The process of thorough planning, task allocation, checklist, setting deadlines, and so on can be very daunting for a project manager. But with the best tools for project management, these tasks can be done quickly, effectively, and efficiently.
If you’re a rookie in project management, it can be difficult to figure out what’s important, what’s useful, and what’s not. However, you’ll learn about the best tools for project management and their prices in this article.
Table of contents
Related: 10 Best Google Project Management Free Tools In 2024
Why Use Project Management Tools?
Every organization, big or small, must deal with a variety of jobs, projects, plans, and people frequently. To carry out a project successfully, team members and managers collaborate with project management tools.
When a project involves a large number of individuals, not using project management tools might make it difficult to complete the work successfully. As a result, having certain tools to keep your company organized while planning & executing a project effectively is highly expected.
Project management tools are used for project planning, allocating resources, goal setting, and performance evaluation, to name a few things. Here are some reasons you should use tools for project management:
1. Budget Management
Budget management is a critical task that helps in project cost control. Each project has a cost associated with it, which includes potential expenditures as well as anticipated returns.
As a project manager, you can use project management tools to minimize costs and work to increase profitability. You can achieve this through progress monitoring, time tracking, budget reporting, and other tasks that help you plan the budget.
2. Simple and efficient planning
Project planning is an important part of the project development process that requires quality time to grasp all the key tasks. It also allows you to determine which tasks are paramount and how they relate to one another. This in turn allows you to more easily assign duties to different team members based on their abilities.
Because you must specify all of the critical steps, the project planning process takes a long time. The best project management tools allow you to easily create a task hierarchy for swift completion.
It also enables you to designate they perform which actions in a specific order and which tasks are interdependent. As a result, the team’s job becomes easier to do. This saves time since the team leader can recognize which duties to assign to whom once he/she knows which tasks are the most essential.
3. Swift collaboration
They give each team member a particular task while working on a major project. It’s critical to ensure that everyone working on the project is connected and collaborates within. They can achieve this collaboration effortlessly using tools for project management.
As a result, if any team member has a question or a concern, they can instantly contact the appropriate individual for assistance. Furthermore, project management tools make documentation, file sharing, and reporting with others simple, allowing you to keep track of everyone’s progress.
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4. Effortless Teamwork
It can be difficult to get the whole team to work as one. But with tools for project management, you can easily get everyone to cooperate.
The project manager can monitor the tasks that team members are handling and how much work has been completed using project management tools.
For the organization’s success, a solid team workflow is essential, and project management tools can assist you in achieving your objectives.
5. Easy management & resource allocation
Another reason your company needs project management tools is to easily manage and allocate resources. It is important to manage resources to ensure that business processes run smoothly and that no resources are lost.
Knowing what tools and supplies you’ll need for a project allow you to move on without being hindered by a lack of resources. You can avoid acquiring superfluous resources by using appropriate project management tools, allowing you to spend only on what you need.
What Do I Look Out For In The Best Tools For Project Management?
Before deciding on which project management tool to use, you should consider some factors. Below are some things you should look out for in tools for project management:
1. Project management versatility
Examine the tool to see whether it can work with both an agile and a waterfall technique. Although most project managers regard waterfall as an archaic method of working, it is preferable to avoid being bound by any process.
2. Scalability is important
Sure, you might be a small creative studio with four major clients right now, but can this tool manage things if you suddenly gain traction? It’s preferable to have a tool that can scale with you rather than one that can’t.
3. You have control as much as you like
Another characteristic to look out for is a tool that you have much control over. Look for a tool that allows for project management. This includes internal & external communication records, project team members, files, and task scheduling.
The more you feel like you’re in control of what’s going on, the less scurrying, panic, and other negative emotions you should avoid!
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4. Ensure that workflows run swiftly
Your company may be best recognized for web design now, the project management tool you choose should be capable of handling a wide range of incoming jobs. Make sure the built-in process is capable of handling everything from modest print jobs to large-scale rebranding.
5. It should help you simplify your workflow rather than complicate it
Any project manager good at their job will be working on several projects at once, each at a different degree of execution. A tool’s project tracking ability must be able to keep everything simple and structured.
It must also allow you to navigate easily between projects, clients, expenses, and jobs while always recognizing where you are in the system.
Overview of The Best Tools For Project Management
Project management tools are not only for project managers, notwithstanding their name. And they can tailor the tools for project management to meet the demands of teams of various sizes and objectives.
Here are the 10 best tools for project management:
- Monday.com
- Airtable
- ClickUp
- Notion
- Confluence
- Teamwork
- Wrike
- Asana
- ProofHub
- MeisterTask
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10 Best Tools For Project Management
The following are the best tools for project management. But these tools for project management can also be used by other businesses aside from Project Managers.
1. Monday.com
Monday.com has something for everyone, irrespective of their budget. Even if you only have a two-person team and little funding, monday.com can help you handle your project promptly without risk. You can use Monday.com for free if you are a small team of two.
If you’re a developing team, use advanced project-tracking functionality, integrations, and automation for $8 to $16 per team member each month, if billed annually (at least three seats per plan).
