Do you still use sticky notes, meetings, or endless email chains to manage your projects? Stop using sticky notes, regular meetings, or endless email chains to manage projects. ClickUp is the best project management software according to our research. It has almost every task management feature that you could need and is extremely customizable.

The Best Project Management Software

ClickUp

Best for the Most

All the features you need in PM software at a great price. ClickUp’s entry-level plan starts at $5 per month. It includes the best collaboration tools, workflow customization options, and flexible project views.

ClickUp is the way to go if you want to make things simple and still have the task management functionality and visibility you need. ClickUp is flexible and adaptable enough to suit any purpose. It’s easy to identify bottlenecks quickly before they become larger problems.

This platform offers tons of features and step-by-step guidance that make learning new things easy. It is also one of the lowest-priced PM software available.

These are the 6 Best Project Management Software Options.

1. ClickUp- is the best project management software available.
2. Asana – The best balance between power and simplicity
3. Trello- Set up your PM software at a low-cost today
4. Teamwork- Best for clients and service-based companies
5. Monday.com- Best for project management and partnering sales
6. Smartsheet- The best way to turn spreadsheets into project management gold

It makes sense to invest in project management software

Project management software allows you to break down complex projects into manageable tasks that can then be assigned to people. Each task will have a start date and an end date so that you can complete each part on time.

2018 is all about using pen, paper, and emails. Simple calendar invites are also a good idea. This is how you lose contact, make it difficult to manage budgets, and cause team members not to know what next.

You shouldn’t feel like a dog chewing toy when you start a new project. You need to be confident and energetic. This software is for you if you feel drained after a project is completed and anxious about the next.

Software that helps you manage your projects is key to making them less chaotic and more organized.

Are you a manager? It is important for visibility. Do you have an employee who wants to pitch it to your employer? It is essential for your organization.

Perhaps you work in HR and are looking to reduce turnover and increase retention.

Software that manages projects can also help improve teamwork. It doesn’t matter whether the team is located in your area or far away. They won’t have to chase down anyone when it comes time to discover who’s doing what and get together.

Slack integrations or built-in project-based messaging make it easy to get answers between teams. All information is available in one place.

You can see all of your data on one screen when it comes to making data-driven decisions. It’s as easy as clicking and clicking. You can analyze and manipulate the data to get the job done faster and more efficiently than ever before.

#1 -ClickUp – The Best Project Management Software For Most

ClickUp

Best for the Most

All the features you need in PM software at a great price. ClickUp’s entry-level plan starts at $5 per user per month. It includes the best collaboration tools, workflow customization options, and flexible project views.

Overall: 4/5

ClickUp is the Swiss Army knife in project management. It has more top-rated options than any other choice on this list.

It is first in collaboration and task management and tied for first in workflow and visibility tools.

ClickUp is the best plan for you if you pay in full every year.

Let’s get into the details so that you can see why ClickUp is the best for all use cases.

1. Pricing: 5/5
2. Onboarding: 2/5
3. Easy to use: 3.5/5
4. Task management: 4.5/5
5. Collaboration: 4.5/5
6. Workflow and Visibility: 5/5

Pricing: 5/5 ClickUp offers a few surprises in pricing.

They are also the most affordable on the list for annual cost – just $5 per user per month if you pay upfront for a full year.

What if you don’t want to pay for the entire year in advance? Are you missing out on a deal or a bargain?

It’s not. The second cheapest plan is the one you will need. Each user will pay $9 per month.

Are you picking up the pieces we leave behind?

This means that you will get the lowest annual price, or at worst, the second cheapest monthly rate if you pay monthly.

All the while you get the most flexible PM software on the market. This deal is unbeatable.

Particularly with all the other benefits you receive – but more later.

To determine to price, we used the monthly rate of three users. ClickUp’s annual pricing is nearly $100 cheaper than the $23 monthly average for users who pay annually.

ClickUp costs less than the most expensive two options on our list.

You can also test a free forever plan. You get unlimited tasks, five workspaces, custom fields, Gantt charts, and a timeline view.

After you have confirmed your love for ClickUp like many users before you can seamlessly upgrade to a paid plan via your account dashboard.

You can still try the product out for free if you decide to go with a paid package.

We’ve now covered pricing. Let’s get to the actual setup of the software and how it works.

2/5 – ClickUp’s onboarding process would be easier if there was little or no explanation. This tool is not for the faint of heart.

This makes sense when you consider the many features that the software offers. This is to be expected.

It’s not difficult to get up and running. We only took just over four minutes to get our dashboard up and running.

ClickUp’s pricing page will allow you to select the plan that interests you.

They will ask for your name, email address, and password. After you receive your confirmation email, click the link to go to your dashboard.

You’re now ready to go.

Amazingly, they provide a link to “read me first” when you reach your dashboard. This will tell you the next steps and how you should follow them.

ClickUp also provides demo tasks that will help you get familiar with the software and the various elements of each project in the platform.

These tasks will teach you how to use ClickUp, templates, and import tasks.

You can also find videos that will help you understand the terminology and features.

The video below shows each task. It is only a few minutes in length. These videos show how ClickUp works. Each tutorial has a link to other areas so that you can explore the information.

Each section of the setup tasks they give is based on weeks. So you will go through the first week of tutorials and then move on to the second.

It’s not necessary to wait for a week to continue learning. However, it is recommended that you carefully follow the tutorial to fully grasp each section. The second week provides more detailed information and guidance.

As you navigate around the software and mark things as complete, there are a few quick tips that may come up.

Here’s an example of how to use the slash command to mark completed tasks with your keyboard.

Although the tips are helpful, we feel there is a lot to be done and very little explanation unless you look at the videos within the tasks.

It would be great if the software had an interactive walkthrough that showed you how to use all its features.

After you have been onboarded, the software will be much easier to use.

Easy to Use: 3.5/5 – ClickUp was just above average when we tested its ease of use.

They are great at what they do. For example, they let you use natural language processing for setting up appointments and dates to start and end projects.

To set a task’s deadline, you can use “next Wednesday” and “Friday at 4 pm.” The software will recognize these words and assign those times to you instead of you clicking on the date in your calendar.

This is the strongest natural language processing for dates that we have seen of any tool.

You can add assignees, set priority, create a checklist and bullet lists, add subtasks to tasks, and attach attachments using natural language commands.

To speed things up, you can use the slash commands.

Instead of clicking in the due dates box, you can use a slash command instead to add it without ever leaving the keyboard.

Clickup’s advanced search allows you to look up people, tasks, and documents as well as chats and files. You can search for one type of information or all at once.

Imagine that you are searching for the same task each day, and need to fill out a new form each time. ClickUp allows you to create a template for your task. This makes it easy to reuse and saves you time. All you need to do is to update the fields as they change between tasks and all other fields will be filled in and ready for use.

It makes your life so much easier when you have these tasks set up.

You don’t need to navigate back and forth to add a task if you just want to quickly add it. The quick add button is located at the bottom of the screen.

It also has a button to record your screen, track time, open a notepad and create reminders.

Clicking any of these options will open a new window that doesn’t interrupt what you are currently doing or looking at.

ClickUp makes it easy to add tasks and execute all of them without having to stop what’s going on or navigate to another screen.

ClickUp was rated the best among all project management software providers.

Task management: 4.5/5. You simply sit down at your computer, open ClickUp, and view all the details of your project. It’s that simple.

This page contains all your tasks. It also includes tasks from all your projects.

ClickUp gives you this. ClickUp will save you so much time and confusion.

Imagine how much easier it would be for you to drag and drop your most important tasks to the top to remind you which are top priorities today. Once you’ve checked them off, you can move on to the next task.

Did you ever start one part of a project and then move on to the next? All of us have. This can lead to chaos.

ClickUp allows you to set up dependencies that will prevent you from moving on until the task is complete. It is impossible to forget anything or to get distracted by other things.

Sometimes you’ll have tasks that you can automate. ClickUp’s base plan includes 1,000 automation per calendar month.

You can either create custom automation using specific triggers or actions, or you can choose from hundreds of pre-built automation. Pre-built automation includes what happens when a task is archived when a checklist has been completed, and when a due date arrives. These can be used to send an email to assignees, close the task, or even send it out altogether.

ClickUp Builder is available for automation setups.

