Best project management software in 2024

One of the biggest goals of project management software is to save time, right? ClickUp’s features are all about giving you back valuable minutes of your workday (and hopefully will help make it fly by).

Let’s start with the basics. The tool’s cross-collaboration and project-planning features make it easier for teams to work together, meaning projects get done faster. You can track project progress at a glance to identify bottlenecks and get around them. There are also templates for everything from objectives and key results (OKRs) to scope of work so that you can save time on your project planning.

You can also use automations to streamline actions like project handoffs, approvals and status changes (again, saving you time). Last but not least, there are AI tools to further boost efficiency. For example, you can generate subtasks automatically based on a given task description. That’s one less tedious job for you to do. If time-saving is your priority, ClickUp is a smart pick.

ClickUp gives you affordable, tiered pricing and a solid selection of features that will save you time by cutting down on project management tasks and communication needs. Extras like AI tools also give this project management software a competitive edge. We aren’t totally sold on the bot-first customer support, though, and we’ve seen reports that the tool can be slow.

Value

ClickUp’s pricing model consists of three paid tiers: Unlimited, Business and Enterprise. Overall, the variety of time-saving features ClickUp offers is great for the price, with the cheapest paid plan starting at $10 per user per month. There is also a forever free version available but, as with most freebies, it has limited functionality. We suggest a free trial to test out the paid plans.

You also have the option to add ClickUp AI to any paid plan. This allows you to write more efficiently. You can generate summaries, ideas and action items. The package includes more than 100 expert-crafted AI prompts. If you’re looking to fast track your writing, we consider it a good value for money at just $5 per month.

Functionality 

ClickUp’s features are all about simplicity and saving time. You can break down complex work into simple tasks, assign them to specific people and add deadlines. That means no need for complicated back-and-forth emails and planning sessions. The Docs feature lets you add details, like the project scope.

If you prefer a visual method of tracking project progress, the whiteboard functionality is a big plus. You can create a visual canvas of digital task assignments, reminders and due dates. The custom views feature lets you visualize your work in the way that works best for you and your team, whether that’s Gantt charts, boards, lists or calendars.

Support 

If you aren’t the most tech-savvy, don’t stress. ClickUp offers many resources to help you master the tool, including demos, video tutorials and webinars. We particularly like that ClickUp University features courses that target different types of pros, from project managers to team members and workspace admins. ClickUp offers 24/7 support, even for its free plans, but only through chatbot or email. Unfortunately, ClickUp doesn’t offer telephone support.

We tested out the support bot and asked if we would be able to connect with a human. Our new bot friend told us that if it’s unable to help, it can connect us with an agent. We were then given a button to “Email or live chat with Support.” To live chat with an agent, you need an account, so we couldn’t test this feature. However, the chatbot did offer to create an email ticket for us since we didn’t have an account.

Our editorial team created our expert opinion scores. The expert score contributes to 10% of the data-focused methodology, which underpins our Blueprint rating for each company. The expert score combines first-person experience, subject matter expertise and extensive research to develop these metrics as another source of truth for readers during their decision-making process.

Monday doesn’t just offer project management tools. It also has sales and customer relationship management (CRM) tools and is soon launching a customer service ticketing and process management tool. The different components can be bundled according to your business needs, which is one reason we like this tool for entrepreneurs who dream of growing big.

That’s not the only reason we think this is a great pick for solopreneurs or small businesses looking to scale, though. Monday’s in-house data engine allows you to expand easily and adapt to increasingly complex business workflows.

Monday also boasts advanced onboarding options, with premium training available. As your organization grows, you can easily get people onboarded to your tool of choice. As a result, you save the time and stress of training newbies, which can get in the way of day-to-day productivity otherwise. Business expansion can be stressful enough as is. You don’t want to stress about your project management tool being able to keep up. Monday can help.

Monday work management is part of a comprehensive suite of tools covering everything from sales and CRM to (soon) customer service. This is a nice potential add-on (for extra money, of course) to the project management tool’s already comprehensive functionality. Solid support rounds out this provider’s offering.

