In 2025, you’ll find more project management tools than ever before, with artificial intelligence now streamlining workflows through features like automated task creation and intelligent workload balancing.
Your choice of project management software can greatly impact team productivity, with options ranging from simple task boards to extensive platforms that integrate time tracking, resource management, and advanced reporting.
Whether you’re managing a small team or large enterprise projects, free project management tools offer robust features that rival paid alternatives, including AI-powered automation, customizable workflows, and seamless third-party integrations. Many platforms offer essential Kanban-style boards for visualizing project progress and organizing tasks effectively.
Brief overview of project management tools
Project management tools have changed the way teams work together and finish tasks. These tools range from basic to-do lists to big company systems. They help solve problems like sharing work and setting up automatic steps. When teams use these tools, they work better together and get more done. Over 2.4 million people around the world use project management tools like Wrike to boost their productivity.
Teams can pick from many different tools that match what they need to do. Asana helps manage all parts of a project at once. Adobe Workfront works well for marketing teams. Smartsheet is good for teams who work with lots of numbers. Most of these tools let you track tasks, make project charts, share work among team members, and set up tasks that run by themselves. While it takes time to learn these tools, picking the right one helps teams plan better and work together more smoothly.
Importance of choosing the right tool in 2025
Picking the right project tool in 2025 can make your team more than twice as successful, which makes it vital for all types of companies. You must look at what your company needs and make sure the tool fits with your goals.
When picking a tool, look for one that’s easy to use and can grow with your team. Think about what features you need, such as ways to work with clients, track time, or make reports. Tools like ClickUp provide extensive training resources to help teams get started smoothly.
The best tool will grow as your company grows and let you add new parts as needed.
Make sure to look at how well the tool works for team sharing and how it fits with your other software. Your choice should make work easier, help you make better choices based on data, and help you use your resources well while staying flexible for future growth.
Mention of AI advancements in project management
Picking the right project tool is still key, but AI has changed how teams get work done in 2025. AI now helps predict project risks and makes better work schedules. Teams use AI to turn daily tasks into faster, simpler steps. It also helps make smart choices using real-time data and deep analysis.
Automated alerts quickly notify managers when projects face potential issues or resource shortages. Today’s project tools use AI to handle basic office work, spot delays before they happen, and test different ways a project could go. By working with building tools, sensors, and smart cameras, teams can watch job safety, improve designs, and keep projects on track. Simple voice commands help teams check contract details, while AI tools spot problems early to keep projects moving on time.
What to Look for in Project Management Software
When you’re evaluating project management software, you’ll need to assess five critical factors: essential features that match your workflow, scalability to support team growth, integration capabilities with your existing tools, user-friendly interface for quick adoption, and pricing that fits your budget.
Your chosen software should offer core functionalities like task management, team collaboration, and reporting while maintaining flexibility for future needs. Look for tools that include resource allocation features to effectively manage your team’s workload and equipment usage. The right platform will balance these elements while providing a clear upgrade path as your requirements evolve.
Key features
When choosing project management software, you need to know which features will help your team work better. Think about how much it costs and what tools it offers to make work easier. Good software should let you handle tasks well – like setting what’s most important, tracking due dates, and breaking big jobs into smaller steps.
Make sure the software lets people work together easily. Your team should be able to share files, make changes at the same time, and talk about their work through comments. You’ll want controls over who can see and change different things. Look for visual tools like boards and charts that show how work is moving along. Whether you choose lightweight or heavyweight tools will depend on your specific project needs.
The software should also work well with other tools you already use and help automate routine tasks. Having everything in one place makes it easier for your team to get work done and be more productive.
Scalability
Software needs to grow with your business to work well over time. When picking project tools, make sure they can handle more users through good cloud systems and smart data storage.
Choose tools that let you add new pieces as you need them. The software should spread out user traffic and store data smartly to keep running smoothly as more people use it. Teams can benefit from personalized dashboards that display their most relevant project metrics. Check pricing plans carefully – pick ones that let you pay more only as you grow.
Look for systems built with small, separate parts that work together. Tools like Docker or Kubernetes help set up these parts quickly. This keeps everything running well even as your project needs get bigger.
Integration capabilities
Modern project management software must work well with the tools you already use. When picking a platform, make sure it connects easily with your other programs, like your CRM tools and chat systems.
Good software should link with Zapier to help you run tasks on autopilot and work with tools like Google Drive, Slack, and your calendar. You’ll also need links to time tracking and billing tools to keep clear records of money and work output. Project integration management helps coordinate these interconnected elements effectively. Always check that these connections keep your data safe and follow security rules.
Top project tools come with ways to talk with your team, run tasks by themselves, and create reports. They work smoothly with your daily work tools while keeping all your project data in one place.
User-friendliness
Project management software needs to be easy to use if you want your team to adopt it. When you look at different tools, pick one with a simple layout that’s easy to navigate. This helps new team members learn the software faster.
Good project tools let you customize views to match how your team works. Look for clear menus and features that are easy to spot and use without reading lots of instructions. Having workflow automation capabilities helps streamline repetitive tasks and improves team efficiency. Choose software that comes with good training materials and helpful support staff, so your team can get the most out of it.
Also check if the tool lets you make changes like setting up your own dashboard, adding widgets you need, and controlling how you get alerts. This way, the software fits how your team likes to work.
Pricing considerations
Project management software costs need careful review to match your budget and future needs. The price you pay should fit your company’s goals and plans for growth.
| Cost Factor | Impact | Consideration |
|---|---|---|
| Base Plan | Monthly/User | Compare free vs. paid features |
| Storage | Data Limits | Calculate team requirements |
| Integration | Add-ons | Factor third-party tool costs |
Look beyond the listed price to spot extra costs like training, help, and more storage space. Most software comes with free basic plans you can try before buying. Keep in mind how costs might rise as your team gets bigger, and check if yearly plans save more money than monthly ones. Think about how much money you might save through better work flow and higher output when weighing the total cost.
Detailed Reviews of the Top 15 Project Management Tools
Project management tools help teams work better in different ways. Zoho Projects makes remote work easier with tools that track time, manage tasks, and work with other business apps. Asana helps teams work together by letting them set up their own task lists and connect with over 400 other apps. Teams of three or less can access several free plan options for their project management needs.
ProProfs Project helps teams handle their work better with custom plans and clear reports. If your team likes to see work laid out clearly, Freedcamp gives you endless storage space and boards to move tasks around. Scoro is great at tracking money with charts that show spending. Nifty helps manage many projects at once and makes the best use of team members’ time.
Before picking a tool, think about how your team works. Some teams need simple task lists, while others need more complex features. Choose the one that fits your team’s way of working best.
1. ClickUp
ClickUp’s free plan gives you unlimited tasks and users with 100MB storage, making it an excellent entry point for small teams and startups.
You’ll get access to essential features like collaborative docs, whiteboards, and real-time chat, though you’re limited to 5 Spaces and 100 lists per space. Upgrading to paid plans offers advanced automations and enhanced team capabilities.
The platform’s 2025 roadmap includes enhanced AI capabilities through its $7/month add-on, which helps with task automation, content generation, and workflow optimization.
Key features
ClickUp helps you manage tasks in many ways. You can see your work as charts, boards, timelines, or mind maps. The system works with over 1000 other apps and lets you set up over 50 types of automatic actions. This makes it easy to create workflows that match your needs and brand. You can organize projects using Spaces and Folders for better team and department management.
Teams can work better together using ClickUp’s tools. You get a live whiteboard to share ideas, chat with others, and swap files. You can check designs, add notes to files, and track time all in one place. ClickUp shows you how work is going through easy-to-read charts. You can see who’s busy, track goals, and build custom views of your data.
The system lets you update many tasks at once and work with complex math formulas. Whether you need to track due dates, connect related tasks, or check team workloads, ClickUp can adjust to how you like to work.
Pros and cons
ClickUp has strong points and weak points to think about. Teams love working together in ClickUp, which scores 4.7 out of 5 for its teamwork tools. You get team chat, file editing, and chat rooms you can set up how you want. ClickUp’s version 3.0 looks cleaner and is easier to navigate than before.
The system also helps you work faster with its ClickUp Brain and ready-to-use workflows that cut down on manual tasks.
On the downside, ClickUp can be hard to learn because it has so many features. New users often feel lost at first. If you run a big company, you might notice the system runs slowly, taking 4-5 seconds to switch between views.
Getting help can be tricky too. Unless you pay for the most expensive plan, you can’t get live help around the clock or talk to someone on the phone. The free version gives you limited storage space, and ClickUp works with fewer outside tools than other similar systems. These limits might slow down your work.