ClickUp makes it easy for you to add subtasks and checklists to your task cards. You can also use the editor to create formulas for calculations such as tracking time.

You can add custom fields to tasks. You can customize the information that you add to tasks so that your team has all the information they need to complete them faster.

You have now set tasks and it’s easy to see them. Who needs to access them? Are you the only one who has these tasks? Or do you have a group of people working together in different roles?

Collaboration should be easy within project management software. ClickUp is very aware of this need.

Collaboration: 4.5/5 — Have you ever been involved in a project that was unable to get its way due to poor communication between departments or team members?

ClickUp’s base plan includes unlimited viewers. This means that they cannot edit or make comments. However, you can ensure that everyone is included in the loop without paying an additional cent.

You can add up to five additional guests to your entry-level plan for those who require more authority. Each of these five can have customized permission settings and can add two additional guests per user with view-only access.

There’s an integrated document creator that allows you to create or view documents. It is very similar to Google Docs. It allows users to work together on files, which is great for companies with processes and SOPs as well as task-related documents.

You can also use the document creator to create dozens of templates for brainstorming, event planning, product development, and educational resources.

It is crucial to be able to communicate with each other in your project management tool. This will allow you to work faster and more accurately on a project. ClickUp provides solid messaging that is project-based.

Chat views can be added at the folder, list, or space level. This keeps communication and ideas separated in the right areas to minimize confusion.

Another way to track progress is through activity logs. ClickUp’s entry-level plan only allows you to view your activity logs for seven days, rather than the unlimited history other providers offer.

For easy viewing, you can choose from several widgets for your dashboard. You can hide or show subtasks, view the entire task list, or only see tasks that have been assigned to a specific person.

Sometimes, you might need to approve forms or send requests for approval. Drag and drop forms can be used to organize inputs, requests, and feedback from other members of your team.

This feature allows you to communicate with customers and clients easily.

You can share forms with anyone who has access to the internet via a public URL.

Project management requires collaboration regardless of how large your team is. ClickUp makes it easy.

Visibility and Workflow: 5/5 – As your team grows, and your projects become more complex, make sure that nothing slips through the cracks. ClickUp ties are first for visibility and workflow features.

You will need a view that is tailored to your needs when managing projects. You will want the best options for you and your team.

ClickUp will give each user an “everything view”, which allows them to see all the tasks they have been assigned across all projects. The different views allow users to filter and sort their tasks and can be used together to create a single view.

The software includes a native time-tracking tool. This tool allows you to track your time on both the mobile app as well as using a Chrome extension. These features are included in every plan.

This feature is ideal if you need to determine client payments for tasks or projects. This feature can be integrated with many other time-tracking features.

You can create as many dashboards to view other reports as you wish.

Many widgets can be used to display information such as task lists, which include tasks by assignee, status, chat widgets, the number of tasks in the process, and so on.

A short walkthrough will show you how dashboards work and where to access them.

Drag-and-drop dashboard editor allows you to select filters, date ranges, users, and other spaces.

Interactive Gantt charts can also be created.

You can start by moving tasks around. Next, you can reduce or increase the time for tasks. Or click on the task to open the complete view. You can make the chart yours by changing the color scheme and setting a time frame. Filters are also available.

ClickUp makes it simple to view what you need and make any necessary adjustments. You don’t need to scroll to see all of your data. ClickUp has a zoom-to-fit button.

You can also view your projects in a calendar view. Filter what you need and discard what you don’t.

You can also offer a table or list view to team members who prefer it.

You can also create mind maps. You can list one idea, then break it down into many dependent ideas or tasks using a visual interface.

Although mind maps can be complicated, the above project is simple and divided into six providers.

You and your team can see the data for your projects in any manner that interests them. This makes it easy to see what’s working and what isn’t for your project.

ClickUp is the best option for most users because it has a large number of features and is the cheapest. You won’t find a better provider in collaboration or workflow visibility than ClickUp.

Using old methods to manage your projects will only make you worse off and frustrate employees. It would be great not to have to struggle with your processes and chase other team members who are rushing to meet deadlines.

ClickUp simplifies project management and makes it more effective. It also makes it easier to hold everyone accountable. You must have it for all tasks, as there is no room to point fingers in project management.

You only get results, so sign up for ClickUp today to improve your project work.

#2 – Asana The Best Balance Between Power and Simplicity

Asana

The best balance of power and simplicity

Asana has the most user-friendly interface and onboarding among PM software solutions. However, it doesn’t skimp on its powerful features. Unlimited automation is available on the entry-level plan. This includes natural language processing, dependencies, and recurring tasks.

Overall: 3.2/5

Let’s suppose you need a quick project management solution, but don’t want to use too many bells and whistles. The essentials are all you need.

You also want an interface that’s beautiful and fast, but not slow. You need just enough customization and power to make it useful, but not overwhelming.

You’re not done yet. Let’s suppose you want unlimited automation because you are tired of the monthly limits that other tools place on you.

Asana is your new best friend. This powerful, yet simple-to-use project management tool is your savior.

What makes Asana so beloved? Let’s take a closer look at the reasons.

1. Pricing: 1/5
2. Onboarding: 4/5
3. Easy to use: 4.5/5
4. Task management: 3.25/5
5. Collaboration: 3/5
6. Workflow and Visibility: 4/5

Pricing: 1/5 – Although Asana and the score are tied for the most costly, Asana is still second on our list of quality project management providers.

Yes, Asana costs $32.97 per user per month for three users on the plan that we tested – totaling $395.64 annually.

You can pay monthly. For three users, it’s $485.64/per year at $40.47 per month.

Why would people use Asana at these prices?

This is because project managers, freelancers, regular users, and everyday people can quickly learn the software. It is easy to use and any software that increases performance in record time like Asana does is well worth the cost.

You won’t regret starting with the free plan. You can add up to 15 people and have unlimited tasks and projects.

Calendar views are available (but not Gantt views with the free plan), and 100 integrations are included. Basic workflows can also be used to create and manage projects.

We tested the entry-level plan, and now we’ll discuss how simple it is to get started.

Onboarding: 4/5. Asana eliminates all difficulties when it comes time to get started and is second to one other provider on this list.

During initial onboarding, you will be assisted in configuring the tool to meet your needs.

Asana first determines what type of work you do. This could be customer service, sales or IT operations, marketing, or engineering.

Next, choose your primary goals. You can choose to manage project and process, portfolio and workload management, or goal management.

This doesn’t mean you have to limit your Asana practice. The opposite is true. This helps you to get started quickly since you can pick the route you want to take from the beginning.

Before you decide on the layout that you like, take a look at each preview.

After you have chosen the view, your dashboard is set up in a way that makes sense given what you have input.

Next, Asana will help you set up your first project. Asana will guide you through the process. You’ll give your project a title and assign three tasks to it. The statuses can be used to track these tasks.

After you have added your tasks, choose which view makes sense for the project: Kanban, calendar, or Gantt.

You’re only given one option from the start, which helps to avoid confusion. You can change to other views later, but this will help you decide how you organize your first project.

Instead of being tossed into a blank canvas, Asana gives you a solid starting point.

After you have set up your project, you can invite others.

After you have logged in to your project, you will find brief explanations about a few areas (like your inbox) that will explain what you’ll see and how it works.

We love the simplicity of the interface.

You can explore Asana and have fun with it on your own. The software is intuitive and doesn’t need much explanation.

You can also use the pop-ups to help you understand sections and tools as you move around your project.

It won’t be difficult to get started because everything is covered. All the guides are available to you in case you run into any problems.

Asana does exactly what it was designed to do: get you started quickly without any hiccups.

Is the software as simple as the onboarding process? We asked ourselves this question. You know what? It’s even simpler.

Easy to use: 4.5/5 – Asana removes any doubts about whether or not you can use this project-management software. This is a simple task that almost anyone can master. You’ll be amazed at the quick results this software can produce.

Natural language programming can be used to schedule appointments. Let’s say you would like to meet with Paul, your marketing manager, on Thursday of this week. But it’s Monday now.

You can simply type “Thursday”, inside Asana’s Calendar, to set up a Thursday appointment for Paul. You can use specific days or just type “next month” to set up an appointment for the next numerical day of your month.

To get to the bottom of what you are looking for, use Asana’s advanced search functionality. You can also filter by date, people, and projects as well as your custom fields.