Value 

Monday’s pricing is reasonable, with the most affordable paid plan starting at $12 per user per month. However, you are required to have at least three users for any paid plan, so times it by three. Overall, we don’t love the confusing (you might even say misleading?) pricing.

That basic plan includes unlimited items, boards and documents, as well as unlimited messages and updates. Lower-tier plans are limited in the number of actions they can take per month in terms of integrations and automations, which can be a drawback. Still, we think this tool delivers solid value for money overall. You can use a free trial to test it out for yourself.

Functionality 

Monday’s work management tool is designed to help drive projects to completion. You can start by setting goals and objectives according to your business priorities. Next, the tool helps you define the projects and processes you need to complete to reach those goals. Finally, you can delineate the specific tasks needed to get started, aligning them with your goals and workflows.

When you break it down like this, it becomes a lot easier to work toward your business objectives (which is also a big plus if you’re striving to scale). Monday also helps you address the details of scaling up with features like resource management so you can make sure you don’t get stretched too thin.

Support 

All of Monday’s paid plans get 24/7 customer support plus access to a self-service knowledge base and daily live webinars. There is also a community where you can connect with other Monday users to troubleshoot and problem-solve.

The company’s support options include live chat, email and the option to request a call. Although we don’t love that there’s no number to call directly, we did get a call-back on the same day when we requested a call. Enterprise plans also have access to a dedicated customer success manager, giving you direct contact to someone who can help.

Our editorial team created our expert opinion scores. The expert score contributes to 10% of the data-focused methodology, which underpins our Blueprint rating for each company. The expert score combines first-person experience, subject matter expertise and extensive research to develop these metrics as another source of truth for readers during their decision-making process.

For some people, a simple written to-do list or calendar view is enough to get organized. Others need a more visual representation to inspire them. Zoho Projects delivers on the visuals. The online Gantt chart maker gives you eye-catching, customizable graphic representations of your project progress.

You can visually identify critical tasks so everyone in your team knows they’re a priority, create timelines and delegate duties using color coding. The visual representation allows for better visibility of project deadlines and improved communication. Adjusting tasks is also super easy, thanks to the drag-and-drop feature.

We also like the Zoho Projects “blueprints,” which let you visualize workflows (again, using a simple drag-and-drop tool). You can identify who is responsible for what, provide status updates and give a step-by-step playbook for each process. It’s all presented in a visual, easy-to-understand layout. If you’re visually driven, Zoho is a project management tool to love.

Zoho Projects offers great value thanks to its many integrations and time-saving import functionalities. The visuals are also a helpful plus. While the functionality is great overall and the customer support seems comprehensive, we aren’t sure how solid their promise of “24/7” support for premium support plans is.

Value 

The cheapest Zoho Projects paid plan starts at $5 per user per month. You can get a free 10-day trial to test out the features for yourself. Given the depth and breadth of Zoho Projects’ features, we think it’s a good deal, especially when you consider the handy integrations and add-ons. Zoho Projects works with popular tools you’re probably already using regularly, like Google Calendar, Google Drive, Microsoft Excel, Dropbox, Slack and Gmail.

The possibility to easily import data from other popular tools is another value-add. You can import projects from Microsoft Projects, import data from JIRA cloud or migrate from Basecamp to Zoho Projects with a few clicks. Streamlined processes like these are invaluable to busy business owners.

Functionality

Beyond its visual project management capabilities, Zoho Projects has loads of handy features to make business owners’ lives easier. The work breakdown structure lets you simplify projects into bite-sized tasks, subtasks and milestones. With the issue management function, you can flag emergency issues, like bugs that need to be fixed quickly.

You can also use dependencies for automation purposes. For example, once one task is completed by one team member, the system can automatically notify another team member that they have a job to do. These are the kinds of perks that cut down on needless communication and save everyone time and effort. Recurring task notifications are another example of such functionality.

