apps, according to SelectHub data, so you can find the right option for your needs.
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Best Project Management Apps
Project management apps help organizations schedule, track and manage different projects. You can set and manage project timelines, divide each project into tasks and assign tasks to different team members, ensuring a streamlined workflow from start to finish.
According to Gartner, 85% of businesses actively use some kind of project management app. With such broad adoption, it’s no wonder there are so many options available. Let’s take a detailed look at some of the best project management apps and what makes them the top picks, according to our data.
ClickUp
ClickUp is a cloud-based project management solution that helps teams track, schedule, organize and collaborate on projects. Its built-in activity stream allows users to see the flow of different tasks and processes in real time. It also has reminders, docs, a calendar, goals, scheduling and an inbox.
Its versatile dashboard and views, including kanban, Gantt charts, mind-maps, lists and boards, allow users to manage their workflows in whatever way is best for them.
List mode project management with ClickUp. Source
Highest Rated Features According to Our Data
- Project Planning and Scheduling — 100
- Team Collaboration — 96
- Platform Features — 95
- Customizations — 95
- Dashboards and Reporting — 93
Top Benefits
- Efficient Planning: ClickUp allows organizations to efficiently schedule, assign and plan projects involving multiple people. It also offers automated reminders, due dates and goals to ensure timely project completion.
- Improved Collaboration: Collaborative work is proven to improve productivity. ClickUp allows users to leave assigned comments and tag other team members on tasks. It also streamlines workflows involving multiple teams, reducing miscommunication and confusion.
- Flexibility: Users can switch between different task views and pick whichever ones are most intuitive to them. ClickUp offers list, board, mind maps, Gantt charts and an array of others to suit various working styles and needs.
- Streamlined Workflows: Users can centralize their tasks and projects in one dashboard to manage them more efficiently. They can assign tasks to themselves or to others, and automate task assignments. Automated timelines and due dates ensures clarity about project expectations.
Primary Features
- Multiple Views: ClickUp offers a variety of different task views including Gantt, kanban, scrum, list and board views. Users can switch between these views or create a personal view for their own work.
- Time Tracking: Employees can track time spent on each task either in real time or by logging in hours spent. ClickUp also allows managers to set time estimates for each task.
- To-Do Lists: Users can create multi-functional to-do lists to keep up with their daily work. ClickUp allows users to add formatting and color-coding to make the lists more practical and distinct. You can also create list templates to duplicate and use for similar tasks.
- Dashboards: ClickUp allows you to create dashboards for individuals as well as teams. You can create a dashboard for a specific project, like a marketing campaign, or for a more general workplace concern, like performance tracking.
- Automations: The platform can automate routine tasks like setting deadlines, assigning tasks, moving tasks through various queues and more, streamlining project workflows.
Limitations
- Limited budget tracking features.
- No resource needs forecasting.
- No built-in private messaging features.
Features Not Fully Supported According to Our Data
- Private Messaging — Supported With Integrations
- Project Completion Forecasting — Not Supported
- Locking Timesheets — Not Supported
- Resource Forecasting — Not Supported
Platform:
Company Size Suitability: S M L
Wrike
Wrike is a project management tool that helps manage distributed projects and encourages collaboration. It allows you to create customizable workflows to meet the unique needs and working styles of your team. It can connect with platforms like Gmail, Apple Mail and Outlook, and allows users to manage their tasks directly from their inbox. Wrike can also connect with CRM, BI and communications software like Slack.
Gantt charts in Wrike. Source
Highest Rated Features According to Our Data
- Project Planning and Scheduling — 100
- Platform Features — 99
- Customization — 89
- Team Collaboration — 88
- Dashboards and Reporting — 86
Top Benefits
- Streamlined Workflows: Wrike centralizes your projects and tasks in one location, making them easy to track and manage. It also allows you to visualize a project, its timeline, dependencies and scope all in one place.
- Better Time Management: According to a Wellingtone report, only 29% of organizations said they always or mostly completed their projects on time. By streamlining processes, Wrike eliminates unnecessary delays and saves time, making it easier to meet your deadlines. It also offers automated reminders and deadline alerts to encourage better time management.
- Improved Collaboration: The platform simplifies file sharing, both externally and internally, makes tasks easily accessible to assignees and keeps everyone aware of project statuses in real time. The mobile app enables teams to communicate with each other on the go.
- Usability: Wrike has an intuitive and easy-to-use interface, making it easier for teams to keep track of projects and assignments and monitor progress.
Primary Features
- Task Management: Wrike allows you to create tasks and sub-tasks and assign task priorities. It also integrates with email platforms like Gmail and Outlook, allowing you to manage your projects from your inbox.
- Project Templates: You can use a range of pre-built project templates to simplify project management, including templates for agile development, project scheduling, event management and more.
