I recently was in the market for project management software for my firm, Space Command. I had been using paper to-do lists for too long. After losing my list for the umpteenth time, I decided I needed a better system. I run a small firm so I didn’t need anything too elaborate. I wanted tasks lists, a calendar and the ability to share files.
A quick Google search for “project management software” yielded well over 253 million results! Some software, such as Basecamp, is well known and highly regarded. Others, like Podio and Asana, are close competitors to Basecamp but have some additional features. There are also more lightweight task managers like Trello and Thoughboxes. Then there’s always good ol’ Microsoft Project which has been chugging along steadily since 1984.
Which project management software is best for you? Well, that depends. Do you need to manage multiple projects with multiple teams or are you just looking for a revved up to-do list? Do you need CRM and financial / accounting tools? Are you more of a visual person or do you prefer text?
I reviewed over thirty five different project and task management applications to find the best options for me. To save you the time and effort, I put together this infographic to help you select the right software for your needs. The criteria listed are based solely on my opinion either using the software or through my own research.
Below is a list of all the applications and their websites. If I missed any, please let me know in the comments and I’ll update the flowchart accordingly.
Task Management
Productive Flourishing Planners
Project Management
Excellent work (I love the flow chart). What did you decide to use?
I embarked on a similar search for myself last year, and eventually settled on just using Things – an app I had been using occasionally for a few years – in a much more systematic fashion. I like its synching between the cloud and desktop, but I’m not coordinating a team.
Project planning is still a simple spreadsheet for me. Merlin if I need a GANTT chart.
Thanks Peter. I’m trying out Flow right now. It has a very clean interface but it’s a little too much overhead for my needs. Like you, I’m not managing a team so I don’t make use of a lot of the collaborative features . I’ve used Trello in the past with good success. I also use the paper-based Productive Flourishing planners for my day-to-day task list. It’s really hard to shake the pencil and paper habit.
You seem to overlook the entire category of collaborative PM (like Bitrix24 or any of its clones). I’ll take Bitrix24 over Basecamp any day (and not just because it’s free)
Dan – No, I didn’t come across Bitrix24 in my research but I’ll definitely check it out. Thanks for the suggestion!
You should also check out http://www.proofhub.com/ for project management.
Thanks Diana. I’ll definitely check it out.
I would love to add Creately to this list since it can be used to gannt charts. There are many diagram types like flowcharts that could be draw from this software. Its online. try it [http://creately.com]
There are many, But i use”www.timelyprojects.com”.
hi Michael,
great work, many thanks, helped me a lot. what I really love is the chart you made. I know this is a bit out of this topic, but as I’m on the search for a mind mapping software too, would you be so kind and tell me what mindmapper you used for the chart?
thanks again
Thanks David! I used XMind to outline the chart. I wrote about XMind in this earlier post. The chart was then exported to PDF and made more presentable in Adobe Illustrator.
hi Michael,
thanks a alot again! will check the post immediately 🙂
Just out of curiosity, is Deltek Vision not on here for a reason?
Good point. I need to add it to the diagram. Have you used it before?
Thank you for the very interesting post and chart. Maybe you could take a look in the future to our tool HiveFlux (www.hiveflux.com)? We designed it around real-time team and task management, and would love to hear your feedback about our approach.
thx for a comprehensive list of pm solutions. If you want to view the best qualitative comparison between them to discover who is better thant the other in which feature or who wins the race in all of them, follow this link http://goo.gl/E5PTMP
What a helpful infographic! Thanks for your efforts.
I’d suggest to add Comindware Project (http://comindware.com/project/ ) which is perfect for the ones who need to plan projects, manage deadlines and people, doesn’t need to integrate their billing system and construction administration tools, need to create Gantt charts, prefer online solution with simple drag’n’drop interface. As for integrations – the solution has an API, so integration with billing and administration tools is possibile.
I use Workflowmax for integrating project management and Xero – works a treat for our small office. workflowmax manages project deadlines, as well as project time and billing.
Are you familiar with ProCore? https://www.procore.com/
Very interesting read. I have been a project manager most of my life managing facilities design and construction. Most of the items mentioned are new to me. Lot of catching up to do.
I recognized Microsoft Project which we do not use – opting for Primavera Project Planner.
You should checkout Kanbans @ http://kanbans.com. They have everything you wanted: tasks (Get Things Done), calendars and file sharing. They also use boards to provide a visual view of the project and enhance collaboration . Very easy to use, no training required. File sharing uses Box. We started using them for Contract Administration but they can be used for anything.
GroupRocket a Collaboration and project management software helps remote & distributed teams work better together, complete projects faster, save time & money.
Game plan cloud is the web based construction management software, specially designed to organize and manage construction projects efficiently. It facilitates the construction project manager to manage all construction related activities in a very proficient manner and increase productivity. That directly result in the reduction of time and cost. With Game plan cloud based construction management software you can communicate with the whole team from a single platform and keep your eyes on their work activities, you can also update and convey the information to all of them in few minutes. Other than this you can also update with resources, supplier and product information. This software helps you to successfully complete and deliver the construction project on time.
Check out Workflowy. It can be anything you want it to be, but best for lists and notes.
You shouls also include Findnerd Project Management Tool(http://projects.findnerd.com/ ) in this list. This is one of the best free project management tools and worl smoothly along with its advanced features. Have a look at it.
One of the Best Project Management Software which I know are
1. Basecamp
2. Slack
3. Freedcamp
4. Teamwork Projects
5. Producteev
Another tool to consider, especially if you work with a distributed team, is Nuvro https://nuvro.com/
It falls between Basecamp/Asana and Wrike/Podio
I use iSmart.Life (https://ismart.life) to improve my productivity.
This is a very simple and convenient app.
You forgot to mention the best solution I know – Proggio https://goo.gl/gcD1Qo
Seems to me noone knows Frank Collaboration http://www.frankcollaboration.com/ If you have the patience, it seems to me everything an architect needs, very very extensive. But very complicated and working really slowly.
In my company we use LeaderTask software for task management in team https://en.leadertask.com I think it is fit more for small groups.
When I was searched for tool one of my requirements was tree view. We use 4-5 nested levels for tasks in collaboration. The app may be supplemented by physical kanban board.
Thanks for the great information. Project management software is software used for project planning, scheduling, resource allocation and change management. It allows project managers, stakeholders and users to control costs and manage budgeting, quality management and documentation and also may be used as an administration system.
Here is a checklist that will help you choose the right PM software for you https://goo.gl/ZuFemp
This thread seems to be a little old now but take a look at https://totalsynergy.com it’s an online project management software designed for architects and engineers.