Support 

Zoho Projects has an extensive knowledge base where users can get answers to common how-to issues, including via webinars and help videos. There is also a FAQ page and a Zoho community forum where you can consult other users for tips. All paid Zoho Projects plans come with Classic-level support, which includes live chat, email and toll-free support during regular business hours, Monday to Friday. The maximum first response time is eight hours.

Premium support includes 24-hour support with a three-hour maximum response time. However, we called the phone number included in the Premium Support introductory PDF outside of regular business hours and got an automated message to call back the next business day.

The message also asked us to send an email if the case was urgent. Perhaps once you have a Premium account, you get a different number to call, but if this is the “24-hour” support Zoho is alluding to, it doesn’t seem especially helpful.

Our editorial team created our expert opinion scores. The expert score contributes to 10% of the data-focused methodology, which underpins our Blueprint rating for each company. The expert score combines first-person experience, subject matter expertise and extensive research to develop these metrics as another source of truth for readers during their decision-making process.

Let’s face it: not all project management tools are equal (or we wouldn’t even be writing this review). What you need from a tool will depend in part on the type of work you do. If you’re in a creative space like marketing, Smartsheet has some unique benefits that will serve you well.

With the brandfolder add-on, you can store, manage, manipulate and share digital assets at scale, whether it’s a high-res video, image or your brand style guide. Having your brand bible and all its elements in one place helps make sure everything you do is aligned and cohesive. Smartsheets also integrates with tools that are popular among marketing and creative teams, like Adobe Creative Cloud, Canva and Figma.

Creative industries are often super collaborative, so you’ll also benefit from Smartsheet’s proofing feature, which lets you upload and collect feedback on content directly through the tool. You can even send review requests. Creative types will benefit from Smartsheet’s unique offering.

Smartsheet could be a valuable tool for creative industries like marketing, thanks to perks like the proofing and brandfolder feature. That said, it costs almost twice as much as some competitors for even the basic plan. Plus, the project management features aren’t superior. In fact, you’ll have to pay extra for budgeting. Customer support is also hard to navigate.

Value 

Smartsheet’s paid plans start at $9 per user per month, which is a bit pricier than some of the competition. Is it worth the extra cost? That depends. We do think that Smartsheet offers great added value for creative teams, thanks to perks like the proofing tool and if you pay extra, the brandfolder asset management feature. That said, there was no pricing publicly listed for the brandfolder feature; you have to request a quote.

In terms of project management functionality, Smartsheet covers the basics, but it doesn’t really go above and beyond. You can create project plans, assign tasks and automate basic workflows. But tools like budgeting – included in the offerings of some competing providers — cost extra. Good news: you can see for yourself if it’s worth the money with a free 30-day trial.

Functionality 

Smartsheet’s work execution platform checks the essential boxes you will want in the basic project management tool. You can simplify team collaboration with the project management planner, which can be viewed as a grid, Gantt, card or calendar view. By assigning action items to specific team members, you can make sure there’s no confusion about who is responsible for what.

You can also avoid confusion and save time by automating workflows. For example, when a specific task is completed, you can configure the tool so that the person responsible for reviewing that task is notified through a channel like Slack.

Support 

Smartsheet has an online community where you can browse discussions and get help with Smartsheet questions in multiple languages. Smartsheet’s own customer service is in English only. If you need help with a Smartsheet technical issue, you’ll have to log into the Smartsheet support portal for help, which we weren’t able to test without an account.

When we clicked a link for those who couldn’t log in or didn’t have a Smartsheet license, we were directed to a troubleshooting page. There, we learned that customers and unlicensed users with Trial, Pro, Business or Enterprise plans can submit a ticket via the customer support portal.

For login issues, we were directed to a Smartsheet community page, “Common login issues and how to solve them.” In short, don’t lose your login info for Smartsheet, because getting help to get back in without it doesn’t seem simple.

Our editorial team created our expert opinion scores. The expert score contributes to 10% of the data-focused methodology, which underpins our Blueprint rating for each company. The expert score combines first-person experience, subject matter expertise and extensive research to develop these metrics as another source of truth for readers during their decision-making process.