Pricing
ClickUp’s price plans help you figure out if it fits your budget and needs. The tool has four pricing levels, with a Free Forever plan that lets you have as many projects and users as you want, plus 100MB of storage. This makes it a good choice for small teams just starting out.
Teams that need more can pick the Unlimited plan at $7-10 for each user per month. This plan gives you endless storage space and better features. The ClickUp Academy provides comprehensive training resources through video tutorials and certification programs.
The Business plan costs $12-19 per user monthly and adds tools to track time and manage workloads. When you look at other project tools’ prices, ClickUp gives you good value for your money.
For big companies, the Enterprise plan needs a special quote but comes with extras like API access, easier sign-in, and help to get started. As you move up each level, you get more tools while keeping prices fair.
Best for
ClickUp works best for three main business tasks: handling complex workflows, helping teams work together, and letting users sort tasks how they want. It fits best with medium and large teams who need to change things to match their needs and want to make tasks run on their own.
The tool offers 14 ways to look at tasks, more than 50 ways to run tasks by themselves, and lets you add up to 3,000 custom details in each work space. Teams who need to work together in real time will find it very useful. With its unlimited tasks and users in the free version, teams can scale their projects without restrictions.
It also helps manage emails and lets users mark up design files with notes. As your team grows, the price plans can grow with you, and the tool can do many routine tasks on its own.
If you run many teams that work in different ways, or if you need to keep detailed records in ClickUp Docs, this tool can bend and stretch to meet your needs.
2025 updates and AI integrations
ClickUp 3.0 has new updates that make work easier with five AI tools. Teams can now use AI in over 100 ways based on their roles. The system includes an AI Writer to help with writing and a way to share team knowledge. You can get these AI features for $5 per month.
The new Canvas system lets you set up your workspace how you want it. When you log in, you’ll see a home screen that shows your most important work first. Teams can enjoy significant workflow improvements with seriously improved navigation.
The system now works with more apps through Zapier, so you can make your daily tasks run on their own. You can also change how you plan sprints, use built-in tools, and manage custom fields better. Finding what you need is faster with the new search bar at the top of the screen and quick shortcuts to key features.
2. Asana
Asana’s intuitive interface lets you manage projects through multiple views including list, board, timeline, and calendar, with the free plan supporting up to 15 team members.
You’ll benefit from robust collaboration features, task dependencies, and over 300 third-party integrations, though you’ll need to upgrade for advanced features like custom fields and workload management.
Looking ahead to 2025, Asana plans to enhance its AI capabilities with smart task suggestions and automated workflow optimization, making it an excellent choice for growing teams that need scalable project management solutions.
The platform enables users to monitor team productivity through customizable reporting and dashboards, providing valuable insights into project progress and performance metrics.
Key features
The free version of Asana comes with many helpful tools that cover four main areas: project views, task tools, team tools, and ways to make work easier.
You can see your work in different views like lists, boards, calendars, and timelines. The task tools help you break down big tasks into smaller ones, link tasks together, add labels, and set due dates. Breaking down large projects helps teams stay organized and track progress effectively.
When working with others, you can add comments, share updates, and choose who can see what. The system will also send notices to keep your team up to date.
Asana can do simple tasks for you to save time. It shows charts to help you see how work is going. You can make guides for common tasks and link Asana to hundreds of other work tools to make your job smoother.
Pros and cons
Looking at both good and bad points helps teams choose if Asana is right for them. Asana offers a great user experience with easy-to-use tools that you can adjust to fit your needs. The platform was created by former Facebook employees who wanted to make teamwork easier. Teams work well together using its features, including AI help for making tasks and ways to track goals.
Yet Asana does have some problems to think about. New users often struggle to learn how it works, and you can only assign each task to one person. While your data stays safe with secure connections, you need extra tools to track time since Asana doesn’t include this feature. Small teams might find it costly since many useful features come only with paid plans.
Even with these issues, Asana’s automatic features and ways to create reports make it a good choice for teams who like to manage projects visually.
Pricing
Project tools need the right price to match your needs. Asana has four pricing plans that help you avoid paying too much while getting what your team needs.
| Plan | Monthly Price (per user) | Team Size | Key Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal | Free | Up to 15 | Basic search, 100+ integrations |
| Starter | $13.49 | Up to 500 | Timeline view, Workflow Builder |
| Advanced | $30.49 | Up to 500 | Portfolio management, Custom templates |
| Enterprise | Custom | Unlimited | Advanced security, Custom workflows |
You can save money by paying yearly instead of monthly. The Starter plan costs $10.99 per user each month, and the Advanced plan costs $24.99 per user each month with yearly billing. You can try any paid plan free for 30 days to test the extra features. Small teams can start with the free plan, which lets you make as many tasks and projects as you want.
Best for
If you’re looking for a project management tool that’s great for mid-sized teams, Asana fits the bill. It offers many ways to work together and makes it easy to assign tasks and track deadlines. The simple design means your team can get started quickly without much training.
You can view your projects in different ways – as lists, calendars, timelines, or boards – and switch between them easily. Asana works well with tools you might already use, like Microsoft Teams, Slack, and cloud storage systems. You can set up rules to handle routine tasks on their own, which saves time and cuts down on manual work.
Teams that need strong communication will find Asana helpful, thanks to its live updates and detailed reports. Whether you’re working across departments or within your own team, Asana helps keep everyone on track and organized.
2025 updates and AI integrations
Asana’s new AI tools make it easier for teams to handle projects and set up automatic workflows. You can use Smart Rules with simple voice commands to manage tasks and team alerts more smoothly.
| Feature | Benefit | Limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Smart Status | Real-time project insights | Requires premium plan |
| AI Reports | Auto-generated task analysis | Limited daily actions |
| Smart Projects | AI-built project structures | Basic templates only |
| Smart Fields | Custom field suggestions | Limited field types |
| Natural Language | Intuitive workflow creation | 660 actions per weekday |
The system’s AI tools watch your workflows and create reports that spot risks, check progress, and share project updates. Smart Help and Smart Goals give you tips right in the app and help set clear targets based on data, helping your team work better in Asana.
3. monday.com
Monday.com offers you a versatile project management platform with 27+ views, 36+ column types, and robust automation capabilities through 70+ integrations. You’ll find its pricing starts with a free plan for 2 users and 3 project boards, while paid plans range from $12 to $28 per user/month, offering features like time tracking, private boards, and advanced analytics.
Looking ahead to 2025, you can expect significant AI integrations including sentiment analysis, no-code tools, and automated service operations through the new “monday Service” feature.
Key features
Monday.com makes project management easier with tools for planning, running, watching, and finishing projects. You can connect it to more than 70 other tools and pick from ready-made templates that fit different ways of managing projects.
When running your projects, team members can work better together by talking, sharing files, and assigning tasks all in one place. To keep track of progress, you can choose from 25+ dashboard views that show how work, time, and money are being spent. These views help you see what’s working well and what needs attention.
When it’s time to wrap up a project, you can write notes in workdocs, use colored labels to show status updates, and check all project details on your phone. This helps you see how well the team did and what the project achieved.
Pros and cons
Monday.com costs more but gives you great value with its easy-to-use design and many ways to make it work for you. The clean layout helps new team members learn it quickly. You get over 200 ready-to-use project layouts, custom fields, and tools that can do tasks for you to save time.
While Monday.com is great for tasks and teamwork, it doesn’t link well with some other tools. The free version only lets two people use it, and the phone app can’t do everything the computer version can. You need to pay more to track time, and all the choices can feel like too much at first.
The personal work space and task sorting need to get better, and small teams might find it hard to pay for each team member who uses it.
Pricing
Monday.com has five payment plans, with one free plan for up to two users. For paid plans, you must have at least three users, and you add more users five at a time.
The Basic plan costs $9-$12 for each user per month. The Standard plan is $12 for each user per month. The Pro plan costs $19-$28 for each user per month. When you pay for a full year, you save 18-20% on any plan.
While enterprise prices aren’t public, you can try the Pro plan free for 14 days. If you run a startup, you might get 20% off, which helps if your team is growing.
Best for
Monday.com works best for teams who want easy-to-use visual project tools that they can change to fit their needs. If you like simple, clean design – like Apple products – you’ll love how easy it’s to learn and use monday.com.
The system is great for groups who need to make tasks happen automatically. You can create chains of actions that work across different teams and projects.
Teams who love working with data will enjoy the many ways to show their info through charts and graphs. You’ll find lots of ready-to-use templates and tools that help people work together.
