The 13 Best Project Management Software and Tools for 2023

monday work management: Best for teams of all technical levels

monday work management is a reputable project management brand with a flexible platform for teams of all flavors. While initially intimidating, the monday work management interface is packed with features and offers extensive configuration management capabilities. While other solutions lean into a few views of project data, monday work management gives users the most flexibility in adding and configuring valuable visualizations.

Though I ran into hiccups using monday work management, the project management software excels in configurability, giving teams the expected control to optimize workflows.

Pricing

• Free trial available.
• Free: $0 for up to two seats.
• Basic: $8 per seat per month billed annually, or $10 per seat per month billed monthly.
• Standard: $10 per seat per month billed annually, or $12 per seat per month billed monthly.
• Pro: $16 per seat per month billed annually, or $20 per seat per month billed monthly.
• Enterprise: Quotes are available upon request.

Features

• Visualize project data through multiple tables (Figure A), kanban and dashboard views.
• Personalize colorful interfaces that bring project data to life.
• Customize and share surveys for data collection via the WorkForms tool.
• Access integrations for developers, marketing, CRM and project management.
• Utilize prebuilt automations and a long list of options for creating automation rules.

Figure A

Top integrations

• Jira Service Management
• GitHub
• Slack
• Dropbox

Pros

• Clean user interface not bogged down by the platform’s extensive features.
• Robust configurations for setting the workspace and tools to team specifications.
• Designed for a multitude of use cases across industries and functions.

Cons

• An evident learning curve for new users and implementing advanced features.
• Import engine failed to pull most existing data into the platform.
• Manually inputting data to reconcile imports was the biggest pain point.

Why we chose monday work management

We choose monday work management for its outstanding versatility as project management software. It’s a powerful tool for a variety of project management use cases and offers robust features for team collaboration tools, automation features, and customization.

For more information, read the full monday work management review.

Smartsheet: Best for spreadsheet lovers

Launched in 2005, Smartsheet’s project and work management platform is one of the safest bets in the project management software market. From onboarding to using the platform, I was impressed by the interface’s user-friendliness and the features’ extensibility. Smartsheet offers an upgrade from traditional tools by adding accessible user experience features, needed integrations, robust configurability, and no-code capabilities to a spreadsheet interface.

Smartsheet pricing is among the highest on the market, and there is no unlimited free plan. Still, I believe the platform’s benefits more than justify consideration for small teams up to enterprise organizations.

Pricing

• Pro: $7 per user per month billed annually, or $9 per user per month billed monthly. A free trial is available.
• Business: $25 per user per month billed annually, or $32 per user per month billed monthly. A free trial is available.
• Enterprise: Quotes are available upon request.

Features

• Ability to create, import and manage project data on a central cloud-based platform.
• Ability to visualize project data through the Grid (Figure B), Gantt, Card and Calendar views.
• Flexible options for setting and adjusting project field data.
• Access to WorkApps, the platform’s no-code tool for building web and mobile apps.
• Activity logs for tracking change management with filters to identify actions.

Figure B

Top integrations

• Microsoft Teams
• Slack
• Salesforce
• Zapier

Pros

• Friendly user interface for moving from legacy spreadsheet tools.
• Extensive documentation and access to onboarding assistance.
• Prebuilt project and automation templates to get to work fast.

Cons

• Several tools are add-ons, requiring an additional purchase.
• Security features are limited to the Enterprise subscription.
• Premium support is only available for higher-tier plans.

Why we chose Smartsheet

While Smartsheet is ideally suited for users who prefer a spreadsheet-style interface, it offers several advanced project management features that help streamline processes and save time. The clean and simple layout makes for an easy learning curve. Users who don’t want to start from scratch, can use the customizable templates from the library.

SEE: Read our Smartsheet review or check out how Smartsheet compares to monday work management and Asana.

ClickUp: Best for teams on a tight budget

The fastest mover in the project management software space is ClickUp. Only five years after its founding, the San Diego-based startup has grown into one of the top project management solution providers. ClickUp far exceeded my expectations with a stack of project views and tools to enable productivity and collaboration for a wide variety of functional teams.

Add in ClickUp’s handful of affordable subscriptions for different team sizes, and it’s difficult not to consider this budding project management software.

Pricing

• Free Forever: $0; best for personal use.
• Unlimited: $7 per user per month billed annually, or $10 per user per month billed monthly.
• Business: $12 per user per month billed annually, or $19 per user per month billed monthly.
• Enterprise: Quotes are available upon request.