We all know that siloed work processes can be problematic for an organization. For a company to achieve its big-picture strategic goals, everyone from finance to HR and marketing needs to be on the same page. Asana can help break down some of those silos.

The goals and reporting features allow you to set publicly visible, company-wide objectives and then link these to smaller team goals and track progress toward them using real-time data. Meanwhile, you can stay on top of connected projects across teams using the portfolio function.

Asana’s integrations also allow you to sync data across teams. For example, the Salesforce integration means your sales team can upload their latest updates so everyone from product management to customer service can take a look. That cuts down on back and forth and keeps all departments on the same page. If silos are impeding efficiency in your business, Asana may be the answer.

Asana is a strong contender for bigger organizations that want multiple teams and departments to work together seamlessly (and that can afford the higher price tag). While we like functions like AI editors, these extras may not be worth the extra cost for smaller businesses. We also aren’t a big fan of chatbot-driven customer support.

Value 

Asana’s most affordable paid plan is $13.49 per user per month, so it’s definitely not the cheapest option on our list. That said, Asana’s unique feature set may make it worth the extra buck. One thing that stands out is the scaled security offering. You can get unlimited free guests, admin consoles and private projects, even for the most affordable paid plan.

We also think Asana’s reporting features are worth a mention. You aren’t just creating project plans and monitoring progress on basic dashboards. You can generate custom charts to check progress and identify hurdles. Asana’s value is also solidified with its AI powers, which include a smart editor you can apply to make sure team messages are concise and to the point. If you aren’t confident in the cost, there is a free trial available.

Functionality 

Asana’s project management features are all about increasing visibility. By organizing projects and tasks according to milestones, due dates and assignees, you can make sure everyone knows what tasks are on their to-do list. Plus, you can set visibility so everyone knows who is responsible for what, further boosting accountability. Automatic updates can help keep people on track and spare you the task of being the “bad guy” who has to follow up.

Asana also has workflow and automation features to save your team time. The ready-made templates can be customized for different projects so you can give people the roadmap to success they need for whatever task they’re working on.

Support 

Asana Academy helps people get the most out of the tool. We like that it offers courses for people depending on their role, for example team leader, team member or IT/Asana admin. Asana also has an online knowledge hub, where you can access articles, video tutorials and live training sessions, as well as a community forum.

What if you want to talk to an actual person? Asana’s article on contacting their support team directs users to help.asana.com. From there, you can click the chat icon on the bottom right of the screen. When we asked the Asana Support Bot to connect us with a human support agent, the bot asked us to create a support ticket and then talked us through a few prompts to create that ticket.

Our editorial team created our expert opinion scores. The expert score contributes to 10% of the data-focused methodology, which underpins our Blueprint rating for each company. The expert score combines first-person experience, subject matter expertise and extensive research to develop these metrics as another source of truth for readers during their decision-making process.

Notion can help teams generate and collaborate on all kinds of documents, from pitch decks to meeting notes. We found the templates to be user-friendly and practical. Take the meeting notes template, for example. You can use it to capture your meeting notes and then tag the document according to type and add details like who was there, what was discussed and what the action items were.

Notion’s documents go way beyond simple text and bullet points. You can insert code snippets, create collapsible sections to make longer documents easier to read and embed videos and images directly from YouTube or Loom. Notion docs even include a table of contents that generates and updates automatically.

Notion also makes sharing and collaborating on documents easy. You can look at team files in the tool’s sidebar at a glance and collaborate on documents together. When you type @ plus someone’s user name, you can alert them to a spot to edit or rewrite, for instance.

Notion has some cool document management features, and it includes basic project management functionality. However, we aren’t totally sold on the value-for-money, especially when assessing the customer support options. Also, beware that you will have to pay extra for the much-lauded AI functions.