You can also search for projects that were assigned to someone, including tasks with attachments, completed tasks, and tasks with a due date.

Asana makes it easy to find the right thing in just a few seconds.

Another advantage of Asana is the task templates that you can create.

You can turn any task into an easily reusable template. This will save you the hassle of having to enter all that information each time. You can save as many templates as you like.

It is annoying to have to write the same task or outline over again. You don’t have.

Sometimes you’ll find the ideas or things that you forgot when you set up a project later. You don’t need to navigate to the correct project or screen to add a task with the handy Add Task button.

You can add a new button at any time and from anywhere on the platform. No matter which screen you are on, the button is always there in the top right corner.

You can add a task, project,, or message. You can also invite people to the software quickly.

You can now assign the task, select the project it is part of, set the priority, pick a due date, and complete any other fields.

It all is laid out in a very beautiful and intuitive platform.

It’s important to discuss tasks since we are on the topic of tasks. You can learn more about task management features in Asana.

Task management: 3.25/5. Of the ten features that we tested, Asana offers seven to help you make task management easier. 

There are intuitive task views that allow you to open up a task and see more information. It opens a new pane in the timeline and board views.

Asana also offers a personal w workspacethat helps you manage your tasks. The left-hand navigation menu makes it easy to find your task area.

It allows you to view all tasks you have been assigned in a board, list, or calendar view.

We love the ability to review tasks and organize them alphabetically, by the due date, task status, or by project.

It’s easy to manage your tasks with this workspace.

Asana makes it easy to set up dependencies. You have two types of dependencies–blocking and blocked by.

“Blocking” dependencies means that the task you select in the drop-down cannot be started until the task currently active is completed.

If you choose to put the cake into the oven from the drop-down menu, you cannot start mixing the ingredients until you have mixed them. After that, you’ll have a ready-made cake to bake in the oven.

If you are thinking about a “blocked” dependency, you can imagine that you must complete the task in the drop-down first before you move on to the next task.

The next task, if you are still following the cake theme, is to bake the cake. This is necessary before you can add frosting. The oven is the final step in frosting.

Each task allows you to complete only one task at once. You shouldn’t call clients until you have completed a sales qualification process.

Asana offers unlimited automation that can help you manage your tasks.

Pre-built rules are not available. This is disappointing. You can’t use automation that aren’t available in the box unless you upgrade.

You have 54 pre-built rules to choose from. These rules can also be used with other tools such as Slack and Jira or Microsoft Teams.

Although you cannot create your own rules there are many options and plenty of room to automate repetitive tasks.

Asana makes it easy to create recurring tasks.

It takes just a few clicks to convert any task into a recurring one.

You can add as many custom fields to your task fields as you like. This is great for adding labels to your tasks and different levels of the organization.

Collaboration: 3/5 – Collaboration scores an average score in Asana. It’s not terrible, but it’s nothing to be giddy about.

Unlimited guests can be invited, including contractors, vendors, suppliers,s and clients. Asana also supports team messaging.

You also have unlimited document storage to enhance your experience. Each attachment can only hold 100 MB.

Asana is the only PM software provider that provides unlimited storage. This means you don’t have to worry about losing or running out of documents.

A team member can review their meeting notes at any time and then comment on them in the project-based messaging board. Asana offers this feature, which is not available in many other project management software.

Built-in document collaboration is what’s missing. Google Docs and other tools will be required to accomplish this.

Basic unbranded forms can be created with as many fields and as many lines as you like. You can add single-line, multi-line, and number text fields to your Asana form. Plus, you can also add custom fields as needed with the Asana builder.

This is useful for surveying stakeholders and clients or getting references from colleagues.

These collaboration tools Asana have workflow and visibility features that can be used to enhance your results. Let’s see how to combine both of these tools to supercharge your project performance.

Asana focuses on helping you see your goals and perform in the best possible light.

Dashboards allow you to view results in full transparency. Every project you have allocated gets a dashboard that is pre-built and ready to use.

It displays the total number of completed tasks, incomplete and overdue tasks, as well as other stats for task completion over a given period.

These charts can be filtered to show you what is most important and edited or deleted.

Gantt charts can also be used if you prefer to view your projects in this way. It’s also known as a timeline and is automatically accessible to view when you create a project.

Interactive Gantt/timeline charts allow you to change the start and due dates as well as mark tasks as completed, add milestones, update dependencies, and add new tasks.

A calendar view can also be created when you create new projects. This view will show you how your project will look.

It is easy to see the tasks that are due for each day, week, or month. Give managers and team members an overview of the work ahead so they can plan their time.

A list view allows you to add, hide or show columns and can be deleted depending on the information you need.

Filtering by complete, incomplete or all tasks is possible if you wish.

Don’t forget about the Kanban view.

Nobody wants to work in a hazy and confusing environment. Project work will be easier if each employee has their view of the project.

Asana’s unique combination of functionality and ease of use is what makes it so appealing. It is easy to use, and beautiful to see. This project management software is great for its unlimited automation and easy-to-use task management features.

Asana, a project management software that you can use in minutes is well worth the investment.

#3 – Trolo – The lowest cost for setting up your PM software today

Trello

The Best Low-Cost Option

Trello, a popular project management tool that uses Kanban-style boards to visualize project management, is very popular. Although it is simple and easy to use, some of the power features can be a little limited. It can be sufficient for simple projects, despite the high price and generous free plan.

Overall: 3.1/5

Trello has become a well-known name in project management software. It is easy to set it up, and you can learn how to use it by just looking around.

This is the best choice for small projects. It supports multiple integrations, so you can include the software and apps you use.

ClickUp can match Trello’s price. Trello is a great choice if you’re looking for a low-risk way to invest in PM software.

1. Pricing: 5/5
2. Onboarding: 5/5
3. Easy to use: 2/5
4. Task management: 3.5/5
5. Collaboration: 2/5
6. Workflow and Visibility

Pricing: 5/5 – Trello makes it easy to get started with project management software. It is priced at the same price as ClickUp, making it one of our most affordable options.

If you buy the year, it’s only $5 per user per month. It’s $180 per user for three.

Monthly plans are $9 per user per month and $324 per year for three users.

This doesn’t necessarily mean that you need to have three users. It’s only for consistency in our testing. So it can be even more affordable.

You can also get a free plan that includes unlimited cards and up to 10 boards, unlimited storage, and unlimited automation. There are also unlimited integrations.

If you don’t have a budget but still want something simple and flexible, the free plan is ideal.

Trello has recently added Premium pricing to its tier. It costs $10 per user per month if you pay annually, or $12.50 per month if you pay monthly. If you pay annually, $360 would be paid for three users.

The Premium tier offers more views for project tracking. This tier includes dashboard, timeline, and map views. Trello recommends this tier to teams with more than 100 users who need to be able to visualize their projects in multiple formats.

Let’s get started with the onboarding process. We will see if we can make it work in less than 10 minutes.

Onboarding: 5/5 Trello is very easy to use.

After you log in and create your first board it is so easy that you won’t even need to learn how to set up your first project.

You’ll be able to see how Trello works in just a few clicks.

When you begin, all you have to do is enter your name and email. After verifying your email, you will be prompted to create a password.

Once you log in, there is a quick getting started checklist. This covers connecting to other business tools, adding your first board, and setting up basic settings. You can also invite your team.

This is not enough for most project management software vendors to get you started. Trello however, has all the tools you need.

You will find helpful tips throughout the manual to help you understand the terminology and the different sections of the software.

Signing up and creating our first board took only three minutes.

You have a variety of templates to choose from when creating your first board. You can view the template and then make your board by using it.

Trello defaults to Kanban boards. This is why Trello is so simple to use.

You will find columns and some tasks already included in the templates so that you can see how everything works together.

You may feel that you are missing something, but it’s not. Trello is so simple to set up that it’s almost comical.

Easy to use: 2/5 – Do not think Trello will be difficult to use because it scores last in this category. It doesn’t have the same features as other providers.

It is easy to set up tasks on your board. To help you get started, there are task templates. These templates are great for automating repetitive tasks and creating automation. They also work well for tasks with lots of information.

With one click, you can transform any task into a template. You can hide the template card from your task list so that it doesn’t show up in your task lists.

Here’s how a template is displayed in the Kanban standard view.

Trello can be used in many different ways. Many teams are now remote and have members who do not speak English as their native language. Trello offers the possibility to allow your project management team to choose between 21 languages.