Features

• Visualize project data through the List (Figure C), Board, Gantt, Calendar, Workload and Map views.
• Create and modify tasks or bulk edit tasks from a list of potential operations.
• Manage granular configurations of platform features and security.
• Track and visualize project data through the Dashboards view.
• Import data from monday, Asana, Trello, Jira Software, Wrike, Basecamp and Todoist.

Figure C

Top integrations

• Zoom
• Github
• HubSpot
• Loom

Pros

• Widest and most affordable range of plans to meet different-sized team needs.
• Robust configurability for customizing and managing platform workflows.
• Access to over 1,000 integrations for developers, business suites, storage and more.

Cons

• Slight variance between the imported file and platform results.
• Some platform actions are less intuitive and require additional troubleshooting.
• Occasional lagging between moving pages and lingering platform notices.

Why we chose ClickUp

We picked ClickUp as one of the best project management software for its affordable pricing plans, comprehensive features, and customizable workflows. In addition, the friendly user interface makes it a top choice for users of all technical levels.

SEE: Read our ClickUp review or see how ClickUp compares to Notion, Trello and Asana.

Teamwork: Best for time tracking and budgeting

As the name implies, Teamwork is project management software that enables team and workload management. The Ireland-based platform offers a similar range to other top project management solutions but excels in time tracking, budgeting and stakeholder management. Whether it’s personnel or a third-party contractor, Teamwork is fit for optimizing the globally distributed workflows of tomorrow.

While a few actions during my experience with Teamwork didn’t seem as intuitive as other platforms, the platform and its potential to organize team projects are impressive.

Pricing

• Free Forever: $0 per month for up to five users.
• Starter: $5.99 per user per month billed annually, or $8.99 per user per month billed monthly. A free trial is available.
• Deliver: $9.99 per user per month billed annually, or $13.99 per user per month billed monthly. A free trial is available.
• Grow: $19.99 per user per month billed annually, or $25.99 per user per month billed monthly. A free trial is available.
• Scale: Quotes are available upon request.

Features

• Visualize project data through the Gantt, kanban, dashboard (Figure D), calendar and table views.
• Build and generate reports of project data to share via CSV, Excel and PDF.
• Create project templates, dashboards, risks and project-level tags for reuse.
• Integrate with Zapier, Google Drive, Box, Slack, Microsoft, HubSpot and more.
• Access built-in Teamwork apps for collaborative spaces, IT help desks, customer relationship management and web chats.

Figure D

Top Integrations

• Slack
• Google Drive
• Microsoft Teams
• Usersnap

Pros

• Strongest time tracking and workload management capabilities of the products I reviewed.
• Deep range of features emulating the best in the project management software market.
• Free 30-day trial, an unlimited free plan, and affordable annual subscriptions.

Cons

• Basic Agile support and burndown reports are only available with higher plans.
• Configure notification settings or get ready for a full inbox.
• Modifications sometimes took several seconds to load.

Why we chose Teamwork

Teamwork offers excellent tools for time tracking and budgeting and has the capacity to handle projects of all sizes. The extensive range of features, including multiple project views, team collaboration tools and integrated file sharing, earns Teamwork a spot on this list.

SEE: For more information, check out our full Teamwork review or see how Teamwork compares to monday work management.

Wrike: Best for portfolio management

The newest subsidiary of Citrix, Wrike was already one of the biggest names in project management software even before its backing by the cloud computing giant. With the capacity to manage entire project portfolios, Wrike’s feature set includes custom request forms, risk predictions, invoicing software and enterprise-grade security. I found the platform incredibly powerful, with clear use cases for small businesses, enterprise organizations and various team functions.

Upon first glance, the user interface is busy, and Wrike’s learning curve is likely the steepest in the project management software space. That said, few vendors offer the same extent of enterprise capabilities.

Pricing

• Free trial available.
• Free: $0 per user per month.
• Team: $9.80 per user per month.
• Business: $24.80 per user per month.
• Enterprise: Quotes are available upon request.
• Pinnacle: Quotes are available upon request.

Features

• Visualize project data through the table, list, board, Gantt, timelog and analytics views (Figure E).
• Add and edit task duration, approvals, time entries, subtasks, files, and dependencies.
• Access project templates for Agile, creative, IT operations and project management office teams.
• Utilize customer-managed encryption keys and external encryption key storage via Amazon Web Services.
• Access to over 400 app integrations and two-way sync with almost 30 other apps.

Figure E

Top integrations

• Power BI
• Salesforce
• Zoom
• Google Drive

Pros

• Plans for teams managing complex workloads, marketing and professional services.
• Extensive interoperability and workflow capabilities with business-critical applications.
• Enterprise-ready with premium security and data privacy controls.

