Best Project Management Software: 11 Tools Compared

If you manage work, you're a project manager. For years, only specialized project managers used legacy tools that required extensive training. Now, almost everyone manages their own projects, and modern software has adapted to meet the needs of a more collaborative workforce. Whether you're a new business owner or operating a multi-national company, there's a project management tool that's right for you.

What is project management software?

Project management software is a digital tool that helps teams organize, track, and complete work on a single centralized platform. It replaces scattered spreadsheets and emails with a shared workspace where teams can collaborate, assign tasks, set deadlines, and monitor progress in real time.

Project management software typically includes features like an API for custom integrations and:

• Task management: Create, assign, and track individual tasks

• Project timelines: Visualize schedules with Gantt charts or calendars

• Team collaboration: Share files, comments, and updates in one place

• Reporting dashboards: Monitor progress and identify blockers

• Workflow automation: Reduce manual work with automated processes

The best project management software for you depends on your organization’s size, needs, and goals.

How we chose the best project management tools

We review project management tools by evaluating how well they support real-world team workflows, not just by counting features. We consider factors such as task tracking, project views, reporting, integrations, automation, security, ease of use, and support for growing teams.

We also consider what each tool is best at, like simple task management, Agile software projects, marketing approvals, portfolio reporting, or managing work across large companies. You can use these points to compare options based on your team’s needs, size, and future plans.

11 best project management software & tools

There's a wide range of project management software available today. We compiled this list of the best products and the types of businesses they're most likely to help.

1. Asana: Best for enterprise companies

Asana goes beyond traditional project management software to provide a comprehensive work management solution for enterprises. Asana doesn’t just help you manage tasks; it connects all your work to your highest-level goals and business strategy. Instead of managing tasks in separate tools, teams can use Asana to organize work, track priorities, and give leaders a reliable view of how projects support broader initiatives.

Teams can manage work in the project view that best fits each project, from board view to timeline view to calendar view. These visuals help teams plan deadlines, map dependencies, review the critical path, and coordinate teamwork. As plans change, teams can adjust timelines, update owners, and track milestones without losing sight of the goals behind the work.

With Asana, you get:

• Integrations to all your favorite tools and systems, so you can keep your work organized in one platform.

• Goals that connect to everyone and every task across your company.

• Ready-made project templates so you can get to work right away.

• Reporting dashboards that automatically update stakeholders.

• Security, privacy, and compliance features that keep your data safe.

• Asana AI and AI teammates that help teams summarize work, surface risks, answer questions, and move projects forward faster.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Connects projects, goals, approvals, and reporting in one work management platform; multiple project views help teams plan work in different formats; enterprise security, integrations, and Asana AI support complex company-wide workflows.

• Cons: Teams may need time to set up company-wide processes; advanced features may require higher-tier plans; larger rollouts may need change management and admin ownership.

Discover even more of what Asana can do.

2. Trello: Best for simple project management

Trello is a good choice for individuals and small teams who want a simple way to organize tasks using Kanban boards. You can create cards, move tasks through stages, add checklists, set due dates, and use labels to sort tasks. Trello works well for small projects, personal task lists, and early drafts of project plans. Larger teams might need more advanced features, such as reporting or dependency management, so they may outgrow Trello as their needs evolve. Trello is a great starting point for easy project tracking with minimal setup.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Simple Kanban boards make task tracking easy to learn; cards support checklists, due dates, labels, and attachments; lightweight setup works well for small projects and personal workflows.

• Cons: Limited advanced reporting; fewer built-in dependency and resource planning features; boards can become cluttered as projects grow.

3. Smartsheet: Best for spreadsheet lovers

Smartsheet works well for teams that already manage projects in spreadsheets and want more structure without leaving a familiar format. Users can build sheets, dashboards, forms, reports, and automations to track project plans, budgeting, requests, and portfolio updates. The platform suits operations teams, PMOs, and enterprise groups that need standardized workflows and rollup reporting, but it may feel heavy for teams that prefer visual task boards. Smartsheet gives spreadsheet-focused teams more control over project data, though non-Excel users may need extra time to learn it.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Spreadsheet-style interface feels familiar to Excel users; dashboards and reports support portfolio updates; forms and automations help teams manage requests and repeatable work.

• Cons: Setup can take time; the interface may feel difficult for non-spreadsheet users; advanced portfolio features may require higher-tier plans or add-ons.

