Best Business Software for Project Management
1 ClickUp App
ClickUp is a powerful tool with project management and several other features for improving productivity.
Pros
- Mind maps, checklists, task templates, goal tracking, and workload management make it easy to create and manage projects.
- Send and receive emails from the same platform. Also, automate tasks from your emails.
- Built-in time tracking available. You can also integrate with third-party time-tracking tools.
Cons
- Has too many features. Requires a big learning curve.
- The Mobile version isn’t as good as the web version.
Price: $9 and $19 per user per month. Free and Enterprise plans are also available.
Asana
3 Trello
Trello is probably the most popular project management software with over 50 million users because of its freemium model and referral program. You can learn more about the plans below.
Pros
- Multiple viewing options available. These include dashboard, kanban, timeline, workspace table, and map.
- Automated command runs and Power-Ups improve workflow and save time.
- Assign multiple people to a board and set due dates.
Cons
- You can only make 10 boards with the free plan.
- There’s no built-in time and expense tracking.
Price: $12.50 per month and Enterprise. Free plan available. 14-day free trial also available.
Project Management Software Prices
Free project management solutions
Google Workspace
Your Google account has so many free tools — Docs, Sheets, Gmail, Calendar, Google Meet, Drive, Messaging, Slides, Forms, and dozens more.
They’re sufficient for managing most small projects. You also get 15GB of free space. If you want more space and features, you can upgrade to Google Workspace.
Why did it make it into my free tools list?
I like Google a lot. I use tools like Gmail, Docs, Drive, and Sheets every day. Other features such as Calendar and Google Meet are beneficial for scheduling calls and speaking to clients. Some of these tools integrate with several top CRM and project management tools, including Freshworks, Zoho, Trello, and HubSpot. You can combine free plans from some of these tools with Google.
Trello – Previously mentioned above
Over 50 million people use Trello for a reason. They adore the free plan. You can create up to 10 boards, add unlimited members and cards, and use unlimited storage. You can also use it on multiple devices and take advantage of the unlimited activity log. For most businesses, startups, and small businesses, it’s sufficient.
I mentioned Trello above in the paid plan because they have a really decent paid plan. But the FREE version can be used to at least test the waters when building a business, I know I used Trello quite heavily when starting out. It’s very powerful for managing teams and workflows.
Why did it make it into my free tools list?
Trello is the project management tool I use. I used the free plan for years and only recently upgraded to the paid plan after scaling my business. I needed more boards and users.
If you’re an ecommerce business or a production type business Trello can really highlight handover alerts in your business.
Asana Free Plan
Trello has an excellent free plan, but there are limitations, such as a 10MB cap per file upload and only 10 boards. If you prefer a free Trello alternative where you can upload larger files and create unlimited projects, check out Asana.
You can create unlimited tasks and collaborate with up to 15 teammates. It integrates with 100+ apps too. The main drawback is that you can assign only one person per task, unlike with Trello, where you can assign more.
Why did it make it into my free tools list?
Asana was the first project management tool I signed up for. I got Trello a year later. I felt that both were similar, with minor differences in features and limitations to the free plans. I used more of Trello and eventually upgraded, but you can’t go wrong with either. Both are wonderful tools with excellent free plans. If you just want something free and don’t intend to upgrade, Asana might be better as its free plan is more generous.
What should you look for in project management software?
Different project management software will have different features depending on the type of users they want to attract. Monday.com, for example, has a ton of features that go beyond project management, while MeisterTask is a simple one.
If you’re running a large business, you can pick sophisticated project management software. But if you’re a small business or a startup, a simple one will suffice and save you money. Here are some basic features your software must have.
1. Collaboration tools
The most important feature of a project management tool is collaboration. Your team should easily be able to communicate with each other. Different project management tools will have different types of collaboration options. Most offer a forum-type collaboration interface, while some will have individual or even video chat.
2. File sharing
File sharing is another imperative feature. The file size you can share will vary from platform to platform.
3. Project tracking
Almost all software offer timers and activity logs to track a project. Many of them even offer integrations with third-party analytics tools to discern even more data.
4. Task management
Task management features are requisite to project management tools. That’s their purpose.
5. Time and expense tracking
Some offer built-in time and expense tracking tools. If the feature is missing from a project management software you’re interested in, check if it offers integrations with other tools that do.
6. Gantt chart
A Gantt chart is a view that helps you better plan projects and tasks with deadlines. It shows activities displayed against time. Not all project management tools offer this feature. If you want it, pay attention to the different views available.
7. Kanban board
It’s not the end of the world if a project planning software lacks the Gantt chart. Most of them offer a kanban view. This is a simple interface where you organize tasks (cards) in columns. The columns show the tasks you need to do, the ones you’re working on, and the ones you finished.
These are just a handful of essential features. Before you dig for the right tools, make a list of how your team will work and the tasks you’ll handle. Then make a list of features that’ll help handle the tasks.
You can check if these features are available on the features page. Don’t be too critical if a feature you want is missing on the software you like most, as it’ll likely offer integration with another tool(s) that helps execute the task.
Benefits of using a project management tool
To reach business goals on time, you need to break down goals into projects and slice them into tasks. Then assign different tasks to team members and ensure everyone is completing their assignments on time.
Doing this manually or with outdated techniques like spreadsheets only is like juggling a dozen balls with just two arms.
A project management tool simplifies and automates the process, so it feels like you’re juggling the same number of balls, but you have eight arms like an octopus.
Here are a few benefits of using a project management tool.
Better collaboration
You can add different teams to a project and assign one or more collaborators to each task. Collaborators can chat with each other and share files. You can also track time to check productivity levels.
More efficient project management process
Project management tools have various views such as kanban, Gantt charts, and calendars. They make it possible to organize and plan different types of projects. You can also use data from time tracking and other analytics to better understand how long it takes to finish a task or project and plan future projects appropriately.
Transparency across the organisation
Other collaborators and managers can view their teammates’ performance and check if they’re on track to deliver the project on time. Some like Beesbusy will even display team members’ availability and time logs.
The short of it is if you use a business project management software you will start to identify where your business needs to review process to become more efficient. The way you onboard a sale, a lead or a quote can then be assessed on its efficiency of being onboarded. The same for delivery of that quote, service or product. You are in full control of what person does what thing at what time. You will really change your business when you have the roadmap from A to Z laid out.
I really hope this helped spark some thought about how to organise your bsuiness projects.