Value

Notion’s cheapest paid plan starts at $10 per user per month. If you add Notion AI, that jumps to $20 per user per month. Given that some competitors include AI tools with paid plans, this seems like a steep jump. Also, while it’s possible to request a free trial for a Business or Enterprise plan, this doesn’t seem to be an option for the lower-tier plan outside of a “limited block trial” for teams.

We do think Notion’s document tools are helpful, but we’re not confident they’re worth the high ticket price. This is especially true if you consider Notion’s project management suite, which is average, in our opinion. Yes, you can create timelines and automate workflows, but you’ll be relying primarily on integrations for extras like generating charts.

Functionality

Notion’s project management features cover the essentials, such as task assignment, deadline plotting and workflow automation. We like that the tool offers diverse database views, like calendars and boards, as well as progress bars, so you can see exactly how far along you are on a given project.

We’re not sure the extra Notion calendar is really worth it since most teams probably already have some kind of calendar tool they’d rather just integrate. There are integrations toward this end, like 2sync (for Google Calendar) and Calendly. We also like the wikis, which you can use to centralize company knowledge in one place.

Support

Notion’s paid plans get “priority” support, but we don’t quite see how it can be considered “priority” if it applies to everyone. To contact Notion support, you have to log into your Notion account on the desktop app and click the question mark button at the bottom right of the screen. If you’re on the mobile app, you can tap “Help & feedback.” Enterprise plans get a personal customer success manager.

Since we couldn’t log in with a Notion account to test the service, we visited the help center. It includes tutorials and a help community. If you scroll all the way down the page, you can find an email address to contact Notion. There was no phone number listed.

Our editorial team created our expert opinion scores. The expert score contributes to 10% of the data-focused methodology, which underpins our Blueprint rating for each company. The expert score combines first-person experience, subject matter expertise and extensive research to develop these metrics as another source of truth for readers during their decision-making process.

Teamwork focuses on serving client-facing businesses and offers some useful customizations toward this end. The tool can be adapted to the needs of different types of businesses, including human resources, creative teams and consultants.

By adding client users to your projects, you can increase transparency and streamline external relationships. It’s possible to tailor client access and permissions, so clients only see what you want them to see, while still empowering clients to take steps like adding comments to tasks.

It’s a simple way to align better with your clients so you can make sure you’re meeting their expectations (which hopefully means repeat business for you).

Teamwork also offers other customizations, like the ability to pick your preferred view, with options ranging from Kanban boards to Gantt charts. The customizable templates are another perk and can save you time on creating documents for everything from content planning to software implementation strategy. Every business wants happy clients. Teamwork may be able to help you keep them satisfied.

We’d recommend teamwork for businesses that want to take advantage of its client-serving features, like customizable intake forms. However, we aren’t sure it’s worth the value for money if you aren’t going to use those functions. The project management tool is robust but you can get similar capabilities at half the price from other providers.

Value

Teamwork is one of the pricier options on our list, with the cheapest paid plan starting at $13.99 per user per month. That said, if your business could benefit from closer client collaboration, we think it’s got a worthwhile value-add.

Teamwork offers plenty of other handy assets beyond the client add-on. The budgeting tool is robust, allowing you to track employees’ time and rates. You can also assess money spent on a project overall. There is also financial reporting capacity, which is again something that clients will likely appreciate. Still not sure it’s worth it? There’s a 30-day free trial available.

Functionality 

Teamwork’s feature set is extensive. The project management tool lets you track project timelines and finances so you can make sure your projects stay on time and on budget. There is also a nice selection of integrations with other business tools, which can be convenient if you’re already using tech like Slack or Microsoft Office.

There are also some excellent planning features that can help you stay on top of your business decisions. For example, you can map out and allocate resources. You can even track your client pipeline to figure out how to maximize your business’s profitability.

Support 

The Teamwork support center includes help docs and webinars that allow you to see the tool in action. There is also the possibility to submit a support ticket. Teamwork further offers email and live chat support, but we couldn’t find the chat support function; it may require an account login. There doesn’t seem to be any kind of phone support offered.

