9+ Best Project Management Tools for Startups (Ranked & Reviewed)

Do you need project management tools? I understand that you do not want to use an Excel sheet or Google sheet anymore. It is too tedious, and it is not intuitive. The solution? Get an online project management tool.

You already know this, but then there are so many project management tools out on the market today. They are like Amazon product research tools. The last thing you want is to make a bad choice, which I will help you avoid.

In this list of the best project management tools, I will give you only the best ones that have different features. From here, you should be able to figure out what project management software to use in your business.

What Is the Best Project Management Tool?

Here is a quick list of the best project management tools:

1. Monday.Com – Best for companies that need to track projects, do marketing and sales, and IT tasks.

2. Asana – Best for teams that work in several locations managing different projects at the same time.

3. Trello – Best for teams that focus on creatives; it is also best for teams that need to work with marketing a lot.

4. Slack – Best for people who need a communication channel.

5. Wrike – Best for businesses that want the support of AI from their project management tools.

6. ClickUp – Best for big teams that also work with guests.

7. Nifty – Best for people who want a project management tool that has a time tracking feature.

8. Kissflow Project – Best for people with simple projects who also need a high level of security and ease of access.

9. ActiveCollab – Best project management tool for businesses that also need invoicing and accounting software.

10. TeamWork – Best for marketing teams that use HubSpot.

1. Monday.Com

Best for companies that need to track projects, do marketing and sales, and IT tasks.

Pricing: There are four price points for Monday.Com plus a free account.

Unique Feature: There are enterprise-grade security and governance features for big companies.

Monday.Com is one of the best project management tools because it is flexible, and you can use it for many types of tasks.

With Monday.Com, you can even manage how you make money on Instagram, Facebook, and other social media channels.

Here are the things you can do with it:

• Task management
• Time tracking
• Team members
• Project progress
• Homepage screenshot

The company offers generous storage, and you can also use templates. These templates are standard project management designs that you can use, so you do not have to build one from scratch.

What I like about Monday is that it has coverage of so many aspects of managing projects. You can share files, integrate them with other programs, and save time with automation.

Monday.Com Features

• Dashboards – get real-time insights about the status of a project; make decisions in real-time without doing a lot of analytic work.
• Integrations – you can integrate the software with other programs like Microsoft Teams, Slack, Dropbox, and Outlook. The integration allows you to make use of other software programs that Monday does not have.
• Automations – you can automate some tasks like sending emails, assigning tasks, time tracking, and many more. For example, you can automatically send an email when a task is due.
• Kanban – you can set up rules where you can prioritize tasks. It is an important tool to manage a business so you can deliver your commitments to your clients.
• Gantt Charts – it is a kind of chart where you can visualize ownership of tasks and their respective timelines in a single view. This chart also shows you milestones and project completion status.

I strongly recommend Monday.Com for businesses that are busy. If you have too many tasks in your hand and managing them alone is a must, you need this tool for your team members to manage multiple projects.

Pros of Monday.Com

• You can manage tasks across several teams
• It is easy to use
• You have access to a dashboard that shows you an overview of a project’s progress
• It functions as a communication platform

Pricing

• Basic – costs $8 per month per seat; get access to unlimited viewers and 5GB of storage.
• Standard – costs $10 per month per seat; get access to Time and Gantt charts.
• Pro – costs $8 per month per seat; get access to private boards and automation.

There is an Enterprise plan where you can discuss specifics for your business, and then they will create a special price for you. Sign up for a free account and enjoy unlimited boards and docs today.

2. Asana

Best for teams that work in several locations managing different projects at the same time.

Pricing: Asana has two paid plans and one free account option.

Unique Feature: The project management tool has a custom rules builder.

Looking at Asana reminds me of when I was choosing the best landing page builders. Asana has so many useful features not only for small businesses but also for big ones.

