Compare the Best Project Management Tools to Plan, Track & Collaborate on Projects in 2021

We know you need a collaborative project management tool that’s affordable but also offers the best task management features, customization options, tracking tools, and API integrations.

Fortunately, if you’re looking for the best project management software to integrate into your company’s operations, you’re in luck! 

Whether you’re a small enterprise or a big corporation looking to optimize your project activities, you can benefit from our research—we spent hours researching and testing the best project management options around. 

From customer reviews to marketing blogs, we scoured the web to find the best project management software in the market and have listed everything you need to know.

Now, we can confidently say that we’ve found the most effective tools available. Let’s get started!

Best Project Management Software Tools: First Look

1. All-round best project management software – Hive
2. Great for beginners – TeamGantt
3. Ideal for tracking tasks – GanttPro
4. Easily customizable to suit each user – monday.com
5. Best for large organizations – Easy Projects

How We Ranked Our Top Picks

Features

The ideal project management software should be more than just a one-trick pony. The best tool will provide all the features and tools you need to streamline and automate workflows within one solution, eliminating the need for other SaaS tools that you might rely on.

Here are some critical features that everyone should look for in project management software:

• File sharing
• Integrations
• Finance tools
• Time tracking
• Scheduling tools
• Task management tools
• Workload management
• Reports and notifications 
• Visualization and tracking tools

Price

Before even considering implementing project management software into your enterprise, you must ask yourself whether the tool is within your budget. Most software programs charge on a per-user or a per-month basis, so you must consider the costs of covering your entire team. 

Difficulty To Learn

How difficult a project management software is for your team to learn and get accustomed to is of paramount significance. If a tool isn’t easy for your team to master, you might have to spend additional resources training your employees, or they’ll never be able to unlock its full potential.

Customer Service

Although often overlooked, good customer support is one of the most crucial components of a successful project management system. Customer service offers support to its customers throughout every step of the project management process whenever they encounter a problem or have a query regarding the software. 

Best Project Management Software: An In-Depth Review

1. Hive – All-Round Best Project Management Software

Hive is an AI-based project management tool that powers the project management teams at large-scale corporations such as Uber, Google, Starbucks, WeWork, IBM, Essence, and many more.

With a clean, simple, intuitive interface, this project management software makes planning and assigning tasks to other users very easy and allows for efficient communication between team members within the software. 

Hive Pros

• Native email and messaging 
• Flexible project layouts
• 1000+ integrations 
• Time-tracking tools
• User-friendly interface 
• Built-in analytics solution
• Seamless switching between views
• Robust customer support

Hive Cons

• Inability to create dependent tasks
• No search function 
• Project management app is lackluster 

Perfect for teams of all sizes, Hive allows users to add comments to tasks, annotate project deliverables, group chat, reassign tasks conveniently, and upload files all within the app with just one or two clicks. Hive’s time-tracking and visualization tools also offer managers transparency into every project team member’s activities and project progress. 

Packed with a range of project management features, like Gantt boards, charts, Kanban-style status views, AI-based analytics, customizable project views, and more, Hive is a favorite among marketing teams looking for comprehensive marketing task management software to organize and simplify their activities in one centralized location. 

Task templates also make planning and repeating previously assigned tasks much faster and more efficient.

Pricing

• 14-day free trial
• Base package: $12 per user annually or $16 per user billed monthly
• Enterprise package: pricing available upon request

The Bottom Line

As a versatile and customizable tool, Hive is the best project management software available in the market today for a wide range of companies. It even offers full email integrations, which allow you to send and receive emails from within the tool. 

However, on the downside, users have complained that the calendar tools offered by Hive are very basic and lack value.

2. TeamGantt – Simple Project Management Tools for Beginners

TeamGantt provides cloud-based project management tools that offer not only a simple interface that is easy on the eye but also provides project management features that bring everything you need to plan and execute your work under one roof. 

TeamGantt Pros

• Time tracker
• Easy to learn
• Easy to track tasks
• Shared team-calendar
• Simple user interface
• Customizable task templates
• Ability to create dependent tasks
• Document sharing and storage

TeamGantt Cons

• Expensive for large teams
• Lack of budget section
• Limited phone support in the free and standard packages

Enriched with features such as intuitive Gantt charts, team resourcing, time tracking tools, custom task templates, reporting, and file sharing, TeamGantt offers effortless collaboration and planning to enterprises of all sizes.