If you often work from your phone, you’ll like the updated sales tools. And if you use other software like GitHub, monday.com connects with them smoothly.
2025 updates and AI integrations
The platform now has five big updates that make it smarter and easier to use. You can work with AI tools without writing any code – these tools can check how people feel about things, sort data on their own, and translate between languages. When you have lots of projects running at once, the system helps make sure your team members aren’t double-booked.
The new MondayDB 3.0 helps different departments work better together using clear, standard ways of doing things. You can make better reports by looking at past data and using dashboards that show many products at once. You can also plug in outside data to learn more.
The improved sales tools keep all your customer info in one place, send follow-ups by themselves, and work with other apps like Empower by Ringover to see how well you’re connecting with customers. These changes make monday.com a stronger workspace that uses AI to help modern teams work better.
4. Trello
Trello’s free plan offers you unlimited cards and Power-Ups across 10 boards per workspace, making it an excellent choice for small teams and visual project management. You’ll benefit from its intuitive Kanban-style interface, robust automation capabilities through Butler, and seamless integrations with popular tools like Slack and Google Drive.
The platform’s 2025 roadmap includes enhanced AI features for task automation and smart suggestions, though you’ll need to upgrade to Premium ($10/user/month) to access advanced features like Timeline views and unlimited boards.
Key features
Trello offers many useful features in its free project management tool. You can make as many cards as you want and use up to 10 boards in each workspace to set up your projects. Each board helps you sort tasks into lists, which you can share with your team to work together.
You can add key details to your cards like due dates, tags, checklists, and files. Team members can also leave comments to keep all talks in one place. The free version works best with Kanban boards, but you can add more tools through Power-Ups and Zapier links.
To save time, you can create rules that move cards between lists on their own. Each board also gets its own email address, so you can make new cards straight from your email.
Pros and cons
Trello has clear strengths and weaknesses as a project management tool. On the good side, you get updates as they happen to keep your team in sync. New team members can learn it quickly, and it works well on any device. The simple card system lets you see and handle tasks with ease.
Yet some downsides need your attention. You won’t find key tools like time tracking or project timelines unless you buy extra add-ons. Storing data in the cloud might worry you if you work with private info. Also, when your team grows or projects get bigger, Trello can become messy. With many boards open at once, the simple design starts to feel crowded and hard to manage.
Pricing
Trello offers different price plans to match how you want to manage projects. The free plan gives you 10 boards in each workspace and as many cards as you need. You get all the storage you want, but files must be under 10MB. You can also run up to 250 workspace commands each month.
If you pay $5 per user monthly (billed yearly), the Standard plan lets you make as many boards as you want. You can also store bigger files up to 250MB each.
The Premium plan costs $10 per user monthly (billed yearly) and adds more views like calendars and timelines. It includes AI tools and unlimited commands.
For big companies, the Enterprise plan runs $17.50 per user monthly (billed yearly). It comes with special support, training for new users, and controls for the whole company.
As you move up in plans, you get more features, bigger file storage, and better tools. This makes it simple to adjust as your team gets bigger.
Best for
Trello is great for teams who like to see their projects laid out visually. It helps groups organize tasks and track work progress in a way that’s easy to understand. Its key strength is making project management simple and clear to follow.
Teams in marketing, creative work, and new businesses will find Trello’s board layout most helpful. You can move tasks around by dragging and dropping them, and the free version lets you add as many extras as you need. These extras help Trello work with other tools you might use, like Slack or Gmail.
Teams can start using it quickly since it’s so easy to learn. The mobile app works well too, so you can keep track of your projects anywhere.
If you want a tool that shows your work clearly and can handle both basic and complex tasks, Trello fits the bill. Its visual style makes it easy to see who’s doing what and how projects are moving along.
2025 updates and AI integrations
Trello has added many new AI tools in recent months to make work easier. Now you can use Beam AI and CoPilot AI to create tasks and manage workflows on their own. These tools can also pull data from PDFs and emails straight into your Trello cards.
While these new features are helpful, some problems have come up. Users say custom fields don’t always work right, especially with checkboxes. Some people also have trouble setting up webhooks, getting errors when trying to connect.
On the bright side, new tools like Reports by BlueCat and Gantt charts help you see your projects more clearly.
Trello keeps working to fix issues with API tokens and how images work in Markdown. These fixes make the system run better for managing your projects.
5. Wrike
Wrike stands out with its spreadsheet-style interface and robust project tracking capabilities that you’ll find particularly useful for complex team workflows. You can leverage its AI-powered automation to streamline tasks across 400+ integrations, while the free plan supports up to 5 users with unlimited projects and 200 active tasks.
For 2025, Wrike’s enhanced business intelligence tools and real-time analytics make it an excellent choice for teams requiring detailed performance tracking and resource management, especially when paired with its new AI-driven workflow optimization features.
Key features
Wrike’s free version comes with strong tools to help teams work better together. You can use simple boards and charts to see how projects are moving along. These tools update in real-time, making it easy to track work progress.
The system can do many tasks for you, like sending alerts and setting up regular jobs. You can see who on your team is busy and who can take on more work. Team members can talk about tasks in one place and turn emails into work items quickly. All your files stay safe in one spot, and you control who can see them. You can also build custom screens to watch how your projects are doing and check if teams are meeting their goals.
The tools are easy to use and help your team stay on track. Whether you’re planning new work or checking on current tasks, Wrike makes it simple to keep everything running smoothly.
Pros and cons
Wrike has strong points and weak points to think about. It helps teams work better and cuts down emails by 90%, making it easier for people to talk to each other. But many find it hard to learn how to use it at first.
| Feature Area | Strengths | Limitations |
|---|---|---|
| Collaboration | Streamlined communication | User learning curve |
| Automation | Complete workflow automation | Limited customization |
| Analytics | AI-powered risk forecasting | Premium plan required |
| Resource Management | Smart team optimization | Basic time tracking |
| Storage | Integrated file sharing | Limited storage capacity |
The system is great at tracking data and managing teams. It can spot project risks early and help your team work better. Yet you’ll need to spend time teaching your team how to use it since it’s not easy to learn. The storage space is limited, which can be a problem if you work with big files. You’ll also need to pay more to get important tools like time tracking and custom views.
Pricing
Looking at Wrike’s costs will help you decide if it’s worth it for your team. You can start with their free plan, which lets you work with as many team members as you want and handle up to 200 tasks in one area.
If you need more features, the Team Plan costs $9.80-$10 for each person per month when paid yearly. This plan works well for 2-15 people and comes with AI tools and no limit on tasks.
For bigger groups of 5-200 people, the Business Plan runs $24.80 per person monthly and adds tools like time tracking.
Big companies can pick from the Enterprise and Pinnacle Plans, which offer custom pricing. These plans give you better security, endless automation options, and up to 15GB of storage. Every plan includes help when you need it, while the higher-priced plans add extras like Tableau tools and API access.
Best for
Wrike works best for teams who need strong task tracking and ways to work together in real time. You’ll get great value from its detailed timeline charts, linked tasks that update automatically, and live status updates that keep your team on the same page.
When it comes to costs, Wrike’s automatic workflows cut down on repeated tasks, so your team can work on what matters most. The system gives you clear reports and data about how projects are doing. You can watch team goals through custom dashboards and use smart forecasting to make better choices.
Wrike helps teams work better by assigning tasks smartly and making workflows run on their own. Teams can easily share files and talk to each other using built-in tools.
2025 updates and AI integrations
Wrike has added new AI tools that make work easier and faster. These updates bring smart automation that helps manage your projects from start to finish. The system now connects smoothly with other tools like Slack and fills out forms for you.
The new AI features use Microsoft Azure’s safe and secure system to create and edit content. You can write clear descriptions, keep your message the same across projects, and quickly change text into other languages. The Work Intelligence tool now shows you possible project problems using simple color codes based on your money and time limits.
Since August 2023, more than 16% of people using Wrike have started using these AI tools. This shows how well they work at keeping projects on time and using resources wisely. You also get automatic reports and tracking boards that show how well you’re meeting your business goals.
6. Smartsheet
Smartsheet’s spreadsheet-inspired interface combines familiar Excel-like features with robust project management capabilities, including customizable workflows, automated actions, and real-time collaboration tools. You’ll find advanced reporting features and dynamic dashboards that help track project metrics, though you should note there’s no free plan available (only a free trial).
While the platform excels at resource management and capacity planning with its 2025 AI updates focusing on predictive analytics, you’ll need to invest in the Pro plan ($7/user/month) or Business plan ($25/user/month) to access its full potential.