- Gantt Charts: Gantt charts give you a top-down view of your projects and whether they’re running according to schedule. They also show the scope of the project and various dependencies associated with them.
- Custom Reporting: Wrike allows you to create custom reports for project status, assigned tasks, active tasks and more. It features a four-step report builder which takes input from the user to create the desired report.
- Project Time Tracking: Users can track time for individual tasks and view a summary of tracked time, aiding in effective workforce management.
Limitations
- Limited time tracking features.
- Limited mobile features.
- No custom domain support.
Features Not Fully Supported According to Our Data
- Responsive Web Portal — Not Supported
- Custom Domain — Not Supported
- Workload Overview and Optimization — Supported With Additional Modules
- Team Chat — Supported With Integrations
- Private Messaging — Supported With Integrations
Platform:
Company Size Suitability: S M L
Teamwork
Teamwork is a project management tool that’s specialized for the needs of organizations that deal with client work. The platform allows users to track their projects visually using an intuitive and centralized project board. It includes a real-time dashboard for both project tracking and performance management, and offers time-tracking capabilities.
Teamwork is suitable for organizations of all sizes and can be deployed both on-premise or through the cloud.
Kanban boards in Teamwork. Source
Highest Rated Features According to Our Data
- Time Tracking and Management — 100
- Project Planning and Scheduling — 97
- Team Collaboration — 97
- Customization — 95
- Integrations and Extensibility — 93
Top Benefits
- Enhanced Collaboration: Teamwork enables teams to collaborate and communicate better with chat rooms, mentions and a real-time activity feed. Users can also add messages and notes to tasks to add more context where required.
- Efficient Planning: Teamwork simplifies project planning and scheduling for projects large and small, allowing teams to get a 360-degree view of projects, schedules, milestones, deadlines and other important information.
- Cost-effectiveness: The platform offers a free usage plan valid for up to five years with 100MB file space, up to two active projects and access to other basic features, making it a viable option for users with smaller-scale needs and limited budgets.
- Better Time Management: Teamwork allows users to track time on both tasks and sub-tasks, with project-based time estimates and summaries of tracked time. This granular insight into time usage helps teams understand where their time is being spent and how they can improve their efficiency.
Primary Features
- Project Management Boards: Visual project management boards allow you to see each task within a particular project and how all tasks are distributed, helping you track projects and ensure they’re progressing on schedule.
- Dashboards: Teamwork dashboards come with a real-time activity feed to keep track of projects, and can track metrics and individual KPIs for performance management.
- Task Templates: Templates allow you to quickly create tasks without having to manually enter and reenter information. You can create custom, reusable templates for various types of tasks and choose items to include in each.
- Integrations: Teamwork can integrate with common workplace apps like Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace. It also offers CRM integrations for sales and marketing teams, Slack for communications, accounting software and BI software.
- Time Tracking: The platform includes extensive time tracking features, the best-rated of any product in our top five. These include an automatic time tracker that pauses the timer when a computer goes idle, editable and locking timesheets, summaries of tracked time and time estimates.
Limitations
- Mobile app is very limited in its capabilities.
- Limited custom reporting tools.
- Limited forecasting tools.
Features Not Fully Supported According to Our Data
- Project Completion Forecasting — Not Supported
- Resource Forecasting — Not Supported
- Source Code Repository Integration — Supported With Integrations
- Custom Reporting — Supported With Integrations
Platform:
Company Size Suitability: S M L
monday.com
monday.com is a cloud-based project management app offering a visual, collaborative approach to project management. Its visual project timelines enable users to track the progress of a project and see whether it’s following expected timelines. It also includes baselines, so you can compare planned schedules and budgets to your actual results.
monday.com is suitable for companies of all sizes and offers specific tools for marketing strategies, HR management, inventory management and customer relationship management.
Project management with monday.com. Source
Highest Rated Features According to Our Data
- Customization — 100
- Project Planning and Scheduling — 94
- Mobile Capabilities — 92
- Integrations and Extensibility — 92
- Team Collaboration — 90
Top Benefits
- Customization: monday.com can be customized to the unique needs of your organization. You can create and configure custom workflows, custom fields and filters, and even a custom domain for your company.
- Usability: Visual timelines, user-friendly dashboards and customizable workflows make the platform easy to navigate and use.
- Improved Collaboration: The software supports individual and group chats, mentions and external collaborator access. Users can comment on tasks, assign tasks to each other and work on different aspects of a project in real time.
- Streamlined Workflows: Get an overview of each project and use visual tools to plan ahead and schedule your tasks accordingly. You can also assign task priorities to ensure tasks are completed according to schedule.
- Efficiency: Streamlining workflows and setting schedules help ensure projects are completed on time. Automation tools help you save even more time by putting routine or recurring tasks on autopilot.