This can help to clarify any confusion that might arise when communicating. Each user can choose their preferred language, without having to affect others. Trello provides translations for Chinese, Finnish, and Turkish languages, as well as many other languages.

Some tools offer only two or three languages, but there are many more options.

Trello’s low score is due to a lack of natural language processing, no persistent fast add button on every screen, and no advanced search. It’s not as efficient for power users who need to add and manage tasks in a minimum of clicks.

Task management: 3.5/5. Trello is just above average when it comes to task management. You can set up the features you need to make it even easier to manage your tasks.

Let’s discuss intuitive task views. This allows you to organize your tasks in a way that suits your team’s needs.

It doesn’t seem cluttered even though there is a lot of information within the task. You can see everything in one place, with the most important information listed at the top.

You can view all cards that have been assigned to you by simply using your work area.

Click on your user icon at the top of the platform, then click on Cards to see all cards you have been assigned across all your projects. You can then sort them by the board, due date, or both if you wish.

Trello’s unique feature is that all plans, including the free ones, can be automated. You can automate any cards within your work area.

Trello has four automation.

You can create rules that trigger a condition or a desired action. This is a great way to build processes and workflows.

You can also add a button to trigger an action. It triggers the desired action by clicking it. For example, you can move a card from one column and change the assigned team member. 

We now have due date commands. This triggers the desired action by using the card’s due date.

Calendar commands are the last type of automation. They run at a set time interval. For example, you could have all your cards from the Done column archived every Friday at midnight. This will remove clutter from your Trello board.

Automations are easy to set up and require no prior experience. Trello’s automation tool Butler, which is called Trello, analyzes the common actions you have done in the past and then makes recommendations for how to automate them.

You can also create simple checklists to help you organize your cards. To keep your to-do lists organized, you can add one or more checklists to a single card.

You can see on your board the number of items on the checklist and the completion count without having to open the card.

It is as simple as setting up all the other things to add recurring tasks.

While some tasks can be automated, others will need to be done manually.

Why not do it manually?

It is easy to create recurring tasks. You can set the time and day at which the new card will appear, as well as the column in which it will appear. Also, you can choose whether the repeats are weekly, monthly, or annually. That’s it.

You can also choose how many weeks, months,, and years you would like this recurring card to continue.

Cards can be assigned to multiple people. The card will have the user icons in the lower right corner. This clearly indicates who is responsible.

You might also need some custom fields for your card. The task card can be made exactly as you wish.

You can add as many custom fields as you want, using options such as checkbox, date dropdown list, number,r, and text.

Under the task description, custom fields will be displayed. These fields are easy to create and add clarity and depth to your task cards if things get a little more complicated.

If you have project items that need more than one person to complete, you will need in-platform collaboration.

Collaboration: 2/5 – Trello’s collaboration category is not very rich.

It’s easy to ping and tag people you work with. Although you can leave comments for others, it is not as streamlined as other providers.

Unlimited document storage is a great benefit when you are building processes for your company. You don’t need to pay for storage if you have a lot of SOPs and Google Doc templates. This is only one of the two providers that offer unlimited document storage.

You can also keep track of your progress with an activity feed. 

There are two types of activity feeds available: the home feed and project-based feeds. Both feeds can be used for unlimited time without restriction on the length of their activity logs.

It’s the list of tasks that you have been assigned for the home feed.

This feed displays your upcoming tasks in ascending order. You can click on any task to open it, modify the due date, add comments,s and assign a new user directly from the feed.

The second feed is project-based and shows every user’s activity on the project board.

This feed is not filterable or sorted. However, you can view a feed of user comments and actions.

It would be great to have an activity feed that shows all projects from one location. It’s not an issue, particularly if you are dealing with simple projects.

Trello is a basic collaboration tool. Integrations with your favorite apps and software, such as Slack, can improve collaboration.

Remember, these are for simple projects. The comments on the cards will usually be sufficient.

Trello is used by Crazy Egg for all editorial calendars. We find leaving comments and pings to work well in our crazy world. It can also be used for your editorial calendar.

Visibility and Workflow: 0/5. Trello is not meant to be used for high-powered analytics.

This is ideal for easy drag-and-drop Kanban projects. It will also help you stay organized with less complex projects.

This is the typical Kanban view that Trello defaults to.

Trello’s core function is Kanban, and it does it very well. Trello’s intuitive, simple interface allows for simple project management.

You can upgrade to a higher level if Trello is too simple for you but you still love Kanban and need more views.

Trello is a simple, easy-to-use tool that can be used for small and medium-sized projects.

You only need to start your first project to see why Trello is the best low-cost project management software. Try Trello risk-free right now to see for yourself.

#4 – Teamwork – Best for Client- or Service-Based Businesses

Teamwork

Best for client-based work

You want a PM solution that can also replace your invoicing and team chat software. All this and more with one bill from Teamwork No other PM software can offer the same features, such as built-in billing and unlimited roles for contractors and clients.

Overall: 3/5

It’s in the name of Teamwork. Because collaboration and effective workflow management are key to your success, this provider is focused on helping you work together with clients and other stakeholders.

You get a lot of features that are specific to managing a client- or service-based company. Teamwork, for example, is the only PM software provider to offer integrated invoicing.

Let’s take a look at each category and discover the benefits, as well as how to use them in your projects.

1. Pricing: 1/5
2. Onboarding: 2/5
3. Easy to use: 3.5/5
4. Task management: 3.25/5
5. Collaboration: 4/5
6. Workflow and Visibility: 5/5

Pricing: 1/5 – Teamwork is the most expensive project management provider our list.

It won’t feel like a cheap deal, however, because you will get many features that require additional software to purchase. This means that you will have to pay an additional monthly or annual fee in addition to your PM software.

Teamwork begins at $10 per user per month, which equals $30 per month for three users, and $360 total if paid in full.

Monthly plans are $37.50 per user for the same three users, or $450 for the entire year. This is $12.50 per user every month.

The average monthly rate of three users from the other providers is $23, so Teamwork is much more expensive.

However, teamwork can replace your invoicing or team chat software.

Invoicing software typically costs between $10 and $20 per month for smaller businesses. You can also use Slack, or other team messaging software for $6.67 per month.

Depending on how big your team is, this can translate into an instant $15-40 per month in software savings.

Two other pricing options are available for Teamwork. These offer more benefits and features, but we have not tested them. 

This is a great idea if you like the sound of it all but don’t want to commit, then this is a great idea.

The free plan includes subtasks and dependencies, milestones and board views, calendar views, Gantt charts and dashboards, Gantt charts and dashboards, tag,s, and time tracking.

You can have up to five users, and two projects with 100MB total storage.

It does not have templates, billing, invoicing, custom branding,g or integrations, except Zapier.

But, it’s not terrible to get something for nothing, right?

The entry-level pricing is more sensible when you consider the savings on team chat software and invoicing.

Onboarding: 5/5 – The tool is complex and it can feel overwhelming to navigate the interface when you log in for the first.

To make it even more difficult, the overview is only a general overview of the software. The tool’s functionality is barely covered, so it’s up to you to discover the rest.

We were not sure where to begin when we first signed up, and even how to set up our basic research project.

You’ll need to enter your name, email password, company name, phone number, and company information. Next, select your industry and tell Teamwork how big your company is. Finally, give your first project a name.

You can add tasks, change their statuses and select a preferred view for your project. This can be a table, a board, or a list view.

After choosing your view, invite your team to take a quick tour of the software.

This tour will take you to tasks and task lists, milestones and projects, people and settings, as well as your home screen. Each area is described and shown.

Although the tutorials and initial configuration of your first tasks help understandg how the software works, it doesn’t go into too much detail.

It would be nice to get more hands-on assistance when learning the software, such as walking you through time tracking and setting up billable hours.

It is easy to get started and simple to use the software. Although Teamwork’s onboarding process is not very impressive, it does a better job once you get started using the software.

Easy to use: 3.5/5 – Teamwork allows you to have fun with your experience.

It is easy to create company profiles that allow you to group users by client or brand.

Key features include file versioning, project-level team creation, custom branding, and the ability to billable hours. These features are not included in other software providers’ packages.

Teamwork’s interface is highly customizable and has advanced search capabilities that allow you to find any item with ease.