Key features
Smartsheet helps you manage projects better with five different ways to view your work: Grid, Card, Gantt, Kanban, and Calendar. You can track resources and check progress against baselines to handle project risks and limits.
| Feature Category | Core Capabilities | Benefits |
|---|---|---|
| Project Planning | Gantt Charts & Dependencies | Real-time Progress Tracking |
| Automation | No-Code Workflows | Reduced Manual Tasks |
| Resource Management | Workload Optimization | Improved Team Efficiency |
| Reporting | Custom Visualizations | Data-Driven Decisions |
The system can automate your daily tasks while keeping your data safe and accurate across all sheets. Teams can work together in real time, add files, and leave comments where needed. The software works well with tools you already use, like Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, and Salesforce, making it easy to share data between different business systems.
Pros and cons
Looking at Smartsheet shows it has both good and bad points. It works best when teams need to work together and see their projects clearly. Teams can work at the same time, assign tasks, and view work in different ways like charts and calendars.
Smartsheet keeps data safe and works with common tools like Microsoft Teams and Salesforce. But it has some downsides too. The system is hard to learn, and it slows down with lots of data. Each sheet can only hold 20,000 rows, 400 columns, and 500,000 cells.
While it can make work flow better with automatic features and deadline alerts, the costs add up fast. Teams might find it expensive to pay for the main service plus extra features, especially if they’ve many members.
Pricing
Smartsheet offers four price levels for its plans. Users pay between $9 and $19+ each month. The Pro plan costs $9 per person monthly, while the Business plan runs $19 per person monthly with yearly billing. For Enterprise and Advanced Work Management plans, you’ll need to talk to sales for specific prices.
Starting June 24, 2024, Smartsheet will change how it charges for its service. The new system will focus on how many people use it. You’ll get more tools, including AI features, and business teams can add more users. Team members can also try the service before joining fully.
To save money, pick yearly billing instead of monthly payments. If you already pay yearly, your price will change in 2025.
Best for
Smartsheet works best for teams that use spreadsheets often in their daily work. It feels like Excel but comes with strong tools for managing projects. Teams can work together in real-time, set up tasks to run on their own, and view clear data on dashboards.
While you’ll need to pay to use Smartsheet, and bigger teams might find it costly, it shines in how it shows project data. You can view your work as timelines, boards, or calendars. The tool works well with common apps like Google Drive, Dropbox, and Microsoft Teams, though it could be better at handling team resources.
As AI makes project tools smarter, Smartsheet stays competitive with features like auto-alerts, custom workflows, and letting many people edit at once. It’s perfect for groups that want to track projects using spreadsheets while working together smoothly.
2025 updates and AI integrations
Smartsheet has added new AI tools and updates that make it easier for teams to get work done. The system now uses AI to automate tasks and give quick insights, which has helped bring in 23% more major customers.
The platform now offers better ways to track workloads, build dashboards, and choose from ready-made color designs. Teams can use smart tools to analyze data and make better choices about their work.
Users can also view their work in different ways through WorkApps and use improved features on their phones.
The numbers show these changes are working well. In just three months, 70 clients spent over $100,000 more on the platform. At the same time, Smartsheet keeps all company data safe and follows strict security rules for big businesses.
7. Notion
You’ll find Notion to be an exceptionally versatile project management platform that combines wikis, databases, and customizable workflows with AI-powered features for content generation and task organization.
The free plan offers unlimited pages, real-time collaboration, and syncing across devices, though advanced features like version history and guest access require a paid upgrade starting at $8/month.
Notion works best for teams that need a flexible all-in-one workspace, with its 2025 roadmap focusing on enhanced AI capabilities, improved performance, and deeper integrations with popular productivity tools.
Key features
Notion makes project management simple by letting teams work together, track tasks, and create custom workflows. The easy-to-use system helps teams stay connected with live updates, shared editing, and built-in chat features.
You can view your projects in many ways – as boards, tables, calendars, or photo galleries. Set up project details, give out tasks, and link related work while keeping all your files in one place through shared guides. You control who sees what by setting permissions for cards, pages, and events.
To plan ahead, you can make clear timelines that show key dates and goals. Custom workflows help you speed up your work with basic automatic steps.
Pros and cons
Notion has both good and bad points as a project tool that you should know about before choosing it. You can change many things to fit your needs, work with databases well, and link it to tools like Slack and Google. It’s great for taking notes and storing knowledge, letting you build complete systems and keep project files in order.
On the other hand, it takes time to learn and set up Notion properly. While you can do many things with it, it lacks some key project features like tracking milestones and doing tasks automatically. Since you can change so much in Notion, it might be hard for team members to find their way around different setups. You might also run into tech problems with some parts of the system.
Pricing
Notion has four pricing plans to fit your needs. The Free plan lets you use as many pages, blocks, and storage as you want. It works well for one person or small teams with up to 10 guests.
The Plus plan costs $10 per user each month when paid yearly. It gives you better team features and lets you see page history for 30 days.
For bigger teams, the Business plan runs $15 per user monthly when paid yearly. This plan adds private team spaces, single sign-on, and room for up to 250 guests.
Each plan gives you more value than the last. The Enterprise plan, which needs a custom price quote, gives you all features without limits, better security, and special support. As your needs grow, you can easily move up to a higher plan.
Best for
Notion works best for teams who need to store lots of documents, manage projects, and set up custom workspaces. Teams that write lots of guides, project plans, and shared knowledge will find it most helpful.
The tool makes it easy to track work with boards, maps, and different views of your projects. You can switch from lists to timelines, tables, and calendars while working with your team. It’s perfect for groups who like to see their work laid out clearly and need to split big projects into smaller tasks.
Notion delivers the most value when you need to build libraries of documents, watch how projects move forward, and change your work setup as your team grows and shifts.
2025 updates and AI integrations
Notion’s AI tools have grown stronger with five big updates. Now you can use AI features that grab info right from your workspace and connect with apps like Slack, Google Slides, Jira, and GitHub. The AI understands what you need better, so it finds more helpful info and tips you can use.
8. Jira
Jira stands out for its robust issue tracking and agile project management capabilities, offering customizable workflows, real-time progress tracking, and seamless integrations with tools like Slack and GitHub.
You’ll find Jira particularly valuable for development teams and business units requiring detailed task management, with features including custom issue types, no-code automation, and exhaustive workload management tools.
Be aware of the upcoming 15-25% price increases in February 2025, though you can lock in current rates through early renewal and leverage new AI integrations for enhanced productivity.
Key features
Project managers need tools that work well, and Jira offers four main features that make it stand out. You get simple workflows that make it easy to start new projects and handle tasks. The service desk turns your system into a full help center with ready-to-use forms.
| Feature | Benefit | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Automated Workflow | Reduces manual tasks | 40% time savings |
| Service Desk | Centralizes support | 24/7 availability |
| Data Analytics | Real-time insights | Informed decisions |
Jira shows you what’s happening right now through easy-to-read reports and charts, helping you spot problems and track your team’s progress. Teams can work better together by tagging each other, leaving comments, and sharing notes. When you connect Jira to tools like Confluence, your teams can share what they know more easily.
Pros and cons
Jira helps teams build software but comes with both good and bad points that can affect how you run your projects. It lets you change many settings to fit your needs, track work items well, and works with more than 3,000 other tools. You can also see how your team is doing through clear reports that show project progress.
On the downside, Jira can be hard to use because it has many complex parts. Your team will need lots of time to learn how to use it well. The free version lacks many features, and when projects get big, the system can run slowly. Setting up who can do what in Jira can also be tricky.
While Jira works great for big teams making software, you might want to try other tools if you need something simpler and easier to use.
Pricing
Jira offers a free plan for up to 10 users, letting you run unlimited projects on one site. If you need more features, the Standard plan costs $7.53 per user each month. This plan gives you better control over user rights and 250GB of storage space.
Starting February 2025, Jira will change prices for Data Center users. Teams with less than 1,000 users will pay 15% more, while bigger teams of over 5,000 users will see a 25% increase. If you want to keep current prices, you can renew your plan early.
For large companies moving to Cloud, Atlassian will help you switch your system smoothly.