We were able to locate a support ticket to fill out as well as a readily accessible (and functional) email address. The Teamwork support team is available Monday through Friday, from 7 a.m. to 12 a.m. IST. The website claims it offers “limited weekend cover” but doesn’t specify further.

Our editorial team created our expert opinion scores. The expert score contributes to 10% of the data-focused methodology, which underpins our Blueprint rating for each company. The expert score combines first-person experience, subject matter expertise and extensive research to develop these metrics as another source of truth for readers during their decision-making process.

If you’re the kind of person who gets super excited about cutting-edge tech like AI, Confluence might interest you. The tool is an Atlassian software company product and it has many tech-savvy perks to benefit business owners. For example, you can use rule-based automation to manage recurring actions, like employee onboarding steps.

This tool also includes AI, which you can use to clean up documents, create presentations and draft campaign blueprints. It can even translate jargon for you, creating more understandable communications and adjusting the tone of your writing depending on who you’re addressing (say, a customer versus an employee).

The Atlassian-powered tool can also be used to gather business data and present it to you in a digestible format to help make those tough business decisions easier. For example, you can create charts or graphs measuring productivity. You can also use the AI tool to summarize content, which can be a big plus if you have a lot of meetings to keep track of.

Confluence offers a decent value if you use the AI features to the fullest. As a project management tool, it falls short of some essentials, like budgeting capabilities. There are some other helpful features for tasks like document collaboration and visual communication. One drawback is the lack of transparency surrounding customer support.

Value 

The AI features Confluence offers are an awesome value-add for busy business owners who want to save time. The cheapest paid Confluence plan is $6.05 per user per month, which is reasonable compared to the competition. If you want to give it a shot, a seven-day free trial is possible.

Confluence also has some templates that we found unique and think are a nice perk. For example, you can use the brainstorming template for collaborative ideas sessions, which is great if you’re a creative business. Meanwhile, the retrospective template allows you to revisit projects or processes to determine how to do it better next time.

Functionality

Confluence has some practical document-collaboration features similar to Notion’s (which got our accolade for best document management, so a worthy competitor). Similar to Notion, with Confluence you can create documents and share them with collaborators who can then edit and make in-line comments in real time.

We also appreciate the visual communication capabilities. You can use whiteboards to brainstorm in a graphic format, for example, which can be a great way to spur collaboration between team members. Finally, this tool keeps up with integrations, covering popular office tools you may already use, from Google Drive to Outlook.

Support 

Confluence gives you access to Atlassian University, which includes free web-based training as well as live training options for the full team so you can make sure everyone in your organization is up to speed with the latest tech. There is also an online Atlassian community where you can connect and compare notes with other pros in your field.

The Atlassian support center includes how-to guides and other helpful documentation. However, if you need to actually contact support, you have to log into your account. Since we couldn’t log into an account to test it out, we aren’t sure how responsive the support is. Confluence promises 24/7 support for Premium users and up.

Our editorial team created our expert opinion scores. The expert score contributes to 10% of the data-focused methodology, which underpins our Blueprint rating for each company. The expert score combines first-person experience, subject matter expertise and extensive research to develop these metrics as another source of truth for readers during their decision-making process.

Let’s face it: the workday is full of distractions, from coffee breaks to social media scrolling. Todoist is designed to keep business owners on task and their businesses on track. You can get started with a brutally honest productivity quiz, which helps you figure out which type of productivity method might work best for you, whether it’s “eat the frog,” time blocking or Kanban.

You can then get organized by creating a to-do list with the quick-add function, setting automated reminders and managing recurring due dates. With these kinds of automations, you don’t have to interrupt your work or break concentration.

The prioritization labels can help you figure out where to start when you’re facing a particularly hairy workday, ensuring you focus on the right thing at the right time. Finally, the flexible views let you set up your task organizer in a way that makes sense to you and fits your given productivity style.

Todoist offers a decent value for money if productivity is your main aim. However, it’s not as robust as some of the other project management tools we feature. We also found the customer support lacking. One perk is the wide-ranging functionality across an array of apps and devices, from smartwatches to tablets.

