Project management software

What project management software does for a team

At its core, project management software turns a project into a list of tasks with owners, due dates and a status. Everyone on the team can see what is in progress, what is blocked and what is done, without chasing updates by email. Most tools then add project planning features such as timelines and Gantt charts, file sharing, comments, time tracking and reports.

The main benefit is a single place for the work. When tasks, files and discussion sit together, a project manager can spot problems early, and new team members can catch up by reading the project history rather than asking around.

Types of project management tools, from task boards to work management

• Task boards and to-do apps suit small teams that mainly need a shared list or Kanban board.
• Work management platforms such as Asana, monday.com, ClickUp and Wrike cover tasks, projects, portfolios and automation for larger teams.
• Agile software such as Jira is built around sprints, backlogs and issue tracking for software development teams.
• Client-facing project tools add client portals, approvals and invoicing for agencies and service businesses. Agency Handy and FuseBase are examples in our reviews.
• All-in-one team workspaces such as Nifty combine tasks, roadmaps, docs, chat and client access.

Key feature checklist for project management software

• Task management. Assignees, due dates, subtasks, dependencies and recurring tasks.
• Visual project views. Kanban boards, lists, calendars, timelines and Gantt charts of the same tasks, so each person can work the way they prefer.
• Project planning and tracking. Milestones, project templates, progress tracking and project status updates for every project.
• Resource and workload management. Who is working on what, and who has room for more, across multiple projects.
• Time tracking and budget. Logged hours against each task and a budget for each project, useful for agencies that bill by the hour. Some tools only include time tracking on paid plans.
• Dashboards and reports. A dashboard that shows overdue tasks, project progress and team workload at a glance.
• Automation. Rules that move tasks, assign owners or send an update when something changes, which saves time on routine admin.
• Integration. Links with chat, email, calendars, file storage and your CRM, so data does not have to be copied between tools.

Visual project planning and tracking across projects

For one project, a board or list is often enough. Once a team runs several projects at once, portfolio views and workload management become more useful. They show which projects are on track, which are at risk and whether any team member is overloaded. Look for a tool that lets the project owner set a project plan with milestones, then track project progress against it without manual updates. A project dashboard that pulls task data together saves a weekly status meeting for many teams.

Reports matter more as the team grows. Check whether the dashboard can show data across every project rather than one, and whether you can share a read-only view with a manager or client.

Project management software for small teams and agencies

Small teams usually do best with a simple tool they will actually update. Too many features can slow a team down if every task needs five fields filled in. Agencies have different needs: client access, approvals, time tracking and invoicing. A tool with a client portal means clients see progress without being added to the internal workspace.

Check how the price changes as you add users. Per-user pricing adds up quickly for growing teams, while flat team pricing, such as the Pro plan for 10 members that Nifty offers, can be cheaper past a handful of people.

Free project management software, paid plans and pricing

Most project management tools have a free plan. Free plans usually limit the number of projects, users, storage or features such as automation, Gantt charts and reports. Nifty's free plan, for example, is limited to 2 projects. A free project management tool is a good way to test the fit with your team before paying, but check which features you would lose if you stay on it.

Paid plans are usually priced per user per month, or as a flat price for a team. A lifetime deal can make sense for a smaller tool if it already covers your workflow. Read our best project management lifetime deals guide and how to evaluate a SaaS lifetime deal before buying one.

Best project management software for agencies and small teams

These are the project management tools we have reviewed so far and the kind of team each one suits. Each review covers pricing, features, support and what customers report.

• Nifty suits agencies, small businesses and product teams who want tasks, roadmaps, docs, chat and client collaboration in one place, without paying per seat as the team grows.
• Agency Handy suits freelancers and small agencies that sell defined services and want clients to order, pay, share files and give feedback in one branded portal.
• FuseBase suits agencies, consultants and service businesses that want branded client portals and an internal workspace in one tool, and are willing to spend time setting it up.

If you are weighing up client portal tools, our FuseBase, Teable and Agency Handy comparison sets them side by side.

Project management for software development teams

Software teams usually manage work in sprints, with a backlog of issues, story points and releases. Agile software built for that, such as Jira, handles bug tracking, code links and release planning better than a general project management tool. Mixed teams sometimes run both: engineering in an agile tool and the rest of the business in a simpler project management app, with an integration passing status updates between them.

Project management apps on mobile and desktop

Check the project management apps for phones and desktop as well as the web version. A good mobile app lets people update a task, add a comment or log hours from site visits and meetings, which keeps project data current. Some mobile apps only show tasks and miss boards, timelines or dashboard views, so try the app on your own phone during the free trial before the whole team depends on it.

Moving your team onto a new project management tool

The tool only works if the team uses it. Before you switch, decide which projects move first, who owns each project board and which fields every task must have. Give each project a clear owner who keeps its tasks and dashboard up to date. Import existing data from spreadsheets or your old tool where you can, and keep the first set-up simple. A short weekly review of the dashboard helps the habit stick.

Check the support options too, including whether data import help is included. Some project management tools offer live chat and onboarding calls on paid plans, others rely on a help centre and community forum. Read recent customer reviews for how quickly support answers, especially if you plan to manage client projects in the tool.

How we review project management software

Our reviews are research based. We read each tool's pricing pages, documentation, changelog and what customers report, then score it against the same criteria as every other tool. How we score explains the method, and every deal on this page is checked against the seller's live price.