Best for
Jira is the top choice for software teams who want strong tracking and project management tools. It works well for teams who need to share updates with stakeholders through easy-to-read dashboards and reports. Remote teams also love it because they can work together smoothly using its sharing features.
| Team Type | Key Benefits | Best Features |
|---|---|---|
| Dev Teams | Advanced tracking | Scrum & Kanban boards |
| Remote Workers | Real-time updates | Integration with dev tools |
| Project Managers | Workflow automation | Custom reporting |
| Stakeholders | Clear visibility | Automated notifications |
Small and medium teams can start with Jira’s free plan, which works for up to 10 users. Teams can speed up their work by connecting Jira to tools like GitHub and GitLab. This makes it easy to keep everyone in the loop while writing and testing code.
2025 updates and AI integrations
Jira has added new AI tools that make it easier for teams to get work done. The AI Work Breakdown helps you split big tasks into smaller ones. AI Work Creation turns Confluence pages into tasks, while AI Issue Reformatter makes work details clearer. You can also chat with AI to get quick answers about your tickets.
In the coming months, AI will help you find related Confluence pages and similar Jira issues. It will also fix JQL search mistakes. Soon, you’ll be able to make Jira tasks right from your Slack chats using AI. Keep in mind that these AI tools only work with Cloud Premium and Enterprise plans. If you use newer versions (9.13 and 5.13 or later), you’ll need Data Center licenses since Server licenses no longer work.
9. Microsoft Project
Microsoft Project offers robust enterprise-level features with Gantt charts, resource management, and seamless Microsoft 365 integrations, though you’ll need to ponder its steep pricing starting at $10/user/month for Plan 1.
You’ll benefit from AI-driven task prioritization and enhanced roadmap tools in 2025, making it particularly valuable for large organizations managing complex projects. While the platform excels in advanced project planning and resource allocation, you should contemplate its significant learning curve and higher cost against more user-friendly alternatives if you’re leading a smaller team or require simpler project management solutions.
Key features
Microsoft Project comes packed with tools that help you run projects better. You can manage tasks, assign people and resources, and create clear reports. The software makes it easy to break big projects into smaller tasks and set up clear timelines and connections between work items.
You can keep track of all your team members, tools, and supplies in one central place. The system works well with Microsoft Teams, which lets people work together and share files in real time. Strong security features keep your team’s messages and data safe.
The software gives you many ways to track progress through reports, data tables, and custom displays that show exactly what you need to see. Built-in tools help make sure no one on your team gets too much work, keeping workloads balanced and fair.
Pros and cons
When looking at Microsoft Project for your team, there are key points to think about on both sides. While it works well with other Microsoft tools and helps manage projects, it also comes with some drawbacks you should know about.
The biggest problem is that it takes a lot of time to learn how to use it well. Your team will need much training, and the tool can slow down work on big projects. You’ll also have to pay a lot for licenses, and it doesn’t work well with tools made by other companies.
The software can run slowly when you’re working with big projects or lots of data. You can’t change many things to suit your needs, unlike newer project tools. The safety features are basic, and if your team likes to work in an agile way, you might find it hard to use this tool for working together well.
Pricing
Want to pick the right price for Microsoft Project? Let’s look at your choices. You can pay monthly for cloud options or buy the software outright to install on your computer.
The prices break down like this:
| Plan Type | Monthly Cost | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| Planner Plan 1 | $10/user | Basic task tracking |
| Plan 3 | $30/user | Roadmaps, resources |
| Plan 5 | $55/user | Advanced dependencies |
| Standard 2024 | $679.99 | One-time purchase |
| Professional 2024 | $1,129.99 | Complete toolkit |
You have two main ways to buy Microsoft Project. First, you can get it monthly through the cloud, which lets you easily add or remove users. Second, you can buy it once and install it on your computer. The one-time options are Project Standard 2024 at $679.99 or Professional 2024 at $1,129.99. Cloud plans are more flexible, while installed versions might work better if you want to keep everything in-house.
Best for
Microsoft Project works best for big companies handling complex projects that need lots of resources. Teams that use Microsoft tools like Teams, SharePoint, and OneDrive will find this software fits right in with their daily work.
The software shines when managing large projects that need careful tracking of time and resources. It’s great for teams from different departments working together on long projects. You can easily plan who does what and when with its detailed charts and schedules.
The tool offers clear reports and custom screens to help you check how projects are doing across your company. If you run big projects with many team members and want your software to work smoothly with other Microsoft tools, this platform has everything you need.
2025 updates and AI integrations
Microsoft Project brings new AI tools through Copilot and better ways to work together. The AI helps create task plans and suggests how long tasks will take, using Azure Open AI to make project planning faster and easier.
Teams now works better with Project, letting people edit together in real time. A special Project Manager helper makes it simple to organize work. You can chat with Copilot to create project updates, check for risks, and build work plans quickly.
While the system doesn’t guess where to put resources on its own, it gives you better tools to manage your team and watch over many projects at once. New dashboards show live data and reports, helping you see how all your projects are doing in Microsoft’s tools.
10. Basecamp
Basecamp’s straightforward project management platform offers essential features like to-do lists, team chat, and file sharing at $15 per user monthly, though you’ll find it lacks advanced capabilities like Gantt charts and customizable workflows.
You’ll benefit most from Basecamp if you’re a small team or startup seeking simplified project organization with its hill chart feature for progress tracking and 5TB storage in the Pro Unlimited plan.
For 2025, Basecamp plans to enhance its collaboration tools with AI-powered task suggestions and automated workflow recommendations, making it an increasingly competitive option in the project management space.
Key features
Want to make your team work better together? Basecamp gives you one main screen to control all your projects, tasks, and teamwork. You can see all your to-do lists, messages, and schedules in one spot.
Basecamp does four things really well: First, it helps you track tasks with clear due dates. Second, it lets your team chat and share ideas through message boards and group talks. Third, it makes sharing files easy and keeps track of changes. Fourth, it helps you work smoothly with clients.
You can stack your projects, watch how they’re going with simple charts, and keep talks on track in special message areas. When you share files, you can mark them with colors and move them around while saving old versions. You can even send client emails straight to Basecamp to keep everything in one place.
Pros and cons
Basecamp, like any project tool, has clear strengths and weak points to consider. The simple design helps teams start using it quickly and work well together. Teams love how it brings all talks into one place, with chat rooms, message boards, and check-ins that cut down on emails.
Yet, Basecamp falls short in some key areas. You won’t find some useful features like Gantt charts, time tracking, or tools to study project data. The system stays rather fixed, as you can’t add tags, labels, or break tasks into smaller pieces. Tasks also stay basic – you can’t link them to each other or mark which ones matter most. Before picking Basecamp, think about whether its simple approach matches what your team needs.
Pricing
Pricing is a key factor when weighing your options. Basecamp keeps things simple with two main plans: you can pay $15 per month for each team member, or choose the Pro Unlimited plan at $299 per month total.
The per-user plan gives you 500GB of storage – great for small teams. Pro Unlimited comes with 5TB of storage and faster support.
You can pay monthly or yearly, and try it free for 30 days without a credit card. While there’s no free plan anymore, you can get 10% off if you’re a nonprofit, teacher, or tax-exempt group.
If your team has more than 30 people, Pro Unlimited costs less than $10 per person each month – a good deal for bigger teams.
Best for
Basecamp works best for small and medium teams who want simple project tools without extra bells and whistles. Teams who handle basic projects will find it helpful, as long as they don’t need big business tools or special ways to change how tasks flow.
Basecamp keeps things simple. It doesn’t have fancy tools like Gantt charts or Kanban boards, but it does well with message boards, to-do lists, and schedules. Small groups like freelancers, startups, and local businesses will find it’s a good value and easy to learn. If you care most about clear team talk and keeping tasks in order – rather than complex project links or deep reports – Basecamp will serve you well.
2025 updates and AI integrations
Basecamp has added new AI tools and updates to make project management easier. Sembly AI now sends your meeting notes, tasks, and written records straight to your projects. You can also link Basecamp to OpenAI through Zapier, which lets you create content automatically without any coding skills.
The latest changes make video calls just one click away and give you better options for sharing public links. You can now set up your home screen just how you like it, with pictures and layouts that work for you. Moving tools between projects is simple, and you can watch your progress with the Move the Needle tool.
Time tracking is also smoother than before. The system helps you stay on top of things by making references for you and letting you filter what you see. Plus, picking dates is faster, so you can get more done in less time.
11. Airtable
You’ll find Airtable’s spreadsheet-database hybrid approach particularly useful for managing projects, with its free plan offering 1,000 records per base and access to over 150 marketplace apps for customization. The platform excels at providing multiple views (Grid, Calendar, Kanban, and Gallery) and supports real-time collaboration with automated workflows, though you’ll need to upgrade for features like Gantt charts and expanded storage.