Value 

Todoist has some nice extras that can help you figure out how to focus better on the job, like the productivity quiz. But are these perks worth the money? If you’re looking for a comprehensive project management tool, we aren’t so sure. Todoist lacks some features other competitors include, like budgeting, expense tracking, billing and invoicing.

Todoist also lacks dependencies. A dependency is basically an automation that ensures when X happens, Y happens. For example, in project management software, a dependency could look like, “X completed this task, now Y is notified to review the task.” Dependencies can be valuable in saving time and communication stress. Todoist’s cheapest paid plan is $5 per month, with its Business plan being $8 per member per month.

Functionality 

Todoist is all about helping you organize and prioritize tasks so you know exactly where to focus. You can plan out projects and add tasks or subtasks, assigning them to team members as needed. Todoist also comes with more than 80 integrations, so you can keep using your favorite business tools, from Gmail to Slack.

If you’re an entrepreneur on the go, we also like the wide range of apps and add-ons that allow you to use Todoist wherever you are. In addition to a desktop tool, there are apps for Android and iOS as well as for wearables. You may also benefit from browser extensions and email add-ons, giving you immediate access to your to-do list.

Support

Todoist’s support is underwhelming to say the least. The company explicitly states that it does not offer phone support and instead asks consumers to submit a support ticket if they need help. If you’re in need of an answer to your query or concern quickly, waiting for a response to a support ticket can be annoying.

The easiest way to submit a ticket is by logging into your online account. However, we were still able to submit a ticket without an online account. Just click “Continue without logging in” on the ticket support page.

Our editorial team created our expert opinion scores. The expert score contributes to 10% of the data-focused methodology, which underpins our Blueprint rating for each company. The expert score combines first-person experience, subject matter expertise and extensive research to develop these metrics as another source of truth for readers during their decision-making process.

Any boss knows that onboarding new employees can be a drain on time and energy. Trello helps make training newbies easier. The onboarding template includes “before first-day” tasks that cover HR logistics. Onboarding is then further broken down into tasks for the first week (like logging into team systems), a who’s who list and frequently asked questions to introduce new workers to how you do things.

You can supplement the onboarding template with the employee manual template that Trello also provides. This is a drag-and-drop document where you can include all the essentials about working for your business, be it dress code or days off.

Trello further takes into consideration the fact that your workers may be remote and offers tips for welcoming a distributed workforce. The verdict: if you’re going on a hiring spree and want to save time onboarding, Trello may be what you need.

Trello has a lot going for it beyond onboarding tools, as it offers a great selection of project management, task prioritization and automation capabilities. On top of that, it’s not super expensive. That said, you get what you pay for in terms of customer support, with no phone support available at all.

Value 

When it comes to onboarding, Trello offers business owners a clear value-add. But how much more does it bring to the table beyond that? We think the tool’s task management features can help teams prioritize, collaborate and save time. There are also brainstorming tools to spur creativity, which is a big plus if you run a marketing agency or similar type of business.

The project management capability stands out for its excellent customizations. You can create and combine custom fields on your “Trello boards,” making it even easier to sort and find information. The automation tool can help you avoid repetitive tasks, like tracking due dates. Trello’s pricing is reasonable at $6 per user per month for the most affordable plan. Plus, you can get a free trial.

Functionality 

Trello’s project management functionality is excellent. You can create and assign tasks, automate workflows and visualize progress in various ways, from timelines to tables. Trello’s over 200 integrations can also be great for streamlining your work, since you can integrate with software like Slack or Jira.

What we especially liked was the work request and intake process template. It uses integrations like Zapier and Google Forms to allow coworkers to request work from one another. It’s a simple way to cut down on tedious email or chat communication and get right to the point of “I need this done now.”

Support

Trello’s help site offers how-to documentation plus a community where you can compare notes with other Trello users. The help site also has a “system status” tool, where you can check the status of Atlassian’s cloud services (Trello is an Atlassian product) and figure out “Is it me or is it the system?” when something goes wrong.