It’s so easy to drill down and find what you need without having to go through hundreds of projects or tasks.

Even if there are hundreds of tasks and projects going on simultaneously, you can search for client-specific tasks.

It is important to be able to create reusable task templates for the software’s sustainability. It’s easier to set approval processes and onboard clients.

You can’t however create templates for individual tasks. Duplicating existing tasks is possible, as shown in the image below. However, you cannot create a separate task template.

Teamwork supports 48 languages. Each user can use the software in their preferred language, without having to affect anyone else’s work experience.

As you make updates or changes to your project, it is possible to create new tasks or milestones. No matter what screen you are on, the quick add button will allow you to do this. You can always find the quick add button at the top right corner – just look for the plus sign.

You can start a timer, log your time, or invite another teammate. Teamwork’s quick-add button is unique because you can create your shortcuts based on what you do most often.

Imagine how much time you can save. This tool is unlike any other. You can customize the options of your quick add button. 

Task management: 3.25/5. Having an intuitive task view allows you to see more information in one place so that you don’t need to search for it when you review a task.

Although teamwork scores less than the other two providers on this list, it works better in their platform since you don’t need to scroll through additional clutter to find your information. By default, you get a 2-column view of subtasks and tasks.

To see the embedded task, you don’t need to click on it. Simply hover over the task to reveal it.

You can also view your home view to see all tasks you have been assigned, broken down by status.

This view can be rearranged and added to make it easier to use. The moment you open Teamwork, your workflow will be clear.

You can add dependencies to a task when editing it. There is only one type of dependency, so the task you are editing can only be started if all its predecessors have been completed.

Let’s say you want automation to automate your busy work. The entry-level plan allows you to run up to 500automations per month.

With the custom workflow builder, you can create them as per your imagination. Create your own by setting a trigger, the project it applies, and then the desired action.

These automation don’t need to be created from scratch. You can use any of the 27 pre-built automation to add an assignee, change a task priority, notify someone about completion, and so on.

If you wish to set up a recurring task you can do so when you first created the task. You can fine-tune the deployment of recurring tasks by using repeat options.

There are so many options for how to organize your tasks that there is no limit to what you can do. Collaboration is made even easier by the fact that you can set up meetings and huddles for the entire quarter or year, and then never touch them again.

This is why Teamwork excels at collaboration. Continue reading to learn why Teamwork is the ideal name for project management software.

Collaboration: 4/5 – Teamwork is not tied to the number of people who can be added to your projects.

Unlimited client and collaborator accounts are available for free. This is an important feature forclient-basedd services.

All of your clients and contractors are welcome to join you, but they don’t have to pay for a full-time seat. They are only allowed to work on the projects they have been invited to. You can grant specific permissions to each role.

A separate message board is available for every project. This allows for general communications that aren’t related to a particular task. It is great for receiving feedback on deliverables and asking questions.

You can view messages in two ways. One, you can only see the headings. The other is an expanded view that allows you to see the entire message.

If you are looking for more organization, you can add message tags or categories to keep your message board easy.

It is easy to share documents and manage them. Attach files to messages, and you can decide which members of your team should be notified.

Communication will be so easy that it’s difficult for anyone to get lost in the chaos of a growing project. This is the most difficult problem in project management. Teamwork can help you solve it.

Teamwork’s activity feed feature makes it easy to view all activity in all your projects. From your home screen, click Activity. This can be viewed by any user, so everyone is aware of what’s going on.

Activity view allows you to store unlimited logs so that you have all the information at your fingertips, and not just a few activities that disappear.

You may need to fill out forms or answer questions, especially when you are contacting clients. The fThe form builder is available for Teamwork.

It’s simple to view your form after you have built it.

There are unlimited forms that you can create. Except for those who are on the next level or higher of the entry-level plan, the Teamwork logo will be on all forms. This is a problem for your client’s work and professionalism as an agency.

What do you do now that Teamwork is working well? How can you make sure that all your data is front and center to get even better results?

Teamwork’s visibility feature allows you to focus on your workflows.

Visibility and Workflow: 5/5 – The visibility and workflow performance Teamwork has for this category is unbeatable.

If you are looking to move up in project management, it is important to examine your workflows and how they look within your team.

You can attach time logs and billable hours to your tasks to help you track time.

To start the timer, you can either use the quick button at the top of the screen or enter a manual log. You can assign the time to freelancers.

This is the best thing about Teamwork. No integrations are required.

There are two types of dashboards: project-basedandr and global.

Every project includes a dashboard that displays your tasks in order of status, number of tasks created, unread emails, milestones and trends.

Global dashboards can be more customized. Every user can create their dashboards to cover all projects they are working on, managing, or assigned to.

You can make as many dashboards as you like. You can create your dashboards with your tasks and projects, or you can use starred dashboards to show projects that you have added to your favorites.

You can add dozens of widgets (Teamwork refers to them as panels) for many different things. These include task breakdowns and project health.

Gantt charts are used so often in project management that it could lead even to chaos if Teamwork leaves them out. The software creates Gantt charts automatically for each project.

You can hide/show completed tasks, hide/show weekends, toggle autosave on/off, and choose how dependent tasks will be moved.

You can arrange visibility for tasks. You can set dependencies and view them, change the start and due dates, assign tasks, and all the rest.

It is super simple to plan your projects and see a timeline so you can see when each task will be completed and how long it will take.

There are also list, table,,e and calendar views. Let’s not forget the trusty Kanban view, which is useful for simple board-based approaches.

You can stay in the loop through teamwork. There are so many ways to see how your team and project are doing things that it would be difficult not to organize.

This software has so many features that can be used for clients and service-based companies. It’s amazing how this software can help you grow beyond your current limitations.

This software is perfect for any industry, thanks to the built-in time tracking and unlimited users for collaboration. Get Teamwork’s business-changing software today and create the consistency you desire.

#5 – Monday.com The Best for Partnering with Sales and Project Management

Monday.com

Best for Sales + PM

Monday.com’s combination of PM and CRM software can help you to boost your sales campaigns. All the tools you need to manage sales cycles, no matter how long they are, will be available, as well as incredible visibility into prospects, deals,s and sales journeys.

Overall: 2.8/5

Monday.com excels at keeping track of projects and other information in one place. It comes with a CRMbuilt-inn, making it easy to track customer information and project management. 

Monday.com’s collaboration tools will help you build the cohesion of your sales team. You can keep trackof contacts, lead scoring,g and campaigns with Monday.com.

Let’s look at how combining a CRM with project management software can help you launch your business ventures.

1. Pricing: 3/5
2. Onboarding: 3/5
3. Easy to use: 2/5
4. Task management: 2.5/5
5. Collaboration: 4/5
6. 2/5 – Workflow and Visibility

Pricing: Monday.com pricing is average at 3/5. However, it’s a good thing because you get a lot more value for your money, even with the added benefit of CRM.

You can build your sales funnels and organize your leads and contacts with precision. And you can plan your sales projects in one place with project management features.

The Basic plan costs $8 per user per month for a yearly fe, and $10 per user per calendar month for a month.

There is a minimum of 3 users, so the monthly cost starts at $24 per user or $30 per month depending on how much you pay.

Our average price for our products is $23 per user per month, so it’s very close tothe average.

For $8 per month, you can add unlimited users.

You can upgrade to the next higher plan for $2 per user. It gives you multiple view options for project management that you don’t have on the entry-level plan like Gantt, calendar,r and map views.

There is a free plan that allows unlimited projects. Up to 1,000 tasks can be created, with templates and custom fields. You can also add up to two additional users.

Although it isn’t the most cost-effective plan, it is a good place for beginners to get started before you go all in.

We can now move on to using the software.

Onboarding: Monday.com is located between Trello (or ClickUp) in terms of a simplified setup process.

You can find walkthroughs that give you a quick overview of the software. There are also pre-built projects to show you how everything works together.

This interactive product tour demonstrates how to view the project dashboard as well as how to access thebuilt-inn project management learning center.

Additionally, you will learn how to rename projects, create and edit tasks and assign tasks.

Many templates are available to assist you in getting started. Unfortunately, many templates don’t include features that are available at theentry levell.

They can be used during a free trial, but they are not available once the trial ends and you pay for the actual plan. It’s also a bit disappointing that Monday.com does not tell you what features they are. After the trial ends, you’ll find out if one is available.