For 2025, Airtable is rolling out enhanced AI capabilities for data analysis and automated task creation, making it an ideal choice for teams that need flexible, data-driven project management.
Key features
If you’ve used regular spreadsheets before, you’ll find Airtable useful. It brings together database tools and project tracking in one place. You can see your data in many ways – through boards, calendars, and timeline charts that show how your projects are moving along.
You can link Airtable to tools you already use, like Fillout and QuickBooks. It also does many tasks for you automatically, saving time. You can pick from ready-made templates or make your own to organize projects. Tasks and subtasks link together easily, and you can make quick copies of items you use often.
Teams can work on files at the same time, and everyone gets updates right away. You can also make reports to check how work is going and spot what needs to get better.
Pros and cons
Airtable has both strong points and weak points for managing projects. You get an easy-to-use system with many ways to view your work, plus lots of options to make it fit your needs. The system works well with tools like Miro, Jira Cloud, and Google apps, which helps your team stay connected.
Yet there are some clear problems to think about. Many new users find it hard to learn all the features, which takes time away from work. As your data grows bigger, the system can slow down and may not handle everything you need.
While you can use basic features for free, you’ll have to pay more to get tools like Gantt charts. The system’s rules for automation aren’t as good as other project tools, and smaller companies might find the costs too high for their budget.
Pricing
Airtable has different price plans to match what you need. The free plan lets you store 1,000 records in each base, with 1GB of storage space. Up to 5 people can edit and 50 can comment in each workspace. You get 1,000 API calls each month, but you can’t connect other software through synced tables.
If you pay $20 per user monthly (billed yearly) for the Team plan, you get room for 50,000 records and 20GB of storage.
The Business plan costs $45 per user monthly (billed yearly) and gives you 125,000 records plus extras like Gantt views.
For the biggest needs, the Enterprise Scale plan starts at $60 per user monthly (billed yearly), offering 250,000 records, better security, and AI tools.
Look closely at what you need. The free plan works fine for small tasks, but you’ll want to pay for more storage, records, and the ability to work with other software tools.
Best for
Airtable works best for teams who want a flexible database system to manage their projects. If you handle complex projects with lots of connected data and need different ways to look at your work, you’ll get the most value from it.
Teams can see their project data in many ways – as lists, calendars, boards, or timeline charts. The system works well with other tools like Zapier, Fillout, and QuickBooks, making it great for teams using multiple apps. It’s very helpful when you need to track how tasks, clients, and project parts connect to each other.
Pick Airtable when you want to build a project system that fits your team’s unique way of working and can change as your needs grow.
2025 updates and AI integrations
Airtable’s latest updates bring new AI tools and features that make project management much easier. The AI-powered dashboards now track your progress, show how fast tasks get done, and spot problems before they slow you down.
You can now link Airtable with other project tools while keeping everything in one place. Smart triggers help you move smoothly between project phases and create new task lists automatically. The system can handle repeated tasks for you, saving time and reducing mistakes.
The improved database keeps your work safe while making it simple to share with team members. Even with all these new features, the system stays easy to use, so you can start using advanced tools right away.
12. Teamwork
Teamwork delivers robust task management with built-in time tracking, invoicing, and client collaboration features you’ll need for complex projects. You can access Gantt charts, Kanban boards, and customizable dashboards in the free plan that supports up to 5 users, though storage is limited to 100MB.
For 2025, Teamwork plans to enhance its AI capabilities with smart task automation and predictive resource allocation, making it an excellent choice for small agencies and client-focused teams.
Key features
Teamwork comes with strong features that help you manage projects well. You can view your work in lists, tables, boards, and charts that show when things are due.
You can make tasks, give them to team members, and keep track of what needs to be done first. The system lets you track how long tasks take and create reports about work time. You can try it for free and use it on your phone or computer before you buy.
Teams can work better together by adding comments to tasks and tagging others in messages, much like email. You can share files and connect with tools you already use, like Google Drive, Dropbox, and Slack to make work smoother.
Pros and cons
Teamwork offers many useful features, but you should weigh both its good and bad points to see if it fits your needs. On the plus side, you get strong time tracking, tools to manage workloads, and visual aids like Gantt charts and Kanban boards. Teams can work well with clients since you can give them custom access levels.
Yet there are some clear downsides to think about. The system slows down when you have too many tasks, and setting it up can be tricky. The charts don’t do as much as you might want, and it won’t link well with major CRM tools. Basic reporting makes it hard to look back at old task data. The Kanban boards don’t automate as well as other options, and changes to your work take longer to save and load.
Pricing
Our pricing has four options to fit different teams and needs. Pick from Free, Deliver, Grow, or Scale plans. The Free plan gives you 2 projects, 5 users, and 100MB of storage.
Need more space? Choose the Deliver plan at $10.99 per user each month (billed yearly) with 300 projects and 100GB storage.
Teams that want to expand can pick the Grow plan at $19.99 per user monthly (billed yearly). This comes with 600 projects, your own templates, and billing tools.
The Scale plan costs $54.99 per user monthly (billed yearly), with no limits on projects and tools to manage money. You’ll pay less if you choose yearly billing instead of monthly for any plan.
Big companies can talk to our sales team about custom prices, special support, and API help.
Best for
Teamwork works great for teams who want complete tools to work together. The platform makes it easy to chat, share files, and edit documents with others in real-time. Teams can follow best methods to get the most from these features.
You can handle projects better with custom workflows and tasks that link together. The system can do routine jobs for you automatically. You can look at your projects in different ways, like timeline charts or task boards, to see how work is moving along. The tools also help you manage your team’s time and workload well.
Teamwork really shines with its full set of features for working with clients. Teams can track time spent on work and bill clients easily. This makes it perfect for agencies and groups that work directly with customers.
2025 updates and AI integrations
The new AI tools in Teamwork make project management easier and faster than ever. Smart automation and better connections with other tools help teams work more efficiently. By using AI, the platform now helps you plan and run projects more smoothly.
| AI Feature | Business Impact |
|---|---|
| Smart Task Allocation | 40% faster resource assignment |
| Predictive Analytics | 30% improved project timelines |
| Automated Workflows | 50% reduction in manual tasks |
| Real-time Insights | 25% better decision-making |
| Risk Management | 35% decrease in project delays |
AI-powered alerts help keep your team on track with goals and due dates. The smart system matches work to the right team members, making sure no one has too much or too little to do. Reports now create themselves, giving you clear insights to make projects more successful. These changes cut down on paperwork and help teams get more done.
13. nTask
nTask’s free plan gives you essential project management features like task planning, time tracking, and team collaboration tools that’ll help you manage up to 5 team members effectively. You’ll appreciate the clean interface that includes Kanban boards, Gantt charts, and multiple task views, though you’re limited to 100MB storage on the free tier.
Key features
nTask offers strong tools to help you manage projects better. The system is easy to set up, and you can use ready-made templates to get started quickly.
| Feature Category | Core Functionality | Business Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Project Planning | Create/assign tasks | Improved organization |
| Task Management | Set deadlines/priorities | Enhanced productivity |
| Team Collaboration | Real-time updates | Better communication |
| Resource Management | Track capacity/allocation | Optimized workload |
| Progress Tracking | Gantt charts/Kanban | Data-driven decisions |
You can view your projects in different ways – through charts, boards, or calendars. Teams can work together easily using built-in chat and file sharing. The system lets you track related tasks, set key goals, and watch progress. It works with many other apps through Zapier, linking to more than 1,000 tools you might already use.
Pros and cons
When looking at project tools, it helps to know what nTask does well and where it falls short. The simple layout makes it easy to use, with clear designs that help you manage tasks well. Teams can work together in real time using helpful charts and boards. The meeting tools are also quite good.
But nTask has some clear problems too. You need to pay more to use the best features, and you can’t change much about how it works. Some tech issues pop up now and then – text in tasks might vanish, and comments can get erased. The system isn’t great at doing things on its own, and it doesn’t work well with other tools. Think hard about these issues if you have a big team or need special features for your projects.
Pricing
nTask has different pricing plans to fit your team size and budget. You can start with a free plan that lets up to 5 team members work together. This free option gives you unlimited workspaces, tasks, and 100MB of storage.
If you need more features, the Premium plan costs $3 per user each month if you pay yearly, or $4 per user if you pay monthly. Premium adds Gantt charts, Kanban boards, and 5GB of storage.
The Business plan runs $8 per user monthly with yearly billing. It comes with custom fields, risk tracking, and 10GB of storage. Large companies can get Enterprise pricing with extra security and special support.
You can save money with NGO discounts and startup deals. Premium and Business plans offer a 7-day free trial. Business and Enterprise users get faster support and better tools to manage their data.