4. Jira: Best for Agile project management

Jira works well for software and product teams that manage work using Scrum or Agile methodologies. Teams can organize backlogs, plan sprints, track bugs, connect issues to GitHub, and review delivery trends with agile reports. The platform gives engineering teams structure for releases and issue tracking, but it can feel too technical for business teams that only need standard project planning. Jira suits teams with mature development workflows, especially when they need tighter integration among code, tickets, and sprint planning.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Strong support for Scrum, Kanban, backlogs, sprints, and bug tracking; agile reports help teams review sprint progress; developer integrations support software delivery.

• Cons: Steep learning curve for non-technical users; setup can require dedicated administration; business teams may find the terminology and workflows too developer-focused.

5. Monday.com: Best for small businesses

Monday works well for small businesses that want a visual way to manage projects without a lengthy setup process. Teams can use boards, templates, dashboards, automations, and multiple views to organize tasks, campaigns, requests, and internal operations. The platform offers an approachable starting point for teams new to project planning software, but growing companies may encounter plan limits or require more structure as work becomes more complex. Monday fits teams that want colorful boards and quick adoption, especially those managing repeatable workflows.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Visual boards are easy for new users to understand; templates and automations help teams set up recurring workflows; multiple views support different planning styles.

• Cons: Advanced features often require higher-tier plans; pricing can increase as teams add users; time tracking, reporting, and dependencies may not meet the needs of every growing team.

6. ClickUp: Best for small teams or startups

ClickUp works well for startups and small teams that want a wide range of project management features in a single configurable workspace. Teams can create tasks, subtasks, docs, dashboards, automations, goals, and multiple project views to manage detailed work. The platform gives resource-conscious teams a lot of functionality for the price, but new users may need time to shape the workspace around their process and understand its scalability limits. ClickUp suits teams that want customization and can invest time up front to set up folders, lists, fields, and task structures.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Task features support subtasks, custom fields, and multiple views; docs, dashboards, and automations can reduce the need for separate tools; plan options may work for budget-conscious teams.

• Cons: Setup can feel overwhelming; too many options may slow adoption; teams may need ongoing workspace cleanup to keep projects organized.

7. Notion: Best for notetakers

Notion works well for individuals and teams that want to organize notes, docs, wikis, and lightweight project databases. Users can create pages for meeting notes, project plans, team knowledge, task lists, brainstorming notes, and timelines, then connect related information through databases. The platform suits teams that value flexible documentation, but it may not provide enough structure for complex project tracking, resource planning, or time tracking. Notion fits teams that want a customizable workspace for knowledge and planning rather than a dedicated project management system.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Flexible pages and databases work well for notes, wikis, and project documentation; templates help users create repeatable workspaces; connected pages make it easier to link project details to team knowledge.

• Cons: Native project management features are limited; setup and database design can take time; teams may need another tool for time tracking, workload planning, or advanced reporting.

8. Airtable: Best for those who want to build it themselves

Airtable is a good option for teams who want to build their own project management system using databases, views, fields, and automations. Users can set up tables for tasks, requests, assets, launches, content calendars, or customer details, and view the same data as grids, Kanban boards, calendars, or timelines. The platform is best for teams that want more flexibility than a standard task manager, but it requires someone to design and maintain the setup. Airtable is ideal for teams that want a custom system rather than a fixed project management workflow.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Flexible databases support many project and operational use cases; multiple views let teams review the same information in different formats; custom fields and automations help teams shape workflows.

• Cons: Setup requires planning; reporting may feel limited compared with dedicated PM tools; new users may find database concepts confusing at first.

9. Wrike: Best for client management

Wrike works well for teams that manage client work, creative production, approvals, and shared project requests. Teams can use request forms, proofing, dashboards, workload management charts, permissions, and project views to manage internal work and external feedback. The platform suits agencies and service teams that need structured review workflows, but smaller teams may find the interface too complex for everyday task tracking. Wrike suits teams that need greater control over client processes, especially when projects involve creative assets, approvals, and multiple reviewers.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Request forms help teams capture project details; proofing tools support review and approval workflows; permissions and dashboards help teams manage client-facing work.

• Cons: Interface can feel overwhelming; setup may require dedicated ownership; pricing can become expensive for teams that need advanced features.