If you ask us, it’s not the best method to go about things.

Start by deciding if you will use your plan for personal, school, or non-profit purposes.

Next, choose your role within the company and select departments that you want to use the platform for. This could be sales, CRM, marketing or HR, operation,s or anything else.

Monday.com software lets you choose how to use it. This will allow you to maximize the results of what you are trying to accomplish.

Marketing tracks, for instance, focus on reaching the most qualified leads and prospects. Sales and CRM are focused on building client lists and keeping clients happy and well-managed.

This is a very different platform than other platforms that leave you to fit your business within their software’s dynamic.

Although Monday.com has many options to help you onboard, they don’t offer enough guidance on how to use the other features. Although the learning center is helpful, you need to be clear about what you are looking for and what you want to learn.

It is slightly more difficult to use the software than the setup, which isn’t ideal. Let’s discuss what this means.

Easy to use: 5/5 – We all desire things to be easy. Monday.com has only reviewed a few features that will make it easy to navigate the software.

Advanced search is still available but it can be confusing.

You have two options for searching. The first is very basic and allows you to filter by project. While the other function is more flexible, it doesn’t offer as much control as the other search functions.

You can search for everything or specific people, boards, file,s and tags. You can also search for comments that are related to your topic if you dig deeper. You can’t filter your search results by date or assignee.

You can also make task management easier by simply adding tasks to other documents using a quick add button.

Monday.com has a quick add button. However, it is only available in a specific project. This feature is not available on all screens. You are restricted in your ability to add dashboards, integration,s and apps.

The quick add button can be found in the top right of any project. It can be used to quickly add a column, task group view, view, integration or automation, app, dashboard, or app.

You can add a task by clicking a different button. The image below shows both buttons. The big blue button in the upper-left corner of the image is for adding tasks.

Monday.com makes it easy to use the software in other languages than English. The platform can be used in 12 languages other than English by your team.

Other tools are available that can cover more languages. However, it is a good range of tools and offers more than the two or three offered by some tools.

It’s great that users can choose any language they want without having to affect anyone else’s preference.

You might be surprised to learn that Monday.com did not include natural language processing or task templates in its entry-level plan. For a detailed explanation of how each section was scored and wh, visit the methodology section.

Task management: 2.5/5. If your project doesn’t include features to help you manage your tasks, your organization can be wiped out.

Monday.com is a combinationof of CRM and project managementtoolsl, making it intuitive. However, it lacks some key features that other providers offer in their entry-level plans.

Let’s start with what you get.

Although you can see the tasks you have been assigned across all your projects by using the left navigation menu, you cannot customize the informationorr the columns on the screen. It’s quite rigid.

However, you can hide or show completed tasks.

You have more control over adding additional information to a task, such as a subtask.

Each subtask can have its assigned person, due date,e and priority. A column view is also available for subtasks. This allows you to see the most important information about the task.

Subtasksonn Monday.com are not treated like other tools. You are responsible for ensuring that subtasks are completed before the main task is marked as complete.

Depending on how detailed you need to see subtasks, you can either view them or hide them from the main project view. This is importantbecauses if you are only responsible for subtasks, you will have this view instead of the full view.

It is also possible to create checklists within your task view.

Multiple assignees can be set up if more than one person is required to complete a task. Each assignee can mark the task complete once it is completed.

The custom fields are a major advantage of Monday.com over other project management providers.

You can add 36 different types of fields to your views. Because you can add any information, these custom fields allow you to control the appearance of tasks and projects.

While most are available on all plans, some of the more complex ones, such as formulas, dependencies,s, and time-tracking automation, require you to be on a higher pricing tier.

One of the 36 available field types is a task-based timeline or connecting a task with another board’s data.

It is disappointing that the entry-level plan doesn’t include any dependencies or automation. Because you don’t have any rules to stop people from jumping from one task to the next, they can do so.

Once your project and tasks are in order, you will want to be able and able to work together. Monday.com is an expert in this area, and it shows.

Collaboration: 4/5 – Monday.com tied for second in this category. The system comes with a document system, which promotes collaboration and unlimited storage. This is great for creating sales letters and SLAs quickly for customers or prospects.

Although the document creator is still in beta, it already has tons of features. You can also be part of the development process if you have specific features that you would like to see in the final product.

You can make docs that are public, private, and easily shareable, add them to project folders for organization, or create standalone documents.

One of the coolest features is that users can comment on and have discussions right inside the document builder. This feature is in addition to Monday.com’s project-based messaging board.

The discussion board is an app that you can add to any project to provide additional collaboration, but it is not tied to a task.

Activity logs can also be filtered by a person if you want to see who has done what over the past seven days.

You can easily create forms within Monday.com if you need to receive feedback, approvals, or any other information. You can easily add forms to any project. Each project can have multiple forms.

It is important to note that fields that are already part of your project cannot be added to a form. You must first add the fields to your project before you can add them to your form.

Once you have created your form, you can view it online before you add it to your project.

Visibility and Workflow: 2/5 – Monday.com’s workflow and visibility are not as good as they could be and there is still room for improvement. The entry-level plan provides dashboards, lists, and table views to review project data.

Although you can have multiple dashboards, each can only pull information from a single board or project. You cannot see information from all your projects. This is only possible on a project-by-project basis.

You can access information from five boards if you reach the next highest tier.

The entry-level plan includes 53 widgets. These widgets can be used to customize the data in your project. To show progress, you can use a progress bar, for instance, to indicate if you are on schedule or behind.

You can also export the dashboard to print it if you wish to share this data with stakeholders.

List view is Monday.com’s default. To keep track of the most important information, you can add as many columns and rows as you wish.

Multiple table views can be added to filter tasks and set them up in different ways, while still being connected to the same project.

You can customize the table view to meet your needs. This is why Monday.com has made it the default.

You can also use the Kanban view to organize and assess projects.

Monday.com is the name that comes up whenever we talk about the best project management. You can trust them when you are just starting out, or when you need their specialization to meet your specific needs.

The software offers a unique way to manage your projects that is flexible enough to meet the needs of sales teams. Use Monday.com to keep track of long-tail sales campaigns and sales cycles.

#6 – Smartsheet – Best for turning Spreadsheets into Project Management Gold

Smartsheet

Spreadsheet-based PMs: Best

Smartsheet makes it easy to modernize spreadsheet-heavy PM processes. Smartsheet offers powerful reporting and workflow customization at a lower price than you might expect. 

Overall: 2.8/5

We have some amazing news for those who thought spreadsheets were the only way to manage your projects.

Smartsheet spreadsheet addicts turn to to get their fix but still manage projects in an updated way.

Smartsheet is used by 90% of Fortune 100 companies to manage projects. Let’s take that one in for a moment. Smartsheet is trusted so much by larger teams that 90% of the 100 richest companies use it instead.

What does that mean? It says that it is great for large teams. It also claims that this software could be the winning solution for you.

It’s like Excel on steroids. Smartsheet’s project management software is flexible enough to do almost anything you want it to if you take the time to understand it.

Let’s take a closer look at Smartsheet and find out what our testing and research revealed about it.

1. Pricing: 4/5
2. Onboarding: 1/5
3. Easy to use: 3/5
4. Task management: 2.75/5
5. Collaboration: 2/5
6. 4/5 – Workflow and Visibility

Pricing: 4/5 – Pricing is clearly on our side, coming in second for annual plans.

The entry-level plan costs $7 per user, with a minimum of three users. This equals $21 per month and $252 per year.

Month-by-month is a less confusing way to pay, but the cost rises to $9 per user. This will cost you $324 per annum for three users.

On the entry-level tier, you can add up to 25 users, and on the middle tier, up to 50.

It is important to remember that you cannot add more than one user to your account if you require additional seats. Seat additions are not allowed. You will have to pay for 10 seats for any additional users. This can cause a significant increase in the price.

This is especially true if you have a specific team size that you need to accommodate.

Smartsheet does not offer a free plan, however, you can get a 30-day trial for any plan.

Onboarding: 5/5 – Smartsheet is the most powerful, flexible, and complex tool on this list. It is also the most difficult to understand and use.

It’s your responsibility to learn how to make the most of its powerful capabilities.

These tutorials and introductory videos help you get started.

It looks very similar to Excel or Google Sheets. There are rows and columns, and you can modify their labels to suit your needs.