Known for the extensive features integrated into its collaborative Gantt charts, TeamGantt even allows users to create tasks by dragging over dates in a calendar using a drag-and-drop option. 

Project managers can easily track and monitor the progress of several tasks using this project management software, to see what and how many tasks each team member is working on. 

Users can add comments or attach documents to any task or chat in their inbox in this simple yet helpful tool, which empowers users with the ability to efficiently communicate and collaborate throughout the course of the project.

Jam-packed with top-notch project planning and management features, TeamGantt offers users the unique opportunity to streamline their projects without having to understand more complex and complicated project management system features. 

TeamGantt’s shared team-calendar feature also gives you a summary of the allocation of tasks over the entire project duration while the to-do lists in the software allow project leaders to prioritize tasks and better plan the course of the project. 

In addition to a fast and responsive customer support team that is available viaphone and email, TeamGantt also hosts a series of recorded and live classes by experts to guide users on how to ideally utilize the features in their day-to-day operations.

Pricing

TeamGantt offers both free and paid plans with different functionalities and features available with each plan. Based on the functionality you require and the number of members in your team, you can choose one of three package options offered by TeamGantt:

• Free: maximum of three users and one project
• Standard: $19.90 per month for the first user ($7.90 for each additional user)
• Advanced: $24.45 per month for the first user ($12.45 for each additional user)

The standard and advanced packages also come with a 14-day free trial so you can give the tool a test run before purchasing it for your business.

The Bottom Line

What makes TeamGantt unique is that, unlike other software, it does not have many complicated features and is very easy to use, which makes it easy for beginners or first-time employees to learn how to operate it. 

For project managers, TeamGantt can be extremely useful in helping to map dependent tasks and build reports such as workload reports and project health reports that can be used to update other stakeholders on the status of their projects. 

Unfortunately, the only feature this software lacks is a budget section that a project manager can use to view the estimated cost of doing a task. 

3. GanttPro – Best Project Tracking Software

Although primarily developed for task management, GanttPro offers extremely resourceful and robust project management software that can be used for more than just managing tasks viaGantt charts. With auto-scheduling, resource management, team collaboration, and progress tracking features, GanttPro is more than just a simple Gantt chart tool. 

GanttPro Pros

• Low cost
• Easy to use
• Robust security 
• Seamless collaboration 
• Automated scheduling 
• Resource management 
• Well-designed Gantt charts
• Convenient and speedy scheduling of tasks
• Automatic identification of critical path on Gantt charts

GanttPro Cons

• No reporting and invoicing tools
• No customizable dashboards
• No mobile app

GanttPro’s task management features allow you to split your project into smaller achievable tasks to better control your project plans. 

You can add milestones, create subtasks, track progress, map task dependencies, and even switch from Gantt chart view to the board, portfolio, or grid view. The drag-and-drop feature only adds more convenience to the whole process. 

Auto-scheduling automatically adjusts your schedule when you make any adjustments to your tasks so that you don’t have to manually reschedule all the tasks in your project. 

You can also add comments, attach documents, get real-time notifications, and mention team members underneath every task or project. 

Additionally, the resource management feature allows project managers to ensure that they remain within their budget and track how many tasks each team member is working on.

Pricing

• Annual individual plan: $15 per month per user (billed annually)
• Team plan: $8.90 per user per month billed annually 
• Enterprise plan: available upon request

GanttPro also offers a 14-day free trial on all plans so you can try them out and see if the software suits your needs. 

The Bottom Line

For teams wanting to work more intelligently and effectively on a single versatile platform, GanttPro is exactly what they’re looking for. It’s not only for teams—GanttPro provides valuable tools and features for solo users as well.

Fit for teams of all sizes and every type of business, GanttPro serves to eliminate all of a project manager’s planning, scheduling, and management problems. With an intuitive interface that shortens the learning curve and an array of customizable Gantt chart templates, GanttPro is able to provide almost everything you need to efficiently manage your projects. 

4. monday.com–Best Customizable Project Management App

With over 100,000 teams that rely on monday.com, including those of big enterprises such as Coca-Cola, Hulu, NBC, Adobe, and many more, this tool is one of the leading project management software tools in the market today. 