10. Workfront: Best for marketing-only teams

Workfront is a strong choice for marketing teams that manage campaign planning, creative work, approvals, and asset-heavy workflows. Teams can use intake forms, project templates, proofing, approval paths, forecasting, and reporting to manage work from request to delivery. The platform is best for established marketing organizations with formal processes, but teams outside marketing may find it harder to use. Workfront is a good fit for companies that need a marketing operations system connected to Adobe’s creative and asset management tools.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Strong fit for marketing requests, creative reviews, and approvals; project templates support repeatable campaign workflows; Adobe ownership benefits teams that already use Adobe tools.

• Cons: Implementation can take time; the platform may feel overly specialized for non-marketing teams; smaller teams may find it more complex than necessary.

11. Microsoft: Best for personal tools

Microsoft tools work well for individuals and teams that already use Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Teams, Planner, or Project for everyday work. Managers often use spreadsheets for project trackers, docs for notes, and PowerPoint for timelines because these tools feel familiar and widely available. This approach can work for personal planning or small projects, but it becomes harder to manage ownership, approvals, dependencies, capacity planning, and project updates as teams grow. Microsoft’s project tools fit teams that want to keep planning inside the Microsoft ecosystem, though many teams pair them with dedicated project management software.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Familiar tools reduce training time; Microsoft Teams and Planner support basic collaboration; Microsoft Project provides more advanced scheduling for teams that need formal project plans.

• Cons: Excel and Word were not built for collaborative project tracking; work can spread between files, chats, and calendars; teams may need extra process rules to manage owners, deadlines, and status updates.

Why use project management software?

Project management software replaces manual spreadsheets with real-time collaboration tools that help teams stay on the same page. Spreadsheets are good for organizing data, but they don’t provide real-time updates and can make cross-team collaboration harder. That’s why project management software is so important today. It brings together work, teams, stakeholders, and goals in one place.

The benefits of project management software

• Focus your work. You'll get more done, but more importantly, you'll get the right work done. With project management tools, you're less likely to duplicate work or waste time searching for materials.

• Reduce busywork. Connect every task to goals that support the company's vision. When employees understand how their work affects the company, they're more motivated to produce their best work.

• Connect your tech stack. With flexible project management software, you can connect all your tools across one platform (think Slack communications, Dropbox files, and Google Drive attachments all in one place).

• Create a system of record. Project management software stores all your project information while making it easy for stakeholders and teams to access.

• Increase cross-functional collaboration. By bringing together work, goals, and people across teams and departments, project management tools help you build an interconnected organization.

• Store work safely. Ever delete a cell by accident in your spreadsheet? Keeping everything cloud-based helps you stay organized and reduces the chance of losing work. Learn more about managing your to-do list.

How to choose the right project management software

Finding the right software starts with understanding what your team needs to succeed. Focus on how the tool will fit into your team's current and future workflows.

1. Understand what your team needs. Start by identifying what your team needs to manage projects successfully. Consider your current workflows, recurring challenges, and the types of work the software needs to support.

2. Consider your team’s size and workflow. Think about how big your team is and how you work. Small teams may just need a simple way to track tasks, while large organizations might need features to coordinate work across departments.

3. Look for ease of use. Pick software that your team can learn quickly, without a long setup. The right platform should make daily work easier, not more complicated.

4. Check for key integrations. See if the software connects with the apps your team already uses. Good integrations help you avoid switching between apps and make project details easier to manage.

5. Choose a tool that can grow with you. Pick a platform that can scale as your team and company get bigger. This helps you avoid switching systems as your projects or reporting needs expand.

Features to look for in your project management tool

Every project management system has different features, but make sure your platform has at least these basics.

AI features to look for in project management software

AI can help project teams spend less time writing updates, searching for information, and sorting through project details. The best AI features support the work your team already manages, such as summarizing project status, identifying risks, drafting next steps, and answering questions about tasks, owners, and deadlines.

Asana AI and AI teammates help teams summarize progress, surface risks, ask questions about work, and create more useful updates without having to pull project details from separate tools.

The best project management software is the one that grows with you

A lot of project management software claims similar features, and at a basic level, many of them are the same. But when you choose a solution, it should be a full-fledged platform that enables your team to get their best work done with less effort.

This means you need a platform that grows with your company. Asana is built for enterprise teams, supporting your work from a one-person team with an idea all the way through Fortune 100 growth. In fact, more than 80% of Fortune 100 companies use Asana*.

With Asana, it's not just about putting out more work. It's about connecting your company's work, goals, and resources to produce the right work.

Ready to see how Asana can help your team work better together? Get started today.

FAQs about project management software