Project Management Software

If you’ve worked within a team or manage a team, you’ve probably noticed that project management sucks.

Project management might be hard because a process is missing and no one cares to fix it because the work is still getting done.

But at what cost?

Without seeing projects from a bird’s eye view, it makes it incredibly hard to plan for the future. This often means your team becomes reactive instead of proactive.

A team without a project management process will have trouble quantifying all the hard work they’ve been doing.

Let’s face it, we are human and humans tend to forget things.

Besides, to remember, the brain must actively forget…

There are many reasons you need a better way to manage your team’s projects.

I’m sure by now, you’ve probably looked for the best project management software for your team.

What should you be expecting from a project management tool anyway?

A good project management software should provide the following:

Easy to use interface for creating projects and managing tasks

More profound insights about bottlenecks within a project

Project timelines that allow for context at a higher level

Integrated collaboration for team members to stay in the loop

A simple way of creating a kickoff plan for your projects

Effective scheduling for projects and tasks

Automated reminders to keep teams focused on project deadlines

Quick and easy on-boarding process for team members

Real-time team communication for all your projects

No workflow obstructing barriers to climb

Fair pricing structure for your business

Here are 2020’s best project management apps:

ProjectManager

ProjectManager is a robust project management application developed to fit any project. Unlike other platforms, Project Manager has all the bells and whistles needed for extensive project management.

PROS

Easy to get started

Team Collaboration built-in (Live Chat + Discussions)

Projects Dashboard for bird’s eye view (Real-Time)

Gantt Charts work well for team timelines

Task Panels give a nice progress bar and more information

Kanban Boards make manage tasks much easier

Timesheets are an added benefit

Scheduling tasks for recurring or upcoming tasks

Advanced Reports give project managers deeper insights

CONS

Slightly expensive, especially for smaller businesses

Free trial does require a credit card

Gantt charts could look a bit more modern

Get Project Manager Software »

BaseCamp

Basecamp eliminates the need for additional project management and collaboration tools. All the power-packed features and option for unlimited users/projects for just $99 make this one of our favorite applications. In comparison to many other team management apps on the market, Basecamp is a strong contender for the top spot. If you’re looking for a tool that keeps people accountable, highly focused and promotes project communication, look no further.

PROS

Unlimited users and projects

Project-based calendar system

Automated check-ins eliminate additional meetings

File management built right into each project

Communication tools for chatting, commenting and providing feedback

Simple, yet robust todo creation

Subscribe to project calendars

Search for anything within Basecamp

Optional notifications and pings

Reports on due dates, assignments and more

Forward emails to a project

See progress over time

Client and third-party portal

CONS

No customizable layouts

Time tracking is a bit clunky

No Gantt charts or visual timelines

Only basic reporting available

Basic moderation seems to be missing

Get Basecamp Project Management Software »

Proofhub

Get full control over your projects and team with Proofhub. This tool is used by smaller groups to centralize their project management needs in one place. Reduce the time it takes to manage your project and communicate more effectively with Proofhub.

PROS

A centralized hub for all project

Simple task management tools

Collaborative discussion boards

Group chat for communicating

Automated workflows

Proof and review project steps

Track time for projects

Create custom access roles

Kanban board for alternative drag and drop view

Calendar todo view with recurring project events

Built-in feedback and proofing

Supports multiple languages

Extensive project reports

White-labeling for the client portal

Optional authorized networks

Free trial (no credit card required)

CONS

Lacks budgeting options

No recurring tasks

No workflows

Gantt chart feature is clunky

Too many notifications by default

Get Proofhub Project Management Software »

Trello

Trello is the easiest Kanban project management tool we’ve used. To get started you literally click, type and you’re done. It’s an intuitive way to create your own custom workflows for your team. From my experience, getting up and running with Trello has been an absolute breeze.

PROS

It’s free to use Trello

Simple drag and drop Kanban board

A quick overview of all boards

Activity feed [New]

Inline editing, checklists, and attachments

Several integrations and power-ups

Reminders for deadlines

Email digests and notifications

Cool voting feature

Cross-Platform

CONS

Potentially too simple for larger teams

No reporting like other software

No way to track time on tasks (but plugins are available)

No portal for clients (but you can invite to a board)

Lacks automation tools

No Gantt charts or visual timelines (plugins are available)

Need a better way to export data

Get Trello Project Management App »

WorkZone

Workzone combines the best of both worlds when it comes to project management. Everything you love about a simple todo list but also all the stuff you actually care about from more robust tools.

PROS

Project request forms to kickoff projects

Simple task management reduces friction

Visualize project timelines with Gantt charts

Big picture view of plans for project managers

Project templates to save time

Email notification keep you in the loop

Team resources report to time allocation

Easily manage project budgets

Manage your project milestones

Comments on projects, tasks and even docs

Feedback on images with the ability to approve

Exportable pre-built or customized project reports

CONS

Best for medium to larger size companies

No portal for clients or third parties

Higher learning curve than other software

Get WorkZone Project Management Tool »

Paymo

Paymo acts as a source of truth for the entire company, bringing task management, planning, resource scheduling, time tracking, and invoicing under a single platform without messy integrations. The platform is pretty modular, making it accessible for both small to medium teams and freelancers who want to manage their business.

PROS

Free trial (no credit card required)

Central source of truth for all projects

Includes several modules that can be hidden/displayed

Unlimited clients, projects, and tasks

Transform a project into a quote and vice versa

Different project task views

Project and task hourly budgets for progress monitoring

Gantt Chart + Portfolio Gantt Chart

Automatic resource scheduling

Built-in leave planner

Time tracking tools

Timesheets

Time reports that auto update once accessed

Invoicing + Expenses

Shortcuts

CONS

Each task belongs to a project

The client portal is too light

No Gantt Chart export

No profitability function

Needs a better way to export data other than API

Try Paymo Project Management Software »

Monday

Monday takes away the standard bloated project management features and replaces them with a simple visual project management toolset. This software is for a team who intends to spend less time planning and more time doing.

PROS

Customizable workflows for your team

Project tracking at a glance

Calendar view

Gantt charts

Nice looking charts for overviews and reports

View files

Kanban style layout for alternative view

The map view is helpful for location-based projects

Templates for most use cases

Collaborate on projects with team members

Current assignment view

Great mobile app

A free trial is available

Portal for clients and third parties

Milestone tracking for projects

Time tracking

CONS

Lacks the ability to add sub-tasks

Notifications tab can be overwhelming

Pricing is not cheap for larger teams

Adding guests costs money

Get Monday Project Management Tool »

Conclusion

You probably want to hear which one of these project management apps is best for your team. Here’s the truth; it is all dependent on how your organization works and figuring out what process is missing that will make your team more efficient.

Are Gantt charts going to help your team figure out what projects overlap? Will time tracking make estimating project timeline much easier? Do you need storage space or can you use Google Drive, Box or Dropbox? Is $10 per user too expensive for your larger team? Are reports what is going to make the board happy? Do you need bug tracking, wikis and documentation? Should clients get access to a project portal?

These are all questions that will dictate your choice of project management software. Take your time and try to fully understand your team management needs. Figure out what will work best for your company before you make a decision.

A while back we talked about how social proof helps gain trust with your customers, well the same goes for employees. If you get the buy in from a few other team members, the employees most hesitant to try a new project management system will be more likely to trust your decision.

I work on several teams and have found that every team has used something different. I put this list together because I wanted to highlight the best project management software available in 2019. Let me know what your team uses in the comments below.

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. This means I could make a commission from your purchase.