Here are the things it can do:

• Automate processes
• Measure the workload of teams
• Set goals for each individual or a team
• Create a calendar of events
• Provide Gantt charts view of your project timelines

Project managers will love this project management software because it offers a huge volume of things that they can use for task management. There are also features where you can do project planning, manage team members, and manage tasks.

Asana Features

• Workflow Builder – create a visual tool like a flowchart so your team members can view how processes should go. You can use this tool to organize work and streamline your projects.
• Timelines – there is a tool where you can map out our project plans for everyone to see. With this timeline tool, you can explain in detail when deadlines are and who is in charge of a particular task.
• Kanban Software – it is a tool where you can create boards. Kanban is a Japanese concept where people can change the status of tasks from “to do,” “doing,” and “done.”
• Calendar – the calendar is what you use to assess, plan, and manage projects. It shows you an overview of what the team has accomplished so far, which you can share with other team members.
• Forms – you can create forms that your team members can submit. You can also use this as a ticketing system where everyone in your company can create a request.

Asana also has integrations where you can add Google and even Microsoft programs to the system. Some other examples are Vimeo, Zapier, Slack, etc.

It is a helpful process by which you can continue using other programs without shifting to a new one. You can also build an API if the current software you are using cannot be integrated with Asana.

Pros of Asana

• Easy to use
• Lots of integration options
• Has a focus on collaboration
• Has a task management system

Pricing

• Premium – costs $10.99 per month per user; you get access to the timeline and workflow builder. You can also add custom fields in the dashboard.
• Business – costs $24.99 per month per user; you get access to the portfolio software, approvals, and proofing tools. You can also lock the custom fields so no one can touch them.

Asana does not offer a free trial because it has a free account. In the free account, you can have unlimited tasks, unlimited projects, unlimited messages, and unlimited activity logs.

3. Trello

Best for teams that focus on creatives; it is also best for teams that need to work with marketing a lot.

Pricing: There is a free account and then three paid ones.

Unique Feature: The storage is unlimited, and you can create public boards visible to the entire organization.

Trello is a project management software designed to work best for teams that concentrate on product management, engineering, marketing, and design.

It is a great project management tool because it shows you charts and views and allows you to collaborate. With Trello, your employees can even conduct meetings and brainstorm.

Here are the things it can do:

• Task management
• Manage projects
• Time tracking
• Team collaboration
• Create automated tasks

Trello is great at managing projects that have tight deadlines. The creators have incorporated many moving parts of project management tools into one.

Yes, it has integrations, so those who are used to Google, Microsoft Teams, and other programs will find the transition easy.

Trello Features

• Views – Trello, as a project management tool, offers many views for your tasks. It has a board, a timeline, a table, a calendar, and so much more.
• Automation – you can create automation rules without learning how to code. For example, you can create buttons and commands. If pressed, these buttons will execute an action that you also created.
• Power-Ups – some people who make money online know that some platforms have an app store. Power-Ups is the same. Here, you can buy additional project management software tools like backups, countdowns, and others.
• Templates – project managers will love this feature because they no longer have to create reports and dashboards from scratch. All they need to do is choose from the templates in this project management tool.

Just to be clear, Power-Ups is like an app market specific to work with Trello. It is also where you can find software programs that you can integrate, like GMAIL and Microsoft Teams.

Pros of Trello

• Employees can use it to apply for vacation leaves
• It has a time tracking feature for salary calculations
• You can organize an employee’s daily activities
• You can run it to run a budget; even other uses can do it

Pricing

• Standard – costs $5 per month per user; get access to unlimited boards and unlimited storage.
• Premium – costs $10 per month per user; get access to the dashboard and timeline view of your projects.
• Enterprise – costs $17.50 per month per user; get access to unlimited workspaces, SSO, and attachment permissions.

Trello has no free trial, but it does offer a free-for-life account. Please take note that the free account does not include all features.

4. Slack

Best for people who need a communication channel.

Pricing: Slack has a free version with some limitations and then two paid plans.

Unique Feature: It specializes in channel segregation for teams.