​​Trello’s support is limited, available during normal business hours of Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET. The company specifically states that it does not provide phone support. You have to fill out an online contact form to get help. While you have the option to send the support form through your account by logging in, it’s not a must — we managed without an account.

Our editorial team created our expert opinion scores. The expert score contributes to 10% of the data-focused methodology, which underpins our Blueprint rating for each company. The expert score combines first-person experience, subject matter expertise and extensive research to develop these metrics as another source of truth for readers during their decision-making process.

Depending on what you use it for, project management software can hold valuable information, including sensitive client data. You don’t want your tool of choice to pose any kind of security risk. We had to include Jira for its recently revamped privacy and security features.

Jira project management is a powerful software with strong data aggregation and reporting features designed to help you improve efficiency in your small business. The tool also lets you visualize timelines and dependencies with Gantt charts, which can be helpful for aligning teams. Given the starting monthly fee of $8.15 per user per month, we think it’s a solid value.

Wrike’s analytical features are more granular than a lot of what we’ve seen, earning it a special spot on our list. The chart view makes it easy to identify insights in a visually appealing format (no need to comb through complicated Excel files).

You can use advanced analytics to assess productivity metrics, setting benchmarks and tracking performance against them. Then, you can filter the data to focus only on the information you need. Last but not least, you can compile all that useful information into a report using the report builder. Reports can be delivered directly to your inbox, just in time for your next big presentation.

Wrike offers plenty of other advanced features as well, including generative AI to help create project plans faster. The tool also has more than 400 integration capabilities, including Zoom, Slack and Salesforce. With everything in one place, you can boost productivity even more. The most affordable paid plan starts at $9.80 per user per month.

The majority of the project management tools we surveyed include a freebie option. However, these free versions are usually limited in their functionality. Coda has a nice free plan, allowing you to make collaborative documents and create customizable project views, including charts, tables and Kanban boards. You can also access automations and try out its AI tools for free.

Additionally, Coda’s “maker billing” price model is great for cost-conscious entrepreneurs. With this structure, you only pay for document and page creators, while editors and viewers can collaborate for free. Since most project management software charges on a per-user basis, this can be a big help in trimming expenses. You can pay for just the one “Doc Maker” if needed.

The free pack of integrations is also pretty comprehensive, including business favorites like Dropbox. Of course, your capabilities will increase if you opt for a paid plan. However, we think the Coda free version is a great value for money.

First things first: SharePoint is a Microsoft 365 product. If you aren’t an MS user already, it’s probably less interesting for you. That said, if your team does use the MS suite, SharePoint may have some value for your business. This project management tool is a team site that basically serves as an internal homepage for your team. With this online collaboration space, you can post meeting notes, share team documents and provide project updates.

The site comes with pre-populated web parts, images and content, which you can customize according to your needs. Since it’s a ready-made template, it’s fast and easy to set up. Once you’re ready, you can publish the page and share it directly with your team.

Note that this tool is focused on internal use and probably not something you’d want to give outside parties, like clients, access to. That said, if your company needs internal project management and uses MS already, it’s worth a look.

Airtable is all about getting your team aligned by standardizing your workflows. You can define repeatable processes to enhance predictability, which everyone in your team will appreciate (nobody likes unexpected surprises mid-project).

It’s also possible to use Airtable to standardize practices between teams, as different functions can be incorporated into larger business processes. This can be a big plus for larger organizations struggling with silos.

Airtable also helps teams align with its detailed tracking features, providing oversight of programs, projects and tasks. You can view progress in terms of what matters to you, whether it’s a percentage completion rate or the number of tasks still to be done.

Finally, the resource allocation and utilization tool lets you see who in your team is being underutilized and who is on the brink of working too much. You can then shift team duties accordingly. This helps make sure that you aren’t underutilizing your people while preventing potential burnout. It’s another way to ensure standardized, fair business practices.