The free edition allows small teams with little income to handle projects using customized boards. This in turn allows your team to operate on their terms. You may make your boards with more than 200 templates and a limitless number of documents.
The iOS and Android apps for Monday.com enable your team members to work on the go. Monday.com’s plans, on the other hand, expand with your demands as you go to more sophisticated, massive-team projects.
You can handle small projects as well as many complicated tasks if you’re working with a developing or experienced team. Advanced integrations and plan functionality enable you to work with the tools that assist your team to communicate more effectively.
Furthermore, they help to manage risk, prepare a budget, allot resources, and track the progress, timeliness, & conclusion of your project. Automation, for example, makes it easier for your team to keep up the pace with minimal effort.
You can set up a notification to inform you if a task goes over budget or if a team member lags with a couple of clicks.
Gantt charts also illustrate how your project is going and what steps you need to take next. Slack, Zoom, synced calendars, Salesforce, Google Docs, and more integrations make teamwork within your organization effortless and straightforward.
Monday.com is one of the best tools for project management for small businesses on a tight budget. It provides free trials as well as a free version, allowing users to try out more advanced levels.
Visit Monday.com
2. Airtable
Organizations that often manage projects with Google Sheets or Microsoft Excel but want more features can use Airtable. It’s a powerful spreadsheet that lets you manage both rich & traditional data sources (like videos, photos, and other files).
While it is best known for its spreadsheet-like interface, it also supports additional project views like Kanban card stacks & galleries, calendar, grid, and Gantt/timeline views.
For instance, you can import data from Salesforce or Dropbox. To gather information from project team members, just create a form that you can send out through a shareable link.
Then, using templates and drag-and-drop features, evaluate data from various viewpoints, track the data usage, and project resource requirements. Other ready-made scripts or extensions then enable you to envision your project as it develops, providing a more spontaneous experience.
You can build a virtual whiteboard for concept brainstorming or a viewable 3D model of your project with Airtable Marketplace. Flow charts, pivot tables, and other visual data and project-reporting tools can also be used to demonstrate project improvement and success.
Airtable offers a free version for up to five editors or creators. And the price is $10 per seat per month (billed annually).
Visit Airtable
3. ClickUp
ClickUp is ideal for Scrum-based product development teams. Alongside having the functionalities you’d want from a good project management tool, it has templates & components that make Agile software development possible. ClickUp has a free version, but the plan is $5 per member per month (billed annually).
Its feature is extensive, with over 1,000 collaboration tools—calendar sync, real-time editing, mentions, and permissions & role creation. ClickUp also has customized automation recipes and presets, reporting dashboards, and project-tracking tools—timelines, checklists, Kanban boards, and dependencies).
In addition, it offers Gantt charts and reporting dashboards. And to allow your team to work on their terms, use templates, or personalize dashboards. The Agile Scrum features in ClickUp elevate this project management tool to the top.
Scrum is common among software developers, but sales and marketing teams also use it. It enables teams to produce products that people enjoy by collecting and incorporating feedback from customers after every iteration. Using features like assignments, work progress boards, checklists, collaborative feedback tools, and automation tools, ClickUp makes this process easy.
Visit ClickUp
4. Notion
Notion provides a single platform for managing all of your content creation tasks. You can’t only design content from the platform, but can as well store documents or rich content, create checklists, and share them from the same place. With just $4 per user per month (when billed annually), as a freelance content creator, you can afford this luxury.
This is a writing tool, although a complex one. From a single platform, you can create, develop, and publish content. Thus, it is one of the best tools for project management for content creators.
You can even include rich media like videos, images, and audio files in your content. Freelancers who create content for clients can invite their clients to view, comment on, and edit their work for free. You can manage the creation process like a pro using timeline views, checklist, Kanban, and gallery.
To promote your freelancing services, you can even develop a knowledge base concerning your services to present to prospective clients.
For instance, you can post a branded portfolio, your résumé, and packages on your website for prospective clients to consider. Alternatively, create an intrinsic knowledge base with limitless files so that you’ll have samples to show your client upon request.
Visit Notion
5. Confluence
Atlassian’s Confluence is particularly useful for collaborating across teams in various locations. Confluence provides all the tools you need to bring your company or just a small team inside it together around a common objective or mission.
Confluence has a free version. But its paid version gives you access to team features that make virtual project management a breeze. For instance, while its free version offers 2GB of document storage, its paid version offers at least 250GB.
The paid version also provides analytics and statistics, so you see which pieces of content are most useful to your team. With as little as $5.50 per user per month, you can have access to Confluence’s advanced features.
For project management, you can integrate Gantt charts or Kanban to keep your team on track with integrations. Allocate tasks to team members so that everyone understands their responsibilities, and manages document access properly using permissions.
You can also establish team spaces and collaborate to create and publish relevant documents that promote project or company performance, such as meeting minutes, team notes, or corporate regulations.