Slack is primarily a communication platform like Discord. Here, you can create different channels and assign access to people who need to be in that channel.

Here are the things you can do with it:

• Create communication channels
• Call each member or have an impromptu meeting
• Upload and share files

For example, let us say that you have a team that discusses the best whiteboard animation software. Obviously, you do not want your accounting team in that discussion.

To manage that team, what a project manager can do is create a channel only for that discussion. Then, the project manager can give access to people who need to be in that thread.

The entire discussion is not visible to everyone but only to the people involved in the project. With a communication channel like this, other people can work without distractions.

Slack Features

• Channels – you can create discussion channels with this project management tool so you can control who sees what.
• Connect – you can connect many types of apps. It is essentially an integration feature. For example, you can integrate a time tracking tool so you can manage the attendance and productivity of your team members.
• Huddles and Clips – these are ways by which you can ask your team for a brainstorming session. It is not like a traditional phone call. Here, you can access faster audio options without scheduling meetings as you do in Zoom.
• Accessibility Options – with Slack, you can set emojis, add them, and also remove them. You can use keyboard shortcuts, screen readers, and issue commands so you can navigate the tool faster.

Overall, Slack is the right project management software for communication-heavy companies and small businesses. The system allows you to have a discussion, upload files, and integrate apps.

Pros

• Organized channels for your teams
• The channels can be set to public or private
• There is a high level of security on the platform
• It has a mobile app

Pricing

• Pro – costs $6.67 per month per user; get unlimited storage or archive for messages.
• Business – costs $12.50 per month per user; get access to 99.99% uptime in the service plus SSO features.

Slack has no free trial, but it does have a free account.

5. Wrike

Best for businesses that want the support of AI from their project management tools.

Pricing: It has a free plan and two paid plans.

Unique Feature: High level of physical and digital security.

Wrike is a flexible project management tool where you can do marketing, design, and even professional services.

Wrike offers a scalable project management tool. What it means is that you can expand it and set it up for bigger teams.

Here are the things it can do:

• Create an approval process
• Take control of your data security
• Use templates for dashboards and reports
• Integrate apps

Wrike enables you to customize the platform. As such, you can equip your team with only the tools that they need.

You can also make your work environment conducive to collaboration, as Wrike allows each member to share files, complete tasks, and update reports instantly.

Wrike Features

• Collaboration – this project management tool is great for working together because you can share portfolios. From strategy to execution, it has the task management tools to help you manage your goals.
• Work Intelligence – this is an AI that allows you to automate many tasks. It even has a project risk prediction, which means you can act on risks even before they happen.
• Interactive Gantt Charts – the Gantt charts are not just there fr display or for viewing. People who have access to it can make changes, edits, and suggestions.
• Templates – there are templates in the project management software that you can use, so you do not have to build your own.
• Custom Form Requests – as a manager, you can use the project management tool to create forms that your employees or members can submit. For example, you can create a form for a vacation leave request.

Wrike also offers a Kanban board where people can see updates on the progress of the project. It is a great project management tool for large teams that have many departments that work together.

Pros

• There is a free account
• They offer an excellent customer service
• It has integration with other apps
• The dashboard is easy to interpret

Pricing

• Professional – costs $9.8 per month per user; get access to the project planning system and team collaboration.
• Business – costs $24.80 per month per user; get access to custom fields and custom workflows.

Test Wrike now with its free account. However, there is no free trial for the upgraded version.

6. ClickUp

Best for big teams that also work with guests.

Pricing: Has a free plan plus three paid ones. There is also an Enterprise plan for big businesses.

Unique Feature: They offer priority support and training for the admin of your business.

ClickUp is an all-in-one tool, and it is the sheer volume of features that makes it one of the best project management tools in the market today.

Here are the things it can do:

• Custom role creation
• Give access to guests
• Create advanced automation
• Use the whiteboard for presentations
• Use the Kanban boards for task updates

Because there are so many features, it can be so confusing to learn for beginners. However, it is up to you to choose which ones you like.