Best for
nTask works best for small and medium teams who want strong project planning and task management tools. It’s perfect if you need tools to manage your team’s work and keep everything secure.
Teams that need to track tasks, milestones, and risks will find nTask very helpful. The software includes time tracking and budget tools, making it great for teams that need to watch project costs and work hours. It connects well with other software, which helps teams who use multiple tools to get work done.
If you need both timeline charts and task boards, along with ways for your team to chat and share files, nTask is a smart choice. Its team spaces make working together easy and clear.
2025 updates and AI integrations
The new nTask platform now has AI tools that make project work easier and smoother. AI helps by sending reminders, sorting tasks by importance, and updating project status on its own – all of which cuts down on your daily office work.
You can better manage your team’s time with smart scheduling tools and custom work paths. New budget features track spending and give clear money reports. Teams can work better together using group chat, quick team add-ons, and easy file sharing in their work spaces.
14. ProofHub
ProofHub’s flat-rate pricing model ($45-89/month) gives you unlimited users and robust project management features like task tracking, time management, and file collaboration. You’ll benefit from multiple project views (Gantt, board, calendar), custom roles, and priority support in the Ultimate Control plan, though the platform currently lacks advanced AI capabilities compared to competitors.
For teams seeking an all-in-one collaboration tool with straightforward pricing, ProofHub offers a 14-day free trial to test its extensive feature set, including real-time discussions, custom reports, and IP restrictions.
Key features
ProofHub helps teams work better with four main features: organizing tasks, planning schedules, working together, and checking progress.
You can manage tasks using easy-to-change boards, lists, and calendars. Charts show how tasks connect and depend on each other.
To plan work, you get timeline views, ways to balance workloads, and tools for agile teams. Teams can talk through chat, share files in one place, and join group talks with different access levels.
The system shows how work is going with time sheets, progress charts, and custom reports. Since it works on phones, you can check projects, track time spent on work, and see reports from anywhere. This helps keep your team on track and responsible for their work.
Pros and cons
ProofHub has many good features for managing projects, but teams should think about what works and what doesn’t. Each price level comes with different levels of trust from the seller and ways to make changes.
The good parts include apps for both iPhone and Android phones, so you can manage projects while moving around. Most people find it quick and easy to use. But there are some problems too. You get too many alerts, which can make it hard to focus on your work. The system doesn’t connect well with other tools like Slack and Trello.
Also, when you need help, it takes a long time to get answers from support staff – unless you pay for the most expensive plan. This slow help can really slow down your team’s work when you face urgent issues.
Pricing
keeps pricing simple with a flat rate that doesn’t change based on user count – unlike other tools that charge per person. You can pick from two plans: Essential for $45 monthly when paid yearly ($50 if paid month-to-month), and Ultimate Control.
Both let you add as many users as you need.
With the Essential plan, you can run up to 40 projects and use 100GB of storage. You get key tools like time tracking and work proofing built in.
The Ultimate Control plan gives you unlimited projects and extra features while keeping the same storage space. As your team grows bigger, your costs stay the same – you won’t pay more for adding people like with other software.
Want to try it out? You can test the Ultimate Control plan free for 14 days and stop anytime with no strings attached.
Best for
ProofHub works best for teams that need better ways to manage projects and work together. It offers four main features: custom workflows, team tools, time tracking, and file sharing. Teams can take control of projects by building their own workflows, linking tasks, and setting up repeating processes to save time.
The platform helps track how well teams work through live chats, shared notes, and group file editing. Teams can spot problems early using visual boards and keep work secure with login controls.
The time tracking lets managers compare actual time spent versus estimates, while reports show who’s too much work and how projects are doing. Teams can protect private information using encryption and custom access settings while working smoothly with each other.
2025 updates and AI integrations
ProofHub made big changes this year with updates and AI features. The new design has bright colors that make it easier to use. Teams can now view their work using simple boards or timeline charts.
Tasks are simpler to manage with clear options for who does what. AI helps assign tasks to the right people. Teams can chat, share files, and work together in real-time while keeping track of file changes.
AI tools gather project data in one place and help teams make better choices about using resources. You can solve problems faster and spot risks early with AI tracking.
The new updates board, saved items tab, and sticky notes help teams share news and manage ideas better.
15. Zoho Projects
Zoho Projects gives you a robust free plan that lets you manage up to 2 projects with 3 users and 10MB storage, making it ideal for very small teams or solo entrepreneurs. You’ll find essential features like task management, document sharing, and basic reporting capabilities in the free tier, while premium plans open, grant access to, or provide advanced tools like Gantt charts, time tracking, and extensive third-party integrations.
For 2025, Zoho Projects is rolling out enhanced AI capabilities for automated task scheduling and predictive analytics, though these features will be limited to paid enterprise plans.
Key features
Zoho Projects is a project management tool with many useful features. It uses AI to make your work easier and lets you customize how you work with your team.
| Feature Category | Key Capabilities |
|---|---|
| Task Management | Custom workflows, subtask creation, deadline tracking |
| Collaboration | Document sharing, chat, discussion forums |
| Time Tracking | Timesheets, resource allocation, Gantt charts |
The system makes it easy to see how your projects are doing through simple charts and reports you can change to fit your needs. You can check project progress, see how your team uses their time, and create clear reports about work done. No matter if you work with small teams or big projects, Zoho Projects helps you stay in control. It keeps your team talking well and helps track how much work gets done.
Pros and cons
Zoho Projects comes with clear benefits and downsides for project managers. The free plan gives great value, and small businesses enjoy low prices. Setting up and using the platform is easy, thanks to its simple design. Teams can manage tasks well with different ways to view and adjust their work.
However, some issues can slow teams down. The system only works with 22 other tools, which limits how you can connect your work. You get fewer options for setting up automatic tasks, and round-the-clock help costs extra.
While you can make many types of reports, including charts that show project timing, the screen views often change without warning. Teams also struggle with the lack of live teamwork tools and ready-to-use templates.
Pricing
Zoho Projects offers three pricing plans. The free plan works for up to 3 users and 2 projects. For paid options, you can choose the Premium plan at £4 per user each month, or the Enterprise plan at £8 per user each month, when billed yearly.
With the free plan, you get basic tools to manage tasks, use Kanban boards, and store up to 10MB of files. This works well for freelancers and small teams. The Premium plan gives you more tools like Gantt charts and time tracking. You also get 100GB of storage and can link to other Zoho and outside apps for up to 50 projects.
If you need more power, the Enterprise plan lets you set up complex workflows, handle team resources, add custom fields, and store up to 120GB. You can work on as many projects as you want with any number of users. Both paid plans come with a 10-day free trial so you can try them out first.
Best for
Zoho Projects works well for small and medium businesses that need strong tools to plan projects and track time. Teams can set up custom views and templates to match how they work, and break down work into clear steps.
The software helps teams keep track of who’s doing what and how long tasks take. You can set work hours, view timesheets in different ways, and send reports on a schedule. Teams can share files easily with Google apps and Microsoft Projects, and use the online whiteboard to work together.
When tasks depend on each other, the system can suggest next steps and update projects automatically, saving time on manual updates.
2025 updates and AI integrations
Zoho Projects has grown with new AI tools and better ways to work. The big changes include Zia, their AI helper, which now reads natural language and works with ChatGPT to make tasks easier.
| Feature | Benefit | Application |
|---|---|---|
| Zia Search | Natural language queries | Find project info instantly |
| AI Task Management | Automated workflows | Reduce manual work |
| Deep Unified Search | Cross-platform search | Access data ecosystem-wide |
| Custom Functions | Workflow automation | Streamline processes |
The system now handles timesheets better, letting you set up when reports go out and change how you see them. Tasks link together more smoothly, with the system suggesting connections. The new tools also show you clearly how busy your team is and help you plan work hours better, making it easier to run your projects.
Comparison of Top Project Management Tools
You’ll find significant differences when comparing top project management tools across key features like Gantt charts, resource management, and automation capabilities – with Asana and ClickUp offering the most thorough free plans for teams up to 10-15 users.
In the context of pricing, Zoho Projects and Trello provide the most budget-friendly paid tiers starting at $4-5 per user monthly, while enterprise solutions like Adobe Workfront and Microsoft Project command premium rates.
User reviews consistently rank ClickUp, Asana, and Trello highest for ease of use and customer support, while Jira leads in technical project management and development team satisfaction.
Feature comparison table
Project management tools today stand out in five key ways: how you handle tasks, work with others, track projects, create reports, and manage resources.