Confluence’s tools, features, and themes let you bring your virtual team together around common company culture. For instance, even in a virtual setting, you can schedule a weekly all-hands meeting to unite everyone face-to-face. Integrations with Slack and Zoom help you encourage internal relationships, inclusion, and common business culture.
Visit Confluence
6. Teamwork
Teamwork is another game-changer when it comes to project management. It helps you work and handle client relationships effortlessly. Thus, it’s one of the best tools for project management.
The paid version provides limitless collaborators. What this means is that agencies, consultants, and freelancers can work directly with their clients on the interface. While plans are quite more expensive than competitors’, Teamwork provides a free 30-day trial for all tiers.
Teamwork has a limited free plan, so upgrading is recommended to provide an optimal customer experience. The first-tier paid Deliver plan costs $10 per user per month (with at least 3 users) and its Grow plan costs $18 per user per month (with at least 5 users) when billed annually.
Unlike competitor plans, these plans are worth the money because they include unlimited collaborators and a 30-day free trial. Also, if your project requires more hands, you can recruit freelancers to assist you without having to pay for additional seats.
Teamwork’s paid plans provide features like intake forms, team chat, a document editor, time tracker, client-access controls, and invoices.
Visit Teamwork
7. Wrike
Wrike is another cloud-based project management software that makes project planning easier, allows you to track your team’s progress, keep track of deadlines, and connects with all stakeholders. Gantt charts, task management, a real-time newsfeed, and more functionalities are available on this platform.
You can schedule jobs to ensure that they complete the most important things first and that targets are met. There are numerous integration options, making it among the best tools for project management.
For most novice users, the vast number of features can be bewildering, and the complex UI doesn’t help matters. It’s perfect for various teams in an organization.
Wrike offers a freemium plan with limited features and up to 5 users. Whereas, the premium plan begins at $9.80 per user per month. It also has a Business plan which costs $24.80 per user per month.
Visit Wrike
8. Asana
Think of a great collaborative project management software, then think Asana! Workflows can be used to automate reiterating tasks. It’s user-friendly, with a variety of task displays and the flexibility to add custom fields and forms.
With Asana, you can invite as many guests as you want as well as create custom rules and approval workflows. While Asana has a lot to offer in terms of efficiency and collaboration, they manage many of the fundamental project management features using integrations, which may not be suitable for many users.
It’s suitable for all types of enterprises, but not for freelancers. Although users believe Asana’s design is extremely simplistic with a strict system and it offers powerful task management and communication tools.
Asana has a free plan for about 15 users. You can also view tasks on a Kanban board, as lists, and on a calendar. Their paid plan starts at $10.99/user/month and allows for custom fields, support timelines, automation rules, reporting, etc. The Business plan features rule builders, approvals, workload, portfolios, and advanced integrations that aren’t in other plans. And it costs $24.99 per user per month (when billed annually).
Visit Asana
9. ProofHub
Gantt charts, task lists, discussions, workflows, discussions, documents, and calendars are all integrated into ProofHub. It allows you to plan, manage & track the activities of your team alongside promoting collaboration between teams and external clients. You can access many reports such as workload and resource reports.
Due to its simplicity, ProofHub features just a few integrations and task management alternatives. It’s suitable for both freelancers and small & large businesses, making it among the best tools for project management.
ProofHub supports as many users as possible and charges a flat rate regardless of how many users. There are two plans available: the Essential plan is $50 per month, and the Ultimate Control plan is $99 per month.
Visit ProofHub
10. MeisterTask
MeisterTask is an online project management software designed for real-time collaborative teams. It has customizable fields, a dashboard for activities, backlog management, file sharing, etc.
Although its revision management functionalities may be improved, it has an aesthetically pleasing user interface. MeisterTask has 4 pricing tiers namely Basic, Pro, Business, and Enterprise.
The Basic plan is completely free and allows you to work on up to 3 projects. Whereas the Pro plan is $4.19 per user per month, and the Business plan is $10.39/user/month. Pricing for the Enterprise plan can be customized.
Visit MeisterTask
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Conclusion
You may find it difficult to figure out the best tools for project management, especially when you have several options to choose from. However, you have to settle for the one that matches your desire.
These project management tools are best for easy workflow and team collaboration. Hence, they are recommended.
FAQs On Tools For Project Management
It is an Agile framework used to minimize inefficiency and waste, and visualize and enhance workflows. Kanban project management improves team focus.
Some factors that affect project management include project priority, risk assessment, stakeholders & leaders, resource allocation, and company culture.
Project management tools are software/tools used by teams to handle their everyday tasks.
The 5 project management techniques include scrum project management, waterfall, GTD (Get Things Done), Agile project management, and critical path method.
Project management tools comprise elements like Gantt charts, reports, diagrams, documents, calendars, etc.
References
- kissflow.com – 15 Best Project Management Tools for Every Project Managers in 2024
- clickup.com – 10 Best Project Management Tools (Features, Pros, Cons, Pricing)
- zignuts.com – Hiring Remote Developers? 7 Reasons Why Project Management Tools Are Important
- forbes.com – Best Project Management Software Of 2024
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