There are several plans, and each plan limits the feature so you can take it a step at a time. Get the free plan for now and see how it goes.

Another thing I like about ClickUp is its versatility. It is not just a system for project management. You can also use it for marketing, engineering, designing, remote work, and operations.

By design, I mean managing design teams, not the designing process itself. It also has a CRM, so you can use it to interact and keep customer data.

ClickUp Features

• Task Management – use the project management tool to plan, organize, and communicate. It works great as a resource management tool.
• Whiteboards – it is a virtual whiteboard where you can draw as you are presenting in real-time. You can also give access to other people so they can provide their ideas during a meeting.
• Dashboards – you can view all reports in a single dashboard. If you want, you can also simplify how you want to progress the status of each task.
• Chat – there is a built-in chat platform for your team members. You can consolidate your communication channel in one area only.
• Goals – you can make the best of your resource management activities by creating goals. With this feature, you can set clear timelines and responsibilities. The tracking of the progress is also automatic.

What I love about ClickUp is that there is admin training. For example, if I am the employer, a manager, and I can attend a session with a ClickUp employee so we can understand how it works.

Pros of ClickUp

• Easy to use
• Packed with many useful project management tool features
• Many of the features are unlimited
• There is public sharing of files for better collaboration

Pricing

• Unlimited – costs $5 per month per user; get unlimited storage and integrations.
• Business – costs $12 per month per user; get access to Google SSO and advanced dashboard features.
• Business Plus – costs $19 per month per user; get access to subtasks, automation, and API.

Get the free plan now if you want to try ClickUp. It is free for life, and there is no credit card required.

7. Nifty

Best for people who want a project management tool that has a time tracking feature.

Pricing: There are four paid plans and a free-forever option. No free trial is offered for the paid plans.

Unique Feature: The project management tool has two-factor authentication.

Nifty is the right project management tool for companies that do legal case management, client management, and product development. It is also ideal for digital and marketing agencies.

What I like about Nifty is that you can set goals, deadlines, and responsibilities. It is not just a tool to log attendance and chat with other people.

Of course, file transfer and sharing are not issues. You can do that with Nifty, as collaboration is the systems ain priority.

On top of file sharing, Nifty allows file collaboration. What it means is that people can edit a file online, and there is no need to send emails back and forth.

Nifty Features

• Discussions – it is a feature where the team can collaborate and focus on how to make decisions. Here, people can chat and provide images and other information vital to the success of a project.
• Tasks – this feature is where the project management team organizes or plans the activities of the team. It has a Kanban view where stakeholders can see the status of each part of the plan.
• Time Tracking – it allows you to log work hours that will help you improve efficiency and productivity. The time tracking software also allows you to see a detailed breakdown of of logged hours.
• Gantt Charts – it is where you can find details of task ownership, deadlines, and view milestones.
• Reporting – the dashboard gives you an overview of what is going on. You can click on some aspects of the report to get details like milestones, task status, and time logs.

Nifty is also capable of integrations. For example, you can integrate it with Asana and Trello. It can also do a bit of automation, which allows you to save time and focus on more important things about your business.

While Nifty has a lot of cool features, it may be a daunting software to use. Its coverage is so vast that new users may be overwhelmed.

Pros

• Packed with features
• There is an extra layer of security
• You pay according to the size of your team
• The free plan offers a lot of useful tools

Pricing

• Starter – costs $39 per month; get ten members and 100GB of storage.
• Pro – costs $79 per month; get 20 members and unlimited clients and storage.
• Business – costs $124 per month; get 50 members and use the advanced features.
• Unlimited – costs $399 per month; unlimited on everything.

Get the free plan now and enjoy several features for two projects with unlimited members.

8. Kissflow Project

Best for people with simple projects who also need a high level of security and ease of access.

Pricing: KissFlow offers a free plan and two paid plans with a free trial of 14 days.