The platform brings together all of a business’s major project data in one centralized location that team members can use to enhance their decision-making process and track their project activities. 

monday.com Pros

• Built-in time tracking 
• Easy to use
• 40+ integrations 
• Automated tasks
• 24/7 customer support
• Multiple views
• Resource management tools
• Top rate analytics and reporting 
• Easy collaboration 
• Diverse range of customizations

monday.com Cons

• Can’t create dependent tasks
• Limited activity log

With its well-designed and intuitive user interface, project managers don’t have to worry about training their employees as they can learn how to operate the software in no time. To make things even easier, monday.com also offers its users excellent tutorials and training on how to operate their platform on their website and YouTube channel. 

But, apart from its easy-to-use interface, this product stands out from the rest for its customization options that empower users with the ability to configure and customize options in order to create a platform that is specific to their business’s individual needs. 

Monday.com has the capability to categorize projects into customized groups and sections based on the rules you set out for it to follow. The platform even offers multiple views for your boards that you can choose from according to your team’s requirements, including files, Kanban boards, form, and chart view.

In addition to its excellent customizable features, monday.com has received great praise from users for its remarkable reporting and analytics tools that collect data from different boards used to provide actionable metrics and allow for better tracking of a project’s progress. Automation of various tasks also helps users streamline their workflows and enhance productivity within their workroom.

Additionally, monday.com integrates with several third-party apps like Google Drive, Slack, Jira, GitLab, Trello, Gmail, and more in order to help users manage tasks in one workspace. Users can also collaborate effortlessly on this platform with the ease of adding comments and notes, leaving questions, taking part in answering forums, and uploading files to any activity.

Pricing

• Individual: free plan for up to 2 users
• Basic: $8 per user per month for up to 3 users
• Standard: $10 per user per month for up to 3 users
• Pro: $16 per user per month for up to 3 users
• Enterprise: available upon request 

monday.com also offers a 14-day free trial, so we recommend trying out the tool before deciding on the perfect project management software for your business.

The Bottom Line

From content calendar templates to checklists, this collaborative project management software offers its users a myriad of features that make managing both simple and complex projects much easier. 

While monday.com lacks robust accounting and invoicing solutions within its platform, it is still a powerful project management tool with visually intuitive layouts and an extremely responsive customer support team.

5. Easy Projects – Best Project Planning Software for Large Organizations

Built to support large-scale organizations that handle multiple projects at a time, Easy Projects provides powerful, well-rounded, award-winning, cloud-based project management software that gives team members the convenience of a collaborative workspace in which to optimize their activities. 

With Gantt charts, automated rescheduling, critical path and portfolio management, task dependencies, project templates, and even time-tracking tools, Easy Projects wraps almost everything you’re looking for in project management software into one solution. 

Easy Projects Pros

• Project templates
• Custom forms
• Task dependencies
• Several integrations 
• Time-tracking tools
• Portfolio management 
• Resource loading simulation
• Critical path management 
• Good customer support
• Automated rescheduling 

Easy Projects Cons

• Unsuitable smaller organizations and solo users
• Lack of built-in chatbox
• Relatively slow performance 

The platform is able to support a work breakdown structure so that projects can be divided into smaller achievable tasks between teams and also offers custom forms and project templates designed to reduce administrative burdens by eliminating the need to create a new project from scratch every time. 

Each task can also be flagged as urgent so that team members are aware of the task priorities. 

Resource loading simulation is a feature unique to Easy Projects that sets it apart from the rest of the solutions in the market. By simply entering the start and end dates of a project and selecting the desired skill levels associated with different members of your team, you can reduce the total amount of time that is required to complete the project. 

With resource loading simulation, the solution looks at the availability of everyone in the organization to see who on your team has the necessary skills and expertise to do the job and is available for the job. 

Not only does this help project managers better assign tasks to their teams, it also helps them better plan the project schedule by showing them whether they have the necessary resources required to complete a project within a set deadline before even beginning to work on the project.

Pricing

Easy Project’s pro plan comes at a cost of $24 per user per month, which comes with a 14-day free trial. Easy Project also offers an enterprise package for businesses that require additional security, BI tools, and portfolio and integration requirements. You can contact Easy Projects to find out more about its enterprise package and its pricing.