Cons

• More expensive than most project management solutions.
• Steep learning curve for maximizing the extent of platform features.
• Several tools are only available as add-on features or with higher subscriptions.

Why we chose Wrike

Wrike is known for its ease of use and team collaboration, making it ideal for project managers who handle multiple projects. Another key reason why we chose Wrike was its scalability, making it a great choice for hyper-growth teams.

SEE: Find out more in our Wrike review or see how Wrike compares to monday work management and Trello.

Asana: Best for extensibility

One of the most popular project management software solutions, Asana is the work management platform started by former Facebook developers in 2008. The Silicon Valley-based company has grown dramatically in that time, and the platform’s extensibility affirms why so many businesses choose it. From viewing team member workloads to adding strategic goals and setting user security policies, I believe Asana has something for every team.

Though some actions were less intuitive, Asana made up for them with the documentation and resources to guide platform projects efficiently.

Pricing

A 30-day free trial is available for these Asana plans:

• Basic: $0 per user per month.
• Premium: $10.99 per user per month billed annually, or $13.49 per user per month billed monthly.
• Business: $24.99 per user per month billed annually, or $30.49 per user per month billed monthly.

Features

• Visualize project data through the list (Figure F), board, timeline, calendar and workload views.
• Manage and create project data with custom fields, rules and forms.
• Enable the built-in time-tracking tool to visualize time spent on tasks.
• Import data from Airtable, Google Sheets, monday work management, Trello, Smartsheet and Wrike.
• Add integrations for communications, files, finance, IT, reporting, sales and security.

Figure F

Top integrations

• OneDrive
• Slack
• Jira Software
• Harvest

Pros

• Robust feature set competing with the best in project management software.
• Friendly user interface and flexible controls for different tools.
• Extensive import options, including multiple top project management platforms.

Cons

• At times, the interface is less intuitive than competing project management platforms.
• There is a steep learning curve for deploying some features and advanced tools.
• Occasional error messages and lag occur when moving between platform pages.

Why we chose Asana

Asana is an outstanding task management and team collaboration software. It’s flexible, fast, feature-rich, and offers a generous free plan. The flexibility offered by Asana means it can be used by businesses of all sizes. In addition, you get several import options, making it easy for users to transition to Asana from other software or to use Asana with other applications.

SEE: Explore our Asana review or see how Asana stacks up against Planner, Notion, and Airtable.

Confluence: Best for project document management

Confluence is a team collaboration and project management software with outstanding document management and knowledge-sharing features. It’s suitable for any size or type of team. Users can also use Confluence to create and track tasks on one centralized platform.

Pricing

• Free: No cost for up to 10 users.
• Standard: $5.75 per user if billed monthly, or $580 per year for 1 to 10 users.
• Premium: $11 per user if billed monthly, or $1,100 per year for 1 to 10 users.
• Enterprise: Customized pricing.

Features

• Extensive template library includes customizable templates and blueprints for a variety of use cases.
• Version control and history feature to track changes to files over time.
• Atlassian Analytics tools (Figure G) to gain valuable insights for informed decision-making.
• Bulk archive feature to archive multiple outdated or obsolete pages in one go.

Figure G

Top integrations

• Jira Software
• Trello
• Salesforce
• Zendesk

Pros

• Strong in-app learning content.
• Outstanding document management tools.
• Centralized knowledge hub.

Cons

• Limited team collaboration tools.
• Performance issues with a large volume of data.

Why we chose Confluence

Confluence offers some advantages over other competitors, such as a centralized knowledge repository, robust document search and discovery feature and file sharing. Users already using Atlassian products will find Confluence a powerful addition to the ecosystem.

SEE: For more information, read our full Confluence review or see how Confluence compares to Notion and Jira Service Management.

Zoho Projects: Best for multiple project visualizations

Under the Zoho portfolio of solutions, Zoho Projects offers teams a stack of features for tracking tasks, issues, time and resources to maximize collaboration and productivity. Users can visualize and adjust project data through views such as a traditional spreadsheet, simple list, kanban board, or Gantt chart in real-time or automate mapped workflows with the Blueprints tool.

Zoho Projects offers a lot of functionality, considering it’s the most affordable project management software. However, it also lacks some of the configurability and advanced features included in the top tier of platforms.

Pricing

• Free: $0 for up to three users.
• Premium: $4 per user per month billed annually, or $5 per user per month billed monthly. A free trial is available.
• Enterprise: $9 per user per month billed annually, or $10 per user per month billed monthly. A free trial is available.