Unique Feature: You can whitelist IP addresses that you want your team members to access.

KissFlow is a unique tool because it allows you to create codes. It does not mean that you cannot use it without coding—you can, but you also have the option to alter how it works.

Here are the things you can do with it:

• View Gantt charts
• Team chat
• Create discussion groups
• Pin posts
• Add channel moderators
• Create custom filters
• View activity logs

KissFlow is the best project management tool for complicated tasks like software development, game development, etc. It has the systems to assign, track, and measure work.

KissFlow also has a discussion board where you can choose among your members who should participate. It keeps people from getting disturbed if they are not on the list.

Features

• Multiple Views – you can choose how you want to view your reports or project timelines. Here, you can use the list view, matrix view, Gantt charts, and Kanban view.
• Task Management – you can view the task states for each job your members have. In addition, you will also get alerts and notifications if your members update the status of a project.
• Contextual Collaboration – here, you can use the “mentions” feature. So, if you have a message, the intended recipient will know. The collaboration area also has a search function, so it is easy to find statements with keywords.
• Reports – the reports from the tool are insightful. For example, you can understand cycle times for each task, and then you can decide how you can improve the efficiency of your team.
• Data Security – you can set user roles and manage your members by viewing the activity log.

With KissFlow, you can manage the level of access that your team members have. As such, you can also ensure that your files and other data are secured.

Pros

• Easy to use
• It has three views called list, Kanban, and matrix
• It has two-factor authentication even at the free plan
• There is an audit tool for login sessions
• You can add your custom domain name

Pricing

• Free – free for life; get the up to 50 GB storage and an unlimited number of users
• Basic – costs $5 per month per user; the storage is unlimited, and you can now use advanced reports.
• Advanced – costs $12 per user per month; the system gives you a detailed activity history, and you can now use the SSO feature.

Get the free plan now and test the software.

9. ActiveCollab

Best project management tool for businesses that also need invoicing and accounting software.

Pricing: Available in a free plan, and then there are two paid plans.

Unique Feature: It has invoicing software, and it can be integrated with QuickBooks and Xero.

ActiveCollab is a tool that is best used for client management. It gives you a system to communicate with your clients from one platform, so you can consider it a partial CRM or client relations management tool.

With ActiveCollab, you can send invoices to your clients, send them messages about project estimates, and also collaborate on the same platform.

Those who have several employees do not need a payroll system anymore. ActiveCollab has a timekeeping system that allows you to schedule and track attendance. You can also use it to calculate salaries.

Here are the things you can do with it:

• View Gantt charts and other lists of tasks
• Store files
• Create discussion boards
• Import projects
• Manage an unlimited number of clients
• Use personal time sheet and company-wide payroll
• Budget your project and send invoices

Key Features

• Work Management – you can create unlimited projects and assign teams to each one. You can also import projects from where you left off and then create sample projects if you are unsure.
• Team Collaboration – you can create discussion boards, chatrooms, and custom groups. Those who want to comment can do so, and you can also invite subscribers.
• Time Management – you can use the system to track attendance. On top of that, you can also make use of the payroll software to calculate the salaries of your employees.
• Resource Management – you can assign assignments, manage workload capacity, and also keep an eye on people who work overtime or undertime.

Although ActiveCollab is sufficient, you may need to integrate other tools which you are already using. There is an integration option for apps, devices, and other software programs like Google Drive, Dropbox, etc.

Pros

• It has accounting features
• It has a company-wide timesheet for logging attendance and payroll
• You can make online payments
• It has several communication and collaboration channels

Pricing

• Free – free for life, and it is great for a small team; the functions are limited, and you can only have up to three members.
• Plus – costs $9 per month; you have up to three members, but you can use a vast majority of its functions
• Pro – costs $7 per month per user; it is cheaper, and you get unlimited members plus access to all the features.

Get the free account now so you can test the system. Upgrade later if you want to get more functionalities.

10. TeamWork

Best for marketing teams that use HubSpot.