The Bottom Line

In terms of features, Easy Projects is a highly productive tool that makes it easier for teams to communicate on both ends to improve consistency and adherence to project timelines. 

Although its interface and speed are not the best, the platform can do a lot for businesses looking to optimize their business operations. This is why corporations such as IBM, HP, Cushman and Wakefield, and many more choose Easy Projects to automate their project activities.

Unfortunately, though, Easy Project does not come with an integrated chatbox to facilitate communication between team members. But if you’re using a team messaging app like Slack, you might not even need a built-in chatbox. 

Runner-Ups

Here is a list of the tools that came close to our top picks. This free management help and software can help to make your business run more seamlessly.

1. ClickUp – Full control over task management
2. Asana– Collaboration and management for remote teams
3. Wrike – Easy elimination of repetitive tasks
4. Screendragon – Optimization of project-based emails and file transfers
5. Clarizen – Reliable custom report generation
6. Celoxis – Ideal for planning, delegation, and collaboration
7. FunctionFox – Extensive time management tools
8. GoodDay – Everything available in one place
9. DoneDone – User-friendly project management solution
10. RaveTree – Pinpointing of projects quickly and easily
11. Workfront – Helpful project planning and assignment tools
12. Scoro – Comprehensive project management software
13. ProofHub – Updated collaboration software
14. BaseCamp – Simple project management tool
15. Workzone – Good project management app
16. Notion – Popular project management software
17. ActiveCollab – Best project management tools for small businesses
18. Zoho Projects – Switching between project tasks easily
19. LiquidPlanner – Good email integration features
20. Nifty – Easy viewing of project timelines and milestones
21. Teamwork Projects – Intuitive, flexible management software
22. Plutio – Automation of monthly bills and payments
23. ProjectManager.com – Helpful reporting features

Project Management Software: Buyer’s Guide

Purchasing project management software for your business may seem like a piece of cake, but you must weigh many factors before making your decision. Choosing the right project management software and tailoring it to fit your business’s unique requirements could make or break your project’s success. 

Before you can even think of buying a project management solution for your business, you must have a well-defined understanding of the features you require from the PM software you are looking for and a set of structured goals you hope to achieve from the implementation of PM software within your operations. 

It is always a good idea to first make use of the free trial period offered by your top picks before opting for the paid plan so that you can get a sense of the collaborative features of the software. 

Try to get a few members of your team to work on a small project using the software to gain their feedback, which you can then incorporate when making your final decision.

With many project management solutions flooding the market today, choosing the right software is of the utmost significance. Here are some basic features and factors you must consider before buying a PM tool:

Scheduling Tools

Project scheduling tools are just as important as budgeting and resource management tools because they help managers determine a complete project timeline and manage resources in the most cost-effective way possible. 

In order to handle your projects efficiently and deliver your project deliverables on time, your business needs more than just a scheduling tool with basic features. These digital work tools can be invaluable for your SMB. 

Data Security

Your company’s data is your enterprise’s biggest asset; it is important to inspect and evaluate the security options offered by your preferred project management platform. Make sure your preferred software is capable of protecting your client’s data on a secure server. 

Interface

As important as it is to look for functionality in software, getting software with an attractive and simple interface is an added bonus. User interfaces that are easy on the eye and attractive motivate team members to work harder and update their platforms more regularly in comparison to a dull user interface. 

Timesheets

Timesheets can not only help you keep track of tasks and project timelines, but they can also significantly smooth the payroll process by recording the number of hours spent by each team member on their tasks.

Collaboration

Looking for a solution that allows for quick communication and efficient collaboration between team members should be one of your primary concerns when considering buying a project management solution. 

Collaboration tools such as built-in chat boxes, commenting, or document sharing can help managers keep the team marching to the beat of the same drum and allow them to coordinate their tasks with other members.

The Bottom Line: What Is the Best Project Management Software?

Practically speaking, it is impossible to crown one project management software as the best one out there, considering that every business has its own individual needs and the platform that might be the best for you may not be what’s best for another business. 

Out of all the project management tools we reviewed, Hive is the one that came closest to checking all the boxes. With flexible project views, 1000+ integrations, and an abundance of unique features, Hive is the all-in-one solution to every project manager’s problems.

But ultimately it depends on what you’re looking for in terms of a project management solution and what each platform has to offer you