All you have to do to get started with Smartsheet is click the Start Smartsheet for free button on their website. Next, enter your email address and answer a few questions.

Check your email and click the link in your welcome mail to confirm. The password will then be required.

To keep the reviews honest, we tested only the entry-level features during our free trial. During the trial, you will still have access to all features, even the ones that are not included in the entry-level plan.

You can also invite team members. You will be brought to your dashboard immediately and shown a short welcome video.

After that, you can begin your journey to learn Smart sheet’s interface with a few videos explaining the basics of the software.

This tutorial teaches you how to set up Smart sheet’s sheets. This tutorial will explain what sheets are and how to set them all up. It also shows how to personalize them with different information.

These tutorials will give you an overview of the basics and how to adjust them to suit your needs.

It’s nice to have links to tutorials all throughout. Smartsheet makes it simple to find the right video at the right moment, instead of just looking through a list of videos that you should be watching.

They don’t cover more advanced features or options. First, you need to know what you are looking for. Once you have an idea of what you want, you can search the knowledge base, forums, or Google.

Smartsheet’s platform is complicated and requires significant training. This is why the score was so low. Although there are many ways to learn the software it will still take some time.

Easy to use: Smartsheet is rated at the middle of the field after initial setup. This is even more true if you know what you want.

You have an advanced search option that allows you to quickly and easily find information in your projects and sheets. You can search your entire collection, a single sheet, or the help center.

It’s great that you can filter the type of item you are searching for. This includes sheet name, summary field comment, attachment, workspace, and more.

A last modified date can be included in this filtered search. You can choose from the last 24 hours or the last 7 days, as well as the last 30 days.

Natural language can also be used to set due dates and other dates within your sheets. Smartsheet recognizes basic terms such as days of the week and next week.

This is a great way to speed up if you have many appointments or projects at once.

We should also mention that Smartsheet does not have an auto-save option. You will lose your progress if you don’t click the save button after you make any changes.

To put it mildly, the prehistoric nature of this software is quite remarkable. Modern project management software should have auto-save capabilities, just like Microsoft Office does for years. It is a mystery to us.

You can locate an autosave option within your settings. However, it is not pre-enabled. You are responsible for finding it and activating it.

The quick add button is another feature that’s a bonus but not as powerful as it should be. The quick add button is a weak feature. You can’t use this to add a task as soon as you have an idea or if you get an idea.

Quick-add buttons are not as useful as other tools and can only be used to create new reports or sheets. You can only add a task to a sheet if you are already working on it.

Smartsheet provides eight languages to suit different language preferences in order to accommodate your team.

Other providers may offer as many as 25 languages.

It also shows many languages in your account settings. However, only the eight we have listed are supported.

Global account control is not available with the entry-level plan. Therefore, English will be used as the default language for all accounts. Your users have the option to choose which language they prefer in their account settings.

Task templates are another thing that is missing. Smartsheet allows you to create each task completely from scratch. This can be time-consuming and a burden.

It’s great for some because it doesn’t mean you have to be on autopilot all the time, which can lead to making mistakes. This is a good thing to remember if you are looking for time-saving ways to create tasks.

Task management: 2.75/5. – As you know, task management is extremely important. Smartsheet is tied with another provider in this area for the last-to-last spot on our list, but it doesn’t do the greatest job.

It lacks key features such as intuitive task views, repetitive tasks, and work areas. These provide quick overviews of all projects, data, and other information.

However, task dependencies are available to you. You can set up rules to require that tasks be completed by a certain date or time. Make sure that team members are not allowed to move on to other parts of the project until all dependent tasks have been completed.

There are up to 250 automation each month. You can either use pre-built automation, or you can create your own with the workflow builder.

You can easily set up a trigger and add conditions (as well as what happens if the conditions aren’t met) to enable you to take the desired action.

Automation can be extremely complex and granular, making them both powerful but also difficult to use and understand. It can be overwhelming to have so many options.

You can save time by using the pre-built workflows.

You can easily alert someone, set up a reminder, assign someone and set or change a value to a cell, record a date, and clear a value from a cell.

You can also use subtasks to quickly organize larger project components. Smartsheet makes it easy to organize large project components. All you need is to add a parent task, then subtasks in rows.

You can then select and indent the items to make them subtasks for the row above.

Next, you need to set up formulas. This is a great feature when working with spreadsheets, and Smartsheet included it in their entry-level plan.

To create formulae, you can use hundreds of functions and operators. The explanations for all functions are brief to keep it simple.

Formulas are what you will love if you love sheets. Smartsheets are super customizable and powerful, so get excited!

There are no advanced or basic options, unlike other tools. You can find everything you need by looking through the many options. Although project managers love being able to jump in and get the job done, it can prove difficult if you require intensive training.

You can also add custom fields for more control and power. There are tons of options that allow you to track and set up all types of data depending on the purpose of your software.

Collaboration: 5/5 – Although you might not work in a team all the time, it is important to at least collaborate with one person when managing projects.

Smartsheet isn’t as user-friendly as other providers. However, you still have project-based message boards as well as request and approval forms. These are two of my favorite features.

It’s easy to learn the messaging and then use it quickly.

Depending on the context, users can comment on individual rows or entire sheets. This allows you to communicate with two levels of detail. It is possible to centralize conversations related to tasks and projects.

The form builder is easy to use. It’s drag-and-drop. You can either add or modify any existing columns and fields, or create new ones right away.

If you have to, add static text, headers, and dividers.

The forms are solid right out of the box.

Smartsheet does not offer a lot of document storage to store all forms. The plan you choose has the lowest storage limit of any on the list, at 2 GB.

The activity log that other providers offer on their entry-level plans is also missing.

It is nice to see the status of your activities and to know what needs to be done. Smartsheet offers this feature on higher tiers but not on the entry-level plan.

Smartsheet doesn’t allow you to leave messages on documents that you create. Smartsheet can also not help with collaboration on these documents. This was something that surprised us a lot.

These are the key features that make Smartsheet more attractive to new users.

Workflow and Visibility: 4.5/5 – Smartsheet is a corporate powerhouse that makes it easy for departments and teams to track projects with reporting that allows for different views.

You can access dashboards, Gantt charts, calendars, tables, or list views to improve your workflow.

Smartsheet allows you to create as many dashboards as you want. You can add up to 10 widgets to each dashboard.

Reports can be attached to one sheet if you create them (this limit is removed for higher tiers). You can also add a widget to your dashboard to view all of your reports together.

The drag-and-drop interface allows you to easily move widgets around or resize them.

You can also view unlimited Gantt views, and convert any sheet into Gantt charts.

The chart opens to the right side of your sheet so that you can view both your data and the chart. This makes data analysis much easier, as you can see both the chart and your data right there.

Although the chart is interactive, it’s not as interactive as other charts on our list. Although you cannot drag and drop due dates or start dates like with ClickUp’s Gantt, the main functionality is still there and it’s simple enough to use.

Gantt charts may not be your style, so switch to calendar view with one click.

This view displays all your tasks and rows. It also shows the start and due dates, along with the duration. This allows you to plan for the coming weeks and months.

Filter, conditional formatting can be added to tasks, published to an Apple, Google, or Outlook calendar, and overlaid to your Google calendar.

You can switch between biweekly and tri-weekly calendar views to view task schedules in different ways.

Smartsheet excels at table and list views. Smartsheet’s core is table views, and Smartsheet excels at this. It can do almost everything that you can do with Excel or Google Sheets.

Highlight changes, add background colors to cells, change font size and color, use conditional formatting, align text, and add attachments.

However, the interface’s design could be improved. It is very basic and boring to view.

The Kanban view is the last of the views. It simplifies any project and allows you to view it as a complete board of tasks.

On one screen, you can see all the progress and details, as well as what is being completed.

Smartsheet is designed for spreadsheet lovers and those who want to move from Excel or another similar software without too much hassle.

Smartsheet’s project management capabilities and power allow you to transform your spreadsheets into modernized PMs. Smartsheet is complemented by advanced search capabilities, form-building power, as well as other features.

Smartsheet will transform your workflow, visibility, productivity, and overall efficiency. Get a free 30-day trial in just a few clicks. No credit card is required.

Methodology to Choose the Best Project Management Software

We want to be as efficient and cost-effective as possible, just like you.

