Top Project Management Tools for 2022
Project management software (PM Software) helps teams plan, coordinate, task, and carry out projects. There is project management software tailored to just about every industry that makes work and collaboration more efficient and saves everyone time.
It’s important to choose a PM software with features that will best suit your business. For example, small businesses and startups can probably get away with using a free trial or more cost-friendly plan, whereas it might be worth it for large companies to pay for more bells and whistles.
Below are a few tried and true project management software options that are widely successful. They all offer free plans, as well as advanced, pricier options. We chose to highlight PM tools that work well for businesses of all sizes and have the most widely needed features that will fulfill most companies Project Management needs.
Top 5 Project Management Softwares for 2022
- Zoho Projects
Zoho Projects provides a great bang for your buck. With a free account option for up to three team members, Zoho stands out as an attractive option for small businesses.
Zoho Projects offers valuable features such as easy time-tracking for hourly billing, strict and soft deadline assignments, and productivity reports for managerial use. With time-saving automated workflow rules you can create cause-and-effect actions that otherwise would have been done manually. Users can customize their own dashboard to make it work for them. They can also manage alerts for due dates and important calendar events.
Zoho Projects is better than average when it comes to communication options. They offer individual chats, group forums, interactive feeds, and meetings. They make it pretty effortless to stay in touch.
One downside to Zoho Projects is that the regular plan does not include the Zoho Books accounting solution and is a bit pricey. Though Zoho Books offers a wide variety of accounting tools, plans range from $15 – $60 per month on top of the regular service charge. On the bright side, Zoho Projects supports integration with a ton of other tools (including accounting tools) and most Google for work apps which is very important for many businesses.
- Trello
Trello has pre-designed templates catered toward a variety of industries from Human Resources to Product Management, also,users can build their own system layout as needed. Trello is a strong option for cross-platform users because of its many integration capabilities.
Trello emphasizes teamwork and collaboration by making it easy to comment, delegate, and create work boards. They have private chats and team message boards. Users can view projects from many different views depending on their thinking style. For example, one could view their project as a long timeline, a calendar, a spreadsheet, or even a map.
Trello also has some of the best automation features out there. Users can set rules for when projects are ready to move to the next step. Trello can actually suggest rules that they notice are repetitive and should be automated!
- Confluence
Confluence is a cloud-based, team-oriented project management tool created by Atlassian. Its free version allows up to 10 users and offers unlimited pages, integrations with third-party apps, and macros.
Confluence is a strong option for virtual and remote teams because of its communication options that promote open communication between teammates. Easy internal and external document sharing as well as centralized access to projects/documents helps everything run smoothly.
On the same token, Confluence is known for having vast manager permission settings, making it easier to restrict access to privileged pages/documents and boost security.
The cheaper plans have been noted to have limited options for integration and storage. There are paid-plug in options if you want to expand your capabilities. Additionally, there are a few negative reviews stating the layout isn’t very user-friendly. The wording, links, and design may be confusing or non-intuitive for some users.
- Monday.com
Monday.com provides excellent PM tools for companies of all sizes. This cloud-based tool offers 5 different pricing plans – plenty of options for you to decide what features are essential to your team. Monday.com has many features for successful team collaboration and communication.
They keep it simple and easy on the eyes, with colorful work boards and customizable displays so each user can decide what they want to see (to a certain degree). There are different dashboard views, calendars, timelines, and even KPIs to play around with.
Not only are they user-friendly, but they’re cost-friendly, too. Even the most basic plan offers customizable notifications and unlimited documents. Keep in mind that the most advanced features that larger companies might need are mostly provided on the higher-paid plans.
- Asana
Asana is widely known for being a reliable and adaptable PM software. They have an impressive list of customers including Spotify, Twitter, Khan Academy, Vice, and many more. They offer 4 different plans, including a free plan for 15 members or less.
Asana is team-oriented; transparency and accountability are emphasized. One can track others’ progress, provide updates, and set tasks with ease. Managers can set goals for teams and individuals and communicate strategies clearly with the whole group.
The program is visually appealing, with project boards, to-do lists, and very clear timelines. Asana is adaptable for both online and mobile-friendly use and is cloud-based.
How to Choose the Best Project Management Software for your Company
With thousands of project management tools to choose from, it’s crucial to thoroughly research before you seriously commit and lock your company into just one. Especially with the recent increase of remote jobs after the pandemic, there are more software options than ever. At the end of the day, the tool should streamline the workday for both managers and employees.
What kinds of tasks are you and your team completing daily? Do customers need visibility? Are there any specific problems you’re looking to solve with this tool? These are a few questions to consider when picking the best software for your team.
Cost
Most of the above project management tools are cost-friendly, so they’re great options for new companies just starting out. As your business grows, you have the option to add on and utilize more tools as you see fit. All of these software options offer enterprise account options, so they can grow with you along your journey.
Small businesses tend to have smaller budgets and are likely to be pickier when it comes to their PM tools. This is no reason to go without using one, however. According to PWC, using project management software is strongly linked to higher success, and 77% of high-performing teams use some type of PM software to keep their workload organized.
Must-Have Features/Tools
Consider which tools are necessary for your team. The tools help you save time, manage recurring tasks, and track progress. Here are a few features to look for:
- Scalability
- Scheduling and Task Management
- Internal Reporting and Data Analytics
- Invoicing
- Teamwork Tools
Test the Tool out with your Team
Team members with different roles will be using different features of the tool. Test out the software with a trial run and take their feedback. After all, they’re the ones who need to use it day after day.
The Bottom Line
When deciding on project management software, keep your team’s daily tasks in mind. Watch review videos and research what software might work best in your industry. Play around in the system yourself and think about what features you and your team would use the most.
You can’t go wrong with any of the PM tools in this list – they’re reasonably priced, reliable, and trusted by thousands of businesses. Now get out there and find the tool that’s perfect for your business or team needs!