Pricing: There are two paid plans but there is also a free-for-life plan

Unique Feature: It has a financial budget planning software plus a collaborative document editor.

TeamWork is a platform for managing tasks, scheduling employees, and calculating payroll. More importantly, it is designed to onboard clients and measure productivity and client profitability.

Here, you can create a checklist for client onboarding. Once you have uploaded a task, you can also measure the billable hours for that specific client.

Here are the things it can do:

• Show milestones of a project
• Provide you with a chat feature and a discussion board
• Project templates so you do not have to start from scratch
• Schedule your employees
• View how profitable your business is

Key Features

• Templates – there are many templates you can choose from, and your choice depends on your project. There is a template for product launch, task management, client onboarding, content planning, etc.
• Resource Management – the tool allows you to manage your team effectively with forecasts. You can also use this to manage your capacity planning, allocate work, and balance workloads.
• Kanban Boards – you can automate your work boards and send updates in a visual way. There are triggers that allow you to modify tasks and view the status of each task.
• Unlimited Client Users – if you have clients who need to work with you, you can use the system to upload documents. You can also create a checklist for the client manager so he/she can follow the onboarding process without fail.
• Time Tracking – you can track how people work, how long, and then measure what part of their duties eat up their time. After you make an analysis, you can make changes to your processes to help people work more efficiently.

One thing you will like about the system is its profitability calculator. With it, you can see how many billable hours an employee has completed, and then measure it against the money you are charging your client.

Pros

• It has a free trial for 30 days for the upgraded versions
• The financial budgeting system offers unlimited projects
• It comes with a resource management software
• The software has a Gantt chart where you can view milestones

Pricing

• Free – you can use the basic systems such as project management, workflow, and messaging.
• Deliver – costs $10 per month per user; get access to 20 project templates and unlimited client users.
• Grow – costs $18 per month per user; get access to all the software program features.

Get the free account now and see if this tool fits your business needs. You can also try the premium versions for free for 30 days.

What Is a Project Management Software?

A project management tool is a softer program that you use to do the following:

• Project planning
• Track project progress
• Team collaboration
• Time tracking
• Manage projects

In the early days of project management tools, the primary users were software development teams. They used online project management tools so the developers could access the same files no matter where they were.

Today, almost all companies use some kind of online project management tool assigning tasks, task management, tracking, attendance, communication, announcement, and so much more.

Each company has a different need. As such, you need to check and test different project management tools. It is only this way that you can assess whether or not the project management platform can perform according to your specifications.

How to Select the Best Project Management Tool

Before you choose the best project management tool from my list, there are some key things that I want you to consider, which I will discuss below.

• Single Sign-On – choose project management tools that allow your team members to sign in with one credential only. Too many credentials can cause confusion.
• Task Management – an excellent project management tool allows you to assign tasks, and then measure the completeness of each task. The tool must allow a team member to update the status of each task and also upload a file.
• Attendance Features – while this may not be important, a good project management tool allows you to schedule your employees and then automate the tracking process for measuring attendance and productivity.
• File-Sharing – the employees or team members must be able to upload, download, and access files online.
• Dashboards and Reporting – choose a project management tool that shows reports that have value. If possible, pick a project management tool that allows you to customize reports.
• Ease of Use – from the user interface to the dashboard, the project management tool must be intuitive. It must be clean, and by design, it must be easy to navigate.

Of course, you do not need a project management tool that has all these. All I am saying is that these things are great to have.

Choosing an online project management software program is like choosing the best inventory software – you must first identify what you need.

Project Management FAQs

Wrap Up

The best project management software that I recommend is Monday. Com. The next one is Asana.

I recommend both because they are the best project management tools for planning, resource allocation, time tracking, and many other things you need to manage your team.

The best thing I like about these two programs is that they are free.

Unfortunately, there is no free trial, but you can get a free account for life. That means that you can use them and test if they fit your needs even before you shell out money.