Looking at top tools, ProProfs Project and Zoho Projects let you manage tasks with visual charts and boards, while Trello makes workflows run on their own. For teamwork, all tools let you share files and chat with your team. Asana and Freedcamp work well with Google Drive and Slack.
Each tool tracks work differently – Jira watches issues closely, while Asana helps you oversee many projects at once. Tools vary in how they handle resources – ProProfs Project and Zoho Projects track time and assign work to help teams grow. Reports look different in each tool, from ProProfs’ custom charts to Zoho’s cost and resource reports.
Pricing comparison
Software costs are a big part of choosing the right project tool. Most tools give you a free plan with basic features. Asana lets you add up to 15 users, while JIRA gives you room for 10 users with agile tools. If your team is growing, you can pick from plans that cost between $8-25 for each user per month. Monday.com starts at $8, while Smartsheet costs $25.
For bigger companies, there are more powerful options. Microsoft Project Online Premium costs $56 per user each month, and Asana Business runs $24.99 per user monthly. Some tools keep it simple – Basecamp charges a flat $99 per month no matter how big your team is. If you need high-end features like better security and control, JIRA, Smartsheet, and Mavenlink will give you a special price based on what your company needs.
User ratings and reviews
Project managers often pick tools based on what other users say about them. ProProfs Project and monday.com get high marks for being easy to use. Trello and ClickUp win praise because teams can change them to fit their needs.
Teams say ProProfs Project does a great job with reports and managing team members – making it perfect for small companies. Many users love how they can drag and drop items in monday.com, and its board layout is popular too. The only downside is that you can only have two people on the free plan.
Zoho Projects helps teams set up tasks that run on their own, though some find it hard to set up projects at first. Trello scores well because it shows work clearly and works with other tools. ClickUp tops many lists because it can run tasks by itself and create detailed reports, which bigger teams really like.
How to Choose the Right Project Management Tool for Your Team
Before selecting a project management tool, you’ll need to thoroughly assess your team’s specific requirements, workflow patterns, and collaboration needs.
You should evaluate your budget constraints while considering both free and paid options, ensuring the tool’s features align with your project scope and can scale as your team grows.
Start with free trials of your top choices to test real-world functionality and team adoption rates before making your final decision.
Assessing your team’s needs
To pick the right project management tool, first look at what your team really needs and how they work. Start by checking what your team can do and how well they work with different ways to manage projects – like Agile, Waterfall, or a mix of both.
Think about what problems you face now and which features would help fix them. Look at what you need for tasks, people, and reports. Think about how big your team is, how complex your work is, and how the tool needs to work with your other software. Make sure to ask your team members what they think since they’ll use the tool every day – their input matters a lot.
Check if you need special features like tracking time, storing files, or making your own work steps to help your team do their jobs better.
Evaluating your budget
After looking at your team’s needs, your budget will help you pick the right project software. Think about whether free plans have enough features for what you need now and later. Free versions from big names like Trello, Asana, and ClickUp can work well without paying anything.
Make sure to check if the software company is doing well money-wise so you know their service will keep running. Look at things like how much storage you get, how many people can use it, and what tools are missing in free plans. While free choices can save you money at first, you need to compare their limits with paid options. Add up all costs, including what you might pay later if your team grows too big for the free version. Keep in mind that paying for extra features might be worth it if they help your team work much better or fix major workflow problems.
Considering scalability
When picking project management tools, make sure they can grow with your needs. Think about how many users and projects you’ll add over time. Your tool should work just as well when you get bigger.
Look for tools that work in the cloud and let you manage work in different ways – like Kanban boards, Scrum, or timeline charts. You want features that help teams work together and save time with automation. Pick software that runs smoothly even with more users and keeps data safe.
Check how well the tool fits with how your team works and what tech you already use. Free plans should let you make as many projects as you need. The tool should work well with your other software and offer good help when you need it. Make sure the system is strong enough to handle your team as it grows.
Testing and trial periods
Want to be sure about project software? Start with a free trial. You can test the tools before you spend any money. During the trial, use your real project data and get your team to try it out. This way, you’ll hear what everyone thinks.
Most trials last 14-30 days. Focus on testing the main features you need for your work. Try out project timelines, control panels, and how well it works with your other tools. Look at what other users say, especially companies like yours.
Free trials let you try everything the software can do. You can see if it helps with your daily work tasks, fits the way your team works, and can grow as your team gets bigger.
The Future of Project Management Tools
Project management tools are rapidly evolving with AI and machine learning capabilities that’ll help you predict project outcomes, automate routine tasks, and identify potential risks before they occur.
You’ll see more tools incorporating predictive analytics to enhance decision-making, while offering advanced mobile-first interfaces that support seamless remote collaboration. These next-generation platforms will leverage data-driven insights to optimize resource allocation, improve team productivity, and deliver more accurate project forecasting.
AI and machine learning integration
AI and machine learning tools are changing how we manage projects today. Smart systems can match your team members to tasks based on what they do best, while also taking care of basic work like setting up tasks and sending reminders.
These smart tools work well with other systems you already use, like your contact lists and work platforms. They help you see what resources you’ll need in the future and can even write basic updates about how projects are going. When the system handles the simple, repeated tasks, you make fewer mistakes and have more time to think about bigger issues.
Having all your tasks in one place and using data to guide you helps you make better choices and get more done.
Predictive analytics
Predictive analytics helps you manage projects better through smart computer programs and past data. It shows you useful facts that can change how you plan and track your work.
Want to spot problems before they slow down your project? Predictive analytics can help. It looks at patterns to show you what might go wrong, so you can fix issues early instead of later. The system also tells you when projects will finish, what tools you’ll need, and how much money to set aside.
Enhanced collaboration features
Teams can now work better together thanks to new features in project tools. Chat rooms and online boards let people share ideas instantly and fit well with how teams already work. These tools show helpful reports and keep all messages in one place, which helps everyone stay on track.
Teams can update tasks and work on files at the same time, no matter where they are. The tools work well for groups spread across different places by letting them set up their own ways of working and sharing work fairly. Smart computer features now help with basic tasks and give useful tips.
Video calls and online meeting spaces make remote work feel more like being in the same room, helping teams work better from anywhere.
Mobile-first approach
Today’s project tools put mobile devices first. Apps now let you do almost everything on your phone that you could do on your computer. Popular tools like monday.com and Smartsheet have easy-to-use screens that work well on phones and tablets.
You can manage your projects well no matter which device you pick. Asana and Wrike work even when you’re offline, while ClickUp and Trello make it simple to handle tasks away from your desk. Most apps send quick updates, track time, and run tasks automatically on your phone.
With tools like ProProfs Project and Zoho Projects stored in the cloud, you can switch between your computer and phone while keeping track of your whole project. These apps work on both iPhone and Android phones, growing with your needs.
Conclusion
When choosing from today’s top free project management tools, you’ll find Trello excels at visual task management, ClickUp offers the most versatile views, and Asana provides robust team collaboration features. Your choice should align with your team size, workflow preferences, and required features, while considering potential upgrade paths as your needs grow.
The right free project management solution can substantially boost your productivity without straining your budget, especially if you carefully evaluate the limitations and capabilities of each platform’s free tier.
Recap of top tools
Free project management tools help teams work better in different ways. Trello makes it easy to see projects with unlimited cards and boards you can change, though it has limits on team features. ClickUp lets teams see tasks in 14 ways and works with any number of users, making it great for teams who want many ways to view their work.
Teams that need to work together closely can use Asana, which works with up to 10 people and has no limit on projects. Zoho Projects works well for giving out tasks and tracking problems. For teams building software, Jira is the best choice, with special features for Scrum and Agile work for up to 10 users. You can change how each tool works to fit your needs – from Trello’s add-ons to ClickUp’s custom views. Look at what your team needs most when picking a free tool.
Final thoughts on choosing the right project management tool
Picking the right project management tool requires a clear look at what your team needs, how they work, and how they might grow. When choosing your tool, think about your plans and costs that match what your company wants to do.
| Decision Factor | Key Consideration |
|---|---|
| Team Size | Today’s team count vs. future growth |
| Technical Needs | How it works with tools you already use |
| Budget Impact | What you get free vs. what you pay for |
| Learning Curve | Time needed to learn and adjust |
| Growth Potential | Room to grow and add features |
Keep in mind that the priciest or most loaded tool isn’t always best for you. Focus on tools that work well now but can grow with you later. Try the free versions well before you buy, and make sure your choice can keep up with your team’s changing needs without slowing down work or making things harder.