Primary Features
- Kanban Boards: Kanban boards help users visualize tasks and sub-tasks in various stages of completion.
- Visual Timelines: Visual timelines allow you to see project statuses, schedules and due dates, making it easier to ensure work gets finished on time.
- Dashboards: You can create customized dashboards with widgets to visualize your tasks and workflows, and manage all your projects from a single location.
- Task Templates: monday.com’s template center provides task templates for various project types, including CRM, marketing, design and sales. Templates allow you to quickly create task cards and start on repeat or similar projects without having to start over from scratch.
Limitations
- Expensive compared to other options.
- No built-in private messaging or group chat feature.
Features Not Fully Supported According to Our Data
- Pre-built Reports — Not Supported
- File Versioning — Not Supported
- Multi-currency Support — Not Supported
- Team Chat — Supported With Integrations
- Private Messaging — Supported With Integrations.
Platform:
Company Size Suitability: S M L
Jira
Jira is one of the most popular and well-known agile project management and bug tracking apps. It’s designed to help agile development teams track, plan, test and release projects. It offers Gantt, kanban, scrum and hybrid workflows to help organizations to streamline managing their projects.
Jira is best suited for web development, software and IT based projects. However, it’s also used by organizations in industries such as retail, hospitality, finance and healthcare, and in government departments.
Scrum board in Jira. Source
Highest Rated Features According to Our Data
- Project Planning and Scheduling — 95
- Platform Features — 92
- Team Collaboration — 90
- Project Tracking — 88
- Time Tracking and Management — 84
Top Benefits
- Productivity: Agile tools like Gantt charts and kanban boards make it easier for teams to visualize project statuses and needs. Project timelines keep work on track with clear deadlines and assigned task priorities.
- Better Collaboration: A team activity feed and features like commenting, mentions and team calendars help create a supportive environment for collaboration.
- Streamlined Workflows: You can assign task priorities to make sure tasks are completed on schedule, distribute tasks between team members, and track individual and overall progress.
- Efficiency: Streamlining workflows and setting schedules help ensure projects are completed on time across multiple teams.
Primary Features
- Agile Project Management: The platform includes a wide variety of different workflows for agile project management, including Gantt charts, kanban, scrum and hybrid workflows.
- Developer Tools: Jira includes its own query language, JQL (Jira Query Language) for searching issues on the platform. It’s also compatible with REST and Java APIs.
- Customizable Project Templates: You can build custom project templates to quickly create and manage recurring project types. Jira also offers customizable workflows.
- Scrum Boards: Scrum boards are ideal for scrum based agile project management. Teams can work in sprints and prioritize tasks accordingly.
- Project Roadmaps: You can create a roadmap for each project to specify timelines, scope and strategy. This allows managers to communicate project expectations in a clear manner and helps reduce confusions.
Limitations
- Steep learning curve.
- No built-in features for private messaging or team chats.
Features Not Fully Supported According to Our Data
- Locking Timesheets — Supported With Integrations
- Private Messaging — Supported With Integrations
- Custom Domain — Not Supported
- Custom Reporting — Supported With Integrations
- Team Chat — Supported With Integrations
Platform:
Company Size Suitability: S M L
Needs Analysis
We’ve looked through a host of different project management solutions, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. However, when it comes to selecting the ideal tool for your needs, it’s not always about choosing the best one on the market but the one that most closely matches your requirements.
Some of the factors you might want to consider in your search include:
- Team Size: How big is your team? A lot of project management solutions have tiered pricing plans based on how many members are using the platform, so team size may also affect your total cost.
- Complexity: If your team consists of people from different departments with distinct skill sets collaborating on the same projects, you might need a more comprehensive project management tool.
- Project Type: Certain platforms are better suited for particular project types. A lot of project management apps offer solutions for specific industries or project types. Teamwork, for example, offers specialized tools for client work-oriented projects.
- Integrations: Your project management tool should be able to integrate with other systems your organization uses. Communication apps like Slack and Gmail are some of the more obvious ones. For specialized projects, like marketing or customer support, you may also want integrations with CRM and help desk tools.
- Budgetary concerns: You need a platform that fits within your budget. Project management tools can be free (to a certain extent and often with limited features) or costly depending on the extent of features you need and the number of members on your team.
Whenever you’re evaluating software, it’s important to compare different tools according to these factors as well as any other business-specific needs you might have. If you need help figuring these out, our requirements template can help you determine which project management features you’d benefit from most.
Compare Top Project Management App Leaders
Next Steps
These were our top five picks for project management apps. All of these applications provide comprehensive project management features, are versatile and can suit a wide range of industries and departments. For a more detailed comparison of different project management options available on the market, take a look at our comparison report.
What project management tools do you use at your organization and what makes them ideal for you? Let us know in the comments below!
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