Features

• Visualize project data through the classic spreadsheet, plain list (Figure H) and kanban views.
• Create project baselines to compare expected versus real progress on tasks.
• Track time for tasks to inform workload and resource management.
• Integrate with critical apps such as Google, Microsoft, code repositories and more.
• Access Zoho Apps such as Mail, Docs, CRM, Desk, Analytics and Forms.

Figure H

Top integrations

• Zoho CRM
• Slack
• Google Suite
• Zapier

Pros

• Least expensive subscription plans among the top project management platforms.
• Robust feature set considering its affordability.
• Familiar interface and bundling value for existing Zoho customers.

Cons

• Lagging when moving between different platform pages.
• Limited options for viewing project data relative to competitors.
• Some platform actions, such as creating multiple subtasks, aren’t intuitive.

Why we chose Zoho Projects

If you’re looking for value for money, it doesn’t get any better than Zoho Projects. This low-cost project management app offers outstanding value. You get multiple channels for team collaboration and communication and a quick and easy setup.

SEE: For more information, read our full Zoho Projects review.

Trello: Best for simple projects

Trello is the ideal tool for users who want simplified project management. Its Kanban-based interface makes it easy to manage and track any type of project. While it might not be able to handle complex projects, Trello offers enough features to handle core project management tasks, including task automation, file sharing and team collaboration.

Pricing

• Free: Up to 10 boards per workspace.
• Standard: $5 per user per month if billed annually, or $6 per user per month if billed monthly.
• Premium: $10 per user per month if billed annually, or $12.50 per user per month if billed monthly.
• Enterprise: $17.50 per user per month when billed annually.

Features

• Project checklists to help break big projects into more manageable tasks.
• File attachment feature with drag-and-drop functionality.
• Automate workflows through Trello’s built-in automation builder (Figure I).
• Extensive library of pre-built templates.

Figure I

Top integrations

• Dropbox
• GitHub
• Jira Software
• Slack

Pros

• Generous free plan.
• Highly visual interface.
• Variety of add-ons.
• Powerful automation tools.

Cons

• Heavily reliant on the kanban view.
• Not designed to handle complex projects.

Why we chose Trello

Trello earns a spot on our list of best project management software with its feature-rich free plan, collaboration tools and outstanding ease of use. The kanban-style interface is visually appealing and feels intuitive. In addition, the efficiency offered by Trello helps simplify project management.

SEE: For more information, read our full Trello review or see how Trello compares to Basecamp, Notion, and ClickUp.

Jira Service Management: Best for development teams

Atlassian’s portfolio of collaboration, code management and security solutions is led by its flagship project-tracking software, Jira Service Management. In response to a growing number of general-use project management solutions, Jira Service Management offers a mix of project data views, reporting and configuration capabilities with the Work Management platform included in its suite of products.

Jira Service Management is ideal for organizations already using Jira Service Management products or teams relying on integrations such as the private repository host BitBucket. Otherwise, its general project management functionality is below par relative to the broader project management marketplace.

Pricing

• Free: $0 for up to 10 users.
• Standard: $7.75 per user per month billed monthly and $790 annually for 1 to 10 users.
• Premium: $15.25 per user per month billed monthly and $1,525 annually for 1 to 10 users.
• Enterprise: Available for teams with more than 800 users and only billed annually. Contact Jira Service Management sales for pricing information.

Features

• Visualize project data through the list, board, timeline (Figure J) and calendar views.
• Import existing work to create project issues and collect data through forms.
• Access a summary page embedded with key performance indicators for progress, priorities and workloads.
• Integrate with Jira Service Management and other Atlassian tools.
• Start from 20 prebuilt templates for finance, marketing, human resources and legal teams.

Figure J

Top integrations

• Github
• Lucidchart
• Confluence
• Microsoft Teams

Pros

• More than 500 integrations and 3,000 extensions for workflow apps.
• Bundle with Atlassian’s portfolio of tools such as BitBucket, Crucible and Trello.
• Built-in tools for tracking effort against tasks.

Cons

• Higher learning curve for nonsoftware development teams.
• Not as intuitive as other top project management tools.
• Still a developing application relative to Jira Service Management’s accolades.

Why we chose Jira Service Management

Jira Service Management is one the best project management software for its Agile support, bug tracking and issue management capabilities. While these features are most suitable for software development, they can be used for a variety of other applications.

SEE: For more information, read our Jira Service Management review or see how Jira Service Management compares to Asana and Trello.