This is why we made sure to research the most important characteristics that you should consider when choosing project management (PM)software.

This methodology will guide you through all areas of what is important, and it will also explain why each category was chosen.

The importance of each level of the testing was weighed.

1. Price (20%)
2. Onboarding (20%)
3. Easy of use (15%)
4. Task Management (15%)
5. Collaboration (15%)
6. Visibility and Workflow (15%)

To make sure you are aware of your exact expenses, we calculated the cost for three users over a period of one year.

We then signed up for each tool and watched the training materials provided for every provider. Based on these features, and the intuitiveness and complexity of each interface, we assessed the difficulty and learning curve of each tool.

We looked for useful features to speed up routine tasks and make it easier to use the software every day. To test the ability to work together and track progress, we created tasks and schedules to support this current research project.

We paid attention to task management features and the intuitiveness of creating and moving around tasks.

We want to make it easy for you and your team to buy.

Are Price and Value Still King… (20%)

You should consider the value of any item before you buy it. This is especially true if you’re a solopreneur, small business owner, or freelancer.

We understand that some PM software levels may be more expensive than others.

This is the first consideration because this category has a wide range of prices. You should also know upfront if a platform you like comes at a price you can afford.

To ensure that we are comparing apples with apples across providers, we first calculated the monthly cost of three users. For scoring and calculation, we used annual rates. However, each review included the monthly rates as well as the total for the year.

We then took each provider and compared their grading scale to the one below.

• 5 points for $17 per Month
• 4 points = $17 to $21 per Month
• 3 points = $21-$25 per month
• 2 points = $25-$29 per month
• 1 point for every $29 more per month

The average list price is $23 per user per month or $276 per annum for three users. Some options are more affordable than others, and some come at a premium.

If you can’t get started, why would features matter? (20%)

There are many tools for project management, from very basic to extremely complicated.

There are some that provide sufficient training materials to help you get started.

It’s important to have something that is easy to set up, so you can actually work and not waste time setting up projects or team members in a new environment.

Based on our experience with each provider, we assigned them a score. This includes watching the training videos, setting up the research project, and signing up as a team member using a separate email address. We can then tell you how it looks from the admin’s and employees’ perspectives.

• 5 points if you don’t need any training to get started

• These points may take some time to get used to. The information is easy to digest and presented in an easy-to-understand way

• 3 points for tools that require a lot of training in order to use. Most information is easy to understand.

• 2 points if the tool is difficult to use or requires extensive training.

• 1 point if the tool requires extensive training.

Perhaps you are wondering if the software can actually be used. You might be wondering, what about actually using the software?

There are many other options. To make things easier, task templates are a must in project management. Are you looking to set up all your tasks from scratch or do you prefer to use task templates?

If you love busy work, then no. If this is the case, then you should go for it. Most people don’t. Let’s see how project management can be made easy.

Is it really that easy to use this software? (15%)

Software for project management is meant to simplify your life, not make it more difficult or make it harder for you to find the tasks and projects you need.

It should be easy to use to improve project coordination, troubleshoot problems and fill in gaps.

This section uses a feature-based scoring system. Each provider receives one point (out of five) for each key feature they have:

• Natural language processing allows you to type real words and phrases instead of clicking buttons.

• Advanced search functionality lets you filter and apply advanced search capabilities so you can easily find what you are looking for

• In just a few clicks, task templates allow you to create new action items.

• You can quickly add notes, ideas, pings, and more to any screen with quick add buttons

• If you have members of your team who are from all corners of the globe or prefer their native language, it is important to be able to communicate in multiple languages

These features are detailed for each product in the reviews.

This is our approach to project management. We use the best features that real users find most useful when they use the software every day to help them choose the right one.

We’ll now go a little further and break down task management. 

Project Management is really Task Management (15%)

Our research revealed that managing tasks and the various things you can do with them was a topic that has been raised hundreds of times.

This is a fundamental function of project management software, and it’s something that almost everyone seeks in project management software.

How many times have there been times when you had to find a way around a problem in setting up or managing a task for your project? There are probably at least a few.

You may have daily repetitive tasks that you need to organize. If this happens, it can cause frustration for even the most reserved members of your team. It can also cause problems later in reporting and collaboration.

This section also uses feature-based scoring. Each provider scores one-half point, which can add up to five if you have all the options in the plan.

• A task view that allows you to see all details associated with each task.

• My work area is a section in the software that lists all tasks you have been assigned.

• Task dependencies are a way to ensure that one task cannot start before another is completed. This is great for defining processes and making sure they’re being followed exactly.

• Automators that use triggers, conditions, and desired actions to execute an action after it is done

• Subtasks that can be nested within a parent task

• Checklists of items to do

• You don’t have to set up repetitive tasks each time you need them.

• Multiple assignees allow you to assign tasks to more than one person.

• Formulas that automatically calculate things based on inputs

• You can create custom fields to populate tasks or projects with any information that is important to your team

We discuss each feature in a review and give examples and real-world examples to show you the benefits.

These features make it easy to integrate collaboration. We all know how important it is to work together on larger projects.

We will be discussing collaborations below.

Facilitate Collaboration if You Need It (15%)

Depending on how it is done, collaboration can be either a blessing or a curse.

It is designed to be a gift for project management software. We looked at every provider to discover how we could help you master the crafty dynamics of project management.

Your teams should be able to collaborate with clients, teammates, stakeholders, managers, and other managers in their sleep. We looked into the possibilities for PM software providers to centralize communication and organize everything.

You need to have many options, especially if remote teams are involved or you communicate with multiple tools.

Each of the following features is awarded one point to each provider:

• Document collaboration is built-in and allows people to create and collaborate on documents in real time. This is similar to Google Docs Sheets and Slides.

• A message board for project-related topics allows you to discuss the whole project, share milestones, and wins, and ask for help from other members.

• You can store as many documents and attachments in the software as you need before they are deleted or upgraded elsewhere.

• A log of activity keeps track of all comments, changes, and attachments. This allows you to see who did what when and why.

• Request and approval forms allow you to easily collaborate with other departments, teams, and clients in an organized manner.

You can see if the project manager does any of these things before you spend a dime.

These are the best ways to streamline your workflow. This can result in lost dollars and cents as well as a loss of your team’s sanity.

Workflow is the last thing on this magical checklist.

Working smarter by seeing what’s happening (15%)

Project visibility and workflow allow you to view a detailed overview of the project’s progress and provide a clear picture for everyone. This is a key function of any project management team.

Analytical, resource allocations, and employee workloads are just a few of the ways you can dig deeper to see where your time is going.

This is essential if you are a manager. Keep your eyes open to all moving parts so that nothing slips through and projects are completed on time.

Good project visibility can reduce the need for meetings, as managers and stakeholders can see the status of everything without the need to ask. Employees can view their daily to-do list and see who is working on what.

You may need to view a complete list of tasks, start dates, and dependencies on a Gantt chart.

What if things change between projects? Flexibility is essential, right?

It is crucial to have the ability to switch between different views and reports. You’ll need to find workarounds and adjust your work style to work with the software.

Each feature that gives you confidence and visibility was scored one point.

• Managers can track time to see how long projects and tasks take.

• Visual analytic dashboards allow you to see a high-level overview at a glance of everything

• Gantt charts allow you to see milestones and dependencies, start and due dates, milestones, and other information in a timeline view.

• A calendar view is a simple and familiar way to track progress and see due dates.

• You can view projects with multiple key details in table or list views.

Each one of these features will help you smoothly transition from the beginning of your project to its successful conclusion. 

This is an area where PM software providers can be compared. We didn’t score well on Kanban boards, but all the providers we tested offered a Gantt charts view.

You are now an expert in our method.

Look at the reviews to find the provider that catches your attention. Click on the link to learn more and start with the risk-free plan that’s right for you. Or, you can sign up for the premium version to get to where you want to go.

ClickUp

Best for the Most

All the features you need in PM software at a great price. ClickUp’s entry-level plan starts at $5 per user per month. It includes the best collaboration tools, workflow customization options, and flexible project views.

Summary

The best project management software depends on your use of it. Are you looking for something flexible and versatile? ClickUp has been our number one recommendation.

The superior tools and features make it easy to manage projects of any size, in any industry.

ClickUp may not be the right fit for you. You can also look at other options or follow our methodology to help you in your search for the best PM Software.