Microsoft Project: Best for collaboration on large projects

An awesome project management solution for Microsoft fans and established teams is Microsoft Project. The software is great for communicating with medium and large teams and offers a variety of purchase options. It’s not included in Microsoft 365, but you can integrate it after purchase. Subscriptions come with a one-month free trial.

Pricing

Microsoft Project comes in an on-premise version or cloud version as well as subscription and one-time purchase versions.

• Project Plan 1: $10 user/month, cloud version, web browser only.
• Project Plan 3: $30 user/month, cloud version, offers online and desktop.
• Project Plan 5: $55 user/month, cloud version, offers online and desktop.
• Project Standard 2021: $679.99 one-time buy, on-premise.
• Project Professional 2021: $1,129.99 one-time buy, on-premise.
• Project Server: An on-premise subscription that is offered by Microsoft partners.

Features

• Comes in cloud and on-premise versions.
• Multiple work views including grid, Gantt, board and home dashboard (Figure K).
• Communication and collaboration on projects, tasks and schedules.
• Reporting templates to manage projects and resources.
• Timesheets for payroll, invoicing and tasks.
• Enterprise resource planning (ERP) for big teams.

Figure K

Top Integrations

• Integrates with most Microsoft products but must be set up manually.
• Microsoft 365
• Microsoft Teams
• Outlook

Pros

• Awesome for medium and large teams.
• Good for project resource management.

Cons

• Microsoft products can have a learning curve because their software is dense with features.
• It can be costly for small or new teams.
• No free plan.

Why we chose Microsoft Project

Microsoft Project is a perfect solution for teams with Microsoft tech stacks already. It can also be used as a standalone solution without buying Microsoft 365. It’s a great choice for staying on the same projects page in large teams.

For more information, read the full Microsoft Project review.

Todoist: Best for low-budget teams

One of the simplest project management tools is Todoist. It includes simple collaboration features at affordable prices. They aren’t the best choice for teams with complex projects or large amounts of data.

Pricing

• Beginner: $0/month for five active projects and five users.
• Pro: $4 per month billed annually for 300 active projects and 25 users.
• Business: $6per user/month billed annually for 500 active projects and unlimited guests and users.

Features

• Has member, guest and collaborator user types.
• Task management (Figure L) with reminders and timers.
• Admin security controls over different user types.
• Work templates for diverse use cases such as education, design and writing.
• Integrations for time tracking, productivity, scheduling and automation.

Figure L

Top Integrations

• Slack
• Gmail
• Outlook
• Jira
• Toggl Track
• Zapier

Pros

• Allows collaborators and guest users to collaborate on a low budget.
• Great for teams that don’t want to spend on complex software.

Cons

• Not as feature-rich as other competitors.

Why we chose Todoist

Todoist is a great alternative for teams irritated by all the bells and whistles in most software. Its simple collaboration features and low costs are great for startups as well as small and large teams. If the majority of tools on this list overwhelm you, give Todoist a try.

For more information, read the full Todoist review.

SmartSuite: Best for growth

SmartSuite has transparent pricing for plans at multiple stages of growth. Their free plan has access to the majority of features including automation and control over user role permissions. Teams can find strong features such as automation and classic features such as task lists.

Pricing

• Free Forever: Allows for 3 users.
• Team: $10 user/month billed annually, or $12 user/month billed monthly.
• Professional: $25 user/month billed annually, or $28 user/month billed monthly.
• Enterprise: $35 user/month, billed annually, or $41 user/month, billed monthly.

Features

• Multiple work views including grid, Kanban, timeline and calendar.
• Team collaboration features such as commenting, activity history and real-time updates.
• Chat support for all plans.
• Task management with time tracking and resource allocation.
• 200 templates (Figure M) for solutions (projects).
• Allows 15 supported languages for global collaboration.
• Native integrations as well as the Zapier integration for connecting with your preferred tech stack.

Figure M

Top Integrations

• Slack
• Google Drive
• OneDrive
• HubSpot
• Invision

Pros

• Data import and export in all plans.
• Paid plans start with 50GB of file storage.
• Upfront pricing and 14-day free trial.

Cons

• Priority support only in Enterprise.
• Security such as single sign-on and two-factor authentication are limited to higher tiers.
• Requires free trial before purchase.
• It can be pricey the more users you have.

Why we chose SmartSuite

SmartSuite is one of the few software applications with upfront pricing for each tier and offers access to the majority of features in all tiers. There will be limits of course, but this tool’s free plan is great for getting an accurate feel for the software.

For more information, read the full SmartSuite review.